Ask Almost-Doctor Dan: Getting The Green Light?
It’s October 15th and that means we’re back to share some earth friendly info courtesy of Almost-Doctor Dan for Blog Action Day 2009 (click here for more details on the big event). Since we consistently cover ways to live greener and give back to the planet (we have an entire section devoted to Eco Living on our How To page) this little online event seemed to fit right in, but we really wanted to go beyond ever-present eco encouragement like “use CFLs!” and “don’t forget to recycle!” (which are both great suggestions, they’re just a bit tried and true). So we looked no further than my brainy scientist brother to see what sorts of things came to mind on the subject of energy and how to conserve it (along with your hard-earned cash of course).
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the genius that is my brother (growing up in his shadow was tough but I survived), here’s a brief synopsis of his brain power: we introduced him here (and revisited his giant brain here and here), basically he went to Cornell and graduated with the highest GPA of his entire graduating class (a 4.21 if you’re wondering). Yup, out of all of the kids in Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, he was the Valedictorian. Yeah, he’s brainy. Now he’s a graduate student at Columbia with a Master’s degree under his belt, steadily working his way up to his Doctorate in chemistry with a full scholarship from the National Science Foundation. Not only do they pay for his education but they actually pay him a stipend for rent and food- all in return for wearing a lab coat almost 24/7 and messing around with molecules and polymers all day. Sweet deal huh? Serious Einstein stuff going on.
So we thought he was definitely up for the task of bringing something new to the table when it comes to saving energy and explaining the science behind his suggestions. And he didn’t let us down! In fact a lot of his save-energy strategies will also simplify your life and save your moolah. What’s not to love? Here’s what Almost-Doctor Dan had to say on the subject:
Tip #1: Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius, regardless of how fast it is boiling (changes in altitude or substances like salts or sugar dissolved in the water have a slight impact on this, but it’s really quite small). Every time you make pasta, hard-boiled eggs, corn on the cob or anything that requires boiling water, the food cooks at exactly the same rate whether the water is at a rapid, rolling boil or just a simmering boil. Most people aren’t aware of this and waste a lot of gas/electricity converting water to steam without cooking their food any faster (in fact, here’s a usatoday.com article that agrees once water begins to boil, all of the energy being added by the stove goes into turning water into vapor, not into heating the water). In short: a simmering boil should be the goal since you can save substantial gas/electricity by keeping your water from boiling too rapidly (which doesn’t change the time that it takes to cook things at all).
Tip #2: Along a similar vein, the hottest part of a flame is right at its tip. When using gas burners, if your flame has a larger diameter than the pot you are heating, you are wasting most of the heat produced by the flame, since it’s just going around the pot. A smaller flame that is completely under the pot will heat it faster and more efficiently than a larger one that protrudes from underneath. In short: make sure the pot you’re heating doesn’t have flames licking out around it or you can be sure you’re wasting gas and producing unnecessary heat that isn’t doing a thing to whatever’s in the pot.
Tip #3: A lot of people make a big deal about using less AC in the summer to save electricity. In the northeast, anyway, about 5-10 times more energy goes into heating homes in the winter than cooling them in the summer. Think about it – if an average summer day in NYC is 80 degrees and you use your AC to make it 70, you are using enough energy to maintain a ten degree differential between inside and outside. If an average winter night is 30 degrees and you use your heat to make it 70, you are using enough energy to maintain a forty degree differential between the air inside and the air outside (this is actually way more than four times as much energy, since the energy transfer is faster when the differential is larger so you are using exponentially more energy). In short: setting thermostats a few degrees lower in the winter can save a lot of energy/money, and raising it in the summer isn’t a bad idea either.
We also dropped our friend Kristin a line (she’s another Almost-Doctor who’s getting her degree in Germany, first mentioned here) to see what she suggests since this is also something she has studied. Here’s what she had to say on the subject:
At my department, we’re trying to make blue-green algae produce hydrogen by sunlight energy – which would be a great future energy source if we could get it working (no major breakthrough yet, but we’re doing our best). But of course, there are many small things that anyone can do in their everyday life to make a difference without breaking out their lab coats and beakers.
First there are some tips that are quite well-known, just as a little reminder:
- Keep your windows closed and well sealed in the winter
- Consider using a clothesline instead of a dryer (or air drying just a few things a week to cut down)
- Compost kitchen scraps to reduce waste and the need to buy fertilizer
- Install a programmable thermostat to save money and energy
- Plant fruits and vegetables in your garden instead of just flowers
Then there are a few more tips that are directly connected to climate change and greenhouse gas:
- Use furniture from local wood (try to avoid tropical wood such as teak when you can)
- Eat seasonal fruits and vegetables from local farmers
- Eat less meat (cattle produces methane gas when digesting their food, which is a far more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide)
- When it comes time to replace your heating or water system, get informed about energy-saving possibilities which can actually save you money in the long run (you can install a heat exchanger, insulation or solar panels which can be hugely efficient)
And then there are some things that are advertised as eco-friendly but are not – or at least, they’re less earth-conscious than you might think:
- Local (but unseasonal) fruits and vegetables - surprisingly they are not always better than imported ones- I can only speak for Germany, but here scientists calculated that cooling local apples for three months or more actually calls for more energy and thus produces more carbon dioxide than transporting fresh apples from Chile or New Zealand (which don’t have to be cooled for three months). Only when your local vegetables are seasonal can you can be sure they produce as little carbon dioxide as possible.
- Bioethanol, biodiesel or any “biofuel” for your car - many rainforests are cut down to create farmland for corn, oil palm etc. Good future energy sources for cars might be electricity or hydrogen, as both of them can be produced using fossil as well as renewable energy sources, so the same car with the same engine can be used before and after the switch (which means less waste).
- E-recycling - thinking about recycling your computer is a good thing since the metals (aluminum, copper etc) are released from the hardware and reused, reducing energy consumption and thus global warming. However, most e-recycling takes place in India, where millions of people do this work for little money with little or no protection (meaning they literally cook the hardware, releasing not only the metals but also arsenic, lead and other toxic components which poison the workers there as well as the air). I don’t know of an alternative for broken computers, but try to use yours as long as possible (and sell or donate them to people who cannot afford a new one for a much more beneficial take on “recycling”).
In short: Kristin isn’t suggesting that no one eat meat and that everyone get solar panels. But if each of us took one or two tips and subtly worked them into our lives (like enjoying a “meatless Monday dinner of pasta or pizza for example, or letting large items like comforters air-dry instead of running the dryer for hours) we really could save money, live better, and help make a difference. Even remembering to do something as simple as using craigslist or freecycle to give our old electronics a second life or choosing to enjoy the most seasonal fruits and veggies that they have at the store (or the farmer’s market) will make us feel good and do the world some good at the same time. Remember: every little bit counts! And we’d love to know if you guys are doing anything else to help save money and the planet while you’re at it. Do tell!
Psst- if you’re looking to really make a dramatic change, check out this video and take on the no-impact challenge right here. It’s not for everyone, but it certainly is inspiring to hear about how living so simply can be so rewarding!
Last three images found here, here and here.
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Comments
Aw thanks Erica! It’s comments like yours (and Asia and Bethany’s) that make us grin all day long. We know by making our lives public we’ve certainly opened ourselves up to criticism and more than a few probing questions, but blogging is what we love so we wouldn’t rather be doing anything else. And it has taught us to have thicker skin, to write about what we believe in, to respect the opinions of others (after all it’s totally unrealistic of us to expect everyone to agree with us 100% of the time), and to take pleasure in all the kind comments and letters that we receive. Thanks so much for your sweet support!
xo,
Sherry
Now that Vicki brings it up, Sherry I meant to ask you what programmable thermostat you and John have? Or maybe if you’ve heard which brands seem to be the most user-friendly? I remember seeing it in one of your posts but I can’t seem to find it! Now that we’ve turned our heat on, we’d like to buy one so we don’t have to manually turn it up and down every day. Thanks!
(And I hope my previous post didn’t violate your drama-free policy below! Sorry!)
Hey Erica,
Good question! Here’s a post all about how we switched out our thermostat for a new programmable one by Hunter (it wasn’t even that hard!). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Just wanted to compliment you for the grace and respect you give to all readers, no matter their opinions or tone on delivery. Props!
I love the mention of Craigslist in the last paragraph. I stalk the Craigslist pages for weeks if I’m looking for a specific item in particular, until I find just the right thing. We furnished almost our entire apartment from there – second hand – and saved tons of money while doing it too. Once I have time to tidy up the apartment, I’ll be posting pics of it on my blog. I love Craigslist! (also, best time to look is during moving season, or if you live near a college, near move out/move in time)
Sherry and Jon,
I love your blog and really appreciate how respectfully you respond to all your readers. It is a brave thing to expose yourselves to so many! Anyway, I think that these posts although apparently “controversial” at lease get people talking and thinking about the complex issues of climate change and the impact we have on the environment. And although Almost-Dr. Dan doesn’t have the PhD in his hand yet, he deserves props for being so diligent in his work and probably knows so much more about chemicals and their impact on our environment than I could ever hope to fathom! Thanks to you both and Almost-Dr. Dan and Almost-Dr. Kristin for taking the time to entertain and inform us!
Hello John and Sherry (and Almost Doctor Dan and Kristin!), thanks for a fantastic post, yet again! It’s refreshing to see eco-friendly posts that acknowledges that most people are not willing to change the entire way they live their lives, but that changing a few small things will still go a long way. I think sometimes people get scared away from doing “anything” because they’re all of a sudden expected to do “everything”.
It’s also nice to see an eco-friendly post that dares to touch upon the big no-no, that one of the biggest things we can do to be more green is to eat more green, and cut down on our meat consumption. The meat industry puts out more carbon dioxide than our cars do, yet it’s almost never mentioned as a way to change as it’s so cemented in our culture.
Also, well done on handling the drama in the comments, you guys were so polite and understanding, unlike the posters…
Thanks for being you!
I have been wanting to write this for a while. I love your post, and what you are trying to do to repurpose, reuse, etc. There is just an elephant in the room that you have missed, in my opinion. Thankfully you brought it up yourself. Why haven’t you gotten a clothesline yet? Talk about a DIY project on the cheap that will pay for itself in no time! Do you realize that as much as 10% of household energy use comes from electric dryers (no matter what the setting)? The sun will do it for free!
You know that buge ball of lint that you pull out of the dryer everytime you dry a load? That’s your clothing! Wearing away. In countries where electricty is MUCH more expensive (as it will be here in the states very soon), the dryer is a last resort. There are so many ways to dry.
I personally love line drying clothes, gets me outside in the air, the sun naturally sanitizes the clothing. If you can’t line dry–you can still go a long way drying in doors, use your basement, a drying rack, etc. The smell is better than any synthetic smell degtergent companies create.
SO YHL, when will you DIY your clothesline? Seriously, a great thing to do for the environment, that barely costs anything…
There are communities that have HOA that prohibit clothes lines, because they look “poor”. That makes me so angry. Here is a website that is trying to change that attitude.
http://www.laundrylist.org/
Hey Rebecca,
Good point! We actually have an energy star rated high-efficiency washer that spins our clothes so swiftly that that they’re practically dry when they come out of the washer. Plus our dryer has a sensor to stop as soon as it “senses” that the clothes are dry, so often times it’s just 7-10 minutes and everything is warm, fluffy, and completely dry. Our electricity bills have actually been noticeably lower since getting them. That being said, we would definitely be open to going even greener with a clothesline, although we would hate for our new front-loading dryer to go to “waste.” We already lay out things like duvets, comforters, pillows, sweatshirts and jeans to air dry without ever tossing them into the dryer just as Almost-Doctor Kristin suggests, but maybe we’ll start thinking about an actual clothesline. We certainly enjoy composting and collecting free water in our rain barrel so it could be something that we end up loving. We can certainly see how line drying leads to fresh, lovely, and free clothes drying. Thanks so much for your thoughts!
xo,
s
There is definitely a time and place for dryers. Some people can stand scratchy towels, for example and and definitely happens with towels on the line (although notably less so than when we switched to Charlie’s Soap a nice green alternative for laundry detergent), and once if it rains like it did this weekend, or once it gets really cold–it is worth running the dryer.
I don’t have a HE front loading washer, but it is definitely something I am saving for–along with an organic mattress. In this chapter of my life, a new clothesline is much more affordable than the machine. Still taking a nice evening bath, putting on fresh PJs and slipping into a bed with fresh line dried sheets, especially in the fall, is one of the best things in life!
Sorry to go on–it is something I get really passionate about. From my grandmothers clothes pin bag I inherited, with the most incredible clothespins that you can’t find anymore, to the art of how to hang it–I just hope that it won’t become a lost art!
An idea for reusing old computers that no longer work: donate them to a preschool or kindergarten class. We had a “business box” at our school with old keyboards and other items so the kids could play office. This was one of their favorite activities!
so glad someone mentioned trees! i have never had AC even living in pittsburgh’s balmy humid summers–and I have been lucky that every place I have lived in has been surrounded by trees. They were a major factor when I bought my home–definitely don’t need AC and my house is always cooler than the outdoor temp by about 10 degrees in the summer :)
These are really good and useful energy saving and eco-friendly tips. I find that all over the web the same ideas are presented and this post offered some fresh new ideas like the water boiling and buying local, in season fruits and vegetables. Sherry- Your brother has a bright future ahead!! You should encourage him to open up his own blog- I would read it!
Helpful Hint regarding clothes dryers: I use my dryer for towels, sheets, socks, and blankets. All (ahem) undergarments are hung on hangers directly after washing (I have a clothes rod installed in the basement near the washer and dryer, or you could use a portable clothes rod). All shirts, pants, and other clothing are put in the dryer for 5 minutes, just enough to warm them up, then I shake them well and hang them up neatly. I started doing this a while back for two reasons: 1) My fiance kept complaining that his clothes were “shrinking” so this helped him see that it wasn’t the clothes shrinking so much as his waistline growing. 2) It helps me conserve not only the energy I don’t use for a full drying cycle, but it makes the clothes remarkably wrinkle free so you usually don’t have to iron them. (Bonus points for being WAY easier than normal laundry!!)
Marian needs to get a life. There are plenty of us who love your blog even if we don’t agree with everything you post.
as always, thanks YHLers for the tips- even if your readers sometimes take exception with the details, i think all the commenters support the general premise of conservation.
I just wanted to give a huge thumbs up to whole house fans. our house was built in the early 1950s and came with the fan so i dont know what it would cost to install, but it is an absolute life (and $) saver in the hot humid raleigh nc summer and allows us to rely on the AC a lot less. i’m no scientist, but i have good friends that work on building energy efficient buildings and they agree. the other thing they would suggest, and might be good for all your readers w/ different types of houses, hvacs and climates: check and see if your utility provider offers energy audits! in many places they are free- they’ll do a blower test and let you know where you need insulation, what windows are leaking etc. i’m looking forward to getting one soon.
keep up the great work!
Such great tips! Thanks for adding to the conversation Salley!
xo,
Sherry (& John)
Love your blog J & S. I started checking it out a few weeks ago, and I think it’s great :)
I try to do little things like you mentioned to make just a little difference. We close the vent and door to our guest bedroom since we don’t use it that often so it’s one less room we have to fully heat/cool. When we know we’re having someone stay with us, we open the vent and get things circulating in there again.
I also try to cook things in our toaster oven when possible instead of heating the big oven. And, when I use the big oven, I turn off the heat when there is 5-10-15 minutes left (depending on what I’m cooking) and let the food cook with all the heat that’s already in there. In the summer I try to make “cold” foods that don’t require much cooking, so we don’t heat up our house.
Also, for anyone lucky enough to build a new house, if you get a LEED AP (leadership in energy and environmental design accredited professional) architect, or just read up on your own, you can learn the best way to orient your new house, the best location for windows, etc to make your home more energy efficient.
Thanks for all you do for all your readers! (Have you done an update on your mattress? I’m curious on your feedback.)
Well, this solves two arguments I had recently with my husband (faster boiling and higher gas stove). He won…both of them! Maybe I’ll get some kisses out of the loss. Here’s to smart brothers, sweet husbands, and green living…:)
Sherry..
I feel so horribly about how so many of the readers have posted negative comments about very basic scientific things..temperature differentials, etc. Your brother wasn’t trying to decipher everyone’s personal heating/cooling system dilemmas.. I have to applaud you for the respectful way that you answered their posts, and I’m not sure (after the second or third response) I would have been so nice.
As for Almost-doctor Dan’s credentials.. As I, too, am almost through my PhD in physiology, I can tell you that researchers do not learn things just ‘from a bench’ point of view. That’s not what we go to school for.. yes, things are tested and designed for ‘the bench’ at times; however, the ideology and theory behind what he is testing..it is from real-life issues. This is the same in any basic science or medical science field.. You learn to test things on the bench at times, but your education isn’t limited to or directed for ‘the bench’.
There are many years worth of education in his brain…
No worries… tell your brother thanks.. Chemistry is not my subject and any tips he can give are greatly appreciated .. :)
Aw thanks Brandi! Your kind words definitely made me smile and I’m sure Almost-Doctor Dan appreciated them as well. And congrats on your almost PhD!
xo,
s
Sherry..
No problem… I hate it that there was any controversy at all.. seriously. I love reading your blog!
Thanks… Hopefully I’ll have an ‘almost’ job soon!
Good luck to your brother.. I have nothing but awe and respect for ‘chemies’.. too much brains for me!! Just looking at a chemistry book stresses me out!
The info about the stove burners was fascinating. I never knew! I agree with your comments about laundry equipment. Big energy savings can be had with the right combination on laundry equipment. The new front-load washers not only use less water, but they do not need hot water AND the spin the clothes out so fast that they come out almost dry.
We then just take those ‘almost dry’ clothes and hang them up on a clothes drying rack indoors or out (depending on the season).
Clean dry laundry with very little water usage and great energy savings!
I’m an engineer and I think a few points about heat transfer might add to the discussion here. Heat can transfer by conduction (touching), convection (swirling fluids such as air or water), or radiation (infrared energy moving through the air – not touching).
Sunlight brings lots of heat onto your house by radiation, and then it’s conducted through the walls, so the temperature differential between indoor and outdoor air is not the only factor to consider. But Dan’s simplification is valid and important to point out – it’s easier to maintain a smaller differential, which in VA means summer.
A word about heat pumps – they are a very efficient way to heat a house, because they use energy to move heat from the outside to the inside, just the opposite of an a/c or a fridge. With gas heat, you have to get the full amount of thermal energy by converting it from stored chemical energy, i.e. by burning an energy-equivalent amount of gas. With electrical resistance heaters (hot wires like some space heaters), they are 100% efficient in that all the electrical energy becomes thermal energy, but they require more total energy input. Heat pumps instead use a refrigerant to absorb heat from the outside and release it inside in a warmer space. Because this is counter to the second law of thermodynamics (heat flows from the hot thing to the cold thing), it requires energy to move the refrigerant through its cycle and thereby transfer the heat. But it’s harnessing the heat in the (cold winter) air, so it’s more efficient overall! Heat pumps only work down to maybe 20°F outside, so Virginia is about as far north as they’re reliable (and they have gas or electric-resistance backups).
For the person who asked about the thermostat – I’ve read that heat pumps perform better if the thermostat is kept at a constant temperature, while a/c and other forms of heat save energy if they’re turned down until an hour before they’re needed.
Finally about the boiling water – just for the sake of discussion – what about the change in convection? Convection is the main form of heat transfer in cooking (except pizza/conduction and broiling/radiation). A rolling boil will keep more water and vapor moving past the food, providing better convection due to (a) the marginally hotter water because it loses less heat as it passes by faster (greater temp diff = greater heat transfer) and also there will be more vapor which has higher energy than liquid water at the same temp, and (b) the speed of fluid flow which affects the coefficient of convection (a totally complicated factor in the equation that you pretty much have to empirically determine). But faster fluid flow improves heat transfer, and going from laminar flow to turbulent greatly increases the coefficient of convection – in fact that might be the biggest factor. Given all of that, as an engineer I wouldn’t bet money that a simmering-boil pot and a rolling-boil pot would cook the same over many trials. I’d like to see a controlled experiment before I’d be convinced. Actually, given the laminar/turbulent info, I’d bet a small sum on the rolling boil to win.
John and Sherry, you keep on with your more sciencey thoughtful blog posts. Who doesn’t love a little geeky discussion in with their design?
P.S. Here’s a link to a fun song about the first and second laws of thermodynamics. This video is the audio recording with pictures of Star Wars for some reason.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cb2kBFqrZx8
Heat won’t pass from a cooler to a hotter
You can try it if you like but you’d far better notta
Cause the cold in the cooler will get hotter as a rula
Because the hotter body’s heat will pass to the cooler
Unless you add energy to move a refrigeration cycle, which is the closest thing to a miracle science can make, and the whole reason Virginia summers are bearable. :-)
Thanks for your expertise Melissa! Interesting and entertaining!
xo,
s (& j)
I’m with Asia and Bethany.
I think its incredible that you allow people into your home and share things with us that most people would consider private. I feel like sometimes we can all get a little greedy (myself included), its almost like what you give us is never enough and we’re always wanting more from you guys. Yet every time, you guys pull through with more house details, responses to criticisms about why you did this and not that, answers about your personal life and about why you wear your hair in a pony tail or when you’re having a baby. Geez, I can’t imagine getting all that thrown at me!
It makes me mad that people jump all over your case for something so ridiculous, especially after all you’ve done for us readers…weekly freebies, layouts of your home, DIY videos, etc. I truly appreciate what you do and I’m glad you don’t let people ruffle your feathers too easily!