Standby Power - A Candid Perspective

A surprisingly large number of electrical products — TVs to microwave ovens to air conditioners—cannot be switched off completely without being unplugged. These products draw power 24 hours a day, often without the knowledge of the consumer. We call this power consumption "standby power." An individual product draws relatively little standby power but a typical American home has forty products constantly drawing power. Together these amount to almost 10% of residential electricity use. Most experts agree that standby power is electricity used by appliances and equipment while they are switched off or not performing their primary function. That power is consumed by power supplies (the black cubes—sometimes called "vampires"—converting AC into DC), the circuits and sensors needed to receive a remote signal, soft keypads and displays including miscellaneous LED status lights. Standby power use is also caused by circuits that continue to be energized even when the device is "off".

Take a look at the following table from the "Standby Power" site at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

http://standby.lbl.gov/summary-table.html

It is time to think about this issue seriously and find some simple solutions. How can I reduce standby power use in my home? It's not easy, but here are some suggestions. If you aren't frequently using a device, unplug it. Use a switchable power strip for clusters of computer or video products. That way you can switch everything to zero with one action.

As suggested in another article on this blog, the Belkin Conserve Surge Protector is simple and easy to use. We have purchase three for our home already. You can do it too.

Bioremediation: harnessing the power of nature’s cleanup specialists

The phenomenal industrial and agricultural growth that has occurred over the last century has led to a massive increase in the amount and complexity of toxic wastes that make their way into the environment each year. Bioremediation involves the use of living processes within microorganisms or even plants (phytoremediation) to degrade the harmful by-products of human activity. Hazardous chemicals in the environment can be removed or converted into less toxic forms by bacteria and fungi that may degrade these materials and thus aid in decontaminating polluted sites (in situ bioremediation) or in removing pollutants from water and soil pumped into a treatment facility (ex situ bio-treatment). Bioremediation involves helping the growth of specific beneficial microbes and creating the optimal environment for pollutant detoxification. Bio-degradation works very well for several types of organic wastes and is a cost-effective, natural strategy to deal with chemical pollution. Other applications include removal of pesticide residues from agricultural lands by creating a continual cleanup system. An added benefit of such a system is that of self-regulation since many of these microbes depend on these pollutants or on the pathway that leads to the degradation of these chemicals for survival; the numbers of these microbes are thus controlled by the level of pollutant in the environment. Bioreactors, where the process of bioremediation can occur in a controlled environment, have been used for the remediation of water and soil contaminated with fuel hydrocarbons and recalcitrant industrial organics. Different microorganisms breakdown different types of compounds and require different conditions for survival. By using a cocktail of microbial species, both the range of pollutants degraded and the effectiveness of the cleanup process can be enhanced. Furthermore, genetic engineering can be used to make the genetic pathways responsible for such bioremediation more effective or to expand the repertoire of chemicals that the microbes can break down. Such designer microbes, tailor-made to handle new classes of chemical wastes, may be the next generation of cleanup specialists.

So, make waste reduction a priority and support eco-friendly methods of waste management!

The Myth about Styrofoam

Styrofoam is often maligned for being bad for the environment. It's been banned in some cities for not being "recyclable". The truth is that plastic materials are divided into two types. One is called thermosetting plastic because it takes its shape when heated, and can thus not be melted down to be reformed. Probably the most visible example of this is vulcanized rubber. The second type is called thermoplastics. These plastics like styrofoam and plastic bags become soft and malleable when heated. These types of plastics can be recycled by melting them down and reshaping them. Styrofoam has an undeserved bad reputation, and is easily recycled and reused.

Forest Fires

Forest fires have a lot of negative effects. Here are just a few:

• Forest fires release tons of CO2 (carbon dioxide), CH4 (methane) and other pollutants into the atmosphere.
• Forest fires cause lots of health problems like bronchitis, pneumonia, respiratory problems, asthma, and burns.
• Forest fires burn millions of hectares of land.

You can help stop forest fires. Nine out of ten forest fires are caused by people.

Baby steps to save power

The bad news is that environmental concerns are growing every minute with changing lifestyles. The good news is that there is something simple that each one of us can do to make a difference.

Small things that add up:
During winter, turn the heat down by 1 degree-you won't notice the difference and you'll save a whole lot of power
Bike whenever possible-helps stay in shape as well
Unplug cellphone chargers, wireless routers (draw around 5.4W when plugged in) that are not always in use
Switch off appliances, instead of putting them on standby
Spread the word, like this blog does!!! Just like the SapphireForce team talking about these problems with their friends and family has helped increase awareness a whole lot.

Methane Mitigation

What is methane? Methane is a chemical compound with the molecular formula CH4. Methane is also a colorless, odourless gas which is lighter than air. Where does methane get polluted? Methane is polluted from cows, landfills, plants, and coal mines. what does methane mitigation mean? Methane mitigation means to cut short or reduce methane. How can we reduce ?

• One way to reduce methane is by feeding cows grain.
• There is also a plan to give to give some pills to reduce the amount of methane in cows, or "belching".

How does methane contribute to global warming? Methane is a very potent greenhouse gas. It is said that "frozen" or solid deposits of methane on the ocean floor may be accelerating global warming.

Water Usage

Drought is a major climate problem and can be prevented by water conservation. The following points give a general sense how much water is being used by different categories.

• Residential Use: 46%

• Commercial Use: 21%

• Agriculture Use: 11%

• Industrial Use: 11%

• Other Use: 11%

The typical residential water uses are:

• Indoor use: 50%
• Outdoor use: 50%

Indoor Uses:

• Toilets: 27%
• Washer: 22%
• Shower: 16%
• Faucet: 16%
• Leaks: 14%
• Other: 2%
• Bath: 2%
• Dishwasher: 1%

Some solutions are half and full flush toilets, motion sensing faucets, etc.

Phantom Loads- Some Facts and Solutions

Phantom Loads are a serious problem. There are several facts about Phantom Loads. But there are many intuitive solutions as well. The definition of "Phantom Loads" basically, is, leaking energy. It is energy consumed when a device is supposedly "Off " actually still using energy, just less. When you unplug a device, it is NOT using phantom loads.

Here are some interesting facts on Phantom Load.

A: 75% of phantom loads occur when the appliance is on the "Off " position.

B: Though us, Americans, only make up 5% of the world population, we consume 26% of the world's energy.

C: If you live in a typical home, you live with 20 "vampires", or 20 rarely-used appliances.

D: One study found out that the Phantom loads of TV's alone world-wide, is equal to the output of a Chernobyl power plant.

However, this does NOT mean that we can't make a difference. Here are five ways to reduce phantom loads. More info on phantom loads is on the Phantom Load Webpage.

A: Use surge protectors. They are used for appliances that don't require battery back up.

B: Consider one freezer instead of two.

C: If you have a night light rarely or never used, unplug it!

D: Go SOLAR OR WIND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

E: How about a battery-powered doorbell and thermostat. Sounds super cool, and it saves a whole bunch of energy.

Of course, there are many more ways to reduce phantom loads. These are just baby steps. YOU, yes YOU, can raise awareness! Simple, a blog or two can work. A service project would work well. There are so many ways to reduce phantom loads, and that's why people like us are thinking about this and creating blogs. We need to reduce California's energy demands, and one way is eliminating phantom loads. Please, help make a difference.

Belkin Conserve - An Elegant Solution for Phantom Load Reduction in our Homes

Phantom load is a big problem, so what is a solution?

Belkin has come up with a surge protector that is remote controlled. The remote on/off switch, which you can hang on the wall, turns of the "switchable" ports of the surge protector. There are also a few other ports which are the "always on" ports for computers, TVs etc. So every time you leave the room, you just press the switch and voila!, the phantom loads are gone. Belkin has also added a cool feature. You can control all of your Belkin Conserve surge protectors around the house with one remote. So if you leave the house, you just put remote right next to your front door so you don't have to go around the house pressing all of the buttons.

Check these out:

http://www.belkin.com/conserve

Here is a Cnet Video of this device.

What do you think of this solution ? Would you use it?

What are Phantom Loads?

Phantom Loads are caused by devices which consume electricity even when they are switched off. You might have seen clocks showing time on your Microwave oven, or on your DVD player, Etc. You want your Television sets to show a picture instantaneously when you switch it ON with your remote. Your computer has its memory which keeps your calender/clock & personal data always available even when you have switched it OFF.How do you achieve these features when you have kept the devices switched OFF? There is a built-in power supply within these devices which is drawing continuous power from your utility, 24 hrs/day & 365 days, resulting in continuous consumption of power making you pay for it without your knowledge.Imagine millions of houses using such devices contribute to continuous drain of such Power, which otherwise can be put to useful purposes. Hence beware of "PHANTOM" loads and use the Switch which feeds power to the gadget rather than switching it OFF from the remote.

The Investment of Alternative Fuel

With the recent defeat of a natural gas proposition, the question of the viability of alternative energy sources is rekindled. While there are many technologies that show promise, the necessity of an investment in the infrastructure must be considered. Both Ethanol and Hydrogen Fuel Cells have been proposed as the answer to the dwindling supply of oil. However, both of these technologies require a massive retooling of not only automobile design and development, but also the processing and sales industries.

Part of what makes gasoline so convenient is its availability. Gas stations can be easily found, and their abundance lets people fill up almost anywhere at any time. The adoption of an alternate fuel source means that gas stations must convert some of their storage tanks and pumps into offering this alternative energy source. Also, the refiners and producers must be given time to adjust and perfect their processes. Although one would like to believe that the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation can cause this green revolution, it seems clear that local, state, and even the national government may need to provide incentives and subsidies for the short term if these budding technologies have any chance at weaning America off its dependence on foreign oil.

Forest Fires: A Huge Climate Problem for California

Through just the early part of November 2008, wildland fires have burned more acres in California this year than in any year back to 1970, the first year that consistent, modern records were kept. Because of a June 2008 lightning storm, the 10 biggest fires this year, all occurred in Northern California, and many were in rural areas. At one point this year, more than 2,000 fires were burning at the same time. The driest spring since the 1920s had left trees and brush like tinder. Eight of the 10 largest fires in California this year, started on June 20 or 21, during the lightning storm, including the Basin fire , which burned for six weeks in Big Sur, blackening 162,000 acres and destroyed several homes and buildings.

Most wildfires in recent years have been assigned some sort of human cause:

- Arson accounts for 6% of wildfires in 2007 and 12% the year before.
- About 1% - 2% are caused by electric power lines.
- About a third of last year's wildfires and more than half the year before, were attributed to various hum activities or carelessness. Significant numbers were caused by equipment use or debris burning; others by vehicles, campfires, smoking or playing with fire.

Lightning, which caused just 1% - 2% of the wildfires in 2006 and 2007, was a big factor in 2008.

So what does this tell us ? We need to be on a high degree of alert and be cautious when working with fire in forests. We got to also look around us and perhaps thin out the bushes as much as possible to create a buffer zone amongst our homes.

Forest fires also add significant amount of Greenhouse gases to our environment. We need to look seriously at sensible alternatives for reducing electricity consumption and conserve water whenever possible. Electric power plants are big generator of Greenhouse gases. By minimizing consumption of electricity, we can reduce the number of new greenhouse generating powerplants. We could eliminate the creation of new power plants by reducing electricity consumption such as Phantom Loads. Also, one of the biggest side effects of forest fires is the contamination of clean drinking water, currently banked by all of our water districts, in underground reservoirs, 600 ft. below the earth's surface. We could also explore Methane Reduction techniques by leveraging Genetic Engineering advances and applying them to our farms and land fills.

Yes, we all need to play a part in improving our quality of life on this planet. Small things can go a long way in helping our community !!

Water Conservation can start at home !!

Water conservation could pretty much start at home with some simple ideas. Installing low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators could save 16 - 25 gallons of water a day in every home. Turning the faucet off while brushing your teeth, saves almost 2 gallons per minute. Fixing leaky faucets could save another few gallons per leak per week. Watering your lawn before 6 AM could save another 20 gallons per day. A water saving washer or toilet could add to your water savings even more. In short, small ideas and actions can add up to a large amount of savings of precious water. One of the water companies in the Bay Area has said, "Once it's on, it's gone". So true !!

Drought and Water Conservation

Drought is a major cause of forest fire, and creates many problems by itself. California is facing the worst drought in its history. California's reservoirs are very low, with only one third of its capacity filled. Drought also causes many losses, like limiting hydroelectric and agricultural production.

There are many ways to conserve water cost effectively. These include pressurized toilets, timer based shower heads, and half/full and no flush toilets. Another solution (which might be a bit expensive) is irrigation systems with live weather reports to not water as much if it is moist or raining. Although expensive, this only means the are good business opportunities out there.

whatever you do, please do something about drought. If everyone helps even a little bit, together we can make a big difference.

Sapphire Force: Committed to make a difference

The Sapphire Force Team was formed in 2008 to participate in the FIRST Lego League and other Robotics Tournaments in the San Franciso Bay Area and Northern California. This team is comprised of boys who have a passion to work together and are committed to make a difference to the community they live in.

The Sapphire Force Team launched the Green Exchange Blog to focus on the climate problems in the community and to help gather ideas from around the world to solve problems in the community.

Please share the following URL with your friends and family.

http://greenexchange.blogspot.com/

We invite you to participate in our community with your ideas for a green planet.

Check out our team's web site at:

http://www.sapphireforce.org/