Regardless of our political beliefs, we can all agree that there has been a raging and ongoing discussion about global warming. We can have conversations about global warming and the problems that all of us have in the environment, but if don't begin doing something about this at home in the first place, then we are speaking in vain. Of course it's necessary we reduce our driving and our fuel consumption. By driving at lower speeds we will consume less fuel. These are just a few of the changes we can implement; if everyone does this, and more, the impact will be tremendous.
We use plenty of energy in our houses. If you can reduce your home energy consumption, you can reduce your footprint. It is easy to make changes with the help of bamboo shades. Each one of these major advantages can be derived from the natural bamboo shades, unlike several window treatments and plastic simulated woven woods that can impart only some of these, and what's more, bamboo shades are not expensive when compared to other premium window treatments.
Bamboo shades can reduce the amount of sunlight that enters our homes, which leads to lower indoor temperatures and lower cooling bills. It's common for people to use electrical air conditioning systems during warm weather. By using bamboo shades to block sunlight and regulate temperature one can achieve almost immeasurable benefits. With bamboo shades, you can intercept 100% of light; basic open shades allow you to block 25% to 90% of light. This is an estimate of how much heat is blocked; this blocking of heat reduces the amount of energy we use to cool the room. We can accomplish all this with woven shades of wood. In addition to the prevention of the entry of light and heat, there is the advantage of decreased wear and tear on one's furnishings.
When coming home at the end of the day, most people lower their blinds or shades so the neighbors won't see them changing their clothes. Immediately afterwards, lights are switched on, leading to consumption of electricity. Bamboo shades, on the other hand, give us privacy while, at the same time, eliminating the need for artificial lighting. Unlined bamboo shades provide enough natural light to make the room usable, but allow for privacy as well, resulting in less energy spent.
One should also think about bamboo shades when the time comes to seek a replacement for their old window treatments. Biodegradability of these substances is nearly hundred percent. The shades are mostly made of bamboo and threads that decompose quickly. Although there are a few tiny metal and plastic parts, the rest will stay out of landfills. Bamboo shades, instead, will become useful to the environment. Rather than use a stack of cheap plastic shades, real bamboo shades are an option that are also a good help to planet earth.
This point is very important. Consider a true bamboo shade, made using human labor or natural rapid growth materials. Compare this to a heavy industrial operation of cultivating plastics from petroleum, manufacturing the slat materials on heavy energy dependent machinery, and manufacturing these shades on other industrial equipment. The environmental choice is easy.
Ultimately, you can employ window shades as one component of your overall home energy plan. A significant form of assistance is offered by bamboo shades. Interlaced woven shades can screen the light and at the same time gives privacy. Recycling of bamboo shades is simple. Bamboo shades can help lower your electric bill since they are so effective at modulating the amount of light that comes into your home. Basically, it can be very environmentally friendly to use bamboo shades.
Mr. Gore has realized that conservation measures and "Cap and Trade" measures do not work. The world can be saved only, if we completely eliminate all carbon dioxide emissions during the next forty years.
Converting the electric power generating sector first, does make the most sense. All major technologies for generating electric power from renewable energy sources are in various stages of development. Installations using wind power, solar energy, geothermal heat, and marine power have been started up and are slowly gaining a measurable foothold.
At present, coal fired power plants generate the least expensive electricity. Therefore, market forces will never lead to the shutdown of the most egregious greenhouse gas emitters. Only legislative action can prevent the construction of any new, coal fired power plants.
We must also be aware that it will be very difficult to satisfy our growing electricity demand by building only windmill farms, solar plantations, and geothermal power plants. For many years to come, there will not be enough manufacturing capacity to build an adequate number of electric power plants using renewable energies. Initially, the capital costs of these plants will be high, risks for meeting rated output will be well above average, and elevated maintenance costs will be a common experience.
We also need to address a few unresolved technical issues. The most pressing one is the fact that both wind power and solar power can supply energy only on an interruptible basis. Electric power is a fleeting commodity and we have not yet developed technologies that are capable of storing large amounts of electric energy.
It seems unavoidable that nuclear power generation must assume a more substantial role during the next decades. Nuclear power has become safer and public resistance to nuclear power plants is slowly receding. Nuclear power plants can be installed faster once we begin to rely more on standardized reactor designs.
Nuclear reactors with smaller capacities need to be built as replacements for coal fired plant boilers. Huge amounts of capital and much time can be saved if existing coal plants can be retrofitted with steam produced in nuclear reactors to replace coal fired boilers. Steam turbines, generators, substations, administrative buildings, and cooling towers can continue their operation with only minor performance reductions.
This new type of reactor must be designed to be absolutely safe by installing both passive and redundant safety systems. Retrofit reactors should become available in a very few, standardized designs and in sizes that fit up with the predominant sizes of coal fired boilers in use.
While the US will be replacing, retrofitting, or shutting down its fossil fuel fired plants, it is an opportune time to prepare the US to regain its independence from foreign oil imports.
Very soon, such activity can save the US more than one trillion dollars annually. Past experience shows that petroleum prices and consumption of transportation fuels will maintain their unstoppable growths.
Ideally, the world will continue using its fleets of cars, trucks, trains, ships, and airplanes. Ideally, the world will keep its oil refineries operating and will preserve the huge distribution systems that deliver high quality liquid fuels to all corners of the world. Replacement of transportation fleets, oil refineries, and liquid fuel distribution systems will cost too much and may break the economies of even the richest countries.
We must realize that the world cannot live for more than a few weeks without transportation of foods, goods, and commodities. Famines, riots, and economic upheavals will become unavoidable consequences of the lack of plentiful and affordable transportation fuels.
To protect against such looming, economic disasters, the US must take the lead and learn how to produce petroleum substitutes from biomass. Recent events have taught us that we must never again abuse arable lands to make ethanol or diesel from food crops.
Instead, we must find plant species with very high energy contents and must grow these plants on arid and infertile lands. By using desalinated water and novel industrial farming techniques one can grow enough biomass to supply the entire world with transportation fuels for several centuries. Arid lands are abundant. Best of all, making petroleum substitutes from renewable biomass sources will not have to cost more than $50 per barrel.
Building plants for the domestic production of electric power and of transportation fuels from renewable energies will make the US strategically more secure, will make us economically stronger, will reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by one quarter, will create a huge number of jobs, and will pay for itself by producing large, domestic revenues for many decades to come.
The US must lead the world by example. No other country has the capabilities and the resources to rebuild its energy supply systems.
Both Judith Persit & Klaus H Hemsath are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Judith Persit has sinced written about articles on various topics from Family, Interior Design and Home Management. To learn about Judith Persit, or her , consider a visit to her site which, as a quality web retailer, specializes in. Judith Persit's top article generates over 368000 views. to your Favourites.
Klaus H Hemsath has sinced written about articles on various topics from Cars, Politics and Facts about Barack Obama. Dr. Hemsath recently published the book: CLIMATE CHANGE - GOLD RUSH OR DISASTER? For 50 years he has worked as scientist, process engineer, Corporate Vice President of R&D, Company President, CEO, and Inventor. He holds more than 60 US Patents.He is wor. Klaus H Hemsath's top article generates over 5400 views. to your Favourites.