Hot Hot Santa (ooh, my eyes… my eyes…)

Quick! Stop Global Warming!!

e-Waste… you’d think we’d have a better way of handling this by now…

Check out this “slightly biased” piece on 60-minutes about e-Waste.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4586903n

more about “The Electronic Wasteland Video – CBSN…“, posted with vodpod

You’d think that we’d have come up with a better and more effective solution to this by now… or perhaps we should ask the HP, Dell’s and IBMs of the world to start manufacturing PCs and Servers which are more easily recycled.

This company claims to be part of the solution… http://www.e-stewards.org/

Possible solution for short trip gas use?

Is it really a stretch to use a personal golf cart to run short range errands?  For example, we take the kids to the playground, or to the pool, or to and from daycare everyday.  Distances range from 0.5 to 3 miles each way. Plus, there’s never really a time when I’d be driving on a “highway”.

Here’s a photo of one possibility:

And here’s a place where I could buy one.  I wonder if it’d be worth it.?

Dreams of Solar power for the house

It’s something I’d really like to do someday… but it’s just too expensive at the moment and I don’t have enough disposable income to justify the extra costs — yet.  Maybe someday… (hopefully soon).

Here’s a great article by Lloyd Case who documented the bid process and installation of home solar panels for his house in California…

10 Ways the World Could End.

From a TED talk in 2002… Stephen Petranek reviews 10 possible dooms-day scenarios and some possible solutions.  While some generate snickers and chuckles from the audience, there wasn’t one of these scenarios which is DEFINITELY not going to happen.  I think it’s interesting that these problems are just as relevant today as they were in 2002.

Solar Panels for the home?

It’s a great idea, but the upfront costs are too high…  I visited the Sun Power website and they have a calculator that can help you estimate the cost savings and approx cost of the project.  For me they seemed to estimate about $20,000 for the panels minus a $2000 Fed Tax credit.  Plus my electric bill would be about the same.

I wish more R&D would go towards funding technological advancements of this technology.

Rechargeable Batteries – free recycling

Everybody’s got them… cell phones, cordless home phones, PDAs, rechargeable tools, portable vaccums, etc.  They all have one thing in common… rechargeable batteries.  Did you know that these batteries can be easily recycled?  Check out this ZDNet video, then visit the website for the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC).

Tons of major retailers have collection boxes… and it doesn’t cost you a thing!  Find a recycling drop off point near you.

Put in just an ounce of effort, and help preserve the environment.  Plus, it just feels good to do the right thing!!

Maybe not my house in the near future, but we need…

Take a look at these futuristic designs and experimental “tree houses”.  While you may think those designs are pushing the limit, it’s that extreme push which helps us have progress.  It’s why we don’t live in straw huts anymore.

The major problem I would see with building a permanent residence in the trees is the irreplaceable nature of a living tree.  What happens if you get termites in one of those trees?  What if someone crashes a car into one of your supporting trees.  You can’t simply go buy a new tree in that particular shape with that particular strength that can thrive in that particular type of soil and climate… which makes replacing those trees extremely difficult.

It’s a good thought however…

I wish more companies would take this first step…

I’m not a total tree hugger.  I do care about our environment, but I also value today’s modern conveniences and having things at a reasonable cost.  It’s a balance…

Still, it’s nice to see some companies taking at least a first step towards environmental responsibility… such as Apple.  It’s also nice to see my company joining groups such as The Green Grid.

If you work in IT too, why not try and suggest that your company also join The Green Grid?

Every little bit helps.

Happy Earth Day 2007

I just made a pledge to switch out an additional 10 lightbulbs to CFL’s this year.  I think that’s pretty conservative and hope to go beyond just 10.

I encourage you to do the same…

Dear Friend,

I just made my pledge to replace inefficient incandescent light bulbs as part of Earth Day Network’s Project Switch!  Join me in effecting change and you will:

> Save money on electricity bills
> Use less energy
> Reduce your carbon footprint
> Help stop global climate change!

Visit the campaign to learn more and make your pledge to switch today!

Sincerely,