Lowering your impact over the Holidays

Going green for the Holidays

If you are trying to live a more green lifestyle one place to start would be around the holidays. If you can imagine for a moment the amount of waste this country accumulates every Christmas for every family you would potentially envision a massive mound of wrapping paper and food debris. Here are a few ways to have a smaller impact on the Earth without being a Grinch during the holidays.

The easiest idea to remember is "Don't overdo it." I know it sounds like there is no Christmas spirit but seriously when you over prepare for parties there is entirely too much waste.

Holiday Cards

 Approximately 1.5 billion holiday cards make it through the post every Holiday season. Yes it is nice to send a card, but what do most people do with that card after a few days....it gets filed in the trash.

 An easy alternative would be to use an "e-card" ...there are plenty of website available to send e-cards.

 You could always make a phone call to loved ones

 Look for a card that has been made from recycled paper

 You could even make up gift cards from old holiday cards (excellent craft for the kids)

Entertaining

It may sound like a lot of work, but the best practice is to use all real tableware and silverware...even the napkins should be a washable cloth. However if washing all of those dishes by hand is not a possibility...check into products that are recyclable, been recycled, or biodegradable. Plan ahead and do a little homework...by not being rushed you won't be tempted into buying highly packaged and non renewable materials.

Also think about the food you are serving....from an earlier topic (precycling) we should always think about how much packaging and waste comes with some food.

Feel good about what you are doing

Remember we can't always be the most eco friendly that we want to be...however on large occasions or even any occasion that you can make an impact on the waste produced you should feel good about yourself. Every little bit counts as long as more and more people get the idea.

Make the holidays about spending time with humans...not electronics.

Tree - real or fake

Artificial trees can be reusable, but some have been known to contain lead.

Real trees are generally preferred for a few reasons. First a new tree can be planted in place of the tree you took. Second after the holidays you tree can be picked up and turned into compost. Third, with a little foresight, you can buy a pine tree with its root ball and after the holidays plant it somewhere nearby.

11 ways to a Greener Home

You have taken some initial steps to lower your carbon footprint and excess energy use, but your work is not done yet. Here are a few more things you can do around the house to continue the green initiative.

#1 Install bamboo floors

Wood floors are nice and durable, but the trees take decades to mature while bamboo is a grass and will mature in a fraction of the time. It may not be quite as durable as hardwood, but it will cost about half the price.

#2 Get your green thumb

Planting annual flowering plants is nice for the color, but they must be replaced each spring. There are plenty of flowering plants that will survive through the fall and winter to bloom again and again every year.Paring this perennial garden with a home compost for organic fertilizer is another smart choice.Instead of throwing away your vegetable remains begin a compost in a corner of your yard.

#3 and #4 Keeping Clean

Adults and children both need to be reminded to get the dirt of before entering the home. Outside mats and inside mats will greatly help to keep the amount of debris to a minimum. Remembering to wipe your feet and store your shoes near the door will greatly decrease the use of inside cleaners, paper towels, mops, hot water and vacuums.Remember that your little ones are always watching so be sure to set a good example by taking shorter showers, turning off electricity, and packing lunches in reusable containers.

#5 Update the Dishwasher

If you have an energy rated dishwasher don't be shy about using it. Hand washing dishes is nice and all but will generally use way more water than the dishwasher. An energy star appliance will use around 6 gallons for a full load while a human would use closer to 20 gallons to hand wash the same amount of dishes.

#6 The toilet

Traditional models flush 25% of household water down the drain. Updating to a dual flush model that has two different flushing amounts will greatly decrease the amount of water used. Traditional toilets use 3.5 gallons per flush, the dual flush toilets have an option for a little flush of about 1 gallon and a larger cascade about 1.5 gallons.

#7 Electricity

As a consumer you should have an option to get your energy from a renewable source. The price will be more for the green energy, but that extra money will help to sustain the energy you use. It will cost you about 15 more dollars a month to get 100 percent offset of carbon dioxide emissions from the generation of electricity.

#8 Work from Home

Whenever possible work from home. This will reduce the wear on your vehicle and the pressure on your wallet to fill the tank. Older equipment like copier and fax machine suck too much energy, updated devices often combine most of these functions and use less energy.

#9 E-Bills

This one is pretty simple...less paper mail means more trees get to live. Americans receive 4 million tons of junk mail a year approximately 850 pieces per household. You can go online and opt out for these prescreened credit card companies and other such junk.

#10 Solar Power

Charge your mobile devices with a solar charger. Most are fairly inexpensive and compact enough to travel. If you have a little bit of know-how you can even make a small charger at home.Need some light at night along a walkway or garden? get some inexpensive LED lights with solar panels for a cheap way to get some additional light.

#11 Expand your Conquest

Get on the internet or use your phone to peruse more suitable and sustainable ways to lower your carbon footprint.  There are plenty of apps available for iphone and android that will help with additional ideas and suggestions towards a greener lifestyle.

A quick word about American Power Group

About American Power Group






American Power Group’s innovative dual fuel system reduces operating costs, lowers emissions and
harnesses the potential of renewable energy sources. Realizing the potential for more cost-efficient,
greener and cleaner fuels aligns with stimulus initiatives for new energy solutions. Through the science
of combustion, we create systems for stationary and backup power, as well as commercial transportation
that reduces our dependency on imported oil and puts Americans back to work.

They are currently trading on the stock market @

APGI:OTCQB

A good american company trying to do something good for the world.

American Power Group Presents at the Benchmark Micro Cap Discovery Investor Confrence

American Power Group - APGI

LYNNFIELD, MA--(Marketwired - Dec 4, 2013) - American Power Group Corporation (OTCQB: APGI) announced today that Chuck Coppa, Chief Financial Officer, will participate in The Benchmark Company Micro Cap Discovery Investor Conference at the Palmer House Hilton Hotel in Chicago, IL. Mr. Coppa will be available for one-on-one meetings with the investment community on Wednesday, December 11th. Please contact The Benchmark Company organizers if you would like to arrange a meeting (www.benchmarkcompany.com).

About The Benchmark Company, LLCHeadquartered in NY with 11 offices across the country, The Benchmark Company, LLC ("Benchmark") is an institutional brokerage firm that provides Research, Sales, Trading and Investment Banking services to public companies and their investors. To learn more about the 2013 Benchmark Company Micro Cap Discovery One-on-One Investor Conference in Chicago, please visit www.benchmarkcompany.com  or call Director of Corporate Access Vince Curatola at 414-203-5556

About American Power Group CorporationAmerican Power Group's alternative energy subsidiary, American Power Group, Inc., provides a cost-effective patented Turbocharged Natural Gas™ conversion technology for vehicular, stationary and off-road mobile diesel engines. American Power Group's dual fuel technology is a unique non-invasive energy enhancement system that converts existing diesel engines into more efficient and environmentally friendly engines that have the flexibility to run on: (1) diesel fuel and liquefied natural gas; (2) diesel fuel and compressed natural gas; (3) diesel fuel and pipeline or well-head gas; and (4) diesel fuel and bio-methane, with the flexibility to return to 100% diesel fuel operation at any time. The proprietary technology seamlessly displaces up to 80% of the normal diesel fuel consumption with the average displacement ranging from 40% to 65%. The energized fuel balance is maintained with a proprietary read-only electronic controller system ensuring the engines operate at original equipment manufacturers' specified temperatures and pressures. Installation on a wide variety of engine models and end-market applications require no engine modifications unlike the more expensive invasive fuel-injected systems in the market. See additional information at:www.americanpowergroupinc.com.

Thank you Yahoo Finances - APGI

The Great Basin in Wyoming. Geology Field Camp in Shell

Geology Camp Summer 2010 Shell Wyoming. 

Wyoming Geology Campus

There is not much to do out in the basin...however we did find some way to past the time. After some simple "kong" exercise I began to get a little more confident in my parkour skills and was looking for something more difficult than this 'kong' maneuver....however as you can see by the video I have much to learn

Wyoming geology campus

 I learned to parkour from the great Sali Kahn. He is grand master...I am noob

American Power Group - The Dual Fuel Engine that Could

APGI - American Power Group INC

American Power Group (OTCQB:APGI) presents a long investment opportunity whose entry point for the wise long is now. The APG story is compelling. What makes it more compelling is the story's setting… the current flash point of growth in the use and availability of natural gas. I outline all of this in great detail in my Seeking Alpha Instablog post on APGI.

Yet, a micro-cap having a story doesn't mean they have the means to bring that story to fruition, or that they will avoid doing so on the weary, diluted backs of early investors. APGI stands at the turning point of cash-positivity, even pending profitability, and uniquely has the resources and business plan to be the micro-cap story that succeeds.

How is this so?

APGI has already completed a vast majority of the costly "heavy lifting" needed for a successful rollout of its superior and perfectly-timed diesel/natural gas conversion units. This includes spending the millions of dollars needed to have accomplished all of:

• The testing and applications to receive an industry-insurmountable number of OUL engine family approvals from the EPA (~450). The Company is working to become the first retrofit technology to obtain IUL approval and estimates the cost to complete the top four engine families to be around $500K.
• Full patent protection of their technologies and methods
• Establishing the crucial partnership with The Wheeltime Network and the costs related to technician and authorized dealer training
• Establishing manufacturing capabilities
• Hiring appropriate support and sales staff at the company level
• Proactively facilitating the solidification of the share base into a solid, company-friendly group of major holders and retail investors
• The costs of many years and millions of breakdown-free miles on their dual fuel vehicular evaluation units and stationary use evaluation units (e.g. fracking rigs)
• Establishing major partnerships with leading companies in the natural gas realm, such as Blu and Evol

As such, the company's capital expenditure budget for the coming year and beyond will see a dramatic decrease. For APGI to gain EPA approval for the one remaining OUL engine family, and the four IUL engine families they seek for their business plan, the total remaining outlay will be a only about $500,000.

Thank you YAHOO Finances - for the complete story click here