Sharing The Planet - Lets Go Green!

A cherry picker is a kind of elevated or elevator work platform that is used for reaching high places that cannot be accessed with ladders. This equipment is used by workers to paint buildings, clean or wash windows, fasten ad banners or signs and install lights for decoration or illumination. More often than not, the usage of the said equipment is temporary. Contractors usually hire a cherry picker to use for a short period of time because it is a more practical decision compared to purchasing them only to be disposed of or kept for storage after the project or work has been completed. These facts show that having a business renting them out is a good idea.

Some people call this a mobile tower business. Mobile tower because cherry pickers can be moved around to different sites where they are needed and they are just like towers that help workers reach high spots. A mobile tower hire or rental business is considered profitable because of the demand for this kind of equipment is rather high and the market is so wide. You can cater to most construction projects, vegetation management, power companies, telecommunication services, lighting installation, highway and bridge maintenance, cable TV companies, even advertising and broadcasting firms.

Boom lifts, as they are also called, are used by construction companies to reach higher floors especially in buildings that are not completed yet. They are also used for finishing the buildings with paint. This machinery is still used in managing vegetation like trimming tree branches for tornadoes and power lines, and even for picking apples and cherries from the trees, the equipment’s original purpose hence its name cherry picker.

Power companies rent these out for the maintenance and even installation of electrical posts. Telephone companies need them for line installation, repair and maintenance same for cable TV companies. Highway and bridge contractors use them for road signs, lights and all sorts of work on high spots. They are also hired by advertisers for billboards, neon lighting and other high-level ads. News companies rent a cherry picker to broadcast traffic updates et cetera. There are many other uses for these towers that only show that they are really useful and a business like this would make a great niche market.

Mobile towers, which are also known as man lifts, hydraladders and basket cranes, come in many types: telescopic booms, articulating booms, straight mast booms, scissor-type booms, travel towers and many more. They can have trucks, vans, trailers and even their own engines as bases. There are numerous applications for this equipment that you can imagine the money you can make when renting them out. Indeed, having your own mobile tower business would be a profitable one.

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Mechanical hand dryers made a mark as a promising alternative to the wastage of paper towels for drying hands, especially in public toilets. Then again, you cannot just buy onto that idea without thinking out and weighing down your options. After reading this article, we promise that you will have a clearer idea, which among the choices available is truly beneficial in all aspects.

Paper Towel vs. Hand Dryers

We are used to the idea of employing paper towels in drying our hands after using the restroom and washing. Now that the revolution of automatic dryer is introduced, people are given an alternative.

A bathroom hand dryer is more cost-effective. Although they cost more right off, they will be more economical in the long run. The only amount you have to expend is the amount that you will pay for the unit. It could require a good sum at first but considering that amount covers for long-term use, it is worthwhile. A mechanical dryer is also more convenient to use. There is no need to worry about waste. Unlike with paper towels that demand costs for disposing them as well.

Using a hand dryer is also considered a greener choice. It is environment friendly because it will not require thousands and thousands of trees to be cut just so enough supply of paper towels are available for bathroom users. What’s more, with the updates in technology, newer units are being introduced and they are made to be even eco-friendlier. The compact, sleeker, and more energy-efficient units require less power to run, which also translates to reduced energy bills.

If there is one drawback, that is the recent studies that show using a fast hand dryer does not kill bacteria but instead spread them around or increase their presence. Especially if you are using the push button kind in a public toilet, you can just imagine how that button could be populated with bacteria, which will be transferred from one user to another.

To resolve that issue regarding the spread of bacteria, there are units now available that do not need human intervention. Automatic dryers are powered by sensors, which start it working, depending on the motions of the user.

Which is better?

As with anything, there are two sides to the story. One is all about the advantages and the other, the disadvantages. You should weigh the pros and cons and make sure that you are choosing the one with more benefits than drawbacks. A decision cannot be generalized since different households have different requirements as well. You have to define your own set of needs to determine what type of choice will fulfill that need the best way possible.

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Global warming is something that is affecting everyone on a daily basis. However, it is our children and grandchildren that will suffer the most. These are just some of the many things that you can do to help prevent global warming. Just as mankind has the power to destroy the planet, we have the power to save it.Another thing you might want to remember is that cutting down on your carbon emissions and the like will save you personally a lot of money. Global warming is acting a lot faster than it was originally expected to- you might be affected by it as well. Therefore you’ll benefit by conserving energy, too.

1. Get Educated
   • Educate yourself about Global warming. You won’t be able to tell other people about it if you don’t have knowledge of the topic yourself!
2. Act Collectively
   • Acting individually is not enough to solve this global problem. We must bring pressure to bear on power holders and decision makers in government to promptly and decisively act on the national and international levels to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
3. Use Compact Fluorescent Bulbs
   • Replace 3 frequently used light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. Save 300 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $60 per year.
4. Keep your Car Tires Inflated
   • Keep the tires on your car adequately inflated. Check them monthly. Save 250 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $840 per year.
5. Change Your Air Filter
   • Check your car’s air filter monthly. Save 800 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $130 per year.
6. Fill the Dishwasher
   • Run your dishwasher only with a full load. Save 100 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $40 per year.
7. Use Recycled Paper
   • Make sure your printer paper is 100% post consumer recycled paper. Save 5 lbs. of carbon dioxide per ream of paper.
8. Buy Products Locally
   • Buy locally and reduce the amount of energy required to drive your products to your store. The consumable products we all purchase represent over half of the average family’s carbon footprint!
9. Spread the Word
   • There is a logo called CarbonCounted that companies can put on their products to communicate their carbon footprint. Look for products that have a low CarbonCounted footprint number.
10. Buy Energy Certificates
    • Help spur the renewable energy market and cut global warming pollution by buying wind certificates and green tags.
11. Buy Minimally Packaged Goods
    • Less packaging could reduce your garbage by about 10%. Save 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide and $1,000 per year.
12. Buy a Hybrid Car
    • The average driver could save 16,000 lbs. of CO2 and $3,750 per year driving a hybrid. Plug-in hybrids can save even more and give cash-back (see V2G).
13. Buy a Fuel Efficient Car
    • Getting a few breathe. Save 2,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide per year.
14. Insulate Your Water Heater
    • Keep your water heater insulated could save 1,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $40 per year.
15. Replace Old Appliances
    • Inefficient appliances waste energy. Save hundreds of lbs. of carbon dioxide and hundreds of dollars per year.
16. Weather Strip your Doorways
    • Caulk and weather strip your doorways and windows. Save 1,700 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $274 per year.
17. Use a Push Mower
    • Use your muscles instead of fossil fuels and get some exercise. Save 80 lbs of carbon dioxide per year.
18. Unplug Unused Electronics
    • Even when electronic devices are turned off, they use energy. Save over 1,000 lbs of carbon dioxide and $256 per year.
19. Take quick showers insted of baths. If you use hot water, lower the temperature and take faster showers.
20. Subscribe to our consumer mailing list for more info about Global Warming

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More and more people are wondering how they can do their part to help reduce the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. While change won’t happen overnight, here are steps that you can take against global warming.

House and Garden

1. Plant a Tree. Well-placed landscaping cuts energy costs in summer and winter. Whilst alive, the tree will store carbon dioxide that would otherwise be in the atmosphere. Trees that are placed so that they will provide shade for your house will also help it stay cool in the summer. Better yet, make it a fruit or a nut tree. Planting perennials that yield food, including berry bushes and garden vegetables and herbs, will help you eat locally while ‘fixing’ more carbon in the soil. Introducing these plants in public places, by the sides of roads and in parks, is another way to benefit the community and the climate. When planting outside your home, limit yourself to native species.
2. Repaint your house with latex paint instead of oil-based. Latex paint releases significantly fewer harmful fumes while drying and smells a lot better.
3. Buy energy efficient appliances with the “Energy Star” label.
4. Make sure the dishwasher and washing machine are full before running them to save energy and money.
5. Call your local utility and sign up for renewable energy. If they don’t offer it, ask them why not.
6. Get a home energy audit. Many utilities offer free audits, which may reveal simple ways to cut emissions.
7. Weatherize your home; caulk and weather-strip your doorways and windows. Add insulation, especially to the roof, it cuts drastically heating and cooling expenses. Change your windows for double glazing. Add outside shades to use in summer. Not only will all this save energy, it will save you money too!
8. Move your thermostat two degrees cooler in winter and two degrees warmer in the summer.
9. Unplug your cell phone charger, TV and other electronics from the wall when you are not using them. Did you know that even when turned “off” your cell phone chargers, DVD players, computers, and cameras still use small amounts of energy? The process can be made easier if you have everything plugged into a surge protector with its own switch.
10. Make sure to turn off lights and other energy-sucking devices when they aren’t being used. This also applies to schools because most schools do not turn off their lights when not in use. If 10,000 schools turned off all their lights for just one minute, they would save more than $81,000. If those same schools turned off their lights every time they went to recess, they would save more than $4.9 million!
11. Replace any incandescent light bulbs with fluorescent ones. Fluorescent light bulbs are more expensive, but replacing just one incandescent light bulb will save 150 pounds of carbon dioxide. Fluorescent lamps are more efficient than incandescent light bulbs of an equivalent brightness. This is because more of the consumed energy is converted to usable light and less is converted to heat, allowing fluorescent lamps to run cooler. An incandescent lamp may convert only 10% of its power input to visible light releasing 90% heat. A fluorescent lamp producing as much useful visible light energy may require only 1/3 to 1/4 as much electricity input and converts 90% of the power input to visible light releasing only 10% heat. Typically a fluorescent lamp will last between 10 and 20 times as long as an equivalent incandescent lamp. Basically, a fluorescent light bulb would reduce your energy consumption AND your electric bill!
12. Replace flourescent light bulbs with Ultra Compact LEDs. These use less energy and last longer than flourescent light bulbs. Additionally UCLEDs do not contain any deadly mercury.
13. If you’re leaving your computer for a while, put it on stand-by. You’ll be able to restart it quickly, and it’ll take less energy than shutting it down and then restarting it.
14. Before turning the heat on, put on thick socks and a sweater.
15. Invest in alternate energy devices for your own home. Windmill kits are inexpensive and a great source of electricity in many areas. Solar energy, especially solar collectors for water heaters, is possible for most homes. Building from adobe in arid climates can dramatically save on energy costs and result in homes that last hundreds of years. Adobe construction also greatly reduces the amount of wood used in home construction. The man behind the Rocky Mountain Institute (www.rmi.org) actually sells electricity created at his home back to the electric company, paying for the modifications he made to his home in just a few years.
16. Buy durable goods. The effort to make and transport even small items can add up quickly. As much as possible buy items that will last instead of buying the same item several times in a decade. The larger the item is the more wear and tear on the environment you will save by not producing a brand new one.
17. 90% of hot water heat goes to waste as it leaves dishwashers, clothes washers or the shower. This heat energy can be recovered to lower the energy needed and save on water heating costs. Install a hot water heat recycling unit to significantly reduce either electricity or the fuel burned for domestic water heating.
18. Reduce the usage of refrigerants and air-conditioners whenever possible.

Water Conservation in the house

1. Conserve lots of water. For example, instead of filling up the bathtub with water and bathing, you can choose two choices. Take short showers and/or bathe with a person in your family. The other choice is to fill a bucket with water and take a can, or some other cylinder object, and keep filling it with water from the bucket and pouring it over your head. You can also bathe with another person. If you are following the second choice or following the “fill bathtub and bath”, fill the bucket or bathtub with how much you’ll need and not to the top. Also if you have some extra water save it for some other person to use. Here’s a reason to conserve Earth’s water. Approximately 97% of the world’s water is salty and undrinkable. 3% percent of the water is freshwater, but 2% of all the water is frozen in glaciers and polar ice caps. This means humans have access to just 1% of the planet’s water for all our needs!
2. Do not leave the water taps on if not in use and turn off the taps properly, because one drop of water per second would waste 2,700 gallons (10,220 L) of water per year! Leaky faucets and taps can add to your hot water bill so repair them as soon as possible. The constant drip wastes water, energy and money. You can also save by installing an inexpensive “flow control” device in shower heads and faucets.
3. The water heater is the second largest energy consumer in the home and using it efficiently can add up to big savings. For families with an automatic dishwasher, the hot water heater setting can safely be lowered to 130-140 degrees. If the automatic dishwasher has a water temperature booster, the water heater temperature can be set to 110-120 degrees. If your house will be vacant for two or more days, you can lower the temperature of your water heater even more until you return. If you have a new water heater, drain a few gallons from your tank every six months to remove sediment that accumulates and reduces the heater’s efficiency. If you only use your hot water once or twice a day, you may consider installing a timer on your hot water heater and set it up to run two hours in the morning and the evening.
4. Wrapping a fiberglass blanket around your water heater and securing it with duct tape, or installing a ready-made insulation kit can save up to 10% on water heating costs. Most new water heaters are already insulated, so this tip is most effective for heaters that are more than five years old. Also, insulate hot water pipes to reduce heat loss as the hot water is flowing to your faucets.
5. It pays to operate appliances that use hot water wisely. Running the clothes washer with a full load and using cold water whenever possible can lead to big energy savings. Hang dry your laundry rather than putting it in the dryer and put them outside on a clothesline mostly at summer, when its hotter. Hang drying will also make your clothes last much longer. Use detergents that clean clothes effectively in cold water.
6. Use dishwashers instead of washing dishes by hand. Washing dishes by hand may not save energy or money. In fact, you can probably save energy using the dishwasher since hand-washing usually requires more hot water. When shopping for a new dishwasher, look for models that require less hot water. Dishwashers differ in the number of gallons of hot water used in the wash cycle. Eighty percent of the energy used in automatic dishwashers goes toward heating water. Significant savings take place by running the dishwasher only when it is full. Running a half-filled dishwasher twice uses two times as much energy as running a full load once. Many new dishwashers have an internal water heater that raises the temperature of the incoming water to 140 degrees. This device allows you to turn down the temperature on the water heater in your home and still have your dishes washed thoroughly. Take advantage of the energy saving control on many dishwashers. It turns off the heat during the drying cycle. Opening the dishwasher after the rinse cycle and letting the dishes air dry is another way to save energy.
7. Exercise for 15-20 minutes before you shower. You’ll end up taking colder showers and the shower will be shorter. You will even be warm enough to lather yourself up with the water turned off in the middle of the shower. In addition, you will benefit from the regular light exercise.
8. Saving water also means not polluting it: using soap polutes less than a shower gel. For the dish washing, try to wipe off the greasy pans with flour or paper to use less detergent.

When classes are resume, all students are required to finish their major projects for the last semester which includes writing custom essay.

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Things like hectic climate change, polluted air, acid rain, depletion of the ozone layer, global warming, and an increase in poverty prove that the way we use things is ineffective. Imagine this. One day you come out from your house and all you see is big puffs of black smoke and no trees! All you hear are cars and no birds! All you smell is gasoline and no flowers! What kind of life is that? All we need to do to reduce the problem is simply to be less wasteful. Here are some ideas on how to help everyone!

1. Switch off anything that uses electricity. Stick to a routine of shutting off as many electrical appliances as possible when you leave a room. If it will be at least 36 hours before you use it again, unplug it. Even when an appliance is off, it can still suck up juice. Just imagine. You will save hundreds of dollars and you could donate the money to a charity in need or buy yourself something nice.
2. Check your faucets and any other appliance that uses water straight from your source. If your faucets drip, get them fixed, or at least put a container under the drip in the meantime and use the water. To check your toilets, put a few drops of food coloring (go for a strong color) in the tank, not the bowl. Wait about ten minutes without flushing. If you see the dye in the bowl, repair your toilet.
3. Turn off the water when you’re not using it. As Ellen Degeneres says, “Turn off the water while brushing your teeth.” Why is the water running for so long? There is no point, is there? It is okay if you forget a few times, but if you forget a lot, put a little sticky note on the wall in front of the sink, with the reminder, “Turn off the faucet. Don’t waste water!” This goes for shaving, washing dishes, and even taking a shower.
4. Use rechargeable batteries instead of disposable batteries. Batteries not only take up landfill space (they can’t be incinerated) they can leak acid into the Earth. Even then, only use the appliance when you must. If you have the choice, plug in the device instead of using batteries.
5. Install low-flow toilets in your home, or put a brick in the reservoir (the back) of your current toilet. The space the brick takes up in the bottom of the tank will permit you to use less water, but keep the toilet functioning. Also try adjusting the water level down. Many toilets have an adjustment to lower the valve float.
6. Use only as much toilet paper as you need, and don’t use a mile of it for one little wiping. Be reasonable. Go easy on the paper towels, too.

    

7. Organize a carpool for work or school. This way, if you take a highway with a High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane, this can usually save time and money on gasoline. For bonus points, use a hybrid or other car that gets high gas mileage.
8. Plan your errands to avoid going around in circles. This will use more gas and waste time. Group outings into fewer, longer trips. This minimizes both trips out and cold starts (starting an engine that has not been run lately). Cold starts are hard on your car and the environment.
9. Invest in a good bicycle and helmet. Use them when your destination is within 5-10 miles of home. You can also buy pannier racks, a bike trailer, or a sturdy basket to hold items. Get in the habit of riding your bike to local areas. Plus, you will get more exercise and feel better!
10. Avoid using disposable items as much as possible. Anything you use only a few times and throw away consumes resources only to spend centuries in a landfill.
11. Avoid using plastic whenever you can; it is a poison of the earth (things like disposable plastic cups, plastic bags, nonsense plastic items you don’t need).
    • Use resealable, reusable containers instead of plastic wrap or plastic bags.
12. Get a hybrid. If you have been looking for a new vehicle, hybrids are becoming more and more popular. There are a wide variety of hybrids on the market from little sedans to big SUVs. They not only give off less emissions into the air, they can save you money with less trips to the gas station.
13. Consider cloth diapers. They’ve come a long way from the things with pins and plastic covers that gen x-ers and ALL previous generations wore. You will save a fortune (especially if you have more than one child), keep potentially dangerous chemicals away from your baby’s bottom, and do a good thing for the planet while you’re at it!
14. Use reusable cloth pads, or a menstrual cup. It may sound gross to reuse these kinds of things, but imagine all the pads and tampons you use in your lifetime all piled up. Can you say “EW”?
15. Trade in your dryer for a good old fashioned clothesline. It makes your clothes smell nice and fresh, and, it’s environmentally friendly! If you do use a dryer, make sure to keep the vent clear.
16. Switch to compact flourescent lightbulbs. While these cost more, they are also longer lasting than conventional lightbulbs, and they use only one-quarter of the energy. They may cost more money, but last much longer.
17. Coordinate with your neighbors and friends. If the local recycling depot is at some distance, make a single drop-off spot in your neighborhood, where people can bring their recyclables, then use just one car to drive them to the depot. A garage is a good place to store things until they are taken. You might have different neighbors responsible for different kinds of recyclables, such as paper, glass, metal, etc.
18. Conserve water. Take shorter showers or fill the bathtub only 1/4-1/3 full. Run your dishwasher only when it is completely full. Reuse water, if at all possible by boiling it. If you wash your own car, park it on your lawn and use buckets and sponges. Use the hose to rinse. Use pool covers to reduce evaporation and keep leaves out.
19. Compost. Designate an area in your yard to put your yard waste, fruit peels, and uneaten food. Find some worms who can break the waste down and produce a very rich soil that works great with your landscaping. Keep your compost heap as far from a water source as possible, and if you can, put a couple layers of concrete blocks or bricks around your heap to avoid a mess on your lawn.

     

     

20. Buy secondhand clothes, or if you have a neighbor with a child a year or so older than your child, ask if they can send their old clothes to you. You can also find many ‘organic clothes’ at common department stores. These clothes are made with organic cotton in a more environmentally friendly factories. They are in style nowadays.
21. Stop Some of Your Junk Mail. If you get several catalogues which you do not need, then call one company each day or each week and ask for them to stop sending this to you. This will save trees, and will use less oil, as something you do not need will not have to be made and transported to you. There is sometimes more paper in the local newspaper that you would use in 2 months. Remember to recycle the old newspapers, or the ones that you do not need anymore.
22. Get skylights. These windows go on your ceiling to provide more light, reducing the electric light you use. Some types can even transfer sunlight into electricity.
23. Join your local chapter of www.freecycle.com. These groups offer unwanted or unneeded household “stuff” for free to each other, usually through a Yahoo! Group. Keep your unwanted “stuff” out of the landfill and in the hands of someone who will actually USE it. You will make someone happy, and the earth happier too!

     

24. Don’t use pesticides, herbicides, or chemicals. Pesticides kill hundreds of birds and other animals per year. If you have unwanted weeds, pull or hoe them out yourself, clip them down, plant a groundcover in their place, or use mulch to control weeds and limit evaporation.
25. Reuse glass bottles. Buy a glass bottle and use it for a long time! It will not rot or go bad like a plastic bottle will. You could decrease the amount of water bottles in the garbage dumps if you use 1 glass bottle instead of 30 plastic water bottles per week. Glass bottles are also healthy! Plastic is not. All different types of chemicals get released into your water from the plastic, and even more if you squeeze it!
26. Turn useless junk into something fun and cute, or fresh and funky! Jewelery! You can take a look around wikiHow and find tons of articles about how to make different things.
27. Stop reading newspapers if you can look up the news on your computer, it takes up less energy than cutting down the trees, making the paper, and transporting it to your house.
28. Use a thermos instead of making tea or coffee in cups. You will use less tea bags or coffee, and you will have more for the next time you wish to make tea or coffee! For more taste, don’t add more tea bags. Add lemon or honey to your tea.
29. Buy or make a few reusable fabric bags, and bring them with you whenever you go shopping. Or, reuse your old plastic bags. Just imagine all of the plastic bags in the world added up. Isn’t that a lot of garbage?
30. Recycle old plastic bags. There are a lot of things which you can do with old plastic bags. Don’t throw them away! They will come in handy! You can reuse them when shopping. Check out how to recycle old plastic bags.
31. Ask for any leftover meat when you go to your meat shop. If the meat is okay to feed to dogs, feed that to your dog instead. Maybe even your cat! They may even give it to you for free. You will also save money by not having to buy dog/cat food. Also, at some super markets, they also give dog bones free with whatever purchase.
32. Reuse clothing, and find something snazzy to do with it. You can reinvent wearable pieces or donate them to charity. You could use an old t-shirt as housekeeping rags, make mop tie out of them, or sew patches onto things. Be creative! Did you know you can make construction paper out of denim jeans?!
33. Start a neighborhood clean-up that will clean up the neighborhood, every week or so. Get the whole neighborhood involved! Try and get the community involved with the projects, and even do a public park clean up - this is everyone’s home.
34. Recycle all you can. In many countries, recycling is taken seriously. They have one trash can for bags, one for glass, one for cans, one for boxes, one for plastic, one for paper, even one for decomposed food. Try disciplining yourself to recycling the necessities we use when done.
35. Put timers on lamps that will turn off lamps at the same time on a daily basis. Timers like these can be found in hardware stores and they can be plugged into your lamp.
36. Buy less stuff. If you don’t need it, don’t buy it. Besides saving money and not cluttering up your house, not buying things in the first place means never using the resources (materials, energy, labor) necessary to create it. Could you borrow something, get it used, or simply do without it?

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What is Global warming - It refers to the increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s near-surface air and oceans in recent decades and its projected continuation. The global average air temperature near the Earth’s surface rose 0.74 ± 0.18 °C (1.33 ± 0.32 °F) during the last 100 years. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concludes, “most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations” via the greenhouse effect. Natural phenomena such as solar variation combined with volcanoes probably had a small warming effect from pre-industrial times to 1950 and a small cooling effect from 1950 onward.

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Sharing The Planet’s mission to to provide important facts and information on how to take cafe of you and how we can help in reducing green house gases that results in global warming.

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