11.12.07
Shamless Self-Promotion
At times every successful person will be required to do some Self-Promotion. This self-promotion may be part of the reason for their success. Since I don’t feel as if I’m a success at my web writing, I suppose it may be time to do some Shameless Self-Promotion by posting links to some of the other where I spend my time.
1) Technology Tips for Small Business. This was my first venture on the internet and the one for which I’m most proud and think is most important. It’s a series of posts that will help assist the small business owner to better understand the technology they use everyday. From this I published the book Technology Tips for Small Business. There is also a companion site dealing with TechTips for SMBs.
2) Yesterday’s Coffee – Reflections On Yesterday. This could be considered a sister site to 6 Things to Consider. On it I will post a couple of times a week my thoughts and opinions about something that has happened in the recent past, usually the Yesterday of the day when it’s posted. On this one I try to make each and every post meaningful, not just a rehash of things that happened.
3) Delmarva Town Crier. I reside on the Delmarva Peninsula and at times it seems as if the news of the peninsula doesn’t get around the region very much. The purpose of this is to try to pass information along, although for the past month or so the only posts have been for weekend events. As time goes by there will be more Delmarva News posted. Along with this I have put together a Forum for people to discuss Delmarva, Delmarva Talk.
4) ShoreToBeFun.com. ShoreToBeFun.com is a website devoted to the Delmarva Peninsula. This sites relates the History, the Heritage and the Events of the Peninsula.
Delmarva Gifts. This is an online store that works in conjunction with ShoreToBeFun.com for unique gifts related to the area. There are designs that are on hats, T-Shirts and other items related to each of the Counties that make up the Delmarva Peninsula as well for each of the incorporated towns. There is also the chance for people to request those designs to be changed to relate to their hometown on the peninsula.
5) MoreThanSwitchingOffTheLights.com. My foray into the Environmental movement. The site gives information and reports on ways to help save and conserve energy. Saving and Conserving Energy will not only assist in saving the environment, but it can also save money.
6) StevenGAtkinson.net. My personal website that can direct you to any of the above locations and any others that I have but I did not promote on this page. Also in the works is a second website for the Delmarva Peninsula to be called Delmarva Island.
11.09.07
The Boston Fire of 1872
1) Over the course of history many cities have experience a ‘Great Fire’ the destroyed a big portion of the city. On the 9th of November in 1872, the City of Boston experience a ‘Great Fire’.
2) The fire which started in a warehouse in the commercial district began a little after 7 in the evening and burnt the entire night when it was finally contained 12 hours after it began.
3) The fire consumed 65 acres of Boston’s downtown, destroying 776 building, much of the financial district was in these buildings. The exact lost of life is unknown, but at least 30 persons are known to have died as a result of the fire.
4) An article from the Boston Morning Journal written a year after the fire said: “Full twenty-four hours it raged before the end could be seen. About 650 buildings were destroyed. Of those two were churches belonging to the Episcopal denomination, sixty-eight were dwelling and logging houses, and the remainder were devoted solely to business. Nearly a thousand business firms were numbered among the sufferers. The estimate of the value of the buildings destroyed was places at thirteen millions and a half and the loss of merchandise at sixty millions, a total of about one-tenth of the valuation of the city.”
5) The people of Boston rose to the challenge and by the end of 1873 about 450 new buildings had been erected with 1/3 of the stores occupied and indications that others will re-occupy the area during 1874.
6) John Damrell was Boston’s Fire Chief during the fire and he is given much of the credit for stopping the fires. However it is what he did later to assist in the lobbying for an adoption of a unified national building code, for which he is better known.
10.06.07
Plastic Bags
1. Each year more than 380 billion plastic shopping bags are produced just for use in the United States.
2. Less than 35% of these bags are recycled. The rest will be thrown away, either to pollute the landscape on put in landfills.
3. Plastic bags are generally made from polyethylene and will take over 1,000 years to biodegrade in landfills. During this time they will emit harmful gases.
4. It’s easy to reduce the use of plastic bag, take a cloth bag or one made from plant-based materials to use each time you go to the store.
5. Chemicals commonly used by the plastic industry [propylene, phenol, ethylene, polystyrene, and benzene] are ranked as the chemicals that generate the most hazardous waste.
6. Countries that have banned or taken action to discourage the use of plastic bags include Australia, Bangladesh, Ireland, Italy, South Africa and Taiwan. Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India, also has banned the bags.
10.05.07
Facts about Aluminum Cans
1. 100% of beverage cans are made from Aluminum. The Aluminum Can made its first appearance in the United States in 1953. Prior to this most cans were made from tin or steel. Steel cans were first used in the 1800’s.
2. On average each person will use about 390 cans per year.
3. Aluminum cans typically have a recycled aluminum content of about 55%. 63.5 % of aluminum cans are recycled annually. The number of cans recycled are 62.8 billion.
4. Recycling aluminum saves about 95% of the energy it would take to produce aluminum from its original source, bauxite. Recycling 1 can would save enough electricity to run a TV for three hours.
5. The Aluminum recycling process is so efficient that it can take as few as 60 days for a can to be collected, melted down and made into a new can sitting on a grocery store shelf.
6. Anything that is made from aluminum can be made from recycled aluminum.
09.05.07
Tsunami
1. A tsunami is a series of waves created when a body of water is rapidly displaced. Some causes of tsunami are earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, and even testing with nuclear weapons at sea.
2. The term tsunami comes from the Japanese words meaning harbor “tsu” and wave “nami”. The term was created by fishermen who returned to port to find the area surrounding their harbor devastated, although they had not been aware of any wave in the open water.
3. Tsunamis are common in Japan with about 195 recorded events.
4. A tsunami cannot be prevented or precisely predicted, but there are some warning signs of an impending tsunami. In instances where the leading edge of the tsunami wave is its trough, the sea will recede from the coast half of the wave’s period before the wave’s arrival. If the slope is shallow, this recession can exceed many hundreds of meters. People unaware of the danger may remain at the shore due to curiosity, or for collecting fish from the exposed seabed.
5. The west coast of the United States is prone to an Pacific Ocean tsunami, since the coast lies at the interface between land and the Pacific Ocean making it is a zone of great instability and vulnerability.
6. The 2004 tsunami is the deadliest in recorded history with over 283,000 killed. Prior to 2004, the deadliest recorded tsunami in the Pacific Ocean was in 1782, when 40,000 people were killed by a tsunami in the South China Sea. The tsunami created by the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa is thought to have resulted in 36,000 deaths. The most deadly tsunami between 1900 and 2004 occurred in 1908 in Italy, on the Mediterranean Sea, where the earthquake and tsunami killed 70,000. The most deadly tsunami in the Atlantic Ocean resulted from a earthquake in 1755 at Lisbon, which, combined with the toll from the actual earthquake and resulting fires, killed over 100,000.
06.28.07
Ways to Conserve Energy
6. Heating & Cooling Temperature 2° Cooler in Winter; Warmer in Summer
5. Don’t Block Vents and Thermostats
4. Turn Computer Off When Not in Use
3. Use Energy Efficient Bulbs
2. Make Saving Energy a Habit
1. Switch Off the Lights
The complete list of 10 Ways to Conserve Energy can be found at More Than Switching Off the Lights – morethanswitchingoffthelights.com
06.20.07
The Little Ice Age
1. Between 1400 and 1850, areas of the earth had three periods when the weather got cooler with the minima being around 1650, 1770 and 1850. Scientist term this period the Little Ice Age. While there is a disagreement on when it began, there is agreement that in ended in the mid 19th century.
2. The Little Ice Age brought bitterly cold winters to parts of the world, and is thoroughly documented in Europe and North America. Glaciers in the Swiss Alps advanced in the 17th century. The River Thames often froze over during the winter. The first Thames freeze was in 1607; the last in 1814. During the American Revolution in the winter of 1780, New York Harbor froze, allowing people to walk from Manhattan to Staten Island.
3. While many scientists believe it was a global event, there is not much documentation from the southern hemisphere to show proof. There aren’t many records available. One documented case does show snow falling in the city of Sydney Australia in 1836. This is the only time since European settlement in 1788 that it occurred.
4. Scientists have theories on the reason for the Little Ice Age. They have research that shows that during this period that there was a decrease in solar activity as well as an increase in volcanic activity. From 1645-1715 sunspots were extremely low, some years there were no sunspots at all.
5. 1816 is known as the year without summer. During this summer the climate in Northern Europe, the American Northeast and eastern Canada was colder than normal and destroyed many crops. New England and Eastern Canada recorded two snowstorms in June. Ice was observed as far south as Pennsylvania in July. The volcanoes La Soufriere in the Caribbean, Mayon in the Philippines and Tambora in Indonesia were active during this period.
6. Mark Eakin, who heads the paleoclimatology program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is quoted as saying “There’s the very real potential of the climate system changing dramatically and rapidly”. While this may be possible many scientist say that the possibility of a sudden freeze doesn’t mean mankind can relax efforts to curb global warming. They warn that given the complexity of Earth’s climate, human activities that spew greenhouse gases into the atmosphere may increase the potential for an abrupt cooling.
06.15.07
Common Energy Myths
Myth: An idle computer doesn’t use much energy.
Once a computer is on and operating there is little change in the amount of energy it uses while idle or when doing complex calculations. Another part of this myth deals with screen savers. Screen savers do not save energy unless they shut the monitor off or into stand-by mode. A monitor can use 50% (CRT monitors use more energy than LCD) or more of the energy used by the computer system and shutting it off when not needed can save a measurable amount of energy.
Myth: It’s harmful to the computer to be turned off and on.
This one of those ideas that once was true is no longer. Early computer technology was such that the shut down and start up of certain parts, especially a computer hard drive, would effect the life of that component. Technology has advanced and now while turning it off and on may shorten life, but the life has increase so much that the device will no longer be in use before that happens.
Myth: It takes more energy to raise or lower the temperature in the house than keeping it constant.
Many people won’t vary the thermostat temperature setting when they are away because of this myth. This turns out to be an easy way to save energy. You also don’t need to adjust the thermostat beyond the temperature you desire upon returning. It won’t make it get there quicker and if you forget to adjust it later, you would actually be using more energy.
Myth: Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs have poor light quality, makes noises and takes time to turn on.
When people think of fluorescent lights they think of the lights in office buildings. The newer CFL bulbs are available in many different shapes and sizes. You can now easily purchase bulbs that deliver the same quantity and quality of lights of 25-125 watt incandescent bulbs. These bulbs use a lot less electric than their incandescent cousins (a CFL bulb using 13 watts of electric delivers the same amount of light as a 60 watt bulb) as well as generating a lot less heat. They are quick starting, usually not noticeable, and run quiet.
Myth: Higher costs negate any savings.
It’s true that many energy savings devices may be more costly than their usually used cousins, but in most cases the energy costs saved during the life of the product is great deal more than the added cost. It’s either pay now or pay later.
Myth: Off is no energy used.
In truth many modern appliances may be using as much as 15 to 30 watts when off or in Stand-by mode. Some may actually be using the same amount of energy off as they are when on.
For more information on Energy Savings: More Than Switching Off the Lights – Common Sense Ways to Conserve Energy.
06.12.07
Simple Things to Save Water
1. Do full loads. Wash full loads when washing clothes and dishes. If you use cold water instead of hot to wash clothes you will save on energy costs. If you do have to do smaller laundry loads adjust the amount of water being used.
2. Check for leaky faucets and toilets. Outside faucets may be leaking and you never are aware of it since they are out of sight out of mind. Be sure to turn off the faucets and not only the hose sprayer. Water can leak from the couplings.
3. Don’t wash your car at home. Use a commercial car wash that recycles water. If you do wash your call at home do it on the grass and don’t let the water run.
4. Turn the water off when shaving and brushing your teeth.When washing hands, turn the water off when lathering turning it on to rinse.
5. If your toilet is an older model, before 1980, place a toilet dam or bottle filled with water in your toilet tank to cut down on the amount of water used for each flush. Be sure these devices do not interfere with operating parts such as the flapper. Or replace it with a longer capacity one.
6. Replace the shower head with a water-saving head and turn the water off when shampooing and washing. Turn it back on to rinse.
