Gap's Recycle Your BluesCampaign

How Programmable Thermostats Save Money

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, cooling and heating costs are the primary cost on your energy bill. If you don’t already know, using programmable thermostats saves money. Sure, you can set your thermostat and turn it all the way or all the way down when you leave the home to avoid the air or the heat from kicking on, but installing and using a programmable thermostat puts your heating and cooling needs on autopilot, which piles up the cost savings for you.

How Programmable Thermostats Work to Save Money

When you install the programmable thermostat, take the time to read the manual. The manual takes you systematically through setting the thermostat in order to maximize your savings. Programmable thermostats save money by providing you with four pre-programmed setting options: home in the summer, away in the summer, home in the winter and away in the winter.

Start by sitting down and creating a working schedule of the hours that your family is home and the hours when nobody is in the home. Once you determine your schedule, you can then set to work on coordinating your family’s schedule with thermostat settings for the air conditioner or heater. For example, if your family gets up at 6 a.m. and leaves by 8 a.m. you may have the thermostat set at 70 degrees at 6 a.m. and adjust to 78 degrees at 8 a.m. when everyone is out of the home. If nobody comes home until 6 p.m. then you can set the programmable thermostat to adjust back down to 70 degrees at this time.

Programmable thermostats save you money because it automatically adjusts the temperature setting according to your family’s needs. Rather than have the air or heat constantly running when it is unnecessary or requiring constant manual adjustments to the home temperature, you end up saving on your energy costs.

Once you set the programmable thermostat, leave it alone and allow it to do its work. Only when it is on autopilot, without human intervention, will it work at its best and allow you to maximize your utility savings.

How to Set Programmable Thermostats and Let it Work

Energy Star suggests a two-step process to setting and leaving alone a programmable thermostat. First, make sure that the thermostat is installed properly. Since most consumers are not specialist, Energy Star says the best way to ensure proper installation is to have a HVAC contractor install the unit for you. Second, follow the setting guide that comes along with your unit to ensure you properly set and use the thermostat.

As long as you follow these rules, installing and using programmable thermostats can be a big money saver in your home or business. a programmable thermostat can be set to coordinate with your life and the times when you are in and out of the home or office. The key is to set the thermostat properly and then leave it alone to do what it does best—put your energy savings on autopilot.

Buy Local Fundraising Ideas

Fundraising buy local campaigns can be an amazing way to bring the community together for a common cause. Typically, the cause is to put a spark back into the buying and selling in a local area, city or county. Local fundraisers can also benefit the local economy and the environment at the same time because it no longer requires trucking in goods from half way around the world. In Miami, Miami Spice, which is an annual local fundraising venture, helps to promote local restaurants by offering special pricing on meals during the month. If you’re hosting a local fundraiser, you may be wondering how you should go about encouraging others to buy into a local fundraiser and what types of business you may be able to get involved in the fundraiser.

According to one of the founders of The Boulder Independent Business Alliance, some of the most successful fundraising buy local fundraisers occur when individual businesses that operate in the community come together to work toward a joint cause with a joint effort. These successful local fundraisers also share three primary characteristics: it’s an educational opportunity, promotes local businesses while promoting the cause and turns individual businesses into a unified voice for media opportunities and more.

Encouraging Local Fundraising Buy-in

Especially in situations where the local community is struggling with an economic hardship, encouraging local fundraiser buy-in can help to stimulate the local economy. When the local economy is functioning at its peak, it is beneficial for the businesses and residents of the community. The primary way to encourage a buy-local fundraiser is to promote how buying locally helps to save jobs and create a higher quality of life in the community.

Establishes and Grows Relationships

All in all, man, woman and child are social beings. People often do business with a certain establishment because they like the owner and employees. Hosting a buy local fundraiser creates and expands relationships in the community. When you walk into the grocery store and the manager and cashier know your name, it is value-added to your shopping experience that you probably won’t experience by ordering food from around the world. Local businesses can provide a face-to-face and highly personalized interaction that national or global businesses have a hard time providing.

Types of Businesses

Almost any type of local business can participate in a buy local fundraising effort. Grocery stores, convenient stores, liquor stores, museums and other cultural institutions, beauty salons, nail salons, real estate agents and print shops are but a few of the types of businesses that can participate in this type of movement. Restaurants, cafes and coffee shops are a few other options. By joining efforts, these businesses can bond together to run co-op advertisements and work to market each other’s businesses to current and prospective customers who frequent their own business establishments. When multiple businesses join together in an effort to promote doing business locally, it also sends a strong message to the community members, media and other businesses operating in the area—a strong enough message to spur buying and jumpstart the local economy.

3 Ideas for a Green Fundraiser

Going green is the talk of the globe, but you can do more than just talk by hosting your own green fundraiser. Whether the cause is a local charity, a school fundraiser or a team fundraiser, you can simultaneously raise the money you need for your cause and help make the world a better place to live, work and play. If you are looking for some inspiration for ideas on hosting a green fundraiser, look no further. These three ideas for a green fundraiser are sure to be a hit.

Plant a Tree

You can swing a couple of different ways with a plant a tree fundraiser. One way is to accept cash donations and for each milestone you meet, you will plant one tree. For example, you can promote that for every $100 the fundraiser brings in, one tree gets planted. If you raise $3,000 this adds 30 trees to the Earth.

You can also sell tree saplings to raise money. Check with the county where you live to see if they are willing to donate trees. You can also work with a local plant nursery to see if they are willing to donate or sell you baby trees at wholesale rates so that you can keep the difference to pay for your cause.

Often times, this type of fundraiser coincides with Earth Day, which is in April. It is also an opportunity to teach people of all ages how important trees are to the environment.

E-Waste Drive

Millions of discarded electronics end up in the landfills every year. Not only does this clog up the landfills, but some of the batteries and other chemicals in the electronics contaminate the ground soil and water. Fundraising companies exist that assist you in collecting old cell phones, computers, printers and other electronic equipment. The e-recycler pays you a set amount of money for each item that you bring in for your fundraiser and recycle. It’s a great way to clean out old electronics, raise money and protect the environment.

Cartridge Recycling

Another set of fundraising companies help you collect and recycle ink cartridges for money. For each cartridge that you rescue from winding up the landfill, the fundraising companies pay you money that goes toward your cause. You may able to coordinate an ink cartridge fundraiser simultaneously with an e-waste fundraiser. When people donate printers for your cause, remove the ink cartridges as this is a separate recycling process. Combining the two fundraisers or using the ink cartridge drive as an offshoot of the e-waste fundraiser can add a boost to the funds you raise.

When you host a green fundraiser, you are accomplishing more than one goal at a time. In the process of raising the money you need for your charity, school or team you are working toward making the world a better place at the same time.

Do Dimmers and Motion Lights Really Save You Money?

The mantra “save energy” may seem like a simple concept to conceive and achieve. You can find numerous tips, advice and useful information on ways to save energy by cutting down on your light usage. Two ways the experts says help you to cut down on the energy use in your home is to use light dimmers and motion sensor lights, but do dimmers save money? In addition, do motion sensor lights save money?

Dimmers Do Save Money

The answer to the question, do dimmers save money is yes. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, 15 percent of the average American light bill is from light usage in the home. While you cannot walk around in the dark all of the time, there may be ways to cut down this percentage. According to Good Housekeeping, one of the primary ways to decrease your light usage, which subsequently saves you money is to install dimmer switches on certain lights in your home.
It is common sense that the lower or dimmer the lights are, the less electricity the light uses. If you set your dimmer switch at 75 percent of usage, it can shave off about 20 percent usage. This not only helps to lengthen the life of the light bulb, but also cuts down on your energy bill each month.

Motion Sensor Lights Do Save Money

The answer to the question, do motion sensor lights save money is yes too. A similar concept relates to installing and using motion sensor lights. While a light outside of your garage and front door are great safety features, when you live them on all night, night after night because you forget they are on, then this runs up your energy usage and your electric bill. When you install motion sensor lights, however and it too can shave money off of your energy bill. Lighting and energy experts also suggest installing motion senor lighting in other areas of the home, such as stairways and hallways (those places in the home where unforgotten lights are often left on). Since the lights turn on when you enter the hall or stairs and turn off after a set period of time, it ensures that lights are not left burning for hours at a time, which also burns up the energy bill.

Using energy savers such as dimmers and motion sensor lights can make your light usage more energy efficient. More efficient energy usage in your home definitely leads to savings on your energy bill. So, do dimmers save money? Yes. And, do motion sensor lights save money? Yes. While you may only be able to install these types of lights in certain areas of your home, every little bit helps. Over time, each little bit you can cut back on your energy use is greener for the environment and keeps your green in your pocket rather than as a form of payment to the energy company.

Standard Operating Procedures for the EPA

The EPA’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) were developed to ensure consistency and quality assurance in preparing and managing environmental data and materials. EPA Standard Operating Procedures cover procedures at both the technical and managerial levels, and all organizations that fall under EPA guidelines must observe these procedures. According to the EPA, the SOPs are intended “to be specific to the organization or facility whose activities are described and assist that organization to maintain their quality control and quality assurance processes and ensure compliance with governmental regulations.” EPA Standard Operating Procedures were designed to be a well-developed quality control system to avoid environmental problems.

Field Measurements and Procedures

The EPA has determined that field measurements and procedures must follow a specific format for quality assurance. Field measurements apply primarily to water quality measurements and must be observed when monitoring the turbidity, conductivity, pH, and dissolved oxygen. Additionally, in the case of other types of field testing, the EPA requires procedures for general sampling, equipment decontamination, stream gauge measurements, stream flow measurements, electrofishing, and the transport and operation of a boat of other water vehicle for sample collections.


Sampling and Sample Handling

The EPA provides a wide range of SOPs for a variety of samples and how they must be handled. For instance, surface water must be sampled for metal levels. Groundwater covers a larger category of samples, as the EPA also has guidelines for well installation and measurements (including water pressure and static water level). What is more, soil samples must include a sampling of volatile organic compounds, while sediment sampling does not have this requirement. All samples must be recorded in four categories that include type of sample container, volume of sample, preservation method for maintaining sample, and holding time for sample.


Documentation

The EPA requires detailed documentation for all quality assurance activities, and this documentation must include three levels of maintenance. Those responsible for the sampling must log and track the sample, and then provide information about its correct disposal. A chain of custody must be provided for each sample, to ensure that the sample is managed properly at each location and to ensure that there are appropriate levels of responsibility for sample maintenance. Finally, each location must prove document control; in other words, each location must show how it maintains its records and how it keeps track of each sample that comes through to ensure that all procedures are followed correctly.

EPA Standard Operating Procedures

The EPA’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) were developed to ensure consistency and quality assurance in preparing and managing environmental data and materials. EPA Standard Operating Procedures cover procedures at both the technical and managerial levels, and all organizations that fall under EPA guidelines must observe these procedures. According to the EPA, the SOPs are intended “to be specific to the organization or facility whose activities are described and assist that organization to maintain their quality control and quality assurance processes and ensure compliance with governmental regulations.” EPA Standard Operating Procedures were designed to be a well-developed quality control system to avoid environmental problems.

Clarity and Accuracy

Standard Operating Procedures can vary by industry and purpose, but one primary requirement of the EPA is that any SOP be clear and focused in its description. The EPA notes that unclear or inaccurate SOPs are of “limited value” and requires that those responsible for preparing SOPS provide focus for the procedure and an outline of steps that is simple to read and follow. What is more, the EPA requires that all Standard Operating Procedures be consistent, particularly if the details of a procedure are transferred from one source to another. Consistency ensures that all who read the procedure can follow it the same way, leaving less room for failure or inaccuracy.

Style and Organization

The EPA requires that all Standard Operating Procedures include concision in style and organization. Because the procedures themselves can often be tedious and full of steps, the EPA wants to ensure that anyone who reads the procedure can follow it without becoming confused during the process. The writing style should avoid flowery language but instead should rely on simplicity and brevity. Any SOP that contains potentially confusing elements should also include a visual, such as a chart, to aid the reader in following the steps.

Oversight and Revision

The EPA recognizes that “the best written SOPs will fail if they are not followed” and requires that all Standard Operating Procedures fall under a hierarchy of management responsibility and that management review them carefully to ensure that they are accessible to those who will be carrying out the procedures. The EPA recommends that management utilize SOPs as a part of training, because the SOPs by their very nature provide a series of steps for personnel to follow correctly. Additionally, the EPA requires that management review Standard Operating Procedures periodically to make sure that they are up to date and that management take the responsibility to complete revisions that are necessary.

Going Organic Article

Student:
I am writing an article on Going Organic: Is it possible to eat organic on today's college campuses? for College PreView magazine. Since the demographic of the magazine is African American, Latin, Asian and Native American, I am looking to interview three undergraduate students that fall into one or more of these ethnic groups. The students should also be successfully managing to maintain their organic diet while in college.

Along with answering interview questions, the students also have to supply the publication with a color, high-resolution photograph to print along with their profile in the article.

Expert:
I am writing an article on Going Organic: Is it possible to eat organic on today's college campuses?

I'm looking to interview nutrition experts that can share information on how undergraduate students can maintain an organic diet while in college and/or what college campuses are doing to cater to this group of students.

ZSB Writers Las Vegas, NV

Freelance writer at ZSB (Las Vegas, NV)
This company hires writers and then does not pay them for completed work. DO NOT do business with them and expect to get paid! They have owed me $400 for months and keep promising to pay me, but never do.

How to Capture and Transport Carbon

Carbon is a natural gas that creates the greenhouse effect, which warms the earth. However, excessive amounts of Carbon Dioxide, produced by burning fossil fuels, can become trapped in the atmosphere. The largest stationary sources of CO₂ are power plants, where research efforts are focused on carbon capture systems. At this point, the process has been deemed possible, but is very costly. Here are the general steps for capturing carbon.

Step One:
Extract the carbon. The first step in the overall process is to remove the carbon from the source using post-combustion. Post-combustion is a method than can be used by conventional coal-fired power generation or combustion turbines fired by natural gas. The CO₂ is captured from flue gases which are a result of burning fossil fuel. Flue gases are a combination of CO₂, water vapor, sulfur dioxides, and nitrogen oxides. CO₂ is separated from this mixture using a filter that helps trap the CO₂ as it exits through a smokestack. This method is well-known and can be used in older power plants.

Step Two:
Transport the carbon to a storage site. Small amounts of CO₂ are currently transported using a pipeline. Usually a CO₂ pipeline begins at the power plant, where the CO₂ is captured. It travels to the storage site or to a transition point like a tanker or ship, where it is then carried to storage. CO₂ is most often transported in a gaseous state, with a compressor that forces the gas through the pipeline.

Step Three:
Store the carbon. Currently there are two places that can effectively store CO₂, underground and underwater. Underground storage (geological sequestration) allows CO₂ to behave like a liquid because of the pressure. The liquid then seeps into porous rocks or volcanic rocks below the Earth’s surface. Experts say that CO₂ can also be stored in the ocean, simply by dumping it directly into the water at a depth of at least 3500 meters. The CO₂ compresses into a slush and falls to the ocean floor. This method of storage is largely untested; it may harm marine life and could re-enter the environment.

Additional Information:
CO₂ capture has been successfully practiced for many years in the petroleum, chemical, and power industries for various reasons. However, only a small portion is being captured.

Although the successful capture of carbon is realistic, researchers must find a cost-effective way to transport and store the CO₂ before companies can move forward with capture.

Carbon capture can prevent 80-90% of a power plant’s emissions from entering the atmosphere.

Eco-Friendly Walls: Move Beyond the Potted Plant

Many environmentalists say to decorate living and working space with natural décor such as green plants. Green plants make great décor and clean the air while looking pretty. But what if you could take the potted plant one step further and decorate your walls with plants? One New York plant lover accomplished this by removing the plaster from his apartment walls, replacing it with plywood covered with cork bark.

Technically, it’s called a vertical garden, which is increasing in popularity. Some companies are jumping on the bandwagon to fill this niche and even offering ready-made and all-in-one systems to turn walls into gardens.

An Ontario company, ELT, which sells green roofs also started selling garden wall systems. Three years later, ELT is one of the biggest suppliers of these systems to the United States. Green wall sales for the company has increased by 300 percent since 2008. A few months ago, the company also introduced a smaller and less expensive wall garden system, so it expects the sales to increase even further.

Sheraton Hotel Goes Green: Saving Time and Money

As the green movement continues to sweep across the globe, it is also starting to creep into certain industries. In the hotel industry, one of the top hotel chains—the Sheraton—has started its own green movement, which pays hotel guests that decline housekeeping services.

Make a Green Choice Program

Last fall, in an effort to cut back on the hotel chain’s energy usage, Sheraton rolled out its "Make a Green Choice" campaign. The program pays hotel guests with a $5 food and drink voucher or 500 Starwood points for each day the guest declines housekeeping services in an effort to "conserve natural resources."
Starwood reports that in the first six months the program existed, more than 200,000 guests in North America participated. Starwood says this has helped its hotels to save 8.2 million gallons of water; 38,000 kilowatts of electricity; and 11,000 gallons of cleaning chemicals.

"Starwood believes the most sustainable sustainability initiatives are those that are economically viable, so there are indeed operational efficiencies driven by this program," says a Starwood representative.

Why Going Green is So Important

At one time, going green seemed like something a little out of the ordinary: the neighbor who jumped on his exercise bike every time he wanted a smoothie, or the Hollywood starlet “caught” recycling by the tabloids whenever she needed a little positive press. These days, however, being green is a full-blown movement that has become downright trendy. Trends aside, incorporating green techniques into daily life can have an important impact on the environment and your budget.


The Facts

Ultimately, going green is about small steps and simple choices each day. By recycling your aluminum cans, you can help to save energy: in fact, more than 50 million recycled cans reduced U.S. oil usage by 15 million barrels in 2009. Placing recyclable items in the recycling bin instead of throwing them away can limit landfill waste by as much as 75%. Reducing water use can ensure fresh water for the future and also add a little to your budget. A ten-minute shower uses about 40 gallons of water. By cutting the shower time in half – or even just shaving a couple of minutes off – you can limit waste.

Benefits

Going green in small areas can make an impact on your budget. For example, natural cleaners such as baking soda and vinegar are as effective as standard cleaning supplies and considerably cheaper. Starting your own vegetable garden can be cost effective and enable you to eat fresh, seasonal produce. Additionally, buying in bulk is a green option, because it enables you to make fewer trips to the grocery store and to spend less in the long run.

Considerations

In some cases, going green can get a little costly. Adding solar panels to your roof is expensive. Unless you live in a sunny location, the panels can take decades to pay off. But going green is not so much about incorporating all of the available green options as it is about using less and reusing when possible. Using rags instead of paper towels, turning off lights, and taking shorter showers can all add up to going green.

Expert Insight

On average, a family of four in the U.S. emits more than 20 tons of carbon dioxide annually. Taken across the U.S., this amounts to more than 20% of the world population’s carbon dioxide emissions (with only 5% of the world’s population living in the U.S.). Environmental scientists believe that carbon dioxide emissions contribute to rising global temperatures. Melting glaciers can cause the sea levels to rise and result in massive flooding. Plants and animals can become extinct if they are unable to adjust to a change in temperature. Environmentalists note that making even small changes in everyday life – the mantra of “reduce, reuse, and recycle” – can have a big impact on reducing emissions and ensuring the continuity of life.


Time Frame

For those who are new to going green, there is no rush to incorporate all of the changes at once. Instead, consider making one to two changes per week or per month, depending on your lifestyle. This might be as simple as switching to non-toxic cleaning products or as life-changing as riding a bike to work every day. Whatever you do, look at going green as a process instead of an end result.

Green Your Jeans at The Gap

The Gap is hosting a blue jeans drive in partnership with Cotton Incorporated, a cotton-industry funded research and marketing company, in about 1,000 of their stores across North America and Puerto Rico.

Your old denim jeans receive a "new life" by being converted into UltraTouch natural cotton fiber insulation and donated to communities in need.

In exchange for the jeans you donate, get 30% off of a new blue jean purchase from Gap, GapKids, or babyGap through March 14, 2010. When you use your Old Navy, Gap or Banana Republic credit card to make a purchase, get an aditional 5% off.

The "Recycle Your Blues" event is featured on Cotton's From Blue to Green site where you can read more about the history of the program, the process, and find out how to get involved. Visit Gap to see if your local storeis participating.

For more information about the Blue to Green Campaign please visit www.cottonfrombluetogreen.org

EconoGreen Trash Bags

I'm always on the lookout for products and ways in general to be slightly more eco-chic today than I was yesterday. It may sound silly, but every time I drudge to the trash container to drop in my trash bags, I feel a little bit guilty. Even with all of the items I recycle, there are items it's impossible not to throw away.

So, imagine my delight when I was asked to try out environmentally friendly and biodegradable trash bags.

I received a set of sample bags, which ranged from small trash can liners to huge yard and lawn size bags. My fiance and I put them all to the test lining bathroom and kitchen liners with the various types of bags and even stuffing a big pile of clothes into one to be dropped off for donation.

The quality of the bags are superb. Since they're 100% biodegradable, you may expect that they are less sturdy or downright flimsy, but these bags are far from it. Each bag held up to its duty without ripping, tearing or stretching until a hole formed in it. I also felt a lot less guilty when traipsing off to the trash bin with it. I urge you to check them out for yourself at Econogreen.com. You can also buy the bags at local stores such as Home Depot.

The Winter Olympics 2010 Look Good in Green

Read all about it now

Organic Farming

Check out this interesting article on organic farming

Does Organic Farming Need Soil? Aquaponics May Be Excluded

5 Ways to Reuse Cans

If you drink a lot of canned soda, you may be able to do more with your leftover cans than toss them in the recycling bin. If, for some reason, you don’t recycle, then these are definite ways you should reuse cans so they don’t wind up in the landfill.

Belt It

With the tabs from soda cans and some string, you can create a retro belt. Check out the
pattern and instructions on how to make your retro belt at Budget Living Magazine.

Make a Money Holder

You can turn two aluminum cans and packaging or duct tape into a wallet. You’ll also need a pair of scissors, a felt tip pen and some sandpaper. Check out the pattern for this rad and probably indestructible wallet.

Holiday Ornaments

No need to spend money on Christmas tree ornaments. Start to save your aluminum cans around the holidays and create your own festive tree decorations. Refer to the Little House in the Suburbs details to see how to create your own ornaments.

Jewelry

Several different pieces of jewelry can be transformed from aluminum cans. Here is a pattern for earrings that are made from aluminum cans, kitchen shears, jump rings, earring hooks, acrylic paints and finish varnish.

Fashionable Purse

No outfit is complete for a lady without a handbag. The soda can purse is sure to turn many heads. Women and men alike will probably inquire as to where you bought such a treasure.

Be Evergreen Green

Going green is certainly not a new phenomenon. It is, however, a movement that has more riders on the wave than ever before. It may seem as if someone is always coming up with a new way to go green, but the truth of the matter is that there are some foundational ways you can go and remain green, year after year.

Create Less Waste

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a staggering figure that between 1960 and 2007, waste production per person has doubled from 2.7 pounds per day to 4.7 pounds per day. Figure out all of the ways you can create less waste by recycling, composting and reusing as many items as possible.

Reuse

Many of the items that end up in the trash can be reused. You may not be able to (or want to) reuse them in the same manner you did the first time. Here are some ways to reuse items to get you started, but use your own imagination to figure out all of the ways you can reuse items rather than throw them away.

Turn old t-shirts into:
• Cleaning rags
• Shopping bags
• Pillowcase
• Rag rug
• Quilt
• Scarf

Recycle

The EPA also says that 75% of what we throw away could be recycled. The bottom line here is to get a recycling bin and use it. Put anything and everything in the recycling bin that can be recycled.

Compost Items

Create a compost and then throw food scraps and yard waste in it. Composting adds nutrients and moisture to the soil, which also means you have to use less water to keep it looking good and to keep the yard alive. Composting also tightens the soil in a manner that keeps contaminants from spreading.

Recycle before You Recycle

When you buy packaged items at the store, think about the packaging or other parts that will end up in the garbage or what can be reused or recycled. Try to find and buy items that are packaged in a manner than can be recycled or reused in some manner. For example, a crafter may look at a package of gourmet dog biscuits that includes ribbon and a plastic box container and see a new clear storage box for her colored pencils and markers and a ribbon to add to her latest greeting card creation. So, think before you purchase.

American Wind Energy Association Puts the Spotlight on Green Jobs

Is it possible that wind turbines can not only save the environment, but save the economy at the same time? The American Wind Energy Association seems to think so and it’s telling the world what it thinks with a new campaign that includes TV and online video ads. The purpose of the campaign is to promote a national renewable energy policy with a focus on how we can rebuild the economy, “One bolt at a time, one worker at a time, one factory at a time—all building wind turbines and creating thousands of new jobs.”

The American Wind Energy Association believes that a national renewable energy policy could be the foundation that creates hundreds of thousands of jobs in the U.S. and generates billions of dollars in revenue – ultimately stimulating the economy and putting a halt to increasing unemployment rate.

The Campaign

• A 30-second TV commercial, featuring Cardinal Fastener workers at a Bedford Heights, Ohio plant that makes bolts for wind turbines and other industrial products
• Two ads playing on YouTube featuring interviews with Cardinal Fastener workers, some of whom were laid-off autoworkers, and an interview with the president of Cardinal Fastener, John Grabner, discussing the importance of adopting a strong renewable energy policy

As smart online marketers, the TV commercial and all of the online videos send traffic to the website www.powerofwind.com, which allows visitors to send a message to Congress to let them know they support the Renewable Energy Standard, which a proposed bill calling for 25% of electricity to come from renewable resources by 2025.

4 Criteria of Sustainable Building Materials

Whether you’re looking to build a green home or building or simply interested in how a building can be green, there are four main criteria that must be met in order for a building material to be considered sustainable.

Efficiency: Resource efficiency is the measurement of certain factors of a building material. One of the primary measurements is how much of the material is First, it measures the amount of recycled that makes up the building material. Second, the material has to made up of a natural and renewable source. Third is the local availability of the material so as to cut back on energy and transportation costs.

Indoor air quality: Sustainable building materials cannot contain toxic chemicals that create poor indoor air quality.

Energy efficiency: Sustainable materials that are also energy efficient reduce energy use and consumption. The Environmental Protection Agency introduced its Energy Star Program to endorse appliances that are energy efficient.

Water conservation: Reduction of water use is another characteristic of a sustainable building material.

Using sustainable building materials helps to create home and building environments that are environmentally friendly and healthier for the inhabitants of the structure. Consider these factors for your next building or remodeling project. It makes the world and the building a better place to live, work and play.

The Lifetime of LEDs

One of the main advantages of using LED lights is how long they last. Depending on the quality of the LED light, the lifetime can range between 50,000 and 100,000 hours of use time.

LEDs also do not burn out like other alternative light sources. Instead, LEDs becomes dimmer over time. To date, the longest LED light on the market clocks 35,000 hours, while standard light bulbs only clock 1,000; 8,000 or 10,000 hours.

Happy New Year

Happy Holidays