All Questions
2,002
questions
-2
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0
answers
14
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CO2, Climate, and Overpopulation [closed]
Why is CO2, at 0.05% of the atmosphere reacting to a narrow band of the solar spectrum, so significant when water vapor at 10% reacting to the whole spectrum, along with other warming factors, isn't ...
2
votes
0
answers
18
views
Why has road freight got less efficent in recent years?
The UK government publishes energy use statistics, and this includes energy efficiency of various sectors. Most sectors have managed to increase efficiency over the last 3 decades, for example road ...
- 156
0
votes
0
answers
12
views
Budget stand for an IBC (1m or higher)
I have some IBC's to be used for rainwater storage - but I want to elevate them so I can water directly from them with a hose.
Has anyone got any cunning/clever ideas on how to elevate them at minimum ...
- 131
4
votes
1
answer
28
views
For airlines that have "vowed to offer carbon-neutral flights" how do they say they plan to actually make some flights demonstrably carbon-neutral?
CNN's June 20, 2022 Boeing unveils new 777 'ecoDemonstrator' test jet includes the following sentence near the end:
Many airlines have already vowed to offer carbon-neutral flights and explore ...
- 297
3
votes
3
answers
69
views
How to start sustainable living in UAE?
I live in UAE. Here government has started few initiatives recently but I think there is far way to go. I am trying to be more thoughtful for the things I use but It is very difficult as whatever the ...
- 151
1
vote
1
answer
33
views
Can you replace chemical fertilizers with organic ones in a way that doesn't compromise food security?
Environmentalists advise us against chemical fertilizers and tell us to use organic alternatives instead. Sri Lanka tried to do that, and now its economy is in a total shambles (not only because of ...
- 1,371
1
vote
2
answers
88
views
Can you live in a Caravan for a long term? permanently?
To stay mobile, and also avoid the expensive cost of rent, can you live in a Caravan for a long term? or even permanently?
- 111
2
votes
1
answer
46
views
Can a compact compost heat recovery system reduce the usage of fossil fuels on household heating?
Two months ago I made a post asking about Compost Heat Recovery System designs that are compact enough for household usage.
Though I got no answers from that post, I managed to develop a prototype ...
- 41
1
vote
2
answers
114
views
Why not use condensate from a split-unit air conditioner to improve cooling efficiency?
This is bugging me to the point that it almost enrages me.
A split-unit air conditioner would typically cause condensate to form in the indoor unit. This water can be simply drained with gravity ...
- 261
1
vote
1
answer
48
views
How to use solar power with grid backup without net metering
So here is my situation. I am using a lot of electricity out of a couple specific outlets, 24/7. I want to install some solar panels, an inverter, and have these outlets (or possibly the whole house ...
- 11
1
vote
1
answer
51
views
how to normalize all the LCA impacts?
How to normalize all the LCA impacts? For example, if I want to compare them in percentage, I would need all of them to be in the same unit. But I don't know how can I change all different units to kg ...
- 11
7
votes
2
answers
70
views
Building/improving continental trains to replace intra-continent flights?
As the climate change emergency is high, I am wondering whether long-range train service across countries of same continents are being built to limit as much as possible flights (and cars) which are ...
- 266
2
votes
1
answer
50
views
What type of bin liner is best for waste heading to landfill?
I found myself recently needing to purchase something to line my waste/landfill bins with. Up until now, I've been relying on a tub of single-use plastic bags that I've collected over the years, but ...
- 1,174
3
votes
2
answers
62
views
How does the S&P 500 ESG Index actually rank companies?
I hadn't known about the S&P 500 ESG Index until today's news that Tesla was delisted from it. Can someone help me understand how S&P actually ranks companies for the Index? Is it objective? ...
- 297
0
votes
1
answer
38
views
Software engineering to aid the environment? [duplicate]
As a software engineer and advocate for sustainability I'd love to take my discipline and make a positive impact e.g. monitoring sun levels and raising blinds to tune the interior temperature etc.
...
- 101
0
votes
0
answers
35
views
Combining an air-water heat pump and a solar water heater
I am about to start renovating my new place (which is most of an old rowhouse, attic included). Climate zone Cfb, latitude 49° N.
I will almost certainly change the current heating source (an old gas-...
- 121
2
votes
2
answers
70
views
What materials to use indoors to absorb sunlight and store it as heat?
(Also asked in Engineering Stack Exchange)
I'm buying a new place in the northern hemisphere (49° N) with lots of southern (or rather SES) exposure. I'm putting quite a bit of thought (together with ...
- 121
0
votes
2
answers
53
views
Why do the UK and US EPA electricity emissions factors differ?
I'm building an open source climate accounting application, and I'm looking for emissions factors of electricity generation for the same country from two different data sets. There is data from both ...
- 109
4
votes
2
answers
91
views
Is it more energy efficient to ventilate a home with an HRV/ERV or “shock-ventilation”?
In a reasonably cold climate like Hamburg, Germany where the standard practice is to open all your windows in the winter for up to 20 minutes once a day to ventilate your home (Stoßlüften or “shock-...
- 141
1
vote
1
answer
67
views
How much energy would it save to park cars in the shade in summer?
tl;dr: Cars get hot in the sun and it takes a lot of energy to cool them off. But most car trips are short, so the cars may not even get cool during that time. If they were parked in the shade, they ...
- 11.2k
2
votes
0
answers
61
views
What are the benefits of clover instead of grass lawns?
I want to convince my neighbors on the idea of adopting a (white) clover lawn.
drought-tolerant green ground cover that uses less water
fixes nitrogen from the air for better soil and chokes out ...
- 151
2
votes
1
answer
45
views
Solutions to increase roof insulation with raised tie trusses
My house has raised tie trusses:
This means that on the second floor the central part of the ceiling is flat, but near the long walls it is slanted. The trusses are 2x6 timber construction, meaning ...
- 11.2k
1
vote
0
answers
38
views
Technical details The Rockefeller Foundation provides to justify a projected 15 cents/kWh for rural solar mini- and micro-grid solutions at scale?
In CNN's April 25, 2022 Hear bold new idea to bring clean energy to billions journalist Fareed Zakaria interviews Dr. Rajiv Shah, the President of The Rockefeller Foundation. Here is a bit of the ...
- 297
1
vote
1
answer
42
views
What is the most climate friendly way to travel from Copenhagen to Atlanta?
I will soon be going to Atlanta, GA, USA from Copenhagen, DK, and I would like know which of the following opportunities you think is the most climate-friendly way to travel:
Flying from CPH to ...
3
votes
1
answer
49
views
Cost analysis of changing cow diet to lower methane emissions
Methane emissions by livestock are responsible for 14.5% of the global emissions. The number can be actually higher considering that methane is 84 times more potent than CO2 in a 20-year span. ...
- 133
2
votes
1
answer
40
views
When this label is used, can you recycle the carton's cap?
Usually, when recycling, I see cartons with labels saying to "empty and replace cap." However, labels such as the following lack such a notice:
When placing the carton in the recycle ...
The Editor
0
votes
0
answers
17
views
How to gravity feed differently sized rain collection tanks at equal rates?
I recently purchased two 300 gallon tanks to supplement my existing two 55 gallon barrels, allowing me to do some more legitimate rainwater harvesting. I've been really intrigued by manifold system ...
1
vote
1
answer
62
views
Renewable energy gravity storage
How would you calculate the gravimetric & volumetric energy density of a gravity based system like Energy Vault ?
3
votes
2
answers
68
views
Is vermicomposting our food rubbish sustainable in term of climate change?
I'm a fan of indoor, cold, worm composting (vermicomposting) to reduce my rubbish. This uses a box with many worms that eat your vegetable remains in a very efficient way, without any odor, and ...
- 266
4
votes
1
answer
87
views
Wind farms using advanced technology (radar, AI, tracking) to shut down wind farm turbines when risks are highest for migratory and endangered birds?
In the recent NPR Fresh Air podcast The Extraordinary Lives Of Migratory Birds
Author Scott Weidensaul talks about the millions of birds flying unseen over our heads in the night sky, how the bar-...
- 297
2
votes
0
answers
51
views
Is there any efficient and small-scale compost heat recovery(CHR) system?
I want to develop a system mainly based on compost heat recovery technology.
Much research has already been in the past years and some good DIY designs established for farms to warm greenhouses. But ...
- 41
1
vote
1
answer
25
views
Does painting an aluminum heat reflector make it useless?
I've placed aluminum heat reflectors on walls, behind radiators. As the reflectors were quite visible I've painted them the same color as the walls. Now I'm not sure it was a good idea. Do they still ...
- 113
1
vote
2
answers
50
views
How is the recycling of renewables not a huge pressing issue?
I don't seem to see a whole lot of discussions pertaining to the recycling of renewables which looks to be a huge issue.
Turbine blades are near impossible to recycle.
Solar panels are equally bad.
My ...
2
votes
1
answer
18
views
Does battery state-of-charge affect regenerative braking in electric vehicles?
Most battery-electric vehicles support regenerative braking, where energy is sent back into the battery. Does the battery state-of-charge (percentage charged) affect how much energy is recovered in ...
Nic♦
- 2,739
2
votes
2
answers
55
views
What's the most carbon efficient format for videos on YouTube?
I want to upload a video on YouTube and was wondering what file format would be best if I want to minimize carbon emissions?
Google says all emissions of its services are offset, so let's assume ...
- 14k
2
votes
0
answers
27
views
Amount of distributed generation installed capacity?
Since there are no data available (I didn't find anything regarding that :( ) I was trying to estimate the amount of distributed generation installed in the European electric grid. To do so, I thought ...
Samuele Benito Di Gioia
1
vote
0
answers
46
views
How to treat rainwater for indoor use?
I'd like to maximize rainwater reuse in my household. I want to wash the dishes and take a bath/shower with the water, as well as supply a washing machine with it. Wikipedia states, that acid rain is ...
- 151
2
votes
2
answers
53
views
What is the potential for a used car market for EVs?
In the 1970s, my dad bought a new Mazda sports car on a payment plan. About a year later he happened to see what the same model was selling for, and realized that he still owed more money than the car ...
- 11.2k
2
votes
0
answers
43
views
Environmentally friendly or DIY dog waste digester solution?
Last year, I made a backyard dog poop composter (like this one). This way we keep dog poop and bags out of the landfill.
The problem is, it's filling up faster than than it's breaking down. I've been ...
- 11.2k
1
vote
0
answers
49
views
Tradeoffs between wind turbines and tethered kites for offshore wind power? How to decide which is better for a given site?
Wind turbines are a mature technology for offshore harvesting of wind power. They can manage themselves in variable wind speed and shut down safely when it gets too strong. The largest systems have ...
- 297
1
vote
0
answers
28
views
How much polysilcon is required to make 1GW of solar modules? [closed]
Could anyone give me a good anwser here, even an approximation?
- 11
0
votes
1
answer
65
views
A venue to ongoingly "storm" alternatives to milk bags?
Canada uses 1.3L bags to deliver milk. Each set of 3 such bags are enclose in another bag. It results in incomprehensible volumes of waste.
I searched the internet to see why we haven't found a ...
- 147
0
votes
0
answers
27
views
Waste water management on a new permaculture site with food forest - is this layout sensible?
I have a rather unusual setup.
I have a parcel of land that is just under 2 acres. The land is in the shape of a parallelogram, and runs lengthwise (roughly 160 meters), in the N/W to S/E direction.
...
1
vote
1
answer
56
views
Flying vs heating and cooling
In some regions, summer is cool and there's little use of air conditioning. In other regions, winter is mild and there's little use of heating.
Suppose a household adopted the practice of flying ...
- 113
1
vote
2
answers
136
views
Is anyone developing direct carbon capture for home HVAC system based on natural gas?
I live in Minnesota and I am concerned about my carbon footprint. I know that heating and cooling are large contributors to emissions globally.
This video from the excellent Youtube channel Technology ...
- 11
2
votes
2
answers
69
views
When did plastics become regarded as bad for the environment?
When did plastics become regarded as bad for the environment? I would like to have some valid references.
- 121
3
votes
1
answer
69
views
Motor oil and environment
I often read, that leaking motor oil is a major risk for the environment. It is also often said, that motor oil leakages can endanger the drinking water supply for communities. So what exactly are the ...
- 133
2
votes
1
answer
54
views
Aeroponics system on a rooftop in the tropics - what could go wrong?
I have recently come across aeroponics - and I am considering using it to grow plants on a rooftop - in a tropical country.
All of the videos I have seen online (or articles I have read), seem to be ...
2
votes
2
answers
98
views
Can oil be used as a fuel source without contributing to global climate change?
I just posted this other question regarding oil, and as a follow-up, I would like to ask if oil can be used as a fuel source for energy without contributing to global climate change?
2
votes
3
answers
617
views
Is oil actually a renewable and sustainable resource, but we just use much too much of it?
Wouldn't it be great if we could just drill into the ground and find pools of a natural energy source? Sure. Well, that's oil.
Oil is generally considered a non-renewable resource. But if humans ...