The E-Cloth is a polyester & polyamide blend. The polyester is supposed to scrub and clean, while the small portion of polyamide, a nylon byproduct, should absorb the water. It works because of this blend and due to the fine nature of the fabric. It is this fineness that is able to break up the ‘dirt’ and then absorb it along with the water. This type of fabric is called a “microfiber” but the company indicates that not all microfibers are created equal.

Now as a skeptic of a “one size fits all” perspective, I was curious to know if the E-Cloth could truly clean kitchens, bathrooms, and cars equally. Although they have developed a few more ’specific’ cloths since my all out investigation, I found that shockingly it does. I used it to dust, clean dirty stoves, and even wash part of a friend’s car with the E-cloth. All I needed to do was through it in the wash or a bucket to rinse it out and it was ready for the next challenge.

I highly recommend this as a one time investment if the regime of old rags isn’t cutting it. If you are sensitive to dust or other indoor pollutants, the E-cloth is a very good solution. I know many individuals with asthma or environmental sensitivities that use this product as well. It can reduce the amount of time you spend reading cleaning labels. Of course home-brewed cleaning recipes and old rags work well too. But for those who want to cut paper towels out of their own consumer report along with cleaning rags that spread in place of clean the dirt, the E-Cloth could be a great addition to your home.

There is a constant struggle between both sides about the legality of the whaling operations.  The conservationists believe that the whalers are illegally hunting the whales in a whale sanctuary and are using research as a way to be able to freely hunt the whales.  The whalers believe quite the contrary and that the Sea Shephards acts are reckless.

Sea Shepherd

The head of the organization is Captain Paul Watson who has spent the last 40 years in protecting wildlife.  Paul is also a co-founder of greenpeace and created the Sea Shephards in an attempt to protect marine wildlife.  In order to stop the whalers from continuing their work, the members use a variety of tactics including attempts to block and disable the Japanese vessels and throwing butyric acid bottles onto their ships.  Don’t be alarmed by the name butyric acid, it’s no more than a glorified stink bomb produced from rotting butter that is intended to taint any whale meat so that it is no longer sellable.

The Show

Discovery decided to do a documentary on the battle between the two sides in late 2008.  Film crews are on their main ship the Steve Irwin to give some insight into the organizations efforts.  Here is a trailer of the series from what it first started:

Both sides of this war have been criticized heavily by different groups.  I began watching this show in its second season last year and have been captivated by it since.  Even though many criticize the group for being careless and sometimes reckless, all of the people aboard the Steve Irwin show deep passion to save the lives of these animals.  Regardless of how you feel about either side of the issue, this show is definitely worth watching.  Keep any eye out for the upcoming season during the Summer of 2010.

Photo by silveraquarius.

There are so many different ways while we are in the shower that contribute to it be longer than it should be.  Here are some great ways to make those showers shorter and help reduce your monthly water and energy bills.

Don’t Zone Out

It sounds bad to suggest not to think, but thinking too much in the shower can cost you time.  It’s so easy to lose track of time and just think about the things that transpired during the day or random thoughts.  I tend to do this too often and I mentioned above.  It’s one of those things that I avoid at all costs to keep my shower times short.  Try you best to focus on the task and finish your showers without letting the calm noise of the water let you thoughts take over.

Cold Showers

Taking a cold shower can dramatically help speed the process.  Think of every time the shower gets cold and how fast you move to get out of the shower.  If the entire shower were cold, it would be difficult to even do anything but hurry along and get out.  Beyond that, taking colder showers helps reduce energy bills and can even have positive health benefits.

Avoid Warming Up

So many people stand around in the shower just to warm themselves up, especially during the winter.  A good suggestion to avoid this problem is to wear more clothing around the house during those cold months.  Even if you do take a short shower that is hot, you will be warm by the end of it.

Only Shower

Showering is not the main priority when some people shower.  I have heard of people brushing their teeth, shaving, sing and so many other activities.  All of these only contribute to a longer shower and can easily be done outside of the shower without the need for water to be continually running.

We are all guilty of many of these things that keep us in the shower longer than we need to.  Be conscious of each of them and hopefully you can reduce your shower time while saving a little cash in the meantime.

Hand dryers are usually consider to be the more environmentally friendly of the two.  A single machine can last for up to ten years, but you still have to consider the other factors involved.  The device itself is made from a variety of metals, all of which have an environmental impact.  The biggest factor would have to be the energy use. Many traditional hand dryers use over 2000 watts of energy when in use, sometimes for as much as 30 seconds.  With moderate use, that can add up to approximately 7,000 kWh of electricity over its ten year life span.

Just as with the paper towels in your home, those used in public restrooms are just as wasteful.  They cannot be reused or recycled and are often less cost effective that a hand dryer.  Even if the paper towels are made from recycled materials, they still require lots of energy to make and have shipped to the location.  All those paper towels also have to go somewhere, adding to the already massive problem of landfill waste.  One benefit over the hand dryer is that they require no energy to use.

Carbon Emissions

One factor for both methods that needs to be considered is how much carbon emissions are created for the entire lifecycle of the product.

Photo by McGraw Hill Construction.

As you can see from the above chart, using a standard dryer as compared with non-recycled paper towels emit about the same amount of carbon.  Recycled paper towels do have much less emissions, but still amounts to a considerable amount of carbon emissions.

The Best Option?

Neither option seems great, but I would have to give the edge to hand dryers.  As you can see from the left side of the chart, a high efficient hand dryer like the Excel XLERATOR uses a fraction of the energy that traditional hand dryers use.  This is because they are over 80% more energy efficient as well as much more effective at drying.

The only problem is that many restrooms are not fitted with these advanced hand dryers.  The next best option is to have a person hand towel that you take in the bathroom with you.  This allows you to avoid both methods, while still being able to dry off your hands.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, find any bugs with the widgets or have trouble putting them on your site. I am also open to making new widgets or adding new colors to custom fit your site.

About Clearlite

Back in 2005, both Tom Irvine and Lisa Niedermeyer wanted to find a solution for those wanted to go eco-friendly with lightbulbs without the risks associated with CFLs.  That’s when they formed the company and came up with a safer CFL that are liquid mercury free.  They also created their ArmorLite coating that keeps your family safe from dangerous glass or toxins with the bulbs.  The coating is made of a silicon composite that keeps all the internals enclosed within the bulb.  Just as with normal CFLs, they last much longer than traditional incandescent bulbs and are fully recyclable.

Lets find out a little about ArmorLite directly from Clearlite:

How does it hold up?

Clearlite has done extensive testing to ensure that a little leakage occurs as possible.  I did a little research to see what kind of reviews the company has received and if any tests were done to determine how well the bulbs hold together.  Concrave did a great comprehensive review of their product along with a test to see how the light bulb would hold up:

Where to Buy?

Overall, Clearlite seems like a great company that are trying to make CFL light bulbs safer.  Amazon has a great selection of their bulbs, but they are a priced a little higher as compared to other CFL bulbs.  If you have a family with small kids, the extra cost seems well worth any exposure to mercury.

If you have used a Clearlite bulb, please share your experience with their products.