The coldest weekend

If my typing looks all jumbled it's probably because I'm typing with gloves on, brrr. What a cold weekend we had. Our furnace ran out of fuel on Saturday evening and we thought we might suffer a full day without ... out. We almost broke down last night and bought an expensive electric one but I told Seb [more...]

Date: 2009-01-12 09:18:00

Blog posts (111) | Videos (86)
 

windmill ideas and other stuff made from junk

http://www.nepanewsletter.com/zetatalk/ ... og0111.htm SCROUNGING, HOW TRASH MAY BECOME YOUR TREASURE Scrounging is the art of looking for supplies in improbably places, in junkyards, in the trash blown about by hurricane force winds during the pole shift, in cars that can no longer run on gas that is no longer available, [more...]

Date: 2008-10-31 03:02:08

14 Century-Old Environmental Predictions: Where Are They Now?

In the December 1900 issue of Ladies Home Journal, John Elfreth Watkins put together a collection of predictions for the future of the United States and the world by the end of the 20th century. In “What May Happen in the Next Hundred Years”, Watkins surveyed a group of “the wisest and most careful men in our greatest institutions of science and [more...]

Date: 2009-01-01 08:00:13

AUTOMATION (Mar, 1956)

view additional pages AUTOMATION Robot Machines Are Cutting Costs, Boosting Profits and Making Jobs, Bringing More Leisure to Everyone. THOUGH its history is brief, automation already has its own folklore. One of its most widely told legends concerns C.I.O. President Walter P [more...]

Date: 2008-07-08 04:35:34

PG&E COLD WEATHER GAS FURNACE SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY TIPS

10-Point Furnace Safety and Efficiency Checklist Helps Customers Save Energy and Money A chilly cold snap is forecast throughout northern and ... for alignment and rigidity; a small earthquake is all it takes to loosen the flue and allow the products ... that the thermostat is in the off position prior to cleaning. – Clean or replace your furnace [more...]

Date: 2008-12-15 22:59:30

Peter vs. Paul-- Politics of the Nags

When it comes to turning off lights around the house, my wife is a nag (not as a member of the National Association of Gals, but one who incessantly nitpicks on her own). "You're wasting electricity" she will say, approximately thirty eight thousand times per day (give or take). Similarly, the political nags (not NAGs) [more...]

Date: 2009-01-17 22:44:09

Green Home Office Tips

Green Home Office Tips Posted by homeBus on 12/14/08 in Business Owners of businesses both small and large are beginning to take interest in ... to your home.  Get an energy efficient furnace, since you run it more during the day; insulate your home better to prevent heat loss; and consider green power sources such as solar electric systems [more...]

Date: 2008-12-14 12:07:56

DrumBeat: January 16, 2009

Venezuela Says $70 Oil Needed to Maintain Investments (Bloomberg) -- Oil prices need to rise to about $70 a barrel to sustain investment in fields and avoid shortages, Venezuelan Energy and Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez said. The South American country is discussing prices with other members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, [more...]

Date: 2009-01-16 13:53:03

1st burn ban of 2009 in effect in Pierce County

I am on an email notice list with Puget Sound Clean Air Agency and they’ve sent out a notice that the first burn ban of the year has been put into ... banned. This includes recreational fires such as bonfires, campfires and the use of fire pits and chimineas. Burning of storm and flood damage debris is also prohibited.* The Clean Air Agency encourages [more...]

Date: 2009-01-17 01:03:54

Who’s Who in Green: Hank Green

Hank Green is the founder and editor of EcoGeek.org, one of the most popular and well-respected sources of green technology news on the net.  Hank started EcoGeek in graduate school as part of an assignment, and it has evolved to become a highly trafficked blog serving up 10 posts daily on topics like electric cars, solar panels, wind [more...]

Date: 2008-09-18 12:30:25

Incredible weather!!

I made a snowball today. A firm, very compressed, cold and icy snowball. And I threw it at my husband. Because THAT is what you do when the temperature gets above freezing in January in the great white north. When the snow sticks together it is reason to celebrate. I almost made a snowman [more...]

Date: 2009-01-19 21:07:00

Pa Farm Show comes to an end…

Today is the last day of the Pa State Farm Show and I’m ready to go home.  Ready for my nice clean and comfortable bed and a good home cooked meal ... stove going and the furnace running.  Our house is normally 75 to 80 degrees in the winter ... .  You all will have to wait a few days until I get caught up on chores, laundry, and cleaning my house [more...]

Date: 2009-01-17 15:01:39

New Oil and Gas Technology Open Thread

It gets depressing hearing about our financial problems every day. I am sure a lot of people would rather talk about oil and natural gas, and about better prospects for the future. Improved technology is one factor that might make future production better than the bleak future that most of us are foreseeing today [more...]

Date: 2008-10-25 14:00:26

Damn...it's chilly

So an ongoing experiment this winter has been to see just how little I can give the electric company to heat the house that I live in. In December I ran the heat pump and kept the temp low (55 F.) and was awarded with a dandy $186.00 electric bill. Well, up here on the mighty Columbia where electricity is cheap [more...]

Date: 2009-01-17 16:19:00

What a Difference a Day Makes

There is a scene at the end of the movie Back to the Future in which Doc Emmett Brown returns from the far future in his time-traveling DeLorean to get Marty McFly. Before going forward in time to save Marty's family, Doc Brown stuffs with apple cores and diet soda the Mr. Fusion machine now powering his DeLorean [more...]

Date: 2008-06-21 01:52:36

How to Cut Heating and Cooling Costs without Cutting Comfort

How to Cut Heating and Cooling Costs without Cutting Comfort Filed under Heat Pump News from across the World by admin Friday, January 9, ... of Energy. Making smarter decisions about your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system can help you save money on your monthly utility bills. American Standard Heating & Air Conditioning [more...]

Date: 2009-01-19 14:47:39

Steampunk Revival

Read this fascinating article written by Steve from WebUrbanist blog.WebUrbanist blog collective writers are interested in all things urban - from urban design to subversive art and strange architecture. We scour the net to find neat new stuff to pack it into an article with relevant images and links, [more...]

Date: 2009-01-19 22:15:46

Cold weather tips for keeping your home safe

With temperatures dropping into ranges we aren’t accustomed to around here it’s time to review what should be done when it gets below freezing: ... : New law prompts significant change to residential burn bans Where there’s chimney smoke, there’ [more...]

Date: 2008-12-14 01:01:01

[News] Leaving Michigan families out in the cold

Still smarting over last year's $1.5 billion Democratic tax increase? ... % of the state's electric market under the changes. But wait, there's more. The package also shifts some fees away from businesses and directly onto residential consumers and imposes new tax hikes [more...]

Date: 2008-09-19 11:54:36

Duct Tape - Home Energy Conservation’s Best Friend

In our series on Home Energy Conservation we recently reviewed the ideas within the Un-Official Guide to Home Energy Conservation relating to cheap or inexpensive ways to reduce a home’s heating and cooling utility bills. One of the methods (#23) suggested was to use duct tape to close the gaps in a homes heating and cooling ducts. Today [more...]

Date: 2009-01-18 01:08:02

Fire Safety Checklist for Home

Handling a tough situation needs some practice before hand, if it is to be handled properly ... and inspected every year?5) Is the furnace been cleaned and inspected every year?6) Are the propane tanks ... in case of fire?Electrical gadgets and electric circuits are also dangerous if not handled properly [more...]

Date: 2009-01-18 06:21:47

A smörgåsbord of wisdom from a co-worker

“It is so freezing today.”“Can you do anything to change that?”“No.”“Then don’t worry about it.”- - - - - - - -“We have a gas furnace in our new house. Is it better to have electric heat, or gas?”“Do you have a choice?”“No.”“Then don’t worry about it.”- - - - - - - -"I have to get an oil [more...]

Date: 2009-01-16 14:50:00

Poe’s spirit still inhabits Baltimore

poe02.jpg Edgar Allan Poe spent his short life mired in poverty and melancholy. That’s unusual for such a popular guy. Today, as we near the 200th anniversary of his birth (Jan. 19, 1809), five cities are celebrating his life and his work: Boston, New York, Philadelphia, [more...]

Date: 2009-01-15 01:57:44

Soggy Saturday

What comes after "Frozen Friday"? Why, "Soggy Saturday", of course! ... around.The furnace was thankfully replaced by late afternoon so we finally had heat again. We still did ... and vents! We turned off the water to the house and unplugged the electric appliances nearby while [more...]

Date: 2009-01-18 11:25:00

Rise & Shine: January 5, 2009

The Rise & Shine is your daily source for all solar-industry news. Brought to you by Sweet Solar Home and the Experts at SunRun. CALIFORNIA NEWS Solar-Power Industry Remains Hot in California “While we don’t have the final numbers yet, it appears we nearly doubled the amount of solar installed in 2008 versus 2007, [more...]

Date: 2009-01-05 17:06:51

If it ain’t broke

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know I don’t always believe that the wheel needs re-inventing ... hot water heater.  If there is a fire in the furnace the water is preheated, so the electric hot water ... as you know is old, but has been refurbished to last for it’s second 70 years.  Our furnace is an old [more...]

Date: 2009-01-06 07:14:32

Michigan School Installs Corn Burning Furnace

The Merrill Community Schools of Michigan installed a corn burning furnace to provide heat to the middle school and high school as part of a 2006 ... in electric and gas," said Searles, who conservatively estimates at least $10,000 is attributed to the corn furnace. At the time that this system was planned and construction first began corn prices [more...]

Date: 2009-01-07 20:16:41

Rand and the dark future

The end of the world is nigh, perhaps. The temples of doom, a recent Guardian piece by Rory Carroll draws parallels between the 'population explosion, ... dishwashers or electric irons. There are no vacuum cleaners; she cleans the house by means of a broom [more...]

Date: 2008-11-21 01:31:40

School holding back heat to save money

School holding back heat to save money Meg Massie Sep 9th 2008 Filed under: Saving, ... -- and that's just your personal electric bill. Think about the savings when we adopt the same practices ... , it's not as simple as moving the thermostat up or down a tick. These buildings are heated by huge furnace [more...]

Date: 2008-09-09 19:46:02

“Air Stagnation Advisory”; Burn Ban In Effect

Late Sunday afternoon, the National Weather Service issued an “Air Stagnation Advisory, ... and the ban is cancelled.; Natural gas, propane and pellet stoves or inserts ARE allowed. No visible smoke ... . Burning of storm and flood damage debris is also prohibited [more...]

Date: 2009-01-19 02:57:28

Just Listed - Downtown St. Charles

1205 Edwards, St. Charles         Look at all the updates: hardwood floors on entire first floor, updated kitchen cabinets. Kitchen island with breakfast bar. Brand new roof. Furnace, central air conditioner [more...]

Date: 2009-01-19 14:47:23

Insurance Considerations for RV Owners

Insurance Considerations for RV Owners Posted by Dark Spider at January 18, ... their Recreational Vehicle to their car insurance policy. Adding an RV to your regular auto policy ... your car. Also it has a kitchen, a bathroom, heating and cooling systems and an electric panel, in other [more...]

Date: 2009-01-18 18:07:27

DrumBeat: December 27, 2008

Oil giants are itching to invade Iraq For Iraq the timing couldn’t be better. As reserves dry up around the world and national governments tighten their grip on what is left, the industry is more desperate than ever to get its hands on the Iraqi honey-pot [more...]

Date: 2008-12-27 14:00:31

DrumBeat: January 14, 2009

Obama energy goal hard to meet: Bodman WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Barack Obama will have a hard time significantly increasing America's alternative energy production, outgoing U.S. Energy Secretary Sam Bodman said on Wednesday. As part of his economic stimulus plan, [more...]

Date: 2009-01-14 13:55:13

Wind and Heat Pumps: A Winning Combination

The following is a guest post by Tom Konrad, PhD. Tom is an investment blogger who brings readers ideas for investments that may benefit from Peak ... from five wind farms in Northern Colorado, Southwestern Nebraska, and Central Wyoming in 2004, 2005 [more...]

Date: 2008-09-17 13:50:07

Ohio Home Explodes While Owner Out Running Errands

A gas leak ignited an explosion that destroyed a northern Ohio home while its owner was out running errands. Mansfield Fire Capt ... in the explosion. Rippey says the home's occupant, Keith Phillips, was out buying an electric heater for the home when the explosion occurred. Phillips told authorities that his furnace [more...]

Date: 2008-10-26 09:41:27

BOOSTING MOISTURE CAN SAVE ON YOUR HEATING BILLS THIS WINTER

Remember the hot days of summer when we all complained about humidity? The moist air made the heat feel even hotter ... of year to have tropical fish or a pet gold fish. 4. Do not use the bathroom vent fan in the cold [more...]

Date: 2009-01-17 01:43:12

How to inspect an attic to ensure the insulation is effective

Examining an attic may be a little disconcerting as a wide variety of materials have been used as insulation, in the past ... and tube electric wiring, and when found, replacement should be immediately considered. Mineral [more...]

Date: 2009-01-05 16:30:28

Energy Efficiency: Rational Exuberance

During market turmoil, efficiency upgrades are an attractive investment. electric%20plug.jpg Here's a thought. Wall Street is in turmoil ... . But they're still pretty high. So Investing in an efficiency upgrade -- a new furnace or HVAC system [more...]

Date: 2008-09-17 16:30:45

I hate owning a home (part two)

Part one can be read here: I hate owning a home (part one) ... up ("You don't know what a something something obscure furnace part something is and you didn't check it before calling me?") and was gone within ten minutes as the blissful churn of the furnace once again [more...]

Date: 2009-01-07 12:00:00

It's funny - up until a few years ago, I always thought this was a Bruce Springsteen song ... upon the chimes of freedom flashing. In the city's melted furnace, unexpectedly we watched With faces [more...]

Date: 2008-06-13 20:36:16

Reducing home energy use 101

Earlier, I outlined my plan to reduce our home electricity use by 10 to 20 percent by the end of the year ... furnace), December 2008 at 2,289 KwH, and August, at 1,520.Our electricity usage has skyrocketed in the past year. I know what the culprit is.In September 2007, we replaced our 1957 gas furnace [more...]

Date: 2009-01-17 17:21:00

Twelve Tactics to Prepare For and Minimize Winter Heating Bills (Besides Woodstoves)

Liz writes in with an interesting question: wonder if you have weighed the pros and cons of switching to pellet/wood stoves for heat this winter? ... and electric for the usual) get as high as $600 a month in the winter. Liz, unless you have a very cheap [more...]

Date: 2008-09-04 14:00:34

7 Ways to Lower Your Energy Bills

Are the bills piling up? by Ethan Ewing, www.bills ... for lowering your winter energy bills. Protect your system. Change furnace filters regularly to keep ... furnace or boiler, have it inspected by a professional. A furnace that works properly [more...]

Date: 2009-01-15 17:28:36

NYTimes Reminds: Renewables ain’t perfect

Those ever so dedicated journalists have found yet another weakness inherent in renewable energy systems: if you want solar energy after a heavy snowstorm, be prepared to shovel some snow! In <a href=”http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/26/business/26winter.html? [more...]

Date: 2008-12-28 14:43:39

Rubber from the SUN - and Power Too! (May, 1932)

view additional pages Rubber from the SUN - and Power Too! Amazing experiments conducted on the American desert point the way toward the day when the sun will be the universal source of power for industry—and also the manufacturing source of rubber, nitrates, and other organic compounds [more...]

Date: 2009-01-02 06:01:43

Charleston Fire Department Warns Of Fire Dangers

Time to Check Home Heating Systems and Smoke Alarms As cold temperatures embrace the Charleston area, ... for each heater. Do not use electric space heaters in the bathroom or around other wet areas [more...]

Date: 2009-01-15 15:24:33

Furnace Issues

We were having some furnace issues yesterday. We have radiator heat heated by gas ... costs about $4000.00 or $5000.00.Here are my questions, If we replace the furnace will we see a big drop in our monthly gas bill? Will we see a drop in our electric bills? [more...]

Date: 2009-01-17 05:16:00

Welcome to the New Year!

“A new year is unfolding – like a blossom with petals curled tightly concealing the beauty within ... on the electric cord attached to the Christmas wreath hanging on the door . And who do you think [more...]

Date: 2009-01-02 04:20:00

Geothermal heat pump the most efficient, cost-efficient way to heat and cool your home

Geothermal heat pump the most efficient, cost-efficient way to heat and cool your home Filed under Heat Pump News from across the World by admin ... between the ground loop and the heat exchanger inside the house. Geothermal heat pumps are also quiet ... for heat for almost 35 years, could I use a geothermal heat pump as a dependable and cost-efficient [more...]

Date: 2009-01-19 17:48:04

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