Green Blog

Greenhouse Gas tracking will soon become mandatory in the United States, with the first reports due in early 2011 for the 2010 year. The federal law affects businesses and governments with heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems or refrigeration and air-conditioning systems, as well as those who produce industrial chemicals, fossil fuels, cars and engines. It is the responsibility of companies to review and comply with the new EPA regulations or face substantial fines.

Greenhouse Gas tracking is outlined in the Climate Registry Protocol, which details the requirements for mandatory monitoring and tracking. It is part of the U.S. Clean Air Act, aimed at improving air quality and lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

A major part of the greenhouse gas tracking requirement involves a focus on refrigerant gases which are used in refrigeration and cooling systems at numerous facilities. Targets include food processors, grocery stores, hospitals, office buildings, retailers and municipalities. Refrigerant gases include significant levels of carbon in the form of hydrochlorofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and chlorofluorocarbons. These compounds have been regulated under the US Clean Air Act for several years now.

It is accepted that greenhouse gases absorb and release radiation into the atmosphere which is a significant contributory factor to the global warming effect. Greenhouse gas tracking will help to pinpoint the main origin of these greenhouse gases and monitor the amount which is discharged. Environmental officials have a baseline of information against which to measure future usage. Accurate and timely information will help determine if the guidelines are effective in lowering the effects of these substances on the ozone layer.

Greenhouse gas tracking measures indirect and direct emissions alike and helps to keep extensive records on such important subjects as maintenance, leaks and disposal. Heating and cooling systems and other energy sources are defined as producing these direct emissions.

In the United States, the Obama administration lists greenhouse gas tracking as an important consideration. The objective is to protect our environmental future by taking action to reduce the carbon footprint. The world’s make up would be significantly affected if no action were taken, with a severely detrimental effect on life in general.

Greenhouse Gas tracking will become law because it was determined that certain manmade compounds contribute substantially to global warming. The substances are carbon dioxide, chlorine, bromine, nitrous oxide, chloroflurocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons, methane, methyl bromide, methyl chloroform, sulfur hexafluoride, hydroxyl, perfluorocarbobs, halons, carbon tetrachloride, fluorine, and the fluorinated gases hydrofluorinated ethers and nitrogen trifluoride. The mandatory law is aimed at reducing the use of these substances to lower the effects of global warming.

Although Greenhouse Gas tracking was optional, it becomes mandatory in 2010 with the regulation requiring companies and municipalities to submit exact information on how much of the global warming substances they use everyday and if any leaks occurred. Supportive vendors who are knowledgeable in the area have developed software programs and web-based applications to assist companies in complying with the law.

Going green is not only fashionable these days; its becoming increasing necessary with every doom-filled scientific report about the future of this planet. And we are the cause of this problem by using energy sources that harm the environment. Since the Earth is our only home, it is a matter of pure survival to learn all about solar energy.

Solar power or the natural suns power has been used for many generations to dry laundry, grow and harvest food and as a light in the darkness. In this fast paced world we live in today, many have questioned if solar power is still practical for our everyday uses.

Well, the answer is an astounding YES! It is practical and beneficial for our modern world to improve on new techniques to use solar power energy for more and more energy sources. There is a lot of information available on solar energy you will want to know the facts.

Approximately only 1% of all available sun power is being used for solar power. That number will definitely increase as the demand for funding will increase to have more engineers discover more uses on solar power. For all the latest news updates on solar power look for American Solar Energy Society.

It can be very challenging trying to get the natural sunlight rays into your battery charger. To convert sunlight into usable energy to power a battery you may need a different type of energy. Using electricity or hydrogen power will produce faster results.

Currently, we do have solar cells working small devices like calculators, watches and water purifiers. Energy for bigger projects, like powering up a house, requires solar panels. These solar panels are made of silicon (a neutrally charged element), which can store energy, and other materials that encourage positive and negative charges.

You will need positive and negative charges to create power to generate enough energy to flow through your homes electrical wires. Think of silicon as an 8 seat car and 4 seats already have passengers in it. When trying to convert a small amount of electric, you will need large solar panels.

The challenge now is, obviously, to create smaller, faster and more efficient solar panels. Seem impossible? Laptop computers seemed impossible at one time. The first computers took up entire office buildings. Over the years, computers have gotten smaller and faster, with the help of silicon.

In 2007, East Amwell, New Jersey resident Mike Strizki converted his 3500 foot home entirely to solar and hydrogen power. He shows that hope for the future is about solar power.

We should be doing everything achievable to develop geothermal free energy technologies. Though largely untapped, this form of energy has immense possibilities and it is created from the earth itself. There is huger amount of free energy lying just below the surface of the earth on which we live, and saddling it is the greatest job.

The temperature at the center of the earth is 60 times greater than the boiling point of water and the heat emanating from it produce forces which can be felt only a few miles under the surface of the earth. These forces contain huge quantities of energy and superheated fluids in the form of magma, which we see in the power and energy of whenever there is a volcanic eruption. Such super hot fluids sometimes permeate up to the surface as steam and vents out through various openings.

We could also make these vents and at the same time build appropriate chambers where the magma can be arrested for later conversion to free energy, which would produce electricity to light or heat up our homes. To make a geothermic plant, a well needs to be dug in an area with abundant source of magma or super hot fluid, then a pipe has to be used to bring up the fluid on to the surface level to get the necessary steam power. The steam would turn a turbine, which would generate the electrical energy.

Much denouncement of the process of tapping for geo-thermal energy is preventing any large-scale production. Critics say that study and research to find a resourceful area is too expensive and takes up too much time. Then setting up a geothermal power station is also very costly, with no assurance of any future profits. It might be found that a geothermal site is ultimately not producing adequate steam to make the plant feasible or promising.

Even conservationists have shown their concern that pumping up magma could also carry with it several detrimental materials. However, the great benefits of geothermal free energy would subsume these criticisms if only we would explore it greater. We must realize that since the root of the energy is the earth, it can never carry any contaminant. geothermic free energy is an efficient free energy source - easy to develop after site identification and the set up of the plant to develop it.

Geothermic plants, furthermore, do not need to be as large as electric plants, giant dams, or atomic energy facilities - the surroundings would be less disrupted. Being an alternative source of free energy, its use would lessen our addiction on fossil fuels. The most fundamental point in the favor of geothermal free energy is that we would never exhaust it and nor would its value increase with time, as it is an endless source. The use of geothermal free energy would be, in the end, very cheap, after investigation and power plant building costs are recovered.

As a new mother, I have been leaning a great deal about the caring of a small infant. They can’t eat on their own, walk on their own, or go to the bathroom on their own. As a result, a mother finds herself changing diapers eight to ten times a day at least. To me, however, the problem is not it wiping the cute little bum, but disposing of the waste.

While babies are the newest and cutest creatures on our planet, it can be argued that they also create the largest amount of waste. It finally occurred to me that the bags full of diapers I was throwing out, was just added to about fifty million others that are tossed out everyday. The worst part is that these diapers will sit in a pile where beautiful acres of land once existed for the space of about five hundred years before it decomposes.

Luckily for us, brilliant people exist that see not only problems, but their solutions. While I am not one of these people, I have discovered many ingenious alternatives to this diaper disposal issue. Maybe by spreading the news about these products, I will feel like I have helped in conserving the wonderful plains of our country’s land.

Naturally when talking about green diapers, you have to hear about “gDiapers.” I am not anyone of consequence in the matter, but this new genius product now graces the bottom of Julia Robert’s new baby. In Australia, a small family saw this as a trendy and sleek solution - a flush-able, diaper.

Your gDiaper is an outer covering that can come in many different prints and colors, with a removable, disposable, and completely biodegradable pad inside. The pad fits perfectly in the covering very easily and when the diaper becomes wet, or worse, you simply take it out, and flush it! The outer portion is also machine washable. Many alternatives have been suggested, however, nothing ranks close in comparison to this revolutionary product.

Price wise, don’t be intimidated that famous celebrities seem to dote on the idea. They are really affordable. Especially if you purchase a starter package, only about $27 dollars for two diaper covers and a small pack of refills. The diapers by themselves run from $15.99 to $18.99 with the refills in packages of 128 for $52. That averages about 40 cents per refill.

In comparison with the current disposable brands, you’re talking about 27 cents for each Pampers diaper, 22 cents per Huggies diaper, and a mere 15 cents per Luvs Premium diaper, approximately on average. But the truth is that the green that gDiapers for a couple extra dimes, is far more substantial than anything you can fit into your wallet. For that reason alone, the price comparison seems inconsequential.

Another proven company is the Seventh Generation that specialized in green, environmentally safe products of many kinds. Their diapers in particular are chlorine free, and biodegradable. This product along with the gDiapers are fully explained and available on their websites that will do them much more justice than I can. The land of our country will be much more worth having when we take care to prevent even our cutest little bums from polluting it.

Common household items can be used to make safe, cheap, child-safe, non-toxic cleaning solutions. Plus, they do a great job of cleaning your home!

Tile, Counter Tops & Toilet Bowl Cleaner - Form a paste by mixing baking soda and water together. Mix until you get a consistency similar to a soft toothpaste.

Shower Doors - If your glass doors are covered with scum, wipe them down with lemon oil. As a preventative measure, you can use a few drops of lemon oil on them once or twice a month.

Shower Heads - If you shower heads have mineral deposits, put vinegar in a plastic bag and attach the bag to your shower head using a rubber band. You essentially want the showerhead to be immersed in vinegar overnight. Then rinse with water in the morning and they will be mineral deposit free and sparkling clean!

Window’s & Mirrors - Make your class sparkle with Club Soda. Place in a spray bottle, spray on and immediately wipe off using newspaper.

Unclogging Drains - Mix together equal amounts of salt and baking soda then pour down your drain. After a few minutes run hot water for 3-5 minutes. This will work great if your drain is clogged due to oil or grease. If your drain is clogged for any other reason, such as hair, this solution probably won’t work for you. You need to clean out the hair trap or snake your drain.

Faucets with Lime Scale - Rub on some lemon juice and let it sit over night. In the morning, wipe with damp clothe.

Stainless Steel Sinks, Fixtures and Appliances - Dilute one part rubbing alcohol with two parts water. Put mixture into a spray bottle, spray mixture onto a soft cotton cloth.

Hardwood Floors - Mix together one part distilled white vinegar and two parts water. This solution is great at picking up dust and disinfects your floors naturally.

Scuffed Floors - Apply 2-4 drops of tea tree oil. Wipe off the excess oil with a soft cloth then take a clean soft cloth and rub in white distilled vinegar.

Wood Furniture - Polish and protect your furniture by combining 2 cups olive oil or vegetable oil with the juice from 1 lemon. Rub it on your furniture with a soft cloth.

Glassware - To make your glassware sparkle, pre-rinse with vinegar then rinse again with water.

Vehicle - To clean your car, mix 1/4 cup of liquid Castile Soap with a full bucket of hot water. You can use it to clean your car’s exterior, windshield, hubcaps and tires. Use a clean soft sponge and thoroughly hose it off when you’re finished washing.

Garage Floor - To remove oil stains and get your garage floor looking like new, cover oil spots with baking soda and sprinkle with water until a paste forms. Let the paste stand overnight. Then scrub with a damp brush, rinse and wipe clean.

Fugitive emission tracking for a number of key industries is now a focus for the United States and a number of other countries. When a hazardous leak occurs it is important to identify and gauge the amount and type of substance emitted. Officials will gain a better understanding of the challenge posed by greenhouse gases, as they affect global warming.

Fugitive emission takes place when an unexpected leak of a hazardous substance occurs in a system and the discharge is not contained in a vent, stack, or duct. This could be the result of an equipment leak, a problem during maintenance operations, a breakdown in bulk handling or processing, or a problem in an industrial process. The leakage causes harmful gases to enter the environment. Certain compounds are not broken down in the atmosphere and end up entering the stratosphere and destroying the protective ozone layer over time.

In the United States alone, fugitive emission totals for a year are over 300,000 tons. Other countries have similar or worse outputs. In order to reduce the harmful effects to the ozone from the accidental discharge of these substances, strict laws have been implemented to reduce their usage and eventually eliminate them over time. The goal is to reduce the potential for global warming in the near future and to improve air quality.

A number of rules have been set forth by the EPA to tackle the fugitive emission problem. Rules apply to a diversity of industries including both newly constructed and existing facilities with operations which use refrigerant gas in their heating and cooling systems. Those industries affected include industrial chemical manufacturers, electrical services, pulp and paper mills and petroleum.

Those places that produce or use substances known to be harmful are required to monitor for potential fugitive emissions problems. Dangerous compounds are defined by the EPA and include chlorofluorocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons, methyl chloroform, methyl bromide,halons and carbon tetrachloride.

Refrigerant gases contain two primary contributors to the weakening of the ozone layer, namely chlorofluorocarbons and hydrofluorocarbons. Refrigerant gas is used in many industries in refrigeration and cooling units, ventilation, air conditioning systems and fire protection systems and is thus of particular concern when it comes to fugitive emission.

When a fugitive emission occurs, businesses are required to track the leakage rate and report it to the EPA. It is important that the severity of the leak and the repair process is documented. In addition, regulations require regular inspections of equipment or processes that involve volatile chemicals.

The US Clean Air Act established thresholds, which are now clarified and standardized by the new fugitive emission regulations. For example, these include continuous monitoring, leak tracking and reporting requirements for repair and containment. The first reports are due in early 2011. Many companies would choose automated rather than manual processes, including tracking software programs and web-based applications. Such automated systems reduce the likelihood of noncompliance.

Are you searching for information on do-it-yourself solar panels for your home? This option will help you do your part for the environment, by reducing your emissions, and it will also help you to save money during the economic recession. This will enable to drastically reduce your energy costs while contributing to the safety of the environment.

Up until now your Average Joe did not have the option of installing DIY solar panels. Money has been an issue in the past to include solar energy for home use. Since they were so big, they would have needed to be installed by a group of experts in solar power, and they would also have demanded a large amount of space.

In addition they will need large batteries that usually will have to be installed in a separate building. A person practically has to have a math degree to figure out how many sunpower solar panels are needed to produce the necessary power.

Currently even common people can alter all of their power requirements at a portion of the price considering that they do some of the work. With the increase of knowledge a lot of these high tech experts have discovered ways for easy do-it-yourself solar panels.

Nowadays diy solar panels are smaller and easier to install but have the ability to power both your small and larger appliances. You will get a clear positioning guide with your diy solar panels. You will be glad to know that the energy is stored in deep cell batteries. Most of all, they are less expensive and have a better efficiency than the ancient solar panels in the past.

You won’t believe how much money you can save with do-it-yourself solar panels. First of all, the price of getting the do-it-yourself details is inexpensive. Of course, under these circumstances, you would not have to hire someone to fabricate them and put them in for you. This saves a lot of money.

You can also put together diy solar panels in a weekend if you have the right starting materials. People, in some instances, have built two entire solar panels in one day. When you have put in your home made solar panels and they are functioning there isn’t anything else to spend unless you continue to add more until you have all the power you need.

A super way to capture and use renewable and powerful energy is with do-it-yourself solar panels. Electricity will be produced by each solar power panel. Think about all the energy for your home you can get for free. There’s no doubt that this is so much better than polluting the earth and draining your financial resources. You will not receive a monthly power bill from the sun!

There are many possibilities one is faced with through the method of concrete polishing. It is absolutely possible for a concrete to be colored and achieve a unique design that could be admired by everyone. Coloring the concrete is possible through the use of concrete staining. Concrete staining are tints and dyes that are used to color and add depth to a concrete surface. Some stains come in liquid forms that are both easy and economical to use.

During the past and even up to the present, decorative concrete is attainable by mixing colorants to the concrete during application process. These colorants are then bonded and combined with the concrete aggregates until it hardens to form a colored concrete surface. Colorants such as these are what are commonly known as iron oxides or iron pigments. The earliest use of iron pigments can be seen on prehistoric art cave dwellings.

One type of concrete coloring is acid staining. Acid staining is not a color or dye but a mere chemical reaction. The composition of minerals found in acid stains reacts with the chemical composition on concrete (preferably lime) that produces color on the concrete surface. During the process acid is combined with salts and water and poured onto a prepared concrete floor. The color creates a natural marble-like appearance and not a solid color.

Before the application of acid stains, the concrete surface needs to be thoroughly prepared to accept the stain. Loose aggregates and cracks need to be removed through concrete grinding as they do not accept acid staining. Previously stained concrete, coatings and sealers need to be also removed. Newly poured concrete needs not to be prepared.

Water based stains on the other hand are tints, shades or dyes and thus the process is entirely different with acid staining. Water based stains are directly poured or applied on a newly prepared concrete surface. The stains produce a range of colors from translucent to opaque hues. Water based stains are more appropriate to use when a definite design is to be achieved on a concrete floor.

Concrete Polishing is the newest technology available to beautify a concrete slab. In concrete polishing, a drab piece of slab is transformed to a fabulous work of art. Polished concrete is also called a no-wax floor surface because of its natural luster and shine. The process of polishing a concrete floor involves several grinding process. This grinding process uses several discs that remove rough concrete surface.

The concrete floor or surface needs to be properly prepared before the application of concrete polishing. A newly placed concrete usually takes about 28 days to cure before polishing. Almost every commercially available concrete can be grounded and polished although there are concretes that are either too porous that are not a good candidate for concrete polishing. This problem can then be addressed by applying hardeners on the surface. Hardeners tend to fill in the gaps and react with the concrete to create a crystalline hard surface.

Polished concrete is very easy to maintain as there is no need for frequent waxing because of the natural gloss and sheen it possesses. The surface can be cleaned by simple mopping or wiping with a moist towel to remove dirt, dust and simple stains. Maintenance of polished concrete is a breeze as there are numerous polishing conditioners available everywhere that can do the trick.

Polished concrete is a high option in areas such as industrial offices and manufacturing plants where a high level of human traffic and flooring with high tensile strength is needed to support heavy machineries. The strength that a polished concrete posses is an ideal candidate for these kind of areas.

Aside from industrial spaces and manufacturing plants polished concrete is also an ideal choice to use in homes, offices, hospitals, hotels, buildings, churches, retail store outlets, etc. The benefits that one can derive from using a polished concrete floor make it an ideal choice for both indoor and outdoor flooring applications.

As the country works to reduce substances known to effect air quality the need for mandatory carbon emissions reporting grows. Almost all the materials known to destroy the ozone layer and thus contribute to the problem of global warming arise from the action of man.

The nationwide comprehensive plan for mandatory carbon emissions reporting announced by the EPA is aimed at controlling carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that adversely impact the ozone layer and lead to global warming. The government agency has determined that carbon dioxide is a danger to the general public and, as such, requires strict regulation.

A utility that uses refrigerant as gases or other regulated substances would be required to comply with mandatory carbon emissions reporting. Refrigerant gases are known to affect the atmosphere and contribute to global warming. Numerous gases are listed in the EPA regulations including nitrous oxide, methane, carbon dioxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, nitrogen trifluoride and ethers.

The EPA’s mandatory carbon emissions reporting plan comes into effect in 2010. Companies must file a first report in 2011 covering the previous year. These requirements cover those facilities with HVAC systems, refrigeration and AC systems, companies that make industrial chemicals, as well as fossil fuels, engines and automobiles. The following chemicals used in these industries have been identified as causing harm to the environment: chlorofluorocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons, halons, methyl chloroform, chlorine, fluorine, bromine and carbon tetrachloride amongst others.

In addition to the mandatory carbon emissions reporting requirements, the US Clean Air Act requires those facilities that are impacted to keep a close eye on harmful substances such as refrigerant gases. There are significant fines and other penalties awaiting for those who do not conform.

A number of ways exist to to assist a business to address mandatory carbon emissions reporting requirements. Manual tracking is available, with hand reporting, but as this method is very time-consuming and error-prone, companies may opt to use software programs and Web applications that will automate most of the requirements. The use of such automation virtually ensures that the required reports are accurate and timely. A company that uses more than one system or has multiple facilities will benefit the most from the use of automatic monitoring systems.

Mandatory carbon emissions reporting will definitely lower this country’s greenhouse gas emissions. The government has said that 13,000 facilities are responsible for between 85 and 90% of the harmful substances in the air.

The United States, through the implementation of mandatory carbon emissions reporting, issue ensure that businesses reduce their carbon footprint and will help to ensure clean air for all. This initiative is being repeated at various locations worldwide with the aim of challenging climate change.