Sustainable Power Of The Wind

With so much talk about environmental damage, dwindling fossil fuels, and sky rocketing oil and energy prices it is now clear that we must look for alternative energy resources that will be able to supply our endless needs without the possibility of it being exhausted.

A Brief Lesson in History

A sustainable energy source since ancient times, the power of the wind has been harnessed by sailors, farmer, and architects alike. In times long gone, from 5,000 years ago and rediscovered again today the Egyptians used wind power to propel their sailing vessels, and Babylonian architects use architectural designs to make use of the wind to ventilate their palace and temple complexes.

As early as 300 B.C. the Sinhalese bygones used monsoon winds to power their furnaces. Constructed right where monsoon winds pass the furnaces were powered up to 1100 to 1200 centigrade. In the 1st century AD the first ever primitively built windmill was used to power an organ. Later during the 7th century the first and most primary windmill was built in Afghanistan in a small town called Sistan. The Windmill has a vertical axle with blades shaped like a rectangle and with a long driveshaft. In the 1100’s wind mills were built to grind flour, for sugar manufacturing and the gristmilling industries. The Dutch built windmills that stand until this day.

Beneath Power Is Wind

The Sun unevenly heats the Earth that differences of heat distribution; the poles receive less than the equators do. Unlike the land, the oceans, seas and rivers do not have covering so it retains more heat than soil. This contrast results in a global atmospheric convection that reaches from the stratosphere and into the earth’s surface. Energy in these wind movements are stored at high altitudes where in the wind can achieve speeds up to 160km/hr. Here after with the effects of friction the wind’s energy is diffused into heat throughout the planet and its atmosphere. This vast amount of sustainable power can provide us unimaginable amounts of energy, far more than we currently consume.

Wind Speed Distribution

Wind varies in strength.  The average value of a certain location does not specify the energy of a single wind turbine.  The wind speed’s frequency can be assessed in a particular location, they are fitted by a probable distribution function to the particular observed data.  Different wind distributions varies from different locations, hourly wind speeds at different locations are being monitored by the Rayleigh model, which basically means a continuous probability distribution which was named after Lord Rayleigh.

Electrical Generation

Using the power of electricity from a wind farm is usually fed through a network of electrical power transmissions.  This is done by connecting the individual turbines with a medium voltage power system and a series of communications networks.  The electrical current is then increased with a transformer to be able to connect to the high voltage transmitting system.  System operators supplies the wind farm owner with a code that indicates requirements  to be able to connect to the transmission grid which includes the power factor, the constancy of the frequency and the behavior of the wind turbines when experiencing system faults.

Now that we know that the speed of wind is not constant, a farm’s energy production is not as much as the sum of the nameplate rating being multiplied by the year’s total hours being used.  The ratio of this productivity in a whole year is called the capacity factor. This is the ratio of productivity in a year to this theoretical maximum.

People spend roughly 90% of their time indoors. When they live and work around off-gassing chemicals from synthetic fabrics, plastics, fragrances, and other man-made materials, they can become ill in a variety of ways — fatigue, muscle and joint pain, confusion, even mood changes.

Reducing chemicals in your personal environment is good for you and the rest of the planet…

By learning how to make natural beauty products of your own, you will helping the environment, along with saving money. Most of the commercial cosmetic products on the market include some type of chemical or detergent. When this is washed off your skin or thrown in the trash, these chemicals and toxins can get into the water supply. Making your own natural beauty products out of common household items is a much greener solution.

Some common kitchen items that can be used to make natural beauty products are Epsom salt, bananas, honey, oatmeal, olive and vegetable oils, yogurt, mayonnaise. This is just a short list of household products that can be used for skin or hair care. There are quite a few other natural products that can do wonders for your appearance.

There are two common ingredients that you probably will not have on hand when you are learning how to make natural beauty products. These are beeswax and natural soap bars. Beeswax and other natural waxes can be found at health food stores, soap making shops, and some craft stores. For those allergic to bees, there are other vegetable- and flower-based waxes to choose from.

Olive oil is a very versatile home remedy that can be used for a number of natural beauty purposes. It will moisturize the dry skin of your elbows, cuticles, knees, and feet. Olive oil can be added to a warm bath for even more moisture and softness. For dry hair or scalp, simply massage the oil directly in with your hands.

You can even make your own natural exfoliating treatment from olive oil. Mix the oil with twice as much brown sugar to create a thick paste. Use this paste as a pre-shower skin treatment by rubbing gently into the skin. Rinse thoroughly in the shower to remove all paste and any dead skin cells that may have been scraped off.

If you have bananas on hand, you can also use those as a moisturizer for dry and cracked skin. Mash a ripe banana until it becomes a paste that is smooth enough to apply to your face or hands. Let the paste soak in for about ten minutes, then rinse off and pat dry. For added moisturizing, add in a teaspoon of olive oil before applying to dry, parched skin.

These are just a few of the beauty products you can make at home without spending much money. Other great home remedies include facial cleansers, herbal bath soaks, skin butter, and natural body scrubs. Most of these recipes can be made with simple ingredients that you already have at home. Now that you know how easy it is, jump right in and learn how to make natural beauty products of your own.

Eco-friendly products aren’t just reserved for major home remodeling however. You can get eco-friendly bamboo laptops, belts made from recycled bike inner tubes, and even shoes made from recycled quilts.

Whenever you look at buying something, you want to look at how it is made. Is it manufactured in an environmentally friendly manner?  There are actually a couple of levels of eco-friendly products. One is that the product itself is made from renewable or sustainable materials and the other is the method of manufacture and its effects on the environment. The best of both worlds is to be able to get a product that is made from renewable materials and manufactured in an earth friendly manner.

You can take the concept of using eco-friendly products down to any level. For example, even your grocery shopping can be made more eco-friendly by buying locally grown, organic produce and using recyclable bags to carry it in.

When it comes to home renovations, you have a lot of great options. Everyone has heard of bamboo flooring which is both beautiful and made from a renewable resource but there other types of flooring that you can use as well. Cork flooring is also renewable and can be very beautiful and it is warm and soft on the feet. Marmoleum is a type of flooring that’s actually been made for quite some time using earth friendly methods and has a great industrial or retro feel that fits right in with today’s styles.

Even clothing can be eco-friendly. Choose items made from organic cotton, hemp and even bamboo.  Even big name manufacturers are getting on the green bandwagon with Levi Strauss using recycled zippers and buttons as well as organic cotton.  Today’s eco-friendly clothing can also be trendy so when you’re in the store pay attention to the labels and try to help out the environment while you are picking out your new wardrobe.

Even things like cosmetics and cleaning products can be eco-friendly. You want to choose items that are made from organic materials that don’t have toxic chemicals in them. In fact, using these products will be better for the environment as well as for your health so it’s worth your while to seek them out. One committed company with green products has a whole line of fragrance-free cleaning products for home and personal hygiene.

Some of the best eco-friendly products also help you conserve resources like water and electricity. Showerheads and faucets that help conserve water are great choice as well as compact fluorescent bulbs that lower your electric bill and help reduce the strain on energy worldwide.

Today there is a large demand for eco-friendly products so you will find more and more choices as time goes on. Look at your product labels carefully and take the time to make sure what you’re buying really is eco-friendly and you’ll know that you’re doing your part to keep the planet healthy.

Luckily, there are several things you can do to reduce your energy consumption and the bonus is that you’ll also save money on your utility bill!

1.    If you’re not using it, then unplug it.  Many electronic devices today have LED’s that draw energy even if the device is not powered on.  Your VCR, Coffee Maker and even your electric toothbrush all use a little bit of energy when plugged in.  Those little bits can quickly add up, so when your appliances are not in use, try to get into the habit of unplugging them.
2.    Shut down your computer.  While it’s nice to have your computer always ready for use, it also uses a lot of electricity.  When you go to bed at night, power off the computer, monitor and printer.
3.    Get a programmable thermostat.  Getting an automatic thermostat can be a great way to reduce your heating costs, be it from oil, gas or electricity.  With a programmable thermostat you can set it to the optimum temperatures and then forget about it.  Set it to 68 degrees Fahrenheit  for daytime use when people will be home and 55 degrees Fahrenheit when you are sleeping or at work.
4.    Make your water heat more efficient.  Set your water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit and get an insulated sleeve for it to insure it is working as efficiently as possible.
5.    Use your lighting wisely.  Switch to more energy efficient lighting like LED lights or compact fluorescent lights and be sure that you don’t leave lights on overnight or when no one is in the room.
6.    Energy efficient laundry.  Even doing laundry can be an opportunity to save on energy.  Make sure you always clean the lint basket after each load and be sure to set the appropriate water level in your washer.  Doing these will help your washer and dryer run more efficiently.
7.    Set the right temps in your fridge.  Your refrigerator should be set to around 40 degrees Fahrenheit and your freezer between 0 and 5 degrees Fahrenheit for most efficient use.  Also, make sure you clean out all the dust bunnies behind and underneath the fridge.
8.    Don’t run the dishwasher until it is full.  Make sure there is a full load in the dishwasher before you run it and use the energy saving cycle.
9.    Buy energy efficient appliance.  Using energy efficient appliances can help reduce energy usage as well as your electric bill so the next time you are in the market for a new appliance, make sure you look at the energy star rating and buy the most efficient model you can afford.

When it comes to going green, every little bit counts and one of those little bits has to do with using paper towels. The less paper towels you use, the lower your carbon footprint will be. While this may seem like a small thing, every little bit adds up!  One great way to lower use of paper towels is to get some good quality kitchen towels that you can wash and reuse and make sure you have them handy for drying your hands, wiping up spills, and drying off dishes. Limit the use of the actual paper towels to the really nasty messes. It doesn’t really take much effort and you soon discover that you’re spending less money on paper towels at the grocery store each week!

Speaking of the grocery store, another thing you can do to help the environment is to stop using plastic bags and switch to those tote bags that you can use over and over again.  While the plastic ones might be convenient, there are literally millions of them that pileup in the landfills every year and may take up to 1000 years to decompose.

Plastic bags are bad for the environment, and plastic water bottles are bad for the environment and your health. Invest in some stainless steel drinking mugs to carry your water in instead of buying water in plastic bottles. You’ll be helping to reduce more plastic in your landfill as well as saving your body from harmful toxins that can leach into the water you are drinking.

Heating your home is another area where you can help the environment and save a little bit of money with your efforts.  Have your furnace serviced to make sure that it is working most efficiently and make sure that you caulk your windows thoroughly so that they are no little places that cold air can get in. Buy a programmable thermostat so you can keep your home at a steady temperature, but try to keep at 68° or below when you are home and 58° when you are sleeping or at work.

Everyone knows that using energy-efficient appliances can help reduce your carbon footprint and save on utility bills, but not everyone can afford to buy new energy-efficient appliances. However, there are some things you can do that will help reduce your electric bill and be good for the environment. If you have a home computer (and who doesn’t these days) then make sure you turn it off when you’re not using it. Don’t leave lights on in rooms that no one is in and take a good look at all the appliances that you normally leave plugged in all the time. Do they have little LEDs or lights? You might consider unplugging them as these little lights do consume some energy even when the appliance is off.

Going green doesn’t have to mean taking extravagant measures like converting your home to solar energy, or driving an electric powered car. Every little step counts, and you will find that these little steps lead to bigger steps and a less negative impact on the environment.

Of course, most everyone wants to lower their carbon footprint and help the environment be healthier but if you can save money doing it, then you have the best of both worlds.  Luckily, there are many ways to go green and save some green at the same time.  Here are 5 things you can do that will help boost your bank account and the environment:

1.    Buy Second Hand – most people don’t think of buying second hand stuff as being environmentally consciences but when you buy something second hand it helps to keep that item from ending up in a landfill.  Not only that but buying second hand can save you a bundle!  Plus buying something used doesn’t mean you have to settle for something that is broken or damaged – there are plenty of brand new items waiting for you to pick them up.  Great places to shop for second hand goods include eBay, Craigslist, yard sales, flea markets and Consignment stores.
2.    Energy Efficient Lighting – Swapping your incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lighting might cost a bit at first, but it can save you a bundle in the long run in energy costs.  In fact, fluorescent lights use 1/3 the energy that incandescent do and, since lighting is typically one of the largest energy uses in any home, this could save you 25% or more on your bill.  Not only that but compact fluorescent lights last 10 times longer so you won’t have to buy them nearly as often.  Want even more savings?  Then seek out the new LED lighting – they are more efficient and the lighting itself is much better then the fluorescents.
3.    Save On Paper Towels – If you’re anything like me, you probably use a ton of paper towels in the kitchen.  They’re great for wiping up spills, drying off  your hands and putting food on but what do you think happens with them once you are don?  Right – they end up in the landfill!  You can reduce your costs for paper towels and lighten the load on the landfills by using cloth kitchen towels instead.  Invest in a bunch of them and make sure they are handing for wiping up.  You’ll be amazed at how few paper towels you really need!
4.    Eat More Veggies – Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that eating more fruits and vegetables and less meat is better for your health, but did you realize that it’s also better for the environment?  Yes, it’s true, raising cattle takes a huge toll on the environment.  Plus beef costs more than vegetables so why not help your health and the environment by replacing a few of your meaty meals with vegetarian choices?
5.    Conserve Water – There are many options in faucets today that will help you conserve water which, of course help the environment and saves you on your water bill. You can get low flow facets and smart faucets that will automatically shut off after a certain amount of time or sense when something is under it – turn the water on and then sense when nothing is under it and turn the water off.

Walk into any grocery store and you will see a myriad of cleaners – there’s so many it might even be hard to choose.  Most of them are loaded with harmful chemicals, but there are many now that bear the words “natural” on the label.  However, one should not be fooled by that one little word – many of these cleaners are anything but natural and there are no standards or regulation for using this word on product labels.

If you really want to go green with your cleaning, there are plenty of natural things you can use.  Tea tree oil is a great natural cleaner for mold and mildew, baking soda makes a wonderful abrasive cleaner and white vinegar is a great all around cleaner that will shine your windows and mirrors like nobodies business.  In addition to the health benefits of no toxic cleaning, using these substances is also much less costly than most store bought cleaners.

For scrubbing surfaces like bathtubs, sinks and even counters use a mixture of baking soda and liquid detergent combined to make a paste.  Put the paste on a sponge and scrub away.  You can also mix baking soda with a little water if you prefer.

For cleaning glass surfaces, there is nothing like vinegar.  Mix 3 tablespoons with 2 cups of water and just a dab of liquid detergent.  Put it in a spray bottle and shake it up, then just spray on and wipe off as you would any cleaner.

When it comes to moldy areas, bathroom tile and even cutting boards, you can use straight vinegar sprayed on the area and let to sit for as long as you want (even overnight).  The vinegar will work to clean and sanitize as well as deodorize.  If you have a mold problem, combine 2 teaspoons tea tree oil with 1 cup of water and spray directly on the area without wiping off – it works wonders!

You can even use natural ingredients as an effective furniture polish and olive oil works wonders for this task. Mix ½ teaspoon with ¼ cup lemon juice – dab onto a rag and wipe over the wood.  This mixture can be stored in a tightly closed glass jar for quite some time.

When it comes to deodorizers for the home, those store bought sprays are harmful both environmentally and health wise.  Your much better off to open the windows and let the fresh air in.  If that’s not enough then you can always put out bowls of dried flowers or herbs, use an open box of baking soda to absorb odors or place some cedar blocks strategically around the house.

There’s no reason why you can’t clean everything in your home using natural ingredients, so throw out all those chemical cleaner bottles and arm yourself with some baking soda, vinegar and tea tree oil  not only will your house be less toxic but you’ll save on your next grocery bill too!

One little thing you can do is reduce your use of paper towels.  The average family uses several rolls of paper towels a week but you can reduce your usage by keeping some cloth towels handy in the kitchen and use those for wiping your hands, spills and other uses that would normally call for a paper towel.  You’ll save money on paper towels and there will be less of them in the landfill which, in turn, helps the environment.  Also, the less paper towels that are manufactured, the less pollution in the air from those manufacturing plants.

Did you realize that some types of cooking are more energy efficient than others?  While many cooks love a gas stove, the fact is that the newer model electric stoves are more energy efficient.  Not only that, but if you opt for a toaster oven or microwave instead of using your big oven, you can drastically reduce the energy needed for cooking.

Another thing you can do in the kitchen to help the environment is buy local whenever you can.  While this might seem like a small thing, transporting food is actually a big drag on the environment.  Flying bananas into upstate New York from the tropics can be costly in terms of air pollution.  Not to mention that foods from the grocery store can be loaded with pesticides and your local growers probably don’t put so much junk on their crops.  Plus, it’s nice to support the farmers in your own community.

Using reusable cloth grocery bags, reusing jars and composting organic materials are great ways to reduce waste.  You can compost your kitchen scraps, paper and even cardboard.  This will make great fodder for your garden and does double duty as it acts as an organic fertilizer saving you from buying fertilizer which saves you money and ensures that harmful chemicals don’t leach into the environment from commercial fertilizers you might have had to purchase.

Possibly the most important thing you can do to be “greener” in the kitchen is to recycle.  Make sure you get a good handle on all the plastic and glass materials you use that can be recycled.  Check the rules at your landfill as to what has to be separated out and buy yourself some bins to help you keep things separate.

Lastly, you want to keep the environment in mind when you clean.  Cleaners full of chemicals can be bad for the environment and the fumes from these can be harmful to the health of yourself and your family.  There are plenty of natural things you can use for cleaning like vinegar, baking soda and tea tree oil that will help keep your kitchen sparkling without harming you or the environment.

The first thing you should do is switch to compact fluorescent lighting (CFL).  That’s those swirly lights that have a whiter glow to them than the incandescent lights.  While these might cost a bit more than the regular incandescent lights, they use only about 25% of the electricity so they can have a big impact on your lighting bill. They last a lot longer than regular bulbs too so you won’t have to replace them as often.

LED light bulbs are a newcomer to the energy efficient lighting market and have a few advantages over CFL’s.  They have a brighter light and don’t take time to “warm up” and reach their full lighting.  They also cost less to run and last even longer than CFL’s reducing your energy usage by 80-90% and lasting over 100,000 hours.

When it comes to lighting outside the home, the energy conscientious consumer might want to consider solar lighting.  Lights for walkways, driveways and outside the front door can collect energy from the sun during the day and use it to power their lights during the night.  A great way to light up your home without using any energy at all.

In addition to using more efficient light bulbs, there are some things you can do to help reduce the amount of energy you use for lighting. First of all, you want to be sure that you don’t use lights unnecessarily.  When no one is home or when a room is empty, be sure to turn the lights off.  During the daytime, open the blinds and let the sunshine in instead of using indoor lighting.  Using motion sensors can help to insure lights turn on only when needed.

When it comes to lighting, you need to have the right amount for the tasks you intend to do.  While you don’t want to skimp or have poor lighting in important areas like the kitchen, you also want to be cognizant of when to use the lights and when to flip the switch.  Remember reducing your use of electricity helps to reduce CO2 emissions into the air since the plants that produce electricity are largely coal burning plants which can add to global warming.  A little bit of prudence on your part can make a big difference in the stability of our environment.