Understanding Wooden Windows, Plastic Windows And Their Ecological Importance
August 31, 2010 | Leave a Comment
When it comes to the global environment today, there is one all important question many home owners need an answer to: Wooden windows or plastic windows which one is better for the environment? The reason this question is important is that, as the world’s population increases, the need for housing of all types is also increasing. This means more and more of just about everything that has to do with housing, including windows — which can be made of wood and plastic, by the way.
Anybody considering going with one type of window (frame, usually, because the glass used in either is pretty much the same) over another should consider how each window is made, first of all. Wooden window frames, depending on the kind of wood and their design, can be fairly simple and eco-friendly, as long as certain chemicals aren’t used in the manufacturing process.
Plastics of all types, whether used in window frames or the casings that go around modern-day flat panel LCD TVs, is made using a number of potentially-harmful chemical processes. It also tends not to be biodegradable in any appreciable fashion. Once made, they just don’t break down over any amount of time that can be appreciated by humans. Sometimes, they can take thousands of years before they begin to degrade, in fact.
Wooden windows, on the other hand — especially when they’re made from organically-grown and then processed wood — can be significantly less burdensome to the environment. The cost of making a wooden window in an eco-friendly manner can be higher when compared to the cost of manufacturing a plastic window, but the benefit to the environment can be quite significant. The use of natural lacquers and preservative shellacs also helps to make wood attractive.
In order to arrive, then, at a definitive answer when it comes to plastic versus wood is in just how the windows will be disposed of or reused. Wooden windows, when manufactured in an environmentally-aware fashion, place less of a burden on the environment as long as they’re created in a kind of “organic” manner. Plastics can place a high burden on the environment because they never degrade and because the chemicals used in them can be highly toxic.
So, then; the question at hand (wooden windows or plastic windows which one is better for the environment?) would seem to be easy enough to answer. At present, there’s really no way to make plastics nearly as safe for the environment as wood can be, especially when natural processes are used to cull, cut, shape and then join the woods used for the frame. It would seem, then, that wooden windows are better for the environment, generally speaking.
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Facing The Global Warming Phenomenon
August 12, 2010 | Leave a Comment
As global warming becomes more and more apparent, the cost of living is still at an increase. With global warming becoming an ever growing problem, many houses are beginning to go green.
As a result of the changing temperatures, we have been forced to use up more energy just to keep up with the changes. The use of more energy raises the cost of living for us all which can cause more problems. However, living green has solutions for these problems.
It is difficult for us to save on our energy with the constant rise of the cost of resources. However, there is still the option of using solar power which can lower the expense of living significantly. I am confident that more people would begin to use solar power if it was readily available for use.
If we can find people to research other green ideas, we can find a way to make solar power more affordable and usable.
Often times construction companies will use solar panels as a resource for energy on their job sites to save time and money. Laying power lines to access power throughout the site and be timely and costly. Using the energy that is already there makes much more sense.
One idea is to try calling the Construction Company and see if they would be willing to sell you the used solar panels when they have finished using them.
Most construction companies will be willing to give you the used solar panels since they have to get rid of them at the end of the project anyways. If you are willing to arrange pick up they may be willing to work with you.
The company will often have solar panels that are chipped or cracked and deemed unsafe for use on the work site. However, they are still perfectly safe to use at home for energy. Try hooking them up to a multi-meter to make sure they can still be used.
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Solar Power Kits Reviewed
August 9, 2010 | Leave a Comment
With the rising cost of power in this current economic crisis and the environmental toll it takes on the earth people are starting to look at homemade energy as a real alternative. It makes sense to turn to a more natural, cheaper sustainable source to fulfill our energy needs. What could be more natural than harvesting the energy given of by the sun?.
Residential solar power has been with us for decades now, but the price of installation (often driving up into the thousands of dollars) has been prohibitive for the average householder to consider homemade solar energy as a viable source of energy.
Just recently a few companies have started to put out guides on how to put together DIY solar power kits. These guides, available for around 50 or 60 dollars, lead the user step by step through the process of assembling your own solar panels and solar power system for under $200 in materials.
The guides which are extremely easy to follow have the potential to save you thousands of dollars in installation fees, while reaping the benefits of slashing your power bill by around 40 - 80%!.
Now don’t panic if your not the worlds best handy person, once gathered the materials are very easy to assemble by following the very easy to follow guides and / or videos, it really is a no-brainer and its actually a lot of fun. Get the whole family involved and not only will you raise their awareness about environmental issues whilst having fun building the project, but you will save yourself some money in the process.
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Alternative Energy Solutions Can Save You Money.
July 25, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Energy bills are becoming a problem for many people. As the recession bites and energy costs fluctuate the search for alternative energy solutions has become even more urgent for many. There are now many ways to transform your home and save money on utility bills.
The momentum for changes in energy is also coming from the environmental movement. Climate change and environmental degradation is a concern for many people so organizations, governments and individuals are all trying to bring about change. Individuals are contributing to the fight against global warming by changing their energy use and using sustainable green energy, wind power, and clean supplies.
Before you invest in sustainable energy you will probably want to understand the potential savings. There are no accurate average figures for this as really there are no average households. Many factors change energy consumption and the gains from each technology. Therefore it is a good idea to use an online energy calculator. It will use your information to work out how much you can save by using different types of sustainable energy.
Wind and solar power are the most used forms of renewable energy in homes. The weather is usually the deciding factor when deciding between the two. It is a rare place that has as much sun as wind and so you need to choose the one which will generate the most power.
The photovoltaic cells in solar panels need a lot of sunlight to generate significant amounts of electricity. Therefore they have to be placed in a location where they can take in as much of the light throughout the day as possible. For many years solar power did not represent good value for money to many people as the installation costs were very high. However in recent years the cost has come down a lot and so now the investment may be worth it for you.
The same was true for wind turbines for a long time too. They were expensive to buy and then often did not produce much electricity. In recent years developments in the technology have lead to lower prices and more efficient turbines. You still need to live in a place with strong winds to make the investment pay.
Many people are not aware that it is possible to build both these technologies at home. Except for large turbines you will not need any specialist experience and the knowledge is easily available on the internet. Solar panel can be constructed using products from hardware stores. The process is fairly simple and for an average size panel could be completed in a weekend. If you do not want to build one from scratch the other option is to use a self-assembly kit. Turbines can be a little more complicated as there are more safety considerations. If you are building a large turbine it is advisable to get advice from an expert. However micro turbines are easy to make and install.
Alternative energy solutions are being sought by many people as they try to save money and lower their carbon footprint. The internet is a mine of information you can utilize to start your search.
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How To Invest In The Environment
July 24, 2010 | Leave a Comment
For a very long time, money used for good will was called charity, while money used to earn more money was called investing. That’s not the case anymore.
Today, the two ideas are coming together in a financial avenue called socially responsible investing. And both investors and mutual fund operators are learning that this new idea can be profitable, and do some good for the environment and society at the same time.
“Socially responsible investing means you don’t have to compromise your own personal beliefs to make money on Wall Street… whatever those beliefs are,” states Bob Guthrie, who is an investment broker with A.G. Edwards in Burlington, Vt.
Guthrie says that the idea of selectively choosing stocks for social reasons dates back to the early 1900’s. That’s when church members grouped together and refused to invest in tobacco or alcohol companies. He adds that the trend continued with investors ignoring corporations involved in the Vietnam War and those companies investing in South Africa.
So, yes, growth in this type of investing has ballooned during the past few years as more and more investors have moved social consciousness into the main street of investing. And the impact of this trend is being felt.
With help from stockholders, says Rob Kruger, vice president of portfolio management at Progressive Asset Management, business practices concerning the environment are beginning to change, While the issues may differ, he said companies are realizing they will suffer the consequences if they aren’t viewed as being socially responsible.
“As this investing community continues to grow, a lot of proposals are being put forth by investors at annual shareholder meetings,” Kruger said. “A whole range of issues and activities is now being addressed.”
As part of its operation, Progressive Asset Management conducts research for socially responsible and eco-friendly mutual funds. The firm screens companies for environmental problems or nuclear involvement… whatever social issues their clients want investigated.
“As the clock ticks, companies are becoming more and more cooperative with us,” Kruger said. “A lot of them are now very anxious to talk about these social and environmental issues.”
Guthrie agrees that business practices are changing and says American companies are aware of shareholders who are concerned with the environment.
“Make sure your hard-earned capital is not invested in companies with little concern for the environment,” he advises. “Keep these things in mind when you invest and corporations will, too.
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The Great Lakes And Global Warming Will Result In Drastic Environmental Changes
June 30, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Climate change is a hot button issue, but even without playing a blame game, there is weight to the data that has been collected. The Earth will warm as it has in the past, but the repercussions will be far reaching. Within North America, the Great Lakes and global warming will interact in a way that could change the region vastly.
This area is already dealing with the deleterious affects of invasive species, and something like climate change will only act like fuel to a fire. Twenty percent of the world’s fresh water comes from the Great Lakes, it is a major source of this finite resource and any depletion will have massive and widespread repercussions.
Spending time talking about how important the Great Lakes are cannot be cast aside. Drinking water, as important and essential it is, is not the only thing the lakes provide. The region gives a huge amount of hydroelectric power to surrounding areas and is a main waterway for shipping routes. In terms of nature, it is a hub for a number of plant and animal species.
All is not right in the great lakes region, however, as it has been subject to urban development over the past hundred years. This construction and urbanization has led to air and water pollution as well as habitat destruction due to the building up of cities along its shores. All of these issues make something as simple as increased temperatures potentially devastating.
At this point there is still a thin layer of ice that builds up along the lakes at certain times of the year, but with increased temperature the ice will disappear. When the ice leaves, the lakes will evaporate at a higher rate and bring down the water levels.
As recently as last year, the lake level of Lake Superior was at its lowest in seventy seven years and predictions for the future are estimating another three foot decrease. The effects of low water levels include restrictions to shipping and a concentration of pollutants which will damage the water quality greatly, as well as the industry for travel, leisure, and cruises.
Acting now to restore the Great Lakes region is imperative and already building steam in terms of enacting policy. The reality, however, is that the project will cost billions of dollars and last dozens of years. Antique sewage systems will need to be completely replaced and already polluted sediment will have to be cleaned. Wetland areas will need to be bulked up and restored so as to act as a natural barrier against invasive species.
There are more repercussions from climate change other than decreasing water levels and that includes an increase in the number and ferocity of storms and drought periods. In response to these weather extremes viral transmissions can increase and pollution runoff may be increased. Within the lakes there may be more dead zones, places where there is no oxygen because of algae overgrowth.
What does the future hold? It cannot be known with absolute certainty, but models have provided some statistics. Storms may increase by 25%, but with the temperature increases (ranging between two and four degrees), the water levels can drop up to eight feet!
Making a better tomorrow really does mean being better today. Allowing for proactive measure while being realistic about future effects can mean that humans can restore luster to the Great Lakes region.
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Green Power Options Are The Future Of Energy
June 14, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Our thirst for oil and other fossil fuels has brought us to the point where we are doing irreversible harm to our planet. We are also quickly realizing that we are running out of these non renewable resources. As the global economy continues to grow, a world fueled by green power is not far off.
Once thought of as silly hobbies by eco-maniacs, green power has been embraced the world over as the future of energy. From wind turbines that generate electricity to bio fuels and electric cars, our entire way of life and how we power it will soon change forever.
Certain green ideas are good, and others are seriously pretty stupid. As more and more research dollars flow and people invest in developing alternative sources of energy, some things show real promise to satisfy our thirst for power.
One of the most cost effective ways of producing electricity is through the creation of wind farms. Windmills have been sources of power for hundreds of years, but only recently have they been seen as a reliable and stable source of power. Only three percent of the world’s power is supplied by wind turbines, but that number is growing exponentially as people discover how green this power source really is.
As long as there is wind, they can generate a lot of electricity. They are relatively inexpensive to build and require very little maintenance once in operation. Wind turbines have very low emissions and they can provide a steady source of clean energy for a long period of time.
Turbines have also been adapted to work underwater as well. Capturing energy from moving currents, waves and tides, engineers have been able to design turbines to generate electricity without producing any emissions in the process. Unfortunately, the water turbines need a lot of maintenance, and wind generates more energy than current technology allows water to.
Solar power is getting popular again, and on large scale projects as well. The western United States has quite of large solar farms which are making electricity every time the sun shines. Solar power has tremendous potential as a renewable energy source, however they are not cheap to build and maintain. Until these costs go down, it is not practical to use it as a source for our power needs.
Coal and natural gas are both huge sources of energy, but they are in limited supply. An alternative to natural gas is methane, which is found in landfills as well as in pockets under the oceans all over the world. Clean burning and efficient, methane is showing great promise, but the technology is not available yet to harvest this resource.
Green power has exploded into the world stage in the recent past, and it will continue to become more and more integrated into our power hungry lives. More research will reveal how these technologies can be adapted to satisfy our ever increasing hunger for power.
Cheryl Kearns is an internet marketer and author. Her work revolves around eco friendly issues and green technology. You can visit her site at environment
Global Warming? Easy Tips for Reducing Your Carbon Footprint
May 15, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Global warming is a prevalent issue in the world right now, not only because of its impact, but because the viewpoints on the issue are so varied from one individual to the next. Some people believe that this is an important issue that needs resolution, while others feel that the earth is experiencing natural climate cycles. I know where my personal stance is, but also firmly believe that regardless of our opinion on the issue, there are things that we can do to reduce our energy expenditures and make the world a greener place.
I think the focus on cleaning things up is a good, a positive. You could drive yourself crazy trying to have zero carbon footprint but there are some things we can do that are simple - and free of cost!
Much of our daily life is surrounded by technological advances that make aspects of life easier. Think about the napkin. A simple, mass produced paper product single-handedly made take-away food much, much easier. But now we realize how much wood is required to make our throw away face wiping products. At our home, we have gone back to tea towels. We throw them in with laundry the we would be doing anyway and we’re reusing towel. As a special bonus, cloth is so much nicer on my baby fresh face!
Buy and consume more local foods, of the natural and/or organic variety. I have seen some people recoil at this idea, who think that organic food is reserved for dreadlocked hippies with names like Sunflower and River Raven who walk around barefoot and boycott both razors and bathing. But here is the good news for anyone who may question this “local food” movement: Research has shown that natural and organic foods are better both for the environment and for your personal health. So even if you couldn’t care less about global warming, make the switch for selfish reasons. You will be supporting your local businesses, and enjoying this newfound concept called FLAVOR. So whether you are a leaf-eating vegetarian or a sworn carnivore, you will enjoy both the taste and the health benefits of natural and organic foods.
Ditch the plastic water bottles. I know - they’re SO convenient. But there are new studies on the adverse effects of BPAs (bad chemicals that leach out emitted from certain plastics). Nalgene is now making BPA free bottles. There are also metal bottles, often completely recyclable. Glass bottles are making a surge, too. You can check out at LoveBottleDOTnet. If you get a decent filtration system at home, Brita and PUR are two that are out there. You can use tap water with an added filter. In fact, new studies claim that tap water is often better for you than bottled water because municipal water districts are governed by the EPA ( and have to test many times daily) while water bottle companies are governed by the FDA ( and are only required to test once a week). So, the long and the short of it is that tap water is better! Crazy.
Try to reduce or recycle your packaging in any way that you can. While I love liquid laundry detergent, I am switching to powdered so that I can recycle the cardboard box (and my tea towels are just as clean!) Easy, right? If I am going to the store and only purchasing one or two items, you probably won’t see my walk out with a bag. Do I really need extra packaging for the half-gallon of milk I just bought? I’ll also skip the bag when it comes to certain produce items, like potatoes and cucumbers.
Sometimes we need to find a little motivation and for this particular tip, my wallet is my motivation. I switched all the light bulbs in the house to the little twisting CFLs, as they burn far cooler than traditional bulbs. For 60 watts of light, I was using 13-watt bulbs! Another great way to save electricity (great financial motivation for me!) is to plug your televisions, dvd players and lights into power strips. Most appliances, including your cell phone charger, will draw power even when they are “not” in use. This is supposed to make them start faster. Well, I did install the strips, and I cut my bill in 1/2!!
Another simple and quick daily tip is to get a Facebook account (for FREE) and install the “lil Green Patch” application. You get an online garden, pick as many friends as the program allows and send them an online plant for their online garden. For every ten friends you send a cute little flower to, you save one square foot of rain forest (the real kind, not the virtual kind). It’s easy, and the plants are cute!
And for you car aficionados out there, you will be pleased to learn that, according to the ACEEE, the greenest car in the United States, for the 6th straight year in a row, is the Honda Civic.
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Sometimes doing good for goodness sake is rewarding. I hope the tips and ideas here are easy and worthy of your consideration.
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It Is Simple To Reduce Your Carbon Foot Print With Sash Window Draught Proofing
May 4, 2010 | Leave a Comment
If you live in an older house with sash windows it’s sort of a mixed blessing. The windows may be beautiful and since they have been around for decades (or centuries) they are no doubt steeped in tradition and character. But they are also old and have probably lost some of their efficiency and functionality. With new advancements, however, it’s become amazingly easy to reduce your carbon foot print with sash window draught proofing.
Most every homeowner has received at least a few advertisements in the post trying to interest them in replacement windows. They will tell you all about the great new hi-tech windows now on the market. Their hope is that you will be convinced to replace your old windows with their new low-E, gas-filled, thermal-paned plastic-framed models.
The best advice regarding older windows is to repair whenever possible and to replace only if absolutely necessary. Old windows are almost always worth saving and, with proper restoration, can be made to look and operate as they were designed to. And new, modern windows do not really look good on an older house.
Old windows were built to last as long as the house they were installed on and the house is still there, right? But old windows get tired and worn out and need to be maintained (just like us!). Most people who live in really old houses have NEVER seen their windows work properly, as they were meant to. But that can be fixed.
It could be something as simple as scraping away a few dozen coats of paint. More likely the sash cords need to be replaced or the counter-weights are out of balance. The single most beneficial thing you can do for your windows, however, is to draught-proof them.
You can significantly reduce your carbon foot print with sash window draught proofing. Properly insulating the unit using today’s advanced methods will not only stop the draughts but will protect the home against losing heat in the colder months. It will also provide a more efficient sound barrier, keep out dust and keep the glass panes from rattling. Window restoration is a great idea.
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Sash Window Replacement Plastic Or Wood? Which Is Cleaner For The Earth?
May 2, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Sash windows have been used in houses for many years. In fact, they have been used for over 300 years. If you own a house in which you need to replace the windows, which should you choose? For sash window replacement, plastic or wood is your most important decision. In order to care for the environment, you should consider each option carefully.
If all or some of your sash windows need to be replaced, then you may have some reservations or problems with choosing between wood and plastic replacements. Environmentalists now believe that wood is a much better option to choose for a number of reasons.
But the problem is that wood windows can be more expensive than plastic. It may also be in people’s minds that using wood products is a needless drain on resources in which trees need to be chopped down, whereas plastic windows are made from petroleum products. Other aspects of uPVC are attractive, such as their insulation properties, they are easier to clean, and may be seen to be easier to replace. Also, plastic windows can be locked so people think that they are more secure than wood.
It is known however, that many of these assertions do not live up to the evidence. Wood may be expensive, but good quality plastic windows which are moulded to look like wood can be just as much. The wood windows may pay for themselves in a matter of years because there may be lower maintenance costs involved.
Plastic uses up our valuable oil reserves to make. Wood can be taken from sustainable sources. Plastics must also be disposed of in a way which will not harm the environment, whereas wood will break down more easily.
It is very difficult to decide which is better for the environment. With new products being developed all the time, it is possible that an environmentally friendly plastic is produced from recycled materials, but until then, wood is far better.
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