Field Camp - Grand Tetons

This is me...at that time

Field camp...or 'space camp' as my friends liked to tease me...was a hands on geological learning experience. This particular post is about the Grand Tetons in Wyoming....and while we did not have any particular assignment here....the purpose of this little exercise was mostly recreational and educational. I did not appreciate the experience as much as I should have...however I was able to snap some very nice pictures...

These were my friends...the fishermen...at that time

Grand Tetons

Grand Tetons Mountains

American Power Group Corporation Engages Porter, LeVay & Rose, Inc. for Investor Relations

American Power Group Corporation (OTCQB: APGI), announced today that it has engaged Porter, LeVay & Rose, Inc. (PLR) to provide investor relations services.

Chuck Coppa, Chief Financial Officer of American Power Group Corporation, said, "We are very pleased to engage PLR to lead our investor relations initiative. Michael Porter has extensive experience with microcap companies and a deep understanding of the Company's technology and goals. 

We look forward to working with PLR to expand our outreach efforts and raise awareness of American Power Group among investor audiences and look forward to leveraging the breadth and depth of knowledge that Mr. Porter and his team will bring to American Power Group Corporation."

PLR is a premier full-service investor relations and corporate communications firm that has functioned as a principled and responsible liaison with its clients' stakeholders for four decades. PLR represents clients in a wide range of industries, including technology, biotech, medical devices, manufacturing, business services, and retail. Find PLR online at www.plrinvest.com.

For more information check out the news release: APGI - Etrade

Solar Energy....why bother?

Why should any of us bother to use solar panels?

Solar Panels on a House

• Solar energy is just about as natural as it can get....besides the small cost to put the panels together and ship them around the world.
• The sun is the engine for the generation of energy. The very same engine that has fed the entire planted. The same source that had made that fossil fuel millions of years ago. 
• We must utilize the power of the sun for use now...not in millions of years.

Okay fine...so what can you do with solar panels?

• Yes you can charge just about anything given enough solar panels. It takes about 36 cells if you buy them in a 3X6 grid...each one of them will produce approximately 1/2 volts so if you can get 36 in series you will be able to produce 18volts. In our case 18 volts would be enough to charge some 12volt batteries. 

Great but that seems expensive....I mean brand new solar cells are quite costly...

• That is true however if you are willing to invest in some new panels you can also purchase some cheap damaged panels from ebay or even from the warehouse. All you would need to do is discard a few of the damaged cells and replace them with new cells you will be able to make more panels for a lower cost.

The investment is just too big for me right now...I won't be able to afford anything if I spend all my money in panels...

• We all know that feeling...however there is another perk to using a renewable energy source. Two terms are used to describe the fact that the city you live in will have to buy your excess energy produced by solar panels. 
• A Feed-In Tariff is a term used when a utility company sets a set rate for small energy producers. These prices are usually higher because the utility company can just as easily pass that price on to their consumers. This pricing practice generally removes the volatile nature of the wholesale market.
• Net Metering would be something quite different. This makes better sense for those small energy producers that will generally always use more energy then produced. The idea is when energy is generated using a green method the utility meter on the house will roll in the different direction. This means the consumer can ultimately get paid if the household produces more than it uses.

Hmm...well that sounds a little better.

Topic for today: Energy consumption

Energy Consumption

        

    Energy consumption in American is a large problem that needs attention. There are many countries that use less energy than the United States, but there are also some that use more. Devices have been made to measure appliance use in real time to give homeowners a better idea of how to use efficiently. Home owners can also reduce their consumption by using energy efficient appliances. Easy steps can be taken to lower our energy consumption, and we all should pay more attention to how we use electronics. Cities and towns should be better constructed and planned better to transport energy without excess loss.

            In 2005 the average residential monthly utility used of electricity was 938 kilowatt hours. That does not take into consideration how some areas in the United States are far more densely populated than others. That number also does not factor in the many colleges and business areas in the United States. Some of these places do not turn their lights or computers off at night. College campuses have many buildings with sections set aside just for computers. These computers get accessed all day long and never get shutdown. One or two computers does not make much of a difference however all of these little electronics add up, especially if we are to include the entire world. There are plenty of states and companies that are striving to make a difference, they have implemented various schedules that will lower energy consumption. Different tactics like employee car-pooling, four day work weeks and public transportation are various ways some companies are adapting to the current energy demands. 

            In 2008 the United States used 13,654 kilowatt hours per capita and we are on a steady upward slope. Finland and Canada used more at around 16,000 kilowatt hours. More densely populated areas such as china can be found at the bottom of the list with 2,455 kilowatt hours, but that is subject to change as the middle class in china will be major energy consumers in the near future. In Iowa the average retail price for one kilowatt hour was 9.45 for residential use on January 2011. Iowa is not bad compared with Hawaii at about 30.00 per kilowatt hour and Connecticut which has residential electricity for 16.00 a kilowatt hour.

            There have been devices made that can measure the use of kilowatt hours in real time in the home. These devices may be a little expensive however the save much more energy over the long run. The Energy Detective or TED is one of these devices that can be installed easily into the home and give an accurate read out for the entire house. Energy efficient appliances have made progress by lower energy consumption in the residential and even commercial areas. They are generally a little expensive up front but after a few years of use the energy saved will displace the cost. There have even been tax incentives initiated by the president to provoke the general public to buy these higher rated energy appliances. Regular light bulbs should be replaced in the home by the more efficient compact fluorescent bulbs to lower energy consumption easily and effectively.

            Every single person can help lower their carbon footprint by paying attention to the appliances we use. As a country we are using less energy than some other more industrial countries. Home owners should take steps to make sure their house is energy efficient by using devices to monitor kilowatt use and also purchase energy efficient appliances. Our cities could be set up much more efficiently to transport energy without loss of energy.

           

           

           

             

Global Plans to Stop Meteorite to Earth Collisions may have political problems

Meteorite entering earths atmosphere

The United Nations should theoretically be trying to prevent many different problems, but there is something more concerning and more catastrophic than mass genocides, climate change, or weapons of mass destruction combined...the possibility of an asteroid strike that could completely exterminate humanity much like the dinosaurs. 

The recent meteor that exploded over Russia had 30 times the energy of the Hiroshima nuclear explosion – and it was only one-third of the size of another asteroid that nearly grazed the Earth, according to astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, who recently spoke in a CNN interview.

This is a very concerning situation. It's even more concerning when you realize there's no global organization to handle the prevention of a meteorite strike. According to Tyson, while organizations such as NASA have the ability to detect and track asteroids, there is no organization – nor a plan in place – that would prevent such a catastrophe of an asteroid impact.

"We have no capacity to protect Earth from something that small,” he said, referring to the asteroid and meteor.

Tyson suggested that we, as a species, need to get some sort of global plan together to prevent our extinction.

What you really want, I think, is a world organization, maybe every country chips in, in proportion to their GDP, something sensible like that. And then there's a pot of money, and whoever has thespace-faring resources at the time it's necessary – space-faring know-how – would then tap into that money, and then you save the Earth,” he said.

But, in politics, people generally don't group everyone together as “species,” they think of each other in terms of countries, races, classes, ideologies, and any other divisions they can come up with in pursuit of political gains – which was something Tyson mentioned:

“When do we start concerning ourselves with a budget to handle it? If it's going to come in a 100 years, what do you say? 'Oh, let our descendants worry about that and their Congress.' Eighty-eight percent of Congress faces re-election every two years. That's not a long enough time scale to match the time scales that matter for our survival,” he said.

More on this Story about Meteorite Earth Collisions 

July is here and we still have a lot of DIY home renovation to get done

Well Friends, Family and Acquaintances it is the 7th month of the year and we all know what that means! My birthday is coming up!
Now I know birthday gifts are fun and I really appreciate all the funny cards and t-shirts and stuff but really this year I just don't need anything like that.
As you can see by the video below...
Please rescue our renovation.




I don't need sock or underwear I need 2000 square feet of insulation and 2000 feet of electrical wire and about a dozen led lights for new can lights and 2000 square feet of drywall etc etc
So if you could please find it in your hearts to donate to the house below you will find a link to my paypal account.

I would prefer to not waste money on a card or even postage for the card....and remember even 5$ will help bring us closer to our goal.

Thank you very much and I hope you enjoy the video.