|
|
|
Sam Greyhawk - EzineArticles.com Expert Author
I am an energy efficiency evangelist who works for Cool-N-Save(tm) in Huntington Beach, California. I try to help others reduce their carbon footprint and improve their environmental awareness.
[View Sam Greyhawk's Extended Author Bio]
[Display Categories] Sort By [Title] [Newest] [Oldest]
Sam Greyhawk Email Alerts
- What is Greenwashing?
[News-and-Society:Environmental] As more and more people make environmentally conscious decisions in their lives, industry and government alike are forced to respond. In many cases the responses are positive and offer benefits to both consumers and the environment.
- Are You Eating A "Carbon-Conscious Diet?"
[News-and-Society:Environmental] When most people think about their diet, they rarely consider the environmental impact it may be having. Instead of the environmental impact, people associate more personal concerns with their dietary choices, concerns like convenience, calories and taste.
- Eat For The Planet - Reduce Your Carbon Footprint Through Your Diet
[News-and-Society:Environmental] While many people understand the impact their vehicle has on the environment, they rarely consider the impact their diet has. When one stops to consider that globally automobiles produce 10% of all CO2 emissions and livestock produce 18% of all CO2 emissions it is easy to see the importance of an environmentally friendly diet.
- Maintain Air Conditioner Efficiency and Slash Your Energy Bills
[Home-Improvement:Energy-Efficiency] When temperatures start heating up, Americans stay cool by turning on their air conditioners. According to a recent national survey commissioned by Emerson Climate Technologies, 73 degrees is the thermostat setting of choice "during daytime hours on the hottest days of the year." This level of cooling comes at a cost. Keeping your thermostat slightly lower, at 72 degrees, your air conditioner can be responsible for up to 95% of your total energy bill according to the Con Edison Energy Company of New York.
- Reduce Your Summer Energy Bills Up To 30%
[Home-Improvement:Energy-Efficiency] During the hottest summer months demand for electricity increases substantially. Why? In response to rising temperatures many people turn to their air conditioners. In the hottest, summer months, your AC can be responsible for up to 90% of your monthly utility bill. All that electricity adds up, according to the Department of Energy 11% of all residential electricity is consumed by air conditioning.
- Alternative Energy And Wind Energy - Wind Energy Literally in the Palm of Your Hand
[News-and-Society:Energy] Wind power has historically played a big part in US culture. During the 1920s and 1930s, farms throughout the Midwest took advantage of wind power to generate electricity for their lights and electric motors. When our government started actively subsidizing the construction of fossil fuel based power plants and the associated utility lines, wind power fell into decline. Similar to energy efficiency, during the energy crisis in the 1970s, things that were old became new again. Now with growing environmental concerns being expressed globally many people are once reexamining wind power.
- Energy Efficiency - Replace Your HVAC System With An Energy Efficient Geothermal Heat Pump
[Home-Improvement:Energy-Efficiency] Geothermal Heat Pumps or GHPs can use 30-60% less energy than conventional HVAC systems, Geothermal systems are also quieter and require less maintenance. Geothermal Heat Pumps are not limited to heating, they can also be use for cooling and in some cases they can even be used as water heaters.
- Our Polluted Oceans - 6 Million Pounds, 7.2 Million Pieces of Trash
[News-and-Society:Environmental] Last Thursday the Ocean Conservancy released its annual report on trash in our oceans. This report includes brand new data from the 2007 International Coastal Cleanup, which billed itself as the "most comprehensive snapshot of the harmful impacts of marine debris."
- Paper Towels - 3,000 Tons of Landfill Waste Each Day
[News-and-Society:Environmental] With over 90% of US households taking advantage of the convenience of paper towels we produce over 3,000 tons of waste each day. Is this problem insurmountable? No - if each home simply replaced one roll of their traditional paper towels with paper towels made from recycled paper, we could avoid wasting 3.4 million cubic feet of landfill space and prevent 864,000 trees from being cut down.
- Environmentally Friendly Packaging and Free Shipping Boxes for All
[News-and-Society:Environmental] One-half of all municipal solid waste is comprised of packaging and packaging related materials. As we watch our waste overfill our landfills and then through urban-runoff find its way into our oceans its becomes clear, we all need to be actively managing our own packaging waste.
- Energy Efficiency - Improve the Energy Efficiency of Your Home With Energy Star
[Home-Improvement:Energy-Efficiency] As the cost of electricity continues to rise more and more people are looking for effective strategies to lower their monthly utility bills. Taking steps to make your home more energy efficiency can help you reduce expensive monthly energy bills. If your home is showing it's age with some common home problems then renovating green may even help you appreciate your asset.
- The Search For Earth Friendly Packaging
[News-and-Society:Environmental] What is the best packaging for the environment? While materials like glass are superior to plastic - what is the most environmentally friendly packaging available? When one-half of all municipal solid waste is packaging, environmentally friendly and sustainable packaging becomes very, very important.
- The Environmental Cost of US Lawns
[Home-Improvement:Landscaping-Outdoor-Decorating] Did you know the largest irrigated crop in the US is lawn or turf grass? With limited water and droughts already a reality in some parts of the US should we really be using 50-70% of our residential water to keep our lawns green?
- Hidden Dangers of E85 - The Corn Based Biofuel
[News-and-Society:Environmental] As the United States and the European Union rush to find solutions to global climate change many less than ideal choices are being chosen. Consider the growing demand for the biofuel E85. According to the Clean Air Trust in 2007 one out of every eight gallons of gas sold contains ethanol.
- Alternative Energy And Solar Energy - Thin-Film Solar Panels
[News-and-Society:Energy] As technology constantly advances there are many new green technologies released each day that can help us improve our energy efficiency. One such technology is "Thin-Film Solar Panels." How are thin-film solar panels being used by consumers? How do they compare against traditional PV panels?
- Bush's Latest Proposal on Climate Change
[News-and-Society:Environmental] There is a clear consensus in the scientific community that global climate change or global warming is caused primarily by human activity. This conclusion has been endorsed by no less than 30 scientific societies and academies of science. This includes every single national academy of science of all the major industrialized countries. With such a strong consensus, why do we find the president Bush giving environmental double-talk and thwarting any reasonable environmental legislation?
- Understanding Recycled Plastics - The Recycling Symbols and Numbers
[News-and-Society:Environmental] Plastic is a substance which is becoming more and more common in our society each day. It is inexpensive to produce, easy to mold into virtually any form, can be hard or soft and offers an impressive lifespan. While plastic offers many benefits it's our inability as a society to effectively recycle plastic combined with its high environmental cost that make it so dangerous.
- Alternative Energy And Solar Energy - Fighting Rising Electricity Costs With Solar Power
[News-and-Society:Energy] In our search for new forms of sustainable power many scientists have focused on using the energy of our sun. Photovoltaic cells or solar cells convert one form of energy, sunlight, into another form of energy, electricity. While the creative idea of getting "free" energy from the sun is attractive to most, many consumers have concerns about the initial expense of installing a solar power system. That's why the key to purchasing the right solar system for you lies in the "Solar Power Payback Time."
- Energy Efficiency - Cradle to Cradle Recycling with Glass
[Home-Improvement:Energy-Efficiency] When discussing green products "cradle to cradle" packaging is often discussed. What does cradle-to-cradle mean? Cradle to Cradle is a phrase coined by Walter R. Stahel in the 1970s, it became popular in 2002 thanks to the book titled Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things written by William McDonough and Michael Braungart.
- The Environmental Problem with Plastic
[News-and-Society:Environmental] It seems like plastic is everywhere you look. From the cars we drive to the products we consume, from the pipes in our lawns to the brushes we use in our bathrooms. If plastic is everywhere how can it be so bad?
- The Environmental Cost of Bottled Water
[News-and-Society:Environmental] In 2006 Americans spent over 10.8 billion dollars on bottled water. What was that money really spent on? What is the environmental impact of billions of dollars of bottled water? Does bottled water offer any real benefits other than convenience?
- Biodiesel From Chocolate?
[News-and-Society:Environmental] The entire planet shares a growing love affair with chocolate. Each year world chocolate consumption rises three percent. According to USA Today, Americans consume almost 12 pounds of chocolate a year. With such a popular food product, there is bound to be waste and lots of it in the form of chocolate past its sell-by date. What can we do with all this chocolate waste?
- Thought-Provoking, Environmental Films from Earth Cinema Circle
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] While Hollywood has started to show interest in films covering environmental issues such as An Inconvenient Truth and The 11th Hour, many small budget, independent green films are having a much more difficult time reaching their audience. Until now, unless you were lucky enough to catch these films at a festival screening you are left with very few remaining options. This has all changed thanks to Earth Cinema Circle.
- Energy Efficiency - Buying a New Plasma, LCD or Flat-Screen Television with Energy Star
[Home-Improvement:Energy-Efficiency] Are you in the market for a new television set? Are you considering a plasma, LCD or flat-screen model? Have you considered it's energy efficiency? While most people shop for televisions with specific features already in mind, they rarely consider energy efficiency. Why is energy efficiency important in televisions? According to Energy Star, "today's TVs, when combined with related products like DVD players and set-top boxes, make up about 10% of a household's annual electricity bill."
- Alternative Energy-Solar Energy - What Are Solar Balloons?
[News-and-Society:Energy] Last year a unique concept in alternative energy won the "Forward Thinking" award in the RE:VOLT Electrifying Ideas competition. What was this new concept? Solar balloons developed by Israeli scientists Joseph Cory and Dr. Pini Gurfil for Sun Hope.
- Greenwashing - The Dangers of Greenwashing
[News-and-Society:Environmental] According to a TerraChoice Environmental Marketing report released in 2007, "an overwhelming majority of environmental marketing claims in North America are inaccurate, inappropriate, or unsubstantiated." Greenwashing is a real danger when you consider TerraChoice used metrics provided by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to review over 1,000 products and except for a single product, all others raised red flags.
- Energy Efficiency - Save Money With Federal Tax Credits For Energy Efficiency
[Home-Improvement:Energy-Efficiency] While most people understand the environmental benefits of energy efficiency - both a reduction in electricity generation based carbon dioxide emissions and a reduction in our dependency on fossil fuels - not everyone understands all of the real financial benefits. What many people know is that energy efficiency saves you money by reducing the amount of electricity you use. What many people don't know is that the United States government offers tax credits for energy efficiency.
- Bicycle Valets Can Reduce Local Pollution, Congestion and Create Bicycle Friendly Destinations
[News-and-Society:Environmental] There is a new trend growing in the green community - "bicycle valets" or "bike valets." While bicycle valets vary from area to area in design, personal, equipment and execution, they all share one common element - they create instantly create bicycle friendly destinations.
- The Energy Star Challenge - Building a Better World 10% at a Time
[Home-Improvement:Energy-Efficiency] Thanks to the work of Energy Star we are already saving literally billions of dollars each year through energy efficiency practices. Through these practices both environmentally dangerous greenhouse gases as well as operational costs have been reduced without any tradeoffs in performance or quality. Are you ready to participate in the Energy Star Challenge and help "Build a Better World 10% at a Time."
- The Environmental Cost Of US Electricity
[Home-Improvement:Energy-Efficiency] Each day more and more forward thinking people are worrying about their personal carbon footprint. The understanding that we all share a single planet has motivated many people to consciously change patterns in their lives for the better of the planet. If you are trying to reduce your carbon footprint, then it's important you understand the impact of generating electricity on our environment.
- Energy Efficiency - Bicycles Are An Energy Efficient Transportation Choice
[News-and-Society:Environmental] In the United States, we live in an automobile based culture. Many people don't think twice about driving their vehicle short distances to run errands - a mile here, a mile there. What many people don't realize or choose to ignore is that driving alone is one of the least climate-friendly forms of transportation.
- Energy Efficiency - Is an Energy Efficient Evaporative Cooler or Swamp Cooler Right for Me?
[Home-Improvement:Heating-and-Air-Conditioning] When someone says "10% of the energy we produce as a nation each year is used to air condition homes," it may seem like a relatively small amount. As environmental awareness spreads more and more people are familiar with their carbon footprint. So what is the carbon footprint of only 10% of our energy generation each year? It equates to an astounding 140 million tons of CO2.
- Energy Efficiency - Purchasing an Energy Efficient Room Air Conditioner
[Home-Improvement:Heating-and-Air-Conditioning] Are you in the market for a new air conditioner? Have you been considering a room air conditioner instead of a central air conditioner but aren't sure what you should be looking for? Purchasing an air conditioner of any type should be researched before hand simply due to the amount of electricity your air conditioner could potentially use. If you purchase the wrong unit you may end up with extremely large monthly electric bills and inefficient cooling.
- Energy Efficiency - Easy Ways To Reduce Your Air Conditioning Use And Save Money
[Home-Improvement:Heating-and-Air-Conditioning] Did you know that 14% of the energy produced in the United States is used to air condition buildings and 10% of the energy produced is used to air condition homes? What is the total cost to consumers? Over 15 billion dollars a year. To put that into perspective the American Council for an Energy - Efficienct Economy (ACEEE) equates that to an astounding 140 million tons of CO2.
- Energy Efficiency - Green Your Current Desktop or Laptop Computer
[Home-Improvement:Energy-Efficiency] According to PC Magazine flaws in Windows XP's sleep mode may have added up to $5 billion a year to power bills worldwide. Unless you purchased a special energy efficient model, have used third party applications to manage your power management setting or manually adjusted your power management settings then your machine is most likely not as energy efficient as it could be.
- Energy Efficiency - Shopping For Green Computers With Energy Star
[Home-Improvement:Energy-Efficiency] Computers have become seemingly ubiquitous in today's society. We use them for both business and for entertainment purposes. When one takes the global usage of computers today into consideration, its easy to understand why Energy Star revised their specifications for computers in July 2007.
- Safe Routes to Schools
[News-and-Society:Environmental] Today people feel more comfortable behind the wheel of a car, a van, maybe even a large sport utility vehicle. For many people what they find comfortable is what they teach to their children. These patterns that are passed to the next generation have a negative impact on not only their health but also the health of our planet.
- Environmentally Guilt-Free Travel
[News-and-Society:Environmental] Everyone loves to travel. It's a gift we give ourselves, and it offers us all an opportunity to visit new places and expand our horizons. As an environmentally aware traveler one must eventually take responsibility for his or her carbon footprint as it applies to their travel.
- Changing Your Habits to Benefit the Earth
[News-and-Society:Environmental] While most people assume becoming green means making major changes in their own life this isn't always the case. It doesn't have to be disruptive or difficult. To many peoples surprise becoming green is easier than they might expect.
- How-To Recycle Older, Out-Dated PCs and Laptops
[News-and-Society:Environmental] Computer technology advances at a very fast rate. Chances are you've upgraded or replaced your computer equipment in the last few years. Instead of throwing away your outdated hardware and creating more waste why not recycle it?
- Air Simply Too Dirty to Breathe
[News-and-Society:Environmental] According to a formal statement made on Wednesday by the United States Environmental Protection Agency literally hundreds of US counties have air considered too dirty to breathe. In fact, breathing smoggy air can be hazardous because smog contains ozone, a pollutant that can harm your health.
- Who Or What Is Energy Star?
[News-and-Society:Environmental] In 2006 alone Energy Star saved consumers over $14 billion on their utility bills. Translated into greenhouse gas emissions, in 2006 it prevented greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 25 million cars. An Energy Star rated device can save between 15-75% over comparable devices.
- Why Pay For Carbon Offsets When Energy Efficiency Is So Inexpensive?
[News-and-Society:Environmental] While carbon offsets might be based on the concept of emissions trading it is, currently, an unregulated field. While emissions trading is regulated by a strict formal and legal framework, carbon offsets are generally arranged by commercial or not-for-profit carbon-offset providers.
- Locally Grown Seasonal Produce And It's Impact On Your Carbon Footprint
[News-and-Society:Environmental] According to the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University, the food we eat now travels between 1,500 and 3,000 miles from farm to our dinner plate. This average distance has increased by 25% between 1980 and 2001.
- 10 Simple Actions That Reduce Your Environmental Impact
[News-and-Society:Environmental] There is a big difference between knowing how to live green and actually living green. Being green isn't always easy and it isn't always cheap but the world you live in becomes a better place for your efforts. "Greening" your own life starts with a single step.
- Free Ways To Be Green
[News-and-Society:Environmental] Green, green, green - today green is the new "black." Are you interested in participating in the green movement but are restricted because of financial limitations?
- HVAC - Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning
[Home-Improvement:Heating-and-Air-Conditioning] While it is a term commonly used by contractors and home improvement hobbyist, not everyone knows what HVAC means. HVAC is actually an acronym that stands for "heating, ventilating, and air conditioning."
- Carbon Footprints, Emissions and Offsets
[News-and-Society:Environmental] Today, it's very common to encounter a variety of terms that include the word "carbon" in the news, in magazines and books. Words like "carbon footprint," "carbon offsets" and "carbon emissions" - but it's not often these terms are actually explained or defined.
- Save Money on Air Conditioning Costs
[Home-Improvement:Heating-and-Air-Conditioning] Many people don't realize that their cooling system is one of the biggest energy guzzlers in their home (second only to their heating system, depending on where their live). If you have an old air conditioning system with a SEER rating of less than 8, it may be worthwhile to consider replacing it with a more energy efficient system.
- Air Conditioner 101
[Home-Improvement:Heating-and-Air-Conditioning] Did you know? During the hottest months your AC can account for up to 90% of your total monthly electric bill. When 1/7th of the energy produced in the United States is used to air condition buildings its important to understand how they work and their impact on the environment.
|
|
|
