Eco-Friendly Products

It is time for BYOB! Yes, bring your own shopping bag!  As we keep on our journey through a busy 2010, it’s outrageous to think about how much purchasing we traditionally carry out here in America and world-wide. Whether it's regular trips to the grocery store as we keep our kitchen’s stocked for wonderful meals and tasty treats or those occasionally dreaded (yet skillful) "6 bags on each arm" walks through the local mall, it all adds up to a whole lot of unnecessary waste.  One of the most blatant examples of this waste is disposable grocery bags.

An estimated 100 billion plastic shopping bags are consumed every year within the USA, according to the Wall-Street Journal.  Most plastic bags end up in landfills furthermore the rest time and again end up in rivers, ponds, lakes, streams or in the ocean, where animals can swallow or become tangled in them.  Considering the number of shopping bags that are consumed and wasted each year, the time is now to spread the word about the positive benefits of eco-friendly reusable grocery bags.  After all, the majority of us want to give back to our families, friends and communities as often as possible.

Adopting a BYOB strategy in our individual shopping habits is a simple method to do exactly that.  If we could boost consciousness at this time, the positive outcome for the environment is immeasurable for 2010 and well into the future.  Numerous cities have already made gradual but significant progress in promoting the use of eco friendly bags in recent years.  Motivating consumers with plastic and paper bag bans, discounts at the register for reusable bag usage and tax motivations are a few to speak of.

Right now in America, the San Jose City Council only just approved among the nation’s strictest bans on plastic and paper shopping bags.   It is a great victory for the Bay Area, which has 1 million plastic bags per year accumulating in and along the San Francisco Bay.  San Jose becomes the most recent bay area town to endorse some sort of ban on disposable shopping bags; some others include San Francisco and Palo Alto. Tracy Seipel of the San Jose Mercury News reported that it was in fact ONE man who truly jump-started the ban, an additional remarkable example of the power of one individual.  Here’s a an excerpt:

"While visiting his sister-in-law in Taipei, (Kansen) Chu (elected to San Jose city council in 2007) went grocery shopping and was surprised to get charged for plastic grocery bags. The next day, he brought his own cloth bags back to the store.  "I guess the question," said Chu, "was, ‘Why not San Jose?’ " He began a conversation with the city’s environmental services staff, which later moved to council committee discussions.

Save the Bay’s 4th yearly report on the most garbage-strewn places in the region further demonstrates the need for BYOB.  The 50-year-old environmental advocacy group focused on 10 explicit bay-area sites where approximately 15,000 plastic bags were recovered in a single day last year in their statement.   Here’s an passage of an article in the San Francisco Chronicle by Kelly Zito.

According to (Save the Bay’s) research, Californians use about 19 billion plastic bags each year, 3.8 million in the Bay Area. The average use time for the bags – made using about 12 million barrels of oil each year in the United States – is about 12 minutes. In addition to the hundreds of years it can take for a plastic bag to decompose in a landfill, the bags also force downtime when fed into traditional recycling equipment. Typically, the bags get wound into conveyor belts or gears and must be cut out by hand.

Ten US cities have banned plastic bags to date, five throughout the past year. Even Mexico City enacted a ban on plastic shopping bags, which went into effect in August.  The city of 20 million currently faces the realities of effective enforcement, which isn't easy while the Mexico City Chamber of Commerce estimates there are actually 35,000 vendors in Mexico City’s downtown area alone.

Bans on plastic bags aren’t really the only valuable approach to scale back harmful waste brought on by disposable bags.  PlasTaxes, which tax customers at the register for using plastic bags while shopping, had been first introduced by the Irish.  John Roach of National Geographic reported in 2008 on the worldwide momentum that’s been building from the time when Ireland instilled a PlasTax in 2003.  The Irish showed they could cut down plastic bag consumption by 90% or more.   Momentum is growing internationally, particularly in America.  From Washington, DC to Edmonds, WA to North Pole, AK, communities and governments are spurring a global trend to cut back the harmful environmental effects of disposable shopping bags.  In the great state of Hawaii, the government is currently considering a bill to ban single-use plastic bags (SUP), or to establish a minimal fee make use of SUP bags.

Even chief retail stores like Target and CVS are taking action by enacting special discounts at the register for customers who choose to BYOB or just carry-out their items without a bag.  For those naysayers, it’s opportune to ignore recent momentum in reducing disposable bag waste.  But to a few, the wide-spread adoption of eco friendly recycled bags is inevitable.  Have a look at the way smoking is becoming taboo in America.  Indoor smoking bans have caught on like wild-fire.  In a similar way, who is to say using disposable bags won’t become taboo at some point in the (hopefully near) future?  The use of eco-friendly recycled grocery bags is definitely picking up steam.  Our personal decisions to take our recycled shopping bags can go a good deal farther than we imagine.  That’s what BYOB is all about.

Of course, plastic and paper bags need to be recycled and it’s crucial to bear in mind a bunch of huge retailers including Albertsons and Wal-Mart will recycle plastic bags for you (just need to bring them your accumulated stash).  That being said, a BYOB shopping approach can make your life a lot simpler because there is no longer a need to accumulate that cabinet filled with plastic bags or figure out what and when to deal with it.  Keeping a couple of reusable bags inside your car or backpack is a great way to make sure you possess them when needed. So give back this year by remembering to BYOB!   No matter whether it be in a convenience store, the mall, or while grocery shopping, we could make a change for our environment and help elevate consciousness one transaction at a time.  In the struggle to eradicate disposable shopping bag waste, 2010 is our moment.

With energy sources exhausting at a rate faster than they are being replaced, it is only right that we use the abundant energy available for free – the solar energy. Quite apart from the free energy it provides, the sun actually reduces the adverse impact to the environment. Solar panels has not yet become widespread due to the high capital outlay and inconvenience.. It's much easier and cheaper than you may realise to make use of solar power – and painless to install. Not only will you be minimising your power costs, but helping to safeguard energy resources for the future of the planet.

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Let's now take a look at some of the implements that are available to use solar energy in your home.

You can get yourself a solar cooker to make an adequate roast dinneer energy free. The convenient box-like energy-saver enables you to serve up a good size meal for a dinner party of around 5 people. Don't think that your credibility as a cook will suffer. You will not be limited in technique whether you prefer to roast, boil or bake. Don't forget that you have to begin your cooking a little sooner as it does take a little longer to cook. However, this is lesser in importance compared with the ever-increasing fuel costs. You are now able to save on the energy costs of cooking.

It is also possible to install in your home a home solar lighting system. This converts the sun's energy, using solar technology, for domestic use and thus powering your lighting system. Solar energy is stored in the cells allowing you to remain with a functioning lighting system at night also. Once installing a solar lighting system then you will have reduced your bill forever.

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Having a solar heating system can make huge energy savings especially if you live in the colder climates. You will also be contributing to safeguarding energy resources for the planet.Your probablyworried by now about turning your house into a nightmare once it's done..Remember that there are many sytems, including diy that are not aesthetically disadvantaged by the installation of solar energy panels. It is possible to also receive a return on your investment over time depending upon which system you choose, that means free energy from there on out. ROI is much higher when you opt for one of the quality diy solar energy projects.

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If you are thinking about installing a residential solar energy system in your home, you will need to know how much energy you are currently using. This information can most likely be obtained from the local power company. By using this data as a baseline, you can design your solar energy system in accordance with the needs of your home. Your region's climate will influence how much energy is used, as well as the direction your windows face, the number and placement of your trees, and the kinds of appliances used.

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Your light bulbs can even make a difference. The annual temperature extremes in your geographical area will be a important factor. Living in an region with temperature extremes will use more energy to heat or cool your home than if you live in a moderate climate. In a cold climate, south-facing windows help reduce your heating bills. North facing windows in a hot climate can reduce cooling costs.

Mature trees can provide shade and help reduce cooling costs during the summer, while the bare tree limbs let in sunlight in in the winter months. These factors can all contibute to the amount of energy used. And having energy-efficient insulation in your roof, walls and floors can help lower energy bills in all climates. If possible, use only energy efficient appliances. Newer models can use up to 50% less energy than older ones, especially if they are in need of repair and are not performing at peak effiency. Another way to signifantly decrease electricity consumption is to use compact flourescent light bulbs.

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After evaluating your house for these factors, you can plan your solar photovoltaic system by multiplying your average daily kilowatt hour usage by about .25. This should provide you with a rough estimate of the daily kilowatts your solar panels will need to generate to satisfy your current electrical needs.

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Some have a wrong impression that a fire-pit is not good for the environment. The pluses of having an outdoor fire pit outweigh the negative of an occasional burst of smoke.

The fact that they mostly use wood, which is replenishable, is the most obvious ecological benefit of fire pits. Beyond that, the wood which is used is frequently wood that has already dropped and is in the area, and it's just gathered by campers or barbecuers when they absolutely need it. This means that healthy trees are left standing and the diversity of the local flora remains intact. In addition, this averts the necessity of wasteful transport of gas from place to place.

Another good thing about fire pits is that they can be less wasteful than electric cooking appliances, which generally are using at least a little electricity at all times, even when not in use. If you dont light a wood fire, then nothing is consumed. Reusing partially-burnt sticks for the next fire will prevent there from being any waste at all.

There are people who believe that charcoal grills are bad for the environment but a gas grill is more eco-Friendly.   There are two main types of these: propane and natural gas. Nevertheless, each of these fuels needs much resource intensive processing and infrastructure in order to take them from the source to a person's grill. Gas grills are more harmful than they seem when we think about the pollution that refineries and trucks cause.  After all, when using a fire pit the exclusive energy used moving the fuel about is the calories spent by the individual carrying it to its position. You can collect wood from fallen branches rather than wasting gas by transporting it from far away.

One more advantage of fire pits that may be overlooked is that they reunite you with nature. Since the fuel for fires is most abundant in the woods, those who want to build one will get at least a short hike through nature and see what it’s actually like. This always serves to let us know that we, as humans, are an important part of nature and not apart from it.

What defines a wind turbine? You may hear a wind turbine referred to as a windmill or wind generator. Though the terms are used interchangeably, there is a minor difference. A wind turbine utilizes wind power to produce mechanical energy. This mechanical energy is then used as is or converted into electrical energy. A windmill uses the mechanical energy as is for extracting water or for grinding jobs, whereas the wind generator is the one that produces electricity. Are there different types of wind turbines? Wind turbines are split into two types based on their orientation:

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1. Horizontal Axis Turbines – The blades of these wind turbines turn along    a horizontal axis.
2. Vertical Axis Turbines – These turbine blades turn along a vertical axis.

The type most commonly employed is the horizontal axis turbine as it is far superior to the vertical axis turbine in efficiency. What are some of the benefits of using a wind turbine to generate electricity? The major ones are discussed below:

• Power-Saving:: As the wind turbines use a free energy, the wind, they are a very cost-effective way of generating electricity, thus helping not only minimize power use but also create power for the world.
• Cost Effectiveness: After the initial installation cost, all you'll all you'll have to pay for is their upkeep. The energy source is free!
• Impact on the Environment: The wind turbines are environment friendly as they do not give off harmful gases or impact the environment in a negative way.
• A More Reliable Source of Energy: Getting your electricity supply from a wind generator means you'll no longer have to depend on a power company. No more blackouts!

Build Wind Generator

What are the conditions you should think about for installing a wind turbine? Although implementing a wind turbine is very beneficial for you and for others, you must take care not to implement the solution in an incorrect way. You need to take into consideration these conditions before installing a wind turbine. Make sure the following two pre-requisites are met:

• A minimum of one acre
• An average wind speed of at least 11 miles per hour in your area.
• Make sure the tower and the base are sturdy. It is important to take wind turbulence into consideration before you invest in the wind turbine.
• Check for proper tower height and distance between the generator and the cells.

How To Construct Your Own Wind Turbine

Report on recycling

We still see electronic waste piling up in landfills although several medias reported about the damages created by wrongly disposing of old or defective electronics.

It doesn’t make sense because most of the components: glass, steel, aluminum, copper, plastics and precious metals – can be recovered and be used again to make new merchandise. Computers are being upgraded faster than ever, cell phones frequently break and electronic is now seen as a disposable commodity instead of a permanent possession. In average, the turn-around for upgrading a personal computer is shorter than two years in North America.

The articles are not always needed; it’s not all about a real need but mostly because people just like having new stuff, with the latest gadgets and features. Electronic has become a fashion article that will not be wanted when something that looks newer will come to the market.

Is there a motive for people not recycling their electronic equipment?
Much noise has been made by associations like Greenpeace in regards to the poor practices of some recyclers having their recycling done in Asia or Africa or simply exporting e-waste towards these countries. The message from Greenpeace has awakened many individuals and I believe the result has not been exactly what was to be expected. The association demonstrated to the whole world how lots of hazardous material ends being badly recycled in China. We can then make the assumption that some individuals and organizations are holding on their e-waste, unsure if it will ends in a proper place.

It is not a good idea to put our head under the sand and send our electronic to the junk. Some associations such as CARI-ACIR are there to verify that their members are following strict rules like avoiding exports to third world countries and not sending electronic scrap to landfills. Every accredited companies are checked and customers can be sure about a proper recycling of their equipment when they ship to one of their member.

Many people are still thinking that they should get money returned for their electronic waste. Other people think that a company can go pick up the e-waste, properly sort and separate it, unscrew all the plastic pieces from the metal parts and have to pay North American salaries without charging a penny to their customer. People have to understand that recycling obsolete computers only bring back a few cents per pound of material. Those offering free pickups and free recycling are clearly doing something wrong  if they are not financed directly by the authorities to do so. PC Recycle, a company established fifteen years ago still has to compete against false recyclers in the field with no physical place, literally managing their business from a cellular phone and a pickup truck. Those “recyclers” are saving what they can sell and the rest is most probably sent to landfills even though another story is being told to their clients. At least, no one can check because these false recyclers are not accredited by any associations.

Before choosing a company to recycle your electronic, look around and find who their competition is. If they offer you a free recycling, it should raise a red flag. You have to make sure that your recycler is part of an association. Make sure also that your recycler is open to show you his recycling center: an appropriate recycling will come from a recycler that is totally transparent in its activities.

Jason Mailley
PC Recycle

We’ve all heard about and seen artificial trees. In homes, offices, conservatories and hospitals they brighten rooms without requiring the levels of maintenance that standard trees do, such as watering, nurturing and provision of adequate light, not to mention preening.

However, environmentally, artificial trees generally don’t do much more than look attractive and brighten a room. it is possible that this fact is about to change dramatically. A scientist in America has drafted an invention of some artificial trees which are intended to behave in the same way real trees and plant do. Artificial trees will be used to collect and store carbon in a similar way to real trees and plants if the design were to become reality.

At the moment the invention is just an idea on paper and doesn’t look much like a real tree, like artificial trees do. According to the scientist who came up with the idea, it looks more like an American football goalpost.

The new artificial trees could perform the work of their real counterparts by drawing in carbon dioxide from the air just as plants do during the photosynthesis process but with the difference that the artificial trees would store the carbon instead of giving out oxygen.

According to Dr Lackner’s estimations, one of his artificial trees would be able to take care of around 90,000 tonnes of carbon each year.  This roughly equates to the output of 15,000 cars. Using those figures as a base, we would need a quarter of a million artificial trees around the world to combat the effects of the 25 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide produces annually.

This is interesting news for the long term future of the artificial trees and plants business. It may be a long way off but let’s hope the idea comes to fruition and we can combine attractive artificial trees with environmentally friendly technology to contribute to protecting the planet’s future.

Every year, the environmental problems are getting worse. Global warming, pollution, and other concerns are now very evident. Many environmentalists are now taking an active part in the hope of saving the world before it’s too late. One way to effectively address such problems is by using solar power. With many households and establishments using generators to back up their power supply, which do you think is the best choice?

Power failure happens in the most unexpected hours and so having generators for home use can provide the needed power. The portable generators are widely used and you can even find large generators that provide emergency power. If you want to help in reducing pollution and other environmental problems, why don’t you opt for solar power instead?

The initial cost is a very important thing to consider but you will also need to look in the benefits that you can gain the future. Installing a viable solar power system can be a little bit expensive than just purchasing a portable generator. However, once you have installed the power system, you can already enjoy free power supply. Maintenance is minimal and you will not spend huge money on it. You don’t need to buy fuel just to run the system because the energy of the sun fuels the solar power system. In a portable generator, you will have to buy fuel to run it and so you will keep on spending money to enjoy power supply.

Generators can be purchased easily, online or locally, and so it’s quite convenient to obtain them. On the other hand, solar power is not that convenient to install and purchase as well. The market for solar power is rather small but because of the technological advancements, the market will soon grow. Today, the best way to obtain solar power kits is through the internet. Anyone can settle for a little bit of inconvenience especially if huge benefits are involved. Besides, after the installation of the solar power system, you don’t need to monitor it often unlike in generators where you will refill the fuel, change the oil and filter, and two times servicing in a year. The solar power system can last for twenty years even with minimal maintenance.

Both solar power and portable generators are efficient. However, when it comes to cost-efficiency, solar power is ahead. As long as the sun shines, energy can be generated. The system can also store energy so that it can be used at night or during rainy days. In a generator, you will need to re-fuel from time to time. You will need to pay for the fuel every time. Sunlight is free but fuel is not and so the cost efficient option is very obvious.

In terms of dependability, solar power and generators are almost the same. Solar power is best used in places where there is bright sunlight all throughout the year. If the period of bad weather is lengthy, all the stored power can be consumed. Generators can be used whether it’s sunny or rainy but the problem lies with the source of fuel. If you can’t refuel the generator, it will not work.

It’s your choice whether you will use solar power or portable generators for home use. It all depends on your capacity to pay for the device. You can further evaluate these two by reading this article carefully.

Assembly Bill 32 (AB 32, 2006) calls for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in California to 1990 levels by 2020. Since cars and light-duty trucks represent 46% of total greenhouse gas emissions, all we have to do is tell the automakers what emissions goals they need to reach, and that should solve the problem, right? Well, no. There's a much better solution.
If we continue to assume that people will keep driving cars, and that the population is expected to increase, the carmakers alone are not going to be able to solve the problem.

What about changing the existing assumptions? What if people didn’t have to drive as far? What if a lot more people used public transportation? Could a new approach like this, combined with more traditional efforts, reduce ghg's even in the face of a population increase?

Enter Senate Bill 375 (SB 375, 2008), which requires a reduction of ghg’s to 1990 levels from new land development or redevelopment projects. It also called for the creation of a technical advisory committee to advise the California Air Resource Board (CARB) on how to reach the 2020 goal.

So where does this committee come from? Who has the knowledge to make such a comprehensive ten-year plan? Twenty-one people have volunteered their time to make this happen. For the most part, they fall into two groups: organizations who want their cities and counties to thrive and organizations whose goal is to reduce emissions. While these goals may seem to be at odds, the job of the Regional Targets Advisory Committee (RTAC) is to make a plan to do both at the same time.

Who are the representatives of California residents and businesses? Ten committee members are involved in local government and city planning, five are involved in public transportation, five are from organizations that support environmental issues, and one from a California new home builder. They hail from all over the state – big cities and rural areas as well as colleges and non-profits.
The RTAC report to the California Air Resources Board is due at the end of September. In the next two months, they will put together recommendations of actions and measurements that will enable each region to meet the required goals, taking into consideration the capabilities of each entity and current and projected economic factors. No small feat.

In the end, their accomplishment will be one that could not have happened without such a multi-discipline long-term commitment. Only an effort like this has the potential to significantly impact the amount of greenhouse gas emissions in California.

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For those who are looking for a handy yet elegant water container that is incredibly eco-friendly, Eco Canteen is the perfect choice for you. It is a stainless steel water bottle that is reusable and allows you to put an end to the use of plastic. There are plenty of dangers that are associated with making use of anything that is made of plastic. For instance, there is a manufacturing method that plastics employ, which can be very lethal. There are plenty of hazardous chemicals that are associated with the production of anything that is made of plastic, which could directly result in hazardous situations pertaining to health. Plastics also contribute to the endless overflowing of landfills as they make up most of the things that get thrown into them. It is very much apparent that the planet is in need of serious help and now is the time to start doing something about it. It is inspiring to see that there are plenty of people who are beginning to take the problems with the environment seriously and making a contribution to save the planet that we live in. You can make your own contribution by learning about the cold harsh facts about the state of our planet and then try to help out and make a difference in the world. You can start by choosing to make use of stainless steel water bottles as opposed to the disposable water bottles that are made of plastic. Ecocanteen is a reusable stainless steel water container that is environmentally friendly and a good alternative to water bottles. It makes use of a material that is extremely non-porous, which enables it to resist bacterial growth. The distinct feature of Eco Canteen is its wide mouth, which is large enough for putting in ice cubes and for thorough cleaning of the water bottle. It is safe to put into the dishwasher, although you can easily wash the container by hand. Eco Canteen makes use of an overall design that is both sleek and effortless and it comes with a clip that you can use to secure it onto your backpack or gym bag. Eco Canteen is far more inexpensive than any other existing water bottle, which enables you to save money and save the planet all at the same time. Eco Canteen guarantees that you will get your money’s worth and you’ll be able to save the environment so hurry up and get one for yourself now. Stop by http://www.ecocanteenreviews.com to see what everyine is saying