Bamboo is stronger than most hardwood flooring options.

There are a variety of green ways to floor your home, which is not only good for the environment, but is also good for you and your family, roommates, and pets. Some of the options tend to cost more than conventional flooring options, but when it comes down to helping the environment, the benefits out weigh the higher costs.

One option is bamboo flooring. Bamboo is grass that grows fast. Bamboo is highly sustainable because it reaches maturity quickly and has the ability to replenish itself. Bamboo is stronger than most hardwood flooring options. In addition to bamboo’s strength and durability, it is available in a wide variety of earth tones and caramelized colors. Another added benefit is that bamboo flooring is water resistant which makes it a great choice for bathroom flooring. As far as pricing goes, bamboo is a little less expensive than hardwood flooring.

A second option is concrete flooring. Concrete flooring is on the rise in terms of going green with your flooring for a number of reasons. Concrete uses very little energy in production compared to the other flooring types, it requires no trees to be cut down to produce it, it is recyclable, and concrete floors do not contain any harmful volatile organic compounds. Many synthetic carpets do contain volatile organic compounds. Coupled with all of these pros, concrete floors are great energy savers. In the summer, you’ll need to use your air conditioning less because the concrete floors make you feel cooler. During the wintertime, concrete floors naturally absorb the heat from the sun, which will help keep your house warm.

Cork is a third option because of its durability, soft feel, its ability to provide thermal and acoustic insulation and its resistance to fire and rot. Cork flooring does not require professional installation.

A fourth option is natural linoleum, which is made from linseed oil and pine resin, both of which are natural and renewable resources. conventional linoleum contains harmful volatile organic compounds and other toxic chemicals, whereas natural linoleum does not. Some of the best qualities of natural linoleum include; stain resistance for easier cleanup, water resistance, and durability. A potential downside depending on your preference is that natural linoleum has a very distinct smell of linseed oil, which may irritate some people. On the positive side, natural linoleum is easy to clean and does not attract dust, so it’s a good choice for people with asthma and allergies.

Recycled rubber tiles are a fifth option for flooring, and a great one because it is recycled and it requires a minimal amount of energy to manufacture. Recycled rubber flooring is ideal for families with little kids because it is sound absorbent, durable, stain resistant, easy to install and easy to clean.

Terrazzo Flooring is a sixth option for flooring and has been used for hundreds of years, but is gaining popularity as more and more people are searching for eco friendly flooring options. Terrazzo flooring lasts a long time and is easy to maintain. 95% of recycled glass terrazzo is made from glass waste, and the left over portion is made of epoxy or cement, neither of which contains volatile organic compounds.

A final option is wool carpeting, which is a great option for those who want to be eco friendly and still have some form of carpeting. The manufacturing of most synthetic carpets yields toxic fumes as a result of the petroleum based ingredients and the volatile organic compounds that are utilized in their production. Wool is a natural resource that is sustainable, and is one hundred percent biodegradable.

NJ School of Architecture professor indicates how to build an environmental-friendly residence on a tight budget.

Author – Cynthia Booth.

Did you know that two NYC-based designers designed an asymmetrical home with a fixed budget of $250,000?

Architects and Jersey City residents Richard Garber (assistant professor at NJ Institute of Technology’s College of Architecture and Design in Newark) and Nicole Robertson of GRO Architects in NY rose to the difficult task of creating and overseeing the building of a single-family house that’s a genuine evidence of both revolutionary design and environmental-friendly technologies.

Not too long ago, Denis Carpenter purchased a compact vacant lot to attempt his interest for the environment – a house that was environment friendly and very easy to maintain.

What’s so exceptional about this home?

• Inside the home, on the ground level, radiant heating beneath the exposed concrete floor warms the full bathroom and two bedrooms.
• In the loft-like 2nd level, sleek aluminum and stainless steel railings accent the bamboo stairway to the mezzanine, family room and an artfully designed kitchen, outfitted with restored devices and cabinetry.
• Passive a/c strategies like ceiling fans and clerestory windows make it possible for occupants to be cool during summer and warm during winter months.
• The roof consists of 260 sq. ft. of photovoltaic panels that supply about 2,000 kilowatts of energy every year to a battery stored in the basement.
• The root have a 2-foot-square area planted with drought-resist to collect rain.

This single family 1,600-square-foot home was constructed in 6 months and won a 2009 American Institute of Architects merit award and the 2010 Green Building of the Year Award from the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency.

How can you transform your home into an eco-friendly home without spending too much money?

If you’re redesigning a home, conduct an energy audit first to help you identify what energy efficiency changes should and can be made to your home. In this way you’ll calculate how much energy your home needs.

My personal favorite eco-friendly technique is the passive solar cooling/heating design.

Passive solar usually means that your home’s windows, walls, and floors can be made to collect, store, and distribute power from the sun in the form of heat in the wintertime and reject solar heat in the summer.

Existing structures can be adapted or “retrofitted” to passively collect and store solar heat too.

The following five elements constitute a comprehensive passive solar home design:

1. The Collector – The area through which sunlight enters the building (usually windows).
2. The Absorber – The hard, darkened surface of the storage element – sunlight hits the surface and is absorbed as heat.
3. The Thermal Mass – The materials that retain or store the heat generated by sunlight below or behind the absorber surface.
4. The Distributor – The technique by which solar heat circulates from the collection and storage points to different areas of the house.
5. The Controller – Roof overhangs may be used to shade the aperture area during summer months or thermostats that signal a fan to turn on.

About Author – Cynthia Booth writes for the architecture careers blog. It’s a nonprofit web-site dedicated to offer help for beginning architects who need resources for their careers. With this she would like to raise the attention on eco-friendly home design and change the general public perception of energy efficiency.

Power derived from people is a green energy that could be using for charging up any and all electronic gadgets.

With so many electronic gadgets in the world today it seems like we are constantly charging them. There is technology being developed though that would tap into the energy of people’s movements. This could be used to power mobile device and possible an entire structure. The power derived from people is a green energy that could be using for charging up any and all electronic gadgets in place of traditional electricity that causes a carbon footprint.

Facility: Innovate is an architectural research company in London. It is working on making an energy collector in areas that draw a lot of people such as shopping malls, sport complexes and other buildings that have large events. This technology will not be noticeable though to the naked eye. However, their movement on the tiles will activate a pneumatic machine which then pushed air along to a turbine where is creates electricity according to Oliver Schneider, the managing director. Only a slight difference will be felt by people similar to being on a floor mat.

Oliver says, “We’re looking to generate around 1 kilowatt-hour of electricity (from each device) per day. That’s enough to charge around 300 phones per day.” This power will then be transferred to stations for the purpose of charging phones, or to be used for electronic signs and lighting too. Since this technology makes direct current, powering the local DC gadgets is a more effective use of it than converting it to AC to feed through the grid.

This company is preparing to install this type of mechanism for the first time in the USA later on in 2010 and somewhere in the UK quickly to follow. Even the ticket areas in the stadiums could do this, any spot where people congregate into a group.

This version of collecting movement energy can be placed under traditional flooring material, unlike the slabs for generating energy that the Pavegen Systems, another London company, devised. It means this version is much more versatile and can be used other places.

Now Zhong Lin Wang in Atlanta at Georgia Tech wants to use people’s footsteps make electricity without having to do special flooring to accomplish this. He wants to develop special shoe pads and similar devices that can collect energy using the pressure from the feet of the person wearing them, in the near future. These will utilize piezoelectric nanowire generators; these actually generate alternating current when handled correctly. Wang last month reported results of a mechanism around 5 centimeters wide which when it was flexed generated 1.3 volts, this is enough for an AA battery to get charged.

Over in Berkeley, Chieh Chang and his colleagues at University of California have come up with a process for printing the nanowires which similarly generate energy. These are created through electrospinning process. This takes a solution that is charged and processes it though a needle which is electrically charged and sends it to a grounded surface. This print method for nanogenerators could even be used with clothing and other textiles to charge up electronic devices for the person wearing them.

This is definitely a promising idea for energy savings. Anything we can do to lower the drain of resources in the world will help lessen our carbon footprint.

Biodiesel can be made from natural resources which are readily available.

There are many good reasons why biodiesel is a good fuel alternative to gasoline. Primarily, it is safer to the environment because it completely comes from renewable sources, is non-toxic, burns clean, and is totally biodegradable. Secondly, it is a renewable fuel and can easily be sourced out from natural, safe resources such as vegetable oils, soybean oils, canola oils, recycled cooking oils, sunflower oils, and animal fats.

Used as an alternative fuel, biodiesel has more benefits compared to petroleum. Its engine performance is either equal or even better than that of petroleum and it is readily available for people’s automobile use as it can be found in around 800 locations around the United States with 600 fleets currently using biodiesel blends. In 2005, an estimated 75 million gallons of biodiesel were sold, according a website of the US Environmental Protection Act.

Because of its safety and environmental-friendly components, biodiesel passed the standards of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments and has subsequently been tested for all other environmental safety standard requirements by the government and passed them all compared to other alternative fuels which had some harmful components. As an alternative fuel, biodiesel also cuts greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by over 50 percent compared to petroleum diesel which only reduces GHG emissions by 10 percent, according to a report by the US Department of Energy. With people becoming more aware about the protection of the natural environment and making individual contributions to stop the global warming, the use of biodiesel in everyday personal automobile use is seen as one big step in this endeavor. Environmental groups are also seen to push for greater efforts toward achieving this universal goal.

Converting to biodiesel is easy as it works with most current diesel engines. While it is presently more expensive than the regular gasoline sold for automobile use, the price is expected to go down in the coming years as more people convert to it and the demand increases. Since it can be made from natural resources which are readily available within the country, responding to an increasing demand is expected to be met without so much as a problem from the levels of production, marketing, and distribution. The expected increase in the people’s need for a more safe and environmental-friendly fuel in biodiesel is seen as a positive response to the growing concern in global warming. A study revealed that an estimated 33 percent of vehicle harmful emissions contribute to the global warming phenomena.

While touted as the best alternative fuel of the new future, biodiesel is not only highly recommended for daily automobile use, but is also being pushed as another alternative energy source for both generating and heating purposes. A test conducted by the National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA) revealed that 80 percent low-sulfur heating oil and a 20 percent biodiesel (B20) decreased emissions of sulfur oxide by almost 80 percent or even more. Emissions of nitrogen oxide decreased by around 20 percent while carbon dioxide similarly lowered by 20 percent.

Going “green” in everything that people do is the new way to doing things. From recycling to reusing to reducing to making use of renewable and alternative sources of energy such as biodiesel, solar heat, water, and wind lead to better earth preservation and living in harmony with nature. Biodiesel is the future in alternative fuel, knowing that already people must do their share in saving our environment and start using what is only the best and safest for both man and the earth.

Slowly people and manufacturers are becoming aware of the need for solar energy.

The cars powered by solar are just electric cars that do not need to be plugged in to be charged. Why? They have solar panels installed on the top of them to generate power. These panels collect the sun’s energy and transform it into electricity to power the cars. At present time these cars cannot go far on their solar power.

When the panels collect the sun’s energy, they will then send the energy directly to the batteries for whatever power the car needs to drive down the road right then. The excess power is stored to be used as needed. Right now the batteries will not store that much extra electricity, so these cars can only operate in a limited range.

So right now there is a lot of room for improvement on these cars. They are not as effective as they should be yet. These cars are very promising for the future as the solar technology improves. Solar cars can be our answer to using so many fossil fuels and the carbon footprint we are leaving at present time.

Traditional vehicles are among the top sources for the greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere. In fact they are only beat out by power plants that run by burning coal. What country do you think leads in both of these statistics? You guessed it right, the United States. With pouring carbon dioxide into the air at a rate of over a billion tons a year from cars, and the plants burning coal giving off over 2 billion, the USA is not seen as environmentally conscience to some other countries across the world.

With the way the people of USA use power progress has been slow to adopt alternative sources such as solar energy. However, slowly people and manufacturers are becoming aware of the need for it. The energy companies and car manufacturers though have politicked to an extreme amount for more incentives and legislation. The large vehicles that suck up so much gas are still too loved by the American people and the market.

The cars powered by solar in the USA are small cars and very exclusive. The solar panels alone run over a-hundred-thousand dollars. However, these are extremely advanced in their technology and are the way of the future. These do not give off any greenhouse gases and are very quiet while they work at storing energy.

In other countries some solar cars have made for the general consumer, however, the electricity may not be completely generated in the vehicle though. They are called solar powered electric vehicles or SPEVs. These are used for short-distance jaunts like back and forth to the store or office.

More research needs to be done, but these cars do hold promise because they do not use any fossil fuels. They also take less maintenance as far as tune ups and oil changes. There are no emissions so you do not need to get that checked either. As time goes on better cars powered by solar will become available that will go longer distances.

Every green car on the highway is one less polluting vehicle.

As any car fanatic knows, the Kelley Blue Book is the United State’s largest automotive vehicle valuation company. For 2010, it has just announced the top green car picks with the Toyota Prius leading the pack.

Toyota Prius

The Prius offers a special powertrain combined with a hybrid electric motor and gasoline-fueled internal combustion engine. Because of these advanced features, the Prius delivers on higher fuel economy coupled with lower emissions in comparison with regular cars in its size and price range.

Honda Insight Hybrid

The manufacturers of the Honda Insight envisioned the car as the most cost-effective hybrid car in the market and, so far, it seems to have delivered on that vision. It has a combined mileage of 41 miles per gallon with a tag price of $20,000 – about $2,000 lower than the Prius.

Ford Fusion Hybrid

The best thing about the Ford Fusion Hybrid is its adept combination of class-leading fuel efficiency with top-notch cabin technology. You can have a great ride while knowing that you are also doing great things for the environment in your own commuter way.

Volkswagen Golf TDI

The Volkswagen Gold TDI uses a fuel injection system combined with an electronically controlled turbocharger, of which the end result is better fuel economy and performance in comparison with its standard model. Fuel economy is 30 city/42 highway miles per gallon on the 6-speed automatic transmission.

Mini Cooper

Despite its tea-cup sized dimensions, the Mini Cooper is a giant in the eco-friendly car field. At 32 miles per gallon combined, it is an absolutely economical choice for many single ladies.

Ford Escape Hybrid

When it comes to the SUV market, the Ford Escape hybrid is the most efficient in its category. Its 32 miles per gallon fuel economy rate is one of the best in hybrid cars although you have to pay a $9,000 premium for owning it over its gas-powered counterpart.

Honda Fit

With a combined fuel economy rate of 31 miles per gallon combined, the Honda Fit is also known for its versatile interior. It also offers navigation, iPod integration and multiple cargo arrangements although uts dated cabin tech is not exactly on top of anybody’s list.

BMW 335d

The diesel engine of BMW 335d delivers on excellent fuel economy at 27 miles per gallon combined. Very little compromise on performance can be experienced, thanks to its iDrive controller and topnotch cabin electronics.

Toyota Highlander Hybrid

The power of the Toyota Highlander hybrid comes from four engines – the 3.3 liter gasoline V6 engine, the two electric motors in the front and rear as well as the third electric motor operating solely as an engine starter. It has two driving modes – first, the EV modes functions only on electric power albeit at low speed and only for a mile; and second, the Econ mode limits throttle response to promote better fuel economy.

Chevy Tahoe Hybrid

The Chevy Tahoe hybrid’s powertrain is its 6-liter Vortec V8 with its patented cylinder deactivation technology. Basically, the car saves on fuel by shutting down 4 of the 8 cylinders when the additional power is unnecessary.

So, choose your hybrid car now and save the Earth from further emissions and fossil fuel use. Every green car on the highway is one less polluting vehicle.

Our food crops depend on bees for pollination.

Little things do matter and this is all too-true in nature, of which bees immediately come to mind. This point was brought to us by the box-office hit animated movie titled “Bee Movie” starring Jerry Seinfeld and Renee Zellweger, among other stars. In that movie, bees played an important role in food production, which drastically suffered when the black-and-yellow insects ceased to be busy making honey, literally.

Role of Bees in Human Survival
We should all be concerned when the likes of the bee colony collapse disorder affect our little friends. After all, bees are essential not only for their honey and beeswax but, more importantly, for their roles in food production for humanity’s benefit.

Many of our food crops for both man and animals depend on bees for pollination. Thus, many apiarists make a brisk living taking their swarms of bees from one farm to the next especially in areas known for being not so bee-friendly.

Just to name a few of the crops relying on bees for pollination, you have forage and legume crops (alfalfa and clover), fruit crops (apples and berries), nut crops (almonds and chestnuts), oilseed crops (cotton and soybeans), and vegetables (asparagus to zucchinis). Name any food crop and it is likely to have been pollinated by a bee.

It is estimated that if the bee population was somehow reduced by at least 30 percent, more than half of the world’s food supply will be adversely affected. With droughts, earthquakes and other natural and manmade disasters befalling us nowadays, losing the bees is yet another challenge to our survival as the dominant species on Earth. We may even go the way of the dinosaur and the dodo, no thanks to the elimination of our little striped helpers.

Roles of Humanity in Bee Survival
Just as much as bees have a role in ensuring the survival of humanity, we also have roles in ensuring their survival. This way, we can ensure that the symbiotic relationship we have with bees will endure for many more generations.

There are many things we can do to achieve such a life-sustaining purpose. First, you can talk about it, perhaps even look into local legislation affecting the life of bees. You will be surprised at how many people you can actually touch with this pet project.

Second, you should plant more fruits, flowers and vegetables in your garden to attract more wild bees. You never know if your small efforts to nurture the species in your garden can and will positively benefit outlying areas.

Plus, you will get the health and finance benefits of growing your own organic food produce in your garden. Now, that alone should encourage anybody to go into organic gardening even on a small-scale basis.

Third, you can know more about bees by joining local apiarist organizations. This way, you will be able to help out in bee conservation efforts.

When we help each other out, man and bees, we can make the world a better place for everybody. Now, that is the greatest thing that we can do for ourselves and for others – indeed an eco-friendly way to co-exist.

Modify your diet and only include fish you know don't contain high levels of Mercury.

While most people have heard of Mercury and Mercury poisoning they may not be completely familiar with how severe it can be or how to avoid being poisoned. Developing a clear understanding on the subject of Mercury is most definitely helpful because it can aid in reducing the unfortunate impact the poison can have on the human body.

Mercury is considered a heavy metal poison and its method of absorption is through the skin, lungs, and the digestive system. Once it is absorbed into the system, the consequences can be devastating. The target of such poison is the central nervous system and once the poison comes in contact with it, it is not impossible that the central nervous system can be destroyed. Additionally, the organs in the body can be targeted by this poison leading to their malfunction which can cause death. Depending upon the exposure to Mercury, those that can survive such poisoning have been known to suffer brain damage and insanity as a result. Needless to say, exposure to this poison must be avoided. Granted, that can be difficult considering the high volume of it present in certain environments.

For example, many people are known to ingest Mercury through their diet if they are known to eat a lot of fish. So, to avoid Mercury, you would be best served modifying your diet and only including fish that have long since been established for not containing high levels of Mercury in them. Such fish know for high Mercury levels include swordfish, tuna, snapper, and any fish that have been caught in regions known for high levels of industrial pollution.

Some may opt to avoid fish in their diet altogether but this alone will not completely prevent potential exposure to Mercury. Coal emissions are known for greatly boosting the presence of Mercury and since coal is the prime source of electricity production, it would be best to reduce your consumption of electricity so as to reduce your potential exposure to Mercury. Yes, something as simple as being mindful of how much electricity you use can reverse the negative impact of Mercury on your health.

Probably one of the most severe means of ingesting Mercury would be through the very unhealthy habit of smoking cigarettes. Among the many serious problems smoking causes, exposure to Mercury can be added to the list. Therefore, it is strongly advised to give up this bad habit if you want to avoid being poisoned or suffering from scores of other health related problems.

Beware of the type of paint you use around the house. While many paints ceased being made with Mercury as an ingredient, a number still are. Avoiding these types of paints is mandatory when you want to stay clear of Mercury poisoning.

It is also best to educate yourself on the various other sources of Mercury. Most people known thermometers contain mercury but did you known batteries and fluorescent light bulbs do as well? Always familiarize yourself with the sources of Mercury since this will play a role in your ability to avoid it.

An average residential turbine requires wind speeds of 10 miles per hour

In some places of the world, wind turbine power accounts for ten percent of the total electricity consumed.  This is, sadly, a very small fraction of the power generation and consumption coming from coal plants as well as from solar panels.  Still, it is progress that we should welcome for the simple reason that taking it one step at a time is better than taking no steps at all in the right direction.

To take these small but important steps towards cleaner electricity through wind power, it is important to know about the secrets, open these may be to anyone interested, behind wind turbine technology.

Turbines in Relation to the Generation of Electricity
Think of your ordinary electric fan – it generates wind by using electricity.  Now think of the wind turbine although in a reverse mode – it generates electricity by using wind.  The technology behind wind power can be summed up as simply as that statement.

But of course, electricity generation is hardly ever that simple.  Let’s put it this way for the non-techie amongst us.  The turbine blades are designed so as to capture the maximum amount of wind, which will cause them to rotate.  In turn, the rotation spins the low-speed shaft gear connected to the high-speed shaft gear, the latter of which is housed inside the generator housing.

The domino effect is such that the electrical current generated by the movement of the gears, shafts and rotors are then fed into the main grid or a battery pack.  You will then enjoy the benefits of electricity.

Residential Wind Turbines
Lest you think that you cannot have a wind turbine in your home, think again.  Although you should ask local authorities and consider environmental conditions in your area, you can avail of residential wind turbines starting at around $12,000 each.

If you think that it is too much money, do consider that energy tax rebates are available that can lessen the final cost of the unit.  Plus, you can recoup your investment through lesser dependence on the main grid, not to mention that your carbon footprint on our already beleaguered planet is also significantly lesser.

Just to give numbers to this eco-friendly fact, for every kilowatt-hour of wind turbine-generated electricity consumed, about 1.5 pounds of carbon emitted into the air by coal-powered plants can be avoided.  You do know that carbon dioxide is one of the major contributors to global warming, don’t you?

Passing of Wind Considerations
We are talking about placing your residential wind turbines in an area where the maximum amount of wind can be experienced.  An average residential turbine requires wind speeds of 10 miles per hour to generate electricity.  So, if you live in an area with little to no wind, you should opt for solar panels.  But if you are really enthusiastic about wind power, you should look into turbines that can operate on 5 miles per hour wind speeds.  And with blades as large as 20 meters, you must make sure that the neighbors will not be disturbed by the rotations.

As with any other methods of power generation, wind turbines have their merits and demerits.  Still, when it comes to clean energy from wind power, we are willing to take the cons with the pros anytime of day.

Butterflies perform a vital role in our ecosystem and their global population decline should not be ignored.

There are millions of species of insects in the world and most people will agree that the butterfly is among the most beautiful of all insects. That is why it is such a shame that the population of insects in the world has been declining. Yes, this is a sad but true fact. All across the globe, the numbers of the butterfly population have been slowly and steadily shrinking. Sadly, we have taken the butterfly for granted when the population numbers were high. Now, they are declining and we have limited options regarding what to do to deal with the scenario.

The decline of the global butterfly population is not something that should be ignored. Butterflies perform a vital role in our ecosystem. They provide food for other creates which aids creating the life cycle of the natural world. Additionally, butterflies act as pollinators which means they help grow the various species of plants which humans are reliant upon for oxygen.

Various factors have contributed to the global decline in the population of butterflies. Destruction of their natural habitat and exposure to pesticides has definitely contributed to the slow erosion of their population. This means that human beings are certainly contributing to the decline in these creatures. Understanding this fact does bring forth a little hope. That is, since humans are the problem, we humans can take the steps to reverse the issues that are causing the various issues.  Okay, this may not be the easiest process in the world but it can be done with the right drive and effort.

The first step here is raising your educational level on the subject. By learning as much as you can about the decline in the butterfly population, you can do what is necessary to reduce your own negative impact. Perhaps planting flowers in your yard that butterflies use as a food source would be a good first step. You could also inform others about what you have learned on the subject of problems and issues facing butterflies. Even something as seemingly ‘minor’ as blogging about the subject could prove to be a great help in terms of expanding awareness. Really, anything that you can do to spread the news about the problem will increase the numbers of those aware of the problem. This, in turn, opens the door for being able to reverse the problem since preventive steps can be taken. Yes, this requires some effort but the effort will be well worth it in the end.

It also could prove to be a wise idea to sign on with an organization dedicated to preserving the global population of butterflies. Many of these organizations are run as private charities by those looking to learn more about the problem while also taking the vital steps required to reverse the problem should certainly look into what these organizations have to offer. Working with like-minded people can have a great impact on increasing awareness of the problems leading to the global decline in butterfly populations. This can later set the stage for reversing such trends.