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| Out of Gas - Naturally
Thursday, February 03 @ 14:54:58 EST
by Mark |
Sometimes life has a roller-coaster feel to it. We're rolling along, happy and healthy. Your job is fairly interesting and it pays enough to keep you afloat and give you some of the perks you've always wanted. And then the roller-coaster begins the journey downward. Unseen situations can
combine, both in and out of your control. This can be a combination of layoffs,
downsizing, job loss, credit card debt, enormous winter utility bills, dying automobiles, etc.
The bottom line is that you are aversely affected and it can make you feel emotionally trashed.
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| Technology and Safer Chimneys
Tuesday, December 28 @ 18:00:32 EST
by mark |
 (ARA) - While new hearth products have made fireplace ownership much more convenient, maintenance requirements have remained steady.
Many American homeowners assume that their chimneys only need to be cleaned and inspected if they burn wood in their fireplaces or wood stoves. But almost all heating appliances, whether fueled by gas, oil, wood or coal, rely on chimneys and vents to safely carry toxic gases, like carbon monoxide (CO), out of the home.
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| Cow Flatulence - Global Warming Stinks
Monday, November 29 @ 18:14:56 EST
by Mark |
 Air quality and global warming are dynamic environmental and political issues that are often aimed at large, industrial businesses but here's a different take on the subject. Some studies show that cow gas emanating from either end of the cow may have a profound affect on the atmosphere. The gas in question is methane.
Bacteria in the stomachs of cows break down and ferment fodder during digestion, producing methane. The 'southern' end of the cow creates manure and we can collect the methane it gives off as it ferments for use in generating electricity. The procedure is relatively simple: manure is stored in huge tanks - anaerobic digesters - which are deprived of oxygen and kept at temperatures of 100°F, much like the stomach of a cow. The conditions are designed to let anaerobic bacteria thrive and do the work of breaking the manure down. The large volume of "biogas" released - which contains about 90% methane - is piped to an engine which burns the gas and uses the heat energy to generate electricity. The leftover manure is compressed; fluid is drained away and used as fertilizer; and the solids are dried out and used as bedding for the herd and compost.
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| Blinded by the Light - Color Temperature
Monday, October 25 @ 17:54:24 EDT
by Mark |
 Have you ever been driving on the freeway, late at night and all of the sudden you feel you're about to be abducted by an alien spacecraft? The brilliant, unearthly blue-white lights sweep over you, reflect off your side and rearview mirrors and sear your eyeballs. The colors inside of your car literally come alive as your shadow on the dashboard creates a sharply contrasted 2D image of yourself. Just when you think that maybe Steven Spielberg got it right, the blonde in the Audi zooms around you with her high beams on.
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| Halloween - The Trick or Treat of Daylight Saving Time
Tuesday, October 19 @ 17:31:12 EDT
by Mark |
 This year, we get to say goodbye to Daylight Saving Time at 2AM, October 31st, on Halloween morning. Daylight
Saving Time begins for most of the United States at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday of April and reverts back to
standard time at 2 a.m. on the last Sunday of October. Depending on who you talk to, DST can be either a
trick or treat.
The idea of daylight saving was first conceived by Benjamin Franklin during his stay as an American
delegate in Paris in 1784, in an essay, "An Economical Project." Some of Franklin's friends,
inventors of the oil lamp, were so taken by the scheme that they continued corresponding with
Franklin even after he returned to America.
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| Energy Hogbusters For Kids - Battle of the Bulb
Monday, August 23 @ 10:47:57 EDT
by webmaster |
 Do you want a fun, safe place to spend time with your kids but you don't have the energy (literally and figuratively) to travel? Well you're in luck. We discovered http://www.energyhog.org which is a great online site for kids to learn about the possible energy hogs in your home. The Hogbuster games make it fun to battle the pesky hogs. They have names like, Mork Pork, Ivanna Hamm, Kelvin Bacon and Penelope Pigg. Each hog has 'vital statistics' and can be 3D rotated for a closer inspection.
As the games progress, your kids can navigate the floorplan of a home and find the different types of hogs that exist. The bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, attic and living room are all covered. Game names are Fridge Frenzy, Bulb Hunter, Whack A Hog, Wacky Windows and Attic Attack. When you complete the games, you are presented with an Official Energy Hog Buster Certificate which you can print out.
So sit with your young one at the computer and learn about energy the fun way. Like the saying goes, "From the mouse of babes...."
The Energy Hog campaign was founded by Energy Outreach Colorado and the Colorado Governor's Office of Energy Management and Conservation OEMC) and was made possible by the generous support of many partners.
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| Let There Be Light
Friday, July 23 @ 16:06:59 EDT
by webmaster |
 THE SUN
When we talk about light, we have to look at both natural and man-made varieties. At the top of the list is old Sol, the Sun. We take him for granted because he pops up over the horizon every morning (except maybe in Michigan in the winter...) and he's just 'there'. It's pretty amazing when you think of the Sun as just one of billions of stars that just happens to be the right size and distance to light and heat our world. A little larger, we're toast, a little farther away and we're peop-sickles. This abridged lighting history reveals some of the quest to extend light into our lives during the night hours and into places where it can't naturally penetrate.
Sun Facts:
Diameter = 865,400 Miles
Average Surface Temperature = Approx. 10000 degrees Fahrenheit
Temperature at Core: 22.5 million Fahrenheit
Earth's Average Orbit Distance = 93,210,000 Miles
Mass: 330,000 x Earth
Luminosity: 390 billion billion megawatts
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| You're in Hot Water - Tankless Water Heaters
Tuesday, June 08 @ 17:29:06 EDT
by webmaster |
 You're in hot water now. All the time. As much as you want, when you want it.
You are if you install a tankless water heater in your home. These energy efficient wonders have been used for years in Europe where energy costs are several times more than in North America. Tankless water heaters are compact and don't require their own mechanical room.
With a conventional tank water heater, you heat water all the time. Energy is used nearly all day to maintain a preset temperature. When water cools, the system kicks on to reheat the water. This cycle repeats over and over.
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| World's Oldest Continuously Burning Light Bulb
Tuesday, June 08 @ 17:15:50 EDT
by webmaster |
Hate changing light bulbs? If you do you'll enjoy reading this.
Every once in a while the forces of nature combine to create something that is so rare that mere humans are held in awe. The perfect storm, planetary alignments and solar eclipses come to mind but this story has a man-made origin.
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| New Light on Energy Conservation
Tuesday, June 08 @ 16:46:36 EDT
by webmaster |
Your local hardware store tries to sell you some new energy-efficient "compact fluorescent" light bulbs at $20 apiece, suggesting that you use them to replace your incandescent bulbs. Would you buy them?
Your local electric utility offers to give you - free - several of the same type of bulbs, telling you they will save you money on your electric bill. Would you accept them?
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