Robert Mathew's posts

Thanks for your reply and more useful information.

Why choose nuclear energy:
Nuclear energy when harnessed properly can be used as an efficient source of energy to generate electricity. Though most people live under the fear of a nuclear holocaust, nuclear energy can be utilized in a very environment friendly manner.
Nuclear energy today is America’s second largest source of electricity after coal. The country has over 100 nuclear energy plants which are able to supply more energy than the country’s sources of oil, natural gas or hydropower can provide.
Nuclear power and the electricity that it generates is one of America’s secrets to success. Though the population and the American economy have grown in the past years, the energy consumption has grown by only 10%. The utilization of nuclear energy means that the country uses a smaller amount of fossil fuels.

How nuclear power is generated:
Nuclear reactors generate power by the process of nuclear fission of uranium. Unlike the burning of fossil fuels, this does not release any harmful byproducts into the atmosphere. This means that the production of electricity by nuclear sources does not release nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, dust or greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide.

The advantage of using nuclear power:
The environmental benefit of adopting nuclear power is far reaching. In America alone, the use of Nuclear power means that electric utility emissions of greenhouse gases is reduced by 20 percent, or 128 trillion tons per year. In France, after the adoption of nuclear power lead to reduction of SO2 and NOX levels by 71% and 60% respectively.

Disposal of nuclear waste:
Though the public may be concerned over the disposal of nuclear waste, this cost is included in the cost of electricity as well. Nuclear power operators are charged 0.1 cent per KW-Hr for the disposal of nuclear waste. In fact it has been said that the volume of waste generated from running an all electric household for thirty years would fit into a cigarette package.

The bigger picture:
Looking at the holistic picture it is easy to determine that with care and precaution, nuclear power can be an efficient and environment friendly source of power. In comparison to other fossil fuel sources, nuclear power is cheap. The price of nuclear energy is also considered to be more stable than the fluctuating price of oil. Another bonus is the fact that uranium is not only easily available, but it can be stockpiled as well.

France is another country that has aggressively employed the utilization of nuclear power. France started work on it nuclear program since 1973. Today it has around 59 nuclear plants generating around 78% of the country’s electricity.

Power-hungry holiday lights:

Holiday lights that decorate the house and the Christmas tree are one of the major consumers of electricity during the holiday season. In the state of California, traditional Christmas lights can consume as much as 1000 megawatts of electricity. The average consumption per bulb is 5 to 7 watts. Older lights may consume as much as 10 watts per bulb.


A solution to this is to opt for newer miniature lights. These bulbs use 70 percent less energy as compared to traditional strings of bulbs. For more luminance look at 5-watt bulbs as they are more economical than the 7-watt varieties even though initially a little more expensive.

Using LED lights to save energy:

LED light bulbs are very energy efficient. These bulbs are shatterproof and shock resistant. In addition, they are safe to touch and will not burn your fingers. LEDs are not only long lasting but also they can reduce the energy spent on traditional lighting by as much as 80 – 90%. According to the Electric Power Research Institute, if Americans replaced the traditional mini-light with LED lights, then the savings incurred would be worth $250 million. It would also result in a 400,000 ton reduction of carbon emissions.

Holiday lighting tips:

There are two types of bulbs; those used indoors and those specially designed for outdoor use. Before starting your decorations, remember to check if all the lights are working properly. Additionally, check all lights and lighting fixtures for any frayed wires, damaged plugs or sockets, and cracks in the insulation.

Make use of a timer to switch off the lights automatically. This is especially true for all lights that are strung outside the house. When selecting a timer check to see that it can handle the total wattage of the bulbs on the string.
Find more energy related articles on www.concernergy.com

The number of people who travel for business or pleasure is increasing every year. It is important that people are aware of Eco friendly travel tips. Concernergy offers tips which you can follow to make your trip eco-friendly.

Things to remember:

• Choose a destination that is eco-friendly, closer home for your holiday. Take the bus or the train, instead of driving down. If you do plan to drive, check tire pressure and cruise at 55mph for optimal fuel efficiency. Visit parks and nature reserves and native sites in the region and extend support to the green movement.

• For long distances, travel by an airline that promotes eco-friendly travel. There are some airlines that are environmentally conscious and follow practices like recycling cabin waste and promoting electronic ticketing. Virgin Airlines has gone one step further and takes measures like towing away planes to a take-off grid which helps to save fuel and reduce carbon emissions.

• At the hotel, avoid insisting that your towels and sheets be changed everyday. This would result in energy, water and detergent powder savings. Try to patronize a hotel that has green policies in place.

• Shop for souvenirs that are eco-friendly and boost the local craft endeavors. Avoid buying gifts which are made from animal products such as turtle shells and ivory.
 
• If vacationing on a private yacht or a boat, ensure that there are no leakages that would contaminate the water. Keep handy pads that can absorb any spills and ensure that they are disposed off properly.

• Ensure that there is no energy drain in your house while you are away by pulling the plugs on all appliances. Make sure that the air conditioning and the thermostat are turned down.

Know more about eco-friendly travel tips.


So, Enjoy your eco-friendly trip.

It’s your kid’s birthday and you must celebrate it in an eco-friendly way. Know how to celebrate eco-friendly birthdays so that your child learns green values. Instead  of celebrating conventional birthdays environment friendly birthdays is the best option for your life wonderful moment.

Things to remember:
The first thing that you plan for a birthday is invitations. Opt to buy eco-friendly invites that are made from recycled paper. Or better still; make your own invitation cards. You could use paper, old gift wrapping and envelopes lying around the house. Of course, nothing is more eco-friendly than an electronic invitation sent via e-mail or through chat windows.

Use Eco-friendly gifts made from material like cloth and wood would be some great options as well.

Use cups, plates, dishes, napkins and tablecloth that are reusable. Eco-friendly disposable plates and cups made from corn or sugarcane pulp are also an option.

Make sure that any recyclable material goes into bins that are designated especially for them. If you need to decorate the place, make use of paper or latex balloons that are eco-friendly, instead of conventional balloons.

Enjoy Birthday and have a great time.

Recycling is rapidly becoming a profitable business and also helps to maintain green sustainable ecology. Recycling organic waste, electronic gadgets, wood, paper helps to reduce land pollution and protection of environment. Know more about how to earn money by recycling residential, commercial, industrial goods and items. Go Green! Earn Green!
Some things that can help you earn money are listed below.
    * Used cans and bottles can be collected from campgrounds, city parks and other places and sold to buyback collection centers in and around your area. Offer to collect them from neighbors and friends who are too lazy to go to the local recycling center, what you earn would be a small amount initially but remember, the more you collect the more you earn.
    * Recycling old books can get you money as well. A flea market or a consignment shop would be a good place to sell off your books. Online auctions, university message boards and garage sales are other options. You could also keep your eyes open for collectible books among the old books in your home, which can earn you a lot of money.
    * Donating your clothes to a recognized charity can help you earn a tax rebate. Ensure that the organization issues a receipt and that it is qualified by IRS. Keep a record of the clothes donated and their value.

Green computing ensures that computer resources are efficiently used by controlling power consumption as well as manufacturing computers that are recyclable and use fewer hazardous materials. You too could contribute to Green Computing!
Recycling of electronic gadgets is the most challenging task now.
So,How to contribute to Green Computing?
    * One way to support green computing is by using CPU’s, servers, and peripherals that consume less energy.
    * We could also ensure that the CPU and energy intensive peripherals are powered-down when not in use for a long time.
    * The computer should be turned off at night ensuring that energy utilization is reduced.
    * On weekends, when we are away from the desk, we should ensure that the computer is not left running.
    * Another way to go green is by using dark backgrounds for the screen display as they consume less power.

I found below stuff which guides you on green computing and energy saving.

Cool.
 The price and cost of artificial trees depends on the materials used to make the specific tree and its size.
 

Artificial trees can be used to cut down carbon dioxide emission and helps to maintain stable green environment. It is necessary to suggest some innovative eco-friendly ideas for our green future.
Construction of artificial trees is a encouraging approach for carbon dioxide reduction.
Artificial trees are so called because of their ability to mimic natural trees in the context of uptake of carbon.
Such trees can and should be used in combination with natural trees. The two can complement each other with artificial trees reducing in carbon dioxide accumulation while natural trees, through photosynthesis, continue to provide fresh oxygen needed by living organisms.
Construction of artificial trees is a promising approach for carbon dioxide reduction.
Each such synthetic tree will act like a big carbon dioxide filter and is estimated to be able to capture up to 10 tons of carbon dioxide each day, which is a lot more than what a real tree absorbs.
I found below stuff which gives you eco-friendly information on artificial trees.
http://www.concernergy.com/source_alternatives_beat-global-warming-with-artificial-trees_168#more

Looking for more ideas on Artificial Trees....

Having a natural Christmas tree adds a certain charm to the festive season. But after a season what about trees? The answer is simple – treecycling.
Treecycling is the process of converting your tree into compost or any reusable eco-friendly product. As tree contains valuable nutrients it should not be wasted.
Every year at Christmas time, there are almost 30 to 35 million natural Christmas trees sold. A natural tree is always better than a plastic one as it is a renewable source of energy. On the other hand a plastic tree will contain non biodegradable plastics which are harmful for the environment.
Treecycling should be a process that is undertaken by an entire community. Having sponsors for your community’s tree recycling program will help in gaining resources to make the program a successful one.

We pay more money on electricity bills,heating,cooling bills. Now a days various energy efficient appliances are available which use solar power as a source.
One of the major consumers of electricity during the holiday season is holiday lights that are used to decorate the house and the Christmas tree.
 
So,how we reduce our holiday light expenditure?
A solution to this is to opt for newer miniature lights. These bulbs use 70 percent less
energy-consuming as compared to traditional strings of bulbs. For more luminance, look at 5-Watt bulbs as they are more economical than the 7-Watt varieties even though initially a little more expensive.

There are many solutions available on energy efficient holiday lighting.

Geo solar homes utilize energy from both the sun and earth for heating and cooling purposes. In these homes, solid wood walls substitute siding, framing, insulation, and paneling. Owing to this design, air flows around the building, creating a miniature biosphere. This air envelope is heated by the sun’s energy.

As the heated air circulates, geothermal energy is absorbed from beneath the house. The wood walls absorb and store energy, which creates a thermal inertia causing the house to maintain a comfortable temperature.

Geo solar homes are energy efficient due to the following aspects:

Solid wood construction
Using natural sources to generate energy
Turning the house into a heat pump
The role of the air envelope

The "floating" factor:
Geo solar homes work due to the ability of their walls to gain, hold, and release heat. This allows the home to double up as an energy storage facility. The walls experience thermal lag, which leads to “floating” where daytime energy stored offsets the energy used at night. Floating can go on for days at a time, keeping the house warm during days when the sun does not shine. Geo solar homes are known to float through extremes of heat and cold that would endanger occupants of other buildings.

Looking for more ideas on Solar Homes and solar panel.....

Hi all,

Please suggest me which solar panel shall I consider while purchasing. I want to reduce heating cost.