Random green ideas

Lights out America


Heard this blurb on local news last night. A grassroots movement to reduce green house gas by turning the lights off in your house for one hour from 8 to 9pm on a Saturday. I like the idea so much I think I'll try it on a monthly basis. Just installed some high pressure sodium floodlights here last weekend that will cut the outdoor power bill by 2/3. They are expensive but will pay for themselves in about a year. Don't forget to switch to CFLs when you can. Some utility cos. are giving them away. Here you can get them for $1 each.

Here's another interesting bit of research about what to do with asbestos waste. There's a company up here that's developed a process to recycle the stuff. Even though it's not economical to do it in this country (it takes massive amounts of energy). It would be a good idea for a country like Japan that has no place for landfills to take this type of waste. I never thought asbestos could be made inert by exposing it to heat but this company has figured out a way. When it's all 'cooked' it turns into something like pea gravel that can be used in roads.
ARI Technologies

Water water everywhere around here and it looks like Atlanta is dying of thirst. I only wish there was a way we could send them some of our liquid sunshine. Would a national water pipeline sound crazy? Or would that just be a pipe dream (pun intended)? I am considering putting in some rain barrels for the summer months here. Our water prices are expected to go up 15% next year.