An opportunity to do good and be GREEN professionally

I have some BIG news!

Starting August 13th, I will be the Communications Director for Great Rivers Greenway, an organization that works in conservation and creating alternative transportation options in the St. Louis region – such as a network of biking trails in the St. Louis region called the Great River Ring.

While I’m sincerely bummed to leave my Salvation Army family after such incredible adventures with them, please know that I still wholeheartedly believe in their mission and will continue to support them in a volunteer capacity. They have my heart.

Given my passion for the environment, this opportunity at GRG was just too serendipitous and I couldn’t be more excited! The position I’ll be taking on is a newly created position and all of the things I excel at are exactly what they need. With a critical campaign on the horizon shortly after I start, I look forward to proving my value in strategic promotions and public relations.

Just under a month until this new chapter begins… More to come!

The Little Things That Make Us Green

My oldest son has money burning a hole in his pocket the second he gets it – and to be honest, he frequently has empty pockets because of this. Despite family lessons on sound economics and home book reports we’ve assigned him on “The Power of Money,” we’ve found that the best way to reach him is through the environment. While he doesn’t quite understand the power of money yet – or truly care – he does care about our planet.

Our newest mantra with Jackson has been, “Is it necessary to purchase this – to use these materials?” and it makes him think twice if he needs to buy 12 of something, or just 1. He’s focused on being less wasteful on materials, if not money.

My Green Business

I’ve done freelance writing and P/R work since 2007 through my company, The Author’s Emporium (soon to be renamed Blank Page P.R.). Being an entrepreneur who cares about sustainability, I am always looking for ways to limit our reliance on natural resources.

While we have a printer in our home office, it is rarely used. We are big proponents of file sharing and many of our projects are shared utilizing Google Docs or an FTP system. We utilize Adobe products for documents that need to be signed by digitally signing them when possible and we fax our digital documents utilizing online services when need be so we almost never have to print. What minimal printing we do have to do ultimately ends up being recycled. Printing documents in-house leads to deforestation, climate change and worse.

Skype and Facetime have reduced our need to travel significantly. Face-to-face meetings with clients from Texas to Tennessee are held monthly and conferencing in employees from their home offices can be done with ease – this allows my clients to be informed and involved in the work that we do and it eliminates the need for a large office space for my team. We work from our home offices and a small studio in St. Louis, as needed, but our footprint is truly minimal. With airplane travel and car trips nixed – a win for the environment!

Even our chargers and electric cords utilized on in-house equipment are green. Energy-saving cell phone chargers turn off when the phones are full, instead of draining the outlet continuously. This reduces coal consumption and thus improves our air quality.

All of these changes save my business in GREEN ($$$) as well! Our printing costs are nominal, our energy costs as down and our travel expenses are nil.

In short, owning a business in a time of such technological advances is a dream for a greenie like me. Simple changes can have dramatic environmental results. Email me directly with questions or subscribe to this blog for continuous tips. As I find more ways to be green, I’ll continue to share them with you!

It Isn’t Easy Being Green…

By: Danni Eickenhorst

Well, they always say that the first thing to go by the wayside for a writer is their blog, and that is certainly true about this blog. Since last I wrote here, my life has turned upside down. I was laid off when the company I worked for closed, and took my freelance writing full time. In May, I started writing for The Salvation Army full time, and served as a correspondent and Public Information Officer during the aftermath of the Joplin tornado. I produced two films this year also.

On the personal front, my family continues to be a blessing, but we’ve found ourselves handling a diagnosis of PDD-NOS (autism spectrum disorder) for one of our children, and so all of our efforts have gone into getting the appropriate therapies needed for him to succeed. As we grappled with the diagnosis, I came to realize that all of the personality traits they listed as symptoms were the things I love about my son, and that the diagnosis was merely a shift in perspective so that we could better understand him. In the months that have passed since the diagnosis, I have found myself falling in love with him all over again, as a mother with a clearer and deeper understanding of her son, and this diagnosis too has been a blessing.

Our family still works to be “green,” but finds that the effort we could once put into large lifestyle changes have had to take a backseat as we focus on our family and general survival, and this year has given me the opportunity to see what it is that keeps most families from truly making the change – LIFE. Life gets in the way, but isn’t that the irony of the situation?

I learned the other day that the West African Black Rhino was extinct, and it only stoked my fervor for this cause.

As those of us of like minds struggle with the joy – and waste – of this holiday season, I wanted to post a quick blog with some food for thought. Check out these articles and resources. I look forward to your feedback:

 

• Eco-Friendly Christmas Tree
• Green-Christmas.org
• National Geographic Green Christmas Tips

A Day in the Life Of…

Being green starts with your grocery choices.

At the outset of this site, we pledged to give an accurate portrayal of what it is to be green, and to date, we have done so. We told you about our difficulties with composting (though in the Spring we will be telling you of its benefits, I should hope) and our frustration with the lack of passion amongst everyday people. Today, we want to give you a little peek into the life of this little green family…

On New Year’s Day Evening, I took my 7-year old son Jackson to the grocery store to pick up some groceries, while Dad and Cole stayed home. Since I’m keenly aware that one of our biggest impacts is in what we choose at the grocery store, it’s always a bit of an exhausting experience for me. Having Jackson along provided added some light and fun to the trip.

We walked into the produce section and needed to pick up some produce. We always try to pick seasonal fruits and vegetables, and locally grown items when we can. The easiest way to tell which fruits and veggies are local and seasonal is to go to a farmer’s market, but the two that were closest to us are closed this time of year, so we have returned to Shop n Save for the season.

We found that the organic apples at Shop n Save were the exact same price as the regular apples, so we picked up a few (not too many because they spoil a bit quicker than the chemical-laden variety) and we also grabbed a few organic bananas. A side note: Organic bananas often look ugly on the outside, but rarely are so ugly on the inside. The outer peel may have black spots due to handling, but the inside is usually fine. Do your best to judge based on firmness.

The only vegetable our two year old will eat is corn on the cob, so even though it’s not in season, we picked some up, but my 7 year old pointed out “Mom, I think we should the pick the kind in the husk instead of the kind that’s already peeled because then we can skip the Styrofoam and plastic wrap.” and so we did! (I love that he’s learning so young!) All of the veggies that we bought were simply laid in the cart, and not in the traditional plastic bags. I’ve never met a checker that minded when it comes to larger produce items.

As we continued on, we picked items that were organic (when financially feasible), healthful and with the least packaging possible.

Then came the meat department. As some of you know, I am the lone eco-vegetarian in my house. My entire family has reduced the amount of meat they eat (See Here for Why) for the good of the environment, and for the good of their hearts, but they still eat it and I leave that decision up to them. This has caused some difficulties for me when it comes to cooking, as I’m not a fan of cooking two meals and do all I can to avoid it.

For the last few months, I have cooked meat just a few times, and I haven’t had to buy any thanks to a small store we had in our basement freezer.

On this day, however, I needed to buy ham, chicken breast and hamburger. The anxiety over doing so actually caused me to break down in tears in the meat section. I felt like an idiot. I was so overwhelmed with the realities of supporting the meat industry, the cruelty to the animals, the impact on the environment and feeding my children meat that it became a bit too much. I distracted Jack so he wouldn’t notice, then I quickly scanned through the brands trying to avoid those that I know are known for terrible animal conditions and rampant disease (Tyson, etc.) and bought the smallest quantities I could.

Having thyroid disease, I cannot have a lot of soy, so the meat replacement dishes (“Not Dogs,” Morningstar, etc.) are not a real option for me. To that end, I still have to have eggs, dairy, etc. When I got to the egg section, I stood there debating between cage free and organic, because they didn’t have any that were both cage-free AND organic. I opted for organic b/c I bought cage-free last time. I guess I’ll alternate until they have an option that is both.

Then came paper towels… there I stood… trying to balance our budget and being green. We’ve really cut down on paper towel usage – with most of our cleanups handled by washable reusable towels, but we still have some need for paper towels. I stood there for two minutes, thinking of ways to avoid using paper towels, then realizing that we still need some paper towels, then deciding if we could afford the Seventh Generation brand, which was significantly more expensive. I ultimately bought the recycled brand, and prayed that my purchase would be a boon to their business, motivating them to lower their prices in the future.

All in all… it was exhausting… and a bit more expensive than it would be if I were shopping like everyone else… but it isn’t all about me then, is it? It’s about my kids, and your kids and you.

And at the end of the shopping trip, on the car ride home, I realized I’d done well by my son who told me he really enjoyed helping me make responsible decisions and asked if I would help him start a green business. He is 7 years old and wants to start a business that would help people make green choices. How awesome is that?! That definitely makes the grocery anxiety worth it.

2011: A Green New Year

Last night, we wrapped up 2010 with sippy cups of sparkling grape juice and little blond angels all around us… gathered round the laptop watching the ball drop (local TV was preempted with tornado coverage). What a year it was… and what a year this could be.

I’m excited and overwhelmed at all of the possibilities, praying for some direction and hoping I make the most of it, in terms of parenting, career, family and my passion projects.

In 2010, I began http://www.Greening-By-Example.com in the hopes of showing what it’s really like to be green, and inspiring families to make real changes. I struggled writing wondering “Is anyone really reading this? Am i making one bit of difference??!” but I knew that writing is my only gift, and it’s the best place to start when trying to make a change.

At the very least, I can say I know that I inspired at least one person, and that the blog has got real potential. Yesterday, I got the news that Demand Media has picked up my blog for syndication and will begin distributing it in 2011 and I couldn’t be more excited to expand my audience.

In 2011, I want to save the world. Lofty, I know… but after having a *very* near miss with a tornado and my house on New Year’s Eve, I feel that this couldn’t be more pressing. Growing up in Central Illinois near Springfield, tornadoes were a regular part of our life, but they also became the stuff my nightmares are made of. Fall and winter were generally the one time of year that I could feel safe. Now – Yes, as a result of global warming – they came on Thanksgiving and on New Year’s Eve, and my safe zone has been decimated.

So… if you’re reading this – I’m curious to know what you are going to do in 2011 to really make an environmental impact. If you’re not recycling, I’d say that’s step one, but there are SO MANY changes you could implement and I want to hear all about them. If you own a business, I’m especially interested in hearing what changes you’ll be implementing.

Left, right or middle – despite the efforts of many to make it so, this is not a political issue and you are all responsible to do something. The mystic Jewish principal of Tikun Olam states that we live in a broken world and no one of us can fix it ourselves, but none of us is free to abstain from the work. We must all work continuously to put this broken world back together, and each of us is duty-bound to do so.

We have recently replaced some inefficient windows, started composting, and adjusted our thermostats, among other things. Next up, we are going to install a rain barrel to collect water that we’ll use for washing our porch and toys and for watering the lawn.

And if you’re STILL reading this… tell me what I can do to inspire others, and why you think so many people just don’t care (beyond the inconvenience of it all). I’m only one person with a very lofty goal, but I’d love some input and direction.

Happy New Year, All….

Green Family Values: At Odds with Religion?

“The Earth is not given to us by our ancestors… It is borrowed from our children.” I heard this in a commercial the other day and LOVED it. I wish that everyone would take that quote to heart. Then I could stop blogging and fretting and worrying that I’m not doing enough to make a difference.

We stand at a critical precipice in world history, where we must find ways to reverse the course we are on, for the sake of our children and grandchildren.

Environmentalism should be taught as a core family value, just as honesty and faith are.

I am a Christian, a Lutheran to be more specific, and I listen to Christian music daily. The other day I heard a Christmas song by Casting Crowns the other day that said, “While we’re sung to sleep by philosophies that save the trees and kill the children…” and I thought, why must these values be at odds?

I believe that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. You may believe another way. Regardless, shouldn’t ecology and environmentalism be part of our core family and spiritual values? One day in a coffee shop, I was speaking to a friend about this and a gentleman who’d been sitting next to us piped in that he actually taught a seminary class called “Is God Green?” and I wondered if it was even a question. The core values of the environmental movement are consideration for others, responsible stewardship of the blessings God has bestowed upon us, respect for what we have and consideration. These all run parallel with the various values we teach in church. Then why are the left and the right so divided on their focus? Global Warming is undeniable. Why can’t this be the one issue we work at from both sides?

Instilling green values in our children is the only way to make a real difference for their future. Breaking them of their dependence on oil, chemicals, coal-fueled electricity and more can be done by minizing their exposure to it in the first place. How then can we How much do we really need all those new toys for Christmas? How much money could we save if we bought gently used items from the children’s consignment store instead? Would wrapping our gifts in cloth or newspaper take away from the magic of Christmas?

We have implemented many changes this year. We have seen our trash level decrease by about 35%. We have seen our energy costs decrease as well. We expect to see these things continue in the new year as we continue to implement changes. I expect to hold true to my values in 2011, but know that I cannot do it alone.

Days come when this blog has little to no traffic, or when someone mocks my vegetarian lifestyle claiming that it’s pointless and making such a little impact in the world, asking why I even try. There are days that my family balks at the sacrifices as I request as well. These are the days that I want to give up… but then I remember that this planet is borrowed from my children. It’s not mine, and not mine alone to save.

If you’re out there… if you read this blog… if you believe there is hope, please chime in. Share with me your reasons for hope and your suggestions for how we can make a difference.

Easy “Green” Cleaning Solutions

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Green Living tells us that the average American home has nearly 200 different chemicals under sinks,in the garage and shower, but that most of our cleaning needs can be addressed through the use of many non-toxic household items. Vinegar, baking soda and essential oils can meet many of our cleaning needs, without causing unnecessary air pollution or flushing chemicals into the water supply.

Essential Oils
Diluting orange, lime, grapefruit, pine or fruit essential oils (not fragrance oils) into hot water is enough to mop your floors and the oils will act as an antibacterial agent. Cedarwood oils protect against ants and can be drizzled in entry ways in spring and summer to protect against infestation.

Baking Soda
If you have a smelly drain or disposal, wash some baking soda down the drain. If your house smells like dog, sprinkle some on your carpet, let it sit for 5-10 minutes and then vaccuum it up. If your laundry is full of particularly dirty or stained clothes, you can sprinkle some in your load to soften the water to help remove stains. The next time your drain is clogged, instead of springing for Draino, pour half a cup of baking soda down your drain followed by vinegar.

Vinegar
Vinegar has many uses, but until a good smelling vinegar is found, we only use it in our house if it’s absolutely necessary. That said, vinegar can help dissolve calcium buildup in coffee pots, dishwashers and around faucets. It can also remove soap from carpet when a small amount is added to the rinse water of a carpet shampooer. Pouring vinegar, water and a pinch of salt into a squirt bottle can make an ideal cleaner to keep around the kitchen. Squirt this solution on a dirty window and wipe it with an old newspaper for a very clean window.

Lemon Juice
Lemon juice can brighten whites in the laundry, and help remove stains.

If you’re not sold on the effectiveness of these “old fashioned” solutions, then at least shop at http://www.ecomall.com and choose safer products from CHEC’s lst of safer cleaning agents.

If you’re going to replace some, but not all of your cleaning agents, then use care. If you run vinegar or baking soda down a sink where other cleaning agents have recently been flushed, there is a chance of a caustic reaction.

Building an inexpensive solar heating panel

by Mark Bower

This is a great article by Mark Bower that shows how easy it can be to build your own solar panel. Parts of it are specific to mobile homes, but it can be applied to any residence. We are considering trying it. If you have, let us know!

Long before the start of the cold season, Jack Sage (JES) from Montana and I listened to news reports of how heating costs this coming winter would be sky high. Paying last winter’s heat bill was tough enough, so knowing we’d have even higher heat bills this winter was, to say the least, scary. We both agreed to do something about it.

So throughout the summer Jack and I explored various options of creating “cheap heat.” The most sensible solution we found was to heat the air in our home using a solar heating panel. Yep, we decided to let the sun help heat our home.

We spent countless hours reading and searching the internet for information on building a solar heating panel. Solar power was big in the 70’s and early 80’s, so you’d think finding good information would be easy. Well, it wasn’t. We found a lot of information, but some of the it contained errors, some information was incomplete, and others required parts which were either hard to find, no longer available or expensive. So we put our heads together, tried this, tried that, and finally came up with a workable solar heating panel that doesn’t cost a lot to build. To see our version of the solar heating panel, read on…

How it Works

When you think “solar”, you may first think about those expensive panels designed to create electricity. We are talking about a completely different solar panel. Our solar heating panel is designed to heat air, not create electricity. Other designs include heating liquid.

To heat, air is drawn into the bottom of the panel. The air zigzags through the panel and comes out of the top 10-50 degrees warmer on sunny days. Air moves through the panel either by convection or by a fan located at the top. Sounds like a simple concept, but do one thing wrong and you’ll get less than desirable results.

Rules of Thumb

As we share with you how we built our solar heating panel, we’ll introduce you to various options and ideas. Soon you’ll begin to formulate how your solar panel may look or operate. For a solar heating panel to operate effectively, you must keep in mind the following Rules of Thumb.

Two Types of Solar Heaters

Depending upon what works best in your case, you can build the solar heating panels in two ways — to work inside your home or outside your home. Heaters that work outside your home can be fastened to your roof or the south side of your home. Heaters that work inside your home will hang in a south-facing window. Generally, outside heaters will create hotter temperatures and will be bigger than the inside heaters. Outside heaters will have double-pained glass and insulated on all sides. Inside heaters may have single-pained glass and no insulation except for some in the back. For the purposes of this article, we will show you how to build the outside solar heating panel.

Start with the Glass

Glass (or Plexiglas) is the most expensive piece to our solar heating panel. So we look for good discarded windows to help cut costs. Double-insulated glass is a must for outside solar heaters. For the solar panel shown in this article, we found an old double-pained window that measured approximately 4’x5′. If you are building an inside solar heater, then use Plexiglas so you can build the unit to the size of the window it’ll be hung next too.

Build the Frame

Using 1×4′ or 2×4’s, build a frame that will fit the glass you found. Nail a piece of 1/2″ plywood to the back of the frame. Since this solar heating panel would become a permanent fixture on the side of my house, I covered the frame with a metal that matched the trim on the house.

Add Insulation and the Absorption Plate

Line the back of the panel with 1.5″ insulation board. The insulation board comes in 4’x8′ sheets and is easily found at most home improvement stores. Cut to fit using a utility knife. Simply set in place. No glue or fasteners needed.

Aluminum flashing is used as the heat absorption plate. Aluminum flashing is inexpensive and readily available. If you don’t use aluminum, you want something that will conduct heat well, like copper perhaps.

The best absorption plates are those with selective surfaces, such as surfaces plated with nickel, then covered by black chrome. They conduct heat superbly with hardly no long-wave emissivity (reflection). But they are also very expensive, so we aren’t using them here.

The aluminum flashing is available in many width and lengths. For this project, I used flashing that was 30″ wide and 10′ long. Cut to fit, overlapping in the middle is OK. No need to glue or fasten.

Screw Window Frame to Panel (optional)

The window I found came with a removable frame. So at this time I decided to screw the frame to the panel. If your window must be permanently screwed to the panel, wait and do that as the very last step.

Keeping everything sealed is important for an efficient working panel. Before I screwed the window frame to the panel, my son put down a layer of weather-stripping.

Set the window frame on the weather-stripping and screw into place.

Add the Baffles

Add strips of insulation board to the sides of the panel. On this panel, I used 3/4″ insulation board.

Add the interior frame boards and baffles. Everything is held in place using these boards. When the glass is added, these boards must seal to the top of the glass. That will make them approximately 2″ tall. Double check all measurements.

Screw the interior frame boards directly to the side of the panel. Keep everything at the same height.

If you haven’t determined the size of your pathways (area between the baffle boards), you need to do that now. Read these Rules of Thumb for help. In our panel, we determined we needed pathways with equal 20 square inches. Our pathways are approximately 10″ wide by 2″ high.

The baffle boards are screwed in place by first drilling several holes down through the baffles. Apply weather-stripping to the bottom of the baffle boards. Then a 4″ screw is driven down the baffles, through the 1.5″ of insulation board, then into the plywood at the bottom.

Cut Out the Air Openings

Next step is to cut in the air openings. Normally you would have one opening in the lower left and the other in the upper right (or vice versa). But in our case, we had to put the openings on the same side so they wouldn’t interfere with some cabinets on the wall. The opening size should closely match the pathway size. In our case, we used a 5″ opening as it’s area was about 20 square inches. Again, read these Rules of Thumb for more information. I used a jigsaw to cut my openings.

Hang the Panel

Whether you hang your panel on the wall or on the roof, you must first do some preplanning. Figure out where the wall studs or roof rafters are. Your panel will be fastened to these studs or rafters. Plus, your panel needs to be lined up so the air intake and outlet doesn’t hit a stud or rafter. In our example, we mounted the panel flat to a south wall. If you wish that the panel be pointed slightly up towards the sun, that needs to be taken into consideration now.

Once we figured out exactly where the panel would be located, we screwed a board to the house which would help hold up and support the panel as we screwed it in place.

We then screwed the panel to the side of the house using 3.5″ screwed with washers. Of course the screws went into the stud of the wall.

Air Delivery System

With the panel now secured to your wall or roof, next step is to install the parts needed to deliver air to and from your solar heating panel.

We chose to equip our heating panel with a fan. We used a computer fan and hooked it up to a 20 watt solar panel. Most heating panels will work fine without a fan as the air will move by convection — meaning cold air will enter the bottom and rise out of the top as it is heated. The air may not move as quick, but it will come out much hotter. If you wish to move even more air, then use a squirrel cage blower instead of a computer fan.

Pictured are most of the parts we used to hook-up our air delivery system. Since we determined that our opening had to be 5″, all the parts are made to fit a 5″ diameter hole. A couple things not pictured would be a trap door to prevent back-drafts at night and a temperature fan control switch. If you intend to build a solar heating panel, some of the parts are available here.

Pictured to the right is how the pieces would assemble together inside the wall and panel.

The 4.5″ computer fan would need to fit snuggly inside the wall plate (right) by removing the back flange (below). A rotary tool works great for this project. Doublecheck which flange you are cutting so the airflow blows out. No fan is needed for the air inlet (same parts less the fan).

Cut your 5″ hole through the wall using a 5.25″ hole saw bit in your drill. If you don’t have such a bit available, use a jig-saw or sawz-all to make the cut.

Measure the distance from the panel to the wall. Add the ear’d connector to the ductwork and slide through hole.

Seal around the duct with silicone and bend the ears over to secure in place.

From the inside, add wall plate for a finished look. Secure plate to wall with screws.

Insert the fan into the wall plate and mount the whole assembly into wall and fasten with screws. Next we added an electrical box next to the fan for an on/off switch. Run the wires from the fan to the electrical box.

Add the Baffles

Mount the 20 watt solar panel so it faces south and receives full sun. Run the wire through the wall of the house and into the electrical box. Operating your fan with a solar panel makes your heating panel/collector more efficient because the fan will slow or stop on cloudy days keeping cold air from circulating into your home.

Finish wiring the switch and screw on the switch plate. Flip the switch and the fan should run if its mostly sunny outside.

Another option would be to replace the switch with a temperature fan controller (below) so it only comes on when the temperature in the panel is 80 degrees or hotter.

We molded a trap door out of a scrap piece of aluminum. The door is light and easily swings open when the fan is activated. When the fan shuts off, the door closes preventing a backdraft which would reverse the air flow and cool air back into the home.

Once the air delivery parts are installed, you should have a very clean, professional look on the inside. Add a filter to the bottom air inlet to stop any dust particles from entering the panel. When you no longer require solar heat, the air inlet at the bottom should be sealed with a plug made of foam or insulation.

Black Paint and Air Mixers

With the air delivery system installed, next is to finish the panel and screw on the glass. First paint the insides black. Use a special high-heat flat black. Black absorbs heat and does not reflect it back.

Once the paint dried, we made air mixers out of scrap pieces of aluminum. As the air flows through the panel, the ridges in the aluminum cause some turbulence for mixing. We stapled the aluminum air mixers to the sides of the baffles and the interior frame.

Glass

Apply weatherstripping to the top of the baffles and interior frame pieces (see above photos). Use a weatherstripping that can resist UV rays. Screw glass to the panel. In the case of our example, the glass simply set into the frame we earlier added. The glass should set tightly to the weatherstripping on the baffles and interior frame pieces so no air can pass over the top of the baffles. Carefully screw glass in place.

Obviously, this solar heating panel is designed to stay fastened to the home. During the months that heat isn’t needed, cover the glass and plug the air inlet and outlet.

Other Designs

A search of the internet will reveal other solar heating panel designs. Shown at the right is another popular design.

The biggest difference between their design and ours is the location of the black absorption plate. Their design uses a black corrugated aluminum absorption plate (difficult to find) and places it over the top of the baffles. The air moves through the baffles underneath the absorption plate. In our tests we found that when the absorption plate is placed over the baffles, it requires much more heat for the panel to work as all the heat has to be drawn from the absorption plate. In our design we retrieve heat both from the absorption plate and the heated air in front of the absorption plate.

One advantage to their design is that the air would not contact the glass and would rarely require cleaning.

Source:

http://www.mobilehomerepair.com/article17solar.htm

Petrosaver: Never Changing Oil Again – Too Good to be True?

As you all know, our family is committed to sustainability and so we are always looking for new ways that we can make changes to our way of life to emit less waste and conserve our natural resources. Our family vehicles include a PT Cruiser and a larger GMC vehicle. Both were purchased at a great price out of financial necessity. In other words, when we needed to purchase these vehicles, we were shopping on price and could not afford to consider hybrid alternatives.

Luckily, my husband’s work is within 5 miles of our house and mine is within 7-8 miles of our house, so our commutes are very minimal, but we still want to consider ways that we can retrofit our cars with devices to increase gas mileage and make them overall more efficient.

In our research about possible retrofits, we came across the Petrosaver. The Petrosaver claims that you’ll not only never change your oil again by installing it on your car, but that the oil in your car will actually become more refined, and it will extend the life of your vehicle. We wondered if this could be too good to be true, so we did our research and actually spoke with Margot Spera, a Petrosaver employee to find out more information.

The Champagne County Michigan Sheriff’s Department installed the Petrosavers on their entire fleet and have seen more than 3,000,000 miles without an oil change. That’s a savings of more then 1,000 oil changes, and 7,000 or more pints of oil.
The Petrosaver, once installed on a vehicle, acts as a bypas filter. This filter scrubs impurities from the oil and extends the life of the oil indefinitely. The filter on the Petrosaver is much finer than what you would find in a standard filter system on any vehicle now in operation, and therefore, it is able to catch and remove many more contaminants than standard in-line filters. The oil is filtered in two stages allowing it to separate out oil and particulate contaminants.

According to greenbigtruck.com, oil is most often contaminated by water, which breaks down its viscosity and lubricity. The other contaminants are generally dirt or metal shavings from the breakdown of the engine. By removing these contaminants from the oil, there is less wear and tear on the moving parts of the engine. Additionally, through use of the Petrosaver, the life of the oil can easily match the life of the vehicle in most instances.

If It Truly Works the Way They Claim, Then Why Don’t We All Have Petrosavers?

When we realized the value of this product and its true potential, we immediately wondered why the Petrosaver wasn’t out for market for regular consumers if it has been around for so long. Spera informed me that PetroSavers have been on the market for consumers  since 1990, almost exclusively in Louisiana.

For the past 20 years, the PetroSaver product has proven validity through local Louisiana customers and independent lab assessments. They have sold over 6,000 units worldwide in the past 15 years and have not had one failure. You would think this would be enough to prove the significance of their invention, but the owners report that they have met with significant resistance in bringing this product to market, because they developed the product as “outsiders” to the auto industry and because they created a product that reduces oil dependency in New Orleans, Louisiana, the heart of oil country.

The Petrosaver creators were received by the auto industry with some measure of hostility because the auto makers have made cars to be somewhat disposable, and according to Spera, they are resistant to utilizing any product that will extend the life of their product by such a significant degree. Petrosavers will introduce a smaller version of the refiner to the general public in 2011.

What Can We Do To Promote the PetroSaver?

So, what can we do to help encourage and support the Petrosaver and to spread the word about this innovation? Spera recommends that we take action at the local level, by showing up at local school board meetings and asking school board officials to start saving taxpayers money and to help the environment by installing Petrosavers on their fleets. We can do the same at city board meetings by encouraging police and fire fleets to be fitted.

Therefore, I am committing to do just that. My city has a meeting on 12/13 at 7:00 p.m. I’ll get the kids an early dinner and show up with literature in hand. Our school board doesn’t meet until January, but that doesn’t mean I can’t get an early jump on spreading the word with a few emails! I’ll keep you all updated with my progress and I hope that you do the same.

I’ll update this site as soon as the Petrosaver is more widely available and as soon as we can get one installed in St. Louis, we will do it and report back on our experience.