Green Blog

Everyone is trying to save the planet, which is a very good thing. I’m sure we’ll all look back at some point and say, “Wow, and we thought that was enough?” but for now it’s just good to see that “going green” has become a commonly accepted goal of both individual people and businesses. Because of this, some of the most basic items in every business are being reconsidered. Even those that are only interested in saving money are now looking at things differently now that the greener option may also be the cheaper one. Let’s take a look at disposable coffee cups, and see why people even still consider them.

Most Fast Food Joints Sort Of Have To Use Disposable Coffee Cups

Restaurants and offices are really the only business types that still use disposable coffee cups, for the most part. There’s not many options for fast food restaurants. They pretty much have to provide their customers with a product that they expect to be thrown away since they certainly can’t expect them to bring back dishes. This is the way fast food will work, and there will always be a need for disposable coffee cups, until someone comes up with something truly innovative.

Why Don’t Sit-Down Restaurants Get Rid Of Disposable Coffee Cups?

In those restaurants where people use dishes, though, the reason disposable coffee cups are used is generally due to money. They may not be saving as much money as they think they are, though. Although the up-front price is less, they’re still repeatedly paying for disposable coffee cups when they could be re-using, saving a ton of waste. Of course, this would involve paying employees to clean the coffee cups. Is it worth the up front cost? The answer to that depends on many factors, including your dishwasher’s pay rate, if your restaurant uses a machine and if it can handle the additional load, and the cost of the disposable cups over time. However, no one can argue that getting rid of disposable coffee cups would cut waste and help the environment.

Why Do Offices Still Use Disposable Coffee Cups?

Many offices offer free coffee as a courtesy to their customers. The issue here isn’t unlike the issues with fast food restaurants. Can clients truly be expected to provide cups of their own? With a lobby, though, there is a very simple solution, though some people won’t like it. This coffee is free, after all, so there really is no financial reason to provide coffee anyway, which means clients should be happy to bring their own cups. More than likely, though, people would get offended, even if you did advise them that you were removing disposable cups to cut down on waste.

Offices That Do Not Expect Visitors Have No Excuses

Is there really a point for offices who don’t see visitors much at all to still have disposable coffee cups on hand? Not only is this wasteful, but it’s expensive, too. There’s no reason that a company can’t provide permanent, washable coffee cups to their employees instead of paying for disposables over and over again, and that’s if employees don’t already have their own cups, as many do who have their own desks. These companies would very quickly see a money savings when they stop ordering disposable coffee cups.

Deidre likes to write articles about her coffee cup and coffee cups mugs.

Conventional light bulbs (also known as incandescent lamps) convert rather less than 20% of the electricity they consume into actual light. This is because they quite literally burn a thin metal filament and as with all burning, most of the electricity is wasted as heat. To suggest they’re not therefore particularly good at doing the one thing they’re supposed to do (i.e. turn electricity into light) is understating things somewhat.

As diminutive heaters, regular light bulbs are actually quite good, but unfortunately this heat is typically lost somewhere completely unhelpful like the ceiling; also if you want instead to keep the temperature down then they simply make your air conditioning work harder. However you look at it, you are spending good money on heat you most likely didn’t want and getting a rotten deal on light into the bargain.

Energy saving or “low energy” light bulbs that are significantly more efficient have been available for quite a while now. These mostly take the form of compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) and are currently the most commonly available type of energy saving bulb for the domestic market. CFLs have not really caught on though, most probably because they’re oversized, take a noticeable amount of time to reach optimum brightness and are expensive by comparison with incandescent bulbs. Despite some improvements to make CFLs more discrete, attain full brightness in less time, and reduce the price but there is no hiding the fact that they have a poor image, which is not helped by the fact that they also contain poisonous mercury vapour and are thus not easy to dispose of in an environmentally friendly way.

The new breed of energy efficient light bulbs are based on light emitting diodes (LED). These are massively more energy saving than today’s CFLs but until fairly recently have not been quite bright enough for regular home lighting.

However LED bulbs recently appearing in the market are indeed available as genuine alternatives, and in particular those made as substitutes for GU10 and MR16 halogen lamps. But anyone thinking about going down this path should also know that a lot of white LED bulbs, and in particular ones described as “cool” as distinct from “warm” white) may appear slightly blue which some folk find fairly attractive but which generally do tend to stick out rather if mixed with other kinds of lighting.

There is no doubt though that far and away the main advantage of LED lights is that they turn nearly all their input energy into light and waste virtually none as heat which quite simply means that they require a great deal less energy in operation. Approximately 10 times less, which represents a massive saving in expenditure because the cost of electric lighting is almost totally due to the operating cost. The cost of the actual light bulbs is really quite trivial by comparison.

It’s also a fact that LED lights last twenty or more times longer and thus require replacing much less often. The advantages should be fairly plain then; LED lights not only save you money, they also aid the environment. The manufacturing process is more straightforward than for CFL bulbs and there are no unpalatable disposal headaches.

But the biggest environmental impact is down to the fact that because they consume less energy then less energy has to be produced which in turn means less CO2 emissions.

As should be clear from this article it’s difficult to see what’s not to llke about GU10 LED lamps; to learn more review this article about replacing halogen bulbs with LED.

Wind is created by air in motion. It is caused by the uneven heating of the earth’s environment by the sun. Because the earth’s environment is made of several types of materials such as land and water, as well as the things that make up these surfaces, they absorb the sun’s heat at differing rates.

Daytime is when the air above the land heats up more quickly, and it heats the air over water more slowly. Warm air that is above the land expands and rises, and cooler air quickly comes in to fill the gaps, and this creates wind. In the evening, the winds reverse, because air cools more quickly over land than over water. This is why you have the differing temperatures of land near bodies of water.

Today, we use wind energy mainly to generate electricity to run homes, businesses or communities. Wind is a safe, clean, renewable energy source, this is because as long as the sun will shine, the wind will blow, and this is a constant factor in our earth’s environment.

Just like the windmills, turbines also use blades to capture the wind and turn it into energy. If there is no wind, then the turbines will not turn, this means that you must have a back up source of energy. Turbines are more sophisticated than windmills and they can use even the slightest breeze to turn the blades.

There are two types of turbines used today they are based on the direction of the rotating shaft for example; horizontal axis wind machines, and vertical axis wind machines. Sizes of wind machines can vary widely. There are smaller turbines used to power a home or small business, and they may have a capacity of less than 100 kilowatts. Larger commercial sized turbines may have a capacity of 5 million watts, or even as high as 5 megawatts. The large turbines are often found in wind farms that provide power to an electrical grid.

You will find that most turbines used today have a horizontal axis. They have blades that are made much like airplane propellers are. A horizontal turbine will typically stand about as tall as a 20 story building and will generally have three blades which can span as much as 200 feet.

One criticism of electric wind power is that the windmills necessary to generate power are massive and noisy. Their use is typically limited to remote areas of the countryside, where there is a greater expanse of open space and higher terrain. This makes their widespread use impractical for densely populated areas.

Is wind electricity the way for you to be electricity self sufficient? Many parts of the country have sufficient consistent wind to make sufficient electricity to serve everyones needs.

Research in alternative electricity generation has taken off as concerns of the cost and damage to the environment have increased. Most energy, particularly electricity are produced from burning coal, petroleum and natural gas. These fossil fuels account for almost 80% of al electricity production. Some areas of interest for alternative electricity production are in wind power, solar energy, biomass and hydropower.

There are three main reasons to start using alternative electricity generation methods. The first being that fossils fuels will one day run out and as supplies dwindle fossil fuel driven electricity will become very expensive. The second reason is that renewable energy is not harmful to the environment. You are not diminishing a natural resource but using something that uses gravity, the sun or wind to produce electricity. The third reason is cost; there will come a time when renewable energy will have almost no associated costs besides the purchasing of equipment.

The use of slow moving ocean currents has successfully generated electricity. This type of electricity generation cannot supply the planets needs but it can supply over 15 billion people by accessing just 0.1% of the ocean’s currents. The vibrations that occur in the water are transformed into energy, which can then produce electricity. These vibrations can be due to gravity, fish swimming or wind at the surface of the ocean.

Solar power will soon be even more affordable then ever as research at MIT has produced an even more effective solar cell for less money. Researchers have managed to increase effectiveness by 50% and decrease the amount of silicon in the cell. The silicon is what makes cells expensive so in essence you are getting much more for your dollar then ever.

Turning waste into electricity is also a great alternative electricity generation method and has been used for over 100 years. However this method is not widely used though the world certainly produces enough trash to generate a sufficient amount of electricity. Eliminating waste helps the environment and can also tap into electricity supply. This is a great combination that should be used more then it is, especially since garbage is being frequently dumped into the ocean.

Although it may appear that burning garbage is an inexpensive way to generate alternative electricity, it is uncertain how viable this option really is. Given the current state of technology, the hazards of creating toxic fumes or adding to carbon emissions are greater than the potential benefit of reducing the amount of garbage put into city landfills.

Others areas of alternative energy production look at producing electricity from cyanobacteria and pH differentials found between trees and soil. The best types of alternative energy generation still come from renewable energy sources such as wind power and solar energy. As technology advances these types of electricity generation will become even more affordable for the common consumer.

Is make a wind turbine the way for you to be power self sufficient? Some parts of the world have sufficient consistent wind to make sufficient electricity to serve everyones requirements.

Few people can have escaped noticing that conventional incandescent lighting is rapidly being phased out and that the preferred (over Compact Fluorescent Lamps) alternative is LED, which is widely regarded as the way forward to a environmentally friendly, low cost lighting future. The question though is: where to start?

Well you could simply rush out and buy LED replacements for every light bulb you presently own but I wouldn’t advise it. First of all it would be really quite expensive, but also the odds of getting things badly wrong with this approach are quite considerable.

Getting to grips with LED lighting doesn’t happen overnight - this is a completely different technology to incandescent lighting and requires a bit of getting used to before you can get it just right for your own needs. But stick with it and the end result is superior quality lighting that also happens to save massively on electricity costs.

Accordingly, you ought to pick a location that you planned on refurbishing anyway or that otherwise uses a great deal of lighting (either lots of lights, or lights left on a lot). The likelihood that you will quickly notice a difference in operating costs (and also light quality of course) will be thus enhanced.

Getting off to a successful start this way is important since it provides the encouragement to proceed with further steps towards finally replacing all your incandescent lighting with LED. The room that most people nominate to start with is, unsurprisingly, the kitchen. This usually has many lights that also get used a lot and a kitchen lighting makeover invariably seems to appeal.

The average modern kitchen tends to feature a sizeable collection of halogen spot lights (typically either recessed or set on tracks). The amount of electricity that these literally burn is quite extraordinary, yet replacing them with LED lamps that consume a fraction of the energy is no more complicated than pulling out the old halogen and pushing an LED back in its place. At least for GU10 LED lamps it is - for the low-voltage MR16 format you should also replace the existing 12v transformers with one or more LED drivers.

The same holds true for concealed lighting tucked under, above or inside cabinets as these too can be replaced with LED strips or mini spots. This is also a great opportunity to add lighting whilst you’re at it since LED strip lighting is easy to install, lightweight, and is packaged in a variety of forms that can be trimmed or joined as required. LED lighting to accent covings, plinths and set into kickboards to illuminate the floor are all popular techniques.

Three key considerations should be borne in mind with regard to LED lighting.

1. Quality. It’s true that in general quality costs more but with LED quality counts for everything; so be prepared to pay a premium and avoid the path that leads to false economies and disappointment with cheap products. Look for recognised brand names such as Sharp Zenigata or anything using Cree LED technology. Remember, incandescent light bulbs are also cheap and yet they cost vastly more in running costs over time.

2. True cost. Or what is known as TCO (total cost of ownership). Over a period of 50,000 hours a single LED will incur zero replacement costs and cost as much to run as it costs to buy. Over the same span a halogen lamp will need to be replaced at least 25 times and is likely to incur 1,000 times its purchase price in electricity costs. Even if an LED costs 20 times more (and many do) it’s cheaper just on replacement costs alone and orders of magnitude cheaper on electricity costs.

3. Usage. An issue many people have with LED light is that it can be both blindingly bright yet unable to project luminosity over distance. An easy way around this is to direct the lighting away from direct line of sight and reflect it off walls, floors, ceilings and features in the room. The obviously accents interesting aspects in the space with the added benefit that it also produces a softer light that does then spread out well. It does however require more individual light units to create this effect than if using conventional incandescent general lighting.

For further information check out these articles that examine the subjects of Cree LED and 12v LED lights in more detail.

Are you looking for a bright idea to save money, save energy, and join the green revolution? Then look no further than your nearest light fixture!

Its probably still using the traditional incandescent bulbs invented over 100 years ago by Edison. Unfortunately, those bulbs are only using 10% of the energy consumed for lighting. That’s right … 90% of the energy consumed is wasted!

Well, the future is here. CFL or compact fluorescent lights are here as well as LED bulbs (light emitting diodes). These bulbs are far more efficient, saving you money and helping society to reduce carbon pollution. Learn more below.

Compact fluorescent bulbs have the following benefits in comparison to incandescent bulbs:

1. These bulbs will work in existing lamps and ceiling fixtures, including three-way brightness and dimmers.

2. They are suitable for indoor or outdoor use.

3. They come in many different shapes and sizes, including traditional shape, globe-shaped vanity styles, and candelabra look, and floodlight style.

4. These bulbs can also be found at various brightnesses and colors including natural daylight and incandescent glow.

5. CFLs use approximately 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs.

6. You pay a bit more for compact fluorescent bulbs initially but they last much longer (up to 10 times).

7. They are produced by familiar and trusted names in the light bulb business such as General Electric, Philips, Sylvania and Westinghouse.

Light emitting diode bulbs are another even more efficient alternative:

1. Light emitting diode bulbs last approximately 100 times longer than standard incandescent bulbs.

2. LEDs also use only 10% of the energy of a standard lightbulb

3. LEDs are especially great for battery-powered or rechargeable gear for camping or emergencies.

4. Light emitting diodes are perfect for many lighting applications including spa and pool lights, track lighting, reading lights, nightlights, and Christmas lights.

The difference it would make countrywide in our energy usage and carbon emissions, if we all switched to compact fluorescent or light admitting diodes would be profound. Not only that but our energy budgets would see big-time savings.

You can find CFLs or LEDs at your local retailer, or they can be purchased online at www.bulbs.com.

Al Arbuckel enjoys writing useful and valuable articles for the online community about saving energy and money at home. If you liked this article you might also enjoy reading about the energy saving possibilites with tankless gas water heaters and the Bosch tankless water heater on websites he has recently created.

Without forking out too much money before you can actually save, you can convert your home into an energy efficient environment. Here are 8 different ways you can make your home more energy efficient.

Plastic window covers to keep heat in and cold out. To efficiently block the heat from going out of your house, you can use plastic window covers. This would effectively reduce the energy cost since your heating system would not be forced to replace the heat lost. This is one inexpensive and smart way to start your home energy saver.

One common place heat can escape and enter is around doors that are leading outside. You must make sure that all doors are properly sealed with some type of weather stripping. You should not be able to see any light when a door leading outside is closed.

By using fluorescent bulbs you can also take a chunk of that power bill out of the equation. Also, fluorescent bulbs can last up to 10 times longer than regular light bulbs, they may be a little more expensive but they are worth it in the long run of saving money.

By switching your shower head to one that has a water saver in it, you can save anywhere from 50 to 100 dollars a year, depending on how many people are in your home. Not only do these types of shower heads cut down on energy, they also help save potable water.

If you like to play your music and television loud all of the time, you can save a few dollars by turning it down a notch. The louder the music output is the more energy it consumes to make it loud, if you really need to hear the music loud headphones work wonders.

Ensure that you are using energy efficient appliances. Mostly all appliances that are manufactured as of now have an energy star rating, and if it is in your budget switch as soon as possible. Air conditioners, washers, dryers, fridges and heaters are the ones that use the most energy.

Keep the walls sealed. You would not only concentrate on your windows, doors, sills, on joints, you should also consider sealing the walls. Any cracks have a tendency to grow larger and larger. Make sure that your walls are sealed so that the air from the outside would not enter.

Desktops can use up to 10 times more energy than laptops do. Think about that if you are looking to by a new computer. You can also take into consideration about purchasing printers and fax machines that are energy efficient as well, as there are many of them out there.

If you seen this article beneficial about energy efficiency tips then you should swing by the authors page which goes over in detail home improvement tips.