If you need to move and cant bear the thought of removing the last bits of items from you home that you don’t want then a house clearance company is for you. Another scenario – maybe you have inherited a property, may be a deceased relative and don’t think you can take on the task of removing everything – then again a house clearance company would be perfect.

A house clearance company basically does what it says on the tin, they arrive and completely strip your home. If they find anything valuable they will (or should!) inform you before disposing of it. They should also arrange secure disposal of any delicate material such as bank statements and other personal documents.

Next time you are thinking of hiring a skip, take a second to think about using a house clearance company instead – save yourself some stress!

Horizonal Baling Equipment is particularly effective waste baling where there is a high throughput. A distinct advantage of these is that they require minimal hands on operation due to them being at least semi-automatic. Vertical Baling Machines are best suited for lower throughput and are more labour intensive so they require time consuming and skilled operation by staff.

Mini and Midi Baling Equipment is highly versatile due to its indoor and outdoor operation. The bales that these produce require less handling because they are smaller. Waste compactors can reduce the size of domestic and industrial wastes by up to 90% and the spare space can hence accommodate more waste. This is particularly useful in waste management.

As with many other forms of industrial equipment, Waste Balers can be hired or purchased. Depending upon your business either option has its own advantages and disadvantages. Hiring can be more expensive in the long term but better for cash flow and from a tax efficient point of view. The choice is yours.

By purchasing one of the certified products you can be sure that energy expenses will be lower due to reduced consumption. You can often save up to 30% on your energy bill. The EPA has also extended the Energy Star label to cover new homes, buildings, and manufacturing plants.

At Home

Home electronics such as TVs, DVD players, cordless phones, and audio equipment use electricity even when on standby mode.

TV sets are probably the most popular and the most energy consuming in this category. An average household has at least two of them. In order to qualify for the Energy Star label, a TV has to be at least 30% more energy efficient than a standard unit not only when it is on, but also when on standby. There is a wide variety of Energy Star compliant TVs to choose from, whether you prefer LCD or plasma. They are manufactured by Hitachi, Panasonic, Sony, Samsung, and many others.

Another group of energy absorbers at home are appliances such us washers, fridges, freezers, and electric heating and cooling units. When it comes to dish and clothes washers, the Energy Star versions not only use less energy, but are more water-efficient when compared to standard models.

Heating and cooling equipment usually generates the highest costs, so pay extra attention to energy consumption data when changing one of these units.

In The Office

Offices use many electronic devices, so it is obvious that they use lots of energy. What is more, most office equipment is left on 24/7. It is really important to make sure that energy consumption is kept to a minimum.

Energy Star labeled devices use less energy to perform regular tasks and automatically enter a low-power mode when not in use. As far as computers, certified models use as much as 70% less energy than those without active power management features.

Again, there are many companies that produce energy-efficient office equipment. Hewlett-Packard offers as many as 1,000 models of office products that have earned the Energy Star logo. These include notebooks, printers, scanners, and all-in-ones. Samsung proudly features that their entire line of notebooks and netbooks have qualified for the certificate.

Solar Panels produce green clean energy from an abundant energy source that shines on us everyday. Solar Electric Systems also called photovoltaics or PV convert the sun’s radiant energy into electricity.  Unlimited renewable energy that is guilt free and at no cost once our panels are paid for. Enjoy energy independence.

Play a direct part in combating greenhouse gas emissions, global warming, coastal off shore drilling, and help reduce our dependence on foreign dirty fossil fuel. Help your community by supporting local solar businesses. Your energy source is acquired at a specific cost, while rates on power can and usually do rise every year.

Solar Electricity Components

Solar Panels are installed on your roof and collect the sun’s energy and convert it to DC power.

DC power is run from the solar panels into a power inverter mounted on the side of your house, that converts DC to AC, or power that you can use. The power inverter has an LCD display that shows how much power is being generated.

The power from your solar electric system is fed through a special electric power meter that your utility provides. This meter can spin backwards when you are generating more electricity than you use. Extra electricity is sent out the utility grid for others to use.

In 2008 the average residential Solar Electric System cost an expensive $5.40 per watt of capacity, while commercial ones cost $4.20.  These figures translates to 25 to 46 cents per kilowatt hour of residential power or 17 to 29 cents for concentrating commercial solar plant.  Compare the above numbers to roughly 7 to 10 cents for coal and natural gas and you can see a disconnect. The average US electricity price in 2009 was 11.5 cents, compared to 8.4 in 1995.

In the San Francisco Bay Area most PG&E customers have tiered energy pricing that starts at 10 cents, but jumps to 26 cents, 35 cents and 49 cents as you use more power. An average home in PG&E’s territory ends up paying 26-49 cents/KWHr for more than half of their electricity usage.  This makes solar much more justifiable.

Enough of the feel good rhetoric, how much $$ can one save? Everyone wants a zero power bill. A sample system run through a large local Solar firm’s website, Solar City’s Solar Calculator:

Assumptions: $300/month electric bill in San Francisco. 8% – A little shading, 22 degree roof pitch, South facing roof.

Save $2904 a year or $242 a month. New electric bill $60 month. 8.6 years to pay off system, then power after that is free! Most solar panels are warranted for 20 years, and some systems have been online or more than 30 years. The value of a solar electric system appreciates over time as power prices escalate.

We suggest people first try to trade in or sell their old electronics.  Getting some money is better than ZERO. If your electronic gadget is broken, try fixing it first.

Not worth anything?  Donate your old Electronics. Digitaltips has a page of organizations that accept donations.

Recycle electronics:

Most towns and retailers have e-waste events, most are free, some require fees. It is important to find a responsible recycling, not just any firm. You don’t want your old electronics shipped halfway around the world, ending up polluting some 3rd world country. Electronic products are full of toxics including lead, mercury, and many other heavy metals. Some developing countries extract the precious metals in electronics by burning them, sending toxins like dioxin into the air. Unused with those parts are dumped contaminating the area nearby.

Here are some healthy  food options that we have read about that help people avoid harmful chemicals.

Organic fruits and vegetables are an obvious option and our post concentrates on buying just the ones that have the most pesticide residue. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has found that even after you wash certain fruits and vegetables, they still contain much higher levels of pesticide residue than others.

Buy milk that is USDA organic to avoid hormones like bovine growth hormone (BGH), antibiotics, pesticides, and other additives. Cows are also given access to pasture.  Some believe that these benefits are not real because milk is tested for antibiotic and pesticide residue.

Processed meats like cold cuts, hot dogs, bacon, and sausages have lots of sodium and nitrates which may cause heart risks or cancer.  Buy nitrate free meats instead.

Mark Tercek, President & CEO  of The Nature Conservancy (TNC), has sent an email to TNC members encouraging them to help with the clean up efforts of the Gulf Oil Spill.

If you want to help with the clean up effort, but you’re not sure what you can do to help, here are 3 things Mark asks you consider:

• Make a donation to help The Nature Conservancy restoration efforts in the Gulf — your contribution to our Fund for Gulf Coast Restoration will help TNC determine both the extent of the spill and the necessary long-term restoration work in the Gulf and states along its coast.
• Second, tell your friends about The Nature Conservancy’s blog and what’s at stake for the Gulf Coast. Forward them this post, post it to Facebook or tweet on Twitter. Get the word out that the plants, animals and people in one of North America’s most treasured places will need our help.
• Third, consider being a volunteer. The Conservancy is still assessing what volunteer opportunities will be needed and coordinating with groups like gulfresponse.org.

And in case you’re interested, here are the contents of the email:

Thank you. It’s hard to express how much all the phone calls and emails in the wake of the Gulf Oil Spill mean to me and to all the Conservancy’s staff — especially those working long hours in the Gulf states.

Many of you contacted us again after reading our Alabama director of conservation’s blog posts in yesterday’s e-newsletter, asking what you can do to help Bill and his team respond to the spill.

Here are three things you can do today to help the Gulf coast, its wildlife and the people who depend on it.

• Make a donation to help our restoration efforts in the Gulf — your contribution to our Fund for Gulf Coast Restoration will help us determine both the extent of the spill and the necessary long-term restoration work in the Gulf and states along its coast.
• Second, tell your friends about our blog and what’s at stake for the Gulf Coast. Forward them this email, post it to Facebook or tweet on Twitter. Get the word out that the plants, animals and people in one of North America’s most treasured places will need our help.
• Third, consider being a volunteer. The Conservancy is still assessing what volunteer opportunities will be needed and coordinating with groups like gulfresponse.org.

Already, we’ve put to work The Nature Conservancy’s best knowledge and expertise in the Gulf region.

Our Fund for Gulf Coast Restoration will help us do even more and will be put to use by the Conservancy and its marine scientists and staff knowledgeable about the Gulf and about oil spill impacts to help the long-term restoration of this critical ecosystem.
Currently, our Louisiana staff is conducting flights over the coast with federal, state, and some of our non-governmental partners to help determine the extent of the spill and are working to protect critical oyster reefs in the Grand Isle, Biloxi Marsh, and Vermilion Bay areas.

I am in the Gulf region today to assess what more the Conservancy can do to respond and support our staff members who live along the Gulf and work every day on conservation here.

As you know, this is not just about the shrimp, the oysters, and the crabs. It is about both the Gulf’s marine ecosystem, as well the local economy and the people who depend on it.

I hope you will continue to follow Bill’s work and our progress on our blog.

Thank you for your offer to help and your critical support,

So, go ahead and take action now!

Nissan Leaf Electric Car, the first affordable mass-market zero emissions electric car, is now available for ordering with a whopping $7500 Federal Tax Credit on New Qualified Plug-In Electric Drive Motor Vehicles through December 31, 2011. The credit will begin to be phased out for each manufacturer in the second quarter following the calendar quarter in which a minimum of 200,000 qualified plug-in electric drive vehicles have been sold by that manufacturer for use in the U.S. The credit is available against the alternative minimum tax.

The drops the price to as little as $25,280 after-tax savings. California adds a Electric Vehicle Purchase Rebate $5000 rebate while funds last dropping it even further to $20,280! Check your local state for its rebates. Georgia also has a $5000 rebate.

It is all electric, not a hybrid car and is rated for a 100 mile range on a single charge, although this might be optimistic. The leaf is made in Japan and Tennessee. Nissan makes it, so you don’t have to worry about an unknown company that may go out of business in a couple years. The car is partly made of recycled materials and they use wind power to power a portion of their factory.

The Leaf comes with a home charging dock that requires a 220/240V 40AMP dedicated electric circuit, so additional costs of approximately $2200 (50% tax credit available – Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit) will be incurred to upgrade your garage. Charging the battery to 80% of its capacity with a rapid 440V charger takes about 25 minutes. A full battery charge occurs in eight hours with 220/240V charging and cost approximately $2.28 in electricity. (Approx 19 kWH of charging, average per kW of electricity $0.12/kW)

Someday infrastructure will be available to allow charging of the car while you’re outside the home.

Here are some non obvious recycling tips from our local garbage carrier, Allied Waste.  Check with your local company to verify how they handle recycling.

1) Rinsed coated milk and juice cartons. Plastic caps and plastic pour spouts must be removed before recycling.

2) No Pizza boxes

3) No black plastic (any type)

4) No nursery plant containers

5) No Toys

6) No Plastic Clam shells

7) Cardboard boxes like detergent ones cannot be recycled unless they are thoroughly cleaned.

Allied Waste recycles single use batteries if you place them in a plastic bag on top of recyclables.  Best Buy has recycling bins for rechargeable batteries. Earth911 can help you find local battery recycling.