Step number one in getting started with any solar power setup in your home is to perform an energy audit. This is where you evaluate the amount of power (in kilowatts/hour or kilowatt hours) that you'll need in any given day. You will also need to take into account the site where your home is located. Geographical considerations such as climate, number of peak hours of sunlight per day, number of days of peak sunlight per year, and average rainfall will play a big role in how efficient a solar system you can design. Any solar electric system will need, at the very least, the following components:a collector (usually solar panels);a mount (to put it on);an inverter (to convert 12 volt DC power to 110...

Traces history of issues of Greenhouse effect and Global warming There is one subject that is certain to raise a passionate argument in a party these days and that is "Global Warming". Everybody has an opinion about it. And why not? After all if the international action plans for reduction of carbon emissions have to succeed, every individual needs to be involved and committed to it! It is generally believed that the earth was covered with ice about 15000 years ago. About 7000 years ago the earth began to warm up and the ice age came to an end. Then again from the 14th century to the 19th century large parts of the earth experienced harsh, cold conditions. This period was known as "the little ice...

There has been a lot of talk on the subject of global warming. Specialists believe that human activities in the past 50 years have given a negative boost to climate change. After a long series of tests and chart observations, it seems that the primary culprit for global warming is the emission of greenhouse gases (mainly carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide). These gases have altered the composition of the atmosphere and raised the planet's temperature with almost 1?C since 1950. The problem is not that these gases exist. They have always been in the atmosphere, but there is a major increase in their concentration. The planet started to heat up and the climate change appeared simultaneously...

Companies, cities and individuals are getting involved in the green movement. They are doing there part to keep the environment healthier by reducing humans' impact on the land, using recycled metals and nontoxic substances, organic gardening, adding more green space, building using environmentally friendly materials and more. An increasing number of businesses are beginning to see it as a market advantage, especially when you consider organic foods is one of the fastest growing markets. Here are some reasons that organizations and businesses have moved in that direction: * Employees careo According to a recent survey by progressive community network Care2, 48 percent of employees say they would...

Floors, especially hard surface floors, cover a large percentage of a building and are areas that your cleaning workers will spend a lot of time maintaining. Many of the cleaners you use to take care of floors contain products can have harmful health and environmental effects. Switching to "greener" cleaning chemicals can reduce these effects and also lead to cost savings for your cleaning company. Floors, especially hard surface floors, cover a large percentage of a building and are areas that your cleaning workers will spend a lot of time maintaining. Take a look at the list of ingredients of many of the common floor care products that your cleaning company uses. You will...

For most homeowners, up to 70 percent of a home's total energy bill goes toward heating, cooling and hot water-so the biggest opportunity to save large amounts of money on their energy bills is to increase the efficiency of these systems. To do this, homeowners across America are turning to geothermal heating systems. Geothermal systems, such as the Envision series by WaterFurnace, capitalize on the solar energy stored year-round just beneath the Earth's surface. This free geothermal energy is an unlimited, renewable resource. And, according to an EPA study titled "Space Conditioning, The Next Frontier" (Report 430-R-93-004), the Department of Energy and the EPA recognized geothermal systems as the...

Powering everything with solar energy isnt possible just yet, since the UK doesn't produce enough sunlight to do this. Hi-tech ways to capture enough sunlight per day every day to power everything in a home or business hasn't been discovered yet. The current cost of solar panels can run into thousands of pounds, which would require the panels to produce electricity for years without maintenance in order to see a return on investment. What is needed is more grants available to people to enable them to afford renewable energy in the homes. Otherwise only the relatively well off will be able to afford paying over £2000 for solar panels and then saving money over the next 10-20 years. B & Q and other...

It was inevitable with the birth of the Internet that pornography would wind its way into this new digital territory. With all of the value provided by online information and communication technologies, these advancements have nonetheless also become inextricably linked with developments in pornography distribution. Fortunately, new technology brings not only new outlets for pornography, but also new ways to protect against it. There are several sources of unwanted pornography. The web is the most obvious one, but adult content also makes its way on to external drives (floppy, CD-ROM, DVD and flash), into email attachments and on to files that may be shared in a networked environment. The right...

In a case reminiscent to the California-Detroit rivalry, Canadian provinces are also expected to clash concerning actions being taken to reduce the threat of global warming. In the United States, the state of California is on the forefront of the battle against global warming as state legislation mandates lower greenhouse gas emissions from motorized vehicles. In Canada, this stance is being emulated by Ottawa. The country's capital is taking steps to curb the problem, of greenhouse gas emission. This decision of the province's lawmakers may result in a clash with Ontario and Alberta. Ontario has a big auto industry with numerous assembly facilities located in the said province. Alberta, on the...

Global warming is a phenomenon that is way beyond and over the level of awareness of the man on the street, but whose impact is felt by him wherever he is.in every nook around the world, in our very residences, in every geographical location in fact. Everyone is starting to feel its impact in our daily lives. Already there are indications of the sad plight of the earth's climate in some areas of the US that are blessed with very good climate. There is ample evidence of the effects of a changing climate in California, for example. Records show that in the half century that passed, temperatures in winter and spring have been warmer. There has also been a recorded drop in the level of spring snow in...

"There is a 90 percent chance the planet's average temperatures will rise 3 to 9 F (1.7 to 4.9 C) by 2100." This simple statement in the June 2001 report released by National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado leaves little doubt of the magnitude of the threat from global warming. The UN Environment Program estimates that the extra economic costs of disasters attributable to global warming are running at more than $300 billion annually. The global community is responding with actions lead by the Kyoto Protocol, which aims to reduce emissions of global warming gases. Nearly 90% of global warming gas emissions are CO2, which are primarily from the use of fossil fuels for energy. The...

People of long ago lived well in their years. They get as old as a hundred years or even longer. Adam died at age 930, Noah 950, Abraham 175, Isaac 180, with Methuselah being the oldest character in the bible to die at 969. Some sectors believe that longer life expectancy can be attributed to factors such as food, environment and lifestyle. A long time ago, most food were not processed and were consumed in its natural state. Naturally, people are healthier due to the absence of chemicals and preservatives which can cause a lot of the modern day illnesses prevalent today. The environment was also free from harmful pollutants brought about by industrialization. And lifestyles then were simple...

Today, almost 1 million acres of forest disappear each week. This alarming rate of deforestation is forcing many world economies to rethink their business and manufacturing practices. A seventy-foot tree cut for its lumber takes 65 years to replace. A seventy-foot bamboo cut for market can be replaced in less than 3 months, as bamboo is officially recognized as the world's fastest growing plant. Some species can grow 3 feet per day! Driven by the constantly-growing consumer demand for environmentally friendly products, many bamboo-related companies are gaining momentum as a reliable source for high quality and durable green building materials. Consumers are choosing high quality alternative...

Pay As You Drive commonly known as PAYD, has set a revolution in the car insurance. You can now save money by driving less. Usually, the insurance trend is low mileage drivers receive minimal discounts for driving less. Not any more. With Pay As You Drive you get a financial incentive for driving less. It also reduces driving and congestion by 10 to 12% approximately. It is an innovative concept related to car insurance which is calculated per mile you travel. PAYD links insurance polices to an odometer instead of just the date on the calendar. PAYD offers dual purpose, it provides opportunity to all drivers to save money and at the same time protect the environment. Such PAYD insurance is more cost...

The issues about global warming and the effects of global warming are continuously under debate. Somehow the debate has made its way into virtually every aspect of our lives. There is even thought that the issues about global warming are also applicable to the beliefs that other beings from other planets were forced to make themselves to Earth as their planet began to deteriorate, due to global warming. It is all around us. It is on the weather stations. It faces us when we decide to purchase a new car or even a cleaning product. The real issues come when trying to learn about global warming. There is a lot of conflicting information on the internet and there is not one group that can agree on all...

The heat of the Earth makes up what is known as geothermal energy. When dust and gasses from Earth mixed together 4 billion years ago, geothermal energy resulted. Inside the Earth at its core, some 4, 000 miles deep, the temperature is estimated at about 9,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Geothermal energy has been used throughout history for bathing, relaxing, cooking and heating. It was thought by some to have healing effects and was used to treat eye and skin diseases. The first geothermal generator that produced energy was built in Lardarello, Italy in 1904. The United States followed with their first attempt at geothermal power in 1912 at The Geysers in California. Today it is produced in twenty-one...

An allergic asthma. It is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the lung airways. It's symptoms are made worse by exposure to an allergen (e.g., dust, mold, pollen, dust mite allergens and animal dander) to which the patient has been sensitized. A simple sneeze could trigger allergic asthma or a simple cough could lead to that as well. What are the symptoms of allergic asthma? The symptoms of allergic and non-allergic asthma are the same. They include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath or rapid breathing, and chest tightness. These symptoms are often provoked by an identifiable trigger. What factors can cause or trigger allergic asthma? A family history of allergies is the most important predictor...

This issue is receiving much attention in the news with many declaring the end of the earth as we know it and insisting that we take immediate action or it will be too late. They enlisted many entertainment professionals to aid in their declaration, but is it fact or fiction? One thing is curtain, haste makes waste. I raise this question for many reasons. One being that while many scientist claim it is fact, many others claim it is not. One side says if you listen to real scientist, you will see that they say it's true, but the other side claims to have real scientists too. Apparently real scientist are in disagreement, thus I repeat, haste makes waste. Secondly, 20 years ago scientists were...

Every individual strives towards making his family and work life better and achieve success in everything. The most important factor to accomplish this is hard work and focus. However the art of Feng Shui can also contribute towards this goal of balance and success in life. A beautiful and well kept home translates into a refreshing ambience and positive vibes all around. A refreshing change in your home will result in a refreshing change in your life too! The origin of Feng Shui was in China and its fundamental theory is that people, places and things have energy. Feng Shui in English means “Wind & Water. According to Feng Shui, placing a thing in a particular location or manner can create...

You may not think that a plastic tarpaulin can help you with green living. However, these versatile items are excellent for a large number of environmentally sound uses. Recycling gets a lot of attention as a way to save the Earth, but people frequently forget that reducing our use of resources in the first place is a better method. By using tarps to protect your building, landscaping, and other materials from damage and degradation, you can assure yourself that you'll use the minimum possible. When left out to the weather, metal rusts, materials like concrete react and solidify before they are supposed to, paint can be contaminated, and plastics degrade. To keep your materials safe, place them on...

Experts tell us we are releasing unacceptable levels of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. If we continue at this rate, by 2070, the polar ice caps will completely melt causing sea levels to rise and all those idyllic islands and a large amount of the continents will be under water. The rainforests will wither away from drought or fires and destructive waves, floods and droughts will be commonplace. Al Gore thinks that if change is not in place within the next 10 years, then it becomes irreversible. We need the harbingers of doom. They stop us from destroying this planet. They are responsible for the improvement of the ozone layer. They warned us of the dangers of ozone layer depletion and unless...

Photovoltaic System As people search for alternatives to fossil fuel energy, solar energy emerges as one of the cleanest and most practical sources of electricity. Solar panels can be installed on rooftops or any area that receives a lot of sunshine. The solar panels consist of a photovoltaic system that converts the energy of the sun into electricity. The word Photovoltaic is a conjuction of the old Greek word "Photon" meaning light and Volt, the force that makes electrons move Photovoltaic systems have existed since the 1950s but only in recent years has the technology matured to the point of making it a viable alternative to power utilities. Indeed, most solar systems do not replace the...

Folk wisdom has always singled out fruits and vegetables as being indispensable for health, but it has only been within the last thirty years that we know why. Science and technology have isolated compounds in plants and vegetables that have literally been our life-savers. These are phytonutrients which all fruits and vegetables produce because their means of survival in the environment is through the release of disease-fighting phytochemicals. Phytochemicals stimulate the production of protective self-repairing cells in plants. They also produce the same kinds of responses in humans. For example, they release protective enzymes that inhibit cancer-producing substances, thus reducing our...

Solar energy is a natural source of energy that comes directly from the sun. When solar energy hits the earth it spreads over the earth's surface and provides warmth evenly. If you could capture the sun's rays into a particular area for a long period of time it would provide enough warmth for nighttime or on cloudy days. Learning where to find solar energy can help you to get started today. Solar energy does not cost anything because it comes from the sun. The source that you choose may cost some but in the long run it should be your only expense, unlike gas or oil heaters that you continue to pay for monthly in order to have power or gas heat in your home. Solar power can provide heating, cooling...

In a world that is becoming increasingly industrialized, and in a world where more people can afford to drive cars, air pollution is becoming a larger problem. While there are those who would debate whether or not our air pollution is causing global warming, versus the earth's natural warming process since the last Ice Age, that is not the issue. Definitive proof may or may not be found anytime soon. What is certain, however, is that there are confirmed problems caused by air pollution. These problems include respiratory problems and they also include problems regarding what we eat. As the world moves more into the modern age, more pollutants are spewed into the air. Rising middle classes in large...

Until recently we have been putting forth only some effort to save our earth. More and more people are recycling, becoming conscious of their energy use, and so on; but, of course, not everyone will cooperate no matter what we do. Dramatic realization is the cause of increased interest. The drama comes in the form of natural disasters: the realization is that (scientists can prove) our actions can both trigger and prevent them. The destruction of the environment is not a self-destruction. We are damaging the world around us, and it is up to us to stop damaging it. Ten years ago, German scientific engineering consultants and Iranian researchers came together to develop a plan for an amazing power...

This coming 29th of July, everyone can be part of the Green Car and Transportation Festival. Starting at twelve o'clock noon up until five in the afternoon, people can roam about the event's area and learn more about being green and environment friendly. Interested parties can simply troop to Ipswich, Massachusetts' Town Hall. This green festival would actually be a venue for auto manufacturers to show off their environment friendly cars. In fact, the festival already has in store a huge array of the now familiar hybrid cars as well as electric cars. There are even some cars that are a combination of both hybrid and electric. There are also vehicles that show off cutting edge technologies which...

Green energy refers to the use of power that is not only more efficient than fossil fuel but that is friendly to the environment as well. Green energy is generally defined as energy sources that dont pollute and are renewable. There are several categories of green energy. They are anaerobic digestion, wind power, geothermal power, hydropower on a small scale, biomass power, solar power and wave power. Waste incineration can even be a source of green energy. Nuclear power plants claim that they produce green energy as well, though this source is fraught with controversy, as we all know. While nuclear energy may be sustainable, may be considered renewable and does not pollute the atmosphere while...

Everyone is concerned about the effects of global warming and protecting our environment, and avoiding the dangers posed by the continued abuse of the environment. Individuals and businesses are finding ways to be more environmentally conscious. The buzzword on being proactive for the environment is Green. Go green with your business promoting. Show your customers that you are as concerned about conserving natural resources and protecting the environment as they are. Show them your willingness to do your part to reduce the amount of waste you create that ends up in land fills and adds further harm to natural resources and our environment. No one who is in business would argue against the need for...

Thinking of painting your house or doing a spot of DIY? Well I was and I was searching the net looking for a good deal and I came across organic and eco paints. My first thought was how can paint be organic? Isnt that for vegetables? I did some more research and found that the term organic can be a highly misleading term when applied to paint so many companies dont use it and tend to use the term eco or natural instead. Unlike the food and textile industry, there is currently no legally defined standard or recognised certification scheme in place for organic paints just like soap pods (what are soap pods I hear you ask?). It is possible for some organically grown plants to be utilised in the...

Are our efforts to recycle enough to save the planet? We have all heard how important it is to recycle. Though our individual efforts may seem so small, it will make a difference if we can convince more people to do so. After all, haven't we heard before the saying...little drops of water, little grains of sands, make the mighty ocean and the pleasant land? So if we make a concerted effort we can and will protect the environment and change the world. There are two basic forms of recycling, primary recycling and secondary recycling. Primary recycling happens when original waste material is recycled into the same material that it once was. Newspaper, when recycled to newsprint is a form of primary...

Where are modern day scientists regarding the secrets of a polar shift? Is there any reality to the 2012 polar shift theories or are they just ancient Mayan mystical mumbo jumbo? The theory is a hypothesis that the axis of rotation of a planet has not always been at its present-day locations. Interpretation of tongues: the North Pole was once a tropical climate. How does that happen- or did it? Have our physical poles reversed in the past? Pole shift theory is almost always discussed in the context of Earth, but other solar system bodies may have experienced axial reorientation . Pole shift theories are not the same as plate tectonics, the well-accepted geological theory that the Earth's surface...

Secondhand smoking, breathing in of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), is also called passive smoking. It is when a person breathes in smoke given off into the environment by other people. Secondhand smoke or ETS is a combination of side stream smoke coming straight from the burning tobacco and the mainstream smoke that is exhaled by the smoker. It comprises of over 4000 chemical constituents, a large proportion of which are the inducers of respiratory illnesses and around 40 are known or suspected carcinogens. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified ETS as a class A (known human) carcinogen along with other known carcinogens such as arsenic, asbestos and benzene etc. ETS is...

Star couple and picture perfect pair Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston did a formal announcement of their break-up through the office of Aniston's publicist, Stephen Huvane. This announcement came after tabloid stories said that the couple's marriage was indeed on the rocks. The announcement mentioned that the reasons for the couple's split are difficult schedules and disagreement on whether or not to have children. Both stars have been busy with movie schedules and TV programs. Divorce came months later. Jennifer cited irreconcilable differences in the dissolution papers. They were filed with a Los Angeles court by the couple. The court documents said that Jennifer Aniston's maiden name was asked to...