LED Lighting Is ECO Friendly

LED lighting offers excellent light quality for both indoor and outdoor uses. It takes 50 incandescent light bulbs or 8 CFL’s to equal the lifespan of 1 LED light bulb. LED light emits 90% less heat than a conventional bulb therefore producing more light than heat and gaining maximum energy efficiency.

An LED light is the bi-product of electricity jumping between two different alloys. This produces a small amount of light and depending upon the alloys, the color is dictated. LED light is truly a solid state light a as there are no gases, no filaments and no moving parts to fatigue.

Environmentally Friendly: They are made from non-toxic materials and can be recycled. No lead mercury, pollution or glare. Long Lifespan: an incandescent has a life of about 1000 hours, a halogen about 2000 hours and an LED can last about 100,000 hours, working for 10 hours a day for more than 13 years.

Significant Operational Savings: Energy & maintenance - saves 50%-80% energy over sodium, mecury & fluorescent bulbes and 90% over incandescent bulbs.

Durable: LEDs are able to withstand extreme temperatures, magnetic environments and there are no moving parts. Save money & energy: As a rule, an LED consumes less than 0.1 watts to operate. No Heat Output: LED's create a very efficient light source as they convert almost all the energy used into light

Energy Savings

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, in the next 20 years, rapid adoption of LED lighting in the U.S. can:

— Reduce electricity demands from lighting by 62%

— Eliminate 258 million metric tons of carbon emissions

— Avoid building 133 new power plants

— Anticipate financial savings that could exceed $115 billion

Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are solid-state lighting components. They have no moving, fragile parts and can last for decades. LEDs can be many times more energy efficient than light bulbs, depending on the application. Just as vacuum tubes in televisions were replaced with solid-state components, the last remaining vacuum tube light bulbs are being replaced by solid-state components.

Imagine a grain of sand that emits a very bright light, usually red, amber, green or blue, depending on the material, when an electrical current is applied. That's essentially an LED. The actual science and manufacturing process to develop an LED is quite complex, but the principle is simple.

The first LEDs for commercial applications were red. They functioned as on/off or indicator lights in electronic devices such as VCRs, calculators, stereo systems and even automobile subsystems. Eventually, LEDs were produced in green and amber as well. The major breakthrough came in 1989 when Cree, Inc. of Durham, NC, started shipping the first commercially viable blue LED, based on silicon carbide. That blue LED enabled white LED-based light. Mixing red, blue and green light produces white light.

Today, a more-efficient and cost-effective white LED light is revolutionizing the lighting world. The white power LED, based on a blue LED chip coated with a phosphor, is bright and efficient enough to be used in general illumination. Fixture manufacturers are making LED-based products for outdoor street, walkway, parking and indoor-down light applications.

The first lighting-class white power LED was introduced in 2006 and followed up with the first lighting-class warm (softer) white power LED in early 2007. LEDs are ready for general-illumination applications, presenting a dramatically enhanced lighting option to save energy and maintenance costs as well eliminate the hazardous-waste issues associated with mercury-containing light bulbs and tubes.

History of Light (& Heat)

The history of man-made light is based on heat. Wax, oil and gas burn to produce light. The filament in an incandescent bulb heats up to produce light. Gas in a fluorescent tube is zapped to illuminate. The basic method is "Heat it up, and it glows."

For more than 120 years, incandescent light bulbs have brightened and literally warmed our lives. Electric-powered bulbs were a major improvement over candle, gas and oil light sources, but they are extremely inefficient. Bulb-based light sources are far better at producing heat than light - up to 90 percent of the power going into a bulb is converted to heat.

Compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) are more efficient, and are an excellent alternative to incandescent bulbs for Edison-socket light fixtures. However, they contain a small amount of mercury, making them hazardous waste when they break or burn out.

In the past 12 months, a new light source has emerged that is sufficiently bright and efficient to be used for general illumination. The light emitting diode, commonly called the LED, uses far less energy and can last many times longer than most bulbs and contains no lead or mercury. Cree, Inc. introduced the first commercially available lighting-class LED in late 2006. Lighting manufacturers are now producing a whole new class of LED lighting products for general illumination.

LEDs are now ready for broad deployment across general lighting applications such as parking garages and lots, streetlights and other outdoor installations. Indoor directional and down light solutions are also becoming available. According to the University of California, Santa Barbara, widespread deployment of LED-based lighting could save $280B in electricity costs in the U.S. alone by 2025.

By committing to LEDs in municipal lighting, cities are making a thoughtful energy choice that will greatly benefit their taxpayers, visitors and the environment.

What Makes a Green Home?

 A green home incorporates smart design, technology, construction and maintenance elements to significantly lessen the negative impact of the home on the environment and improve the health of the people who live inside. No matter your location or living situation, the opportunities for living a greener life at home are limited only by your imagination.

Making your home a greener place is a commitment – to yourself, your family, your community and the world. But more than that, it is a learning process. As exciting new technologies, products and scientific breakthroughs constantly emerge, staying educated on the hows – as well as the whys – of maintaining a green home is the best way to ensure your efforts are as effective and beneficial as possible.

Green Home Defined

A green home uses less energy, water and natural resources, creates less waste and is healthier for the people living inside compared to a standard home. It’s as simple as that!

A home can be built green, or you can make it green later. A green makeover can happen all at once, or it can be a gradual process. But what it all comes down to is a new way of thinking – and a new way of living. From a more energy-efficient kitchen to a tree-filled backyard paradise, your home can be green top to bottom, front to back, inside and out. And it doesn’t matter whether you rent or own, live in an apartment or single-family home, or live in the city, the suburbs or the country.

The Benefits of a Green Home

There are many very real benefits to living in a green home, and every day, more and more Americans are discovering those benefits. Green homes are healthier, more durable and more cost-effective.

Incentives

Beyond the health and environmental benefits of living in a green home, many local and state governments, utility companies and other entities across the country offer rebates, tax breaks and other incentives for adding eco-friendly elements to your life.

Green Homes Check List

Whether you’re a homebuyer or a renter looking for a green home, how do you know if a home is truly green? What should you look for? This checklist will help you identify a truly green home and ensure you get a healthier, high-performance green home that costs less to operate and has fewer environmental impacts:

• Location: New green homes and neighborhoods must not be built on environmentally sensitive sites like prime farmland, wetlands and endangered species habitats. The greenest development sites are “in-fill” properties like former parking lots, rail yards, shopping malls and factories. Look for compact development where the average housing density is at least six units per acre. Your home should also be within easy walking distance of public transportation – like bus lines, light rail, and subway systems – so you can leave your car at home. A green home should also be within walking distance of parks, schools, and stores. See how many errands you can carry out on a bicycle. That’s healthier for you, your wallet, and the environment.
• Size: No matter how many green building elements go into your home, a 5,000-square-foot green home still consumes many more natural resources than a 2,000-square-foot green home. The larger home will also require more heating, air conditioning and lighting. If you really want a sustainable home, choose a smaller size.
• Building Design: The home should be oriented on its site to bring abundant natural daylight into the interior to reduce lighting requirements and to take advantage of any prevailing breezes. Windows, clerestories, skylights, light monitors, light shelves and other strategies should be used to bring daylight to the interior of the house. The exterior should have shading devices (sunshades, canopies, green screens and – best of all – trees), particularly on the southern and western facades and over windows and doors, to block hot summer sun. [t4]Dual-glaze windows reduce heat gain in summer and heat loss during cold winter months. The roof should be a light-colored, heat-reflecting Energy Star roof, or a green (landscaped) roof, to reduce heat absorption.
• Green Building Materials: A green home will have been constructed or renovated with healthy, non-toxic building materials and furnishings, like low- and zero-VOC (volatile organic compound) paints and sealants and non-toxic materials like strawboard for the sub-flooring. Wood-based features should come from rapidly renewable sources like bamboo, but if tropical hardwoods are used, they must be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. A green home uses salvaged materials like kitchen tiles and materials with significant recycled content.
• Insulation: A non-toxic insulation, derived from materials like soybean or cotton, with a high R (heat resistance) factor in a home’s walls and roof will help prevent cool air leakage in the summer and warm air leakage in the winter.
• Windows and Doors: Windows and exterior doors should have ENERGY STAR® ratings, and they should seal their openings tightly to avoid heat gain in summer and heat loss in winter.
• Energy Efficiency: A green home has energy-efficient lighting, heating, cooling and water-heating systems. Appliances should have ENERGY STAR® ratings.
• Renewable Energy: The home should generate some of its own energy with technologies like photovoltaic systems.
• Water Efficiency: A green home has a water-conserving irrigation system and water-efficient kitchen and bathroom fixtures. Look for a rainwater collection and storage system, particularly in drier regions where water is increasingly scarce and expensive.
• Indoor Environmental Quality: Natural daylight should reach at least 75% of the home’s interior. Natural ventilation (via building orientation, operable windows, fans, wind chimneys and other strategies) should bring plentiful fresh air inside the house. The HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system should filter all incoming air and vent stale air outside. The garage should not have any air handling equipment or return ducts, and it should have an exhaust fan.
• Landscaping: Vine-covered green screens, large canopy trees and other landscaping should shade exterior walls, the driveway, patios and other “hardscape” to minimize heat islands. Yards should be landscaped with drought-tolerant plants rather than water-guzzling plants and grass in most regions.

Building the Clean Tech Economy

GreenCitiesFlorida.com

Now is the time to get the funding you need to propel your business or government agency to the next level of energy leadership. The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (a.k.a. the Stimulus Bill) contains over $110 billion for clean energy technogies and green jobs! Technologies such as solar, wind, biofuels, tidal, biogas, and energy efficiency will generate the next wave of economic growth. This market is expected to create 2 million new jobs in the next two years! How can you tap into this? Green Cities™ Florida will teach you how.

Snapshot of Topics Covered at Green Cities™ Florida:

• FL State Rebate Program:
  • PV: $4/watt DC
  • Solar Water Heaters: Residential - $500
  • Non-residential & Multi-family - $15 per 1,000 BTU/day
• Federal Tax Credit: The federal government provides a tax credit of 30% of the value of a solar electric or solar hot water system
• Corporate Tax Credit: $0.01/kWh for solar, wind, biomass, tidal, co-gen, etc.
• Orlando Utilities Commission: $0.03/kWh for solar thermal, $0.05/kWh for PV
• Plus many more federal, state, local, and utility programs to help finance renewable energy and energy efficiency upgrades

Source:  www.DSIREUSA.org (Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency)

Rail Shipping - 1 ton 435 miles on a gallon of fuel

Can a freight train really move a ton of freight 436 miles on a gallon of fuel? 

Yes, and some do even better. The figure used in the rail industry's advertising is a national average.

This question is generated by an advertising campaign by the railroad industry, which is arguing that a good way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is to move more freight by rail rather than by truck. An example of the industry's ads can be seen on the Web site www.freightrailworks.org .

We'll remain neutral in the perpetual competition between the railroad industry and the truckers, about which we'll say more later in this article. But we can vouch for the 436-mile claim. It's the average for all major U.S. railroads for 2007.

Each year the railroads are required to submit reports to the federal Surface Transportation Board, the regulatory body that took over some of the functions of the old Interstate Commerce Commission. The annual reports of each railroad are public information, available on the STB's Web site. Buried amid all the facts about the number of railroad ties replaced, cubic yards of ballast placed and the cost of new locomotives, the railroads also report totals for the number of gallons of diesel fuel consumed and tons of freight moved. The government doesn't tally up those figures anymore, but the Association of American Railroads does. And now, we have done the same.

According to our calculations, which match the AAR's tally exactly, the nation's seven major railroad companies reported the following for 2007:

  * Moving 1,770,545,245,000 ton-miles of freight

  * Consuming 4,062,025,082 gallons of diesel fuel (including freight trains and trains in switching yards, but excluding passenger trains)

The average works out to be 435.88 ton-miles per gallon of fuel.

Some rail lines do better. The Soo Line, which is the U.S. branch of the Canadian Pacific, operating in the upper Midwest, reported moving each ton of freight 517.8 miles per gallon of diesel fuel, on average. Lines operated by the Grand Trunk Corp. reported 510.5 ton-miles per gallon.

The national average figure of 436 miles is the highest on record, according to AAR, and a 3.1 percent increase from the 423-mile figure reached in 2006.

The rail industry says its fuel efficiency has increased by 85 percent since 1980. It attributes that to factors that include using new and more efficient locomotives, training engineers to conserve fuel, using computers to assemble trains more efficiently in the yard and to plan trips more efficiently to avoid congestion, and reducing the amount of time engines are idling.

Remember freight trains are most efficient at transporting large loads over longer distances and commuter rail can more efficiently transport people and is a much more environment friendly mode of travel.

It may sound unbelievable, but a freight train can really move a ton of freight 436 miles on a single gallon of fuel, making rail the most environmentally friendly form of ground transportation in America.

Using innovative technology, our railroads have improved the efficiency of their locomotives and built lighter trains. Freight rail has increased its fuel efficiency by 85 percent in the last 25 years- saving more than 48 billion gallons of fuel - all while maintaining our standing as the safest, cleanest, healthiest, most environmentally sound rail system in the world.

We also are committed to moving the products that Americans use every day in an environmentally sound and sensitive manner. Our clients and the communities we serve expect us to be clean and green because a healthy, expanding economy and environmental responsibility go hand in hand.

Railroads move 43 percent of the nation’s freight and are the “greenest,” most fuel-efficient form of ground transportation today. We have the numbers to prove it:

• A freight train can move a ton of freight an average of 436 miles on a single gallon of fuel. That’s almost four times as far as it could move by truck.
  
• A train can take the load of 280 trucks off the road. That’s like removing 1,100 cars from the road.
• Each ton-mile of freight moved by rail rather than highway reduces greenhouse gas emissions by two-thirds or more.
• Freight trains are almost four times more fuel-efficient than trucks.
• If only ten percent of freight currently moved by highway switched to rail, national fuel savings would exceed one billion gallons of fuel a year and
  greenhouse gas emissions would fall by 12 million tons.
• Freight railroads have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by almost 40 tons every year since 1980. Today, freight rail accounts for less than 1
  percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

Starting Monday, 700 elementary and secondary schools will take part in the first National Green Week as teachers infuse "green" living lessons into their classes. Students at most of the schools will shun disposable snack containers for the week and opt for reusable ones to reduce waste.

Organizers of National Green Week tout the project as a free way to forge environmentally sustainable habits in a rising generation. They say the immediate steps children take to relieve pressure on the planet's resources are apt to influence how others live.

"We're trying to teach the kids that parents' behaviors can change to be more green," says Victoria Waters, president of the Green Education Foundation, which is organizing National Green Week.

Critics, however, say activists and educators are going too far in trying to shape how families live. Next week's initiatives add up to pressuring children to practice "an environmental religion," says Angela Logomasini, director of risk and environmental policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a free-market advocacy organization in Washington, D.C.

"Let the parents teach the kids the values and the lifestyles, particularly since there is debate about whether these types of behaviors matter all that much," Logomasini says. The USA isn't running out of landfill space, she says, and parents may depend on the convenience and sanitary quality of disposable containers.

"If (a child) is going to be ostracized for legitimate choices that people can make in a free world, that's not right," Logomasini says.

Striking a balance

Educators in pockets around the country have woven environmental lessons into school experiences. Elementary students in Virginia Beach have begun recycling paper in classrooms. Children in Loveland, Ohio, tend vegetable gardens. In these programs and others, students practice conservationist behaviors at school, though they're not necessarily expected to repeat them at home.

Encouraging greener behaviors among students' families marks a new level of engagement, says Tracy Fredin, director of the Center for Global Environmental Education at Hamline University in St. Paul. In his view, it's a commendable step that requires a delicate touch.

"Anytime you're asking people to change behavior, you run the risk of offending people because no one likes to be told what to do," Fredin says. Education in conservation represents an attempt at "trying to balance individual freedom with the good of society."

Most principals support efforts to help children and their families lead greener lives, says Nancy Davenport, president of the National Association of Elementary School Principals. "I think everybody believes it's the right thing to do," Davenport says. "It's just a matter of finding the program or the time and making the effort to bring the awareness to the school."

Spreading the word to parents

Next week, students will explore how they and their neighbors might shrink their waste and carbon footprints. Fourth-graders may discuss how driving less and walking more can lead to improved air quality. Middle-schoolers will have an option to lobby local businesses to recycle their electronics. High-schoolers may tackle the project of reducing junk mail at home or learn how to identify eco-friendly consumer goods.

Sixth-grader Dane Ford-Roshon of Skyway Elementary School in Colorado Springs has high hopes for next week. He says he and his classmates can cut snack waste from 5 pounds a day to less than 1, largely by eliminating disposable pudding cups and plastic bags.

"I hope the kids will go and tell their parents," Dane says. "And then the parents will go recycle and use reusable containers at work, and then their work might get involved, and it will spread to a much larger area."

As environmental education evolves, experts say, it's important to frame greener habits outside school as options to consider. Children then learn to make personal choices informed by science, says Karen Hollweg, president of the North American Association for Environmental Education.

"Just picking an answer and advocating for it and teaching that as the right way to do things doesn't really serve our society well in the long run," says Hollweg, an environmental education consultant in Boulder, Colo. "What's most important for the educational process is to provide students with experiences (and) to engage them in the questioning, analysis and interpretation of data that enables them to look at consequences of specific choices."

Boston PR Firm's "Green House" Debunks Myths of Sustainable Living

Cercone Brown & Co., a Boston PR firm, aims to debunk green living stereotypes through a new marketing program, the Green House. Top editors from across the nation will live in a completely eco-friendly home and participate in activities that foster an authentic and natural experience with green brands and products.

(PRWEB) May 1, 2009 -- When it comes to constructing or converting a home for "green living", the common perception is that it's expensive, inconvenient, and only for those who can afford the luxury of being eco-friendly.

However, one Boston PR agency, Cercone Brown & Co., aims to debunk these green stereotypes through a new program, the Green House. This May, just outside Burlington, Vt., Cercone Brown & Co. will immerse a Who's Who of traditional and interactive press into a completely green-living environment.

The Green House is entirely eco-friendly, from energy efficiency and independence to the smallest details in its furnishings, fabrics and food. However, guests living this completely sustainable lifestyle will find the experience -- from accommodations to travel to entertainment -- not only affordable, but unexpectedly comfortable and convenient.

"The purpose of the Green House isn't to try to convert folks to completely green living, but rather demonstrate that there are many often ingenious products and approaches that can make a big difference in the health of the planet and your finances," said Emily McCavanagh, new business director, Cercone Brown & Co.

The House is expected to host 20 top consumer, green and business editors. While there, editors won't just look, they'll be encouraged to touch, taste and test brands in a living laboratory of the latest ecologically inspired products. Activities will include test-driving the new Honda Insight hybrid, taste-testing Green Mountain Coffee, and jogging in New Balance's latest Earth-friendly shoes. Editors will also give back to their home-away-from-home by participating in a community service garden project to aid local families in need.

While PR teams from each company are encouraged to attend, the Green House honors a strict "no pitch" zone, instead endorsing genuine interactions with editors. This system ensures that Green House attendees have the best products of 2009/2010 at their disposal; no boundaries, no time constraints, no distractions.

The Green House: Vermont Living for the 21st Century
The Cercone Brown & Co. Green House is a "net zero" home, meaning it is intended to produce as much energy as it uses over the course of the year. Environmental features include geo-thermal heating, radiant concrete floors, triple pane windows, super insulated walls and roofs, active PV solar panels and significant south facing glass, which provides solar gain and great views down the valley.

Owned by the Vermont Building Resources and the Russell Family Farm, the Green House is certified by the Vermont Builds Green (VBS) program. The house is located on a 24-acre farm parcel with 14 acres set aside for continued farming.

The Green House concept is an outgrowth of Cercone Brown's successful Summer House/Winter House programs (now in the fourth year) hosted in Nantucket, Mass. and Park City, Utah, respectively. Participating companies have included such leading brands as Subaru, Oakley, Vineyard Vines, Wente Vineyards, Baskin-Robbins, Zone Perfect, Seventh Generation, Nordic Track and many more. For information on attending or exhibiting in any of Cercone Brown & Co's Houses, contact Noelle Guerin at 617-248-0680 x21 or nguerin @ cerconebrown.com.

About Cercone Brown & Co.
Located in Boston, Massachusetts, Cercone Brown & Co. (CBC) provides branding, advertising, public relations and promotions services to companies in a range of industries. Founded in 2001, the company has worked with leading brands that include adidas, GMAC Insurance, Hasbro, Nantucket Nectars, Orvis, Cognos, Sperry Top-Sider, K2, The Timberland Company, Vibram and ZOOTS. For more information, visit www.cerconebrown.com.

 Go to the following links to get your ECO Friendly Products

http://www.25000milemotoroil.com

http://www.bravolight.com

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