Monthly Archives: January 2011

QUEENSLAND FLOOD AFTERMATH
Supermarket

QUEENSLAND FLOOD AFTERMATH

Although the flood waters have receded in the Australian city of Brisbane there is still a huge amount of clean up work to do. The army of volunteers who have been working tirelessly since the flooding have a mountain of work to do before order is restored to the suburbs of Queensland’s capital city.

To learn more go to:

http://magsx2.wordpress.com/

Posted by Stephen P → January 31, 2011 at 6:55 PM under Environment News and Events
Electric cars

Here is an interesting article about electric cars…

electric cars

A transition to electric cars isn’t just a matter of the cars, but also of the infrastructure that goes with them, including public charging stations. The Electric Power Research Institute and the Tennessee Valley Authority plan to cut the ribbon on Tuesday on a prototype of a new kind of charging station, one that uses solar cells and batteries. But they do not work together in quite the way the public might expect.

The initial installation has six parking stalls, one of them extra wide for handicapped drivers, with carport roofs covered with solar panels. There are three refrigerator-size battery packs in a building that is heated and air-conditioned.
Read more on: http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/24/if-you-build-it-will-they-charge/

Posted by Gary H → January 30, 2011 at 6:44 PM under Alternative Energy Environment
Fire Safety this Winter

Here are some really useful safety hints for your home this Winter:

Fireplaces

  • Make sure that chimneys are properly cleaned – to ensure this, have them inspected at the beginning of each cold season.
  • Use a protective fireplace screen to protect people and animals from getting too close to the fire/heat source.
  • Do not use flammable liquids in the fireplace.
  • Do not burn paper in the fireplace – lit pieces of paper can float out of chimneys and land on neighboring buildings. Only use dry wood – not wood/boughs from live-cut trees as these lit particles can also float out of the chimney.
  • Do not burn wrapping paper in the fireplace — toxic smoke is released when it is burned.
  • Make sure the fire is completely out before you go to sleep.
  • Never close the damper when there are hot ashes in the fireplace.

For more safety tips go to:

http://www.hacla.org/en/cms/4435/

Posted by Gary H → January 29, 2011 at 6:37 PM under Home Living Tips
Colder Winters

I read this interesting article about the recent cold snaps in the USA and Europe;

For two winters running, an Arctic chill has descended on Europe, burying that continent in snow and ice. Last year in the United States, historic blizzards afflicted the mid-Atlantic region. This winter the Deep South has endured unusual snowstorms and severe cold, and a frigid Northeast is bracing for what could shape into another major snowstorm this week.

Pamplona

 Yet while people in Atlanta learn to shovel snow, the weather 2,000 miles to the north has been freakishly warm the past two winters. Throughout northeastern Canada and Greenland, temperatures in December ran as much as 15 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit above normal. Bays and lakes have been slow to freeze; ice fishing, hunting and trade routes have been disrupted.

To learn  more go to:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/25/science/earth/25cold.html?_r=2&partner=rss&emc=rss

Posted by Toby J → January 28, 2011 at 6:21 PM under Environment
Recycling

This is a great use for materials which would otherwise go to land fill.
recycled house

The Big Dig House, a recycled house – was designed by SsD Architects, located in Lexington, and Massachusetts. This house constructed using industrial waste with steel and concrete rejects, which are throw-outs of elevated part of dismantle I-93 highway.It is 600,000 lbs throw outs are used to construct Boston’s Big Dig House. This recycled house features great room, kitchen, home office, 3 bedrooms, and 3 baths. This prototype house was built to demonstrate how infrastructural refuse can be salvaged and reused.

To read more go to:
http://www.neathome.net/recycled-house-at-massachusetts-big-dig-house

Posted by Gary H → January 27, 2011 at 6:11 PM under Alternative Energy Environment
Wind farms in South Korea

South Korea plans huge off-shore wind farm Wind farm

Wind energy currently meets a mere 1.5% of global electricity generation. However, scientists foresee a lot of potential in this alternative energy source. Asian countries are also trying to embrace clean and green energy. South Korea is going for an ambitious off-shore wind farm amounting to $8.3 billion. This project will be executed at the western coast of the Korean peninsula taking a time period of ten years.

To read whole story go to:

http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/south-korea-off-shore-wind-farm/

Posted by John K. → January 26, 2011 at 6:06 PM under Alternative Energy Environment