Efficient Earth

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sleeper — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

Hello world!

sleeper — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 05:25:44 +0000

Welcome to Efficient Earth. This is the first post. Please return soon once the blog is up and running for more information on ways to live your life more efficiently.

About Efficient Earth

sleeper — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 05:25:44 +0000

This blog will be devoted to all matters efficient and energy saving. Whether that mean an fuel efficient car, an energy saving home appliance, or ideas on ways to travel, live or love more efficiently. Waste is a beautiful thing to waste.

Watch the latest videos on YouTube.com

Waste Not, Want Not - Tankless Water Heaters

sleeper — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 05:55:00 +0000

Heating water has a huge impact on your home energy bill. More often than not, we are using 100 year old technology and often 20 year hold hardware (I know that is the case in the E² home). Not surprisingly, the best way to reduce that cost is to remove that old device that perpetually heats 40-80 gallons of water to 110 degrees and keeps it there ad infinitum. Yes, if efficient use of energy is a goal of yours, the standard home water heater tank - it should be removed from your home as soon as possible.

Ok, they are expensive, but going tankless is going to save you in the medium and long term, and to help defray the cost in the short term, there are tax credits available (up to $300 federal tax credit for qualifying installations). So, investigate the option, and do your part to help us become energy independent. Some great info:

Set America Free

sleeper — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 05:56:00 +0000

www.setamericafree.org - An organization raising awareness of energy indpendence. What it would mean to be energy independent, and the ongoing risks of not taking action to get there. As a nation, if we make energy efficiency a focus of our daily lives, we'll get to energy independence a lot faster than if we continue to try and "heat the planet", as my Dad used to say when I left the door open during winter.

Compact flourescent ceiling fixture

sleeper — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 04:48:07 +0000

Compact flourescent ceiling fixture by Good Earth Lighting

Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

sleeper — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 05:00:38 +0000

Gradually replacing the incandescent bulbs in your home with compact fluorescent bulbs can be a great way to increase the efficiency of your home. It is also a good way to reduce the time and effort of upkeep, since the bulbs have a ten thousand (that's right 10,000!) hour life. That is roughly fifteen (15) times the life of an incandescent bulb, so you'll save yourself 15 trips up that ladder. While they may be slightly more expensive, it is estimated that you save $90.00 over the lifetime of the initial bulb (granted, that is five years, but still!). And, given that these bulbs are 70-80% more efficient that standard light bulbs, this has got to be top on the list of recommended changes by E². If environmentalism is your game, replacing wasteful incandescent lighting can abate a significant amount of pollution. During the first 10,000 hours of this single bulb, apparently:

574 pounds of CO2 (global warming?) emissions will be eliminated, along with
4.2 pounds of SO2 (smog, acid rain)
2.7 pounds of NO2 (also acid rain)

E² recently installed one of these fixtures (pictured below), and can recommend it for good color of light, quick startup, and superb brightness (equiv. to 120W bulb for a mere 30W of energy). This particular item came from Good Earth Lighting, and can be found in your local Lowes or Home Depot for a reasonable price. Efficiency saves you money, saves the environment, and is good looking too!

Fuel Efficient Cars

sleeper — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 06:48:55 +0000

Fuel Efficient Cars

sleeper — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 06:55:08 +0000

One major area where one can reduce their "resource footprint" by being efficient is by owning a fuel efficient automobile. While there are some obvious safety tradeoffs to consider when you buy a low-weight, low-performance car (such as a Prius or other compact hybrid), there are some killer hybrids available across all makes and models in 2007 and 2008 (for instance the Chevy Tahoe Hybrid, which won a "Green SUV" award (forgive the oxymoron)). Anyway, if you have overcome the potential downsides and believe the efficiency is worth it, there are some excellent choices available to you. Check out www.gotmpg.com for some good information. More to come...

Recycle Sticker

sleeper — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 21:07:33 +0000

Recycling JPG

Recycling

sleeper — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 21:16:28 +0000

What could be more "efficient" than the old motto, "reduce, reuse, recycle"? While there are ongoing debates about the net gain or loss of energy, pollution and greenhouse gases associated with the overall process of recycling versus throwing it away (not to mention the sustainability of each), the concepts of resource conservation and energy efficiency argue for strong recycling practices even if everything else comes out net-nuetral. Checkout the image to the left, offered as a sticker by www.Circlestickers.com - a small, subtle three inch round sticker.

Global Warming - Is the Earth worth Saving?

sleeper — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 06:10:28 +0000

Stopping Global Climate Change - On the issue of "saving" our earth from this "menace"... is it even possible? Even if it is, one must wonder whether the cost/benefit analysis comes out anywhere close to where you think it might... the below is an interesting counterpoint to messages from global warming crusaders like Al Gore that one hears regularly in the news and from other pop sources. Found on www.Junkscience.com - "Four parts where Professor Bob Carter uses the scientific method on the popular theory with global warming being linked to CO2 levels. He examines the hypothesis and it fails the test. Does this surprise you?"

Climate Change - Is CO2 the cause? - Pt 1 -

Climate change - Is CO2 the cause? - Pt 2;

Climate Change - Is CO2 the cause? - Pt 3;

Climate Change - Is CO2 the cause?- Pt 4

Efficient Government - Oxymoron? Or, is it possible?

sleeper — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 04:53:09 +0000

I'm pretty sure efficient government is an oxymoron. Administrative waste is a necessary evil of any large bureaucracy, and governments are the largest and thus most wasteful establishments of all. It's a little scary because the ideas are so different, but Ron Paul's campaign has to be the most refreshing political development when it comes to improving the federal machine.

Clean, Efficient Solar Energy

sleeper — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 00:07:39 +0000

When you're flush with capital, and truly ready to embrace efficiency, try this on for size. Getting off the grid with solar panel technology: http://www.solarhome.org/

Aptera fuel efficient car

sleeper — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 07:13:24 +0000

The Aptera: A 100mpg Car - a fuel efficient dream!

sleeper — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 07:13:58 +0000

And not to mention save a roomy... and not the least bit goofy lookin'. Goofy or no, if E2 had they cash, they'd be all over one of these. All we need is a few (hundred thousand) visitors, and maybe Aptera will consider letting us have a loaner for testing! www.aptera.com

The Road to Serfdom

sleeper — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 05:01:38 +0000

An Efficient Social System: Classically Liberal?

sleeper — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 05:02:48 +0000

"Efficiency for a social system means the efficiency with which it permits its individual members to achieve their individual goals" - Israel Kirzner. A slightly different definition than when one talks about efficient hybrids or high-tech lightbulbs, but relevant nonetheless. For those who question the inefficiency and wastefulness of current government bureaucracies and wouldn't mind pushing it back a step (radical, I know), a review of libertarian thinking (classical liberalism) and the Austrian school of economists might be time well-spent. Ron Paul, with his impressive lack of variance from this mode of thinking makes an interesting case for recapturing the term "liberal" from leftists and/or collectivists, and righting its meaning with a small and efficient government.

Recycle Sticker

sleeper — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 05:28:06 +0000

"Click Me!

Or get a recycle sticker to promote recycling in your community.

More efficient paper, more efficient book - the Amazon Kindle

sleeper — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 03:48:23 +0000

Ok, this may be a shameless plug, but after hearing about this on gadget radio show, E2 is SOLD. The Amazon Kindle... a small, light, wireless device for reading books like Hayek's below. And with a revolutionary screen (electronic paper) that apparently performs better in bright light than dim, people who enjoy the outdoors can actually join in on this gadget frenzy!

Ethanol and Oil - “Driving” our economy?

sleeper — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 17:49:58 +0000

This article is proof that the ill-advised push for ethanol has serious negative side-effects, and that our dependency on foreign oil is a problem. And as a side note, whoever still thinks that journalism is an ethical business that seeks truth and accuracy, consider the following headline (in relation to the content!): "Inflation rate is worst in 17 years" Then, if you read the entire article: "Higher costs for energy and food last year pushed inflation up by the largest amount in 17 years, even though prices generally remained tame outside of those two areas." "Outside of food and energy, inflation rose a more moderate 0.2 percent in December. This measure of core inflation rose by 2.4 percent for all of 2007, down slightly from a 2.6 percent increase in 2006."

Efficient Education

sleeper — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 02:07:39 +0000

As you might guess, the government monopoly over schooling has not produced an efficient system. For those interested in looking, there is no end to the littany of research, studies, commentary and anectdotes about the waste in that system. While other options do exist, the diversity and amount suffer because of the huge sink of money and effort going into the federal system. Some of the more efficient (and better performing options include):

Private Schools
Military Schools
Home Schools
Coops
"Un-schooling"

Our current system has been called "America's grand experiment in socialism" by some, and by most it would have been given a failing grade for nearly the past 20-30 years. So, why are we so committed to this state of failure? There's plenty of research indicating that we should at least experiment with an alternative mode (not to mention some good, albeit less well-grounded ideas). If breaking the mind free enough to even permit experimentation sounds like a good idea, you might be interested in Ron Paul's position on education.

Low energy - efficient desktop PC by Lenovo

sleeper — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 02:10:57 +0000

Very cool idea - in contrast to the hot and noisy PCs that are commonplace today: Linkto Article Some Cool Basics:

Code Name = Blue Sky
First full-functioning PC to run on 45 watts of power, meaning it can be powered by a solar panel or roughly the amount of electricity needed for three compact fluorescent light bulbs
low-speed fan for quiet operation
packaging is 90 percent recyclable
Lenovo's first product to win a Gold EPEAT rating from the Green Electronics Council

Efficient Markets and Warren Buffet

sleeper — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 05:26:01 +0000

Read up on efficient market theory, and how it apparently does not apply to Warren Buffet! I'm starting to think we should shut down the public school system and just ask kids to spend a couple of hours sufring Wikipedia every day... they'd be twice as smart!

Tesla - Efficient Auto, Fast Auto - Gotta love innovative Cars

sleeper — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 05:52:17 +0000

The most fun you can have without fuel.

Superconductivity; The Holy Grail of Energy Efficiency

sleeper — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 05:11:17 +0000

Proof that the beginning, middle and end of any solution to "Global Warming" is found in energy efficiency: Beginning: Consider that 40% of the world's energy consumption is channeled through electrical systems - and 60% of the energy presently produced is wasted as "resistance" (translated: heat). Quick math tells you that at least 25% OF ALL ENERGY MADE ON EARTH IS WASTED (translate, 25% of all fossil fuel usage is wasted). Middle: Understand that energy demands are expected to double by the second half of this century. End: 160 Tons of CO2 is saved for every GWHour saved. Globally that transaltes to millions (billions?) of tons of CO2 and NO that would never be released if we could implement a more efficient transmission system. So, if you believe that these gasses cause "Global Warming", energy grid efficiency almost certainly should be the focus of the solution. The highest impact solution being implemented right now might he the "Superconducting Cable" (or SUPER CABLE), scheduled for completion in Europe in 2010. Read more here. Or Here The sooner this gets to the USA the better - Here is a step.

Efficient Government - Part Two

sleeper — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 05:20:45 +0000

If there is any hope left for restoring lean and efficient principles to our bloated and wasteful government, it is surely found in the Ron Paul camp. It is never too late to jump on the bandwagon. He is in it until the convention and has the humble goal of accumulating as many delegates as possible beforehand. Help him along if you like what you see here. In case you think you're alone... News shocker: Ron Paul was biggest GOP fundraiser last quarter