Are you doing anything to "Go Green"?

[alkemyst]

i print a bunch of Go Green flyers and pour them in my back seat, with my windows down they trickle out up and down the roadways letting everyone else know about the cause.

 

[EGGO]

Originally posted by: lokiju
I feel like punching people in the throat that use the phrase "Going Green"

It has jumped the shark and continues to do so.

I've never lived a life of excessive waste, wtf should I make my life full of inconveniences so I can jump on the new bandwagon?

Pretty much my sentiment.

 

[MrDudeMan]

Originally posted by: EGGO

Originally posted by: lokiju
I feel like punching people in the throat that use the phrase "Going Green"

It has jumped the shark and continues to do so.

I've never lived a life of excessive waste, wtf should I make my life full of inconveniences so I can jump on the new bandwagon?

Pretty much my sentiment.

Being inconvenienced isn't the point of 'going green'. I don't like the phrase either, but making it an issue is a good idea because it will make people aware of it. You tough guys can talk about how lame it is but in the end you are just being a moron for no reason. It wouldn't put you out to turn off your computer at night and turn your lights off, and that kind of stuff will make a difference.

It's actually pretty sad and pathetic that people can be so cavalier about being wasteful for no reason. Society is filled with dumbasses so I shouldn't be surprised but I still am.

 

[tfinch2]

I colored my unit with a green permanent marker.

 

[Chiropteran]

Originally posted by: MrDudeMan
It wouldn't put you out to turn off your computer at night and turn your lights off, and that kind of stuff will make a difference.

Will it? I was under the impression that electric power can't be efficiently saved, and if a particular power plant has a surplus of energy at night because everyone is good and turns off their lights it's not going to really change anything.

 

[ranmaniac]

You mean like how Al Gore is doing, living in a 20 room mansion, and flying around in a private jet?

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: tfinch2
I colored my unit with a green permanent marker.

Hell, that didn't take much ink...

Originally posted by: Chiropteran

Will it? I was under the impression that electric power can't be efficiently saved, and if a particular power plant has a surplus of energy at night because everyone is good and turns off their lights it's not going to really change anything.

But if YOU'RE not using the power, they can send it to another part of the grid where it's needed more. MOST of the US (and interconnected North American power grids are severely overloaded to the point where a small failure can cause catastrophic outages.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2...North_America_blackout

 

[Modelworks]

I walk everywhere I go.
And I mean everywhere.
I haven't used a car to get where I needed to go in about 7 weeks.
Better on my pocket and better for my health.
And I live in a fairly rural area where there is no public transportation.

 

[legoman666]

Originally posted by: Chiropteran

Originally posted by: MrDudeMan
It wouldn't put you out to turn off your computer at night and turn your lights off, and that kind of stuff will make a difference.

Will it? I was under the impression that electric power can't be efficiently saved, and if a particular power plant has a surplus of energy at night because everyone is good and turns off their lights it's not going to really change anything.

There are two types of power plants: Base plants and peak plants.

Base plants are on pretty much 24/7. They supply, guess what, the base load.
Peak plants are brought on during the day to keep up with the demand.

Peak plants are much more expensive to run. Plants do not need to be run at 100% all of the time. So if enough people cut their usage during the day/night, the power company will be able to shut off a peak plant or decrease the output of a base plant.

That said, plants are most efficient at near capacity. It's complicated though.

Originally posted by: BoomerD

But if YOU'RE not using the power, they can send it to another part of the grid where it's needed more. MOST of the US (and interconnected North American power grids are severely overloaded to the point where a small failure can cause catastrophic outages.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2...North_America_blackout

Not exactly true. Because power = I^2R, the amount of power lost to resistance in the power lines increases exponentially with the amount of current. It is much more economical to keep the current as low as possible (or just increase the voltage; V=IR, increase V, keep R constant and I decreases). Power grids are designed with a fudge factor.

There are ratings for overload percentage based on the conductor capacity (size), air temperature, wind speed, emmisivity, etc. You can often find that in the winter, certain types of conductors can be loaded to 200% without fear of failure.

<- Duke Energy employee.

 

[Chiropteran]

Originally posted by: BoomerD

But if YOU'RE not using the power, they can send it to another part of the grid where it's needed more. MOST of the US (and interconnected North American power grids are severely overloaded to the point where a small failure can cause catastrophic outages.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2...North_America_blackout

Wouldn't a catastrophic outage be *good* for the environment?

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: Chiropteran

Originally posted by: BoomerD

But if YOU'RE not using the power, they can send it to another part of the grid where it's needed more. MOST of the US (and interconnected North American power grids are severely overloaded to the point where a small failure can cause catastrophic outages.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2...North_America_blackout

Wouldn't a catastrophic outage be *good* for the environment?

Obviously you're not thinking through all the possible ramifications to a massive blackout scenario...TERRERISTS! ZOMG! The power is out...we must be under attack!

 

[brtspears2]

Did the following for Weatherization: Completely replace HVAC system with a 14 SEER unit and a 90% efficiency rating natural gas heater. Replaced all windows with double pane, low-e3 glass windows.

Then the usual items: changed bulbs to CFL's. Put electronics on power strips, turned them off when not in use. Turn off computers when not in use.

By doing this, I reduced my power consumption from an average of 250-300 kWh to to 80-100 kWh a month, and natural gas bill is below 10 bucks a month. In conclusion, going green or doing stuff to be greener costs a lot of money.

 

[Chiropteran]

Reduction in population is good for the environment too.

 

[So]

Originally posted by: Chiropteran
Reduction in population is good for the environment too.

Well, nuclear war it is then.

<mashes big red button on desk>

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: legoman666

Originally posted by: Chiropteran

Originally posted by: MrDudeMan
It wouldn't put you out to turn off your computer at night and turn your lights off, and that kind of stuff will make a difference.

Will it? I was under the impression that electric power can't be efficiently saved, and if a particular power plant has a surplus of energy at night because everyone is good and turns off their lights it's not going to really change anything.

There are two types of power plants: Base plants and peak plants.

Base plants are on pretty much 24/7. They supply, guess what, the base load.
Peak plants are brought on during the day to keep up with the demand.

Peak plants are much more expensive to run. Plants do not need to be run at 100% all of the time. So if enough people cut their usage during the day/night, the power company will be able to shut off a peak plant or decrease the output of a base plant.

That said, plants are most efficient at near capacity. It's complicated though.

Originally posted by: BoomerD

But if YOU'RE not using the power, they can send it to another part of the grid where it's needed more. MOST of the US (and interconnected North American power grids are severely overloaded to the point where a small failure can cause catastrophic outages.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2...North_America_blackout

Not exactly true. Because power = I^2R, the amount of power lost to resistance in the power lines increases exponentially with the amount of current. It is much more economical to keep the current as low as possible (or just increase the voltage; V=IR, increase V, keep R constant and I decreases). Power grids are designed with a fudge factor.

There are ratings for overload percentage based on the conductor capacity (size), air temperature, wind speed, emmisivity, etc. You can often find that in the winter, certain types of conductors can be loaded to 200% without fear of failure.

<- Duke Energy employee.

After the 2000 Kahleeforneeya blackouts, at least partly caused by Duke Energy, I don't trust anything that comes from them...

I spent 7 years working for my local electric utility and I understand SOME of what you wrote, and agree with most of it...(the parts I understand anyway ) but it IS true that the grid is in sore need of upgrading/overhauling to improve capacity on days of peak load. Here in Kahleeforneeya, we have one serious bottleneck in the grid that causes lots of problems, (Path 15) and getting it corrected is a highly political issue. They did add a third 500 Mw line in 2004 which has helped, but still isn't enough to totally meet demands in times of extreme demand, like long hot spells where it's over 100 for several days.

BTW, I worked on the Duke powerplant at Moss Landing back in 2000 on the overhaul of the boiler units for Babcock & Wilcox.

 

[nervegrind3r]

all this green shit is someones agenda. this is just another brilliant way to market people and ideas.....period. The beauty of it is that it easily makes sense to be "green". All that green advertising on tv and paper costs money, people who can afford to advertise that information do not do it for the sake of being good or green, they do it because it has its benefits to them. period.

 

[everman]

What's the point when the eruption of one volcano can easily negate every "going green" effort of every nation on the planet?

 

[conehead433]

Making some lime daiquiris.

 

[Ns1]

I started recycling my cans. They pay for carne asada

 

[KeithTalent]

I try and re-use things more than I used to. Things like paper cups, napkins, condoms, etc...

KT

 

[ultimatebob]

Yeah.... I traded in my Audi A4 for a MINI Cooper, started using CFL light bulbs wherever possible, and took up recycling again. The last one was the toughest, as my condo association has ONE recycling bin for 90 units

 

[Ns1]

Originally posted by: KeithTalent
I try and re-use things more than I used to. Things like paper cups, napkins, condoms, etc...

KT

I feel so dirty now.

 

[ultimatebob]

Originally posted by: ranmaniac
You mean like how Al Gore is doing, living in a 20 room mansion, and flying around in a private jet?

Yeah... and don't forget those 3 32" LCD displays he has sitting on his desk in his office.

 

[IGBT]

..eco-kook greenism is a fraud designed to fool you into thinking that greenism should circumvent all. It's principal over people regardless of results.

 

[FoBoT]

not really, i'm not a smelly hippie