Germany created a "people's car" - the Volkswagen - why can't the U.S.?
The new GM Volt premieres at an astounding $41K...see the commentary by emailing:
green@hermesarchitects.com
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Lifecycle Whatever!
What is Lifecycle Analysis (LCA), and Lifecycle Cost Analysis (LCCA)? Read OrangeToGreen to get the answer.
Email: green@hermesarchitects to get a copy of OrangeToGreen. It's free!
Email: green@hermesarchitects to get a copy of OrangeToGreen. It's free!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Rare Earth is More Than a Rock Band
Are we getting too addicted to Chinese Dirt?...email:
green@hermesarchitects.com for a full report.
green@hermesarchitects.com for a full report.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Keeping Cool ~ Saving Green
Orange to Green released "Keeping Cool While Saving Green & Houston's Green Power"...to get a copy, email:
green@hermesarchitects.com
green@hermesarchitects.com
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Hermes directs Gregg Elementary toward "Silver"
Hermes was recently informed that Gregg Elementary School (a Hermes project) received the LEED for Schools "design-review" approval...the school is progressing toward a "Silver-certified" level with the USGBC...the Owner (Houston Independent School District) had requested a "certified" level; however, Hermes pursued a higher level of sustainability...
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Just The Facts, Please...Incandescant Bulb Phase-out
Under the energy bill passed a couple of years ago, all light bulbs must use 25% to 30% less energy than today’s products by 2012 to 2014.
The phase-in will start with 100-watt bulbs in 2012 and end with 40-watt bulbs in 2014. By 2020, bulbs must be 70% more efficient. Florescent bulbs meet the 70% standard.
What happens to bulbs higher than 100 watts? Scientific American had this to say:
"About two dozen categories of light bulbs are exempt from the U.S. law’s efficiency requirements, including oven and refrigerator bulbs, candelabra lamps, plant lights, replacement traffic signal bulbs and the summer necessity — the yellow bulb that doesn’t attract insects."
Although they will have a tough time meeting the 70% standard in 2020, incandescent bulbs are far from dead, and they haven’t been banned outright. Incandescent bulbs will either get more efficient, or bulb manufacturers will drop incandescents and move totally toward CFL’s.
The phase-in will start with 100-watt bulbs in 2012 and end with 40-watt bulbs in 2014. By 2020, bulbs must be 70% more efficient. Florescent bulbs meet the 70% standard.
What happens to bulbs higher than 100 watts? Scientific American had this to say:
"About two dozen categories of light bulbs are exempt from the U.S. law’s efficiency requirements, including oven and refrigerator bulbs, candelabra lamps, plant lights, replacement traffic signal bulbs and the summer necessity — the yellow bulb that doesn’t attract insects."
Although they will have a tough time meeting the 70% standard in 2020, incandescent bulbs are far from dead, and they haven’t been banned outright. Incandescent bulbs will either get more efficient, or bulb manufacturers will drop incandescents and move totally toward CFL’s.
Burning CFL's (Compact Fluorescent Lamps)?
An acquaintance informed me of a fire that erupted from a compact fluorescent bulb (CFL) that was installed in his house. The bulb was from Wal-Mart, and the brand was "Globe" (made in China)...Here's his comments:
"I turned [on the CFL in my bathroom] the other day and then smelled smoke after a few minutes. Four inch flames were spewing out of the side of the ballast like a blow torch! I immediately turned off the lights. But I’m sure it would have caused a fire if I was not right there. Imagine if the kids had left the lights on as usual when they were not in the room. I took the bulb to the Fire Department today to report the incident. The Fireman wasn’t at all surprised and said that it was not an uncommon occurrence. Apparently, sometimes when the bulb burns out there is a chance that the ballast can start a fire. He told me that the Fire Marshall had issued reports about the dangers of these bulbs. Upon doing some Internet research, it seems that bulbs made by “Globe” in China seem to have the lion’s share of problems. Lots of fires have been blamed on misuse of CFL bulbs, like using them in recessed lighting, pot lights, dimmers or in track lighting. Mine was not in any of those. It was a normal light socket. I bought these at Wal-Mart. I will be removing all the Globe bulbs from my house. I have not decided yet if we are going back to incandescent bulbs at this point."
Click here to see what "EnergyStar" says about CFL fires.
The bottom line? Be careful what CFL's you buy, and where you buy them. Always look for the "EnergyStar" label, and expect to pay more since the "cheap" CFL's are the ones that go "poof".
"I turned [on the CFL in my bathroom] the other day and then smelled smoke after a few minutes. Four inch flames were spewing out of the side of the ballast like a blow torch! I immediately turned off the lights. But I’m sure it would have caused a fire if I was not right there. Imagine if the kids had left the lights on as usual when they were not in the room. I took the bulb to the Fire Department today to report the incident. The Fireman wasn’t at all surprised and said that it was not an uncommon occurrence. Apparently, sometimes when the bulb burns out there is a chance that the ballast can start a fire. He told me that the Fire Marshall had issued reports about the dangers of these bulbs. Upon doing some Internet research, it seems that bulbs made by “Globe” in China seem to have the lion’s share of problems. Lots of fires have been blamed on misuse of CFL bulbs, like using them in recessed lighting, pot lights, dimmers or in track lighting. Mine was not in any of those. It was a normal light socket. I bought these at Wal-Mart. I will be removing all the Globe bulbs from my house. I have not decided yet if we are going back to incandescent bulbs at this point."
Click here to see what "EnergyStar" says about CFL fires.
The bottom line? Be careful what CFL's you buy, and where you buy them. Always look for the "EnergyStar" label, and expect to pay more since the "cheap" CFL's are the ones that go "poof".
Monday, July 19, 2010
Did You Know?
One of the nation’s leading hurricane forecasters, William Gray of Colorado State University, stated that cyclone intensity worldwide is NOT increasing. Gray warned against linking hurricanes to global warming in 2003.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
That Old Dog Won't Hunt
Given the model that increasing CO2 causes the earth to heat up, one would suppose that “whern there is more carbon dioxide, the temperature gets warmer,” (as Al Gore said).
We know that CO2 is a greenhouse gas, but we also know that warm oceans are a source of CO2 and cold oceans are a sink. Researchers in at least two studies have reviewed the timing in detail at Vostok (Antarctic glaciers), using also data from Law Dome, and have found that the temperature changes occurred before the CO2 changes.
“High-resolution records from Antarctic ice cores show that carbon dioxide concentrations increased by 80 to 100 parts per million by volume 600 (plus or minus 400) years after the warming of the last three deglaciations.”
To put it fairly, but bluntly, to believe that CO2 was responsible for the deglaciations of the past 400,000 years is to believe in retroactive causality, that the future can affect the past. Other than in the movies (Back to the Future, The Time Machine), “that old dog won’t hunt”. In reality, temperature increases precede CO2 increases – not the other way around.
We know that CO2 is a greenhouse gas, but we also know that warm oceans are a source of CO2 and cold oceans are a sink. Researchers in at least two studies have reviewed the timing in detail at Vostok (Antarctic glaciers), using also data from Law Dome, and have found that the temperature changes occurred before the CO2 changes.
“High-resolution records from Antarctic ice cores show that carbon dioxide concentrations increased by 80 to 100 parts per million by volume 600 (plus or minus 400) years after the warming of the last three deglaciations.”
To put it fairly, but bluntly, to believe that CO2 was responsible for the deglaciations of the past 400,000 years is to believe in retroactive causality, that the future can affect the past. Other than in the movies (Back to the Future, The Time Machine), “that old dog won’t hunt”. In reality, temperature increases precede CO2 increases – not the other way around.
Friday, March 12, 2010
"The Science is Settled"
The science IS settled...Climate change is a normal, predictable, and unstoppable process - and, "global warming and cooling" is part of that process...be NOT afraid or alarmed!
Monday, March 8, 2010
DYK: NASA inflated its official record of surface temps
Did You Know (DYK): According to Joseph Blast, in "Unstoppable Global Warming", NASA acknowledged it had accidentally inflated its official record of surface temperatures in the U.S. beginning with the year 2000. The revised data shows 1934 as the warmest year, followed by 1998, 1921, 2006, 1931, 1999, and 1953. Four of the top 10 years on record are from the 1930's, before human emissions could have been responsible, while only three of the top 10 (1998, 2006, 1999) are from the past 10 years.
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