GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum has taken advantage of his newfound popularity to get on board the Republican war against clean air and water.
According to Santorum, the new EPA rule that will finally place limits on how much mercury the nation's coal and oil fired power plants can spew into the air —a regulation specifically created to protect young children and developing fetuses from the damage known to be caused by mercury, a dangerous neurotoxin—will shut down 60 power plants in the US and is "not based on any kind of science."
What Santorum is not telling you is that we have long had regulations on mercury emissions for other types of emission sources such as waste incinerators. Why? Because it is no secret that mercury is highly damaging to our health, particularly the health of children and developing fetuses. Yet, coat and oil fired power plants, the single-largest source of mercury emissions, were never included in the limits —until now.
Indeed, the only thing not based on any kind of science is Santorum's determination that causing some private power plant operators to install the technology required to stay within the new emission limits is more important than the estimated 11,000 premature deaths and 130,000 asthma attacks that will be prevented each and every year as a result lowering the level of mercury in the air.
While it may not play well with the GOP base and Tea Party members committed to ending federal government regulations—even when they make sense—the new EPA rules are the result of a peer-reviewed study that has taken twenty years to complete.
But it's not like one requires a degree in chemical engineering to appreciate that mercury in the air can't be a good thing.
If you doubt this, just listen to the never-ending GOP complaints over the dangers of mercury escaping from the compact florescent light (CFL) bulbs the government will soon require us to use in place of the highly inefficient incandescent bulbs.
While the supposed dangers of mercury from a broken CFL bulb falling to the carpet is enough to motivate conservatives to fill their basements with stockpiles of old-school style light bulbs as if they were preparing for electric-Armageddon, they don't seem to have a problem with coal plants pouring this neurotoxin into the air where it can cause all sorts of serious health problems for the entire population.
How does that make any sense? You would think that these Republicans and their children breathe different air than the rest of us.
But then, maybe they do. You don't find a lot of coal burning power plants in upper-class neighborhoods – only the people who own the plants and would prefer not to have to spend the money to upgrade their technology to meet the new standards to protect the rest of their fellow citizens.
2011年12月29日星期四
Time dimming for 100-Watt incandescent light bulbs
Time is dimming for those of us who favor 100-Watt incandescent light bulbs.
The government several years ago decided to flip the switch on incandescent bulbs in favor of better energy efficiency bulbs, and now, the time is here.
Some lighting companies plan to keep the bulbs on the shelves until they run out, and for customers, some are showing resistance to the new law.
"I am familiar with those, and those are not the ones I want," says Onalee Wilson.
Onalee Wilson says spiral compact fluorescent lights, CFL's for short, have a place, but not in her kitchen.
"I don't like the color, and I don't like the look of the new lights," she admits.
And she's not taking any chances, even if that means she has to find a little room on her storage shelves.
"I'm trying to buy enough so they'll live longer than I do," Wilson laughs.
"They're stocking their warehouses as well as possible to feed us as well as possible," says Petoskey Meyer's Ace Hardware manager Carole Genson.
Meyer's Ace Hardware is stock-piling 100-Watt incandescent bulbs before they stop making them on January 1st. Manager Carole Genson says several people are like Onalee Wilson and want to get their favorite bulbs before they're gone.
"We're just selling through them," says Genson.
"A lot of people don't like the spiral, and I don't blame them, the incandescent, the old warm light people have grown up with, is really what people like," says Andy Driver, owner of Advanced Lighting Center in Gaylord.
Advanced Lighting Center has its shelves stocked and will sell the 100-Watt incandescents as long as they last. Driver says some companies have worked around the system, creating 95-Watt bulbs, and he believes it's not CFL's, but actually LED's that are the future.
"It's a great law, because we all need to save energy, it's just the growing pains," says Driver.
But growing pains and change are hard for some to overcome and wish they had the choice.
"In some places I use them, but not in my kitchen," says Wilson.
Price is another factor. Take for example a five pack of CFL's and compare it to a four pack of incandescent bulbs. You're going to pay about six times as much for the CFL box compared to the other. But here's the deal: Each CFL bulb is supposed to last about 10 times longer, and you're going to save money in the long run because of the energy consumption. Some say that's not enough, and they'd rather have looks over the energy savings.
The government several years ago decided to flip the switch on incandescent bulbs in favor of better energy efficiency bulbs, and now, the time is here.
Some lighting companies plan to keep the bulbs on the shelves until they run out, and for customers, some are showing resistance to the new law.
"I am familiar with those, and those are not the ones I want," says Onalee Wilson.
Onalee Wilson says spiral compact fluorescent lights, CFL's for short, have a place, but not in her kitchen.
"I don't like the color, and I don't like the look of the new lights," she admits.
And she's not taking any chances, even if that means she has to find a little room on her storage shelves.
"I'm trying to buy enough so they'll live longer than I do," Wilson laughs.
"They're stocking their warehouses as well as possible to feed us as well as possible," says Petoskey Meyer's Ace Hardware manager Carole Genson.
Meyer's Ace Hardware is stock-piling 100-Watt incandescent bulbs before they stop making them on January 1st. Manager Carole Genson says several people are like Onalee Wilson and want to get their favorite bulbs before they're gone.
"We're just selling through them," says Genson.
"A lot of people don't like the spiral, and I don't blame them, the incandescent, the old warm light people have grown up with, is really what people like," says Andy Driver, owner of Advanced Lighting Center in Gaylord.
Advanced Lighting Center has its shelves stocked and will sell the 100-Watt incandescents as long as they last. Driver says some companies have worked around the system, creating 95-Watt bulbs, and he believes it's not CFL's, but actually LED's that are the future.
"It's a great law, because we all need to save energy, it's just the growing pains," says Driver.
But growing pains and change are hard for some to overcome and wish they had the choice.
"In some places I use them, but not in my kitchen," says Wilson.
Price is another factor. Take for example a five pack of CFL's and compare it to a four pack of incandescent bulbs. You're going to pay about six times as much for the CFL box compared to the other. But here's the deal: Each CFL bulb is supposed to last about 10 times longer, and you're going to save money in the long run because of the energy consumption. Some say that's not enough, and they'd rather have looks over the energy savings.
2011年12月21日星期三
Audi A1 quattro: 256 hp and 350 Nm, only 333 units
Audi has announced the arrival of the range-topping A1 model called the A1 quattro. Just 333 examples of the form will be built in 2012, and all will be left-hand drive units.
The vehicle is powered by a 2.0 TFSI mill offering 256 hp at 6,000 rpm and 350 Nm of torque available between 2,500 and 4,500 rpm, which is of course delivered to all four wheels. Performance figures include a 0-100 km/h time of 5.7 seconds and a 245 km/h top speed.
The 2.0 TFSI delivers its power to the quattro permanent all-wheel drive system via a six-speed manual transmission, which features an electronically controlled, hydraulically actuated multi-plate clutch whose package of plates rotates in an oil bath. There's an electronic differential lock in the mix, of course.
The car's chassis has been adapted to the dynamics of the drivetrain, and is much more tautly tuned than that of the production model. The front suspension is a McPherson construction, while a four-link axle is used at the rear, and the electrohydraulic power steering on the car features a direct 14.8:1 steering ratio.
The Audi A1 quattro rides on 18-inch cast alloy wheels, finished in Glacier White, wrapped with 225/35 series tyres. Elsewhere, the internally vented 312 mm diameter front brake discs are clamped by black calipers.
The car is available only in Glacier White metallic, with a high-gloss black roof, some dashes of red and a two-colour rear wing providing contrast. Decent amount of tint to be found too – the rear windows are blackened, as are the LED rear lights. The exhaust system terminates in two polished dual tailpipes on the left and the right, adding yet more flair to the equation.
Inside, black is the thematic shade, with the seats and door armrests covered in Silk Nappa leather, with contrasting red seams. The S sport seats up front have pronounced bolsters, integrated head restraints and a quattro badge on the backrest covers.
Elsewhere, the lower section of the centre console is in high-gloss black, while the footrest and the pedal caps are in brushed stainless steel. Red seams frame the floor mats, and the door sill trims bear A1 quattro badges.
As for the instrument cluster, unique cues include white needles, a red tachometer and a quattro logo. Meanwhile, the multifunction flat-bottom sport steering wheel is wrapped in leather, again with contrasting red stitching and it also sports the car's serial number.
There's also plenty of other mod cons, including xenon plus headlights, high-beam assistant, adaptive brake lights, LED interior lighting package, light and rain sensor, automatically dimming interior mirror, rear parking system, automatic air conditioning, alarm system, storage package, convenience key and cruise control.
Rounding things off are a Bose sound system with 14 speakers and 465 watts of power, and the woofers in the doors are indirectly lit with light guide LEDs.
The vehicle is powered by a 2.0 TFSI mill offering 256 hp at 6,000 rpm and 350 Nm of torque available between 2,500 and 4,500 rpm, which is of course delivered to all four wheels. Performance figures include a 0-100 km/h time of 5.7 seconds and a 245 km/h top speed.
The 2.0 TFSI delivers its power to the quattro permanent all-wheel drive system via a six-speed manual transmission, which features an electronically controlled, hydraulically actuated multi-plate clutch whose package of plates rotates in an oil bath. There's an electronic differential lock in the mix, of course.
The car's chassis has been adapted to the dynamics of the drivetrain, and is much more tautly tuned than that of the production model. The front suspension is a McPherson construction, while a four-link axle is used at the rear, and the electrohydraulic power steering on the car features a direct 14.8:1 steering ratio.
The Audi A1 quattro rides on 18-inch cast alloy wheels, finished in Glacier White, wrapped with 225/35 series tyres. Elsewhere, the internally vented 312 mm diameter front brake discs are clamped by black calipers.
The car is available only in Glacier White metallic, with a high-gloss black roof, some dashes of red and a two-colour rear wing providing contrast. Decent amount of tint to be found too – the rear windows are blackened, as are the LED rear lights. The exhaust system terminates in two polished dual tailpipes on the left and the right, adding yet more flair to the equation.
Inside, black is the thematic shade, with the seats and door armrests covered in Silk Nappa leather, with contrasting red seams. The S sport seats up front have pronounced bolsters, integrated head restraints and a quattro badge on the backrest covers.
Elsewhere, the lower section of the centre console is in high-gloss black, while the footrest and the pedal caps are in brushed stainless steel. Red seams frame the floor mats, and the door sill trims bear A1 quattro badges.
As for the instrument cluster, unique cues include white needles, a red tachometer and a quattro logo. Meanwhile, the multifunction flat-bottom sport steering wheel is wrapped in leather, again with contrasting red stitching and it also sports the car's serial number.
There's also plenty of other mod cons, including xenon plus headlights, high-beam assistant, adaptive brake lights, LED interior lighting package, light and rain sensor, automatically dimming interior mirror, rear parking system, automatic air conditioning, alarm system, storage package, convenience key and cruise control.
Rounding things off are a Bose sound system with 14 speakers and 465 watts of power, and the woofers in the doors are indirectly lit with light guide LEDs.
2011年12月5日星期一
Even with 100,000 lights, power bill isn't too awful
More than 100,000 Christmas lights adorn Chris Hoover's home just outside Battle Ground.
The extension cords connecting those lights and other elements of his holiday display would measure almost a mile long if connected end-to-end. Hoover started stringing them together and connecting them to his annual display just after Halloween ended.
No, Hoover does not go into the Christmas season lightly.
The Purdue University graduate and manager at TRW Automotive has always enjoyed decorating for the holiday. But the hobby took on a life of its own about five years ago when a friend of Hoover's emailed him a video link showing Christmas light displays timed to a musical program.
"I decided I needed to figure out how to do that," he said. "And the animation piece has grown from there."
The music timed to go with Hoover's display this year runs almost 40 minutes. Visitors can tune their car radios to 88.1 FM while watching lights dance across his front yard.
Hoover recently answered some questions for the J&C about his over-the-top holiday lights display on Greenview Drive, in the River Bluffs subdivision in northern Tippecanoe County. Here's what he had to say.
Question:How much time to does it take for you to put this all together?
Answer:I get asked that a lot. It's kind of a year-round hobby for me because in the off-season I'm either programming or sequencing songs, or I'm building something to add to the display. I start setting up on Halloween weekend, and we have it ready to go Thanksgiving night. The lights came on at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving.
Q: What are some of the highlights of this year's display?
A: This is the first time we've topped 100,000 lights, at least by my count. We have 35 mini-trees lining the front yard ... four leaping arches ... a Bellagio pole, but none of this stuff really makes any sense to you unless you see it. ... There are a lot of flavors of animated Christmas lighting if you go looking out there for it.
Q: How much does it cost you to do all this?
A: I don't talk about that. That's for me to know. (laughing). As far as the lights and that stuff go, most everything's homemade or else it's just light strings. I usually hit the day-after Christmas sales if I need more lights, but I've got quite an inventory built up right now.
(The power bill) isn't bad. Because it's animated the lights are off more than they're on. My power bill is no worse than it is in July or August when I have to use the air conditioning.
Q: What do you enjoy most about it?
A: It's a way for me to go out and accomplish something. The job I'm in right now, since it's management, the way you accomplish things is by having other people get things done that you need them to. This is something where I can go out and get my hands dirty.
The first year I did it, when word finally got out and traffic started backing up, a lot of people were trying to give me money for it. But I don't want to get paid to do my hobby. ... So what we decided to do was collect donations and give them back to charity. We've given money in the past to Family Services, The Salvation Army, schools up here in Battle Ground, a local Scout pack, and we sponsored a soccer team.
The extension cords connecting those lights and other elements of his holiday display would measure almost a mile long if connected end-to-end. Hoover started stringing them together and connecting them to his annual display just after Halloween ended.
No, Hoover does not go into the Christmas season lightly.
The Purdue University graduate and manager at TRW Automotive has always enjoyed decorating for the holiday. But the hobby took on a life of its own about five years ago when a friend of Hoover's emailed him a video link showing Christmas light displays timed to a musical program.
"I decided I needed to figure out how to do that," he said. "And the animation piece has grown from there."
The music timed to go with Hoover's display this year runs almost 40 minutes. Visitors can tune their car radios to 88.1 FM while watching lights dance across his front yard.
Hoover recently answered some questions for the J&C about his over-the-top holiday lights display on Greenview Drive, in the River Bluffs subdivision in northern Tippecanoe County. Here's what he had to say.
Question:How much time to does it take for you to put this all together?
Answer:I get asked that a lot. It's kind of a year-round hobby for me because in the off-season I'm either programming or sequencing songs, or I'm building something to add to the display. I start setting up on Halloween weekend, and we have it ready to go Thanksgiving night. The lights came on at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving.
Q: What are some of the highlights of this year's display?
A: This is the first time we've topped 100,000 lights, at least by my count. We have 35 mini-trees lining the front yard ... four leaping arches ... a Bellagio pole, but none of this stuff really makes any sense to you unless you see it. ... There are a lot of flavors of animated Christmas lighting if you go looking out there for it.
Q: How much does it cost you to do all this?
A: I don't talk about that. That's for me to know. (laughing). As far as the lights and that stuff go, most everything's homemade or else it's just light strings. I usually hit the day-after Christmas sales if I need more lights, but I've got quite an inventory built up right now.
(The power bill) isn't bad. Because it's animated the lights are off more than they're on. My power bill is no worse than it is in July or August when I have to use the air conditioning.
Q: What do you enjoy most about it?
A: It's a way for me to go out and accomplish something. The job I'm in right now, since it's management, the way you accomplish things is by having other people get things done that you need them to. This is something where I can go out and get my hands dirty.
The first year I did it, when word finally got out and traffic started backing up, a lot of people were trying to give me money for it. But I don't want to get paid to do my hobby. ... So what we decided to do was collect donations and give them back to charity. We've given money in the past to Family Services, The Salvation Army, schools up here in Battle Ground, a local Scout pack, and we sponsored a soccer team.
2011年9月20日星期二
AEP Offering Discount On Some LED Bulbs
American Electric Power of Ohio said Monday it is offering a $10-$15 discount on some LED bulbs.
According to a news release, AEP is offering the discount on select models of on ENERGY STAR LED -- or light-emitting diode -- bulbs.
The pilot program is part of an overall initiative to reduce the price of select ENERGY STAR-qualified products for AEP Ohio customers.
"LED bulbs approach 80 percent efficiency, which means 80 percent of their electrical energy is converted to light energy. Compare that with incandescent bulbs, which operate at about 20 percent efficiency," the AEP release said.
The discount on LED bulbs is being offered through a pilot program available at nearly 60 retail outlets in Ohio.
"We are offering these in-store discounts on LED bulbs through the end of 2011 at Sam's Club, The Home Depot and Lowe's stores across our Ohio service territory," said Jon Williams, AEP Ohio manager energy efficiency and peak demand response. "Included among the benefits of LEDs are high-energy efficiency, long operating lifetime, reduced radiant heat, directional illumination and aesthetic appearance."
The discount is available on purchases made Sept. 1 through Dec. 31 or until funds are depleted, the AEP release said.
According to the release, the AEP Ohio ENERGY STAR LED Pilot Program is part of the gridSMART initiative offered by the utility to help its residential customers use less energy, lower energy costs, conserve natural resources and protect the environment.
According to a news release, AEP is offering the discount on select models of on ENERGY STAR LED -- or light-emitting diode -- bulbs.
The pilot program is part of an overall initiative to reduce the price of select ENERGY STAR-qualified products for AEP Ohio customers.
"LED bulbs approach 80 percent efficiency, which means 80 percent of their electrical energy is converted to light energy. Compare that with incandescent bulbs, which operate at about 20 percent efficiency," the AEP release said.
The discount on LED bulbs is being offered through a pilot program available at nearly 60 retail outlets in Ohio.
"We are offering these in-store discounts on LED bulbs through the end of 2011 at Sam's Club, The Home Depot and Lowe's stores across our Ohio service territory," said Jon Williams, AEP Ohio manager energy efficiency and peak demand response. "Included among the benefits of LEDs are high-energy efficiency, long operating lifetime, reduced radiant heat, directional illumination and aesthetic appearance."
The discount is available on purchases made Sept. 1 through Dec. 31 or until funds are depleted, the AEP release said.
According to the release, the AEP Ohio ENERGY STAR LED Pilot Program is part of the gridSMART initiative offered by the utility to help its residential customers use less energy, lower energy costs, conserve natural resources and protect the environment.
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