10 More Ways To Stop Bleeding At The Pump

Outrageous fuel prices soar on what seems an almost daily basis, more and more of us are looking for ways to save on gas pump prices. A few years ago, could you have even fathomed that gas would be in the $4.00/gallon range? Read more

Five Totally Awesome Products Geeks Can Use To Go Green

Since “going green” is the hottest thing since Iomega Zip Drives hit the scene, I thought I would take a moment to share a few green products that my fellow geeks can use to do their part in saving the world (and more importantly, get their hands on some sweet geeky gadgets and gear!). Just don’t get all hippie on me… Read more

7 More Ways To Go Green And Better Your Life

Every time you turn on the news there is always a report about the earth and its climate change. With this in mind it seems as if everybody is looking for new ways to go green to not only help the Earth, but also to better their own lives and families. Going green is good for everyone!

Below are 10 simple ideas one can take advantage of to help reduce our impact on the environment and to save money at the same time.

1. Save energy and save money - Just by setting your thermostat two or three degrees lower in the winter and a couple in the summer can do wonders to help you save money on energy bills from heating and cooling. Not only this but it will reduce energy usage by a great amount.

In today’s day and age there are new energy saving light bulbs. Fluorescent light bulbs uses only a fraction of energy compared to its older counterpart but it also lasts longer and will save you a lot of money every year.

When you are not using certain appliances one should always unplug them. If this is too much of a hassle then there are “smart” power strips available for purchase which cuts off power usage to appliances that are currently not in use. Just remember appliances still use energy even if they are not actively being used.

When doing your laundry try to use cold water as much as possible. The majority of the energy used when machine washing clothes goes to warming up the water.

2. Save water and money -Perhaps one of the most simple ways to save water and money is to cut down the time spent in the shower. Not only will this reduce your water bill but it will reduce your energy bill as well.

Spend a few extra dollars on a low flow shower head. They do not cost all that much and in the end they will save water and energy resulting in a lower bill for you.

Install a faucet aerator on each and every faucet in your house. A faucet aerator will conserve heat and save water, while keeping water pressure as high as it should be.

3. Use less gas and use less money - The most obvious way to use less gas is to walk or bike to your destination whenever possible. This will save you money on gas, possibly parking costs, and help improve your cardiovascular health.

Consider the possibility to lobby your local government into spending money on sidewalks and bike lanes for the road. This will of course cost a little bit but will pay off in the end by bettering health, environment, and traffic.

4. Do not drink bottled water - Drinking bottled water not only generates a lot of plastic waste (which does not decompose I would like to add), but it is also a lot more expensive then drinking purified tap water. Buy a reusable drinking container if you are going someplace where you may need a drink such as the gym. That way you do not create more waste for the planet.

5. Shop around and think - Always look around before purchasing something. There are a lot of great resources out there such as Craigslist.com where one can buy second hand products that are in almost perfect shape. Not only that but they are often cheaper and sometimes even free.

Never drive by a garage sale or thrift shop. You never know what they may have. They may have exactly what you are looking for at a much lower price. This helps reduce waste and saves you money.

Also I would like to point out that you should never throw anything away that could be of some use to somebody else. There are a lot of places that take “junk” items such as Good Will. Not only will this reduce waste but you can also get a nice tax break at the end of the year for your donations.

6. Never throw away electronic devices - Try to use your cell phones, desktop computers, and mp3 players for as long as possible. There is no need to purchase the latest model of every new device when your old one works just fine.

When the time comes to get rid of an electronically device donate or recycle them Recycle them as needed when the time comes. Most electronic devices contains mercury and other toxic chemicals which adds on to the environmental harm.

7. Make cleaning materials - Most cleaning supplies can be hand made with common household items such as baking soda and lemon juice. There are a lot of online resources which will tell you how to do so. This will save a lot of money and reduce the amount of trash created.

As usual, stay tuned for more green tips that will help you make a greater environmental impact on this awesome planet of ours. If you have any additional tips, we’d love to see them below in the comments!

Hydro Generated Electricity - Is It The Answer?

Hydro energy, or in other words, energy derived from water, isn’t a new phenomenon, but it seems to be getting a lot more attention these days due to our increasing energy crisis that’s hitting pretty hard here at home, and around the world. Talk of alternative energy sources are mainstream news, and chances are, you’ll here it mentioned at least a few times a week, if not more. Many people agree that it’s time to stop messing around, and take a serious look at how we can advance these alternative forms of energy in order to solve a myriad of economic and environmental problems.

How does it work?

Simply put, hydro energy is harnessed when a hydro plant channels and moves water through a series of pipes which eventually pushes a special set of blades and turns it in a turbine that produces electricity. There are several different ways that companies utilize and store the water (some are river based, others use massive storage tanks of water), but it all pretty much ends up the same way. So with the amount of water on this Earth of ours, you would think that there would be more of this going on, and perhaps one day there will be, but it all boils down to politics and money.

Hydro generated electricity makes up roughly 20% of the world’s supply, which is no small number by any means. I think that within the next decade, as the oil crisis spirals out of control that we’ll see that number go higher, along with other forms of alternative energy like solar and wind.

While solar based energy and wind energy (which is currently being explored by the Pickens Plan) are also on the table for alternative strategies, hydro generated electricity packs some very attractive advantages:

Pro’s

1. It is way more consistent than wind and solar power, because water can be stored and there are obviously huge amounts of it on Earth.

2. It doesn’t emit ANY waste or harmful gas.

3. Hydro stations are very manageable economically speaking.

On the flip side, there are some drawbacks to hydro electricity, which critics are very quick to point out. Some of those disadvantages include:

Con’s

1. Building a hydro plant is very expensive

2. Dams can displace local wildlife, and upset the natural fish habitat (which causes all kinds of other problems in nature, since fish are the primary food of many animals).

3. Plant life can also be upset, which again, can have devastating effects on the local habitat around the plant/dam.

All in all, it’s still a fantastic form of energy, and God knows there is plenty of water to go around. As with any idea, there will always be set backs and side effects, but you have to think of it like a prescription medicine – do the benefits outweigh the possible risks? In this case, most people would probably agree that yes, the benefits in our current situation far outweigh possible negative side effects. I guess we’ll just have to see what happens as we move on into the future.

What are your thoughts on hydro electricity? Post in the comments below.

The T. Boone Pickens Plan - What Is It?

Back on the 8th of July this year, there was a pretty big announcement by a good ol’ boy we all know as T. Boone Pickens, which stated that he had a master plan to help reduce our dependence on foreign oil by utilizing something we have plenty of here at home – wind. It wasn’t a huge surprise, but the enthusiasm and hope it brings Read more

5 Extremely Simple Ways To Cut Home Energy Costs

So, you’re feeling the “green” spirit, and you want to do your part and save some money in the process? Well look no further, because below you’ll find 5 very simple ways to be more environmentally friendly, and put some extra cash back into your bank account at the same time. Saving energy is critical, as we get closer to 2009, and if you’re not doing your part yet, there is no better time to start - then now!

1. Prevent over-drying - Since living in an apartment building, I’ve taken many trips to the local laundry center and while I’m there, to kill the time, I’ve observed quite a bit. One that that I notice is people, in general, dry their clothes for wayyyy too long! Over-drying your clothes makes them more difficult to iron, not to mention, it wastes energy. Taking your clothes out of the dryer while they’re just a tad damp will make the ironing process easier, and you’ll save energy in the process!

2. Cold water wash - I know, I know - you couldn’t bear washing some of your clothes in cold water, because you’re under the impression that they won’t get as clean. Well, let me break it down for you. First of all, when you wash your clothes in warm or hot water, you’re wasting tons of energy very needlessly. Why? Well, in the past few years, there have been some amazing advancements in cold water detergents, and now we’re at the point where you don’t have to wash anything in hot water anymore. With the amount of quality cold water detergents available, it will clean anything you throw in there! Plus, washing in cold water saves the washer from having to heat the water, which saves you a significant amount of money in the long run.

3. Mr. Dishwasher can handle it! - What I mean is, a lot of people are under the impression that pre-rinsing dishes is necessary, and will make the dishwasher work less. This is not true, people! Consumer Reports even said that this can waste up to 20 gallons of water per day. With the new detergents out, which are enzyme based, they can handle just about anything you throw at them, all you need to do is remove excess food, and you’ll start saving on water right away!

4. Sleep mode - Did you know that leaving your computer on constantly is quite an energy drain? Granted, it’s not as bad as leaving a kitchen light on 24/7 or something else, but still, it’s a waste. Instead, just get in the habit of putting your PC into “sleep mode”, as it could cut electricity consumption by upwards of 80%!

5. Use the microwave - A lot of people still like to fire up the oven in order to heat up food. Did you know that using your handy dandy microwave saves about 80% of the energy an oven uses? The heat from an oven can be nice in the cold winter months, but during the summer, it puts an additional load on your A/C that forces it to work harder.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the 5 energy saving tips above, and these are just the first batch of many that will be coming in the future! As more and more clever people figure out how to efficiently save energy costs, it will benefit us all. So if you have an idea, by all means, leave it in the comment section below!

BioDiesel - A Realistic Solution?

Over the course of the past year or so, alternative ways to power our vehicles has really taken a worldwide platform. With energy crisis’ like the one we have in America, engineers and everyday folks like you and I are coming up with ideas and ways to cut down on Read more

Wind Turbines - Free Energy Courtesy Of Mother Nature

I’m sure you’ve heard by now (T. Boone Pickens, anyone?), but wind power is getting some major attention at the moment, thanks to our ongoing energy crisis here in America. Personally, I’m totally cool with that, because something needs to be done, and I think I can speak for the general public when I say that we’re very open minded at the moment!

Wind turbines aren’t anything futuristic or new, as they’ve been around for quite a while. However, with today’s current energy needs, there will obviously need to be some serious scientific engineering revamps to the way we use them, in order to make it a realistic substitution for other forms of energy.

Wind is free, and also quite abundant in many places, but not all. But the general consensus is, “hey, let’s install wind turbines and harness wind energy wherever we can to help cut down on non-renewable resource consumption”. Being able to just plop down a wind turbine in front of your house is a little ways off, but not as far as one would think. If you had the opportunity to install a wind turbine on your property, depending on where you live, you could probably live independently of the power grid for the rest of your days (or as long as the wind keeps blowing!).

It’s actually kind of neat to think that maybe one day you’ll be at Home Depot picking out colors and styles for your government mandated wind turbine if you are a homeowner. I imagine apartment and office buildings with a commercial grade turbine on the roof that powers the entire building. Pretty cool, right?

Believe it or not, even though mass use of wind turbines is a little ways away, if you’re really feeling the “green” spirit, you can build one yourself! That’s right - there are many plans out there (just do a few Google searches) that will tell you how to build your own turbine to harness Earth’s natural power. As a matter of fact, if you want to dive into the world of “wind farming”, head over to this popular wind farmer’s hangout, where I’m sure you’ll get all your questions answered from a nice group of like minded people!

Back to the homemade turbines - in all reality, you don’t need to live in a very windy place to take advantage of them. Even a light breeze will spin most homemade turbines, and the power is stored in convenient batteries that you can use later on when you need it.  One well build wind turbine isn’t all that expensive, and can generate a good portion (if not all) of the energy you need to power your home (depending on energy usage and home size, of course). Not only that, but let’s say you went big time, and build a turbine a little bigger than you planned. Have left over power? Well, depending on how much, quite a few local power companies may be interested in buying it from you. How cool would that be - sending them the bill instead of vice versa!

I’m sure over the next year or two, we’ll see significant improvements in wind turbine science, and chances are good that we’ll see it go mainstream in the next decade. Stay tuned!