July 25th, 2008
Posted by carrie_roll
I came across this article while surfing information and news about the evironment, and found the company they talk about int he article, eSolar, abolutely fascinating!
There’s something comparable to what eSolar does in the movie “Sahara”, but I hadn’t ever seen it explained as clearly as it was in this little video put together by eSolar.
Basically, the idea is to take a bunch of mirrors, move them so that they reflect the sun’s light onto a tower. Inside of the tower is water. That water boils, turns to steam.
That steam moves a turbine which creates electricity and sends it out over power lines.
Pretty cool concept, especially for power companies in areas where they get a lot of sun.
Watch the movie (below) to understand this… it’s explained pretty well there.
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July 24th, 2008
Posted by carrie_roll
Somehow, FOX news seems to be turning global warming into a political debate, rather than just appreciating and understanding that there is an issue. And instead of acknowledging the issue and proposing solutions, they use sensational graphics to sell people on sensationalist ideas, so that they will continue to watch their station and so that they continue to make money from advertisers.
That’s not just our opinion.
But you can watch these videos of FOX News clips (from YouTube) about global warming and make up your own mind about what is actually the truth.
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July 23rd, 2008
Posted by carrie_roll
HGTV Green Home Giveaway: A Green house Dream Home Contest Won By The Lucky Few
HGTV has been running a series capitalizing on the recent “green everything” trend, and called it “Green Home Giveaway.”
If you haven’t seen it, today’s your lucky day!
While GreenJoyment is not in a position to do anything like give away a green house to one of our lucky readers, we ARE in the position to bring, to your email address, awesome green news and fun stuff.
So we’ve aggregated HGTV’s videos of Green Home Giveaway from all over the Internet, and posted them here, in one place, so that you, too, can experience the green home tour, the products, and the lifestyle that are the HGTV Green Home Giveaway!
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July 22nd, 2008
Posted by carrie_roll
This post is just a little gift for Carrie.
Carrie works part-time at a coffee shop, and enjoys working there, for the customers she meets, and it just gives her an opportunity to spend time away from the projects she works on on a day-to-day basis
She’s always working to help the coffee shop save money, and the environment, by doing little things. She does this at the coffee shop as well as at home.
For example, at the beginning of the day, the coffee shop has to take hot water and fill the large canisters that hold the coffee, so that they’re hot when the coffee gets brewed into them (so that the coffee doesn’t cool down when it’s put into these canisters).
She made the suggestion that the coffee shop could both save money, and water, by using this clean, hot water, to fill the sinks at the beginning of the day, instead of just pouring it down the drain. The hot water could then be there to be used for the dishes that accumulate from customers over the first few hours of the morning, when they leave the dishes in the sink anyway (not having a chance to get to the dishes because of the morning rush). This would save two sinkfulls of hot water every day that the coffee shop is open.
This coffee shop is open 360 days/year. There are two sides to the sink. 8 gallons/side of the sink = 16 gallons/day = 5,760 gallons of hot water that didn’t have to get heated, or used, in a year’s time. This would save the coffee shop about $50/year in water cost. I don’t know what it would save the shop in electric cost (for heating the water,) but it’s probably close to $30-$40.
That’s not a lot of money, but for a coffee shop that isn’t a Starbuck’s, but has to compete with Starbuck’s, these small cost-saving measures could make all the difference, particularly in a difficult economy where people try to cut out things like coffee.
Carrie made this suggestion, and has made many others, for little things that can be done to help the coffee shop both save money and help the environment.
Usually, it’s met with comments like “You’re such a Greenie!” and “Treehugger!” (If they mean these as insults, they might be surprised to know she takes them as compliments.)
Anyway, Carrie, this video is for you, and for anyone like you, who works to make changes at their coffee shop, or other place of business.
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July 21st, 2008
Posted by carrie_roll
In this short film strip, model and super cutie Summer Rayne Oakes talks about being conscious regarding the clothing and style choices you make, and how that does make a big difference on the environment globally.
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July 20th, 2008
Posted by carrie_roll
If you are wondering what you can really do to make a difference and lessen your impact on the environment, or at least lower the ways in which you are currently harming the environment, this video, with John Schaeffer from RealGoods, will teach you five simple things you can do to lessen the impact that you, and your family, are having in harming the environment.
These things include:
Using compact flourescent lighting vs incandescent bulbs. Despite the concern over mercury when the bulbs break, compact flourescent light bulbs use 1/4 as much energy as most incandescent bulbs.
Transportation: Change your vehicle to a non-fossil fueled vehicle.
Replace your water heater with an instantaneous water heater
Double-check all the insulation in your house. Check the windows and build a better radiant barrier around your house.
Install a solar hot water heating system. This generally pays for itself in two years or less.
Installing photovoltaic solar panels is the ultimate major thing you can do to help the environment when it comes to your day-to-day living.
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July 19th, 2008
Posted by carrie_roll
In this video from Gaiam, you learn about the beliefs of those living in India and how farming practices has not only been harmful to the health of Indian farmers, but also, chemical cotton farming was a challenge to their religious and spiritual beliefs.
Gaiam shows how they are working to develop sustainable agriculture in India with farmers who enjoy the process of growing cotton organically.
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July 18th, 2008
Posted by carrie_roll
In this video, there are three major benefits discussed to going solar. Though there are probably many more reasons that solar electricity and using solar power are a good idea, here are a few of the major points about solar.
In certain states, by installing photovoltaic solar panels, you can get Tax Rebates and credit back from the electric company.
Installing solar panels can also help you take an active part in resolving the energy crisis and reducing America’s dependence on foreign resources
AND
You can achieve complete independence from the electrical grid by installing solar panels, making you no longer dependent on the electric company for your power needs.
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July 17th, 2008
Posted by carrie_roll
By using alternative fuels in our vehicles, we can really create some awesome and powerful climate change. Watch as this video explains how.
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July 16th, 2008
Posted by carrie_roll
You can have a dream home that doesn’t look like a green house, but really is a green home. Watch as this gentleman explains how you can have your dream green home.
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