solar energy - "Solar is Sexy"

A typical solar system will reduce the need for conventional water heating by about two-thirds. Often the plumbing from a solar heater connects to a houses existing water heater, which stays inactive as long as the water coming in is hot or hotter than the temperature setting on the indoor water heater. When it falls below this temperature, the homes water heater can kick in to make up the difference. Incorporating passive solar designs can reduce heating bills by as much as 50 percent. High-temperature solar water heaters can provide energy-efficient hot water and hot water heat for large commercial and industrial facilities.

Many large commercial buildings can use solar collectors to provide more than just hot water. Solar process heating systems can be used to heat these buildings. A solar ventilation system can be used in cold climates to preheat air as it enters a building. And the heat from a solar collector can even be used to provide energy for cooling a building. The Co-operative Insurance Building in Manchester has the largest commercial solar system in the UK. I think it looks very futuristic and cool! 

You can generate electricity for a single building like the co-op but there is the potential in the future to generate enough power for a power plant. The author of a recent Christian Aid report, John McGhie, said that for $50bn (£26bn) the whole of sub-Saharan Africa could be turned into a solar-generated economy. And $50bn is exactly the same amount as the continent would have to pay on extra fuel bills from oil," he said.

Electrical retailer Currys is about to add a new item to its usual array of washing machines and other white goods - solar panels. Currys is taking a risk as the solar panels will cost far more than anything else the store sells. They say it will cost the average three bedroom household about £9,000 to buy and install solar panels - compared to £16,000 in specialist stores. There are also grants available through the Low Carbon Buildings Programme. 

What other solar gadgets can you buy?

Well, Sharp, the world's number one solar cell producer, has just turned its hand to glass studded with LED lights and cells. Instead of generating enough electricity to run a home, it creates a psychedelic light show at night, powered entirely by the day's sun. 

You can also buy solar chargers for iPods and phones. Other recent outlandish additions include a solar-powered tent, scooter and LED house numbers, while mundane ones like bike lights, torches and radios have been around for years. 

People can also use captured passive solar heat to cook food. A basic cooker consists of an insulated box with a glass top. Heat from concentrated sunlight gets trapped in the box and can be used to heat food enclosed in the box. These have not been very popular to date.

Going Green Can Save You Some Green

If you are like me, you worry about the environment but don’t quite know what you can do about it. Global warming, smog, the plight of the manatees — you want to help but feel powerless to do anything really meaningful. Well, don’t feel powerless anymore.
You can help the environment and your wallet with some minor adjustments to the way you live your daily life.
Many environmentally-friendly actions are also incredibly budget friendly. The good news is if you want to be rich and save the world, you can do both at the same time.
Here is a short list of things you can do to save money and help the earth. Some are easy. Others are drastic, but incorporating just a few of these into your everyday life is certainly better than doing nothing at all.
Around the House
The Department of Energy estimates that powering one single-family house for a year produces more pollution than driving a car. They also report that most of that energy is wasted due to leaky windows and poor insulation. Here are a few tips to bump your bill a bit lower and reduce your impact on the environment.
1. Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs. The next time a light bulb burns out, replace it with a compact fluorescent bulb. They use 66 percent less energy than regular bulbs and last about 10 times longer. They are more expensive upfront — a 4 pack costs about $10 or $12 — but you won’t have to replace those bulbs for about 7 years. Over the long haul, they are cheaper than regular bulbs. And, when properly utilized, they can lower your electric bill by up to $20 a month.
The EPA estimates if every household in America replaced just one regular lightbulb with a compact fluorescent, it would be the equivalent of removing the pollution of 1 million cars from the road.
Also, turn your lights off when you are not home or are not in the room. Your mom was right to bug you about that as a child.
2. Reuse food containers. No need to buy Tupperware or gladware. Just reuse the plastic tubs and bottles the food you buy already comes in. They’re especially handy for storing bulk foods. For instance, use a clean cranberry juice bottle to store rice or barley you've bought in bulk. Use a sour cream container to tote leftovers to work for lunch. Reusing food containers saves you money and reduces your oil consumption. Yes, plastics are made from petrochemicals, which come from oil, so the fewer you throw away, the better.
3. Open the window. 44% of a home’s energy bill goes to heating and air conditioning. Save yourself some money and opt for fresh air instead of the thermostat when weather permits. You can shave serious dollars off of your electric bill and reduce your impact on the environment by turning the thermostat off and going au natural.
If you can’t stomach the heat, set you’re A/C thermostat a few degrees higher, to at least 78. In the winter, put on a sweater and turn the heat down a couple degrees. The EPA estimates you save 6 percent more energy for each degree you raise the temperature in the summer, and each degree you lower it during the winter.
4. Wash your clothes with cold water. Turning the washer setting to cold instead of hot can save you $160 a year in energy costs. Setting the water to warm instead of hot reduces your annual energy bill by $60.
5. Dry your clothes on the line. Clothes dryers are the largest home energy users behind refrigerators. Hang your clothes to dry on the line every once in a while, and you will save yourself money. You may also make your clothes last longer — over-drying shortens the lifespan of your favorite clothes.
At the office
1. Avoid being a scourge on the earth by investing in a sturdy coffee mug and using that instead of a Styrofoam cup every time you want to hit the coffeepot. If you are a big water drinker, buy an inexpensive plastic drinking glass and use that instead of disposable plastic cups.
2. Pack your lunch. Eating out — even if it’s a $5 a day fast-food sandwich— really adds up over time. The packaging also produces a lot of waste. Pack your lunch in a reusable container. It’ll save you money, it’s usually better for you and you won’t generate as much garbage.
Around town
1. Walk or ride your bike. Take the time to walk or ride your bike instead of driving. Start slowly by cutting out one car trip a week, whether it’s to work or to the corner store to pick up some eggs. All those little trips add up. Even an occasional bike ride or walk will get you into shape, cut your gasoline and parking bills, and reduce smog and exhaust fumes in your city.
If you are feeling adventurous and live within reasonable distance of your job, bike to work. If that doesn’t appeal to you, consider public transit.
2. Evaluate your car. If you already have a gas-sipping car or scooter, pat yourself on the back. No matter what you drive, even a modest increase in fuel efficiency helps the environment and will save you a lot of money over the car’s life. Keep your car tuned up and get regular oil changes; this will increase your fuel efficiency and save you maintenance money in the long run.
To save more gas, roll the window down instead of using the air conditioner; run all of your errands in one trip instead of on many short trips; avoid peak traffic times whenever possible; and clean the junk out of your car — the lighter the car, the less gas needed to run it.
When it comes to the environment, small changes can make a big difference.

global warming & the environment - "The Peak Oil Crisis and Water Supply"

Much is being made about the "Peak Oil Crisis" in the media today. Gasoline and natural gas prices are high and continue to rise. But what is the "peak oil crisis" and how does it impact our water supply?
Peak Oil is discussed and defined in an excellent book by Kenneth S. Deffeyes entitled “Beyond Oil, The View from Hubbert's Peak”. As Mr. Deffeyes notes:
"The supply of oil in the ground is not infinite. Someday, annual world crude oil production has to reach a peak and start to decline."
This is the crux of "peak oil." However, we have always thought that this peak oil decline is in the future sometime, to be dealt with by future generations like many of our other problems.
Mr. Deffeyes goes on:
"It is my opinion that the peak will occur in late 2005 or in the first few months of 2006."
About the United States, he continues:
"I nominate Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 2005 as World Oil Peak Day. We can pause and give thanks for the years 1901 to 2005 when abundant oil and natural gas fueled enormous changes in our society. At the same time, we have to face up to reality: World oil production is going to decline, slowly at first and then more rapidly."
If this is true, then we can not leave the problem to future generations. People around the world and the leaders of the world's countries need to take action. This is particularly true of the leading energy using countries like the United States, China and India, as well as the countries of the European Union. 
The real issue is energy, which goes beyond oil supplies. Much of our energy is supplied directly or indirectly by the use of oil and natural gas. Energy in the form of hydrocarbons and electricity fuels our world today. Essentially declining oil supplies mean less energy available to fuel our world. This means less gasoline and electricity as well as less food, plastic, steel, concrete, lumber and asphalt paving to name a few.
How does this impact our water supplies?
How are water and energy linked? In my book “Understanding Water and Terrorism”, I note that two of our nation's critical infrastructures are the water supply systems and the electrical grid. A third major infrastructure is the transportation system.
Simply put, without energy most of our nation's water supply would cease to work. Energy in the form of electricity, diesel and natural gas is used to pump and process our raw water into clean drinking water. Chemicals and supplies for our water treatment plants and our water distribution systems are transported by truck, air and rail.
"But I am in a rural community or live on a farm, far from the large city water supplies," you say. Your community still has to pump the water into the distribution lines and maintain line pressure. If you live on a farm or in a rural setting, you probably have a pump for your well, which uses energy.
Another issue is fire protection. One of the main uses of water is to fight fires, whether building fires or wildfires. A good example of the problem was the lack of water for fire protection after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Part of New Orleans was burned because there were no pumps, electricity, water or water pressure to fight the fires.
Water and agriculture around the world is very closely linked. We can not grow food without water. Water is critical to our food supply. Much of the water used to irrigate our crops is pumped from the ground, or pumped from rivers and lakes onto fields. In California, water is pumped through long irrigation canals stretching hundreds of miles from the Colorado River to the fields. Modern irrigation systems are very dependent on energy sources such as electricity, diesel or natural gas.
But What Can I Do about this?
One way you can help yourself and our nation get through this crisis is to become informed. There are several very good books on the market today that will give you some background and a basic understanding of the issues. You can then make decisions affecting your family and your future based on a "heightened level of awareness."
This will also have an impact on the world that we leave to future generations. Without this awareness, we leave the decisions to our "leaders." We essentially take ourselves out of the "loop" and let others dictate our future. While our leaders may be well meaning, they need help. It may be easier to take popular positions based on a "60 second media newsbyte" or follow the position of our political party, but these rarely if ever result in a satisfactory long term solution to any problem. This is especially true of our current energy crisis, which is a survival issue for the United States.