Assembly Magazine June 9, 2009
Posted by Tom in Energy costs, energy savings, Equity Thru Energy, Government policies, Interesting stories, Technology.Tags: Assembly Magazine, energy efficient foodservice equipment, Equity Thru Energy, federal guidelines, green
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Sorry for the lack of posts lately, but we at Equity Thru Energy have been working hard on some exciting things that I will keep you all updated on. Although we’ve been busy, I did get the chance to contribute some insight on energy efficiency in the new June issue of Assembly Magazine. Senior Editor Austin Weber wrote a great article on the issue of energy efficiency in foodservice equipment, which is a huge issue not only because of concerns about emissions but because of the rising cost of energy in today’s economic recession as well. Read about the new opportunities and challenges that energy efficiency is creating for foodservice equipment manufacturers, the current and future federal guidelines for equipment, and how manufacturers can green their equipment in Weber’s article, “Appliance Assembly: Less is More.”
Global Temperature on the Rise April 21, 2009
Posted by Tom in Government policies, Interesting stories, Research, Studies.Tags: global warming, global warming effects, National Center for Atmospheric Research, National Climatic Data Center, natural disasters, species extinction
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The National Climatic Data Center released data on Thursday that revealed the Earth’s temperature from the first three months of 2009 was the 8th warmest ever recorded for that January-March period. If this trend continues, this year will be the 33rd consecutive year of above-average global temperatures.
The National Center for Atmospheric Research also reported that if we cut greehouse gas emissions by 70%, we would be able to greatly reduce the affects of global warming. But as carbon levels continue to rise, how is this affecting us? How will it affect us in the future? One reason many people remain apathetic about the issue of global warming is because most of us, in our everyday lives, are unaffected by it. Sure, we feel good after setting the thermostat one or two degrees up in the summer or down in the winter, and it’s nice to know we’re helping the environment by flipping off the lights when we leave a room, but what are we actually helping to preserve?
As human beings, we may feel no more than a little warmer as a result of climate change, but many species of animals around the world build their lives around temperatures, and the changing of the seasons. The migration lengths of some birds are lengthening, putting their lives at danger because they may not be able to adapt to traveling such long distances without food. Another study concluded that over a million species could be driven to extinction from global warming since so many animals are affected by even the slightest temperature shift.
If that isn’t enough, there’s always the deadly, more immediate effects of global warming on humans, including the spread of disease because many disease-carrying insects will migrate north because they can survive in the now-warmer weather. Hurricanes become more frequent with warmer oceans, there will be increased droughts, and these natural disasters could have tremendous effects on the world economy. If that’s still not enough, go through this list of things that we could have to learn how to live without if global warming continues to progress.
Fortunately, there is still hope for the future if we continue to push for lower emission standards as well as do our own part by saving energy every day. But as these studies show, it’s important to start now, before it’s too late.
Orange County “How I Went Green” Contest April 2, 2009
Posted by Tom in Green Decisions, Interesting stories.Tags: Girl Scouts, go green, green lifestyle, Orange County, Orange County Register
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For everyone living in Orange County, there’s a cool contest going on through the OC Register for people who have converted to a greener lifestyle. Send in your photo demonstrating your “green” living along with a blurb on what you did and how it benefits the environment. There are some good entries so far, including someone who makes bags, sweaters and other products out of old hotel towels and linens, and some Girl Scouts from Mission Viejo who started a recycling program at their high school that has really taken off. These are great sources of inspiration and show that it’s not that hard to green your life just a little bit. And every little bit counts. Check out the entries here, and to learn more about the contest and how to enter your own story visit the contest page.
How Much Water Do You Use? March 24, 2009
Posted by Tom in Green Decisions, Interesting stories, Research, Studies.Tags: carbon footprint, Fogelson-Lubliner, Good magazine, vampire energy, water footprint
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A while ago, I blogged about a great image that Good magazine created on vampire energy. Well, The folks at Good magazine have done it again (with the help of Fogelson-Lubliner)!
This time the topic is water, and how much we are using every day. It’s hard to believe that we could ever run out of a natural resource that covers over 70% of the planet, but once you take a look at the chart you may get a better understanding of why conserving water is important. The chart is great because it also gives you alternative choices for daily activities and how much water you would potentially save. To view the full size chart, click here.
Also, a term that is brought up in the accompanying blurb is becoming increasingly relevant: water footprints. We’ve all heard of carbon footprints, but being aware of the amount of water we use is important too, and if we make the effort to reduce our water footprints we can save significant amounts of money as well, which is always a plus!
Worth the Energy 