Some More Comments On Going Green
By · CommentsWhenever I write something about “going green”, like in my previous post, I almost universally get two different responses from people. Either they basically agree and have some more eco friendly tips and tricks of their own to contribute or they say something like: “Yes, I guess you are basically right but I can’t afford to do it – especially not in this economic climate”.
I certainly understand that your personal finances dictate what environmentally friendly changes can actually be accomplished when it comes to things like buying a new car or drastically remodeling your home.
But what I find odd is that I seem to always get this response even when I write an article in which 4 out of 5 of my suggestions will actually save you money. It is as if though some people follow the rationale that if they can’t go all out and be 100% eco friendly they might as well not go green at all.
This is a typical example of the “declaring yourself powerless” routine I was getting at in my last post.
I can’t help but compare this line of thought to someone who is occasionally trying to follow a healthy diet but in a moment of weakness eat that pizza slice anyway – and “as they dropped the ball anyway” they use that as an excuse for also devouring a super size bag of potato chips and a carton of premium ice cream.
Regardless if you are going green or dieting that kind of behavior is not going to yield any positive results.
It goes without saying that meeting the global goals for reduced carbon dioxide emissions is going to cost a lot of money. This is evident in the struggle to reach any kind of international agreement on the matter.
But as an individual you can do lots of things that will not cost you anything more than a bit of extra awareness. Sometimes you can make a positive difference merely by making better bad choices.
When it comes to the bigger and more expensive choices one would of course hope that governments worldwide do their part to encourage green alternatives through various tax cuts and financial aides.
Is Going Green Only A Luxury Problem?
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Have you analyzed how YOU feel about global warming?
It can hardly have escaped anyone that “going green” is a very trendy subject right now. In the wake of Al Gore’s movie An Inconvenient Truth celebrities and average citizens alike are doing what they can to lead a more eco friendly life.
As our entire western lifestyle is more or less built upon an endless supply of natural resources like oil and coal the going is somewhat tough right now. And to make matters worse there are also people who like to do everything in their power to spread the word that global warming isn’t happening at all – or at least they stress that any changes possibly taking place right now aren’t caused by humanity.
In other words they want to reduce the problems of unsustainable lifestyle, pollution and global warming to actually being some kind of luxury problem. Merely a fad that smart marketers are now making a quick buck from – selling everything from carbon emission rights to new kinds of light bulbs.
Some would almost have you believe that the green movement is nothing more than some kind of new age religion.
A very good site to visit if you want to learn more about what really gives in this debate is how to talk to a climate sceptic. In fact, I would almost consider this mandatory reading before making any public comment about global warming and climate change.
Besides the common arguments and fallacies discussed (in great detail and fully referenced) at the above site an attitude I have come across often enough is something like.
“It doesn’t really matter - we will end up destroying earth anyway.”
The best explanation for that kind of black and white reasoning I can come up with is that it is used as a kind of mental self defense. A person expressing something along those lines have probably understood the very real threats to our environment perfectly well.
Seeing how the western lifestyle is the cause of many of these problems the person is thus faced with a delicate dilemma: On the one hand he wants to be a good citizen and do what he can to help, but this might on the other hand mean having to face the difficulty of actually changing the lifestyle he really can’t even imagine being without.
One way to solve this mental conflict is to whip out the “it doesn’t matter anyway” argument, which essentially is used to declare yourself powerless in the matter. However, in reality it is nothing but a rather poor excuse for not having to do anything about your lifestyle.
Because learning how to go green is by no means impossible. Like anything worthwhile it will naturally take some time and effort to implement, so we had better start by doing what we can today.
The vast majority of climate scientists agree that the accelerated change in climate we are now experiencing is to a significant extent caused by human activities. If we don’t make any changes to our way of living it is not a question of if we are indeed facing some kind of disaster, but how quickly it will become a reality and exactly where it will have the most devastating effects.
So in conclusion – no, going green can definitely not be reduced to something that you do purely out of personal vanity. If eco friendly living happens to make you feel better about yourself that is just a nice bonus.
Photo credit: ItzaFineDay
The Advantages Of Residential Metal Roofing
By · CommentsIn one of my previous posts I talked about concrete – the foundation of almost any construction. Moving briskly along (from foundation to laying the roof) I thought I would make today’s post about the growing popularity of residential metal roofing.
Because the various types of metal roofing have indeed won a lot of recognition during the past few decades. According to some leading metal roofing makers, this alternative is incomparably more advantageous than roofing done historically with asphalt shingle roofing and composition roofing materials. Be that as it may, home metal roofing is growing continuously and is more frequently adopted by individual home owners because of better marketing and price as well as for the qualities and advantages of metal as a roofing material.
Perhaps the most vital advantage and reason for the development of residential metal roofing is the sturdiness of the material. Once fitted with a metal roof, you can be certain that it’ll last almost forever. Metal is synonymous with strength and toughness. But as a roofing material, strength is only one of the advantages of metal roofs.
Another advantage that home metal roofing gets its popularity from is that metal, thanks to creativity, has been improved, modified and applied in a new way to meet the requirements of roofing. And modern manufacturers have certainly not forgotten about the style aspect either.
Reasonable Costs
Metal roofing costs are exceptionally reasonable due to the fact that a metal roof is an everlasting one; depending on the type a metal roof can last anywhere from 50 to 100 years or even longer. In any case the life-cycle costs are significantly lower than in the case of other traditional roofing materials. In as far as the aesthetics is concerned, metal roofing comes in a selection of styles and colors to fit your private preference, which is another powerful point to extend metal roofing’s appeal to a broader audience.
Metal roofing is becoming a common sight in residential areas. Don't know quite what to think about these particular colors though...
Another positive aspect about metal roofing, that has a bunch to do with nowadays hotly debated topics of environment, resource depletion etc, is that it is environmentally correct. Metal roofing can be made of recycled material and it is one hundred percent recyclable. On top of that it is energy efficient as well. Therefore, residential metal roofing adds another layer of attraction for potential individual customers.
One concern that some people may have has to do with thermal movement. Movement caused by differences in temperature may cause objectionable noises in some roofs, particularly for large roofs and/or curved roof surfaces. In practice this is a very rare phenomenon however, as experienced designers usually know how to compensate for this effect.
In conclusion modern metal roofing is easily installed and offers longevity, energy savings and remarkable sturdiness, even under intense weather conditions. It is clearly an alternative you should consider when constructing a roof for your home.
Photo credit: David Paul Ohmer
Good Fall Lawn Care Literally Means Greener Grass
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Getting rid of autumn leaves is only one important component of the year long lawn care schedule.
In many areas of the world it is now time to tend to the fall lawn care. In order to have really flourishing grass growing in your yard, the lawn care schedule really is a year around affair.
The schedule of yard care is pretty much well accepted for the spring and summer months with a continuous routine of mowing, fertilizing and weed control. When fall comes along you must think about post emergent, and other fall lawn care techniques such as raking leaves, to prepare the yard for the winter and to cut back on the feasibility of weeds taking root in the milder fall weeks. By continuing to have a plan for care and upkeep of your yard month after month, you cut down on the work of lawn care when things get active again next year. And in doing so your lawn stays healthier and more plentiful year round.
It isn’t tough to start to plan for how you may take care of your lawn as the growing season comes along. As the grass starts to become green in the spring and you begin to see things to be done like attend to weeds, the need to get out there weekends and look after it is something that you and all your neighbors experience. The truth is, however, that the only way to do a fairly good job of caring for your lawn is to have a schedule that goes year round and to attend to the requirements of your living yard in every season of the year.
Of course as you may expect the winter months are going to be less active where what you do for your yard does not call for you to be out there cutting and fertilizing it each weekend. That is why the winter months are good times to get the upkeep done to your lawn mower and to make preparations for the more active months in the spring. It’s also a fun time to inspect the yard to determine if there are places where you’ll be seeding or working to help the grass fill in when the grass comes to life in the spring.
Depending on your climate in the deep winter, your principal objective might be just to stand by for spring and to try to minimize the damage from freezing. That suggests trying to keep from walking, driving or using various tools on a cold yard to cut back on braking the grass stalks before they can regenerate in the spring. If your climate is milder or if you have those occasional “Indian summers”, it is usually good to include a maintenance mow in your fall lawn care schedule in order to clean up the fallen leaves and to open up the yard for further growth in the spring. You may also “aureate” the soil by walking the yard down with peaked shoes on in the late fall or days when the weather is milder. This permits oxygen to get down into the soil which inspires irrigation and growth year round.
Late winter and early spring then is the time to get out before the other things you do not want in your yard. So starting early with a good pre-emergent weed killer with some early spring manure gives your yard an early lead on coming in full with less interference from weeds. This is also an excellent time to get out there with the rake to get up any remaining leaves and other debris from the fall and winter. The raking can also stimulate the soil which encourages growth.
If you set up a schedule along the lines mentioned above, the grass will always be greener on your side – quite literally.
Photo credit: future15pic
How To Get Even More Efficient Ceiling Fans
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Even ceiling fans can be made more energy efficient.
Energy conservation is a trendy word these days, and much is being done in order to cut down on consumption in the average home. Changing to new eco friendly light bulbs and turning down the thermostat a notch during the winter months are given changes, but there are many small things that you probably haven’t thought about (me neither). Do you have energy efficient ceiling fans for example?
Isn’t that question a bit redundant, I hear you ask. Because after all, a ceiling fan is meant to be an energy-saving device in itself is it not? For one thing, it takes less electricity to operate than that employed by an air conditioner. It can help in reducing heating costs for a room in winter, by pushing hotter air down from the ceiling and into the living area. In a similar way, while it might not lower precise room temperature in summer, it does circulate the air, permitting enough of a breeze that those in the room get some refreshing cool air.
So isn’t that your energy saving right there? Basically, it is definitely possible to save still more, so that even the ceiling fan itself runs more effectively in its own right. The ENERGY STAR system of factors for energy potency, used both in Canada and the U. S. , has been applied to the design and performance of ceiling fans, just as it has got to appliances and other devices that use electricity.
During the past few years, many enhancements have been made in ceiling fan design, these changes being applied to everything from the way in which the motor is put together to the shape and materials of the blades. Those fans that qualify for the ENERGY STAR rating work smoother, consume less energy, and yet give better performance. In the opinion of some folks, they use up to fifty percent less electricity than the standard fans, but still frequently circulate as much as 25% more air.
If they used only as much electricity as a regular light bulb before, as some have said, think how tiny is utilized by the energy-efficient fans!
And speaking of light bulbs…
Any ceiling fan can come with a light fitting as well as the revolving blades, and even here, enhancements have been made. In the same way that compact fluorescent light bulbs (or CFLs) can replace traditional bulbs in other lamps, they can be employed in ceiling fan lights as well. There are now fan units that are fully ENERGY STAR qualified, from the operation of the motor and blades themselves, all the way down to the attached lighting system. Or if you need to add a light fitting to a fan that doesn’t have one, even some individual light kits are now qualified.
The sole thing you’d need to check is whether your fan uses a dimmer, because not every CFL is intended to be used with one. And if you just substitute a CFL for the prior traditional bulb, you will find the way the light generates from it’s a bit different.
The first bulb coverings were likely built to reflect the more diffused light pattern of incandescents. If you are purchasing a new fan, it would just be better to get one that’s expressly designed to be used with CFLs to start with, and you will not have to make allowances for these differences.
The CFL bulbs will add just that much more energy saving to your use of the fan. Not only do they themselves use less electricity than older-style bulbs, but you will not have to replace them as frequently that will cut back the consumption of stuff like packaging too. It’s tough to imagine, isn’t it, that there may be so much energy saving from only one fan? But as folk in society move toward more efficient solutions and overall do a great deal to improve energy conservation, even something as tiny as a ceiling fan can add to the total effect.
And to top things off, you will get better service from it. It’s a win-win situation. 
Photo credit: Wonderlane
Concrete Price and What It Means For Your Project
By · CommentsWhen you’re about to start any project, step 1 is to get an understanding of the total expenses so you can identify if you can afford the project or if your approach to the project is really worth the investment.
As an example, if you’ve got a cracked drive, which is the simplest way to go – replace or repair? Lots of how you make that call will have to do with how vital it is that the surface you would like to fix looks really great.
But you’ll also guage the choices based mostly on how long you would like the fix to last and how much you are ready to invest. The choice to put in a new concrete surface is just the sort of project that requires a cost analysis primarily based on today’s costs for each facet of the task. The cost of concrete is definitely a huge part of that cost analysis. Now if we were to try and evaluate what you’ll be paying for concrete, the chances we might miss the mark for your project are pretty powerful. For one thing, the costs you’ll pay for concrete change so widely in different areas of the country and the world that nobody’s estimate of the price is correct for everybody. Just as significantly, just like the rest in our economy, the price you’ll pay for concrete changes with the economy and the laws of demand and supply.
Also, you want to have an idea for the quality of concrete you’ll need for the project you are thinking about.
Outside concrete projects or projects to pave surfaces to support vehicular traffic need to be much harder and rougher than an indoor project. But a project for an area which will be decorated to delight the esthetic eye or that may be a part of a decorators color range would call for a different sort of concrete and maybe one that’s either stampable or already coloured or stained to fit the dcor.
Another giant cost factor will be if you’re going to buy the concrete, mix it yourself and do the whole project as a “DYI” project or if you may engage a pro. Since laying a complicated concrete project regularly calls for special gear and abilities, many times it’s a smarter choice to employ a conctractor to do the job for you. You may have that contractor come out and give you a detailed estimate of the price of the job. When you step thru that guesstimate, you’ll notice the value of the concrete is just one part of many costs that may affect the final guess number. But mostly because contractors can buy wholesale, their costs for all of the building materials will be better than what you can get retail.
Don’t simply go to your shop and price one bag of prepared mix concrete and consider the end of your cost analysis of the project. Stuff like leveling, framing, laying down a foundation for the surface you are installing and other considerations are just as critical as the concrete itself. But concrete is going to be your biggest cost and understanding those costs will be a step in the right direction of your cost benefit analysis of the project.
