Category Archives: The Environment

The media would lead you to believe that fossil fuel is the next resource in short supply. Well, some smart people are also pointing to resource constraints in our global water supply. Population growth, agriculture, and waste are driving up … Continue reading →

An abundant source of water! A 1982 study by the United Nations Environment Program showed that, in an area with an average rainfall of 72 inches, 12 hours of rain provided enough water to serve a family of 6 for … Continue reading →

Fresh. 97% of the remaining water is in the salty oceans… Two thirds of fresh water on Earth is actually frozen in icecaps and glaciers, as the chart from the USGS shows below. If we continue to pollute the groundwater, … Continue reading →

What about a Thanksgiving fast, not a feast? Instead of engaging in over-consumption of 45 million endorphin-laden Turkeys as a way to give thanks, my wife and I take a less is more approach. We normally wake up and collect … Continue reading →

You may think that the sun is cooking the Earth, and, given the recent data of carbon emissions and greenhouse gasses, you may be right. The good news is that there is some out of the box thinking about how … Continue reading →

Heat. Heating water is 19% on avergae, and heating your home is 51%. The good news is space heating dropped by 15% over the last 20 years. Global Warming? Probably insulation. For your information, Btu is short for British thermal … Continue reading →

Your burning curiosity to know the amount of fossil fuels that we consume in the US for electricity is now satisfied. Seems like a lot to me… Period Coal (000′s Tons) Petroleum (000′s Barrels) Natural Gas (000′s Mcf) Other Gases … Continue reading →

1 year of electricity in the United States. The EIA claims that the US has a whopping 270.7 Billion tons of known coal reserves, which costs (as of this writing) about $27.50 per ton for utilities. The EIA also estimates … Continue reading →

There is a device that will tell you how much electricity all of your active, semi-active, and dormant appliances use. Muhhahahahaaa! Um, wait, it also uses electricity. Dang. Well, it’s a good start towards understanding your world.

Nowhere in the US last year. It actually leaked out of appliances in standby and flashing digital clocks. Well, what can you say? 5% of electricity use goes right to power leaks in plugged in equipment. Devices just sap up … Continue reading →