Archive for the ‘clean energy’ Category

The Alliance for Climate Protection today released a new national television ad, Do Right, encouraging Americans to support the path away from foreign oil and toward clean energy now.

Every president since Richard Nixon has called for an energy policy less reliant on foreign sources. Now, the ad says, is the best time for us to act to ensure our country develops clean energy sources that protect our planet and helps our national security and creates– jobs when the country is in need of a sustainable economic recovery.

For more information on the plan to Repower America, visit http://www.repoweramerica.org

Duration : 0:0:31

Read the rest of this entry »

Technorati Tags: al, america, clean, climate, crisis, energy, gore, repower, solar, turbine, wind

Part of his American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Does anybody know of any sources? Preferably non-web, such as magazines and newspapers. Thank you!

Not investments. That’s an Obama term. Simply put, this is deficit spending on programs that no one wants, on products that no one buys and jobs that don’t exist because there’s no demand.

Source – common sense.

Get rid of all those nasty and potentially hazardous chemicals that have built up in your washing machine. Yuk! Soap nuts make it VERY easy by breaking down old chemicals quickly, efficiently and effectively. A good cleaning of your washer will help avoid release of unwanted chemicals into your wash water. Hence, I suggest giving your washing machine a new and fresh start by using soap nuts to purge it of these chemical build-ups.

My realization of how significant this is began after receiving many reports that mildew odors (particularly in front loaders) were gone after just a few washes with soap nuts. All washers get a build up of chemicals in them over a period of time. Front loaders and HE washers are even more susceptible by their design. The build-up of chemicals is especially noticeable in and around the seal in the door of the washer. Also, it is very commonly reported that the build-ups and “rings” start disappearing in a very short period with the use of soap nuts.

This suggests that the old chemicals in these build-ups and residues are ending up in your laundry. We know the residue is going away, and the only place for it to go is directly into the wash/rinse water, right? That is exactly what we do not want.

The saponin in the soap nuts works exceptionally well and very quickly to break down and dissolve these chemicals. Hence, it is only reasonable to assume that your first few washes may contain a high level of the old chemicals that are already residing in your machine. Albeit, saponin is breaking these chemical down, why not just get rid of them first? Who knows how potent these residues may be? It is only reasonable to assume that they are even more concentrated in chemical makeup than the original detergent.

Therefore, I have a very simple suggestion that can only improve your laundry experience. Clean your machine – before doing your next load. Here are the two easy things that you can do:

1) Since soap nut powder is such an amazing scouring powder and cleanser, you can use it to clean up any heavy residue. You can buy soap nut powder or even better yet, just grind some yourself and save a few bucks. Grind them to a dust in a coffee grinder or processor. You will be amazed at how well the powder works if you haven’t yet used it in this way. (btw: Try it on the rings in your toilets and sinks. My toilets and sinks are sparkling clean for the first time in years!)

2) Do a few HOT water washes and rinses of old rags or anything other than your clothes, diapers, towels, linens, etc. that will be in contact with your skin for any long periods of time or be harmed by the hot cycles. If you don’t have enough old rags for a few loads just rewash them.

I hate suggesting wasting any water or energy, but it is really the best way to effectively get all those chemicals out of your washer once and for all. I had one customer who even reported hearing increased water flow through their washer drainpipes after such efforts. Now that really suggests just how much chemical residue many detergents leave behind.

These very, very simple first steps will minimize the possibility of any unwanted chemical exposure via your laundry – which is, of course, the primary reason we are all changing to soap nuts in the first place. So, if your machine shows any signs of old chemical build-ups, (and even if it does not, for you can not see every place where these build-ups exist) these initial clean up efforts may lead to an even more pleasurable first experience with soap nuts.

Those of us that have been using them have already cleaned up our machines through just normal usage. The use of soap nuts is a rapidly growing and better way of washing laundry, plus they are leading us to many other greener and safer cleaning methods.

We never stop learning, and I’ll never stop sharing any new information or tips. I hope that this article will help the growing number of new users of soap nuts to have the best experience possible. Enjoy!

Christopher Sicurella
http://www.articlesbase.com/diy-articles/clean-up-that-gross-washing-machine-with-soap-nuts-682184.html

The Harbor Springs Energy Park in Emmet County is very interested in producing clean energy and selling it to its local electric cooperative. However, due to flaws in Michigan public policy, the business is having a tough time finding a market for its product. Video by Michigan Land Use Institute.

Duration : 0:2:37

Read the rest of this entry »

Technorati Tags: clean, County, Emmet, energy, feed-in, Harbor, michigan, park, springs, tariffs

The double ovens that are available from Neff feature two oven cavities and each has at least three different cooking options- the number of options increases, the higher the series of oven he model is. For example, the series six Neff ovens will have more cooking options than the more basic series one ovens, but all have at least three.

Neff seem to have done a pretty good job of making the maintenance of their built under double ovens as easy and the least time consuming as is possible and have built in or provided accessories that are designed to make keeping your oven clean with the least effort from you.

One of these accessories is the CeramiClean® Liners that can be placed on the back, sides and ceiling of each of the oven cavities. They work by absorbing and oxidising the grease particles that can build up over time inside your oven to prevent them from getting out of control and leaving you with a really grimy oven. This is a one off purchase from Neff and the CeramiClean® liners should never need replacing, making them a pretty good investment in the cleanliness of the inside of your Neff built under double oven.

A cleaning function that is built in to some of Neff’s ovens is the AquaCleanse® technology, which works by softening greasy residues that can then be wiped away. This feature does require a little bit of elbow grease from whoever’s job it is to clean the oven, but not as much as you might expect. To clean your Neff built under double oven using this feature, wait until the oven has cooled down immediately after cooking. You will need to add three quarters of a pint of water and some washing up liquid to the base of your oven. You then need to select the Q symbol on the control panel of your oven. This function works by activating the bottom heat function and heating the water that is mixed with the washing up liquid to a temperature of 60ºC. This produces steam throughout the oven cavity and effectively steam cleans the oven by softening any greasy deposits that may have built up over time. When the water cools down, you then have to wipe out the inside of the oven with a sponge or a cloth- a process that is made far easier by the AquaCleanse® function, but does not eradicate entirely the need for some manual input. But another benefit of this function is that it is very environmentally friendly and does not use much energy.

Unlike the other two cleaning options, Pyrolytic cleaning is a self cleaning system and requires very little manual work. It is only available on the B4562 and B4472 models. The process works by heating the oven to around 500°C, which burns off any deposits from baking, roasting and grilling as you can imagine at that heat. You are left with a perfectly clean oven and a little bit of fine ash residue that is easy to remove with a damp cloth. Because of the high heat that the oven reaches during this process, the oven door automatically locks until the oven has cooled to a safer level. This takes about an hour or two and can be run overnight by using the timer.

Braeg Heneffe
http://www.articlesbase.com/kitchens-articles/how-to-clean-your-neff-built-under-double-oven-514515.html