Co2
Eating Sustainably This Year
Even if you don’t stay up to date on current affairs, you can’t have missed the focusing in on environmental issues lately. Going back a couple of decades, not many people worried about where their grub tableware or other products were sourced from. It was a case of what do I want and where do I get it. This attitude is not sustainable however, and a shift in thinking is needed especially in these times of weak economy and global warming. Here are some ideas to help save the planet and local economies when having a simple meal.
Shop Local. We take it for granted these days that we can pop down the local shop and buy some fruits from exotic shores and wines from the other side of the world for example. The fact that products such as these are having to be transported over many hundreds, if not thousands of miles has large ramifications. Not only does the transport release vast amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere, due to burning fuel and having to use a food and wine cooler to keep the produce chilled all the way, but also local food suppliers struggle to compete with low foreign costs. By doing as much of your shopping in local stores as you can and buying local produce, you will secure your communities future and help save the planet at them same time.
Less Packaging. It is staggering just how much packaging is used to make modern food attractive and increase their life-span. A single cake might be singly wrapped, inside a little box with a plastic place-holder, which is cloaked in cellophane and transported within a cardboard box, with the other cake boxes. More often than not this packaging is unnecessary, so try and avoid those products that go over the top with it.
Green Accessories. Ensuring your meal times do not cost the planet means thinking about more than just your food. All sorts of things from which cutlery is used to which wine gifts you buy others can have an impact and you should think carefully before making a choice. Ask yourself where this product has come from, is it something that could be made from a more sustainable material, and is this a disposable product when I could be buying a reusable one? Disposable chopsticks for example cause thousands of trees to be cut down every day, when a good reusable pair can last a lifetime.
New Eco-Friendly Patio Heaters
Ever since the release of patio heater, there have always been select groups that argued against the use of them. The biggest reason for complaining about them is that they damage the environment due to the way the heat is generated. Other arguments against them are that they waste alot of heat and energy in general.
The biggest complaint that they damage the environment is true. Common patio heaters generate heat by burning gas. Because the gas is burned, as with everything that burns, carbon dioxide is created which causes damage to the environment.
The second complaint that they waste heat is also true. Although they are designed with a mushroom shaped top so that heat is reflected back down, rather than rising, a lot of heat is still wasted in the process.
However, with all those problems in mind, a heating company called Chillchaser has created a brand new range of patio heaters that are aimed at resolving all of the above issues.
Instead of buring gas to generate heat, Chillchaser use a new method of creating warmth. They use carbon fibre rods which are able to generate heat. The advantages of using this new form of heat generating is that aboslutly no CO2 is emitted in the process. Despite this sounding like these new patio heaters have no damaging effects for the environment, they do slightly. Due to the patio heaters not using gas, they do need electricty to power the rods, however, the energy they need still means that these new patio heaters release more than 50% less emissions compared to standard patio heaters.
This new heating method also combat the second biggest complaint that they waste alot of heat. Carbon fibre heating is able to create more focused heat which means that less heat is actually wasted.
The final advantage Chillchasers new heaters have is that they are fitted with an infrared sensor. The sensor detects movement and turns the heater off when no movement is detected. This feature means that less heat is wasted if the heater is ever forgotten about.
From the looks of these new patio heaters, Chillchaser have managed to revolutionse patio heaters and many eco-friendly people won’t be able to complain about these heaters. I suppose that the only complain that there would be is that there is no need for patio heaters in the first place, which Chillchaser can’t solve.
I would love to see how Chillchaser would improve a standarddehumidifier; maybe build in a weather station to it, that would solve two problems in one.
Environmentally Friendly Patio Heaters Released
Despite the nights getting darker and the weather getting colder, we still want to try and enjoy as much of the outside as possible. Luckily, there has been a brand new range of electric patio heatershave been released that will help you do this.
Chillchaser, a UK based company that was featured on Dragons Den, recently released a new range of patio heaters. The 3 are called Zeus, Neptune and Poseidon, each one coming at different price ranges and with different features.
What makes these patio heaters so much better than others is their new style and great range of features. These new heaters look nothing like any other conventional patio heaters. The design of these new patio heaters is so different because they don’t use the conventional gas heating system that regular heaters use. Each of the heaters use a new carbon fibre heating system which emits more focused heat and emits absolutely no CO2 gasses. Each of the heating tubes are replaceable and offer up to 8,000 hours of heat, pretty impressive.
Other great features that are included in Chillchasers’ patio heaters include an infrared sensor which detects movement and turns the heater on or off. They also come with a safety tip over feature which turns the heater off automatically if it’s knocked over.
The first of the three and the cheapest is the Neptune. Alongside the features named above, the Neptune heater also comes with a dome light fitted to the top which offers 360 degree lighting. This means that you can keep out of the dark while staying warm. At £299, it’s not a bad price for the huge range of features available.
The middle of the range heater is the Zeus. The Zeus patio heater is very similar to the Neptune because it also has a light fitted to the top of the unit. The only difference between the Zues and the Netune is that the Zeus light doesn’t offer 360 degree lighting. Costing £449, I’d rather settle for the Neptune.
The most expensive of the 3 heaters is the Poseidon which isn’t actually waterproof, despite it’s water based name. What makes the Poseidon the most expensive and the coolest is that it has a media player at the top of the unit with a 7 inch screen and built in speakers. With a price tag of £849, you’re paying alot for the entertainment value.
If only they released an indoor version which would replace standard portable heaters or fan heatersas they are pretty clunky.
Log On To Save The Planet
It’s probably fair to say that we’re all much more environmentally aware these days. It seems improbable that we are about to turn into a nation of eco-warriors overnight, but the majority of people are quite happy to make a little effort to be greener. It is a lot of relatively small changes by a large number of people that tends to make the difference. The good news is that you can be more environmentally friendly whilst saving both time and money.
For example, Carnegie Melon University recently conducted a study which concluded that shopping online is considerably better for the environment than the traditional method of shopping at retail outlets. One example used in the study was the purchase of a flash memory stick, and it was found the environmental impact of the traditional retail method was 35% greater than making an identical purchase using the internet.
A similar study – carried out by CleanTech this time – found that the carbon footprint of a book was 7.5 kg of CO2 during the course of its life. However, this figure was increased by a factor of two if the customer got into their car, drove to the store, purchased their book and then drove home again instead of having it delivered in the mail.
Approximately 65% of the emissions generated by traditional shopping methods are a direct result of the customer’s transport to the store and back again.
Not only is shopping online better for the environment – it will save you time and you will often be able to find what you’re after at a better price. You can increase the environmental benefits even more simply by choosing the right type of product.
For example, if you choose to buy electronic books instead of the conventional printed type, you will save on paper, ink and the energy used in the printing and binding process. As a rule, electronic books are cheaper than the printed versions – plus you save on gas. You can even subscribe to get newspapers and magazines delivered to e-book readers like the Amazon Kindle reader every day.
In a similar manner, if you choose to download music to your mp3 player or PC, you will save on CDs, packaging and distribution emissions. Downloading movies, which you can now do from Amazon, iTunes and a host of other sites also has both financial and environmental benefits.
So when it comes to purchasing goods on the internet, why not use a twin pronged attack. Firstly, if you can buy online rather than using your car to visit the local store then that will generally be a good alternative. Secondly, if you replace physical products with downloadable ones then not only will you be environmentally friendly – but you will save both money and time.
The Amazon Kindle Will Lower The Carbon Footprint Of Reading
In 2008 the US book and magazine industry was responsible for the harvesting of 125 million trees. Many publishing firms are environmentally aware and use sustainably sources for their paper supply. Simply put, they plant a tree for every one they cut down. However, not all do this and even those who do usually fail to take account of the large quantities of water and thermal energy used in the production of the paper.
The carbon footprint of the average book is 7.5 kg of CO2 over its lifetime. However, if you ho into your car, drive to the shopping district to buy your book, and then drive home again, the carbon footprint of that book will be doubled. It’s amazing how relatively small actions like this make such a difference.
So it should be no surprise to learn that electronic book readers – such as the Amazon Kindle – are kinder to the environment. Even aside from the fact that no paper, ink or water are used in the production of electronic books, the method of delivery – download from the internet using either standard connection or 3G wireless technology – is considerably more environmentally friendly.
Of course, it would be wrong to suggest that e-book readers have no environmental impact. Clearly they consume both energy and materials in the course of the manufacturing process of the reader device. Additionally, they require electrical power when in use. Even when these factors are factored into the equation, they are still considerably better for the environment than the continued use of traditional printed books, magazines and newspapers.
It is estimated that in 2009, e-book readers will be “carbon neutral” – the CO2 saved by the use of electronic media will almost exactly balance the CO2 used to manufacture and power the devices. In the near future, as usage of e-book readers grows, the manufacture and operating “cost” will be more than outweighed by the savings gained by avoiding the production, processing and distribution of traditional paper based books and magazines.
The majority of people will purchase their Kindle reader based on the fact that it’s convenient, trendy and that it offers a way for them to save money on books. The fact that it’s more environmentally friendly will probably be a secondary consideration for many – even so, it will have a significant positive impact in the future.
