Each summer, I visit the Chequamagon National Forest in Wisconsin. An amazingly beautiful and lush forest, this place is my sanctuary. I stay at a low-key resort, in a cabin overlooking Lake Namekagon. Its a breath of fresh air – quite literally – to spend two weeks each year at this place, away from bustling streets and busy people. Its like a different world.

Or, at least, it was. I had a very different experience this past July. Upon entering our cabin, my fiance and I were greeted by a large television, equipped with Direct TV. Dont get me wrong: Im a TV-lover, through and through. There was, however, something strange about having to look around the television to see the lake.

We overlooked this; after all, we dont own the cabin. Some resort-goers might crave 500 channels before they crave hiking and fishing. Convinced that the TV (both the sight of it and the temptation to watch it) would put a damper on things, we went out on the water.

As I started the old, rented pontoon boat, something occured to me. We were no better than the TLC, MTV, and MSNBC addicts. Yes, our boat was used for the enjoyment of the outdoors; however, it left a muddy, green wake behind it. Yes, we came to the resort to get away from everyday conveniences and to surround ourselves with nature, but we were staying in a cabin – not a tent or a sleeping bag. We cooked our breakfast every morning on a fairly modern stove, we drank coffee made in a Bunn coffeemaker, and we turned on the electric heat if the cabin got too cold. It turns out we werent roughing it; we were faking it.

Since this realization, Ive been troubled. I dont understand where our appreciation for nature went. I dont understand how misguided travelers – myself included – consider themselves to be experiencing nature, when really all were doing is glancing at it between commercials. Granted, everyone experiences nature in a different way. For some, glancing at it through a window – or on a TV screen – might be enough.

Im concerned, though, that by accepting this as a legitimate way to experience nature, we are missing something. Or, perhaps, we are missing everything. On a basic level, there is something satisfying about feeling a different kind of air on your skin, and about feeling the crunch of leaves and dirt beneath your feet. Where city lights dont corrupt the night sky, we can see stars in a new way, and the level of darkness is foreign and exciting.

There more to this simple human/nature combination than deep satisfaction, though. There is a danger present in the ways we currently explore nature. It is common for travelers to hop on boats, jetskis, waverunners, or ATVs to travel through lakes and forests. In these cases, vacationgoers are experiencing nature – while leaving a trail of pollution behind.

And what about our cabin? Built in the middle of the forest, trees had to be removed in order for the resort to exist. There is an inherent disconnect, here: the resort was designed to house nature-loving travelers who want to see the forests natural beauty, and yet in order for the resort to exist, some of the forest had to be cut down. Instead of experiencing untouched and unscathed nature, vacationers are experiencing a forest marred by human interference.

This is the way with us. We, whether intentionally or accidentally, cant help but tinker with nature in its natural forms. Even when we attempt to truly experience it, we are also hindering it. So, we must consider some simple pieces of advice if we wish….(read the full article at the link below)

Are you tired of vigorous and regular dusting of your home? Are you allergic to dust particles or do you or your loved ones suffer with asthma? Do you want a clean home environment free from microbes? If your answer to any of these questions is yes, its time to buy an air purifier.

What are air purifiers?

Air purifiers are electronic devices aimed at cleaning the air surrounding you from contaminators and microbe particles. There are various types of air purifiers available in the market according to your diverse needs.

So, why do you need an air purifier?

It is ok to think that you should have an air purifier at home. But that thought alone is not enough. You should know why exactly you need an air purifier.

In fact there could be several reasons why you need an air purifier. The prominent one is cleaning the surrounding air from microbes. The majority of people buy air purifiers because they want a germ-free environment at home. These microbes include bacteria, germs, viruses and mold spores. You can buy an air purifier to cleanse your air and maintain a germ-free environment at home.

Allergens can be another reason why you would need an air purifier. People who are prone to allergic reactions like asthmatics want to stay free from certain allergens. These people specifically want a dust-free, a pollen-free and a dander-free environment at home.

You can buy an air purifier to clean the air from unpleasant odors. Domestic odors generally include stale cigarette smoke, cooking smells, litter boxes and body sprays. Even your pets sometimes produce unwanted smells. You might want to get rid of these odors at once.

Air purifiers will also clean the air leaving it free from gases and chemical fumes. These include formaldehyde, benzene, nail treatment products, cigarette smoke and much more.

Which Air Purifier?

There are different types of air purifiers available in the market. Each type works in its own unique way and is used for the different purposes. Let us take a look at what are the different types of air purifiers available on the market.

HEPA Filter Air Purifiers

HEPA Filters are capable of trapping 99.9% of particles, of at least 0.3 micron in size, from the air around you. These filters use a cloth type filter and are highly effective in clearing almost 100 percent of the harmful particles found in the room air. These purifiers come with an added benefit of replaceable filters.

HEPA Filters last a long time, depending upon the severity of air contamination in your home. These purifiers, however, have one basic flaw. They make some noise and most people prefer silent air purifiers. However, these filters are highly effective and efficient in freeing the air around you of allergens. There are certain advantages to buying this air purifier. It is very effective in trapping allergens. Once trapped, the allergens cannot be released back in the air again.

HEPA Filters do have certain disadvantages; they are not useful for removing chemical fumes, gases or odors from the air at all.

Ozone Air Purifiers

Ozone Air Purifiers make use of ozone gas. Ozone is a highly reactive oxidant. It is capable of destroying certain bacteria and chemicals from the air.

The ozone gas works in a highly controversial way. The ozone gas reacts with air to break the substances present in the air into further pollutants. This can be ascertained as one disadvantage of using these air purifiers. Nevertheless, Ozone Purifiers remains highly effective in ridding the air of unpleasant odors.

Carbon Air Purifiers

Carbon Air Purifiers are used mainly for removing from the air chemicals, smoke and gases. They consist of a system of pores which are tiny in size. These pores readily absorb the chemicals and gases from the air, as they are made up of carbon. They react with carbon and bond with it and get trapped.

Ionic Air Purifiers

Ionic Purifiers work in a unique way. They come with two plates, each having an opposite charge of the other. The air particles with either of the charge get attracted to the plates and they are led out of the house. This process is known as ionizing the air. These purifiers are highly effective in removing fine particles from anywhere in the room.

Ultraviolet Light Air Purifiers

Ultraviolet Light Purifiers are highly effective against the microbes present in the air surrounding you. These consist of ultraviolet lamps which sterilize the micro-organisms such as bacteria and virus. As a result, the microbes are not able to grow and reproduce any longer in the air. These air purifiers are highly effective against disease-causing microbes.

If one person can change things to reduce their Carbon Footprint and make a positive difference on the environment, imagine the difference a whole office can make.

The things we do in our everyday lives have a huge impact on our environment. Whether we realise it not, everyday, we are adding to the problem of global warming.

The idea of this article is to offer some tips which can help you reduce your office carbon footprint and help the environment by not adding to the global warming issue.

Did you really need to print that?

Whose turn is it to water the plant?

Talking about trees and oxygen, by having a plant or two in your office, you are infact helping your office environment.

Imagine all those systems running in your office; computer, fax, printers, photocopiers and scanners, all these things make the air too dry, so by having plants in your office, you are infact increasing the humidity in the air.

Printer cartridge has run out again

So what do you do when the printer is ready for a refill? Infact, the question should be, what do you do with the empty cartridge?

In the last 10 years, 250 million print cartridges have ended up in either landfill sites or have been incinerated. It would take 1000 years for one cartridge to biodegrade.

With the amount of cartridges thrown away, if laid out, they would stretch across the radius of the moon!

There is now no excuse for anyone to throw an empty cartridge in the bin. More often than not, when you open the box of a new cartridge, there is a bag supplied for you to recycle the old one. All you need to do is put the empty cartridge in the bag and post it off for recycling.

Did you turn off your computer before you left?

Leaving your computer switched on, leaving the lights on, leaving the windows open and leaving office equipment on standby all burn up unnecessary energy.

All computers come with a power saving device, so there is no excuse to leave your computer on standby when you leave work for the day.

By changing your office equipment to power down systems, you are making massive savings to the energy we waste everyday.

You can also change your light bulbs to energy saving light bulbs. Compact fluorescent light bulbs will greatly help you reduce the amount of energy you use in your office on a daily basis.

Did you know that by leaving a window open overnight; you are wasting enough energy to drive a small car for 35 miles?

It isnt necessary to leave windows open or lights on in an office overnight, or over a weekend for that matter. So makes sure the lights are off, the equipment is off and no windows are left open when you leave your office.

Whose turn is it to do the stationary order?

Did you know, in the UK we throw out enough rubbish every 2 hours to fill up the Albert Hall?

There is now a wide range of products that we can buy that come from recycling, so it isnt always necessary to buy brand new products that have not been recycled.

Next time you are flicking through the stationary catalogue, watch out for products that you can buy that have been recycled. Buying recycled office stationary and equipment helps reduce the amount of rubbish we need to throw away, which means less rubbish ends up in landfills.

So there you have it. A few tips to help you help your environment which gives you an environmentally friendly office.

To repair or replace? That is the question, particularly when it comes to your air-conditioning system. Since newer systems are more energy efficient, it sometimes makes more sense to replace a system rather than spend money on costly repairs. Industry averages suggest an air conditioner should last 12 to 15 years, as long as you have a qualified technician perform regular preventative maintenance and service.

When a system is young, it may be cost-effective to make simple repairs that can prolong the life of the system. However, replacing a system may be the best solution for the bigger problems that can result from an older system. In either case, comparing the price of repairs to replacement fees may help you decide what to do.

Consider Energy Costs

As you make your comparison, consider energy costs. Today’s new air-conditioning systems are as much as 60 percent more efficient than systems manufactured 10 years ago. So if you are concerned about utility bills and are faced with an expensive repair, you may want to look at the energy savings a new system offers.

The nature of the repair is also important. Repairs that require the replacement of system components may result in a mismatched system. Components that do not match can decrease system efficiency, compromise your comfort and shorten the lifespan of the compressor.

Two-Stage Cooling

Speaking of comfort, if repairs to an immediate problem will not address ongoing comfort issues, such as cold spots in your home, drafts, humidity issues or air quality concerns, it may be a good time to consider a new system. Today’s systems offer a variety of new features, including two-stage cooling, humidifiers and ultraviolet lights, that are designed to increase comfort and improve indoor air quality.

As you make the decision to repair or replace, rely on the exper-tise of a qualified contractor, who is licensed to maintain and service your system. If replacing your system seems appropriate, he or she can explain the importance of efficiency and sound ratings, load calculations, comfort features and warranties, as you select a new system.

When you’re ready to install a new system, consider the benefits of a new energy-efficient air conditioner or heat pump system such as the Acclimate™ Series from Luxaire Heating and Air Conditioning. Luxaire products are marketed by the Unitary Products Group of York, a Johnson Controls Company.

Wood Pellet vs Corn Stoves: The choice may be out of your hands

The most popular alternatives for whole house or supplemental heating are corn and wood pellet fueled stoves. These appliances are easy to operate and the initial capital outlay is significantly less than solar, wind or geothermal systems.

A vital question to ask before you start evaluating the merits of pellet vs corn stoves should be: “Which fuel, corn or wood pellets, is the most readily available in my locale and therefore the cheapest to burn?”

For instance, in Massachusetts corn for fuel is virtually non-existent. The closest Agway store I contacted (3/2/06) had only eleven, 50 pound bags in stock at aprice of $9 each or $360 a ton.

Over the course of a New England heating season, a stove will consume 3 tons of fuel. If you compare this to $260 a ton for wood pellets from a well stocked Connecticut supplier, the wood pellet stove becomes your only choice.

Likewise, if you live in Iowa, why would you buy a wood pellet stove?

In some regions of the country, such as Wisconsin and Minnesota there is usually an abundance of wood pellets and corn. The obvious benefit is the ability to switch between fuels when one of them becomes scarce.

A perfect example is this year’s wood pellet shortage. Do you think Wisconsin pellet stove owners had to think real hard about where to get corn?

However, Nancy Koval, owner of Woodburning Warehouse in Watervliet, New York, warns that when burning corn in a wood pellet stove it is best to use a50/50 mixture of wood pellets and corn.

The problem is clinkers. When corn is burned it leaves behind a substance from the sugars it contains that when cooled is very hard and stays in the burner. The clinkers must be regularly cleaned out of the stove. Some special corn stoves are designed to automatically clear clinkers, Koval said.

Wood pellet and corn stoves have much in common. They are comparably priced at around $2000 for a unit large enough to heat 1200-1500 square feet, and share an efficiency rating of approximately 80%. Corn and wood pellets also produce an equal amount of heat per pound of fuel.

Please note: Since most house layouts do not allow the free movement of air through the house, a centrally located stove will not heat the whole house. If your home doesn’t have an open floor plan, size the stove to heat the room where the stove is located.

Both types of stoves require electricity to run fans, controls, and the auger that feeds corn or wood pellets into the stove’s firebox. Under normal usage, they consume about 100 kilowatt-hours (kWh) or about $9 worth of electricity per month. Unless the stove has a back-up power supply, the loss of electric power results in no heat and possibly some smoke in the house.

In addition to weekly ash disposal, both corn and wood pellet stoves have an annual maintenance regimen that must be followed to ensure your stove continues to operate as efficiently as the day you bought it.

The storage of corn, as opposed to wood pellets, can be problematic. Owners of corn burning systems who store corn inside their homes need to use tight storage containers, clean up corn spills immediately, and avoid storing corn for long periods of time to prevent problems with rodents and stored grain insects.

A third option to consider is a multi-fuel stove. Typically they are advertised as corn stoves that also burn wood pellets or vice versa.

A stove popular with consumers that burns corn and also wood pellets is the Dansons Group Cheap Charlie Model HCCC2GD corn burning stove.