It's been quite some time since I have written in my blog! Lots of work, more work and more work have been big factors. Yes....this is a bad excuse but I have been busy working and getting my yard in shape for the new growing season and trying to get in some "me time" have consumed much of my waking hours. Today my friend Dusty called me and near the end of our conversation asked why I hadn't written any new articles recently. So, this one's for Dusty!
This is a great time to start a compost bin. Many of us have become accustom to curbside recycling but, how many of you compost? Grass, flower clippings, food.....the more you put in the compost bin the better (but, make sure it's ok to put in the compost bin). Compost bins are easy and don't require a whole lot of attention and can make great dirt for your garden.
CLICK HERE to learn how you can start your own compost bin!
For a list of items you should put in you compost bin CLICK HERE.
Please post pictures of your compost bin.
5/28/2009
This one's for Dusty
6/18/2008
Lighting for free?
When Thomas Edison invented the first reliable, long-lasting source of light in 1879 I wonder if he realized how much money would be generated from the use of electricity? Electric companies and power administrations continue to crank out the power and rake in the dough! Much of which comes from customers lighting their homes and offices across the world. We all pay for the privilege to use electricity, but have you considered free light? Are you wondering where free light comes from? Well, the simple answer is the sun! Take advantage of free light, turn off the lights and open the curtains in your home. If you are building a new home, consider putting more windows on the sunny side of the home. For those of you who are very ambitious and energy conscious, you get up as the sun comes up and go to bed when the sun goes down and you utilize the days sun to it's fullest. But, for most of us that is not practical, especially in the winter and if you live in Alaska. If you work in an environment where there are no or limited windows, consider compact fluorescent lights which use considerably less power than incandescent lights. And keep your eyes open for LED lights. You see them now on tail lights of vehicles, flashlights 
and crosswalk signs. Right now the cost of a LED light for your home is quite high, but expect that to come down in the future as the technology and demand improves. Figures show the LED's last considerably longer than the compact fluorescent.6/15/2008
6/14/2008
New washing machine uses a single cup of water to clean clothes!
A new washing machine uses just a single cup of water to clean an entire load of clothes, saving a ton of both water and energy every time its used. The secret? Read more.
6/13/2008
Did you Know?
- Wind-generated electricity increased by 45% between 2005 and 2006 and by 21% between 2006 and 2007, more than any other renewable source of generation in both years. These increases were due, primarily, to newly- constructed wind power plants.
- Hydroelectric generation increased by 7% between 2005 and 2006, second only to wind power. However, between 2006 and 2007, hydroelectric generation decreased by 14%. These changes were primarily due to variation in the amounts of rainfall and snowfall occurring in watersheds where major hydroelectric dams are located.
source: Energy Information Administration
6/12/2008
Did you know?.......Kansas
- Kansas ranks among the top 10 States in crude oil production.
- The Anadarko Shelf contains the Hugoton Gas Area, one of the top producing gas fields in the United States.
- The Mid-Continent Center, located in Wichita, is a key natural gas supply hub that merges production from several States in the region before piping it east toward major consumption markets.
- Natural gas production from coalbed methane is rapidly expanding in the Cherokee Platform, where reserves have become economically recoverable.
- Renewable energy generation, almost all of which comes from wind power, contributes minimally to Kansas’s electricity supply.
6/11/2008
How much does a barrel hold?
With the price of gasoline and diesel rising at such an alarming rate these days, we often hear reports of the price of a barrel of crude oil. But just how much petroleum product is contained in a barrel?
A barrel is a confusing unit of measure indeed! Let's start with some facts about different types of barrels.
1 barrel which many would call a "drum", generally holds 55 gallons.
1 barrel of flour is 196 pounds.
1 barrel of Portland cement is 376 pounds.
1 barrel of pork or fish is 200 pounds.
See, I told you it is confusing.
A barrel that holds petroleum or petroleum related products holds only 42 gallons. So, what do you get from a "barrel" of crude oil? You get about 20 gallons of gasoline, about 7 gallons of diesel, 1.75 gallons of heating oil, 1.76 gallons of heavy fuel oil, 3.82 gallons of jet fuel, 1.72 gallons of liquified petroleum gases, and 7.27 gallons of other products. When you add it all up, you get slightly more than 44 gallons of product from a barrel of crude oil. Hmmmmmm, it seems to grow when you take it out of the barrel!
By the way, other things that are made from petroleum products include, ink, crayons, bubble gum, dishwashing liquids, deodorant, eyeglasses, records, tires, ammonia, and heart valves.
Now you know!
Source: Energy Information Administration
