Author Archive

How can Electric Floor Heating Mats Save you Money on Heating Costs

About the Author
Nick Johnson is a writer and frequent contributor for http://www.HeatTechProducts.com, an online retailer of floor heating mats.

bibi

Post a Comment

For more great videos, visit Explore.org

bibi

Comments (1)

bibi

Post a Comment

Rock Powerhouse the Kidneythives, are back on the scene releasing their new EP THE INVISIBLE PLAN on October 18^th. The interesting angle is that the album was recorded completely green, even the packaging can be planted in the ground and will grow into wildflowers, how great is that…

“The Invisible Plan was once again written by the prolific duo and produced by Bruce Somers and Kidneythieves in their Undercurrent Studios in Los Angeles, which they converted to solar-power in summer 2010. “Free and I are very sensitive to the environment and we talk about it a lot,” says Bruce. “We both drive fuel efficient cars and do our part. But we felt that our carbon footprint was too big in this huge studio with all this gear. We felt like hypocrites. So we installed solar panels, point them to the sun, and get 60-70% of the electricity for the studio from solar power now. We also have a 23 SEER air conditioner in the studio, which is the most energy efficient you can have in the desert, and we put in a reverse osmosis filter system to do away with bottled water.”

Having a green studio is just one way other artists have been attracted to working at Undercurrent Studios. Having a state-of-the art ProTools rig, an extensive sound library, and 1,000-square feet of their 2,000-square foot studio as a dedicated amp room - with an eclectic mix of vintage and new - is another big draw. Among the artists who have recorded at Undercurrent are Good Charlotte, Dave Grohl, the Pussycat Dolls, Good Charlotte, Jay Gordon (Orgy), Toby Wright (Korn), Dylan McLaren (Juliette Lewis and the Licks, The Misfits), RA (Sahaj), and Sean Beavan (Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson).

Kidneythieves have also found success in landing their unique style of music in movie soundtracks, on TV shows, and in video games from the day the duo started making music together. On the soundtrack front, their cover of the Willie Nelson-penned Patsy Cline hit “Crazy” was in 1998’s Bride of Chucky and “Before I’m Dead” from 2002’s Zerøspace was in Queen of the Damned starring the late Aaliyah the same year. Among their small screen credits are “Arsenal” from Zerøspace in CSI: Miami in 2003 and “Taxicab Messiah” from 1998’s Trickster in the cult favorite Warehouse 13 in 2010.

Meanwhile, five songs from Trickster were also on the 2003 video game Deus Ex: Invisible War. The songs were performed in-game by the character of NG Resonance, which is a fictional pop star voiced by Free. Most recently, the band’s “God in Fire,” a collaboration with Japanese video game composer Takeharu Ishimoto, was featured in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy in Spring 2011.

“Musicians can’t rely on record labels to do everything now so we look for other sources,” says Bruce. “For us, one of those is the video game industry, which is always looking for new things and that lines up nicely with us always staying cutting edge.” Adds Free, “We’ve been noticing that there are more 15-18-year-olds coming to shows and emailing us and I think it’s a byproduct of the exposure we’ve had in video games. We have this amazing legion of loyal fans now that is a lot more eclectic than we when we started out.”

The trajectory the band has been on with a growing sales base and rapidly expanding fan base from record-to-record continues with the release of The Invisible Plan because, as Free sings in the EP’s title track, “The art of the hustle to use the mind as a muscle is… the invisible plan.”

Welcome to their Invisible Plan.” (from their bio)

For more info on the Kidneythieves and a free download of one of their singles…

bibi

Comments (4)

Ever wonder where all the stuff we own and use comes from and then where it ends up? This great video goes through all the stages of our stuff. It is called the materials economy and it is made up of the cycle our stuff goes through: Extraction- Production- Distribution- Consumption- Disposal.Watch this…

bibi

Comments (7)

March Madness Odds are that there will be many gatherings to watch the many games that comprise March Madness. Here are some tips on taking steps to lessen the environmental impact on both our spaces, bodies and the environment overall while enjoying the great game of basketball.

• Here are some tips on making things more green during March Madness.

• • Share a ride to that favorite sports bar to watch the games.
  • Lessen the impact on the trees: Imagine how much paper is wasted on copying and printing brackets every March? Use a paperless option readily available on Yahoo and other search engines. HERE

• • Prepare healthy snacks that will not add to “polluting” our bodies with unhealthy food that we will later regret.
    • Examples are: Carrot and Celery Sticks, Hummus Dip with Pita Chips, Apples, Oranges or any other kind of fresh fruit. Make a fruit salad. Make popcorn without all the trimmings such as butter and salt.
• Choose your drink: Water is the best choice for hydrating our bodies during those long exciting games. But don’t bring home water bottles, there are far too many of those in the environment already. Drink tap water or if you don’t like the taste, buy a filter for your faucet or a filtering jug. Fill a nice jug with water and flavor it with orange slices, lemon slices and strawberries, skip the sugar. It’s refreshing.
• If you must drink beer, don’t forget to recycle those cans and bottles.
• Winning the office pool is fun, but how much more gratifying would it be if the winner chose a Charity that can benefit from the office pool prize money.  Help make someone else’s environment a little better.

bibi

Comments (4)

Access to clean, safe drinking water is one of the worldwide dilemmas that still need solving. One in eight of us worldwide don’t have access to clean drinking water still today. That’s almost a billion people on the planet. Hard to believe.

80% of diseases can be attributed to unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation and kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. Children are especially susceptible to catching all kinds of diseases as their immune systems are still developing and they aren’t strong enough to fight diarrhea, dysentery and other illnesses. The UN predicts that one tenth of global diseases can be prevented by improving access to clean drinking water and better sanitation.

But the issue of water goes beyond just a human issue. It’s an environmental issue, an animal welfare issue, a sustainability issue. Water is a global issue, deserving a global conversation. By being a master of public health, more of these environmental issues can be resolved. Join in.

Blog Action Day 2010: Water from Blog Action Day on Vimeo.

Join the Action Day with a post on your blog Here

bibi

Comments (5)

I came upon a small company in Washington, Missouri owned and operated by a retired couple that have developed a filter made for use only on electric clothes dryers which allows the user to return the hot, humid air back into the home during the winter months.

The name of the product is Dryernet and basically recycles the hot air coming out of your dryer ( I wonder if it could be used in Congress) and puts it to use to reheat your home. It also filters out 99.5% of all contaminants including smell. With the extra heat added to the home, the furnace doesn’t have to work as much, the moisture added to the environment gets rid of static electricity and in many cases, this filter shortens the time required to dry the clothes. So, this little filter saves energy for the furnace, saves electricity from the dryer and makes the home environment much better to live in.

Pretty innovative for a little filter that takes no time to install and takes up no more space than what you have right now and will save you money on your electric bill. The product website shows that people are saving 20-30 dollars a month using Dryernet, that being true than the product can pretty much pay for itself in a month or two. Definitely worth talking a look.

Check it out>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> at Dryernet.com and pass it on, it’s always nice to see small companies sprout up from Green Innovations.

bibi

Comments (4)

June 30th BloggersUnite for The Gulf & Save Our Planet

Join the Effort

What can we do to help, to lend a hand in the clean up effort?

There are many things that people can do to help, even if we are not there:

Planning a Vacation?

• Go to the states affected and spend your money there. The local economies will be needing help for months and maybe years to come. Make these beautiful areas part of your plans for future vacations.
  • Louisiana
  • Alabama
  • Mississippi
  • Florida

Have the Time and the Money? Volunteer!

• Many of us have the money and the time to go and volunteer, make it your mission: Don’t know where to start? Start Here:
  • Serve.gov
    
  • SeaBirdSanctuary.com
  • SaveOurBirds.org
  • Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota
  • Gulf of Mexico’s Foundation
  • National Wildlife Federation
  • Volunteer Louisiana - http://www.volunteerlouisiana.gov/ 800.755.5175
  • Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service - http://www.mcvs.org
  • Volunteer Florida - http://www.volunteerflorida.org/
  • 211 Connects Alabama - http://211connectsalabama.org 866.869.4921

Have the money but not the time?

Check out Larry King’s “DISASTER IN THE GULF: How You Can Help,” Telethon.

“Disaster in the Gulf: How You Can Help” is aimed at raising funds for the United Way, National Wildlife Federation and The Nature Conservancy. The telethon will air Monday June 21, 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern.

Guests include Justin Bieber, Deepak Chopra, Cameron Diaz, Philippe Cousteau, Ted Danson, Kathy Griffin, Chelsea Handler, Randy Jackson, Kerry Kennedy, Lenny Kravitz, Jenny McCarthy, Tim McGraw, Alyssa Milano, Aaron Neville, Edward James Olmos, Victoria Principal, Robert Redford, Gloria Reuben, Tyson Ritter, Richard Simmons, Ian Somerhalder, Sam Trammell,Melania and Ivanka Trump, Pete Wentz, with a special performance by Sting.

Let your representatives how you feel:

• Sign the Petition

• United States House of Representatives

• United States Senate

• Other Event Links:
  • America’s Oil Addiction: End It, Sign the Petition
    Become a Florida Coast Watch Volunteer
    BP Buys Top Google Results for Oil Spill
    Gulf Spill: How You Can Help
    Media Blackout and Possible Martial Law
    Mobile, AL: Looking for Volunteers to Clean Up Oil
    Tell the EPA : Take Away BP’s Billion in Federal Contracts
    Tonic’s Complete List of Volunteer Opportunities
    Understanding Oil Spills and Oil Spill Response
    Volunteer to Help BP With Clean Up

bibi

Comments (2)

Earth Day is here again, and it’s a great reminder to remember that animals are not throwaways. For what ever reason that dogs, cats and many other kinds of animals end up in shelters, they deserve a second chance at a being loved at a forever home.

Overpopulation is the number 1 cause of death in domesticated animals. Number 1 reason for overpopulation, Puppy Mills and Kitty Mills and Backyard Breeders who think they are going to get rich off over breeding their pets.

Do the right thing for Mother Earth let’s get a handle on the overpopulation of cats and dogs.

Nationwide Ban on Puppy and Kitty Mills

Urge our representatives to start a National Campaign to “BAN” PUPPY MILLS ,KITTY MILLS and the Licensing of Backyard Breeders. A national ban is the only thing that makes sense and would really make a dent in the overpopulation. It is not enough to regulate at the state level, as that has shown not to work.  Most states have no regulations against animal cruelty and don’t have the resources to enforce the regulations that are there.

Contact your State Reps and Senators and tell them you want Puppy Mills and Kitty Mills Banned Nationwide:

House of Representative

Senate

Spay or Neuter your Pet

If you already have a pet, make sure that they are spayed or neutered, so that they don’t contribute to the overpopulation of pets.

These services are available at your vet office or at the local animal shelter.

Here is a good source for affordable spay/neuter services.

SpayUsa.org

Adopt Don’t Buy

#3 If you are in the market for a pet make sure to visit your local animal shelter to find your loving petmate and give them their forever home.

Here are a few resources to find your Soul Pet:

Petfinder.com

ASPCA.org

AdoptAPet.com

bibi

Post a Comment

ClimateCounts.org provides tools and information that help us make more informed decisions about the companies we wish to do business with. They put out a free Climate Count iPhone App that scores some of the worlds largest companies in 17 business sectors so that we can see how well or not so well they are doing in their responsibility to take corporate climate action. Check it out!

You can download it free at iTunes

bibi

Comments (1)

This video brought to you by Zaproot.com has some a great resources to save you money and help mother earth with these Green Apps for your iPhone. Check it out!

bibi

Comments (2)

It’s earth Hour today. Everyone around the world will be turning off their lights at 8:30 local time, making a stand against climate change. Join us!

bibi

Post a Comment

The Miles Per Gallon race is on and where it stops nobody knows. It’s hard to believe it but not too long ago the argument against Green Cars was that the technology wasn’t there. Well, all of a sudden there it is. A hybrid car that can do 230 m.p.g. and other companies already saying that they have a their own model that can beat the Chevy Volt.

I guess necessity is the mother of invention. Faced with a bankrupt industry and an unwavering consumer the car companies seem to be letting go of the umbilical cord that has held them tied to the oil companies for what seems like forever.

In no time at all, the auto industry has gone from the most fuel efficient  car on the market, the Toyota Prius that does 50 mpg and 493 miles per tank, to a Hybrid, the Chevy Volt, that can do 230 mpg (city), would cost 2c per mile compared to 12c per mile on gas only, and would not use a drop of fuel in the first 40 miles.”It will use a lithium-ion battery with a gasoline-powered, range-extending engine that drives a generator to provide electric power when you drive beyond the 40-mile battery range.” (chevrolet.com)

Not to be outdone, Nissan has come out with their gloves on claiming the top dog position with their own Mega Fuel Efficient model. The Nissan Leaf 100% electric/ Zero Emissions claims that it would be rated at 367 mpg.

Whatever prompted the auto industry to take that leap in technology is most welcome. The important thing is that the leap has taken place and healthy competition has started that can only end in something good for the environment and the consumer.

bibi

Comments (3)

There are many things we can do to make Pet ownership more environmentally friendly, including Recycling Pets.

Start by Adopting your Pet from a Local Shelter:

It’s sort of like “recycling a pet” instead of buying a one from a Pet Store. The doggy in the window trick is no longer so cute, when you know where these dogs are coming from. Puppy mills are the biggest suppliers of Dogs in Pet Shops, they are a big part of the overpopulation problem in the U.S., they are notorious for maintaining these dogs in inhumane and squalid conditions. But as long as we the consumer keep purchasing these dogs from the Pet stores then the puppy mills will continue to exist.  Pets are such a source of joy and happiness for us, let’s recycle the love and help shut down the Puppy Mills and adopt a pet at the local shelter. Here are some resources that can help you find your local shelters.

• Adopt-A-Pet
• Pet Finder
• ASPCA
• Humane Society
• The Animal Rescue Site

• Spay and Neuter your Pet: Help the fight against the Overpopulation of Pets

  You may not have thought about it before but overpopulation of pets also has an impact on the environment. Overpopulation can harm the local wildlife, deposit waste and garbage into the local eco-system. Once you have adopted a pet, make sure you have them spayed or neutered. This will help keep the overpopulation of pets in check. According to the Humane Society 6-8 million pets enter the shelters every year out those half or 3-4 million get euthanized.

  • Do the Numbers:

    • Average number of litters a fertile cat can produce in one year: 3
    • Average number of kittens in a feline litter: 4-6
    • Average number of litters a fertile dog can produce in one year: 2
    • Average number of puppies in a canine litter: 6-1

  • Resources for Having Your Pet Spayed or Neutered:

    • Your Local Animal Shelter
      • Adopt-A-Pet
      • Pet Finder
    • www.spayusa.org. A national spay/neuter referral network that may be able to direct you to subsidized spay/neuter clinics in your area
    • Pets 911: Is an online database that can provide you with information on veterinarians, special clinics, and other spay/neuter resources in your area.
    • Your Veterinarian.

• Organics for your Pet:

  Since the Pet food Scare of last year many people have gone to Certified Organic Pet Food, which contains no hormones, pesticides, artificial ingredients, or antibiotics. It can run a little more expensive but, aren’t they worth it?

  • Here are some tips from the Humane Society on what to look for when choosing pet food.
  • Buy Green Savvy: Has Organic Pet Products

• A Tail of Two Poopers:

  The problem of pet waste is ignored as being a non-issue by most people. Out of 75 million dogs, about 40% of their owners don’t clean up after their pets. People don’t realize that more than just being a nuisance if you step in it, it is also an environmental hazard. Pet waste left untouched can pollute ground water, rivers and streams, and it can also spread diseases to the other species.

  • What can you do? Scoop the Poop of course.

    • If outside the home pick up your pet’s waste, preferably with a biodegradeable bag that you can flush?
    • And if it is within the confines of your yard you can start a composting bin, yep you heard right Doggy Waste Composting. Here is a guide from the Dept of Agriculture on How to Start a Doggy Waste Composting Bin.

Hope these tips help all of us all become more conscientious pet owners.

bibi

Comments (14)

Starting  a Green Revolution in our own back yard is probably the simplest and best thing we can do to make an impact on our immediate environment. We all talk about going back to nature and what we can do to reduce our carbon foot print and the impact we have on mother nature. What we don’t realize is that we don’t have to go all out and do grandiose things in order to make a difference. Every little bit counts and if each of us does a little bit, together it is a grandiose thing.

Many of us probably never heard of “Victory Gardens, which were also called war gardens or food gardens for defense, were vegetable, fruit and herb gardens planted at private residences in United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Germany^[1] during World War I and World War II to reduce the pressure on the public food supply brought on by the war effort. In addition to indirectly aiding the war effort these gardens were also considered a civil “morale booster” — in that gardeners could feel empowered by their contribution of labor and rewarded by the produce grown. Making victory gardens became a part of daily life on the home front.” (Wikipedia)

We don’t have to wait to be at war to start a garden, although we are. We can make a positive impact by growing our own food. All we need is a little patch of dirt, some water, some sun and some seeds. Homegrown food tastes better, has more nutrition, puts less pesticides into the land and water system, and is less expensive than buying “Organic Food”. I can;t think of a better way to make and impact on your environment and save money at the same time.

Now you may say, well I don’t have a patch of dirt, I live in an apartment. And I say  find a community garden you can be part of, start one if there isn’t one. Share a patch of dirt with a neighbor, make it a social event. Start a container garden. Where there is a will, there is a way.

With all the innovations these days like the “Topsy Turby Hanging Tomato Planter” you don’t even need a patch of dirt. It grows tomatoes from a hanging planter, now it can’t get easier than that.

But if you do have a patch of dirt all you need to get started with your Victory Garden is a shovel, some water 4-6 hours of Sun and a $3 packet of seeds. Start small and if you find your green thumb then stretch out as far as is manageable for you.

• Start a compost bin, keep it going through the year for natural fertilizer.
• Dig out a 4×4 patch of land
• Amend the soil as needed for your area, ask your local home store for recommendations.
• Plant your seeds, you might want to start the seeds indoors then transfer the seedlings.
• Water
• Get a lawn chair and wait…
• Invite your friends over and enjoy the harvest

Here are some great Organic growing resources:

• Zone Map and other goodies Avant Gardening
• Organic Gardening
• Natural Pest Control
• Composting

bibi

Comments (5)

If you’re thinking about ways to make your own power and getting off the grid even partially, you have several readily accessible options for which the Government is willing to give you a tax credit of 30% of your cost. Making your own Power does not mean that you have to generate “all” the power for your home, there are options for every taste and pocketbook.

1. Photovoltaic  Systems
2. Residential Small Wind Turbines
3. Solar Water Heating
4. Geo Thermal Heat Pump

SOLAR Power Systems: Going Solar used to bring to mind expensive and cumbersome equipment, that would make it feasible only for those with deep pockets and dedicated environmentalists. But as time has passed Solar Power has become more and more affordable and less and less intrusive.

• Photovoltaic Systems: solar electric or photovoltaic technology uses the sun’s energy to make electricity for the whole home and possible more that you can sell back to your Local Energy Company. In essence you become your own utility company. Solar Modules are an investment and add immediate and long-term value to your home.

• Solar Water Heating: can cut your water heating bills in half. Solar water heaters come in a variety of designs, all including a collector and storage tank, and all using the sun’s thermal energy to heat water. A recent study done on Solar Water Heating systems shows that it has a payback period of just two years.
  • Type of collectors and the circulation system.
    • Batch collectors
    • Flat-plate collectors
    • Evacuated tube collectors
    • Direct systems
    • Closed-loop, or indirect
    • Active, or forced-circulation
    • Passive systems
  • DIY Solar Projects

Residential Small Wind Turbines:

• A wind turbine system, is installed on top of a tall tower, collects kinetic energy from the wind and converts it to electricity that is compatible with a home’s electrical system. Typically it can lower your electricity bill by 50 to 90 percent.
• DIY Wind Power Projects

Geo Thermal Heat Pump:

• A Geo Thermal Heat Pump uses the earth as either a source of heat in the winter, or as a coolant in the summer. This design takes advantage of moderate temperatures in the shallow ground to boost efficiency and reduce operational costs.

Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credits

Consumers who install solar energy systems (including solar water heating and solar electric systems), small wind systems, geothermal heat pumps, and residential fuel cell and microturbine systems can receive a 30% tax credit for systems placed in service before December 31, 2016; the previous tax credit cap no longer applies. For More Info Energy Department.

If making your own Power is not an option for you right now, you can direct your energy dollars towards renewables by purchasing “green power.” This may be an option through your utility company, check out the EPA’s Green Power Locator.

bibi

Comments (7)

Video Voice calling and saving energy go hand in hand these days. Modern technology helps us Live Green by giving us the ability to work from home. Visiting our friends and family who live far away from us is easier and cheaper to do with video voice calling, while at the same time being kinder to our environment.

If businesses took advantage of video calling to the tune of cutting back  their travel by 20%, that would save 22 million tons of co2 from going into the environment. Not to mention how many millions could be saved by having to spend less on company travel. Money that in this economy could be used to put more people to work.

Video Voice Calling programs are free and easy alternatives to travel and it’s not just for business. It’s the most cost effective way to stay in touch with family, friends and business colleagues. But it is also the next best thing to being there.

Especially in this economy businesses and families that are looking for ways to stretch that dollar should really take a look at Video Voice Calling as a cost saving measure and as part of Greening their lives. Using  technology as eco-friendly economizing tools makes sense.

Skype is my personal favorite because I’ve been using it for years and it works great. I use it for personal purposes to get together with family in Europe and South America. With Skype you can make free calls over the Internet, the whole world can talk for free.

Here is a list of some of the Video Voice calling Programs out there:

AOL Instant Messenger

Brosix

X-Lite

Ekiga

Google Talk

KPhone

Linphone

Minisip

OctroTalk

OfficeSIP Messenger

QuteCom

SightSpeed

Skype

QuteCom

Tokbox

Yahoo! Messenger

bibi

Comments (2)

Green Shopping can be fun and  eBay is a great source of Eco-Friendly products. Whether you are looking for a gift for your environmentally conscious friend or just something for around the house.

By using Vintage or Used products you are giving those products a new lease on life and at the same time reducing the use of new raw materials and the energy needed to produce them.

Look for items made from recycled, organic or sustainable materials like hemp, soy or bamboo. If you are feeling adventurous look for items that artists have given a second life to, like bags made from candy wrappers or soda can pop tops.

Don’t forget to look for items that can help us reduce our use of resources like solar powered phone chargers, or hybrid energy efficient computers.

Don’t overlook refurbished electronics, if you are not a slave to the “latest” fashion in electronics, you can often find great deals in refurbished electronic and at the same time keeping those materials out of the landfill.

bibi

Comments (4)

Raising Cattle is becoming a Green Business. Ranchers are adapting greener measures to leave less of a footprint while conserving water, protecting endangered species of animals, plants and the land from overgrazing. Check it out…

bibi

Post a Comment