Midwestern Environmentalism

Environmentalism for the rest of us

Oct 15, 2009 12:00pm
Bas van der Veer: A Drop of Water Dutch product designer Bas van der Veer has designed and fabricated ‘A Drop of Water’ which is a rain barrel that makes saving water really easy by providing a watering can that is automatically filled when it rains. This way, the user doesn’t have to fill the can with our precious tap water, but uses ‘free’ rainwater instead to water the garden.

Bas van der Veer: A Drop of Water

Dutch product designer Bas van der Veer has designed and fabricated ‘A Drop of Water’ which is a rain barrel that makes saving water really easy by providing a watering can that is automatically filled when it rains. This way, the user doesn’t have to fill the can with our precious tap water, but uses ‘free’ rainwater instead to water the garden.
Oct 6, 2009 7:47pm

Power generating backpack

“Without a doubt, the military is home to some of the best gadgets. Fortunately for us, the non-lethal stuff often makes it into the hands of consumers after companies finish milking the government of its R&D budget. Case in point: this electricity-generating backup. Designed for the military, the kinetic energy pack is suspended on a rail that generates electricity as you walk. The power generated will charge a standard US Marine-issue lithium ion battery pack or can be directly routed to whatever device you want to charge…”

(Via: engadget.com)
Aug 12, 2009 8:29pm
Design for Life: Recycled Wine Bottle Torch Very cool.  They show you how to make one. (via: Gerardot & Co)

Design for Life: Recycled Wine Bottle Torch

Very cool.  They show you how to make one.

(via: Gerardot & Co)
Jul 18, 2009 7:47pm
“Their plain gray fuel cell is about the size of a suitcase and sits just outside their door next to a tank that turns out to be a water heater. In the process of producing electricity, the fuel cell gives off enough warmth to heat water for the home. The oxygen the fuel cell uses comes from the air and the hydrogen is extracted from natural gas piped to many homes for heating and cooking.” (via: msnbc.msn.com)

“Their plain gray fuel cell is about the size of a suitcase and sits just outside their door next to a tank that turns out to be a water heater. In the process of producing electricity, the fuel cell gives off enough warmth to heat water for the home. The oxygen the fuel cell uses comes from the air and the hydrogen is extracted from natural gas piped to many homes for heating and cooking.”

(via: msnbc.msn.com)
Jun 10, 2009 8:52pm
Ever think about composting? Yard trimmings and food residuals together constitute 24 percent of the U.S. municipal solid waste stream. That’s a lot of waste to send to landfills when it could become useful and environmentally beneficial compost instead! Materials that are good for composting: Animal manure Cardboard rolls Clean paper Coffee grounds and filters Cotton rags Dryer and vacuum cleaner lint Eggshells Fireplace ashes Fruits and vegetables Grass clippings Hair and fur Hay and straw Houseplants Leaves Nut shells Sawdust Shredded newspaper Tea bags Wood chips Wool rags Yard trimmings Want to find out what NOT to compost? (Via: www.epa.gov)

Ever think about composting?

Yard trimmings and food residuals together constitute 24 percent of the U.S. municipal solid waste stream. That’s a lot of waste to send to landfills when it could become useful and environmentally beneficial compost instead!

Materials that are good for composting:

  • Animal manure
  • Cardboard rolls
  • Clean paper
  • Coffee grounds and filters
  • Cotton rags
  • Dryer and vacuum cleaner lint
  • Eggshells
  • Fireplace ashes
  • Fruits and vegetables
  • Grass clippings
  • Hair and fur
  • Hay and straw
  • Houseplants
  • Leaves
  • Nut shells
  • Sawdust
  • Shredded newspaper
  • Tea bags
  • Wood chips
  • Wool rags
  • Yard trimmings

Want to find out what NOT to compost?

(Via: www.epa.gov)
May 26, 2009 9:40pm
And you thought electric cars were for sissies :). From inhabitat.com: “Up-and-coming Swiss auto company GreenGT recently unveiled plans for a fully-electric vehicle that is heralded to be the most powerful and cutting-edge electric race car ever built. Designed with the famous Le Mans race in mind, their Twenty-4 vehicle is currently undergoing development and will boast two 100-kw electric engines that provide 350-400 horsepower and a top speed of 171 mph.”

And you thought electric cars were for sissies :).

From inhabitat.com:

“Up-and-coming Swiss auto company GreenGT recently unveiled plans for a fully-electric vehicle that is heralded to be the most powerful and cutting-edge electric race car ever built. Designed with the famous Le Mans race in mind, their Twenty-4 vehicle is currently undergoing development and will boast two 100-kw electric engines that provide 350-400 horsepower and a top speed of 171 mph.”
May 26, 2009 6:11pm
Do you belong to Facebook?  There are many free games on Facebook that you can play to help our environment.  I have already personally saved 74 square feet of rainforest by sending virtual flowers to my friends on (Lil) Green Patch.  Very cool.  Check them out! (Lil) Green Patch and (Lil) Blue Cove: The (Lil) community, working together, was able to save 96,124,167 Sq ft of Rainforest so far! We are very excited about our progress and are confident we can make an even larger impact in the future! Sea Garden: Sea Garden is a fun way to socialize with your friends and do a little bit of good at the same time. By playing Sea Garden and sending creatures back and forth, you and your friends will help save our oceans and seas from pollution and destruction. This is because we have committed to donating a portion of our proceeds to key ocean saving charities, such as the Surfrider Foundation. Earthkeepers: Plant virtual trees and share seeds with your friends. For each virtual tree grown to adulthood, a tree will be planted in the real world to fight deforestation, desertification and drought. Our goal is to reach one million virtual trees by April 30, 2009, so please help us by planting. Green Trading Cards: Have fun while doing good! Join the app with the most fun and saving the most rainforest on a per user basis. Don’t lose out on the special incentives for new users! Join the cause now. Many of your cool friends have joined. Stop Global Warming - Game: Stop Global Warming is designed to be a fun way to spread awareness and raise money from sponsors to selected charities that help with Stopping Global Warming.

Do you belong to Facebook?  There are many free games on Facebook that you can play to help our environment.  I have already personally saved 74 square feet of rainforest by sending virtual flowers to my friends on (Lil) Green Patch.  Very cool.  Check them out!

(Lil) Green Patch and (Lil) Blue Cove: The (Lil) community, working together, was able to save 96,124,167 Sq ft of Rainforest so far! We are very excited about our progress and are confident we can make an even larger impact in the future!

Sea Garden: Sea Garden is a fun way to socialize with your friends and do a little bit of good at the same time. By playing Sea Garden and sending creatures back and forth, you and your friends will help save our oceans and seas from pollution and destruction.
This is because we have committed to donating a portion of our proceeds to key ocean saving charities, such as the Surfrider Foundation.

Earthkeepers: Plant virtual trees and share seeds with your friends. For each virtual tree grown to adulthood, a tree will be planted in the real world to fight deforestation, desertification and drought. Our goal is to reach one million virtual trees by April 30, 2009, so please help us by planting.

Green Trading Cards: Have fun while doing good! Join the app with the most fun and saving the most rainforest on a per user basis. Don’t lose out on the special incentives for new users! Join the cause now. Many of your cool friends have joined.

Stop Global Warming - Game: Stop Global Warming is designed to be a fun way to spread awareness and raise money from sponsors to selected charities that help with Stopping Global Warming.
May 26, 2009 1:22am

Wind energy group urges Ohio to change tax setup

Associated Press
4:53 PM CDT, May 23, 2009

CLEVELAND - A national trade group wants Ohio leaders to change the state’s taxes to attract wind energy developers and compete with neighboring states, where such energy projects would pay lower taxes.

The American Wind Energy Association says Ohio’s existing tax method could be a hurdle to boosting the amount of electricity in Ohio that comes from renewable sources.

About a year ago, state lawmakers passed a landmark energy bill that requires 12.5 percent of electricity sold in the state to come from renewable sources by 2025. The requirement is being phased in, starting at 0.25 percent this year and escalating each following year.

May 12, 2009 9:01am
The US Dept of Energy has a great site, http://www.energysavers.gov/, to help people learn more about using renewable energy.  It is a good place to start learning about what practical options are available to you.

The US Dept of Energy has a great site, http://www.energysavers.gov/, to help people learn more about using renewable energy.  It is a good place to start learning about what practical options are available to you.
May 11, 2009 9:44pm
Some Q&A from the US Dept of Energy’s web site regarding home-installation of small wind turbine systems: Installing and Maintaining a Small Electric Wind System With proper installation and maintenance, a small wind electric system should last up to 20 years or longer.  Before installing your system, you first need to do the following: Find the best site Size your wind turbine Decide whether you’ll have a grid-connected or stand-alone system Understand your local zoning, permitting, and neighborhood covenant requirements. (via: http://www.energysavers.gov/)

Some Q&A from the US Dept of Energy’s web site regarding home-installation of small wind turbine systems:

Installing and Maintaining a Small Electric Wind System

With proper installation and maintenance, a small wind electric system should last up to 20 years or longer.  Before installing your system, you first need to do the following:

(via: http://www.energysavers.gov/)
May 7, 2009 3:04pm
This guy is some sort of a do-it-yourself-power god. How I built an electricity producing Solar Panel “So how much did all this cost to build? Solar Cells - $74.00 Misc. Lumber - $20.62 Plexiglass (scrap Pile) - $0.00 Screws & Misc. Hardware(already on hand) - $0.00 Silicone Caulk - $3.95 Wire(already on hand)- $0.00 Diode - $0.20± Jones Plug - $6.08 Paint (already on hand) - $0.00Total $104.85 “

This guy is some sort of a do-it-yourself-power god.

How I built an electricity producing Solar Panel

“So how much did all this cost to build?

Solar Cells - $74.00

Misc. Lumber - $20.62

Plexiglass (scrap Pile) - $0.00

Screws & Misc. Hardware(already on hand) - $0.00

Silicone Caulk - $3.95

Wire(already on hand)- $0.00

Diode - $0.20±

Jones Plug - $6.08

Paint (already on hand) - $0.00

Total
$104.85 “
May 7, 2009 12:04pm

Quick PVC wind turbine / windmill blades

PVC blades are an excellent, quick, light, cheap and very easy.

So how do you make them?

May 7, 2009 9:01am
BUILD A SIMPLE CHARGE CONTROLLER FOR WIND AND SOLAR POWER SYSTEMS “Once our wind generators and solar panels were up and running, the next obvious requirement was some sort of charge controller, since continuous overcharging would boil the electrolyte dry and ruin the expensive battery bank. Several small controllers came bundled with the solar panels, but they were totally unsuitable for wind power use. Charge controllers intended for solar panels work by monitoring the battery voltage, and once it reaches full charge, the controller simply shorts the solar panel leads together. This doesn’t harm the solar panels, but it does waste whatever power they’re generating. The energy ends up heating the transistors in the controller. This type of controller is not ideal for a wind generator, since shorting the output of the genny while it’s spinning at high speed will generate a huge current spike, possibly destroying the controller and perhaps even the generator in the process. On the other hand, simply unhooking the generator from the batteries is not a good idea either, since with no load on it, the generator might overspeed in a strong wind and destroy itself. The ideal solution is to charge the batteries until they reach a full charge, then switch to an alternate load where the energy can be safely handled. While we’re at it, this energy should be used for some useful purpose, such as supplementing a water heater or powering a peltier-junction refrigerator, but in a pinch, a bank of 12 volt light bulbs will do.”

BUILD A SIMPLE CHARGE CONTROLLER FOR WIND AND SOLAR POWER SYSTEMS

“Once our wind generators and solar panels were up and running, the next obvious requirement was some sort of charge controller, since continuous overcharging would boil the electrolyte dry and ruin the expensive battery bank. Several small controllers came bundled with the solar panels, but they were totally unsuitable for wind power use.

Charge controllers intended for solar panels work by monitoring the battery voltage, and once it reaches full charge, the controller simply shorts the solar panel leads together. This doesn’t harm the solar panels, but it does waste whatever power they’re generating. The energy ends up heating the transistors in the controller.

This type of controller is not ideal for a wind generator, since shorting the output of the genny while it’s spinning at high speed will generate a huge current spike, possibly destroying the controller and perhaps even the generator in the process. On the other hand, simply unhooking the generator from the batteries is not a good idea either, since with no load on it, the generator might overspeed in a strong wind and destroy itself.

The ideal solution is to charge the batteries until they reach a full charge, then switch to an alternate load where the energy can be safely handled. While we’re at it, this energy should be used for some useful purpose, such as supplementing a water heater or powering a peltier-junction refrigerator, but in a pinch, a bank of 12 volt light bulbs will do.”
May 6, 2009 8:56pm
This person has a really good FAQ page regarding building your own wind turbine.  There are even more questions answered on the page. Q. Do I really need the charge controller? Can’t I just connect the wind turbine directly to my battery?Q. Can I use an AC motor as a generator on my wind turbine?Q. Can I use car batteries for my battery bank? Why do I need special batteries?Q. Why do you use 3 blades wouldn’t 2, 4, 5, or n number of blades work better? Do you think my wind turbine design with n number of blades will work?Q. Do you sell your excess power back to the electric company? Can I do it?Q. Which direction does your wind turbine spin? (From How I home-built an electricity producing Wind turbine)

This person has a really good FAQ page regarding building your own wind turbine.  There are even more questions answered on the page.


Q. Do I really need the charge controller? Can’t I just connect the wind turbine directly to my battery?

Q. Can I use an AC motor as a generator on my wind turbine?

Q. Can I use car batteries for my battery bank? Why do I need special batteries?

Q. Why do you use 3 blades wouldn’t 2, 4, 5, or n number of blades work better? Do you think my wind turbine design with n number of blades will work?

Q. Do you sell your excess power back to the electric company? Can I do it?

Q. Which direction does your wind turbine spin?

(From How I home-built an electricity producing Wind turbine)
May 5, 2009 7:22pm

How to make your own wind powered generator

A big thanks to Don in Portland for sending this video my way.  Very informative!!
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