It's In the Bag

It has been a while since I did an update on our recycling adventure. We are doing well. I am finding it easier to use the cloth bags and the family is getting better at using them. Our stores seem to not be against them anymore. Gladly excepting them to hold our merchandise. Hubby still has a hard time and brings home those plastic things. I hope he reads this a gets with the program! He is such a stickler on the Energy usage, always turning of lights and replacing them with those kind I do not like... but tolerate. Now if I could just get him on the bag cycle things. Now as far as the Recycles to the curb, we all do well with that. Have notice that the regular trash day are now just down to one trash can! That is a great defeat for us. We used to have three cans full. Now with this Green mind, our family seems to be living thinking first and doing our part.
So How are you doing with Recycling?

Vacation Time Coming Up.

August is approaching and that means family reunion and vacation time for us. This year we chose the North East for our Vacation. Our family reunion is in the Erie Area and then it will be a Canadian trip, to see Niagara Falls. After that it is off to the Poconos for some R&R at the Lodge. I will be sharing some details on my At Home blog this next week. Been working on an icon to go with this trip. Had a contest for the name back in May. The name is... Northern Sun Loop, given by Sandy over at Traveling Suitcase.
It will be interesting to learn about the Falls and how the Power of Water is good for the environment.
I read somewhere that the power generated from water is actually better for the planet. The USA is building and using more Hydro-power than ever before. In the past few years we have increased our usage to around 49%( a new 2010 update). We are the fourth leading nation in the usage of Hydroelectricity to date. China being number one, Canada number two and Brazil number three. The total Numbers were reported in April 2010, The United States numbers were 81,636 Thousand Mega watt hours. With Washington State producing the highest amount of 19,001. Hydro-power had been the largest renewable source since 2003 for the US.
Canada's Hydro Plant(Sir Adam Beck) in Niagara Falls area will be one stop for me to see.

Information resources:/eia U.S. Energy Information Administration

Wednesday Wild Wonders-on Friday?

Okay I know it's Friday...why did I post a Wednesday item? I don't know I lost track of the days. It's been a long week, or short week... Maybe I just want to do Wednesday over(grin). Whatever the reasoning I am posting this on a Friday. Be assured you haven't lost days and you are not loosing your minds.

I was Wondering what would happen if everyone decided not to drink bottle water again. Now I heard that a town on the Eastern Sea Board has that on their minds. It is an 80+ year old women(Jean Hill) who thinks that the plastic bottles are an environmental hazard unnecessary to her town. She states that the towns water is perfectly fine and healthy. That there should be no reason for stores to sell the Water. Her feeling is that these plastic containers are thrown on the ground and are causing a pollution problem nation wide. The goal is to make a law in her town prohibiting the selling of bottle water. She seems to be winning that battle. However the Battle is on going in the courts.
My first thought was what about the Cola bottles, milk jugs, juice containers, all are made of the same plastic and all can be found discarded on the ground. Now I still feel that way, there seems to be a two way street on the matter. Not too sure where I stand on this Wonder.
So a couple questions for you;
Can you add to this wonder of mine, convince me not to buy the bottle Water or do you think I still should purchase the Water?
What do you think would happen if everyone stop buying bottle water?

Hydoelectricity-A Renewal Energy Source

Hydro-power has been used since the Greek Empire, more than 2,000 years ago. They used it to power wheels for milling grain.
Starting back in the 1700's getting power from water was a good source. A french man by the name of Bernard Forest de Belidor wrote an article called "Architecture Hydraulique". This Article was four-volumes of a description of Vertical and Horizontal axis machines. One that could harvest Water Power. By the 1800's we were using Water turbines to harvest some power needs. Including Lights, street lighting and store front. Even some theater lighting was achieved in Grand Rapids Michigan. Also during that time Power for lights were being provided for New York and Niagara Falls. Now this lighting was using Direct-current technology. Different than we use today.

In 2003 it was calculated we use about 10% of Hydro-power for our electricity. Compared to the 1920's when we used 25% and in the 1940's we used 40% of Hydro-power. What happened?

There are many suggested reason for this. In the 1940's we went into an Industrial/Modern Era. Using more coal and oil for our electrical needs. This made the cost of electric to be more affordable. Also some of the disadvantages like, Ecosystem damage caused by damming the water. Changes in the amount of flow due to Droughts, Methane emissions which our reservoirs produced was more than what a natural forest decay produced. Methane is a Greenhouse gas which is not good for the environment in large amounts. The damming also caused a decrease in fish population. Salmon was one that was effected, the fish could not swim upstream to spawn. Even the Oxygen that was taken from the water during the Energy process and the heat being released was causing some changes in the aquatic populations.
The locating of People caused problems also. Just in 2008 we relocated 40-80 million people worldwide just due to Dam construction. In most case no financial compensation was given.

Although those are some valid reasons, Hydro-power is still a healthy choice for our power needs. Let's take a look at why. there is no lead time for site studies as in Fossil-fulled combustion turbines. Hydroelectricity does not cause Flue gas emissions such as, Sulfur dioxide, nitric oxidem, carbon monoxide, dust and no Mercury( as in the coal usage).T here is no Nuclear waste nor the chance of a nuclear leak. Compared to wind turbine, hydroelectric it is more reliable. If the hydro-plant has a storage area, it will be able to supply more power when needed. Most of all the cost is not effected by the rising cost of Natural gas, Coal and Oil and we do not have a import it! Just think the cost of building just one pant, Three Gorges Dam will be paid off in about 5 to 8 years, if full power from it is used. You can not say that about our other energy sources.

We are planing a trip to Niagara Falls next month. This subject came up in my mind. Remembering years ago when I went and recalling the power aspect of it. Oh the Power of Water. I recently learned that we harvest about 49% Hydro-power. The US has over 2.000 Hydroelectric power plants, this data was from a 2010 update. I think this is good and we should still be working toward more Healthier Renewable electricity. Oh the Power of water!