Green Technologies – A Guide For Beginners

Green technologies employ environmental science for conservation. There are some very basic green technologies, such as recycling, water purification, air purification, sewage treatment, waste management, renewable energy, and energy conservation.

Recycling is one of the most popular green technologies used around the planet. Recycling is the reuse of materials that can be salvaged and reprocessed, rather than discarded. Significant quantities of paper, metal, and plastic items are recycled each day around the world. Cartons, boxes, bottles, cans, jugs, and jars are among the hundreds of types of items suitable for recycling.

Removing impurities from water is one of the main green technologies. Whether it is the manufacture and distribution of water purification products to mount on your faucet at home or developing treatment systems for entire cities and towns, water purification is a significant and vital green technology. Clean water contributes to a healthy earth and healthy humankind. A significant number of today’s most virulent diseases are spread by contaminated water.

Green technologies can be used to improve air quality. Reforestation is an ongoing effort to continue to plant trees, which are essential to clean air and the health of the planet and all living organisms. Removing sources of contamination from carpeting and furniture, to building materials and paint, can help purify indoor air.

Wastewater treatment is a method where green technologies are used to facilitate the natural process of water purification. The primary stage of wastewater treatment allows solids to settle and be directly extracted from the water, while the secondary stage involves treating the water with a biological process that uses its own bacteria. Green technologies support the use of ultraviolet light or ozone instead of using chlorine in the water purification process.

Green technologies utilize the four R’s when it comes to waste management. Those are, recycle, reuse, reduce, and recover. Simply put, when referring to waste management, the strongest green initiative is to reduce the amount of waste that humans create. We can achieve this by recycling as much as we possibly can, reusing products or containers rather than discarding them, and recovering as much from our waste as possible.

Renewable energy is without a doubt one of the most researched green technologies. Utilizing solar power, wind power, hydroelectric and other sources of renewable energy, we reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and conserve the world’s vital natural resources. One of the fundamental premises of renewable energy is that its sources can never be depleted and its implementation is eco-friendly.

Energy conservation technology employs methodology to reduce the amount of energy we use to do almost anything from washing our clothes to illuminating our homes. This is one of the vastest of the green technologies because of its application to almost every facet of our lives. There is a means available to conserve or reduce the amount of energy we use to do nearly everything. Energy conservation technology, like renewable energy technology, is evolving everyday in its efforts to bring to a minimum the environmental impact of energy consumption.

Above, we have outlined some of the most basic green technologies. Their process and application to their particular fields are varied and detailed. The function of green technologies in our lives becomes even more important as we aim to reduce the human impact on the planet and its natural resources

If you are interested in learning more about ways to go green, save money and help the planet, visit this site to receive a FREE green living tip delivered to your email inbox each day: Sustainable Living Tips

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New Innovation Strategy Helps Invent Green Gadgets

In this beginning of the 21th century, we are becoming more and more aware of the importance to preserve our environment. Our planet as been here for millions of years, but we’ve only been there for a couple thousands. If we want to survive as a race, we have to take care of our surroundings. For the last century, we have come to develop very interesting technologies. Some technologies we’ve invented are harming the environment very badly. A good innovation strategy could help us improve new technologies without doing any harm to our planet. A growing number of scientists are working hand in hand to develop new gadgets using solar power, wind power, plants…
Here is a great video to show you the efforts deployed in the green gadgets field:

Most of the new gadgets are not so green. Technology will not stop tomorrow, in the near future, their will be more and more pdas, cars, laptops, cell phones, etc. Thats why we need to innovate to create new solutions. The term innovation refers to a new way of doing something. We don’t have to reinvent everything here. We just have to think better when we are creating a product or buying a product. In our economy, what we decide to buy can change everything. If everyone would start buying green gadgets tomorrow, those would become more affortable and there would be more green gadgets on the market in a flick of switch. In my opinion, we need an innovation strategy that will help us change the way we are thinking about new technology.
Here is a short list of new green gadgets that will help improve our situation:

• LED lighting: light-emitting diodes have been around for a while now. But, it is just recently that we have started to see them replace more and more incandescent bulbs. Right there: it’s a 80% energy saving.
• Universal solar battery charger: this little device let you charge your small electronics with the built in solar panel. If it sunny and all your devices are already charged, it can collet energy from the sun and holds it in the internal battery for later use…
• Energy saving outlets: these are small outlets that you can connect on your wall outlets. It is a very simple way of saving energy from your home appliances and your electronic devices. While you don’t use your hardware, these outlets automatically cut the power. So nothing is wasting energy in standby mode.

But, that’s just the beginning. If we really want to makes things change in the next century, we have to do this as a team. New technology like Internet, teleconferencing, blogs and forums can help us work together by exchanging ideas. Our world as never been so connected than today and we have to take advantage of this situation. That’s part of our innovation strategy. The second part of this strategy is making the decision to become greener together. Most of us would rather make more money with a new gadget than creating a greener gadget and making a little less money. Organizations that produce electricity don’t want us to use alternative green energy sources, they want us to buy their electricity. When we will decide to turn our back to these companies and to pay a little bit more for green gadgets, a new world will be born.
The green gadgets are just one part of the innovation strategy I am talking about here. But, I think it is a very good start. Children of the new generation are craving for new gadgets. Maybe if they have more green gadgets, they would be inspired to create and buy more green technologies. After all, children are our future…

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Why it is Important to Recycle Mobile Phones

There are many reasons to recycle mobile phones. As people continuously change their old mobile phones the number of unused handsets which end up at the ‘tip’ is on the rise. Therefore damaging our environment and threatening all living things nearby.

It is estimated that by the end of this year the number of new mobile phones being purchased will be over a billion! Meaning that a lot of people are going to want to recycle mobile phones in the not to distant future. The good news is that there are already many companies online that will recycle your old phone and even pay you for it!

Get Paid to Recycle Old Mobile Phones

Should you decide to recycle mobile phones don’t you reckon that you might as well receive a cheque in the process? Well, if your mobile is in good nick and not totally obsolete you may be in luck.

You should take a look on the internet and compare prices from the different mobile recycling companies to find the best deal for your old mobile phone. The process is pretty simple, go to one or more of the many sites available and enter all the relevant information, such as make, model and condition of your phone to see what they offer you for it.

When you find the best deal, you will be required to fill out a form on that particular recycler’s site and wait for your free postal bag to arrive. This will allow you to send in your mobile for free, although this offers you no insurance on the package. With this in mind, you really should consider paying a small amount to send it with a courier.

Non-working Mobile Phones

Has your phone ever fallen in the pool? Maybe it just stopped working the last time you dropped it? Sadly, if this is the case you may not get much for the phone, however you can feel satisfied that you helped protect the earth from the harmful substances, such as cadmium, found in all mobile phones.

Many online phone recycling companies exist that will happily pay you decent amounts of money for your old phone. The list below outlines some important things to consider when you choose to recycle mobile phones.

Many companies that recycle mobile phones often remove small delicate pieces from a damaged phone in order to repair another. On the other hand, they may simply scrap them for the precious metals contained inside.

One thing that you should know is that virtually all mobiles contain small amounts of precious metals such as gold, copper and silver. Just one phone would not pay for the trouble of extracting these precious materials but when you multiply 0.3 oz by thousands or even millions of phones you can see how this could become a lucrative activity.

Search Around

When you are ready to recycle mobile phones, make sure to search for the best offer amongst a few websites before proceeding.

Do not let those old mobile phones collect dust at the back of your drawer any longer, find out how much cash you could earn today!

Ionic Air Purifier Technologies – Boon or Bane?

Ionic Air Purifier Technologies

Ionic air purifiers hold the promise of clean air, purified of all known harmful contaminants that threaten our health. Naked eyes cannot see these harmful contaminants. The weapons against such are very likely to be invisible to our eyes as well. Intuitively, the logic appeals to me. Yet, even before an hour of internet research has lapsed, a whole deluge of controversy is thrown up by google. Even though I am tempted to quickly get an ionic air purifier to clean the air I breathe, it is clear that more time and effort is needed. Safety, more than effectiveness, must be given higher weightage in the selection of an ionic air purifier.

The recent China melamine saga that killed infants also is a timely reminder to us that in buying into any technology or any product, all claims by manufacturers and distributors must be examined to the fullest extent that our resources permit. Where the reactive agent is invisible, it becomes even more critical to focus on it. Invisible ions produced by ionic air purifiers are clearly in this category.

In this space, I am providing an overview of the existing ionic air purifier technology in the global market. As laypersons, I believe we have to adopt a back-to-basics approach to try and understand the technologies. The current key trend appears to be the creation of a potent invisible defence shield against airborne molecular contaminants that threaten our well-being. The prime threat being closely monitored by scientists all over the world is the avian flu virus.

Types of Ionic Air Purifier Technologies

Broadly speaking, air purification technologies can be deployed in either passive or active modes. Under passive technology modes, reactive agents are contained in the air purifier whilst impure air is drawn in for cleansing before being pushed back to the environment. Active generally means dispersive processes by which the impure air is penetrated and purified by the reactive agents. Savvy marketeers often seek to cover all the bases by combining both passive and active modes in many ionic air purifiers.

In the global market today, ionic air purifier technologies include the following categories:

(A) Ion generator – positive and negative ions
(B) Ion generator – negative ions only
(C) Photocatalytic Oxidation (POC)
(D) Electrostatic filter
(E) Combos

Ion Generator – Positive and Negative Ions

This combination of positive and negative ions appears to show the most promise for the future of ionic air purifier technology. They have been named as plasmacluster ions by Sharp Corporation, the Japanese corporate powerhouse that invented them.

Positive and negative plasmacluster ions actively surround harmful bacteria and viruses in a deadly embrace. When clumping occurs, hydroxyl is produced. Commonly known as nature’s detergent, hydroxyl is a powerful reactive species that destroys airborne particulates by removing hydrogen molecules from their organic structures. Harmless by-products, mainly water, are generated by this chemical reaction.

A differential ion generator is used in this technology, comprising a positive and a negative ion generator which can be powered in alternate cycles to control the type of ions generated.

Advocates of the positive and negative ions combination claim that a balance of both these ion types is to be found in places like waterfalls and pristine forests, i.e. this is the real state of the natural environment. Proponents of negative ions believe that negative ions dominate the environment in these natural habitats and even insist that positive ions are harmful. Thus far, I have not found any independent scientific studies to support the opposing claims of the two technologies.

Ion Generator – Negative Ions

The traditional ionic air purifier produces only negative ions. This technology appears to have the main market share currently but is facing a serious challenge from Sharp’s plasmacluster positive and negative ions technology.

It is claimed that nearly all harmful airborne particulates like dust, smoke and bacteria etc have a positive charge. Negatively charged ions are naturally attracted to these particulates until they sink to the ground by sheer weight. Vacuuming removes these neutralised impurities and therefore protects us from them. Weighing down the particulates does nothing to destory them, according to critics, and merely walking on them causes the air to be polluted again.

Apparently, there are a number of ways to produce negative ions. This has significance as the various methods result in different by-products, some of which are harmful. These methods include:

(1) Water method – this employs what is known as the waterfall or Lenard Effect. Water droplets are splashed onto a metal plate where a small electric charge is applied. The charge splits the water droplets resulting in the production of a large number of negative ions. No harmful by-products result from using the water method to produce ions.

(2) Electron radiation method – this is based on a single negative discharge electrode needle. Millions of negatively-charged electrons are produced when a high voltage pulse is applied to the electrode. This method does not result in ozone being generated. It is claimed that this is because a “smaller” energy pulse is applied.

(3) Corona discharge method – this is based on a dual electrode model, a sharp metal electrode and a flat electrode. Between the two electrodes, a high voltage is applied. The movement of electrons between the electrodes ionises the air in that same space. An inherent flaw of this method is the production of harmful by-products like ozone and nitride oxide.

Photocatalytic Oxidation (POC)

This technology is commonly applied in a passive mode. Hydroxyl, nature’s detergent, is the key reactive agent in POC technology.

Germicidal ultraviolet (UV) light is commonly shone on a catalyst (usually titanium oxide) to produce hydroxyl, oxygen and peroxide, all of which are potent oxidising agents that are very effective at destroying the organic structure of micro-organisms and gaseous volatile organic compounds.

Complete and comprehensive action is the pillar of POC technology. Proponents of this technology claim that POC inactivates ALL categories of indoor pollution, including:

(1) airborne particulates i.e. dust, pet dander, plant pollen, sea salts, tobacco smoke, industrial and car pollution, etc

(2) bioaerosols i.e. contagious or infectious biological compounds (e.g. pathogenic bacteria and viruses) or non-infectious and non-contagious (e.g. non-pathogenic bacteria, molds, cell debris)

(3) volatile organic compounds (VOCs) i.e. gaseous chemicals or odours – benzene, styrene, toluene, chloroform, hexane, ethanol, formaldehyde, ethylene, etc, all common emissions from everyday products of our modern home.

Detractors of POC technology are wary of the inability of hydroxyl to distinguish between the organic structures of molecular contaminants and that of our nose membrane, lung tissue and eye cornea.

Electrostatic Filter

This technology appears to have originated in heavy industries which produced abundant pollutants. In the most common electrostatic filter arrangement, there is a porous dielectric material positioned between two electrodes. The dielectric material impedes electrical conductivity whilst the electrodes efficiently conduct electricity.

Impure air is sucked into the electrostatic purifier and passed over the dielectric material which acts like a sieve. The electrostatic field between the electrodes causes airborne particulates i.e.smoke contaminants, dust, etc, to adhere to the dielectric surface. Purified air emerges from the other end of the purifier.

Frequently, an ion source is planted just before the electrostatic filter to electrically charge the airborne particulates. The impurities, now carrying an electrical charge, stick more effectively to the dielectric material.

Critics of this technology point to the production of harmful ozone in the ionisation process.

Combo Ionic Air Purifiers

To cater to the various adherents and critics of the diverse technologies, combos incorporate all or some of the above types of technologies. Combos may include:

(1) adsorptive materials such as activated carbon or oxygenated charcoal (known for its extremely porous large surface area) are added to POC technology to enhance the removal of VOCs;

(2) oxidizing catalysts like titanium oxide are coated on various components of all types of air purifiers to enhance VOC elimination;

(3) reducing catalysts such as manganese dioxide are coated near the exit outlets of many air purifiers to reduce reactive species like ozone and nitric oxide which may be harmful;

(4) generating ions by differing methods such as using microwave, UV light, radio frequency waves, and direct current;

(5) tweaking the specifications of any ionic air purifier technology so as to attain the well-known HEPA status without actually using HEPA filters.

Obviously, the process of selecting the most efficient and effective ionic air purifier involves analysing a deluge of information. And I have not even touched on the safety aspects of each technology. I will also be studying in detail the claims of each technology. I urge you not to rush out to get the latest air purifier for your homes, offices, factories, schools etc. Do your homework and check back here for updates as I continue to find the ideal ionic air purifier.

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Reduce Your Gas Bill With Alternative Fuel Vehicles

Alternative Fuel Vehicles

Alternative fuel vehicles are making their mark! Otherwise known as hybrids, they combine the best of both worlds with respect to electrical and internal combustion engine models. Their function is not to be confused with rocket science either! Alternative fuel vehicles on the market, and those on the drawing board are going to change the transportation landscape as we know it forever.

It’s inevitable that these new alternative fuel vehicles are going to change the automotive landscape. Today’s alternative fuel sources, like tomorrow’s, will only be limited by the imagination and how serious the world is in keeping the planet safe for the following generations. The future is now and the horizon for alternative fuel vehicles looks bright and promising.

alternative fuel sources
When it comes to alternative fuel systems, vehicles that are making their mark include Nissan, Lexus, Toyota, Honda and Ford Escort. The alternative fuel station models are smart, sophisticated models that are both functional, environmental friendly and aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

As the world gets on board as a collective whole to combat the use of fossil fuels, alternative fuel vehicles will become the car of choice for many people. You won’t be giving up comfort or performance either! You’ll be getting the best of both worlds while stretching fuel mileage and making your heard-earned dollar stretch further.

Sorting through the type and models of alternative fuel vehicles that will fit you and your family’s lifestyle should present no great challenge. Your choices will include models that employ biodiesel, hydrogen, propane, electrical, and natural gas technologies. The challenge may be in finding a local alternative fuel station. Yet for those who are environmentally responsible, owning alternative fuel vehicles is a great place to start.

alternative energy solutions
As alternative fuel vehicles become a part of the automotive mainstream, there will be a hybrid model for the needs of just about everyone. You can expect to see models with bigger and more powerful engines which will be capable of delivering power at the top of the charts.

There will also be vast improvements in performance and fuel economy. In short, the gap between conventionally powered vehicles and alternative fuel vehicles is closing at a rapid pace.

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