March 2008

Earth Day Rx: Slow Global Warming by Stopping Junk Mail

Junk Mail Consumes More Energy than 2.8 Million Cars

Ferndale, Mich. — With growing public concern about climate change and the health of the planet, 41pounds.org offers a quick, easy and effective way that everyone can make a difference: stop junk mail! The energy used for junk mail each year creates more greenhouse gas emissions than 2.8 million cars. And, it wastes 28 billion gallons of water and 100 million trees! Junk mail is more than a personal nuisance, it’s an environmental hazard.

The 41pounds.org service will stop your junk mail for five years by contacting dozens of direct mail companies to remove your name from their marketing lists. This includes almost all credit card applications and coupon mailers, plus any catalogs you specify. 41pounds.org also will donate more than 1/3 of the $41 fee to an environmental or community organization of your choice! To sign up, go to www.41pounds.org.

41pounds.org supports non-profit organizations working for a healthy environment and healthy communities. These partners include American Forests, Trees for the Future, WildWest Institute, Friends of the Urban Forest, Habitat for Humanity (East Bay), Center for a New American Dream and others.

Each household that reduces its junk mail for five years will prevent 460 pounds of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere — and gain 8 hours of free time!

  • The average adult receives 41 pounds of junk mail per year.
  • More than 100 million trees are destroyed each year to produce junk mail.
  • Americans waste about 8 hours a year dealing with junk mail.

Three brothers — Sander DeVries, Tim Pfannes and Shane Pfannes — started 41 Pounds as a community service project in addition to their regular jobs.

“We’re surprised and pleased at how quickly it’s catching on,” said 41 Pounds co-founder Sander DeVries. “41pounds.org is like the national ‘do not call’ list, but for your mail. We contact the direct marketing companies around the country to get your name off their lists and make sure you’re no longer deluged by junk mail.”

“41pounds.org appreciates the growing concern about climate change, and they’ve provided a simple, easy step people can take to have a positive impact,” said Deborah Gangloff, Executive Director of American Forests.

To sign up or learn more, go to www.41pounds.org.

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Off-Grid 101

USAF to go off-grid with Nuclear

The personal nuclear reactor just got a step closer. A senior USAF spokesman revealed the Air Force wants to order one now, and have them at every base in the future to prevent dependence on vulnerable grids in nations around the world.

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People

Going up: Hedge fun – Going down: Hedge fund

Woodland is booming and the value of commercial holdings surged by up to 40 per cent in the past year. Buying woodland is becoming an increasingly astute move for people wishing to find a haven for their cash.

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Community

Well Update

Update on the well problems, so far so good, the water still has some particulates in it, and it still smells faintly of chlorine, but it is still running strong and is clear (not muddy). We think the particulates and chlorine odor will clear out with use.

2 Comments

anon16-rounded-5661787 oldman in the boonies said…

Congrats on your (edited). Just make sure that she does not leave an (edited) to your name for (edited) to follow. (edited to remove stuff-nothing against oldman).

March 20, 2008 6:29 AM

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b16-rounded-4008479 Wretha said…

I think she has that all taken care of…she hates paperwork, besides, I will not be (edited) enough to worry (edited).

Wretha

March 25, 2008 10:17 AM

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Preening or Greening?

Preen or Green? We separate out the sincere green celebs from the hypocrites. Do they Preen or are they Green?

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Put A Little Green in Your Spring Reading

When we started our journey to get off the grid we did not even realize that there was so many wonderful books available to help inform and encourage us. So we would like to share some of those we started with as well as some recent ones we’re still enjoying with you.

Since so much of the lifestyle we relish has now become more of an accepted, if not “hip” thing, the amount of space in our local bookstore has not only grown but better organized. The nice thing about that is that there is more information then ever out there to encourage more and more people to chose this path for themselves. On the other hand we really do advise reading part if not all of a book before adding it to your library. Libraries are a great source of information and many of the books that now grace our ever growing library was first read on loan. Another source, if you are lucky enough to have one where you live, is a book swap. We are fortunate in Baltimore to have “The Book Thing” which is a great place to drop off old book so they can begin a new life and give some a new home.

So above we have listed a few we thought would make great spring/summer reading. As always we are always happy to hear comments from our readers so if you have enjoyed or even dislike one please fell free to post a comment. Also if you think we missed out on promoting a book that should be read also feel free to post that also.

Also reminder that the Great Energy Efficiency Day by the Alliance to Save Energy is still taking registration for April 16, 2008. Then on Sunday April 20, 2008 Earth Day Events will be happening around the globe. You can see whats happening near you here. Let’s make this April a month to remind all those politicians that want our votes come November that our Environment and Energy Usage/Needs are a concern we want taken seriously and worked on. So as the Earth Day Organization is encouraging make sure your registered to vote for the coming elections and then let the politicians know we will be voting for not only our future but those our children and that of future generations to come.

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Land

Eco-Homes for Baby Boomers

Now Baby Boomers are retiring, they are demanding ethical retirement communities to match their self-image.

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Energy

Orange is For OWHH

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Reading some of our subscription magazines that advocate a greener, more natural, or more self-sufficient lifestyle we noticed more then a few adds for an outdoor boiler or outdoor wood-fired hydronic heater (OWHH). So we decided to do some investigating.

First where can you find it at?

This type of heating system is in more demand in our rural, cold climates where a steady supply of wood is available, though they can be found throughout the US. From the outside the OWHH (boiler) looks like a small shed with a smokestack located near the building(s) it is to heat.

Second what does this system do?

From this “shed” a fire is burned that will heat water or water/antifreeze that will be pumped into the building(s) through insulated underground piping. This can then be integrated through a heat exchanger into a forced-air furnace, radiant baseboard, or radiant floor heating systems. The traditional type system is designed to run or seasoned wood to give the cleanest burn, and in most areas what can be burned is regulated. Though as the EPA has started a voluntary program to make these systems more eco-friendly we have seen wood pellet and corn versions which are toted as being “green”. Since both of these alternative fuels can be a burden to kepp up with additional attachments such as hoppers and bins are offered to make feeding theses fuels easier.

Third what are your best green options?

handtag1-4892733Go Orange! Starting in May 2007 any system that meets the EPA standards of emitting no more than 0.60 pounds of particulate matter per million BTUs of wood burned, or other fuel. These models have all been developed voluntarily to help make these systems more friendly to our environment. You can get a list of which systems have opted in to the EPA OWHH program here. Though when going to the websites we only saw information for the “Sequoyah Paradise” listed. The other manufacturers did not list the models approved for this program on their websites. Since these all operate through dealers you will need to contact them for more information directly.

And our final decision is….

All we have to say is that we are still uncertain of this one. Not even the EPA could say ya or nay on this one. We found reports advocating both for and against these systems. Those for seem to be of the mind that since the system has the potential to heat a complete house in addition to a barn or other buildings on your land that when looked at from this view the pollution from the fire would be less then having a fireplace/wood-stove in each area. Yet against is more from the standpoint of the boilers being operated with incorrect fuel such as green wood, trash, and construction debris, which dumps loads of toxins into our atmosphere. Also since …

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Well update

Andy Prude came over and pulled up the pump head, we didn’t find a hole in the pipe, but we did find the check valve on the pump wasn’t working right, that explains why the water was running back down the well. Andy put on a separate check valve, and replaced the pump, we suggested that we didn’t need to have the pump so deep in the well, we went from some 400 feet to 200 feet deep, we are going to try it at that level and make sure it works OK, so far so good, our neighbor may still decide to replace the pump, it turns out that the pump is too big (horsepower) for that size well, it’s too strong and believe it or not, that is not a good thing. It causes the pump to prematurely wear out, go figure… anyhoo, he may change it out soon, but for now, it is working.

It was so interesting watching Andy do his thing, he was great and we learned a lot from watching, helping and asking questions. We got to help a little, our neighbor said we cut at least 2 hours off the time it would have taken (as compared to the last time he had Andy out to replace his pump).

I’ll post updates as they occur, but so far, so good! :)

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Well water problems…

Our neighbor still has no water as of today, he can reset the pump and make it work for a short period of time, enough to flush toilets and such, but the water coming through is still not clear. We went into town to get some groceries and picked up 4 gallons of drinking water, a couple for us and a couple for our neighbor. On the way back, we pulled in behind the local well guy, what a great guy coming out on a Sunday to repair the well! Andy Prude is his name, and if you have well trouble in this part of the country, I highly recommend him! Anyhoo, we followed him to our neighbor’s house. They are outside right now checking the well, it may be that there is a hole in the pvc pipe that goes down the well, if that is the problem, then it will be much less expensive to repair, it would explain all the muddy water coming through and the fact that the water keeps draining out of the system.

I’ll post an update as things happen.

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Mellow Melina

Letter from artist who lives in red parcel truck and does “gorilla” scultpure in the English countryside.

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Welsh Eco-village

A proposed off-grid community in Wales is battling with planners for the right to exist. The Welsh authorities announced last year they wanted to encourage eco-schemes, but in practice they have been less than welcoming

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