Our Environment

Virtually all laptops use rechargeable batteries in addition to the laptop ac adapters. These batteries consist of either Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) or Lithium-Ion (Li-ion). Although neither type is considered and environmental hazard (Nickel is considered only semi-toxic), it is still important to dispose of them in a proper fashion. The Nickel in Nickel Metal Hydride batteries can be extracted and recycled for reuse. Lithium-Ion based batteries are not reused, but should always be returned to a reclamation center for proper disposal since the electrolyte inside can become flammable if exposed to moisture.

Many municipalities have reclamation centers that will accept most household items including laptop batteries. You can check with your local city sanitation department or call 1-800-8-BATTERY for a reclamation center near you. You can also check with the manufacturer of your computer for recycling options. Most computer and technology companies have instituted recycling programs for their products.

Dell Lithium-Ion batteries can be recycled free of charge. Just provide your shipping information at http://support.dell.com/ and dell well send a pre-paid shipping container for any dell product.

Even with all of the options available for the recycling of laptop batteries, currently only 1 in 6 are returned in the US. Compared to automobile batteries which have a 98% reclamation rate, there is still ample room for improvement.

In this time of depressed real estate values it is important to find ways to increase home value and decrease your own energy costs. Remember that many prospective home buyers will look closely at your utility bills during the past year before making an offer.

Here are a few ways that you can increase your home’s energy efficiency and add value.

Decrease Your House’s Thermal Envelope
The thermal envelope includes the wall, floor, roof, windows, insulation, and weather stripping. In other words, anything that creates a barrier between you and the outside. Each of these elements affects the amount of energy used for heating and cooling. Improvements can include storm windows and doors, upgraded weather stripping, and proper insulation.

Decrease Energy Used by Appliances
This means using modern appliances whenever possible. Heating and cooling systems made over 10 years ago are over 40% less efficient than those made today. The same is true of washing and drying machines, dishwashers, and conventional ovens.

Utilize Natural and Fluorescent Lighting
Just replacing 25% of your incandescent lights with fluorescents can decrease your light bill by 50%. Look for areas in your house where a change in shutters or curtains will allow light in during day light hours. This will cut energy use considerably during the day and give your house a natural feel.

Eco living, saving money, and helping the environment go hand and hand.

If you are a frequent traveler, then you have probably noticed that more and more hotels are going "green" and making a point to let their customers know about it. Green hotels are those that promote conservation of water, energy, and solid waste. This requires a firm commitment from owners and managers and includes such steps as placing placards in rooms asking customers to re-use their sheets and towels. This alone can save 5% in water consumption used for laundry.

While preparing for a recent business trip, I was looking for a green Switzerland hotel accommodation and was pleased to see that one of my favorite Swiss hotel chains, Sorellino Hotels, is a member of the Green Hotels Association. It is no surprise that the Swiss would lead the way in conservation and sustainability. The Swiss have always been successful in balancing the needs of the environment with the ongoing human development. An example of this concept in action is the network of hydro electric damns which provide 60% of Switzerland's power.

Before making your next Switzerland hotel reservations check the Green Hotels Association for a current list of all international participants in the program. Every time we support a green hotel or other business, we are one step closer to achieving an environmentally sustainable world economy.

Green computing is the practice of using computer resources more efficiently. This can include developing hardware using sustainable practices and developing hardware and software that is more energy efficient. Developing an achievable green computing strategy can not only help the environment but it can also result in a savings of billions in energy cost each year. Nearly 2% of the worlds energy consumption is dedicated to network and data centers.

Many companies are adopting green computing strategies not only for desktops but also for their industrial computer applications. The power consumption from the machines as well as the complex cooling systems that are required can cost a large company hundreds of thousands of dollars per year.

Green computing can also be applied to everyday mobile devices, such as PDA's or cell phones. Mobile devices such as these rely on an embedded computer to control the power usage. Manufacturers are constantly striving for techniques to make the devices more energy efficient.

How much do you know about energy consumption? Take the following quiz, the answers may surprise you!

1. Burning which fossil fuel emits the least carbon
dioxide (CO2)?
a. Natural gas
b. Oil
c. Coal

2. How much oil does it take to produce the
100,000,000,000 plastic bags used in the United
States of America every year?
a. 190,000 litres
b. 19,000,000 litres
c. 190,000,000 litres
d. 1,900,000,000 litres

3. Which uses the most energy each year worldwide?
a. Motor vehicle transport
b. Air travel
c. Home heating
d. Home air-conditioning

4. Which country developed the first windmills?
a. The Netherlands
b. Egypt
c. Iran
d. India

5. What percentage of energy used around the
world comes from fossil fuels?
a. 10 per cent
b. 25 per cent
c. 50 per cent
d. 90 per cent

6. Where does geothermal heat come from?
a. Earth’s core
b. Sun
c. Wind
d. Ocean

7. How much has global energy use grown in the
last 30 years?
a. 55 per cent
b. 70 per cent
c. 85 per cent
d. 100 per cent

8. How much of the energy used by the world’s
people currently comes from renewable sources?
a. 33 per cent
b. 20 per cent
c. 10 per cent
d. 5 per cent

ANSWERS: 1a, 2d, 3a, 4c, 5d, 6a, 7b, 8c

Courtesy of http://www.ourplanet.com