Energy, reduce our consumption – green tips!

Read each month Vinciane’s green tips & let’s act more then ever!

Vinciane is regularly dropping messages on Arctic05‘ Forum. With her own ways of saying, she wants to attract ones attention on more nature respect & gives tips on how to reach this goal. By reading her last message on the importance of water, I thaught it could be of interest to share with you her feelings on this matter. For this reason, each month, Vinciane will share with us a subject related to our environment…where one could improve his “green attitude”. Her first one is about « Energy, reduce your consumption». If you wish to drop too your polar messages, express a growl, your green solutions, … or react to other messages, feel free to go on Arctic05 Forum – GO >> 

” There are enough reserves in the whole world to satisfy the needs of all the men, but not enough to appease its greed ” Ghandi

Fossil fuels appeared a long time ago … oil, natural gas and coal resulting from the decomposition of the plants and animals were stored in the basement of the ground. Did you know that oil appeared 250 millions years ago could disappear in less than 60 years ? 65 years for the natural gas, 80 years for uranium and 250 years for the coal.

We can’t speak about energies without speaking Co2 already present in the atmosphere and that contributes to the green house gases, usefull to keep the Earth warm enough to support life.  Unfortunately, human activities are contributing to global warming by adding excessive amounts of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere thanks to cars, industry, heating, electricity… The more gases we produce, the more the Earth is warming. Do you know that Belgium is one of the most oil consumer in Europe with 5 tons of gas for each Belgian a year ?

But what can we do in practice ? We have to economize on heating, try to use renewable energies and act to limit problems without give up our comfort and technology. 

But what means ” alternative energies ” ? In opposition with fossil fuels which reject gases during combustion, alternative energies produced by the sun, the wind and water are 100% natural, free and inexhaustible.

Solar energy is the oldest one and produce electricity thanks to photovoltaic tiles or warm water with solar panels. Using a solar-fired heater can produce from 30 to 80% of your warm water and is better than nuclear energy, except about the costs but as we say, solar power provides long term benefits.

Do you know every 3 years is organized the ” World Solars Challenge ” ,where incredible solar cars try to cover a distance of 3000 kilometers in the Australian desert at the speed of 100 kilometers hour. A good idea for a one day without car in Brussels !

Another alternative energy is hydrolic power  ( 17% of the world production ) that use the power of water to produce electricity. In Ireland they already generates hydrolic power thanks to a kind of underwater windmill . The hydrolic power depends on the flow of the water which remains generally the same except in periodes of low or rising water level. In Belgium, our main hydroelectric power stations are located in Bütgenbach, Bévercé and Stavelot. The advantage of a hydroelectric power station is that the reserves can be stored and used at any time.

The third alternative energy  – Since a long time ago, people built windmills to grind corn or pump water . Thanks to wind’s energy we can generate electricity but don’t forget that the wind speed must absolutely exceed  15 kilometers hours to start.  
In Belgium our 10 windmills parks are provides electricity for about 120.000 family but it is nothing compared to our Danish neighbours. Notes that in Sweden, on the Gotland’s island they only decided to give up fossil fuels by using renewable energies. An excellent initiative !

For those who don’t have any solar fired heater, solar panels … solutions for protecting our environment and to make energy saving exists thanks to green tips :

1. Try to use the light and heat of the sun and replace regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs that consume 4 times less energy and last 10 times longer. By removing dust on your light bulbs, you’ll gain a 40% brightness. Try to avoid halogen lights that consumes too much energy. For example, halogen lights consumes the same quantity of energy than 23 regular light bulbs. Save your electricity by turning your lights off when you leave a room. Stop ” stand-by ”  modes of your electrical equipment and turn off your phone, thoothbrush chargers or for your shaver. A television on ” stand by ” consumes more electricity than a 3 hours normal using. Incredible !

2. In general, try to use low-energy consumption materials ( a class A or B is equal to 40% economy ). Pay attention by choosing the place of your electrical equipment : try to avoid direct contact with the sun, moisture and heat sources. For example, don’t put an electric cast-iron plate near a fridge. Act in a preventive way by removing the dust, and by cleaning regularly all of your materials. Pay attention to your fridge door seal ( 20% consumption ) – do you know your electricity consumption will double with a 4milimeters thickness of ice on your deepfreeze. It is easy to divide your electricity consumption by 4 : defreeze your frozen dishes the day before and never put hot plates in your fridge.

4. Another tip for the cook, try to always cook by putting lids on pans and frying pan. Did you know that electric cat-iron plates are still heating 15 minutes after having stopped it ? Organize yourself and good appetite :-)))

5. Other green tips : turn on your washing machine and dishwasher when these are full load and takes advantage of night charges. Another green tip : prefer to use the clothes line compared to the 15 % electric dryer’s consumption. Let’s have a break before green tips for heating consumption … Ready ?

6. Let’s go = one of the most important green tips is to pay attention to insulation to walls, doors, windows and roof. Do you know that if each person try to isolate correctly we’ ll reduce our Co2 discharges from 22 to 35% ? Try to use double paned windows ( 10% economy ), the cheapest way to conserve heating is buying a such plastic ” double plane windows ” in department stores – really effective. Don’ t cover your heating with curtains or wet clothing, it decreases its capacity. Close your curtains, blinds and shutters during the night and simply decrease your heating by only 1 degree for a saving 7% energy ? Don’t worry = If you are sensitive to the cold slip on a pullover :-))).

7. Regulate your heating’s temperatures according to parts of your house. For example, for the livingroom and the kitchen temperatures does exceed 19 or 20°C and 18°C for the bedroom. Maintain your boiler correctly and don’t forget to air your house or apartment even in winter. And last but no least : turn down your heating when you leave your house and turn it completely off if you’ll be absent for several days or week.

Have a good reading – Vinciane