Tip of the week:
18. When cooking, size the burner to the cookware. A 6-inch pot covers only 44% of a 9-inch electric range element. The oversized element doesn’t appreciably heat the small pot any faster; it simply throws more heat into the kitchen.
17. Aerating, low-flow faucets and showerheads reduce water [...]
Tip of the week:
17. Aerating, low-flow faucets and showerheads reduce water consumption while still maintaining water pressure at the tap. Saving water also means saving the energy needed to heat your water.
16. Roll up your sleeves, and wash dishes by hand. If you fill the wash and rinse basins (or [...]
The City of Portsmouth, Portsmouth Listens, the Portsmouth School District and the Piscataqua Sustainability Initiative are planning the second annual Portsmouth Sustainability Fair to take place Saturday, May 9, 2009 from 10am – 3pm at the [...]
Tip of the week:
16. Roll up your sleeves, and wash dishes by hand. If you fill the wash and rinse basins (or dishpans) instead of letting the water run, you’ll use half as much water as a dishwasher. Plus, you’ll [...]
Tip of the week:
15. Rather than guessing at the proper setting for your refrigerator and freezer, use a thermometer. To keep food fresh, adjust the temperature to be between 37 to 40 degrees F. For the freezer, adjust to 5 degrees F for the freezer section. Setting temperatures any lower is [...]
Tip of the week:
14. The lint trap is your friend. Clean it before every laundry load to allow free movement of air through the filter, and greater efficiency when drying clothes. At least once a year, get out the vacuum and clean the vent and hose as well.
13. Rest assured: [...]
The spam- and virus-fighting experts at McAfee recently released a report on the energy and environmental costs of spam, entitled Carbon Footprint of Spam. According to the McAfee analysis, the annual energy used to transmit, process and filter spam totals 33 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), generating the same greenhouse gas emissions as [...]
Spring has sprung so get out the rake and get ready to harvest some ‘green’ with energy saving tips and programs! At the Local Garden and Energy Fair you can ask local experts about a wide range of topics and learn how you [...]
From David Brooks at GraniteGeek, I learned of the mercury scrubber construction project at PSNH’s Merrimack Station power plant in Bow. PSNH actually has a site on Flickr showing photos of the project.
The EPA lists the coal-burning Merrimack Station as being the largest polluter in the [...]
Tip of the week:
13. Rest assured: direct deposit is not a communist plot. Use direct deposit for security, but also to save gas on unnecessary trips to the bank or ATM.
12. Speaking of dust bunnies, is the vacuum cleaner bag stuffed? Still [...]
Organizers of the second annual Portsmouth Sustainability Fair (to be held May 9) will present the first of a series of four forums on sustainability at the Portsmouth Library on Monday, April 13 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. The forum will consider [...]
Tip of the week:
12. Speaking of dust bunnies, is the vacuum cleaner bag stuffed? Still smelling of pine needles from the Christmas tree? Change it, and clean the vacuum’s filter, too. A full bag or a dirty filter will make the vacuum work less efficiently, wasting energy.
11. Spring cleaning! At [...]
Two firms holding preliminary permits to develop tidal power on the Piscataqua River have both surrendered their permits to the Federal Energy Regulator Commission (FERC).
The permit holders, Oceana Energy (operating under the name The New Hampshire Tidal Energy Company), and UEK Corporation (also known as Underwater Electric [...]
The Portsmouth Herald reported that the Sagamore-Hampton Golf Club, located in North Hampton, has been granted zoning variances allowing the installation of two wind turbines. The turbines will be Skystream 3.7 models, each rated at 1.9 kW. The Skystream is [...]
Sometime when I wasn’t looking, New England’s largest commercial wind farm started operation in Maine. Stetson Wind operates 38 turbines, each rated at 1.5 MW, on a mountain ridge [...]
Tip of the week:
11. Spring cleaning! At least once a year, pull the fridge away from the wall and vacuum (gently) the radiator grill. Dust bunnies can act like insulation on the grill, preventing efficient transfer of heat ouf ot the refrigerator.
10. If you’re done skiing for the year, take [...]
The New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning (OEP) has announced that New Hampshire will receive approximately $59 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA, also known as the stimulus package). Included in the package:
Federal Weatherization Assistance Program ($5 billion nationally, $23.2 [...]The UNH Energy Club has announced that UNH will be holding it second Energy Conference on Friday, May 1, 9am-5pm, at the Memorial Union Building (MUB).
I attended this conference last year and would recommend it to anyone having an interest in energy and [...]
Tip of the week:
10. If you’re done skiing for the year, take the ski rack off the car. Any type of external rack will increase aerodynamic drag on your car and reduce fuel efficiency. If your rack is not in use, take it off.
9. A single faucet dripping at a [...]
You know you are a recycling geek if…
10. You know a guy, who knows a guy, who knows this guy’s cousin, who knows where you can recycle 4, 5, and sometimes 6–but keep it quiet!
9. [...]
Tip of the week:
9. A single faucet dripping at a rate of 10 drops per minute can waste 350 gallons of (possibly heated) water per year. Get it fixed.
8. Use ceiling fans in both summer and winter. In summer, have the fan turn so that it is pushing [...]
The Union Leader has reported that UNH is planning to develop a new research center for hydrokinetic energy. The center, christened The Center for Ocean Renewable Energy, would assist the private sector in the development and testing of wave and tidal energy systems, such as the turbine systems [...]
Tip of the week:
8. Use ceiling fans in both summer and winter. In summer, have the fan turn so that it is pushing air downward, to generate a cooling breeze. In winter, have the fan draw air upward. The breeze will be nearly imperceptible, and the resulting air circulation will [...]
The Town of Kittery, Maine recently installed a new cogeneration heat and power system at its municipal complex on Rogers Road.
Cogeneration, also called combined heat and power (CHP), is a boiler-generator system that burns a heating fuel to produce both electricity and [...]
According to data released today by the US Energy Information Agency, domestic production (including Alaska and off-shore) of crude oil in 2008 dropped to 1.81 billion barrels, the lowest level since 1946, and barely half the quantity produced in the peak year of 1970.
[...]
Tip of the week:
7. Tempted by those internet or late night television ads that offer gadgets or additives to boost your car’s mileage? Don’t believe it. The EPA has tested a hundred or more of these gimmicks, and none of them actually improve fuel efficiency–some actually make [...]
Recent and upcoming happenings related to energy on the Seacoast:
The newly-passed stimulus package includes lots of funding for energy and transportation, but none for the Little Bay bridges. A new office building planned for the Pease [...]Tip of the week:
6. It’s easy to forget the fireplace damper. Make sure the damper is closed when the fireplace is not in use. If you seldom use your fireplace, consider installing a draft stopper, such as Chimney Balloon.
5. Invest in programmable thermostats. Let the thermostat drop [...]
Update: time and place have changed. Please see the UNH Energy Club announcement for the latest details.
The UNH Energy Club is sponsoring a seminar on biomass energy in New Hampshire at UNH, on Wednesday, March 4th [...]
Tip of the week:
5. Invest in programmable thermostats. Let the thermostat drop the temperature down (or up, in the summertime) when you are away at work, or have gone to bed for the night. My own are set to cycle between 60 and 68 degrees, but some recommend a [...]
The Gift of Warmth campaign, a fund raising effort to provide home heating fuel assistance through Rockingham Community Action, has raised $40,455 to date. Amy Kane, who blogs at Atlantic Ave, has documented the work of the fuel assistance program in a series of articles [...]
The near-$800 billion stimulus package, which passed the House earlier today, and is scheduled for a vote in the Senate tonight, reportedly includes about $50 billion in funding for clean energy and energy conservation programs, according to USA Today. Included in the bill:
$5 billion to weatherize more than [...]I meant to get this started a month ago, but I was too busy working on my New Year’s resolutions about procrastination. Here’s my attempt at weekly energy saving tips for 2009. I’m a few weeks behind, so here’s a few to catch up.
4. Mid-February, time for romantic dinners. Set the mood. [...]
No, I’m not that good at skiing.
Black Diamonds: Mountaintop Removal and the Fight for Coalfield Justice is an award-winning feature documentary exploring radical community resistance to the explosive rise of mountaintop removal coal mines in Appalachian states.
This weekend, Feb 6-8th, the New Hampshire [...]
PSNH, through a program to reduce electricity demand, is contributing $30,000 to the city of Portsmouth to replace 275 lighting fixtures in the High-Hanover parking garage. As reported by the Portsmouth Herald, the new lighting fixtures, installed at a total cost [...]
NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) reported recently that 2008 was the coolest year since 2000, but that global average temperatures made 2008 still among the top ten warmest years since the start of record keeping in 1880. Worldwide, the top ten warmest years, according to the GISS analysis, have all occurred within [...]
A couple of selections from a new day:
…For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build [...]
A recent story on NHPR illustrated very nicely the type of thinking that, in my opinion, lead us into many of the environmental and resource-management messes that we are in now.
Scientists in Wyoming, seeking to increase mountain snow pack and thereby the available ground water, are conducting a [...]
I spent yesterday morning volunteering for the state’s Stay Warm NH program, an effort launched by New Hampshire Governor John Lynch to help winterize homes for residents in need. Working in the Seacoast area as part of a three-person crew, I [...]
The Piscataqua Sustainability Initiative will hold its Winter Gathering on Saturday, January 10 at the Portsmouth Public Library from 9:30 am to noon.
Alert Joan Rivers, as it is time for the third annual Carboney Awards, my self-righteous choices for 2008’s top under-achievers in (among other things) the personal virtue of conservation.
The “I Came to Casablanca for the Waters Award” is given to the Palazzo [...]
New for 2009
Number of comments: 1
Via Andrew Sullivan’s blog on The Atlantic, the latest offerings from Detroit. I am both amply cynical, so as to appreciate the humor; and sufficiently naive, so as to believe that events will turn for the better, even for the automakers. ‘09 should be an interesting year.
Coal, but not in your stocking
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While the predominant “alternative” energy in New England is likely the use of wood as a fuel, the New York Times has reported that coal is making a comeback as a home-heating fuel. Coal was the primary source of heating fuel in the late 19th and early [...] And here’s another on the UHBA photo (via Spitfire13 on Flickr) of the UHB technology demonstrator aircraft in flight at the Farnborough (UK) airshow in 1990.
More on the UHB
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In a long-forgotten box I found these images, some promotional stickers from a project I worked on in the late 1980’s at McDonnell-Douglas. The UHB project (you can read my earlier post here) was a technology demonstration program using an Ultra-High Bypass [...] (H)eat: 10,000 meals, 10,000 gallons
Five steps toward impact-awareness: dodging the draft in home heating and coolingHere are five easy and inexpensive steps toward identifying and eliminating drafts, thereby reducing waste and saving money in home heating and cooling, and by extension, improving our own impact on the demand for energy and the production of emissions as well. I like to call this process [...] A primer on Northeast cap and trade, and RGGIFor those interested in the esoterica of regulating CO2 emissions from power plants, Deborah McDermott, writing in the Portsmouth Herald, presents a simplified but none the less interesting overview of cap and trade practices for control of CO2 emissions, and the role of the [...] Specifically, on saving General MotorsIt’s difficult to propose that bankruptcy might be the best solution for General Motors and Chrysler, but I must admit I am leaning that way. The Detroit Big Three were already granted a $25 billion loan guarantee by Congress, which was signed by President Bush on October [...] Kamen promotes private island as a model for energy independence
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The AP News has reported that New Hampshire’s Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway transporter and holder of hundreds of patents, is promoting his private, three-acre island off the coast of Connecticut as a model for energy independence. Kamen’s island, which he purchased as a retreat in the [...] The Gift of Warmth, 2008
Number of comments: 3
Now that our last flirtation with this fall’s 60 degree weather is gone, keeping warm, even in one’s home, proves to be a challenge for many, simply because of the cost. Amy Kane, who blogs at Atlantic Ave, continues her excellent series on [...] Green Options opens for business in Greenland
Number of comments: 1
Buying green products in the Seacoast area just got a little easier. Greenland BioPlastics, a firm specializing in biodegradable, non-petroleum-based plastic alternatives, opened its first store, named Green Options, for business today. Green Options offers area consumers hundreds of hard-to-find green items to choose from, including biodegradable and compostable containers, cups, plates, [...] New commuter options, NH to Boston and Logan
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17,000 “green” jobs in NH
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“Green” industry–meaning, according to my particular definition, the clean energy industry–could be a significant source of new jobs in the upcoming years and decades. Defined more broadly, green industries already account for about 3.6 million jobs in the current economy, including 17,000 jobs in New Hampshire, according to UNH [...] The Tyranny of Oil reading at RiverRun Books, Nov 21
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On Friday, November 21, 2008, Seacoast Peace Response, RiverRun Bookstore, NH Peace Action, and NH Codepink will present Antonia Juhasz, reading from her newly published book, “[...] Home energy audit workshop in Brentwood, Nov 11The Brentwood Energy Committee is sponsoring a workshop on how to conduct an energy audit of your home. Led by Laurel McEwen of Stepping Up Green, this workshop will teach you how to:
MCAN 2008 conference, Nov 16The Massachusetts Climate Action Network (MCAN) is holding its 2008 conference, entitled The Power of One, The Power of All, in Cambridge on Sunday, November 16. Workshops at the conference include:
It’s time
Going Green Expo is cancelled
Number of comments: 1
Unfortunately, the Going Green Expo, originally scheduled for this weekend in Manchester, has been cancelled. The organizer of the event, Going Green Expos, has gone out of business. [...]Volunteers needed for United Way winterization program
Number of comments: 1
As part of Governor Lynch’s StayWarmNH initiative, the United Way is seeking 750 volunteers, including 250 crew leaders, to do some basic winterization in thousands of low-income homes throughout the state. Crew Leaders will communicate with homeowners about service being provided and provide weatherization services [...] Lakes Region Energy Expo, Nov 15
Number of comments: 1
Update (10/28/08): The Going Green Expo, originally scheduled for this weekend in Manchester, has been cancelled. The organizer of the event, Going Green Expos, has gone out of business. November is looking good for New Hampshire energy geeks. In [...] Portsmouth prepares for large voter turnout
Number of comments: 1
Via the city of Portsmouth’s Office of the City Clerk, an announcement of extended hours at the polls, and a change in the polling location for Ward 4:
Quote of the day, perhaps of the year
Number of comments: 1
“Is the economic crisis going to be the end of green?” asks David Rothkopf, energy consultant and author of Superclass. “Or, could green be the way to end the economic crisis?”–via Thomas [...] What to do about lunch trays
Number of comments: 1
The Portsmouth Herald reported recently that the city’s schools dispose of more than 1,200 Styrofoam lunch trays each day, and that the city is seeking more environmentally-friendly options, among them, investing in reusable trays and dishwashing machines (non of the schools currently has dishwashers). Another option would seem [...] Well I’m from NH, and I just don’t get itWell I’m from New Hampshire (which is in New England, not the Northwest), and I just don’t get it. Here’s what I get:
Lempster Mountain turbines under constructionDavid Brooks, who blogs at GraniteGeek and writes for the Nashua Telegraph newspaper, recently posted some excellent aerial photos of the new wind turbines that have been constructed at the Lempster Mountain site. [...] Fuel assistance aid forum in HamptonThe Portsmouth Herald has reported that [sic] US House Representative Martha Fuller Clark (D-Portsmouth), who is, in fact, a New Hampshire state Senator, and not a member of the US Congress, will hold a public forum Wednesday in Hampton, to share information on the fuel assistance aid that will [...] Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day, Saturday, October 11Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection Day at the Portsmouth’s Department of Public Works is Saturday, Oct. 11, from 8 a.m. until noon. Residents of Portsmouth, Greenland and Newington may bring unwanted household chemicals to the DPW at 680 Peverly Hill Road. Proof of residency is required. To see [...] Meet the candidates at PHS, October 7Other things we could do with $700 billion** If we actually had the money, that is. I can only imagine the dire conditions that have driven the Treasury Secretary and Chairman of the Federal Reserve to conclude that a $700 billion rescue plan is necessary. But I can well imagine, and even calculate, how $700 billion might be [...] 2008 NH Going Green Energy and Living Expo, November 1/2
York joins Mayors Climate Protection Agreement
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York became the newest Seacoast addition to the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, after a unanimous vote by the town’s Selectmen. York joins 14 other Maine communities, and more than 900 communities nationwide (including Portsmouth) that have [...] Here’s why
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Yes, he has plans for comprehensive policy on energy, and climate change. Yes, he understands that climate change is real and is being driven by human activities. He publicly stated so, right [...] Will fall be cancelled this year?Celebrating Green. This Saturday. Way.
South Berwick forum on energy, September 25On September 25 in South Berwick, Maine State Senator Peter Bowman will host a community forum on energy issues and what citizens can do to prepare for the upcoming winter. The time and location have yet to be determined. For details, contact Sen. Peter Bowman [...] Wake to speak on climate change and economic development, October 14On October 14, UNH Professor Dr. Cameron Wake will speak on “Blending Climate Change Solutions with Economic Development”. This presentation is part of the Fall Contemporary Coastal Issues Series of talks, sponsored by Friends of the Gundalow in collaboration with the [...] Far, far worse than mascara on a wildebeest in kindergarten sex-ed classEnough is right. There are real issues at stake, and real changes that must be made. To wit: energy, energy policy, and the corruption thereof. Charlie Savage reported in the New York Times that the Minerals Management Service, an [...] Portsmouth biofuels company wins Maine environmental award[via press release] Simply Green Biofuels will be presented with the Maine Environmental Hero Award. The award will be presented this weekend at the Going Green Expo in Saco, Maine. Charles Nestor, VP of Going Green Expos, nominated Simply Green Biofuels for the award. “Simply [...] Geothermal development in DoverThe developers of Autumn Ridge, a new housing development in Dover, New Hampshire, claim that their residents will never need to buy oil or natural gas again. This claim could be made if their homes were heated and cooled electrically, such as with normal heat pumps or baseboard [...] PSI Fall Gathering, September 20
Another LEED-certified building in PortsmouthThe Portsmouth Herald reported that software maker Newmarket International has moved into its new, LEED-certified building at 105 New Hampshire Avenue on the Pease International Tradeport. What’s our ROI?
Number of comments: 1
Reading an issue of Fine Homebuilding, I came across an article on the usage of residential solar panels. Although not explicitly stated, the return-on-investment (ROI, meaning the time it takes to pay for the system using the savings on electric bills) for residential solar panels in New Hampshire, [...] City encourages more waste oil recycling
Alan Weisman book signing at South ChurchSeacoast Local and RiverRun Bookstore, along with co-host South Church’s Green Sanctuary programs, present Alan Weisman, author of “The World Without Us“, as part of the popular “Making the Connection” series. This event will take place on Friday, [...] Kittery Energy Advisory Committee meeting, Aug 18The next meeting of the Kittery Energy Advisory Committee will take place on Monday, August 18, at 7 pm. This meeting will be held in the Kittery Town Council chambers, at 200 Rogers Road, in Kittery. All KEAC members and the general public are welcome. The [...] Simon and Schuster needs a few fact-checkers
Great Danes; not-so-great energy policy back home
Number of comments: 1
Thomas Friedman’s column in the Sunday’s NYT provides some interesting background to Denmark’s success in changing its economy since the 1970’s energy crises. Denmark has managed to reduce its imports of Middle East oil–which accounted for 99 percent of the country’s energy in 1973–down to zero. Of course, Denmark’s share of the North Sea oil [...] Air Car coming to the USPopular Mechanics is reporting that the Air Car, an automobile originally developed for use in India, will soon be coming to the US. Zero Pollution Motors (ZPM) is licensed to build and market a six-passenger model of the [...] Cleaner than the average beachAmy Kane, who blogs as Atlantic Avenue, reports some good news: the National Resources Defense Council, in its annual survey of water quality at selected US beaches, has given Hampton Beach its highest rating, 5 stars. The rating reflects the high water quality found at [...] Perhaps GM would like to rethink this oneHaving finally seen the movie, Who Killed the Electric Car, I have to wonder, which business decision, when viewed 10 or 20 years hence, will be seen as GM’s greater blunder: filing a lawsuit against the California Air Resources Board [...] UNH, Bates, and College of the Atlantic named among the Greenest collegesThe Princeton Review recently added a Green Rating to its annual ranking of the best colleges and universities. Among the only 11 colleges nationwide that received a perfect score in the green ranking are the University [...] Vehicle-miles driven drops almost 10 billion miles in MayContinuing a seven-month downward trend, the Federal Highway Administration reported recently that the vehicle-miles driven by Americans during the month of May was down, compared to that of May 2007, by almost 10 billion miles. This decrease is the third-largest [...] PontificatingAt last, the Pope and I have found common ground:
Solar and tidal combinedBill McKibben to speak at South ChurchWorld-renowned author and activist Bill McKibben will speak at the South Church on State Street in Portsmouth on Sunday, July 20, at 4:00 p.m. McKibben is returning from a sustainability conference in Sweden and the G8 summit in Japan. The South Church [...] Seacoast residents attend eco-conference in SwedenI missed this entirely. While they were in Sweden, I must have been at the beach. From the Portsmouth Herald a week ago Sunday, a nice article about Burt Cohen and Skye Maher, Portsmouth residents who attended the International Eco-municipality Conference in Sweden last month. Cohen [...] Portsmouth drinks to the Sierra Club, July 17
Number of comments: 1
Wall•E delivers a compact message
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Local action from Green Alliance
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