Most Popular
1500 questions
7
votes
1 answer
Environmental impact of using paper towels for hand drying
At work, I have noticed a staggering level of paper towel usage and it's disheartening to see it getting wasted, even though hand dryers are installed in all rest rooms. I plan to propose reducing the paper towel consumption in our office.
I have…
Frank Donald
- 173
- 7
7
votes
1 answer
How much gas does it take to heat water from 15 to 60 degrees C?
There's a great answer about heating water with electricity, where anyone can easily get an idea how much would it cost to heat water just by applying one's price for kWh.
I'm looking for the same calculation, but for gas.
EDIT: My gas is billed…
MaratC
- 171
- 1
- 3
7
votes
3 answers
One single person's equal share in the world's resources
This question has been intriguing me quite some time. While regulating my own consumption of the world's resources, I keep on wondering:
With the current world population, what would be each single person's share of the global resources, if they…
zwiebel
- 173
- 5
7
votes
6 answers
Is fleece clothing a cheap and sustainable alternative to conventional cotton?
I was wondering whether fleece clothing is a good, cheap and above all sustainable alternative to conventional cotton, which uses a lot of pesticides and takes a lot of water to grow.
The other sustainable alternatives, ranging from organic cotton…
Ben
- 171
- 4
7
votes
3 answers
Is it better to dispose of food scraps with a garbage disposal unit or into the garbage?
Obviously it is best to compost food scraps, but that is not always an option.
A recent ABC news article claimed that food scraps were contributing to 'fatbergs' in Brisbane's sewage system. I've heard of wet wipes being a huge problem, and oils…
curiousdannii
- 171
- 4
7
votes
1 answer
What has been the greenhouse gas impact of shutting down Japanese nuclear power plants post-Fukushima?
Japan shut down virtually all nuclear power plants after the March 11, 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear power plant accident.
What has been the greenhouse gas impact of this decision? Have people merely consumed less power, or have other forms…
Golden Cuy
- 821
- 4
- 18
7
votes
2 answers
Is using vegetable oil for electricity generation more efficient than burning whole plants?
This question is based on the premise that using "cheap" biofuel in a diesel engine to power a generator (and not using batteries) is better than the alternatives. My understanding is that if you must grow crops to generate electricity that burning…
Móż
- 3,914
- 1
- 17
- 38
7
votes
3 answers
Is "renewable" a proper term for both solar and hydro power?
The common definition for renewable energy sources includes at least:
Wind
Solar
Biofuels
Hydro
Geo-thermal
However, the common definition of renewable makes this grouping a bit awkward. Webster says:
renewable, adjective: capable of being…
LShaver
- 11,885
- 6
- 30
- 81
7
votes
4 answers
How to reduce humidity in the home?
During the winter, I often get high humidity in the home. Especially with multiple people living here, and cooking, or having showers etc.
This leads to condensation on the windows, and moisture on other surfaces, and maybe mould growing.
So how to…
vclaw
- 413
- 1
- 3
- 11
7
votes
1 answer
How are readings from the wind sensors mounted on wind turbines influenced by the blades' wakes?
Utility-scale wind turbines have various sensors mounted on the nacelle, to ensure the power generation is optimised.
How are readings from the wind sensors mounted on wind turbines influenced by the blades' wakes?
And what sort of compensation is…
410 gone
- 14,714
- 6
- 41
- 95
7
votes
2 answers
Should I use matches or a refillable lighter?
To light my gas stove, I use either a cheap butane lighter or small sulphur matches. The lighter is refillable and made of plastic, and the matches are made of wood and come in small cardboard boxes. I compost the used matches.
Is there much of a…
stragu
- 3,292
- 1
- 16
- 33
7
votes
1 answer
Is there any harm in not sorting biowaste?
I mix biowaste with mixed waste (ends up to a landfill). In my household the amount of produced biowaste is minimal, mostly consisting of leftover pasta and fruit & vegetable peels. Will I cause harm to the environment by not sorting biowaste?
user3719
7
votes
2 answers
What are the incentives for energy companies promoting energy efficiency?
My hydro (electricity) bills always contain helpful hints on conserving energy: do laundry runs in the wee hours, favor LED over incandescent bulbs, etc.
I'm sure many at the big-energy corporate offices actually care about the environment,…
Dirty Penguin
- 173
- 4
7
votes
2 answers
Anything similar to GravityLight that can be readily purchased?
Ever since it was first mentioned in a popular news site, I've always been interested in GravityLight. But I've never been able to go to a store or a site and just buy it.
Is there anything vaguely similar to the technology of GravityLight that's…
rbhat
- 331
- 1
- 2
- 8
7
votes
1 answer
How "clean" is this Ohio State clean coal technology?
Much is being made of the clean coal breakthrough announced at Ohio State this week. The effort utilizes an innovative process called "chemical looping."
Typical coal-fired power plants burn coal to heat water to make steam, which turns the…
samthebrand
- 175
- 5