Renewable Clean Energy Info

Archive for the ‘global warming’ Category

A lot of people are looking for certain options that could help them save money. A great portion of the monthly budget is allotted for gasoline expenses. Now, there is an effective way of cutting down gas expenses and that is through a hydrogen-assist fuel cell.

You already know what hydrogen is and that it makes up a large portion of the Earth’s atmosphere. However, not all the hydrogen present here on Earth are usable as fuel. The hydrogen must first be converted into a usable form before people can benefit from it.

For many years, scientists and researchers have looked for efficient and effective sources of energy. One of the possible solutions for today’s energy crisis is hydrogen. Hydrogen can be turned into usable fuel that can be used in modern homes and even vehicles.

In fact, some cars now have fuel cells. The cars make use of hydrogen fuel. The fuel cells are not as expensive as you think. If you like to build things, then you can certainly build a hydrogen-assist fuel cell. Try to conduct a research and know the different parts of a fuel cell that is used in cars. Once you determine the parts, you can now purchase them in a local hardware store. The parts are not that complicated, so don’t you worry.

If you think that shopping for fuel cell parts is quite hard, then you have another option. You can purchase a fuel cell kit. The parts needed to build the fuel cell are already included on the kit as well as an instruction manual. What you need to do is to read the instructions carefully before you touch the various fuel cell parts. As much as possible, you must know what you’re doing so that there will be no room for mistakes. You can’t afford to make a mistake; otherwise, the fuel cell will not work.

A typical car fuel cell is made up of a water container, vacuum hose, electrical wirings, and baking soda. You have to connect the parts the proper way for it to be effective. You should be able to connect the HHO generator to the car battery. Most cars that use hydrogen fuel today still use gas. In fact, if they can’t find a hydrogen station, the car will still run on gas. The cars are often called hybrid cars or dual- tank cars.

Hydrogen-assist fuel cell is not difficult to build. But if this is your first time to do a DIY activity, it would be best to get a fuel cell kit so that everything you need is already there. From the parts to the instruction manual; so don’t settle for using gas to power your car engine. Why not try using hydrogen fuel instead? You can even use both gasoline and hydrogen fuel.

If you’re able to build a fuel cell, you will notice that the gasoline costs are not as high as it used to be. You will only purchase gasoline if you run out of hydrogen fuel in the middle of nowhere. But you know, water is available almost anywhere. Most fuel cells use water since it contains hydrogen.

The car is powered efficiently and you can even double the distance of your driving. Plus, you don’t contribute to the pollution that pesters the human race for many years now.

Try out the hydrogen-assist fuel cell now.

As the cost of living continues to rise, energy reports and broadcasts are crammed with energy saving tips and suggestions. Some energy saving tips require initial investments, some just solicit a change of lifestyle. The best energy saving tips are those that require almost nothing but changing a habit. This one is about the wise energy saving choices.

1.Limit, as much as possible, the use of water. Of course water is not that expensive (at least for now); but saving water saves energy. When cleaning the driveway, the deck or patio, using the broom instead of the hose would save several hundreds of gallons of water a year.

2.A push mower is a good idea to mow a small lawn. Aside from not using electricity or fuel to ride the mowing machine, it is also good exercise.

3.Rakes are good leaf movers. Like the push mower, you do not need energy to fuel up a machine to get the job done. There is also a sense of nostalgia in using this traditional tool.

4.Use compact fluorescent light bulbs to light up your driveway or as a security light. CFLs are one of the most handy and energy efficient products that you can have. If you are worried about bugs sticking to the light, there are yellow CFLs that are available.

5.When shopping, avoid going for the disposable ones. Disposable products need more landfills and landfills emit dangerous gasses. Go instead for items that could be used several times over. Again when shopping, go for products that are made of better quality. They might be a little more expensive but generally, quality products last longer.

6.Bring your own bags when shopping. Paper bags are made from trees; the environment can use more of them. Plastic bags on the contrary are oil based and are not biodegradable. If you bring your bag with you, you do not only help in saving energy, you could also get a discount from your store.

7.Batteries contain toxic materials. They produce heavy metal like zinc, zinc, arsenic, cadmium, mercury etc. Thus, disposal needs proper care. Once the heavy metal in batteries seeped into the ground it has a good chance of contaminating the ground. When buying products that would need batteries, pick those that are rechargeable. That way battery disposal is limited and you save on the cost of buying new batteries.

8.Good thing that SUV sales everywhere are going down (well, at least for the environment and not for car manufacturers). SUVs use much more energy than compact sedans for the same distance. While using SUV’s could be fun, there is also that tinge of indifference to the current energy issues and environmental problems we are facing. Reducing the use of SUVs on the street may not mean much in terms greenhouse gas emissions but is a signal to manufacturers to build more energy efficient vehicles.

9.The use of solar power is an excellent idea if you want to tackle the issues of energy conservation and environment protection. If there is one thing that the world needs most at this time, it is the widespread use of solar power.

10.Energy saving devices may cost a little extra but the pays offs are much more than the extra cost in terms longer life spans and energy saved.

Global warming is one of the most popular topics of news programs and worldwide media. The basic assertion of global warming is that the surface of the earth is increasing in temperature. That assertion also implies that human industrial activities are responsible for this temperature increase.

A consensus of worldwide scientists recently issued a statement that global warming is real and that it needs to be controlled. What exactly is global warming, and how did it get to the extent that is seen today?

Global warming is due to the greenhouse effect. A greenhouse easily lets sunlight in to warm the interior. However, the heat that is generated by the sunlight has a harder time getting out, raising the temperature inside the greenhouse.

Carbon dioxide, water vapor, and methane are greenhouse gases that trap heat inside the atmosphere, like the glass of a greenhouse. These are naturally occurring gases that are beneficial to the earth. However, global warming asserts that humanity has increased the amounts of greenhouse gases and caused the recent worldwide temperature increase.

Scientists claim that humanity’s massive burning of fossil fuels is mainly responsible for the global warming increase. Fossil fuels include oil, gas, coal, and natural gas. Carbon dioxide and water vapor, among other gases, are generated when these fossil fuels are burned.

Two of the main greenhouse gas emitters are coal fired power plants and automobile exhaust. Every industrialized economy in the world is based on fossil fuel usage, so it is not possible to decrease global warming by simply stopping the use of oil, coal, and gasoline.

Alternatives to fossil fuels include solar, wind, hybrids, and even nuclear energy. These alternative energy sources emit little or no greenhouse gases. Therefore, widespread adoption of these energy sources should help reduce or slow global warming. However, some of these technologies are not mature or ready for widespread distribution. Many countries that stopped or slowed their nuclear energy programs decades ago are reviving them now.

It is pretty obvious that global warming is a real phenomenon. Polar ice is melting, hurricanes are increasing in strength and intensity, and some local climates are even changing. There may be even more sinister effects of global warming waiting to be discovered.

Even those that don’t believe in global warming can recognize that migrating to alternative fuels and renewable energy sources will help the planet in the long term. The time to start is now, before those more destructive effects make themselves known.

Global warming refers to the increase in average temperature near the earth’s surface and in its oceans. Climate change is another term used interchangeably with global warming. However, climate change may encompass other changes in climate besides increases in temperature.

In the past century the average air temperature near the earth’s surface has increased by around 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit. Various models have attempted to predict how these temperature changes may impact on the future. They variously predict increases from 2.5 to 10.4 degrees Fahrenheit. Most scientists agree that temperatures are likely to continue increasing. However, they do not agree nearly as much when it comes to predicting the magnitude of the increase.

So what actually causes the increased temperatures?

The earth’s temperature is affected by many factors such as:

The earth’s orbit – The tilt of the earth axis as it revolves around the sun influences the amount of sunlight reaching earth. Therefore changes in the earth’s orbit affects its surface temperature.

Changes in intensity of heat emitted by the sun can also affect temperature on earth.

Volcanic activity – Lava, ash, dust and hot gases from volcanic eruptions can create volcanic aerosols which reflect heat away from the earth’s surface and result in cooler temperatures. For instance 1816 is said to have been a year without a summer – widely believed to have been a result of the eruption of the Tambora volcano in Indonesia in the previous year. On the other hand, volcanoes also emit huge quantities of Carbon Dioxide, which tend to have the opposite effect and could lead to higher temperatures.

The causes listed above have existed for a very long time. However, since the Industrial Revolution and especially since 1900 another cause has taken precedence. Increased use of fossil fuels and the resulting emissions of carbon dioxide have caused massive increases in greenhouse gases. This has led to increased temperatures through the greenhouse effect.

What is the greenhouse effect and how does it impact on surface temperature?

The earth receives heat from the sun. The earth loses heat by reflecting it back into the atmosphere. The atmosphere contains a mixture of gases that trap heat and keep the earth’s surface warm. This is similar to the mechanism that keeps the inside of a garden greenhouse warmer than the outside. These greenhouse gases are vital for life on earth. If they did not exist it is likely that earth would be too cold to sustain life. However, too much of a good thing can have bad consequences. As a result of our energy intensive lifestyles and the burning of vast quantities of fossil fuels the levels of greenhouse gases have been increasing rapidly which magnifies the greenhouse effect and traps more and more heat close to the earth’s surface. Greenhouse gases are primarily Water vapor, Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Nitrous Oxide and Ozone.

What are the consequences of global warming?

As the earth becomes hotter all year round the incidence of droughts and wildfires will increase. There is already evidence of this in effect. Many US cities have recorded their hottest ever temperatures within the last 3 decades and vast areas worldwide are drought affected and subject to horrific wildfires.

Warmer water in the oceans feeds energy into more and more powerful storms and dangerous hurricanes. The warmer seas also result in melting of glaciers and ice caps that in turn cause higher sea levels and flooding of coastal communities. Many small island nations in the Pacific face the prospect of becoming totally submerged in the very near future.

Spread of insect borne diseases such as malaria- Areas which were previously inhospitable to hosts of these diseases such as mosquitoes become breeding grounds as temperatures change. This could lead to the spread of tropical diseases to more temperate areas.

Changes in climate will also push many species of animals and plants to extinction as they struggle to survive in their changing environments.

As with most debates there are the naysayers, predominant among them is the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, the only scientific society that rejects the conclusion that global warming is a threat.

However, if the 30 other scientific societies and academies who support the findings of global warming are to be believed, the consequences are obviously serious if not downright frightening! So what’s being done to control it?

Governments around the world have undertaken programs to cut back the level of emissions of greenhouse gases. For instance in the US the government has a strategy in place to reduce emissions by 18% over the 10 year period 2002 to 2012. To this end the Environmental Protection Agency has implemented many initiatives to encourage the reduction of emissions by various industries and other stakeholders.

However, this is not a responsibility that rests exclusively with government or regulatory bodies. Every individual contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and therefore has an obligation to help cut back.

What can an individual do to help?

The list of ways to cut back on emissions is probably as long as the many ways that energy is expended but there are several obvious and relatively easy ways to achieve improvements:

In the US about half of greenhouse gas emissions come from power plants while about a third comes from transportation. Any activity that cuts back on power usage or reduced use of transportation would have a positive impact.

Using energy efficient electrical appliances including compact fluorescent lights instead of traditional globes would help. In the US energy efficient appliances in more than 50 categories can be identified by their “Energy Star” rating.

Similarly using more fuel-efficient cars or perhaps even reducing the use of cars and opting for more “green” transport methods such a bicycles, using public transport or even walking could help.

Using vehicles that run on renewable fuel sources such as E85 (A fuel containing 85% Ethanol) or bio-diesel.

Ensuring that tire pressures are at appropriate levels and your vehicles engine is tuned to manufacturers specifications would also help reduce fuel consumption.

Switching to greener sources of energy. Using solar power directly where the technology permits. Where there is no option but to use electricity or other traditional energy sources then it may be possible to make this purchase from a supplier who uses green, non fossil fuel sources to produce it.

Planting trees to offset the effects of the carbon dioxide emissions created in the production of the energy and other products one consumes is another alternative. It isn’t necessary to do this oneself. Around the world there are organizations that are gearing up to do this on behalf of the many millions of concerned consumers. So for instance a power company could estimate the greenhouse gases emitted to produce a kilowatt-hour of electricity and then allow its customers an opportunity to pay to offset these emissions and become “carbon neutral”.

Other ways of conserving energy would include cutting back on waste thereby saving on the energy that would be expended on replacement of the wasted item – Recycle and reuse whenever possible.

Saving on water consumption – A huge amount of energy is spent on purifying water for consumption so cutting back on water waste will help considerably.

Ensuring you have efficient insulation and that cooling and heating appliances are cleaned and primed to work efficiently.

Although individual actions may seem trivial their cumulative impact worldwide can be literally life changing. It is clear that much can be done at an individual level to control global warming. Although they cannot agree on the magnitude of global warming the overwhelming majority of the scientific community agree that it is a very real problem. The time for action is now! The consequences of doing nothing are just too frightening to comprehend!

When I think of deforestation, I think of the vast
“slash and burn” operations that were carried out in
the 1970’s, and I think about how it affected the
wildlife more than our atmosphere.

The earth has immense forests, which play an important
part in the sustainability of habitation. Trees and
plants take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen in
the spring and summer; in the fall, they drop their
leaves which give off carbon dioxide. This cycle seems
to keep the CO2 (carbon dioxide) levels in the
atmosphere balanced throughout the year. If only
human’s could have this impact!

Without leaf cover, the albedo (surface reflectivity)
changes; what used to be lush and green (rainforests)
becomes dry and reflects the rays of the sun back up
into the biosphere, trapping heat. Without the forests
creating oxygen, the balance in our atmosphere becomes
tenuous. The balance of the gases in the earth’s sub
stratosphere is delicate, and their stability is of
great importance to anyone who needs air to breathe.

Human activity, like cutting down forests and
overgrazing land, can change the climate, not only
where it is happening, but around the world. Rising
temperatures in the atmosphere have long-term effects
on the ocean and the polar icecaps which have the
potential for wreaking havoc with the climate
worldwide.

It is of utmost importance that the forests worldwide
are protected; by protecting this vast resource, we
protect our planet and our future. Plant trees!

It seems almost inconceivable to think that starting
my car and letting it run for five minutes to get the
heat or air conditioning going has any effect on the
earth’s pulse, but when you multiply that millions of
times, there’s no doubt that it has a serious effect.

Simple things that we do, or don’t do, have an effect
on our planet’s precious atmosphere. How many times a
week do you go to the coffeehouse and get your coffee
in a paper or cardboard cup? You might have thought
about how many years it takes for that cup to
decompose, but have you thought about the energy that
went into the production and transportation of that
cup? Multiplied by…?

Do you reduce, re-use and recycle? Make it a goal to
reduce the amount of garbage you produce by recycling
and composting. Your town office or city hall will
provide you with a list of how to separate your items
for recycling. Every item that you can re-use or
recycle is one less item in the landfill.

One of the simplest ways to help is to purchase and
use cloth shopping bags. The hard part is remembering
to take them out of the car and into the store, but
once you get into the habit, it becomes second nature.
Resolve to not accept plastic bags in a store.

Traveling in a gas-powered vehicle as little as
possible is a great way to conserve. Walk or bike
whenever and wherever you can; it’ll help the planet
and your health. If you live in the city, use public
transportation. Likewise, if you live in the country,
carpool to work and instead of making several trips a
week to run errands, save them for one trip.

If you take the time to think about your daily
activities, and how you can do them a little
differently, you may find yourself not only helping
the environment, but helping your wallet. Do only full
loads of laundry and dishes; cut your shower by two
minutes; switch to energy-saving light bulbs; turn
your refrigerator and air conditioner up a single
degree and turning off your electronic devices at
night are all painless ways to help.

Challenge yourself to think before you act for a few
days and you will surprised at how easy it is to begin
the process of going green.

When you hear the phrase “home energy” what first comes to your mind? So you think you are alone in your view of what home energy is? Do you think that somehow, you need to know more and expand your views about home energy?

Well, here are some different views on home energy and a critique of them:

1) Expensive – This is the most agreed upon view of home energy today. People think that home energy and savings do not really go together. As people will tell you, living a comfortable life costs money, and not everyone has money.

People view home energy in terms of money. They ask themselves, how something which they cannot even see cost so much. This view on home energy is not helped by the fact that all over the news, you can see reports of the price of energy ever-increasing.

This view of home energy, however, can be put to rest when it is properly examined. As you may well know by now, it is true that oil prices are continuing to increase as deposits are diminishing. However, what most people fail to understand is that humanity always tries to find ways to bypass any problem. In this case, we have tried to develop the true potential of alternative energy. During the past few years, breakthroughs have been made in the field of alternative energy that would make energy virtually free.

2) Burden – People view home energy as a burden to be endured, an inevitable part of daily living. After all, they realize that they do need home energy to provide them with the conveniences of daily living.

Energy is the lifeblood which makes civilization today possible. It is through technology that we have reached the level of progress we are in today. Energy fuels technology, and people are sometimes hesitant to question the cost of their home energy.

However, home energy need not be such a burden. Nowadays, more and more people are turning to different house designs and different materials in order to make efficient use of home energy. This means that viewing home energy as a burden can be a thing of the past.

There are also more and more houses able to support their energy needs through alternative means. By making use of alternative energy sources, people will not view home energy as a burden; but rather, will see it for its benefits.

3) Electricity – When you ask most people about how they view home energy, most would answer you that home energy was what appeared on their electric bills. However, Energy is so much more than electricity. You see, energy does much more than run your appliances. Home energy also involves heat energy, which is used to control the temperature of your house.

This means that not only electricity is involved in home energy, gas and oil is also involved. When you are talking about the costs of home energy, you are not just talking about the cost of keeping your appliances up and running, you are also talking about the little conveniences that you have to pay for.

That’s why it is so important to make use of energy-efficient house designs. These types of houses can efficiently make use of your home energy to make sure you stay as comfortable as possible.

Some home energy systems are actually so efficient that homes can be kept warm in winter and cool in summer even without a temperature control system. Isn’t that just amazing? Did you know that temperature control (air conditioning, heating and the like) accounts for the biggest part of your home energy expenses? By making use of an energy-efficient design for a house, you can actually get your heating and cooling for free!

If you take another look at these three views on home energy, you will notice that people do not really see home energy as a benefit. However much progress we have made, people will always find something to complain about. After all, dissatisfaction is a normal part of human nature. However, you need to remember that despite the fact that you have to pay for it, you should always view home energy as a very helpful and necessary resource.

Why is efficient home insulation good for saving energy?

Almost half of your electric bill goes to regulating the temperature of your home. Thus if you want to save on your electric bills, the best place to start is your home’s insulation system.

Insulation is important to minimize or eliminate the heat exchange/loss inside your house. Good insulation keeps the interior warm during winter and cold during hot summer days. A well-insulated house allows your heating and cooling systems to effectively work as needed. Proper insulation can save as much as 10% of your monthly electric bill.

Meanwhile, if your house has leaks or if it has insufficient insulation, air will pass through; and heat exchange will occur on areas where insulation is inadequate. This results to heat loss. And because a house with leaks and insufficient insulation requires more power to regulate its temperature, energy consumption will likely increase.

Where to insulate?

Areas of the house including the switches, power outlets, plumbing fixtures, walls, windows, doors, ceilings, floors, basement, crawl spaces and attic should be properly insulated.

Insulation Tips

Make sure that you consider factors such as building design, budget and climate when selecting the R-values of the insulation materials. Use the proper R-values insulating materials for particular parts of the house.

Consider parts of your house such as the attic, floors, kitchen, bathroom, windows, walls, door and other parts where heat loss are more likely to happen. Use the required insulation materials on these parts to effectively control the temperature.

Sunk-lights can be a source of heat loss but you need to be careful on how close you place the insulation next to these fixtures. Check with your local building codes for reference.

When constructing a home, check on some construction materials that provide both structural support and good insulation.

Follow the product instruction when installing the insulation. Product instructions are the best source of information on how to maximize the use the products.

More Energy Saving Tips

Reduce your light consumption. Some lights produce heat that affects the temperature of the house.

Keep your temperature sensor away from hot materials like stove, oven, lights and other appliances that emit heat to get accurate temperature reading for effective heat regulation.

If the temperature outside is comfortably warm or cold, turn off your heating or cooling system. During heat season, open the drapes of the south-facing windows to allow natural light to enter your home. Close it at night to prevent cool winds from coming in. During winter, keep the drapes and shades closed to help reduce heat loss.

Buy energy-efficient products that will help minimize heat loss and reduce power consumption. Find a reputable contractor and ask advice on good heating and cooling equipment to buy.

During winter, adjust your thermostat at the lowest comfortable level; during summer, highest comfortable level.

Minimize the use of heat generating appliances to reduce the use of cooling system and save on electric bill.

A well-insulated house is like a well-sealed refrigerator. Lesser heat loss means lesser power consumption; and more heat loss means the motor will work harder to maintain the desired interior temperature and thus more energy consumed.

Saving energy means saving money. Make sure that you routinely check your house for leaks and holes and replace or repair leaking parts as soon as you discover them.

The shortage of power, the rapid consumption of non-renewable energy, the ever-increasing demand for power supply, the daily warnings about our environment are enough signs to tell us that it’s time we do something. So, what can we do? For starters, how about living off the grid? If I have startled you with that proposition, let me tell you that living off the grid not only helps the environment and helps save power; it also cuts down our electricity bill substantially. Now, that’s a tangible benefit apart from all the good you will do to the world. Trust me, you will feel good doing this.

Let us first study the advantages of living off the grid.

• Reduced dependability on exhausting resources: Who wants to depend on public utilities all the time? Living off the grid helps you rely only on your resources and not the ones supplied by governments or corporations. How often have you cursed when faced with a power outage in the midst of some important work or a party? Wouldn’t you like to take charge of such factors affecting you life? With alternate power solutions, you can.

• Freedom of usage of naturally available resources: How would you feel when you don’t have to pay for the power you use? Wouldn’t it be delightful to use as much power as you want without worrying about the electricity meter? You can make use of the abundant power available in the nature to light up your home and make your food. The solar power solutions and the wind power solutions are the answers to your power quest (well, literally!).

• Reduced power costs, helping save your money: How would you feel if the electricity bills stop coming in your letter box? The alternate power solutions give you a return on investment very soon, thus making the power supply to your home eventually free!

• Making way for a healthier environment: Don’t you bless the people who planted trees years ago not expecting them to miraculously grow? They planted those trees for the future generations. Make the future of your future generations secure by giving them a greener, healthier world. Cut down on the usage of non-renewable sources of energy. Try to use water minimally. There is not much drinking water left for the next generations.

If you are thinking it is not very feasible to live off the grid, look for alternate power solutions and you will be surprised to learn that they are not only cost-effective but also extremely feasible.