recycle garden hoses

recycle garden hoses
recycle garden hoses

Always looking for a “bargain”, I made the mistake of buying a very cheap garden hose and it was a shocker. If it was even a mildly warm day, the plastic would soften to the point that it would kink terribly, making it pretty much useless. I was left with this big lump of plastic that I couldn’t recycle.

As reuse is the second of the Green 3 R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle), rather to send it to landfill, I’ve started using it for a few alternative applications around the place.

Here’s some ideas for repurposing a garden hose.

– Use sections as beading to cover sharp surfaces. For example, the frame of my shed is partially made with “top hat” style steel, which has quite an edge.

– Following along the same lines, a length of hose can also be used to cover the teeth of a hand saw

– Use as a grommet for passing electrical cable through a sheet metal surface to help protect the wire

– As padding for wire bucket handles

– By sealing off one end and making a series of very small holes in the hose, you can turn a standard garden hose into a soaker hose

– If you have trees staked, run a section of hose over the rope/string/whatever to protect the trunk of the tree

– Cut up into smaller sections for emergency siphoning or as a funnel extension

If you’re a creative person, old hoses can be used as a form of wicker; to make chairs, baskets and more.

Final tip: if possible, spend the extra cash and buy yourself a good quality garden hose. I’m told, generally speaking, synthetic rubber hoses will outlast hoses with made with other forms of plastic and the more layers of ply, the longer a hose will last and be less likely to kink and tangle. A good hose will have a layer of mesh, real mesh, not just a pattern, to give it additional strength,

By investing a little more in a good hose, you’ll not only reduce your environmental impact, but save money over the longer term in continuously replacing the cheap rubbish. Additionally, to reduce your hose purchase impact even further, look for hoses that are made with recycled content.

Why Do We Need Solar Energy?

People charged with governance of providing energy nowadays still do not see the benefit of solar energy over other conventional methods of supplying power. Solar energy is a renewable energy source fuelled by the radiating sunlight from the Sun. There are several strong reasons to support why solar energy would top other conventional or renewable energy sources.

Renewable energy means having a perpetual source without the reliance on raw materials as fuel for power. With assistance from the Sun, solar energy possesses tremendous potential as a future alternative of providing power and there are strong reasons to suggest it might edge out its current energy providing counterparts. With coal and gas, there is a reliance on raw reserves to generate energy and these resources will eventually run dry. Nuclear fission places a great deal of risk on the environment and its inhabitants with a potentially fatal cocktail of radioactive radiation from its residues.

When performing a cost benefit analysis, solar energy also edges out other renewable energy sources. Hydroelectricity requires construction of a dam which would inundate large areas of natural habitat, potentially destroying the ecosystem. Wind energy is not reliable as wind is only generated when a cold front comes into contact with a warm current front, and predicting wind currents is a lot more complicated than relying on the Sun for power. With solar panels, the only requirement is to place them directly under the sunlight.

A very good argument supporting the cause for solar energy would be regarding conserving the environment. Global climate change is now a major concern for every inhabitant on this planet, and everyone must play their part to help conserve the environment. By choosing solar as a renewable source of energy, environmental threats can be greatly reduced. Solar energy does not emit pollution into the environment as compared to coal and gas power. Chlorofluoro carbon emissions which destroy the ozone can also be greatly reduced, thus indirectly minimizing the threat of a greenhouse effect. Although it might be too late to revert climate changes, but at least all these benefits lend a helping hand in subsiding the threat. A reasonable person would definitely opt for solar power knowing the benefit it provides for themselves and also the conservation of the environment.

Solar energy with its renewable attribute is fast gaining acceptance throughout countries all over the world. Governments are now opting for solar as their preferred choice of power source. Deserts with their barren landscape and glaring heat are perfect locations and are fully utilised for solar farms. Individual households are also installing solar panels to create their own personal power station. Agencies across the globe are now promoting the benefits of solar power to households for generating their own electricity with the help of the Sun. With the climate and environment at knife point, it also would be wise to educate the younger generations of using environmental friendly means of generating power rather than rely on scarce and sometimes dangerous resources as an energy source.

We can help save the environment and trim our electricity bills by starting to live off the grid with the use solar power as our preferred energy source.

Green Energy: Electricity From Wind

Oooh, I want one so bad!! A windmill, or wind turbine, that is. And not just any turbine, I want a vertical axis wind turbine. I want to generate green energy, or electricity, from wind.

After we installed a solar array to generate about 7.5kW/day I got to thinking that we were missing some valuable energy production time by not having a wind turbine. A that time the guy who installed the photo voltaic array told us we weren’t good candidates for wind energy. Huh? It seems to me the wind blows all the time here. How could we not be good candidates?

His reply was that the wind we get is erratic, going from nothing to 14mph, down to 5mph and up to 35 mph. Traditional turbines need higher wind speeds to efficiently generate electricity, and don’t deal well with gusts and wind shears like we tend to get around here.

In my heart I knew there had to be a better way. The west was tamed with the help of windmills. How, in the age of improved technology, couldn’t there be a better deal than there was over 100 years ago?

Turns out there is. I first saw and appreciated the brilliance of a vertical axis turbine at a greening of the hotel industry meeting several years ago. An architect was sharing his energy-conserving design for a building he had just built. Not only did he employ a green wall on the south side of the structure to create shade for the building, a very cool concept — if you’ll excuse the pun, but also he had a wind turbine.

The way he placed the wind turbine was part of the cleverness of the arrangement. He had turbines placed at the corners of the buildings in what looked like stairwells, sticking above the roof line. The “stair well” housing the turbine was open on the roof side so that not only did the turbine catch blowing wind, but also wind “bouncing” off the roof. How cool is that?! Very.

I came right home and tried researching a vertical axis wind turbine so I could sell My Bigger Half on getting one for his office space. It was challenging to find enough information to share with him on the subject, much less to get him excited about it. I found a short video clip (linked below) of Jay Leno installing one on his garage warehouse in Burbank, and one or two manufacturers, and a few DIY models, but that was about it.

But today there is lots of information. Yaahooo! Now there are several videos of different vertical axis wind turbines, lots of manufacturers, and various wiki entries about them.

Here are a few of the ideas that appeal to me.

  • The Gale Wind Turbine
  • The Helix Wind Turbine
  • The Windspire Wind Turbine

The past few days I so wish we had wind energy going at the house, it’s been too windy for anything but generating electricity! I bet we could avoid paying any electric bill if we hand a wind turbine at My Bigger Half’s office. One day we’ll have one and I’ll be so happy about it.

Wind energy sure beats oil spills!

What Environmental Monitoring Services Can Do for Us

The earthquake that hit Japan and the tsunami that was its aftermath showed the whole world just how wrathful nature can be. No matter how prepared a country is, natural calamities such as that come without warning so there really is no one to blame. We can only do so much. But that doesn’t mean that countries and governments are not doing anything to somehow counter the effects of such distressing catastrophes. On the contrary, governments have environmental monitoring services which monitor the quality of the environment. The main idea behind this is so that a country can prepare environmental impact assessments to study and counteract harmful effects on the natural environment as caused by man or forces of nature.

What is Environmental Monitoring?

Environmental monitoring may refer to computerized sensors that measure the physical parameters of our environment which in turn alerts the proper government organizations of abnormalities that the system might have picked up. That’s one reason why even if a place may suffer from the devastating effects of a natural calamity, its government is able to deploy help and other aids right away. Because somehow, they were alerted that something could happen. If a government is not prepared to handle the effects of a disaster, it will take those years to recover from it. But that’s not the case, right?

Managing the environment is an overwhelming task and it is for this reason that developers have created various systems to make the job easier. These systems pick up thousands upon thousands of data which it classifies and clarifies so they can come up with fool-proof action plans. Among the areas where environmental monitoring is highly efficient are:

• Pollution risk assessment;
• Trends in time and space;
• Anticipatory systems; and
• Environmental quality and management practice.

Also, because the system allows for the study and management of microclimates, it’s now easier to come up with the right tools to undertake environmental research, monitoring, conservation, quality and control of our natural resources.

The Impact of Environmental Monitoring

Are you following the impact which monitoring the environment has on each of us? To make it even simpler, environmental monitoring can be depicted as an inveterate and methodical series of studies which expose to us the true condition of the environment. This is especially important for areas which are in need of further development. Since it is quite gaining ground these days, further enhancements and innovations on environmental monitoring technology are being proposed and debated on. One such improvement is the use of fiber optic cables to form monitoring networks. This development makes it possible for the system to be utilized even in remote places. It won’t take long before this system for managing the environment is implemented on a global scale.

Easy Ways On How To Save Water At Home

save water
save water

Did you know that only 2.5 percent of our planet’s water is fresh water? That means that is the type of water that we use to drink, take a bath, cook our meals, and wash our clothes. And with all our bad habits we are making it all go to waste. Don’t you think it’s about time that we do our fair share and save water at home?

 

It should be an easy thing to start saving water in our own little ways, it is just that through the years we have accumulated a number of water wasting habits. And these are the habits that we need to unlearn if we want to contribute in conserving this very precious and very limited resource.

So here are some of the best tips that I can share to you so you can get started to save water at home.

Take a shower in just 15 minutes or less. In fact you can have a good shower in just about 5 minutes. Showering can sometimes be a great water waster because the water just keeps on coming out of the shower head and a great amount of it would just go straight to the drain. So limit your time in the shower and if possible, minimize the pressure so you are not using as much water as before.

Check on the pipes for any possible leaks. Sometimes the leak can be found buried in cement or underground so by our visual inspection alone may not be enough. Therefore you should make it a point to have a professional plumber do regular check ups on your plumbing system just to be on the safe side.

Install rain water tanks in your home. This is an excellent way of saving rain water that otherwise would have just gone straight to the ground. There are many ways that you can use the water that can be saved in these water tanks such as flushing the toilet or for other general cleaning purposes. Just make sure you are buying from a reputable manufacturer or dealer so you can have a good guarantee that those tanks will last for many years.

Use your washing machine only when it is full. Pile up on your dirty clothes so you can wash them all at once, in effect minimizing your water usage for washing your clothes alone. For most houses this practice can help save about 1,000 gallons of water in a month.

And if you have a driveway or a sidewalk, instead of hosing it down to clean it why not use a broom instead. Think about all the water that you can save and all the exercise that you can get out of this very simple water conservation tip.

So there you have it. These are just a few of the effective tips that you can follow to help you get started to save water at home. You do not have to memorize them all, just be extra mindful with every drop of water that you will be using. It is a step closer to saving our planet.

Loft Insulation: Saving Money and Energy

Everyone wants to save money. But they will not only save the budget, but also the environment. Loft insulation is easy to see that the problem is not unique, which takes place just over the head. In addition to the grants possible through the insulation and CATS HES, it is likely that the work can be done for free.

There are many benefits sufficient loft insulation. In addition to enjoying a comfortable houses and energy efficient, and especially to reduce heating costs because it takes less time to warm in the oven of the house. In addition, to reduce heat, emitting less greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. If the environment is a concern, some of the insulation made from recycled glass and can be used again when removed from the building.

The good news is that Ireland, requests for assistance to the insulation must be approved by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. If you contact the organization described the conditions of home energy savings (HES) to provide insulation.

Housing whose homes were built before 2006 may be granted to Home Energy Conservation Plan is complete, and free or half price. Home energy conservation program to provide scholarships to individuals interested in the house and reduce emissions of greenhouse gas emissions.

CEO of Home Energy Program is responsible for CATS. Founded in 2002, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland manager to educate and assist owners in energy conservation and develop new technologies and standards. These standards are necessary density levels CATS weatherization grants.

Stick with the requirements of agencies in Ireland and the density of the required level of insulation density in addition to other grants. Existing arrangements will be given at least 100 mm, 270 mm, and mineral wool insulation between ceiling joists and 170mm loft insulation to wood. In addition, at least to the depth of 270 mm is recommended.

This saving is due to the separation of dense fibers in the company, he has millions of tiny air pockets. Since the fiber insulation or impede air exits. In addition, the oven works to reduce the time and consume less energy. Since there is a wide range of insulation must be one of the search for a suitable alternative. The standard options are to find rock wool, the board of polyurethane, expanded or extruded polystyrene insulation and fiberglass. Fiberglass, it is the most common choices because of a durable and easy to install.

Condo has a large surface area and the warm air travels upwards, it was there, because of its low density. Subsequently, the level of separation can reduce the density of the energy loss is 50% -100%. In addition, the attic insulation requires little time to install and it’s not dirty, once trained professionals.

Everyone is responsible for the situation on this planet. The next level density requirements CATS and loft insulation to apply for grants, not only improve cash flow, but also the environment.

Solar Lights – The Advantages For Summer Garden Design

Solar lights provide a beautiful enhancement to any existing landscape lighting design. There are a number of different shapes and sizes which can provide the exact type of aesthetic that you are wanting to create. If you entertain guests outdoors of an evening, solar lights are a visually pleasing way of keeping your guests safe and adding a mood to the occasion. They are a cost effective way of illuminating and showcasing your favored parts of the garden.

The most important advantage in choosing solar as opposed to traditional landscape lighting is that solar lights are simple to install. They can be placed wherever you wish without any need for wiring. When you choose solar landscape lights, you won’t need to hire an electrician to complete the installation. The only step that is required is to position them in the location of your choosing so that the sun can provide the charge. As the sun sets, your garden will transform into a glowing haven. Installing solar lights and embracing them in your garden design is as simple as choosing a position to place them.

Another great advantage to using solar lights as opposed to regular electrical lighting is that they are movable. If you choose to accent another part of the garden all you need to do is remove the solar lights from the ground and place them in your desired location. It takes seconds to create a whole different look. If the weather becomes too harsh, you can also bring your lights indoors to preserve their condition. This is not something that you can do with regular electrical landscape lights as they would require rewiring once again. Solar landscape lighting is a fantastic decorator’s choice for tenants of rented properties as they are not a permanent fixture. Installation of solar landscaping lights simply requires that you place the stake in the ground in a position which receives sunlight for 8 hours per day.

Solar power is free so there is no increase in your electricity costs. There are also no adverse affects on your property’s carbon footprint. Solar landscape lights are a great deal cheaper than regular lights and there is no requirement for the extra expenses of wiring, conduits and the cost of an electrician for installation. There is no environmental degradation caused by the use of solar powered lights.

If you are thinking of enhancing your garden with a natural and romantic glow but have been put off by the costs of electrical landscape lighting, you should take a moment to discover the magic that solar illumination can bring to a garden

Energy Efficient Vs Regular Light Bulbs

Have you ever wondered what the real difference between energy efficient and regular light bulbs are? The choice of efficient home lighting systems is a sure way to reduce your domestic energy consumption. The average household commits over 10% of energy consumption to lighting. Advances in bulb design have given potential power savings of 50-75% before better controls and conservation techniques are considered. The incandescent bulb was very cheap and gave instant light when turned on and too many of us had a certain pleasing look to it.

The early commercial versions of CFL’S [compact fluorescent light bulbs] offered much more efficient energy consumption. There are verifiable claims of 70% reductions in power needs but at a cost. The benefit to the environment of CFL’s is therefore apparent when reductions can be made in the demand for electricity. The much publicized downside of these bulbs is their containment of mercury and the disposal of this toxic metal.

The very real threat of pollution to water and air may be overstated but even small bulbs contain several milligrams of this toxic substance.

One of the major benefits of CFL’s is their long life and this has increased from early levels of 6-8 times incandescent to up to 12 times from the latest designs. Major energy savings here in the cardboard boxes required and plastic shell cases that are needed to wrap them for display. For the consumer the lower use of energy can mean savings of up to $30 over the life of a bulb. The CFL’s produce about 75% less heat energy; this is reducing the need for home cooling. They are also claimed to be safer to operate with this reduced heat output particularly in recessed lighting situations.

Dimmers can save considerable amounts of energy when a direct light is not required. Where you have torchiere fittings with halogen lamps there are compact fluorescent torchieres that use less than 30% of their halogen equivalent. The rapid improvement in CFL technology has seen a recent test conducted by Popular Mechanic showing that as well as benefits to the wallet and the environment they can also produce better light. The savings you can make a year in the average household of 45 bulbs are enough to give these bulbs the thumbs up from the energy conscious.$180 plus per year is a significant boost to the household budget.

The latest technology is LED light bulbs used for years in watches and cell phones to display information. This has been a costly option, relying on expensive semiconductor technology and not suited to larger applications. The maximum output is around 35 watts which is scarcely enough for reading but the plus side is the low yearly cost to run. On Balance CFL’s are the light for the immediate future as long as recycling is an option!

Solar Energy For Your Home

Ultimately, you’ve heard about the wonders of solar energy at home, but it all seems a bit daunting. Where to begin? Well, the thing to remember is that you do not need to change the whole house at night. Just take one step at a time and showed the sun gradually.

From start solar panels. Housing, solar panels are not the novelty that most people, but they have only been installed and you can use the roof space to take full advantage of generating the highest percentage of solar energy to home. What few studies find a company that makes the most efficient solar panels, which allows your solar energy system with the ability of high energy. This will give you not only to produce more electricity, but to save the electricity bill.

Large solar house is that if it is installed, the savings will begin immediately. Decrease in their electricity bill, amaze and delight you. And you do not have to worry about solar panels is pinnuks account. Companies can now easily be installed so they are almost the same under the original roof. Their employees are trained to install solar energy professionals and they will help you the best method of maintaining the solar system.

There’s even a wireless display can be repaired in place on the wall, so you have a knowledge of its function, solar energy within reach. And you can buy a solar control services, even if the sun should be a system failure. What this means is simple. This service is designed so that you still have your solar home, the service almost guaranteed to operate the system for optimum performance. The technician can control the system at another location and if there are problems with energy production. So can be improved immediately, saving time and money.

Finally, you can start enjoying the impact of solar home quickly, without costing you an arm and a leg. Just call the installer and select a day or you just enjoy the sun.To sum it up, you can begin benefiting from the effects of solar energy for your home very soon, without it costing you an arm and a leg. Just make the call to the installer you select and within a day or so you will be taking full advantage of the marvel of solar energy.

Earth Friendly Trash Bags and Trash Can Liners

Look around you. It does not matter where you are a good chance that there is trash nearby. Chances are if you stayed on top of your cleaning, they are garbage bin liners for them. Garbage bags are one of the few things that are found almost everywhere.

Even more extreme example, consider the street or construction debris daily. Each house, each apartment along with several bags, which then translate the virtual space mountain barrier bags must be managed every day.

Each year, plastic bags contribute to the rapid deterioration of the environment, but it is not necessary. garbage bags and environmentally friendly bin liners important and effective solution that helps businesses and homes to make a greater impact on the environment, which has less impact on the environment.

Most sandbags environmental and ships tend to be made from 80% recycled plastic and plastic post-consumer recycled 24%. On the other hand, garbage bags standard and lead to a significant amount of waste recycled plastic. If you’ve ever wondered the impact of plastic bags and garbage ships of our world into account.

FACT: The global use of plastic bags is estimated at 5-100000000000 bags per year

FACT: 2700000000 Some plastic bags are used every day

FACT: Approximately 10% of plastic are produced each year ends up in the ocean, plastic bags, and the second largest marine debris (cigarette butts in the second)

FACT: Plastic bags can take more than 20 years apart, complete, and up to 1000 in terms of years of degradation of the poor

FACT: Plastic bags are not biodegradable

FACT: Plastic bags contribute to mortality caused by plastic products each year maritime 1000000

As you see, turn the management of plastic bags and garbage bags recycled plastic to make laws that can have significant impacts on the environment. Given the fact that the bags of recyclables and green waste bins and vessels are readily available and cheap, they are a simple and reliable, which gives everyone the opportunity to get a little greener.

Moreover garbage bags over land and environmental garbage can liners, businesses and households to support the green industry to support the availability of environmentally friendly alternatives to everyday products. Ultimately, it has a greater impact on the environment, help reverse the devastation caused by waste in the past.