Posts filed under 'Energy'
June 15th, 2009
And you’ve probably driven it: The Little Tikes Cozy Coupe — affordably priced at $49.99 and recently updated with a smiley face on the front and cupholders.
The plastic piece of our American childhood has been in the news because it was inducted into the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum in Cleveland.
The Little Tikes Cozy Coupe, that yellow-topped, red-bodied rite of childhood passage, sold more than 457,000 units in 2008 — more than any other car in America.
“It’s definitely a recession-proof vehicle,” said Rosanne Kubisty, director of marketing for Little Tikes.
Little Tikes has sold more than 10 million Cozy Coupes since the model was introduced in 1979 — and that doesn’t take into account its reputation for surviving multiple owners.
May 28th, 2009
OK, I didn’t have one, but my cousins did. It was nothing like what you see above — it was OLD!
It’s more likely these days that you have a second refrigerator in the garage or basement.
I got a letter from ComEd this week letting me know that I could earn $25 for that fridge or freezer if I allow it to be picked up and recycled properly.
To qualify, you must be a ComEd residential delivery services customer, and your fridge or freezer must meet these minimum requirements:
- Between 10 and 30 cubic feet in size.
- Empty and working at the time of pick-up.
- Accessible with a clear path for removal by contractor.
Call 888-806-2273 to schedule a pickup. You could lower your electric bill and reduce greenhouse gases with that old “energy hog.”
May 19th, 2009
The Obama administration is expected to announce today the nation’s first emission limits and a higher requirement for an average miles per gallon — 35.5, up from 25.
Consumers should expect to pay an extra $1,300 per vehicle by the time the plan is complete in 2016. …
Obama’s plan couples for the first time pollution reduction from vehicle tailpipes with increased efficiency on the road. It would save 1.8 billion barrels of oil through 2016 and would be the environmental equivalent to taking 177 million cars off the road, senior administration officials said Monday night.
New vehicles would be 30 percent cleaner and more fuel-efficient by the end of the program.
March 30th, 2009
I’m back in the real world after a week of vacation. Even though I had access to the Web and TV, I was pretty tuned out. So much so that I missed Earth Hour. The World Wildlife Fund encouraged people to turn off their lights for an hour Saturday night to draw attention to the problem of global warming.
In case you missed it, too, you can see a slideshow of darkened world landmarks.
Or you can read about whether this effort made a difference in this Time article, which notes that more than a third of Americans think that global warming fears are exaggerated.
What’s next?
1. Probably another Earth Hour.
2. You can “vote for the Earth” by filling out this form and sending it to politicians.
3. This December, world leaders are expected to work on an agreement to lower greenhouse gas emissions.
UPDATE: Did you participate? Did you take pictures? Share with me in the comments or at jpollock@rrstar.com.
March 9th, 2009
Well, not exactly.
If you missed this Sunday’s BusinessRockford.com story, you missed a green story. A New Jersey company, Global Resource Corp., is making a prototype in Rockford (at Ingersoll Production) for a process that extracts energy from waste like tires.
The hope is that the venture will lead to production of the final machines here, creating up to 100 jobs in the region.
“We have a lot of opportunities to create jobs for people when people are worried about losing their jobs and people are being laid off,” said Jeff Kimberly, president of the West Berlin, N.J.-based company.
That’s good news.
March 6th, 2009
This week, the Chicago Tribune wrote about Kalmar, Sweden, a city much smaller than Rockford, that has made the leap toward reliance on alternative energy.
The city of 60,000—and its surrounding 12-town region, with a quarter-million people—has traded in most of its oil, gas and electric furnaces for community “district heat,” produced at plants that burn sawdust and wood waste left by timber companies. Hydropower, nuclear power and windmills now provide more than 90 percent of the region’s electricity.
My favorite quote is from a resident who says “We are not eco-freaks.” The story also notes some of the challenges of living greener. One family couldn’t afford to switch to hybrid cars and couldn’t make the switch to a vegetarian lifestyle but gave up their dryer. Wow.
March 5th, 2009
I found this article about ways to “green your fridge” after it was mentioned in the Vegetarians in Motion newsletter.
Here are some of the tips, from the original Vegetarian Times article.
1. Ditch the plastic. Glass keeps food and beverages colder, which means less work for the fridge.
2. Upgrade and downsize. By replacing a fridge bought in 1990 with an Energy Star–qualified model, you could save enough energy to light a household for nearly four months, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Keep in mind that units with the freezer on top perform 10 percent to 25 percent more efficiently than side-by-side models. Also, consider buying a smaller model that consumes less energy and discourages waste.
3. Forget ice and water dispensers. Automatic ice makers and through-the-door ice and water dispensers increase your unit’s energy use by 14 percent to 20 percent and raise the price of a new refrigerator by $75 to $250. If you just can’t live without an automatic ice maker, make it the internal variety.
4. Fill ‘er up. A full refrigerator uses less energy than an empty one: The more space to cool, the harder the fridge has to work. If you live alone and often have bare shelves, the California Energy Commission recommends filling the extra space with water-filled containers.
5. Vacuum the refrigerator coils twice a year. The more dust, the less efficient the fan is at removing heat.
6. Take your temperature. The optimal temperature range in the refrigerator is 36° to 38°F (in the freezer, it should be 0°F). But, for every degree below 38°F, the unit consumes 5 percent more energy.
Why bother? The article says that your humming refrigerator use more energy than any other appliance — 14 percent of your household’s electrical needs and $90 a year.
February 20th, 2009
We’ve had a wind farm proposal in Boone. Yep. And there’s the most visible one (to me) off I-39 near Paw Paw.
Now there’s a plan to put one in western Winnebago County. Interestingly enough, there’s concern that they could conflict with the migratory pattern of the endangered whoopers. So there are conflicting environmental interests: wildlife vs. cleaner energy. See our photos from each below.
Maybe more later about the pros/cons of wind farms.
February 17th, 2009
Gadgets are great. How did we live without our digital cameras, iPods, cell phones, DVRs, portable movie players and so on? But we forget sometimes that they either are plugged in constantly or need charging, which takes up energy. Heck, looks like the new Kindle could even take off.
One of the new growing “things to have” is the digital picture frame. I got one more than a year ago, and I keep it off unless I’m sitting at the computer. But some people let theirs run all day and night.
I heard a story last night with tech guy Omar Gallaga that said if each household ran a digital frame, we’d have to build five new power plants.
Here’s a great set of links he offered to help you reduce your energy use. Basically, unplug when you’re not using things and use power strips and smart strips.
February 11th, 2009
In case you missed this in BusinessRockford.com this week…
A pending deal to bring a Chinese solar-panel manufacturer here could add 240 well-paying jobs, help nearby businesses go green for less money and put Rockford on the map for future such developments.
The cost? More than $1 million in tax breaks, 10 acres of free land and commitments by city and county officials to buy hundreds of thousands of dollars in solar panels.
… If approved, the photovoltaic solar-panel facility would be at the city’s Logistics Park near the airport. Wanxiang is planning four phases totaling 160,000 square feet. Lamb said each phase would include about 60 jobs, paying $40,000 to $70,000 a year plus benefits. The company hopes to fill most positions locally.
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