EcoMerge

How much do you know about being energy efficient?

2009-11-15T19:41:00.000-08:00

After surfing the web, trying to kill time, I came upon a cool site from National Geographics, which has various quizzes you about different environmental topics and is a very fun way to learn different things about the ways you can save energy and how much energy we are unnecessarily wasting. I only got one question wrong. Go to http://www.thegreenguide.com/quizzes to test and see what you really know about the environment.
-Eric M.

Is Vegetable Oil A Cost Effective Alternative?

2009-11-15T14:30:00.000-08:00

Although using vegetable oil as an alternative fuel source is becoming more popular it still has many draw backs and things to improve upon. In the article, "Can I really burn used vegetable oil in my car?", by Ed Grabianowski, answers the question "Is Vegetable Oil Worth the Cost"? The general consensus at this point is no, it is not cost effective. Not only is the oil itself expensive but it is also costly to convert a regular car engine.
The hope is that with more consumers looking for alternative fuel the cost will become more acceptable and cost effective. There are no perfect answers but with education and hard work bio fuels can become a household word.

To read more about cost effectiveness go to this How Stuff Works article.

BioMass: From Waste to Watts.

2009-11-15T09:23:00.000-08:00

Chevron over the past years has been trying to find alternative fuel sources. Their goals are intended to find environmentally friendly energy sources. Their newest project is on Biomass which turns trash into biomass which then goes to bio fuel, which then can be used for fuel for transportation. In conclusion, this short and brief reading can help us to understand where the future is intended to go. This invention would take trash out of our cans and then would end up reducing landfill rise, over time. More info on this can be found at none other then www.chevron.com/deliveringenergy/ biofuels/ Author: C. Kempton

Energy Island?

2009-11-12T09:50:00.000-08:00

Wow, I just came across this new idea for extracting energy from alternative sources. “The Energy Island Group is a partnership of experts in marine architecture and engineering, infrastructure, project design and management, applied to all forms of energies available at sea: wind, wave and solar, with a particular interest in Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion” (www.energyisland.com)

Energy Island gathers energy from several natural resources all at once. My favorite part of this concept is that this type of station actually releases cooler temperatures as opposed to warmer ones. This is important nowadays because of the global warming issue. Humans still need to gather energy, but the way we are doing it now is adding to the global warming problem, which doesn’t really help in the future.

There are some small environmental impacts that are being addressed right now. This island draws up water from below are uses the temperatures to convert energy. When this machine draws up water all marine life is filtered out harmlessly except for phytoplankton, which are too small to get filtered. This phytoplankton can still be used for fish farming, but what are they effects of removing all these species? This is under consideration now.

Please check out this video, which explains Energy Island as well as shows some pictures that help you to understand the workings of this project.

Last year best for energy efficiency

2009-11-11T18:16:00.000-08:00

Last year, 2008, was the best year in the Northwest last year for being energy efficient. According to Northwest Power and Conservation Council, energy usage was cut by an equivalent to 148,000 houses, which is credited mainly to the switching to compact fluorescent lights in households, which contributed to about two-thirds of the reduction.
To view the full article, go to: http://www.kgw.com/environment/stories/kg_103109_green_energy_efficiency.270c78877.html.
-Eric M.

Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency

2009-11-11T16:43:00.000-08:00

Now is the time to energize your home. A tax credit of up to $1,500 in 2009 and 2010 is available for many energy efficient projects and purchases for existing homes. These tax credits are available for such items as windows, doors, roofs, and water heaters among others. In addition tax credits for 30% of the cost at no upper limit through 2016 are available for new construction and existing homes for projects such as geothermal heat pumps and solar water heaters. Other rebates may be available for the purchase of Energy Star appliance such as air conditioning units. More information will be available on the Energy Star credits in late 2009 and early 2010. In any case, save your receipts! More information is available at http://www.energy.gov/taxbreaks.htm

Ethanol vs Gasoline

2009-11-09T13:24:00.000-08:00

There is a lot of different perspectives when it comes to Ethanol and Gasoline. Ethanol is still being looked into as far as how safe it is to our environment in the long run. Ethanol comes from corn which would seem like it would be better for the environment in a whole. Gasoline on the other hand comes from oil which starts out as a crude oil and then is refined into gasoline. The emissions departments through out the country have raised the bar on a part called an catalytic converter which supposed to cut down on the air pollution but , for the long run we do not know for sure. Just a little few for thought. C. Kempton

What is the Best kind of Wood to Burn?

2009-11-08T22:26:00.000-08:00

When the leaves begin to fall shortly after that the temp falls leaving us with a decision to make. How to heat the house? Many of us use wood to fuel our heat source at home. Sometimes we want that hot fire that puts out extreme heat. Other times we just want a cozy fanned fire setting. I did some research on the two types of fires and found out a few tips that I will be using and you may want to check out for your self too. The Oregon State Forrest recommends to use hard wood for those extreme hot fires. The woods in the list consist of oak, ma drone, eucalyptus or walnut. If you are looking for a wood to maintain the heat or just want that romantic fire they suggest to use lighter woods such as pine etc. I hope that this can and will help some of our readers, and remember keep an eye out fore our Web Site coming shortly....C.Kempton......

Food price spike: Is ethanol to blame?

2009-11-08T16:20:00.000-08:00

By David Goldman, CNNMoney.com staff writer
Last Updated: June 27, 2008: 7:46 AM EDT

A devastated corn crop is likely to exacerbate costs at the grocer. Some people are pointing a finger at the ethanol production laws.

Living in a dairy farming community and having owned a dairy farm in the past, I pay attention to the price of milk and feed that is used to produce the milk. Although feed prices have come down somewhat in the last six months, in the year before, beginning in 2008, prices spiked like crazy and it became a hardship to purchase cattle feed.

One of the reasons for the high feed costs is that the price of corn - a staple ingredient in a variety of foods from cereals to cola and the main ingredient in animal feed -was selling above $7.50 a bushel, about 119% above the price from 2007.

In 2008, the rising price of corn fueled a movement to reduce the amount of corn ethanol that was added to American gasoline.

Ethanol's primary component is corn, so demand for the crop has soared since the ethanol standard was enacted in 2005 and increased with the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. The government passed the legislation in an effort to support the U.S. farm and ethanol industry, to promote cleaner-burning fuels and to reduce the nation's dependence on foreign oil. The backfire of the legislation, was the high price of corn as it became more valuable for fuel than food. Many farmers are barely hanging on as they try to cope with the high feed costs.

To read the entire article, go to http://money.cnn.com/2008/06/27/news/economy/ethanol_food_prices/index.htm

posted by Shelley H

Oil Companies Show Interest in Algae as Fuel

2009-11-08T11:52:00.000-08:00

When the oil companies used to be only interested in pumping crude oil from the ground, they are now being heavily invested in using algae as a alternative fuel source. Such companies include Exxon Mobile, which has invested $600 million into this very new tech. Also Indian Oil is teaming up with PetroAlgae to build research facilities, and later, production facilities to harvest this new form of energy. To view the complete article go to:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10391335-54.html?tag=mncol;title.
-Eric M.

Propane VS. Natural Gas

2009-11-07T21:20:00.000-08:00

I am sure we have all wondered about the differences between "Propane and Natural Gas?" I have done a little bit of research on the two. The biggest difference I found was one consists of a gas called "Methane" that was the biggest factor in the fundamental capabilities these two can offer you. Natural Gas is the one that consist of Methane and it will only put out 1,012 BTU per cubic foot. The brighter side is the Propane, it gets much hotter doubling the heat in an amazing 2,500 BTU per cubic foot. There is really no comparison in which one is most effective.....C.Kempton 2009.

Renewable Petroleum A Replacement for Crude Oil

2009-11-07T20:47:00.000-08:00

I came across a very interesting concept that the company LS9 is developing in the fight for sustainability. Apparently, the acids normally excreted by industrial yeast or nonpathogenic E. coli are only a few molecular stages removed from crude oil. By altering the microorganisms DNA, a process that now only takes weeks and is relatively inexpensive, they excrete renewable petroleum, while feeding on agricultural waste. This product requires much less refining than does crude oil, which is an energy intensive process. Additionally on an environmental note, the process of manufacture is carbon negative, consuming greenhouse gasses rather than emitting them. Theoretically, this could end our dependence on foreign oil, while reducing the cost of gasoline and because the product is interchangeable with oil, a re-engineering of the global infrastructure is unnecessary. LS9 will have a scale plant operating in 2010, while designing a commercial facility to open in 2011.

Learn more about it at Times Online http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article4133668.ece

Fuel For Thought

2009-11-03T15:47:00.001-08:00

Energy Trust of Oregon in a partnership with Portland General Electric, has created a calendar of events for home owners and those curious about energy savings. Classes and workshops for residential topics are located throughout the Portland area and are generally free to PGE customers (with a small fee for those who aren’t).

This interactive calendar allows users to learn about seminars or workshops that are relevant to them. Among many others listed, the calendar boasts informative lectures on the use and savings associated with solar panels, the hidden electricity costs in one’s home and how to reduce those costs.

If you’re a home-owner, or just curious about how you can save money on electricity this is a good place to start.

http://www.energytrust.org/news-events/calendar-application/

Current Types of Fuels!

2009-11-02T00:35:00.000-08:00

There are many types of fuels that are out at this time for one to choose from. It does not matter if you are heating your home, fueling your car, barbecuing or supplying electricity for your home. The main thing is that there is going to be a web site developed by Portland State students that will cover all of these sources in full detail. We will cover all available materials such as, charcoal, coal, corn, electricity, firewood, gasoline, kerosene, natural gas, oil #2 for heating, pellets, propane and wood 15% H20. It seems like a lot of information, but we will sort it all out for you, all you need to do is wait patiently and our site will be up and running soon. The details of this site will include comparing these fuels in there environmentally friendliness, best for your buck, which is best for you and which ones are available according to where you live. Stay tuned for more, it will get exciting!!!!! Thanks C.Kempton

The Most Efficient Ways of Transportation

2009-11-01T21:56:00.000-08:00

There is much debate today of what is the best way to get around. We can all walk, but it is not in the cards for most of us. What I mean is, it would be hard to walk the kids to school, grocery shop,and get to work on time. If you have a long commute to work there is no possible way to have enough "energy" you get the point? For some of us, we are able to walk to get to where it is that we need to go. For the ones that this is less realistic, I have a couple of suggestions for the Eco friendly ones. The most efficient type of transportation at this time is the "Electric Car" It is basically powered mostly by electricity and is very nice to our environment! I know that these vehicles are still pretty pricey, but over time it is something that will go down in price. My second alternative for maybe after the kids get dropped off at school is the "good old fashion bicycle" it is probably the most environmentally friendly type of transportation available and it is good for your heart. C.Kempton

The Most "Effcient" Water Heater For You

2009-11-01T20:43:00.000-08:00

In this day and age we are all concerned with where our money goes. We all try to make the best buying decisions as possible. Most of us gather our information via sales people, friends, research and our very own instinct. Water heaters come in all shapes and sizes and so due the bills if we are not careful! There are so many choices when it comes to buying anything now days. There are just as many choice when purchasing a water heater. Our questions range from water capacity, watts used, energy efficient, warranty, and Eco friendly "oh" and price. How is one able to get exactly what they are looking for? There are so many tricks and dishonest information out there that it is almost a thing most of us do not like to talk about. Well I am here to tell you that there is a web site that anyone can go to and it has all the true and current information on water heaters. They explain brands, sizes, Eco friendliness, best deals, and it is all to the best of their knowledge. The best part is it is a U.S. Department of energy site. It goes by the title "Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

Savings for Consumers and Saving the Environment

2009-10-26T18:18:00.000-07:00

Saving energy in the future may be possible with washing machines that use less water.

There is a prototype washing machine that uses 90 percent less water than current washers do, which could make sustainability easier in the future. Nylon beads replace the water. The polarized molecules in the nylon beads attract dirt, then separate enough to allow that dirt to become trapped inside, thus requiring less water than standard washers do.

Less water means less energy to purify, heat, and transport it. Plans are underway to use these machines in commercial laundries sometime during next year and someday they may be available for in home use. This would have a great effect on consumer energy bills.

To learn more, read the entire article in Popular Science at http://www.popsci.com/gadgets/article/2009-10/clean-your-clothes-plastic .

Biodiesel

2009-10-24T14:51:00.000-07:00

To make a vehicle work some sort of energy must be used. Gasoline and diesel are the normal sources but other products are coming to the forefront of alternative fuels. As the cost of conventional fuel rises consumers are demanding cheaper and more environmentally friendly ways to run their vehicles.
In the article, “Grease Guzzlers”, by Zachary Gonzalez-Landis we learn about this alternative fuel. Diesel engines are being converted to run on vegetable oil. “Vegetable oils are biofuels, renewable raw materials from which one can extract the same kind of energy as found in fossil fuels, such as natural gas and coal”. The process of converting a diesel engine is actually often less than buying a new car. Besides the cost effectiveness of SVO or straight vegetable oil the benefits to the environment are astounding. “It’s a recycled resource; reduces air pollution and greenhouse gases; biodegrades and is non-toxic; decreases dependence on imported oil; and offers better fuel economy than diesel. Overall, biodiesel presents the lowest carbon footprint of any alternative fuel. And it’s cheaper”.
The only downfall is the lack of diesel vehicles in the United States. According to the article less than five percent of all cars in the U.S. run on diesel. How can we get the U.S. to take advantage of this cost saving environmentally friendly alternative? Any ideas?

Check out inthesetimes.com to read the rest of this informative article.

In Between

2009-10-18T00:26:00.002-07:00

It seems that who ever you are and where ever you live you depend on different sources of energy. These sources range from gasoline, diesel, propane, electricity, charcoal and wood. All of these sources are linked to something that we all need or use. The things we need or decide to use have limited options at this point and time. There are those of us that have limited choices depending on our demographic location or economical status. We all would like to see an alternative to fuel. This may be for different reasons like the price, environment or other reasons. What ever the reason may be we are limited to sources as of now. There are the obvious ways to save money on energy. If you are a consumer of fuel you may think drive less, carpool,or find an alternative station with lower prices. All of these products cost money and the supply and demand controls there price.
What if we found ways to utilize and get the most out of the product we need or choose to use? For example, we all use electricity and depend on it for most household objects. The power companies look for more efficient ways to generate power and we as consumers try and manipulate the use as much as we can. We may by products that say more efficient or turn things off when we are done with them, but there is something in between that company and our product. How many of you recycle certain products? What if there was a way to recycle energy? For example, when we use a fan we use energy to run it and when we unplug it, it stops working. When energy is used it feeds something to turn on. What ever the thing be that uses this energy, why couldn't the energy being generated from the product be stored in a module in the product? The energy would be recycled. If we run our fan for three hours and unplug it, the module would have three hours of recycled energy stored for use without being plugged in the wall. What this would do is you would be able to cut your power bill in half. It is just an idea, but with the right engineering it could be a step into the future for us.

Alternative Fuels

2009-10-15T13:02:00.000-07:00

When I think about comparing fuels or using alternative fuels I automatically think of cars, and buses. While looking around the Internet I discovered an article about using alternative fuels for airplanes. It makes sense, there are thousands of flights a day and those huge airplanes just fly through fuel, why not use better fuels in the skies as well?

The article Alternative Jet Fuels Put To The Test, we learn that researchers along with NASA are testing 2 types of fuels, both not petroleum based. For these tests the alternative fuels will be used on a DC-8 aircraft. The aircraft will remain on the ground so that the researches can test the exhaust. For these experiments they will use a 50/50 blend of fuels and also a 100 alternative fuel.

I wonder if it would cost more for the airline to use alternative fuels? Would you as a passenger be willing pay more per ticket if your airline was more environmentally friendly? Could it be cheaper to produce these fuels?

NASA/Langley Research Center. "Alternative Jet Fuels Put To The Test." ScienceDaily 1 February 2009. 15 October 2009

Comparing Fuels

2009-10-10T19:09:00.000-07:00

According to Alan Boyle’s article Energy Guru says Green needn’t be Grim, Amory Lovins has concluded that America’s future energy needs could actually be met without the use of fossil fuels or nuclear power. Lovins believes that there are more efficient and less costly modes of energy available to us all, but it will take considerable revamping of the current power grid, and revenue. Nevertheless, the results would ultimately produce large returns. Technological advances making consumer products more energy efficient will cut operational expenses for the consumer. Lovins wants to see changes in the way America conducts the business of energy. Rather than relying on current tax breaks, subsidies and other federally mandated economic maneuvers. Lovins wants to see honest and fair prices not biased against technology, location or ownership, thus allowing Americans to produce and save energy.

Thanks for the memories...

2009-08-16T21:16:00.000-07:00

I would like to just take a moment to thank all the people who have been a part of this project. We have all worked extremely hard to present an interesting and factual website. I hope that all the people who come to this website and read the Blogs will benefit from this work.
To the people who are going to be reading all of this information, I hope that you not only learn a lot of new and useful things but I hope that it gets you to thinking about how you can put this new information to use. And I hope that maybe this kind of thinking can lead to new and wonderful ideas that go far beyond these steps.
I hope that everyone who has been touched by this project has benefited the way that I have. Thank you to my classmates for making this such a positive experience. And, thank you to everyone else for showing an interest in this very important and interesting subject. Bye.

Just beginning...

2009-08-16T21:14:00.000-07:00

As much as we have learned about the possible economic and ecologic benefits for automobiles, this is just the beginning. Automobiles are just one area that we need to look at for changing our energy usage. We also need to look at our homes and other buildings.
Think about it, how many of our homes leak energy? How many of our homes waste water? What a waste of money! While searching the internet for more information on automobile technologies I came across my new obsession, the Zero Energy Home.
This new way of construction takes into account many factors like the general area of the build as well and the immediate surroundings. It applies everything from energy efficient construction material to solar panels. When the home is done it is, if not completely energy efficient, than it is nearly so.
When I began reading about this I felt that homes and other buildings such as apartments, hospitals, and colleges could be built in the future using this idea. Older less efficient buildings could be retrofitted to become more efficient. These thoughts all came together with something I had been thinking about for a long time, I had the idea of trying to get my community to start a program for putting solar panels on the roofs of buildings. Another thought was to get to town to build those windmills that produce power. We could also start a water reclamation project. The two things that my community has an abundance of are wind and rain. My idea was to make this a community project instead of depending on individuals.

Vegetable Oil as Fuel

2009-08-16T03:03:00.000-07:00

One of the many alternatives offered presently to spending a lot of money at the pumps, is to convert your vehicle to run on vegetable oil. There are both pros and cons to using vegetable oil as an alternative to fuel, and both need to be understood in order to make an informed decision.
Some of the pros would be that vegetable is readily available, so long as you are near a restaurant that deep fries their food. All you would need is a diesel oil conversion kit to start pumping the filtered oil into your vehicle. Vegetable oil is also renewable and usually free. Vehicles using vegetable oil paired with their biodiesel/diesel counterparts also reduces air pollution and increases the vehicles range.
With pros being stated, that just leaves two cons. The first con being that the conversion kits are costly, running anywhere from $800 to $1,600 for the kit and installation. Furthermore, the need for the second tank, since the first will hold the diesel and the second the vegetable oil, which can be quite large, can take up a large amount of trunk space.
The second con is the upkeep required to maintain the newly converted vehicle. Finding and storing vegetable oil and maintaining the lines within the vehicle so that they do not get clogged can be a timely task. Fortunately, there are new kits available that not only self-clean, so to speak, but also only require the use of the vehicle’s original gas tank.
For more information, please hit the following links.

http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_svo.html

http://www.grit.com/uploadedImages/GRT/articles/e-news/2009-03-01/iVegetableOilFuel.jpg

What about the Future?

2009-08-16T00:24:00.000-07:00

For more than thirty years, people who have talked about the environment have been considered to be alarmists and extremists. Only now do we start to listen to these people and understand that we really do need to change our ways. But this issue is beyond just this one issue.
The environment is only one issue that confronts us. What we need to consider is that oil is running out. As the supply dries up the prices for the remaining amounts will skyrocket. People will not be able drive their cars or heat their homes. Transportation costs for food and other supplies will escalate. Jobs will dry up and industry will crumble. What we saw over that past few years will be a fond memory.
The only way that we can stop this from happening is to create new and effective industry that will need to be in place before all this happens. By making these industries environmentally friendly we will be stopping, or at least slowing, environmental degradation. New technology will bring about new industry. New industry will create new jobs. New construction techniques will allow for cleaner and less expensive living.
We can no longer hold back. If these and any future technologies are not in place within the next few years it may be too late. I only hope that this Blog and the adjoining website will inspire people to take these first few steps to begin this journey.