The Creeping Disaster

Today's title comes straight from a NY Times post about the disaster of drought and permanent "aridification" or areas.

Droughts come and go, but population increase, redistribution of population, and other factors create increasing pressure on water supplies. 

Today most parts of the US and Europe can withstand droughts - even severe droughts.  Rationing occurs, our landscape plants may suffer and die, and we go without washing our cars.   But much deeper impacts are already being felt.

In the southwest USA, massive fissures open up due to depleted ground water supplies leading to ground settling (in some cases, damaging homes and other buildings).  Rivers that once flowed, supporting farming,  critical wildlife habitat and migration corridors, no longer flow.  Wildfires have become more massive due in part to water policy issues.  Droughts (and increased demand from growing populations) constantly cause food prices to move upward (recall the huge impact of the Russian drought on global wheat prices last year).  And this is just the start give the population stresses and natural weather cycles.

Save Water Today

Fortunately, there are many ways we can save water with no impact to our quality of life.  Unfortunately, these methods are largely ignored.  Like so often in this country, it seems clear that it will take an emergency before serious consideration of water policy occurs.

Today I hope you will take the bull by the horns and be proactive in addressing this issue.  I'm going to offer a number of simple steps that can reduce your water usage.  And I also hope that you will share this article with those that you know to help raise awareness.

What are some examples of ways water consumption can be reduced?  Slightly less than 70% of our water use is for agriculture, and largely overlooked flood irrigation is often much more efficient than traditional overhead watering.  At home, dual flush toilets, common in Europe, are almost non-existent in the USA.  Even "low-flow" showerheads can be further reduced to 1.5 GPM with minimal impact.  Choosing drought tolerant native landscape plants and using directed drip irrigation can save hundreds of gallons.  Rainwater can be harvested by connecting simple collection barrels to downspouts.

When you purchase your next washing machine, get a high efficiency model.  This could save a family of four 50 to even 100 gallons per month!  Make sure you run your dishwasher on the shortest setting possible - why run the "pots and pans" cycle when your dishes only had a few crumbs?

Home Power Saver has had a number of articles going in to more detail on saving water.  Please check them out:

http://www.homepowersaver.net/search/label/Water

Take the bull by the horns, and do your part today!

A Solution For Hot Garages

After months of consideration, I finally decided to do something about my hot south facing garage.  I'd previously insulated the doors and made sure my entry door was sealed well, but in the Arizona desert, it seems to take much more than that.

I'm not so concerned about how hot the garage gets, but rather the living spaces above the garage (my daughters bedroom in particular).

The solution - a through the wall ventilation fan operated by a programmable timer switch.

The Two Critical Facts You Must Know About Your Air Conditioner

For the vast majority of the United States, air conditioners are a near necessity. As the years have progressed, a higher percentage of homes have gotten them, and older homes have been retrofitted.

If you have an air conditioner to cool your house, there are two critical specifications that you must know. These facts are important when you are shopping for a new AC unit, and are equally important when trying to get a handle on your current electricity bills.

Further, these two facts are often confused, resulting in homeowners spending too much on a AC replacement.

How One Bad Driving Habit Can Cost You $600 A Year

I drive on a divided highway most of my way to work. It is about a 22 mile drive one-way, with a speed limit ranging from 55 mph to 65 mph for most of it.

I’ve always been surprised at the number of speeders and dangerous weavers on this road, and I often have to try very hard to not take it personally when other drivers jeopardize my safety. I know, it is easy to get behind the wheel and only think of yourself – i.e. “I have to be to work by 8:00 AM”, or “I hate waiting for traffic”, etc.

But not only is this driving dangerous, it is extremely wasteful. 

I think most people know that jack-rabbit starts are terrible for fuel efficiency. But the one area that people don’t often think about is how speeding impacts fuel performance.  In fact, it can cost you $400 to $600 in an average car, and much more if you drive a truck or SUV!

Five Frequently Asked Questions About Reducing Your Electric Bill

When I tell people about this website, I often immediately get asked a simple question or two about reducing electricity bills.

These questions are often based in a dispute that the asker has had with their husband or wife, and often "loaded" in some way. Often, something based in fact has been twisted just enough to make the answer difficult.

For those who love semantics, you'll love this Q and A session. When you read the first question you'll see what I mean.

Paint It White - Can Paint Save You 10%, or even 20% on Cooling Bills?

Light Colored Roofs

There has been a growing buzz for the last couple of years about a new way to cool houses in hot climates.  The buzz has reached a louder tone lately since Steven Chu, the US Energy Secretary, brought the topic of money saving paint to the forefront.

So what is this magic paint that saves money?  It is light colored roof paint.  Yes, paint your roof and you may see noticeable savings of energy in your home (though reports of 20% are almost certainly overblown).

Now, this sounds crazy, and as of yet not many people have taken the leap.  So lets take a closer look and see what roof painting is all about.

An OLED revolution? Organic LEDs

Early Flexible OLED Technology

Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs) have been around for years, if not decades, when you consider research in universities and labs.  But only now are OLEDs reaching mainstream, and starting to turn up on consumer products (TVs, monitors, watches), advertising, and more.

So what is OLED, will it compete in the lighting industry, and what is its potential for the average household?