When you are planning to do major renovations or construction to your home, you need to get a permit for it. Many people automatically assume that it is their home and they can build outside of it whenever they want. They might put on a deck or add a large addition that takes away space from the property. This can actually cause you to be fined and taxed if you do not have a permit that says that you are [Read more...]

Switch grass has significant potential for use as a cash crop since it can be used for producing ethanol. The plant has a high cellulose content, making it well suited for use as a raw material for ethanol production. The plant itself, native to North America and not invasive, is highly competitive. It has an extensive root system and it is estimated that it can have a productive live from somewhere between ten and twenty years. Furthermore, it is estimated that from switch grass, which [Read more...]

Switchgrass has gained popularity lately because of it’s potential use as a bio fuel and it’s potential to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Switchgrass is easy to plant and maintain, has a very high yield and is resistant to drought. This amazing grass has other uses as well, including soil conservation, forage production, as a residential and commercial ornamental grass, and of course it’s production as a biomass crop for ethanol and butanol, Mature Switchgrass provides a natural habitat and nesting place for many types of wildlife.

In the United States it’s [Read more...]

Air Purification
Over the past three decades, air purification technology has enjoyed numerous advancements. These air purification advancements proves the importance of switch grass to carbon dioxide reduction. In many R&D facilities, testing was performed to purify air using various natural forms of biodegradable media. One of the forms was switch grass. Testing air quality in and around heavily industrialized sites is a requirement of federal environmental agencies.

This spurred growth of more cost-effective ways of filtering particulate in air streams. For many years, industrial scrubbers managed this with reasonably [Read more...]

Many people have considered the steel industry to be dying, or dead. In fact the industry has just changed a lot and is not the same industry that we use to imagine. What is happening is that recycled steel is becoming the American Steel production’s new back bone. This has had some very positive effects on the steel industry itself, as well as the environment.

Steel is actually North America’s most recycled material in terms of amount; not plastic, aluminum, glass and [Read more...]

Zebra mussels are very diligent and rapidly appearing to expand their regions, inadvertently causing problems. A Zebra mussel can, in fact, change the environment around them, as stated by the North Texas Municipal’s Water District (NTMWD) on problems in Lake Texoma pump system troubles. They attach themselves to any hard surface, and that includes propellers, boat bottoms, pipes, rocks, and any other hard surface in the water.

These mussels are named for their striped design [Read more...]

Learning how to save energy can be as difficult as breaking old habits die-hard. Saving energy has a double benefit that impacts both the planet and the person saving the energy. Saving energy reduces the amount of carbon emissions emitted during the production of electricity it also saves the consumer money by not spending money on resources that they do not use.

One of the very best ways to begin reducing energy is to evaluate appliances and replacing existing appliances with Energy Star products which are energy-efficient. There is always the old adage to reduce, reuse and recycle too. Reduce energy use by turning off lights when they are not needed. Weatherize your home by having air conditioning ducts sealed, blanket the water heater, and add insulation to homes are three ways to significantly reduce energy use. Use heavier curtains to block head and keep cold in or explore having energy-efficient windows installed in your home. Also consider deregulated energy companies such as, Just energy some you don’t spend a fortune each year paying for energy. Evaluate how you use energy to discover how much money you waste each year paying for energy that you used bud did not need.

I know it’s winter as many of you are reading this, but to me there’s no better time to plan for the future than the present. And in this case, the future that I’m planning is spring gardening. Right now (as it’s freezing and icy outside) all I can think about is my home-grown tomatoes that will greet me on the vine soon enough. Last year I used an “upside down” planter to wonderful results, and I want to use the same method this year.What I didn’t like about last year’s method was that the upside down planter that I bought lasted only one season and then it landed in the trash (nope, it was not made of recyclable materials). Plus, it retails for anywhere from 7.50 – 24.99 which impacts the efficacy of the bottom-line tomato costs.So, I’ve been doing a little research during these snowy days and I read about a nifty idea that will save my having to buy a new planter, plus be “green” in concept at the same time — use an empty 2-liter plastic bottle wrapped in duct tape (to protect the roots from the sun). Keep the cap on the bottle and cut out a small hole (about two inches) into the side where you will fill the bottle with soil and ultimately plant your starter plant.Fortunately, these liter bottles are [Read more...]

I was recently in San Francisco (what a marvelously lovely city) and while there I noticed an abundance of Zipcars on the streets. What the heck is a Zipcar, I wondered? Curious, I started asking around. In short, a Zipcar is for anyone who doesn’t need to be velcroed to their gas pedal 24/7 and wants to get involved in car sharing. It’s a time-share of sorts for those people who only periodically need a car (such as those who predominantly use public transportation but occasionally need a car to get to friends, family, or medical appointments). Great way to save money, I thought; but beyond that I started thinking of the green benefits, as well. It seems that for every Zipcar on the road [Read more...]

Now that you’re finally headed out on your own, the feeling of freedom and independence can sometimes foster a “live however I want” attitude. While you may be free to do this, consider the little ways you can make your life at school a bit more eco-friendly. After all, you do call the shots so you can finally make a few changes that you always wished your parents would do at home. Before you head off to school this fall, check out this list of five easy ways to go green on campus.

1. School Supplies: When you head to Target for your notebooks, instead of buying bound notebooks, purchase refillable three ring binders and packets of filler paper. You can reuse these notebooks each semester and just add more paper instead of buying a new notebook each time. You should also look for used books in your school’s bookstore. Not only are you saving paper by reusing, but used books usually only cost a fraction of the price of buying new.
2. Do the Dishes: This might be an adjustment for many of us who are used to mom doing the dishes all the time. But, as it turns out, doing the dishes isn’t the scary and unmanageable task you might perceive it to be. Instead of buying disposable plastic or Styrofoam plates and utensils, invest in some cheap dishes. You’ll reduce your contribution to the landfill and save money in the long run. [Read more...]