Category: Environment

Organic Gardening In The 21st Century

Organic Gardening In The 21st Century: Over the course of the past decade, a significant number of men and women from different parts of the world have taken up gardening. In this regard, people have found themselves interested both in creating magnificent flower gardens, as well as in cultivating thriving vegetable gardens.

The standard way of gardening

A majority of gardeners still rely on what might be considered “mainstream methods” when it comes to the care and maintenance of flower or vegetable gardens. In other words, these gardeners tend to rely upon various commercially available chemical treatments and products to care for their gardens. Various types of garden-related chemicals — from pesticides to fertilizers — are available readily at garden supply shops and discount retail stores,adds Vin Faugeres . More often than not, these basic products can be obtained for a fairly reasonable cost.

As a person becomes more involved in the care and maintenance of his or her garden, such an individual tends to become more conscious of how the materials he or she utilizes affects the environment and the plants being grown (particularly vegetables). Consequently, many experienced gardeners (and, in reality, an ever-growing number of novices) have turned to organic gardening practices.

The ancient way

Organic gardening practices actually have been around and utilized by people since certain ancient tribes gave up hunting and gathering and settled down to grow their own crops and to maintain their own domesticated animals. In their most basic form, organic gardening practices consists of the use of naturally occurring materials in the care and treatment of a garden patch. No man-made chemicals or any type are utilized in true organic gardening regimens – vegetable or floral.

For example, when it comes to providing nutrients for organic gardening, 2 resources are relied upon: compost and manure. Likewise, when it comes to pest control, natural steps are taken to rid a garden of offensive bugs and insects. In this regard, benign insects that do not damage plants but who prey upon bugs that harm foliage are placed in a garden or patch. They then deal with a harmful infestation problem or situation.

Nourish and protect

In the final analysis, people who espouse organic gardening practices and techniques maintain that the goal is to nourish and protect the soil. This process goes well into the future rather than providing a quick, seasonal fix for one planting period. Through organic gardening, soil and water contamination is reduced significantly. Additionally, when it comes to the production of vegetables, the food from an organic garden is free of harmful chemicals and deemed to be far healthier for humans. Organic Gardening In The 21st Century is the way to do it today.

This article was provided by Landscaping San Jose for our blog.

Use Geothermal Heat To Save Money

Use Geothermal Heat To Save Money On Your Household Heating Bills. We are all looking for the cheapest electricity and natural gas prices, after all the less we spend on our fuel bills the more we have left over for the pleasures in life. So how attractive would it be to heat your home for free? It is possible by using geothermal energy.

Technical Description

The Queen of England is planning to cut energy bills at Buckingham Palace for centuries to come by creating an underground network to extract heat from the earth’s natural warmth. The pipes containing water and a refrigerant chemical will run from the palace to the 4 acre lake in the grounds. As the water runs through the coiled loops of pipe placed on the bed of the lake it is warmed to a temperature of around 55F/12C.

When the water arrives back at the palace it will go through a compressor which raises the temperature to around 140F/60C, and then through a heat exchanger (metal plates) which warms the water used in taps and the heating system in the palace. There is of course considerable capital expenditure required to get the system up and running, but it is estimated that this will be recouped in 3 years by savings on the heating bills.

How Much Surface Can It Cover?

The liquid in the pipes can also be decompressed so that instead of generating heat, it can cool air for an air-conditioning system. This system was used in a small trial at the palace in 2002 when the Queen’s staff drilled 400 feet into the chalk aquifer under the palace grounds to run an air-conditioning system in a new art gallery. The results of this trial were reportedly so impressive that work on planning the larger scheme began soon after.

Use Geothermal Heat To Save Money

Other high net-worth people like the singer Elton John with large estates in the UK have installed a similar system. But can the ordinary householder tap into geothermal energy and save money on heating and electricity bills? Yes, for the price of a small car it is possible to drill hundreds of feet into the ground and you can not only reduce heating and electricity costs by around 70% but you can also benefit from a free supply of pure water. If you’re going to go that route, you may as well consider installing a water well on your property too. It’s a great way to save money on water and Well Drilling Spokane is amazing at drilling wells and other services like that.

Solar Panels Energy – Going Solar

Solar panels energy Going Solar. You’ve made the decision to go with solar energy for your energy needs. In going solar, you need to know who is who. Let’s take a closer look.

Companies in the solar energy industry come in two main forms. One set provides the systems you need to produce solar energy on your own. A much smaller subset will sell you a form of clean energy.

If you want to skip putting solar panels energy or shingles on your home, you need to find a company that will sell you power just like a utility. Unfortunately, there isn’t any nation wide company that solely provides solar electricity to customers. If you’re willing to look a bit broader, Green Mountain Energy Company may be for you.

A “cleaner electricity” company

Green Mountain Energy Company is a “cleaner electricity” company. It only buys power produced from wind, solar, biomass, water, geothermal and natural gas. The power is then fed into regional power grids and you tap it from there. The advantage of Green Mountain is you are using cleaner power than a typical utility company, but not completely clean as you find when generating solar power yourself. The biggest downside to Green Mountain is you are still paying utility bills, often more than you would pay to the utility company in your area. That being said, Green Mountain is really the only company of its type.

When people refer to providers, more often they are discussing manufacturers and installers of solar energy systems. In the case of solar energy, there are a few big industry leaders.

BP Solar another alternative

BP Solar is one of the largest producers for solar energy solutions for residential, commercial and industrial platforms throughout the world. The company is a true leader in the field and provides simplified solutions for homeowners by combining the sale of solar energy systems with full installation. A very popular company with many homeowners.

Somewhat surprisingly, General Electric is one of the biggest producers of solar energy solutions. The company offers high end commercial solutions and custom made solutions using crystallized silicon solutions. It also offers pre-packaged systems for residential homes.

On the other end of the scale, Uni-Solar is the creator the new solar roof shingles that are gaining popularity with consumers, businesses and government agencies. The shingles sit flat on homes like regular roof shingles, getting rid of the bulky solar panel appearance. The Uni-Solar product is considered a fairly major break through in solar power solar panels energy.

Let’s not forget water consumption

Solar companies come in all types and forms. You can visit our site in the byline of this article to find companies in your area that provide the particular solar solutions you need.

Water management comes hand in hand with sustainability. Consider also drilling wells on your property in order to become even more independent. Water Well Drilling Oklahoma has the resources and experience to drill the wells you need for your property water.

Geothermal Heat Pumps Far Superior

Geothermal Heat Pumps are Far Superior. Few people are even aware that geothermal heat pumps are even an option when it comes to their heating and cooling needs. Most of us are aware that electric pumps are available but the new generation of geothermal units are just now gaining popularity. These state-of-the-art pumps of heat provide the same continuous and even heat or cooling just like the electric pumps but they are far more efficient at doing so. So, if you are in need of a new heating/cooling system for you home or business, here are some reasons to consider purchasing a geothermal heat pump.

Environmentally friendly heating solution

Let’s face it—the environment is becoming a bigger and bigger issue for everyone. We are all looking for ways to use less energy and pollute less. Geothermal heat pumps are simply the most environmentally friendly heating and cooling units available today. Plus, no system can rival a geothermal heat pump when it comes to energy efficiency or cost effectiveness. So, not only are these are environmentally friendly, they ultimately cost less to operate and consume less energy while doing so.

However, it is also very true that geothermal heat pumps will cost you more to purchase and install than other options. However, depending on the location and the cost of the other heating/cooling option, geothermal heat pumps will recover those added up-front costs within 6 or 7 years. After that point has been reached, they will save you money over the other heating/cooling options. In the long run, these new age heating and cooling units will prove to be the most cost effective option available each and every single year it is in use.

Cooling option

Geothermal heat pumps cool your home in the summer by removing excess heat and humidity from the home. This heat is then transferred to the earth where it naturally dissipates. The process is much quieter and less obtrusive than found in conventional heat pumps.

In the winter, geothermal units heat your home by forcing fluid through pipes buried in the ground. This fluid picks up radiant heat coming from the ground. The heat absorbed by the liquid is then compressed within geothermal heat pumps in order to raise the temperature. The heat is then distributed throughout your home.

They also offer the added advantage of providing homeowners with free or drastically reduced hot water. This savings alone can add up to hundreds, potentially thousands, of dollars during the lifetime of a geothermal heat pump.

Worth the money

Although geothermal heat pumps are more expensive to purchase and install, they become the less expensive heating and cooling option as time progresses. Therefore, if you are planning to move in the next few years but need a heating/cooling system, you should consider them. They may prove to be true selling points later on down the road. So, no matter what your plans for your home, installing this product will always be a wise investment. It will provide you many worry-free years of heating and cooling comfort. In addition to having this product to heat your home you also could look into a well for your property. Wells will provide you with water from the rain or springs and Well Drilling Jacksonville FL knows exactly how to drill wells.