IAASP: Information & Articles About Saving our Planet

One of the biggest challenges the human race faces today is finding and using alternative energy sources. The push for means of generating electricity has been around for over 100 years, but when oil and coal-fired generators produced power inexpensively, the world put the search for alternative energy sources on the back burner for a number of years.

We cannot procrastinate any longer, however, as many of the earth’s natural resources, such as oil, are depleting.

A Short History Lesson on Alternative Energy Sources

The need for an alternate energy source was rekindled in the 1970′s with the oil shortage that created lines at gas stations and produced critical shortages throughout the United States. The search for alternate power generation is not limited to finding new ways of powering vehicles, as supplying cheap power for homes and industries is a continuous endeavor. There have been many advances in the search for alternative energy sources, but the price of the power produced still remains too high.

Wind, water and sun are touted as renewable energy resources with claims that once the technology is perfected, making it more cost effective, they can replace the need for oil and natural gas to turn turbines in the generation process. Even geothermal power production is one of the alternate energy sources being researched.

The Source Of The Energy Depends on The Location

For many people the switch to alternative energy sources is a matter of finding the type of alternative power that works the best in their particular geographical location. Persons who live in areas that have limited exposure to the sun for example, may not be too excited about using solar panels to supply power. When the sun goes down for an extended number of days, the town can go dark.

In some of those areas, wind is not a problem as it seems to blow nearly every day. Using wind power to turn turbines to generate electricity can work there, but may not work in other areas that experience less windy conditions. Another of the alternative energy sources, hydropower uses the power of rivers to turn generators, but the cost of the infrastructure to get power to the people from the generator may still be high for long range use.

With the three major alternative energy sources continuing to be researched and advanced, the need for an answer to out problem becomes more evident every time a person receives their electric bill, or fills their car with gas.

The resources that we have left on the planet are running out. Do your part to keep educated on the latest changes in technology and any up to date with the issues at hand to learn what you can do to help solve the energy crisis.

Madison Greene is like anyone else. She is interested in saving the planet and finding alternatives for depleting natural resources. She has done diligent research and found a book that teaches you how you can safely make your own alternative fuel at home for less than one dollar a gallon. Learn how you can save money and the planet by visiting: www.LearnToMakeBioDiesel.com

The skyline of Tulsa’s downtown skyscrapers may be a beautiful architectural sight but it has left some people in the area wanting more. Although the buildings are both purposeful and aesthetically pleasing, some Tulsans want a little bit of greenery added to their urban landscape. They’re about to get what they’ve been seeking; construction has begun to bring a new park to downtown Tulsa. This park will be the trailhead for the 2-mile-long Centennial Walk which is still being built. It will breathe new life into the area which currently only has two small parks (Brady Village and Williams Center Green) which aren’t able to accommodate the number of people who would like to get outdoors and enjoy some nature in the midst of downtown.

Downtown Tulsans will be happy to know that they’ll be able to enjoy the spring weather in their new park since construction should be complete by April. Those who work in the area can enjoy the respite of a picnic lunch by the fountain to be built on the site. Families can play together on the oval-shaped lawn that will bring the bulk of the greenery to the location. And in the evenings, there may be performances held at the downtown park since it’s also going to have a small amphitheater on site.

The park goes a long way towards helping to revitalize the downtown area. People will be more inclined to want to spend time there and Tulsa may even begin to see movement of residents into the primarily commercial area. Parks allow community-building to happen because they give neighbors a safe place to congregate and exchange information. If all goes according to plan, the new Chapman Park will be only the first of several bringing new life and color to the downtown area. These parks will be only a small part of the overall revitalization process. The major bulk of that revitalization comes from the entire Centennial Walk which will connect all of the major points of interest in downtown Tulsa with safe sidewalks.

The new park, called H.A. Chapman Centennial Green, will be located between Main Street and Boston Avenue on the south side of Sixth Street. The name references the H.A. Chapman Trust which had a big part to play in donating money towards the nearly $4 million cost of the construction. Additional funding was donated from The Oklahoma Centennial Commission and The Walton Family. (The latter is also commemorated in the park since the oval-shaped grassy area where people will play is named after them.) The city paid its share using Vision 2025 funds for both the purchase of the site from the Land Legacy and the current construction costs.

Eric Bramlett is the broker & co-owner of One Source Realty, a Downtown Tulsa real estate copmany. All of One Source’s Tulsa web design is performed by Winston Web.

Oil is made from crude oil, a valuable natural resource that is highly sought after. Oil is also a very serious pollutant so it is absolutely essential that any waste oil from the likes of car or boat engines or oil fired central heating systems for example, is disposed of in the proper manner. Despite awareness campaigns and legislation, many irresponsible people are still pouring waste oil down drains or dumping it on the roadside, which is not only illegal, it will contaminate the earth and water it comes into contact with.

Nearly all oil that is poured down a drain will find its way into rivers, streams and ultimately the sea and have a devastating effect on the environment and wildlife. Similarly if it is poured onto the ground it can find its way into the groundwater beneath.

Why recycle your waste engine oil?

Oil can be recycled and reused which helps preserve the earths natural resources for future generations
Recycling waste oil saves energy and money
Recycling oil helps protect the ground from pollution. If waste oil enters into the ground it contaminates the soil and kills off bacteria, micro organisms and earthworms, basically everything that is required to regenerate the soil
Even a tiny amount of oil is harmful to water, for example only 1 litre of oil can pollute literally millions of litres of water and kills fish, birds and other creatures. It is also an extremely costly exercise to clean up
Burning the oil is not the solution either as burning oil causes air pollution and is of course illegal too without the proper facilities and authorisations

When you have waste oil, store the oil in sealed containers and dont mix it with any other substances like paint or solvents as this can cause problems and make it very difficult to recycle. Storing it in containers also helps prevent accidental spillage. If you do accidentally spill oil, absorb smaller spillages with sand or another absorbent material like sawdust and dispose of the solid waste in an oil bank. Do not hose spilled oil away with water. For larger spills, contact the environmental agency or your local environmental health department immediately.

Where can you recycle your waste oil?

The Environmental Agency has established an oil care campaign to promote environmentally friendly disposal of waste oil, which basically means recycling it. Waste engine oil can be recycled in any of the oil banks situated across the country.

What happens to recycled oil?

When waste oil is taken for recycling, it is emptied into tanks and processed to filter out any unwanted elements or particles. The oil can then be reused in power stations, furnaces, boilers, cement and lime kilns and heaters as an alternative source of fuel. It might also be laundered, which means it is cleaned up and sent back to the supplier for reusing, or it can be refined to produce new oil.

What about cooking oil?

Oil banks are not for used cooking oil. Large amounts of used cooking oil from factories, restaurants and food outlets can be recycled so contact your local authority for details on what facilities are available for disposing of waste cooking oil in your area. Recycled cooking oil can be refined and used to make detergents or converted into bio fuels and some organisations will collect the waste free of charge or will buy it from you.

At home, small amounts of cooking oil can be disposed of along with household rubbish but make sure it is cooled first. It is important not to dispose of used cooking oil down the sink as it can cause problems and blockages when it solidifies. Some local authorities have facilities for collecting and recycling used cooking oil from domestic sources, contact your local authority to find out if this applies in your area.

Our duty

Under The Environmental Protection Act 1990, there is a Duty of Care placed on all industry producers of waste oil to ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to look after any waste generated and prevent its illegal disposal by others. On an individual basis, we all have a moral as well as a legal obligation to protect the earth and our environment from unnecessary contamination of any kind and as such, it is vital that we dispose of our oil in an environmentally friendly way.

Simon jones is an expert in recycling. For more information about recycling and skip hire please come and visit http://www.valueskiphire.co.uk

The washer and dryer are probably two of the most commonly forgotten appliances in the house, but their energy consumption is considerable. You may have no idea about it, but you can reduce your energy bills simply by changing a way of doing your laundry. I promise, it will be painless and easy to do.

First of all, remember that nine tenths of the energy used by a washer comes from the heating of the water. Try to reduce the temperature of your water and use cold water whenever possible. This will get rid of most of your washer energy consumption while not reducing the quality of laundry and your comfort level. Yes, things will still come clean.

As for the dryer: first of all, keep its vents clean. If they get clogged, they will reduce the dryer’s efficiency. Always clean the lint trap before loading the dryer and check the vent if you think drying goes slower or less efficiently than usual. However, the best solution is usually just to skip the dryer, if you can. First, it saves a lot of power. Then, it adds a fresh smell to your clothing if you dry them on a clothesline instead of inside your dryer. At the very least you can just partially dry your garments in the dryer and then hang them up to dry the rest of the way.

Generally, if you laundry appliances days are numbered and you have older models, think about buying new ones. First, newer models tend to be much more efficient. This is especially true for dryers – new models are now commonly equipped with moisture sensors which allow your dryer to stop working as soon as your clothes are clean. While the purchase may be a little painful for your budget, the savings will quickly become visible and the appliances will pay itself off in a few years’ time at most.

A tip: try to avoid cleaning towels after you use them only once. A towel, if you hang it up and let it dry, can be safely re-used a few times before it gets dirty. This change may seem very simple, but it may reduce the time and energy you use for laundering your stuff by as much as 20% a month.

Many washers and dryers now are equipped with timers that allow you to start them at a specific time. Set them to run at night when electric costs are lower. If you do not have a timer on your washer or dryer, than just do your laundry later in the day. Just switching your laundry usage to evening hours can reduce energy costs by another 10%. It all adds up!

Find out how to earn an income by teaching others how to inform people about reducing their utility bills at: Ignite and Stream Electric and explore the possibilities that energy de-regulation has created.

With ski holidays increasing in popularity over the last twenty years, Andorra has been increasing her visitor numbers to over ten million per annum for ski holidays and happily investing for the future to ensure she remains as one of Europe’s top ski destinations but that came to a screeching halt this year when the one thing a ski destination really needs didn’t arrive – snow.

The Andorra authorities are hoping that the lack of snow which kept so many regular visitors as well as new ones away this year is a one off, and that snow in November will mean a normal level of bookings for the new 2007/8 season.

But if this year is a sign of things to come for the European ski industry as a result of global warming, Andorra is considering a future with little snow, and having to diversify.

Andorra is a tax free country, and benefits from high employment in the financial services and banking sectors, but reports from the country suggest that revenue raising via a new corporate tax is being considered. But according to a local travel guide for Andorra this is unlikely.

‘Introducing a corporation tax could be counter-productive as a revenue raiser, they say. Continuing ‘Andorra is along with Monaco Europe’s most complete tax haven, and it would give high net worth individuals who would be looking for residency in Andorra and spending money in the country second thoughts. The Andorra authorities know that they can’t start introducing personal income tax because that really would kill the goose that lays the golden egg. Take away Andorra’s ski industry and the country’s in trouble – take away her tax haven status too and it would decimate her economy.’

Andorra has invested heavily in new infrastructure and facilities for the ski tourist in recent years, which would make a second successive poor season particularly hard to bear.

This year Andorra opened a new family friendly ski park in Arinsal, moving away further still from her old image of a cheap and cheerful ski holiday for 18-30 year olds to one that caters well for all. The snow park includes a conveyor belt and a game zone, designed to give children confidence before they ski and use the chair lifts.

Well known ski villages in Andorra include Soldeu, Ordino as well as Arinsal.

Other new developments in Andorra for the 2007 ski season included a 540 space underground car park in La Massana close to the cable car, and an extension of the beginners area in Arinsal.

Commenting on the new facilities, the travel guide for Andorra claims that should the snow levels return to normal it will allow Andorra to compete with other ski areas in Europe for the future.

For ski holiday information about Andorra, including the village of Ordino visit YourAndorra.com

YourAndorra.com includes ski holiday to Andorra information and reviews for hotels in Barcelona