Research

I've been neglecting The Green Apartment yet again, and for that I heartily apologize. Now that I'm finally revisiting this withered blog, I think it's time that I sit down and do a little homework.

So here goes... I'm out on my patio, taking advantage of the beautiful summer sunshine and breeze (instead of lighting and air conditioning), listening to a little Johnny Cash and about to delve into The Home Energy Diet by Paul Scheckel, searching for ways that we - as home/apartment renters - can have a positive (or less negative) impact on the climate, and save money while we're at it.

I'll let you know what I learn, and what I think of the book as I go.

Thanks for your patience, and stop by again soon!!

GARAGE: Fuel Cell Vehicles

Each of these automobiles is run by an electric motor powered by the internal chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, rather than the combustion of gasoline in traditional engines. This means that instead of emitting harmful fumes into the atmosphere, Fuel Cell Vehicles combine hydrogen with oxygen to emit water!

Opponents of Fuel Cell technology claim that because hydrogen is harvested from hydrocarbon fuels or through electrolysis powered by the use of other fuels, it is as destructive as traditional carbon engines it replaces. According to Mother Jones, however, electrolysis can be performed using electricity from any type of source, including clean alternatives, such as wind, solar, and biomass power. Joseph J. Romm, in The Hype About Hydrogen, describes the positive and negative aspects of Hydrogen - from its abundance and its clean potential to the difficulties and hazards of storing and transporting the lightest gas.

Another potential hazard is the assorment of metals used in the Lithium-ion batteries used to store power generated by Fuel Cells, in addition to many cell phones and other rechargeable gadgets.Reports are mixed (positive/negative) as to the potential toxicity of these metals when disposed of improperly. Either way, without extensive consumer education and improved availability of recycling drop-offs, the amount of rechargeable batteries entering landfills will grow sharply as rechargeable technology enters more product lines.

Honda FCX Clarity. Honda has just announced that they are commencing with a limited initial release of their all-new Fuel Cell Vehicle beginning Summer 2008. Due to the limited availability of Hydrogen fueling stations, the three-year $600 monthly leases - including both collision service and insurance - will only available to customers in Torrance, Santa Monica, and Irvine.

According to Honda, the FCX Clarity is a Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV), can drive a range of 270 miles without refueling, and has a top speed of 100 miles per hour.

TIPS: Ace Hardware's Energy Conservation Tips

Ace Hardware Energy Conservation Tips

When I was searching for info about 3M's Window Insulator Kits (see Living Room for more info), I found a page of energy conservation tips on Ace's site. A lot of Ace's tips on energy conservation would only be useful to homeowners, but I've provided those that I thought would help renters. I'll be adding posts on implementing these and other tips as the winter chill starts to really set in.

Cold Weather:

• Keep drapes and shades open in sunny windows; close them at night.
• Use a humidifier. Cooler indoor temperatures are more comfortable with the proper amount of humidity-about 40-50%.
• Be sure to keep the damper closed on your fireplace when it's not in use.
• Use portable electric heaters for seldom-used rooms or to warm up part of a large, cold room.

Hot Weather:

• Clean air conditioning filters regularly. Replace immediately when worn out. Keep coils or fins of air-conditioning units free of dust, lint, etc.
• Deflect daytime sun with awnings on windows or draw draperies and pull shades on sunny windows.
• Run air conditioners only on really hot days.
  
• Are you using more light in certain situations than is needed? Each watt of lighting requires the expenditure of 1/2 watt of air-conditioning power.
• Combine circulating fans with room air conditioners for best air distribution throughout the house.

Year Round:

• Replace leaky faucets; repair all water-wasting fixtures. A dripping hot water faucet makes a hot water heater keep working.
• Close off unused rooms.
• Install a flow-restrictor pipe to the shower head. This easy-to-install device can save a considerable amount of hot water. It's inexpensive, threads into the pipe and restricts the flow of water by several gallons of water per minute.
• Don't overload appliances that use hot water, such as clothes and dishwashers. The same
  rule applies to clothes dryers; use drying racks or clotheslines when possible.
• Use warm or cold water (rather than hot) whenever possible.
• Try energy-efficient cooking-flat-bottom pans, clean burner reflectors, pressure cooker, preparing several foods in the oven at the same time; use small appliances for small cooking jobs.

LIVING ROOM: CFL Light Bulbs

Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs. This is one product that's been big in the media lately. CFL's are well known as an energy-saving lighting alternative. In February of 2007, Australia went so far as to announce a national phase-out of traditional incandescent light bulbs by 2009. According to Energy Star, each CFL uses 75% less energy than its traditional counterpart, and can save thirty dollars or more over its lifetime. This far outweighs its higher purchase price.

The reason I had not included this product before now is that I felt uneasy recommending a light bulb that I know contains mercury, and as of yet does not have a widely-accessible recycling system. I consulted with some friends who graduated from an environmental program at Duke. They gave me some insight:

Retailers are already beginning to establish CFL Recycling Drop-offs, such as Ikea's impressive national recycling program, and the CFL Recycling event hosted by Walmart on June 23rd. Because residential CFL's are guaranteed for last at least two years, and on average last ten times longer than incandescents, by the time most of my CFL's die, such programs will have had years to be fully-established.

LIVING ROOM: Window Insulation

3M Indoor Window Insulator Kit. The first winter I lived in Boston, many evenings were spent huddled on the couch in layers upon layers of sweaters, blankets, scarves and winter hats. And while I'm all for adding layers instead of cranking up the thermostat, the brisk wind rushing past my head was not a welcome guest. Enough was enough. I threw on my boots (I was already wearing my jacket) and headed up to the local hardware store.

Less than twenty dollars and just over an hour later, the windows in my living room - including one extremely old and leaky five by six foot window - were sealed shut. And it was easy! I cut the rolls of clear film (like saran wrap but without the cling) into rectangles to fit my windows, ran double-stick tape around the edges of my windows, and attached the film to the tape. To fully-seal the edges and remove all of the wrinkles and waves in the film, I used my hair blow-dryer - from one upper-corner to the opposite lower-corner. The result was a crystal-clear layer of plastic across each of my windows.

Of course, this means I'm using additional petroleum-based plastic, but i think that the energy-savings and added comfort attained without adding additional heat sources makes up for that, especially since I'm renting, and cannot replace the windows with newer, more energy-efficient ones.

I got my kit at Model Hardware, an Allston branch of the Ace Hardware chain that supports local nonprofits through the Boston Community Change network. This type of product is probably made by other brands, but I'm originally a Minnesota girl, and 3M just joined the Clinton Climate initiative! Check out the Clinton Foundation's work to green the C40 - the world's largest forty cities!This product has made a world of difference in my apartment!