Easy E Cloth
Reduce the money you spend on cleaning products and make your house healthier with the “e cloth“. Now most of these are not made with ‘natural’ products per say, but they can significantly reduce the money you spend on cleaning and the resources required for those products. The E-Cloth is very affordable and it only requires water to help lubricate the surfaces for easy cleaning. So it is not an entirely green product, but something I have used and believe works very well.
The E-Cloth is a polyester & polyamide blend. The polyester is supposed to scrub and clean, while the small portion of polyamide, a nylon byproduct, should absorb the water. It works because of this blend and due to the fine nature of the fabric. It is this fineness that is able to break up the ‘dirt’ and then absorb it along with the water. This type of fabric is called a “microfiber” but the company indicates that not all microfibers are created equal.
Now as a skeptic of a “one size fits all” perspective, I was curious to know if the E-Cloth could truly clean kitchens, bathrooms, and cars equally. Although they have developed a few more ’specific’ cloths since my all out investigation, I found that shockingly it does. I used it to dust, clean dirty stoves, and even wash part of a friend’s car with the E-cloth. All I needed to do was through it in the wash or a bucket to rinse it out and it was ready for the next challenge.
I highly recommend this as a one time investment if the regime of old rags isn’t cutting it. If you are sensitive to dust or other indoor pollutants, the E-cloth is a very good solution. I know many individuals with asthma or environmental sensitivities that use this product as well. It can reduce the amount of time you spend reading cleaning labels. Of course home-brewed cleaning recipes and old rags work well too. But for those who want to cut paper towels out of their own consumer report along with cleaning rags that spread in place of clean the dirt, the E-Cloth could be a great addition to your home.
USDA: Friend or Genetically Modified Foe?
Bear with me, this is long but informative…read on if you dare.
It is do or let GMOs die time at the United States Department of Agriculture, and they are letting you weigh in on their decision. The USDA’s mission is to utilize public policy, science, and management to provide leadership on food agriculture, and natural resources. Yet organizations like the Center for Food Safety have not been satisfied with their leadership, as is the European Union among other large entities. The current debate revolves around Genetically Engineered (GE) crops that were previously approved by the USDA as safe. But after being sued in 2006 by the Center for Food Safety and with pressure from a multitude of organizations and farmers, they are reviewing their approval of Monsanto’s GE Roundup Ready alfalfa. Now is your time to send them your thoughts on GE crops and their process for approval, but your time to act ends tomorrow, March 3rd!
Genetically Engineered Crops aka “Frankenfood”
Genetically modified organisms have been growing exponentially in the United States since the early 2000s in the field of agriculture. Some argue that Mendel, who originally discovered hybridization and gene characteristics in plants, was in fact creating GE crops. Yet the majority of scientists in the field disagree, they suggest it is when laboratories started manipulating the specific genes within a plant and injecting foreign genetic material. For example, scientists input salmon DNA into tomato plants to increase their cold weather resistance. This type of gene manipulation is what the European Union has banned from their food system and US food exports, calling it “Frankenfood.” While in the US very little of this seething debate was heard and companies such as Monsanto were privately patenting a large variety of seeds they claim as their own.
What are the risks of GE Crops?
For the average consumer, first and foremost your health is at risk. Next is the integrity of our food system as a whole. And of course the larger underlying threat is our ecological system and the long-term irreversible impact GE crops have already had in North America. If you are a farmer, the risks are a hundredfold.
Health
Human health issues always get a great deal of attention, and are often the primary reason action is taken when ecological disaster arises. For GE crops, this is a sensitive issue in the United States. Scientific research originally studying the long-term health impacts of GE crops was put under intense scrutiny by GE crop companies, and ultimately their funding has been revoked or minimized. Their decisive response has been to align themselves with highly respected Universities across North America (since GE crops are not allowed in the majority of developed nations) and fund only GE crop research that would shed a positive light on its nutritional and ecological ‘value’ as the company deems appropriate and favorable. This type of controlled science is unlikely to produce a result that will benefit the general public’s knowledge base and health. The original studies and those conducted in Europe prior to banning GE crops demonstrated an increase in allergies, carcinogens and cancer rates, and an overall increase in chemical build-up in the body’s fatty tissue leading to a variety of health issues.
Food System
Our food system is and has been in great peril since the 1970s food crisis. The major issues such as intensive chemical dependency, unsustainable land use, and unjust farmer-company relationships have sprouted up in literature by Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser, and Francis Moore Lappe and movies like Food Inc. Movements revolting against this system, that cry for something more just, such as Slow Food and Slow Money, are only seedlings relative to the extensive power the major corporations hold over our food system in the United States.
History of our Food System
Let’s take a quick look at history to help put the unraveling of our food system into context. In the 1970s the price of oil flew sky high, demolishing the savings of farmers across the Midwest, America’s breadbasket. Their reliance on petroleum to run their machinery and utilize pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers left many families broken and in debt. Major corporations took advantage of their downfall by purchasing their land and designing a deal that would lure debt-ridden farmers under the company’s control. The main strategy was to purchase the land, and then allow the farmer to stay on the land and ‘lease’ it from the company. In return, the farmer would grow the crops the company demanded in the method the company deemed appropriate. The seeds, machinery, and upkeep of the land were all on the farmer and still are today. The United States transformed from a land of opportunity filled with small and medium-sized farms to a privately-owned land that could be yours (partially via lease) for a price.
Manipulation of our Food System
The food system that these companies have manipulated to their best profit margin is dependent upon their crops, their specialized fertilizers, their herbicides, and their desired management practices. GE crops made the monopolization of agriculture all the easier for these companies. Now a company, for example Monsanto, designs a seed that has a special mutation to fight disease and pests. They also design a special herbicide that will kill everything except that special seed. The farmer is now locked into part of the company’s system. They must purchase Monsanto seed, as Monsanto has dictated or aligned with land owners to dictate, and then purchase the Monsanto herbicide since it is the only product on the market that will work with their seed. Did I mention that Monsanto has designed the majority of these seeds to be “terminator” seeds, meaning they only last one season and cannot be saved to be replanted the next summer? This fact alone led to a revolt across all of India. They were outraged that they could not practice seed saving. A practice in the US that gets you on Monsanto’s notorious “Blacklist”, where they block you from customers, other farmers, and buyers of your crop, not a pleasant place to be for farmers who work with large risks of debt in their business.
Profiteers of our Food System Hint: its not you.
These companies also failed to mention two other major factors that will determine a farmer’s profit margin, other than the requirement to be locked into purchasing their products. First, the farmer’s relationship with the land is permanently altered. The companies will dictate the seeds based on desired stocks, their own Research and Development (which they test on farmers, not at their own testing facilities), among other ‘confidential’ factors. Meaning a farmer may be required to grow soy for 10 years straight with no regard to the land’s natural nutrient cycle or capacity. Soy, the one of the largest monocultures in the United States, requires a 5 year replenishment cycle for soil. If you have ever driven through Iowa, you will see miles and miles of soy, year after year. This requires the farmer to pay for large quantities of fertilizer to simulate the land’s nutrient cycle every year. So farmers have not escaped from their main source of vulnerability in the 1970s; the price of oil.
The second major factor is the power companies hold over the grain silos and the price of a crop on particular days. The unethical nature of this initially sounds like a conspiracy theory, but after speaking with farmers in company-infested farm towns, it turns out that it is more than true, it is deeply disturbing. They will purposefully manipulate the price of a crop based on the farmer and their relationship or lack their of with the company, a collaboration among industry giants that keeps farmers out of the marketplace who do not concede to their ‘rules of the game’.
Ecology
GE crops impact on the environment is not understudied, despite companies such as Monsanto’s best efforts. GE crops have been proven to mate with other plants, are not contained by 15 foot high wind barriers (previously deemed suitable by Monsanto, Dupont, and after closed door discussions the USDA), and leave an array of chemicals, unusual residue and genes in the soil beyond conventional agriculture’s significant impact on the land. The most important fact to keep aware of is that GE crops are capable of contaminating organic agriculture, meaning unless every plant is tested there is no way to determine if certified organic food in the US is free from GE crops. Farmer’s have sued Monsanto for contamination and Monsanto has sued farmers claiming patent infringement, every case to date Monsanto has won. Most often because the legal fees and barrage that they throw at the farmers literally put them out of business. The US has not determined sufficient containment procedures, resulting in the contamination of an entire portion of an island in Hawaii. This also means that GE crop seeds are spreading to plants in the wild. Since not all of their seed are terminator seeds, it is an unseen and unknown issue that is slowly creeping through our road ditches and grain spills.
This article’s intent is not to scare you, it is to make you aware of a major issue within our food system. Unfortunately, the budgets of large companies has consistently overridden the concern for the well-being of the general public. GE crops were originally touted as the cure for world hunger and a source for alternative fuel sources to eliminate the need for oil. To date, they have accomplished neither, and in the majority of cases made each issue worse. Mexico’s farmers did not appreciate the US’s ‘aid’ of goodwill terminator seeds when their rural communities tried to harvest their corn crop the following year. Farmer’s to date are more reliant on oil as is their supply chain, than in the 1970s.
The wonder and awe of our scientific games is long gone in the world of GE crops.
Current Debate – Act by March 3rd
If this has you concerned, than I encourage you to review and decide if you would like to take action. You may do so by telling the USDA that you support the Center for Food Safety’s position that GE crops, specifically Monsanto’s GE Roundup Ready alfalfa should not be grown in the United States. Please review the True Food Network’s write-up and sign by tomorrow, March 3rd if you would like to support their efforts. Their website has an overview of the debate and a pre-written letter that you can email through their website.
Shopping Tips
For those of you who would still like to eat your food in good conscience here are some important shopping tips for selecting food.
1) Numbers matter! Check for these hints on your produce at the grocery store:
If it begins with a…
9 = Organically Grown
4 = Conventionally Grown
8=Genetically Engineered
2) The EU has banned GE crops, so although I encourage you to shop locally, seasonally, and to get to know your farmers and food system, EU products outright state that they are not made with GE crops. So feel free to use this as a good guideline. Many companies based in the US have different EU and US brands, selling the GE crops to US markets, so finding EU approved companies isn’t enough. Check the product for information.
3) The Shop non-GMO App for IPhones and consumer guides can be found at The Institute for Responsible Technology
Of course local, organic, seasonal food choices will always help, but you may be surprised (possibly horrified) to learn how GE crops have infiltrated your diet. So I encourage you to read about it, speak out about it, and continue to take an educated stand on this issue. Please note that the US had a national discussion about labeling GE food, but after significant publicity efforts and closed door discussions, the government decided there were no additional dangers. The opposite conclusion the EU reached after their extensive scientific research into the issue.
The United States Department of Agriculture is in the midst of a discussion that will ultimately determine its stance on food safety. What will be your role?
Sustainable Olympics? Hog(green)wash
The Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics & Paralympics have been under intense scrutiny, not due to questionable medals or poor refereeing, but for sustainability. Great Britain has been a vocal force among other parties, stating that Vancouver did not do enough in terms of sustainability. They promise that their upcoming Summer Olympics will be the most sustainable games yet. Is all of this just a public relations stunt or was Vancouver actually trying to make an effort during difficult economic times?
According to the Vancouver Olympics Committee, sustainability was a key consideration in the design and planning of the Olympics. You can actually follow their efforts via the Sustainability Reports they have consistently published. As the first Games to formally include this as not only a concern, but translate it into tangible action, their efforts are notable. The organizers of the Games have a portion of the Vancouver 2010 site dedicated to sustainability, including a sustainability star program for companies and/or organizations, as well as videos and tips on how to be eco-friendly while at the Olympics. Do the medals look a little funny this year? They are actually made from electronic waste, not too shabby if you ask me.
The Sustainability Stars program focuses on three key areas:
- Economic Benefit
- Environmental Stewardship & Impact
- Social Inclusion & Responsibility
Organizations’ efforts must include at least 2 of the 3 focal areas, produce a measurable outcome, and relate to the 2010 Winter Games. The submittals were then judged by a jury of government partners, corporate sponsors, external experts, and VANOC representatives.
Coke, who is working to become carbon neutral, was one of the company’s highlighted. Their efforts included new coolers and vending machines that reduced emissions by 5,600 metric tons, compostable food containers, recycling centers, and team uniforms made from recycled plastic. Their goal is to divert 95% of all waste from landfills, an incredibly high and difficult goal to achieve at a large-scale event with varied levels of eco-awareness. Although you may not drink Coke or agree with their global supply chain, the reduced impact on the environment through these actions is measurable and exciting.
Perhaps my favorite eco-effort of the games is the Power Smart Village by BC Hydro. They have a human-powered dance floor and an expression wall that looks like spray paint, but is actually transmitted through infrared technology. They also host a Home of the Future series that highlights futuristic eco-inventions. As a power company, their most significant contribution has been the reduction in energy used and the increase in renewable energy sources. It is estimated that these games will emit 1/10th of the CO2 emissions from power generation than previous Winter Games. This will make it the lowest CO2 Games contributor in modern history.
With large-scale design and accountability efforts such as these, it’s difficult to criticize their efforts. The Olympics and Paralympics require an extensive built-environment and land manipulation to take place. This along with the influx in population make it difficult to create a No Impact Games. If we are able to take what we have learned from Vancouver’s efforts and multiply them in the Games to come, eco-smart design will become the center of the Olympics and it will hopefully spread to our athletic facilities worldwide.
The Olympics and Paralympics truly are natural homes for sustainability. The Games are about Countries coming together and competing for the honor of being a true Olympian. If we can take this competitive, yet team-oriented mindset and apply it to our innovation efforts imagine the future Games. The Vancouver Games are not an example of large-scale greenwashing, they are developing the foundation for long-term change toward eco-friendly games. Hopefully Great Britain rises well to the challenge they have set up for themselves. We can all look forward to a healthy competition for winning the “green Games” title into the future.
Taking the ‘Ugly’ Out of Flowers
I will be the gladdest thing
Under the sun!
I will touch a hundred flowers
And not pick one.
va~Edna St. Vincent Millay, “Afternoon on a Hill”
Flowers can symbolize love, thank you, sorry, and goodbye yet behind this sentimental gesture is an extensive global supply chain that is often anything but beautiful.
The cut flower industry is worth over $40 billion dollars, the majority of which are imported from Latin America if you are living in the United States. According to Amy Stewart’s book Flower Confidential, an Ecuadorian flower farmer earns $150/month, totaling less than 4 cents per rose sold. This is on top of the extensive chemicals used to manipulate the plants including pesticides, herbicides, and “growth” sprays. The cut flower industry is anything but personal, and has a significant impact for a one-time use product.
Here are five things to consider when giving flowers to the green at heart:
Plants
Bouquets can be beautiful, yet during the winter months local, organic, or fair trade flowers can be hard to come by. By giving the gift of a plant, you can provide them with something to nurture, that can have positive effects on their health, and hopefully something to add to their spring garden! These will last longer than cut flowers, even with the miracle grow they come with these days, and can beautify their living space. Keep in mind though that not everyone with a green heart has a green thumb, so for those of us with black thumbs perhaps there are other options.
Plant -able Cards
Perhaps one of my favorite ideas that has sprouted up (pun intended) over the years, are cards that can be shredded and then watered, turning into indoor wildflower gardens. This gives it an element of surprise since you never know what will pop-up and makes the card not only compostable, but an instant nutrient. Flower card artisans each have their own approach, so make sure that the flowers are native to your region, then plant away.
The Symbol of the Flower: Not only roses
Cultures have developed special relationships with their native plants. Roses, tulips and carnations make up the majority of cut flower sales in the US, but what do these flowers symbolize? In some regions of China, the carnation symbolizes marriage, while in Western cultures the rose is connected to love, psychic powers, and protection. You can make your gift more personal by not only selecting based on local, seasonal, organic, and native flowers but also what the plant itself signifies. Here are a few ideas taken from China and the Western World, these resources are based more on suggestion than extensive research.
| Plant | Symbolism | Culture |
| Apricot | Beauty, Beautiful woman, Spring, Good Fortune | China |
| Bloodroot | Love, Protection, Purification | Western World |
| Gardenia | Love, Peace, Healing, Spirituality | Western World |
| Passion Flower | Peace, Sleep, Friendship | Western World |
| Peach Petals | State of an intense trance of love | China |
| Tangerine | Abundant happiness | China |
| Willow Branch | Able to bend/adapt but not break | China |
| Violet | Luck, Wishes, Lust, and Faith | Western World |
To learn more, please follow these links:
China’s Plant Symbology
Western World’s Plant Symbology
Eco-Friendly Plants
As mentioned earlier, selecting flowers or plants from an eco-friendly perspective can include the following combination of factors:
- In season
- Local
- Organic
- Fair-Trade
- Transferable to your own garden
Of course come spring time, any flowers cut from your own garden meet much of this criteria, so snip and then compost away.
Flowers are Dead to Me
Now for some of us, the thought of spending money to show someone that we care isn’t our chosen route. There are plenty of remedies beyond flowers, but hopefully this will help when flowers feel appropriate.
And now to leave you with a little sarcastic humor:
Why do people give each other flowers? To celebrate various important occasions, they’re killing living creatures? Why restrict it to plants? “Sweetheart, let’s make up. Have this deceased squirrel.”
~The Washington Post
For more information on the cut flower industry, I highly recommend Amy Stewart’s Flower Confidential. Here is a link to her fact sheet with information, statistics, and tips for maintaining cut flowers . She has also printed other books about floriculture and other garden-related pieces that can be found on her website.
Toxic Candles under Fire this Valentine’s Day
Turn on the romance, not the toxins with candles. The seemingly innocuous candle can be a source of lead poisoning, indoor air pollution, and cause long-term damage to your house along with the environment. So here are the top things to know about candles to make any romantic venture a safe one.
Wax and Waning
There are seven candle waxes used to date: beeswax, palm wax, paraffin, soya, synthetic gel, tallow, and vegetable oil. Tallow, at one time the most widely used wax, is made essentially from animal fat. As you may have guessed, production of tallow-based candles has significantly declined since the industrialization of food, in particular the meat industry so these candles are rare in developed countries. Palm wax, harvested primarily in Southeast Asia, undergoes a refining process prior to being used in a variety of body products including candles. It is not a major candle resource, so there is little research on its impact but it is expected to be small. Vegetable oil has a similar story to palm oil, yet is more readily available locally.
Paraffin is the most common and least expensive wax available. It is a petroleum byproduct, although is more commonly produced synthetically today. It is linked to non-renewable resources and a global supply chain. Studies by the EPA and American Lung Association link these candles to poor indoor air quality and Black Soot Deposition. There are other particulate emissions linked to these candles. Since manufacturers are not required to provide an inclusive ingredient list, it is uncertain whether the carcinogens found in the candle emissions are due to paraffin or other additives. The bottom line is to avoid buying these candles, and if you have some in your household, do not burn several at one time.
The synthetic gel candles, although intriguing to look at and play with, are severely understudied regarding their health and environmental impacts. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has on record several issues with gel candle containers exploding. I use the precautionary principle on this one, if there isn’t enough research to prove that it is safe for me to use, I avoid it. This gel is also non-renewable and typically manufactured in several different locations adding to its overall footprint.
Soy candles have exploded in popularity, yet they are not without their own hazards. Soy candles are considerably better for human health and the environment than paraffin and synthetic gel candles. Yet, as a monoculture that is quickly catching up to corn, it is also not as renewable as it once was. Studies on adverse health effects have proven the candle benign, but there are new studies analyzing “White’ Soot Deposition, so the jury is out on damage to the home. As for the age old concoction of beeswax, well there is only good news except for the bees. It is believed with a few supporting scientific documents that burning beeswax releases negative ions that improve an individual’s health. As for being renewable, the debate continues as bee populations are in flux. So time will tell if this resource will continue to renew itself.
Here is a wax guide to help you choose:
| Wax | Renewable Resource | Supports Local Economy | Negative Health Benefits | Cost | Green Rating |
| Beeswax | Yes | Yes | No | $$$ | #1 – Greenest |
| Soya | Yes | Sometimes | Unproven | $ | #2 – Green |
| Veggie Oil | Yes | Yes | Unknown | $ | #3 –Green |
| Palm Wax | Yes | No | Unknown | $$ | #4 – Green |
| Tallow | Somewhat | Sometimes | Unknown | $$$ | #5 – Green |
| Gel | No | No | Unproven | $$ | #6 – Not Green |
| Paraffin | No | No | Yes | $ | #7 – Not Green |
Wicked Wicks
Lead poisoning is back in a big way when you burn a lead core wick candle for an hour. Lead, zinc, and tin are added to provide support to the wick, but after health studies urged the National Candle Association to voluntarily ban lead from wicks, their use has declined significantly. Unfortunately, a study of a few US candles and the majority of candles from Asia revealed lead core wicks that could be lethal. So perform this simple test on all your candles: rub a piece of paper on the wick and watch for a pencil-like residue. If you see this result, immediately dispose of the candle, otherwise you could be exposing yourself and family to carcinogenic levels of lead poisoning.
Scents
Be aware that there is a difference between fragrances and synthetic scents versus essential oils. Essential oils can be therapeutic, while the others are fillers. There are a few studies conducted that have found adverse health effects from various fragrances. It was unclear whether these were tied to specific cases or overall sensitivities to the fragrances. So if a product advertises calming sensations and the like, check for the use of essential oils. If they are fragrance based it is unlikely to have this effect.
Colorants & Containers
Au natural is best when it comes to colors, although the majority of dyes have been found to be benign. If you are fortunate enough to buy your candles from a local artisan feel free to enquire to learn more. As for containers, beware of plastic containers. The US Consumer Safety Commission has documented several containers melting or imploding due to excessive heat, these studies were typically linked to the container and the synthetic wax.
So what now?
Top Tips
Here is a quick tip list to help you make the season of romance healthy and eco-friendly.
1) Check your Wax
2) Do the lead wick test
3) Do not burn several synthetic candles at one time
4) Check the claims of the company
5) Enjoy your romantic dinner for two!
Sources:
National Candle Association
EPA Candle Report
Palm Wax
Encyclopedia Britannica
Spirit of Change
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Style, Grace, and Upcycling
Who needs a dumpster when you can upcycle?
Upcycling converts items previously considered ‘garbage’ into new creations. Today you can find wallets made out of bicycle tires and purses composed of post-consumer pop tabs. Upcycling was coined in the book “Cradle to Cradle” which flips the ‘cradle to grave’ idea of products into a closed loop ideal. For Cradle to Cradle, each component of a product is designed to continually be upcycled, creating no waste. The vision is to create a world in which waste does not exist, only items that can continually evolve into new things or biodegrade back into nature. The pages of the actual book are waterproof and it is printed with special ink so that it can be collected off the page and reused along with the book.
What if you only owned one book that could be transformed from an economics text book to a romantic fiction novel simply by cleaning and reprinting the pages? The idea is revolutionary, but the concept of upcycling is one we have embraced for quite some time.
You don’t have to be a chemist like Michael Braungart or an architect like William McDonough, the authors, to start upcycling things around the house. The magazine “ReadyMade” hosts stylish and long-lasting upcycling ideas including this vintage Traveling Trunk into a Bar on Wheels transformation. With a quick trip to the hardware store, we can easily makeover defunct or ‘lost’ items into something fun, useable, and unique. ReadyMade is a great source of inspiration because they have anything from small art projects to large-scale furniture and home designs.
It looks like Upcycling has hit the mainstream media as well, check out this article in Reuters about Australia’s efforts.
There are plenty of ‘Do It Yourself’ sites out there, so please feel free to share your favorites and let’s get a rolling list going!
Understanding and Evaluating Energy Saving Technology
With the recent climate change talks in Copenhagen, it is safe to say that even though all countries aren’t actually making an effort to change their actions, most at least understand it is extremely important for the environment for us to change our ways and focus on reducing pollution.
Rather than waiting for our politicians to step up and mandate the changes needed to help save our environment, I feel that it is our duty to help make this world a better place, after all it is the only one we have.
One of the most effective ways of doing this is to help cut down on our energy costs, both in our vehicles and at home. However, when considering some of the technologies available today, it is very important to weigh not just the energy savings, but also the cost of manufacturing these devices.
Heating and Cooling
In the home, there are usually few appliances that are as inefficient as our heating and air systems. However, if you live in an area that gets very hot or cold, simply doing without isn’t safe, nor is it comfortable. Fortunately, there are a number of more energy efficient heating and air systems available, which can cut back on our energy use, without having to sacrifice our comfort.
One of the most exciting technologies available to help reduce energy costs is the Geothermal Heating and cooling unit. Geothermal heating and cooling uses very long tubes that extend into the Earth and actually pull heat from the ground. In the summer, the same process can be reversed, sending the heat from the house, into the ground.
Using a geothermal system, it is possible to heat a 1500 square foot house for less than a dollar a day. Of course, they are quite expensive to install and depending on the location, can require that a very deep hole is drilled. To help off set this cost, many power companies will offer incentives for installing a geothermal heating and cooling system, with some options also available from the government. While the initial cost is very high, the savings over a 10 year period could easily offset this initial investment.
Another option for those wishing to cut heating and cooling costs is the Cold-Weather Air Source Heat Pump, which uses an additional compressor that is used when the temperature drops below 30 degrees. The second compressor is necessary because a traditional heat pump does not work well when the temperature drops below freezing, so auxiliary heat must be used. Auxiliary heat, or emergency heat, is very expensive to operate, as it uses a great deal of energy.
Using a Cold-Weather Air Source Heat Pump ends up using less power than a standard heat pump would when it gets very cold. Further, when the temperature is above freezing, only one compressor is used, so the energy usage is similar to that of a traditional heating system.
Generating Your Own Power
For years, people have been putting solar panels on their home to help reduce their dependency on fossil fuels and the power company. While this can save you a great deal of money and it is even sometimes possible to sell your excess power back to the power company, the initial investment has always been quite steep.
Recently, however, the cost of solar panels has begun to drop, as new manufacturing technologies have been introduced. This, coupled with rising energy costs across the country, has made installing solar panels a much more attractive idea.
Several companies have recently developed very thin solar panels that are relatively inexpensive to manufacture, but because they rely on some semi-rare minerals, so it remains to see whether this can be used on a very large scale.
Going Green in Your Automobile
Another popular move has been to use a more energy efficient vehicle, with a number of hybrids, which are cars that use a mixture of gasoline and stored electricity, and battery powered vehicles available.
Currently, GM, Nissan, Honda, Ford, and Toyota all offer some sort of battery powered vehicle, but when considering these cars, it is important to take into account the environmental impact that manufacturing them has.
For example, the Toyota Prius uses a very expensive battery, which uses nickel that is mined in Canada, using a mining technique that is bad for the environment. Then, the nickel must be shipped across the world, converted into batteries, and subsequently shipped back over to the US. So, with all of the environmental costs associated with the manufacture of the Prius, it tends to off set the benefits of driving it.
It All Starts with You
What a lot of people don’t always realize, myself included, is that the things we do everyday can have a major impact on the environment and the future. Even if you don’t have the money to invest in something like a geothermal heating system, you can still help the environment by changing your actions.
For example, making an effort to shut off the water when you wash your teeth and shave can save a tremendous amount of water. Also, consider setting the heat to around fifty-five and putting on an extra sweater or perhaps wearing some thermal clothing, rather than cranking up the heat.
If everyone made what are essentially very small changes to their lifestyle, it would no longer be a small change and could have a tremendous impact on the World.
About the Author
Tiger is a writer who understands the importance of protecting the environment. In addition to writing about the environment, he also writes about a number of other topics, including lift chairs. Lift Chairs are devices that in design are similar to a recliner, but contain a powerful lifting system, which helps to make it easier to stand. They are especially popular among the elderly and lift chairs Medicare are available, for those who live in the United States and are currently enrolled in Medicare.
