8
votes
Can I recycle greasy metal in the US?
Scrap metals are not cleaned, they are melted. For steel; Zn, Sn, Pb, and others vaporize or oxidize. The most problematic is Zn as the oxide in the slag can deteriorate the refractory. Aluminum is ...
- 504
7
votes
Is there no such thing as "pant" in the USA or outside some European countries?
A more general term for this system, with a detailed English wikipedia article, is container deposit. Such programs currently exist in 10 U.S. states (representing about 27% of the total population) ...
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6
votes
Where can I recycle #81 composite materials?
According to this list on Wikipedia, #81 is paper and plastic composite.
When it comes to recycling, you have two options:
Go to the website of your county or city recycling agency to see if they ...
- 11.3k
6
votes
Accepted
Can I recycle greasy metal in the US?
Oh, that's really not a problem.
Recycling metal involves pre-processing. They are concerned with contaminants like paint and plating getting into the batch. What they use to remove paint and ...
3
votes
Accepted
Is the natural gas sold to other countries by Russia produced in a more environmentally detrimental way than the natural gas sold by the US? How? Why?
Generally, yes; but difficult to quantify. Environment and safety have lower priorities in Russia ( and other countries) than in the west.As an example I remember touring a Russian steel mill with no ...
- 504
3
votes
Accepted
Are there long-distance water pipelines emanating from the North American Great Lakes region? Why or why not?
I can provide an answer for the first part of the question: No new water diversions out of the Great Lakes region are allowed.
Great Lakes water agreement
The 2005 Great Lakes–Saint Lawrence River ...
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3
votes
Why is the per capita CO2 emissions so much higher in Wyoming than in the Northeast?
tl;dr - Comparing Wyoming to, say, New York, the largest source of CO2 emissions in both states is the power sector. Wyoming uses mostly coal for power, which emits more CO2 per kWh generated than any ...
- 11.3k
3
votes
What is the % of energy produced per year which is renewable energy (including hydropower, biomass, ...) in the U.S. and in the whole world?
Summary
No, the USA is nowhere near the top of the rankings for renewables as a proportion of supply, either on an all-energy supply (where it was 91st out of 141 countries in 2012) or an electricity-...
- 14.6k
2
votes
Accepted
When are manufacturers required to mark products and packaging with recycling codes?
I can’t find proof in any legal documentation, but I did find several documents online that say that 39 US states require a SPI code (or Resin Identification Code or RIC as it is also called) on ...
- 14.1k
2
votes
Where can I recycle #81 composite materials?
Try Terracycle, look on their website as they recycle hard to recycle items and have a mixture of paid for and free schemes.
- 21
2
votes
Where can I recycle plastic caps in the US?
Most cities do not want you to put both the plastic bottle and its plastic cap together in the recycling bin. One reason for this is the two items are usually made of different types of plastic ...
- 171
2
votes
If everyone had an 'American carbon footprint', how much would the world's temperatures increase?
If every citizen in the world had an average carbon footprint of 16.1 Mg (1 Mg = 1 metric ton) per year, the global average temperature would likely rise more than 6.0º C by 2050.
However, there are ...
Nic♦
- 2,749
2
votes
Accepted
Where in the US water system does most chilling occur?
Nutshell answer: Residential use: nil.
Commercial use: Significant. Any reasonably large building has a larger problem getting rid of extra heat compared to heating. All those lights and photo-...
- 7,009
2
votes
Accepted
Renting solar panels in another state
http://www.yeloha.com/ does this. Since I need 30 characters to post, let me add that I'm not 100% sure they serve customers in PA, yet.
- 36
2
votes
Accepted
Most energy-efficient way to keep my pipes from freezing without tearing up walls/floor?
Leave the faucet open at a trickle. From Consumer Reports:
Let the cold water drip from a faucet served by exposed pipes. Running water through the pipe—even at a trickle—helps prevent pipes from ...
- 11.3k
2
votes
Accepted
Most efficient cheap heating system for small apartment in the US midwest?
I'll assume for now the earlier answer on indoor heating systems that you linked remains correct, and address two other points.
Heat pump efficiency and temperature
Engineering toolbox provides a ...
- 11.3k
2
votes
Accepted
Embodied energy of tap water
Check the TRM for recent, state-specific data
Illinois (and probably other states) now requires energy efficiency programs to estimate the energy impact of water supply and discharge -- in Illinois, ...
- 11.3k
2
votes
Accepted
Why do the best energy star freezers have higher capacity and lower rated power consumption than the best refrigerators?
Although it seems logical that a refrigerator would be more efficient since it doesn't have to keep things as cold, there are a few different factors affecting real-world performance.
Freezers are ...
- 11.3k
2
votes
Accepted
Understanding the relation between MTCE & MTCO2E
To convert from MTCE to MTCO2E, divide by 12/44
The difference between MTCE and MTCO2E is a function of the number of carbon atoms in each molecule of the greenhouse gases included in the inventory. ...
- 11.3k
1
vote
Grid tied inverters that work during power outages
I'd like to find a way to have my array work when I need it most!
You'll need to invest in a home battery bank. These batteries are built to simulate grid-like conditions by providing a constant ...
- 1,173
1
vote
Accepted
How to keep my tankless water heater safe in a cold room?
Since the water heater is not on an exterior wall, it is likely that the pipes you mention which do pass through the exterior wall would freeze before pipes inside the heater do. This would cause ...
- 11.3k
1
vote
Why is the per capita CO2 emissions so much higher in Wyoming than in the Northeast?
Good answer elsewhere that points out that Wyoming generates and exports a lot of coal source power, which badly skews the data.
But let's just look at the more general question: Why does a Wyoming ...
- 7,009
1
vote
Renting solar panels in another state
Living in PA you should consider solar thermal and bio-mass for your energy needs.
Solar thermal panels such as the evacuated tube type systems and bio-mass boilers will offer you the best home ...
- 496
1
vote
Options to suggest to landlord for cost savings via renewable energy?
You asked this question a while ago so not sure if you still need an answer, but I used to live in Silver Spring, MD, so the question caught my eye. If you're in Montgomery County or Prince George's, ...
- 11.3k
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