Search for environment in Topics

Question about solar cells. Since solar panels are encased in glass or polycarbonate, does exposure to the elements degrade solar cells? And if so, in what fashion? Corrosion of the traces? water infiltration? etc. etc? Or is it a matter of the fragility of the cells?

I'm building an aeroponics system from scratch. When I water my roots in bursts of 3 to 5 minutes how can I be sure that the environment stays moist while I am away, I don't want the roots on my capsicum annuum to dry out. Is there anything I can line my 4" PVC tube with to keep it damp inside but without using soil or any geological material or perhaps and organic material that wont damage the cycle? Is this what aggregate is used for?

Well I just submitted my first instructable under the new organization, it may be my last. There doesn't seem to be a "category" or "channel" or whatever silly thing that covers things like environmental science or alternative power source or most of the 20+ instructables I have posted. Anybody else feeling left out? Since I must now apparently put in mandatory keywords for community posts I used the keyword "unhappy author"...

I'm part of a "Technology Battle Royale" that will be hosted by the Ninja from "Ask A Ninja." One of the questions for this event is "How can we better use technology to preserve the environment?"Yes, I know this sounds ridiculous, and it is. More links once the website is live.In the meantime, what do you think? Help me answer the question. This is the second of two questions for this week, the first is here.Edit:The battle site is now live here: http://www.fmbattleroyale.comDisclosure: The FM site is being sponsored by Toshiba, who is also an advertiser on Instructables.

How much percentage of oxygen a plant produce in one day ? my project is here https://www.instructables.com/id/recyclereuse-gardening/

I have an old refrigerator which still works on CFC's, and I need it's pump. How can I remove it witout releasing the CFC's inside?

Is the American attention span that short?  Just because Circle K promotes a "no sweat cup" as a connivence, does that mean we NEED to use Styrofoam? Is OK to do so because this is a "new type" of Styrofoam? As usual, I'm confused!

The cover story of WIRED this month has been published online and you can read their 10 "heresies" about the environment. They're clearly trying to shake things up by telling people stuff that sounds so wrong, but is obviously right according to them.The gist of WIRED's philosophy is that it's all about the carbon dioxide emissions and that every discussion should be framed entirely by this. After that setup, each article is a quick hit against some supposedly sacred cow.The full list of articles is below and here's a response from ecogeek that continues the discussion. So what do you think?Live in Cities: Urban Living Is Kinder to the Planet Than the Suburban LifestyleA/C Is OK: Air-Conditioning Actually Emits Less C02 Than HeatingOrganics Are Not the Answer: Surprise! Conventional Agriculture Can Be Easier on the PlanetFarm the Forests: Old-Growth Forests Can Actually Contribute to Global WarmingChina Is the Solution: The People's Republic Leads the Way in Alternative-Energy HardwareAccept Genetic Engineering: Superefficient Frankencrops Could Put a Real Dent in Greenhouse Gas EmissionsCarbon Trading Doesn't Work: Carbon Credits Were a Great Idea, But the Benefits Are IllusoryEmbrace Nuclear Power: Face It. Nukes Are the Most Climate-Friendly Industrial-Scale Form of EnergyUsed Cars - Not Hybrids: Don't Buy That New Prius! Test-Drive a Used Car InsteadPrepare for the Worst: Climate Change Is Inevitable. Get Used to ItCounterpoint: Dangers of Focusing Solely on Climate Change

About a year or so, I remember hearing about a kid who used certain bacteria to break down plastics at a very rapid pace. Does anybody know any specifics as to what bacteria or setup this kid used?

Paving the ecology foundation for our future generations… With technology advancement, population explosion and improved living standard come environmental issues: 1. Excessive unmanaged waste; 2. Increased water and air pollutions; and 3. Great resources and energy consumption .. Is this the world we want to leave it for our children to inherit? Follow me to learn more

Hi everyone! I have this question related to water and its lowest temperature when it's liquid. Our professor told us that 4 is the lowest degree water can reach before coming ice, not 0, 1, 2, or even 3. Could anyone please tell me what's so special about this temperature and how did scientists reach this conclusion and based on what. I really appreciate your help!

Every year to winterize my pool I lower the water level below the skimmer by pumping water out of the pool.  Since I switched to salt, this means I will be pumping about 120kg of salt out as well which I would like to save for economic and environmental reasons. How do I drop the water level but retain the salt in the remaining water in the pool? Reverse Osmosis? Large black tarp that will allow evaporation of the water and trap the salt? Get creative.

WipeCarbon campaign designed to kick-start a million pledges from all of us which will reduce emissions of Carbon and help us to reduce the side effects in Global Warming. We are not looking for anything life changing here. Small commitments will not cost you a cent but they will make a big difference! How much does it cost to switch off your lights when you’re not using them? Or to switch off your electronics when they are not in use? These are just some of the small habits which we hope to inspire. A million of these small commitments is a big impact. Its that simple. Each pledge is one more person who cares about the planet. One more person who thinks before they buy or who considers how to reduce the energy waste in their lives. One more person who knows that global warming will not be solved by a single person but by all of us working together. This is what Wipecarbon is about. Come Let us all share and spread this beautiful message around with our loved ones and make this network a strong foundation for creating this Green Globe . Our initiative will surely make more and more people to drive towards it and take this pledge Million of these commitments will make it a ocean and create a beautiful globe joining hands with us. www.wipecarbon.com

There is project PC Remote Control If you made it let's try to do best controls for our remotes. And share your *.GML files here

I'm sort of confused about carbon neutrality and it's impact on our environment. I feel like I'm over thinking it, but could someone explain to me what exactly makes a carbon neutral fuel clean? If it's clean burning at all? I'm interested in making biofuels specifically algae fuel, and this is a term that keeps popping up.

I have found a lot of cool codes online such as pov and piezo element projects, but I have no idea how to put the code into the environment! Any help? (I mean like can I copy and paste it or something?)

Check out the results from the Go Green! contest. Lots of fabulous entries with great suggestions for turning your home, vehicle, work, and life a bit greener.

Hey everyone, I'm a 21 year old female college student from Kansas, I just got laid off in December, and looking to move soon to the McKinney, Texas area. I'm currently working on my associate's degree, then I plan on transferring to UT-Dallas next spring semester to major in Business. My unemployment from Kansas ends in June, at which point I plan on moving permanently to Texas. I'm trying to take this opportunity to find something new and branch out, I've really been wondering if there are any "green" jobs out there that would be willing to give me a shot...I'm kind of a blank canvas, but I guarantee you I'm a hard worker, and I can learn fast. The environment is important to me, and I think there is huge potential in the "green" market. I would love to help you/your business and also be able to find a full time job...if you, or anyone you know might have something in mind, please contact me... 316-519-0578. -Lita :)

Saving the planet and saving money, all while getting to where you need to go? The secret: green transportation. These Instructables show you how to travel to your next destination in a more environmentally-friendly way. Solar Powered Tricycle This solar-powered trike, a Judges' Prize winner of the Park Tool Bike Month Contest and a Second Prize Winner of the Discover Green Science Fair Contest, can go short distances without emitting any pollutants and never needs to be plugged in.   Electric Motorcycle If you want to convert an existing motorcycle into an electrically-powered one, you can try this 96-volt version--or you could opt for a different 72-volt model. Electric Scooter Upgrade Superpower a small electric scooter into a fast, furious traveling machine with this detailed power upgrade. Green Helmet Green transportation doesn't have to be limited to your vehicle: this LED, all-weather helmet runs on solar power. Bike Generator Biking is already a great way to travel, but it can be even more green if your bike lights are powered by your wheels as you move. Biodiesel Processor Instead of traditional fuel, biodiesel reuses waste oil and turns it into diesel. This biodiesel processor will help you successfully make your own biodiesel. And, of course, you can always create a new way (and Instructable) to travel without hurting the environment.

This is one of the coolest environmental action websites I have seen. So help keep our air clean and the EPA in check by signing the petition. http://www.adoptthesky.org/From treehugger.com:The website encourages people to "adopt the sky" by signing a petition that assigns them to a virtual square-mile of sky over one of many dirty areas in the country. The interface screen resembles a foggy sky with little floating air molecules representing the names, home and adopted state locations and messages of users who've signed onto the petition.Read the full article here:http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/07/adopt_the_sky.php

The SciStarter Citizen Science Contest is live! This is your opportunity to help millions of citizen scientists contribute to real scientific discovery. Make their experiences better by coming up with solutions to some real annoyances that hinder their participation. To get you started, here is a specific--and very real--challenge sent to us by project organizers. HELP PARTICIPANTS SUBMIT THEIR DATA Background: Project BudBurst engages the public in making careful observations of phenophases, such as first leafing, first flower, and first fruit ripening. Scientists compare this valuable environmental information to historical records and learn about the prevailing climatic characteristics in a region over time. The Problem: Prospective and current volunteers are often unsure if they have correctly identified plants and phenophases. This may lead to them not submit the data they've collected. Other volunteers simply forget to add their data. The Challenge: Find a way to encourage and remind participants to submit data after making field observations. Enter now! Contest closes January 21, 2013

Oh please help me decide( and more importantly convince my buzz word influenced wife), I want to replace my current hot water heater, there's nothing wrong with the current one other than being 18 years old, meaning it's a ticking time bomb waiting to flood my house. So anyways, the local gas concern has partnered with local contracters Tankless install $25 a month of 60 months, minimum spec heater, does not include expensive, required stainless steel venting. $450 rebate Tank heater 40 gallon install $10 a month sixty months, includes venting $350 rebate Now the no brainer, my gas bill is averaged at $41 a month, $30 is actual gas charges, Now, the tankless claims to save "up to 50%" which is marketing speak for "does not save 50%" but let's say it does, I would save $15 a month, the difference between the cost of the tankless versus the tank, so it would be 54 months before I started saving money. And since we plan on "upgrading" to a new house before five years (when I've graduated), I will never see those savings. Guess I really should get the tank heater, what do you think?

I have been thinking a long time about the biotic pump theory but I still don't understand it.  The math is too hard for me.   BUT it got me to thinking.   It is a point of major dispute in the meteorological world.   Does condensation cause low pressure?  2 russian nuclear physicists say yes,  almost everyone else says no!   So,  I thought and thought and thought.  Now I think I have a simple enough explanation And yes, they may not necessarily cause low pressure under the cloud (probably do)  but they definitely suck in air from elsewhere.  Imagine a fleet of huge doughnut shaped dirigible airships. They are sitting at 10,000 ft just floating there.   Now the commander tells everyone that they must now fly at 5000 ft.   So they turn on their propellers (in the hole in the doughnut) and drop down to 5000 ft by propelling air up  through the hole.   Now staying at 5000 ft is achieved by running the propellers at just fast enough.  So at 5000 ft they are pumping air from under the doughnuts to above them.   Now imagine a cumulus cloud.  Even though it is not fixed in size or shape and it does not have a propeller,  it is doing the exact same thing.  Air is being pumped up the middle and the clouds are sitting lower in the sky than they "should",  because they are sending that column of air up into the sky.   Here is my video to explain it visually.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPO8dWm_GIg

Via The Sietch BlogIf I asked you if giving up your car and plane travel (permanently) was a sensible solution to global warming, most people of adult age (lets say 20+) would have a hard time doing that. However the next generation, the ones who are really going to be screwed by the ill effects of the global climate crisis see things a little differently."new generation of green teenagers are prepared to support radical measures to help the planet, says a new study.A survey of 16- to 19-year-olds by the Future Foundation found more than one in eight (13%) supported a ban on travelling by air for leisure purposes, while one in 10 say they would back a ban on cars if global warming continues to worsen.Almost 10% even say they would be prepared to take part in guerrilla activities carried out by environmental groups.Meanwhile others - primarily girls - are so eco-conscious they have developed a whole new strand of teen insecurity: "green angst", defined as anxiety about one's eco credentials. Others said environmental awareness even influences their choice of friends and partners.The report was conducted on behalf of the National Lottery to inform funding of environmental projects."It might sound like these kids have lost their minds, supporting guerrilla organizations?! But when you consider the kind of world they are going to inherit it makes perfect sense. If you knew that your parents generation was going to leave you a doomed world, you might be a little pissed. No one wants to grow up to inhabit a mad max movie.According to the study released today by The National Lottery (UK organization), half of 16-19 year olds (50 per cent) want plastic bags banned completely, 71 per cent think that unnecessary packaging on food should go, and 13% per cent want a ban on traveling by plane for leisure purposes. While a quarter (24 per cent) think there should be increases on the taxes and tolls affecting cars, one in ten is prepared to go even further and would support a complete ban on cars if global warming continues to get worse.Read more here.

Here are 16 ingenious ways to re-use old products you would normally throw away:http://www.home-designing.com/2008/09/ingeniously-re-used-products

Here's a neat video of bullfrogs clumsily catching prey in gorgeous slow-mo from the Vancouver Aquarium. They point out that amphibians are potentially facing a mass extinction, due to wetland reduction and chemical contamination. (Check out the crazy gender-bending effects of herbicides!)

Sure, it burns hydrogen and expels water (vapor).   IF this became the "car of the future" could we be possibly creating an over abundance of water on the planet (not that WE would notice, but our grandchildren might)?  What are your thoughts on this?  Honda Clarity  

Has anyone ever thought of connecting a compressor from a refrigerator to a wind turbine and making an electricity free AC system for their house? It could be made from all free parts - turbine from barrel (vawt), dead fridge, etc. Please comment

Well I've been conducting a secret social experiment using shopping bags and the environmental topics everywhere as a media for this to happen. Basically my plan was to see if I could affect the decision of whether or not to take a bag when it's not completely necessary, to change the course of decision I used different phrases and tried to get a more accurate measure by choosing the same people that come in for milk or bread each day.The phrases are:'Would you like a bag?''Do you want a bag''Do you need a bag?''Wee bag there, mate?'Bag?'The results were really quite interesting, the one putting emphasis on need (very subtlety) reduced bag takings by over half in a day, whereas 'Wee bag there, mate?' produced a very high bag taking day because it detracts from the bags impact as an object. The other things I found was that it's actually possible to control some customers bag taking completely, there's a customer that comes in every day to get milk and I have managed to control his bag taking with about a 95% success rate, so shopkeepers unite and we can eradicate unnecessary bag taking, thereby reducing the majority of plastic bags that end up in the street and ocean, landfills are another story, thankfully my stores bags are fully biodegradable...What do you make of all this, and is it possibly a bit much power to give to a shop worker...On another note I have curtailed the efforts of one customer I know as the bag thief, he used to take five or six for various uses, through gentle shame jibing he's now down to one.

Searching for an adhesive which can be used for chemical glassware where it doesn't react with chemicals and having thermal stability as well.

Specifically when dealing with smaller, less powerful speaker. I am aware that certain sub woofers require venting, but I don't know how important sealed boxes are for midrange and tweeter.

I am trying to make an chamber to examine the growth of a micro organism in the above condition. The chamber temp. should be maintained at 95-100 C and. The environment should be tends to vacuum(Vacuum condition is practically impossible). Please help in choosing the material and conditioning the same.

Levi Strauss & Co, the jeans manufacturer, is holding a contest to build a better line drying solution.  Sounds like something right up the Instructablizers' alley. Press Release Official Site

Hi everyone,    If you have questions about vegan nutrition, why I became vegan, why I started this group, or any questions about the world in general, post them here and I will do my best to answer them. Please keep your questions appropriate.

My electric razor cleans itself with alcohol. I need to change the fluid every few months. What is the greenest way to dispose of the dirty alcohol? I can't decide if it is better to flush, burn, or evaporate it. I think it contains some methanol (probably  - it is 'denatured'). The can doesn't say what the denaturing agent is. It is sold as shellac thinner and stove fuel. It also includes a small amount of d-Limonene (orange terpene), plus the whisker residue.

Here is the worlds largest trash dump, in the middle of the pacific, it is twice the size of texas. (a little less than Alaska for people who don't know how big texas is) and it needs to be cleaned up. me and a friend have tried to find some way to do it but were just high school students in north virginia. We are going to need your help to clean it up, so please help through any means possible. Even something such as recycling, reusing, or just trying to get others to do something will help greatly thanks.

Myself and a group of my friends were wondering if there is any cheap and simple way to disperse/reclaim/eliminate oil in the Gulf of Mexico.  We are looking for a project which we could possibly implement as a countermeasure to the crisis if the oil reaches Florida/help out the Gulf in general.  While I understand what we may ultimately be able to do will only be a drop in the bucket, any help we can give to our neighbors around the Gulf would be great. Any ideas/projects would be great! Thanks a bunch guys!

Everybody wants to have a cleaner Earth, but few of them take any actions. One of those people is Doug Selsam, who designed high-power wind turbines that can generate enough energy to power a home. The wind turbines measure about 14-18 inches in diameter and they can generate an impressive amount of 200 watts for a 20 mph wind, but the wind turbines could do better if the winds are stronger.Selsam's wind turbines are made of high-strength carbon fiber materials which give the turbines the possibility to be hooked as one. This system is very simple and it weighs a bit, as you see, it can be held in one hand. For the moment, there is no word about release date or availability, therefore I can only say that it's an interesting conceptOriginal Link (via Device Daily)

Part of Instructables' mission is to inspire our community to create and share great projects. We do this though contests, theme months, and challenges that are seasonally appropriate, part of a bigger cultural trend, or simply areas where we want to see more great Instructables. This year we've decided that our overarching theme will be "Green."Our Green category focuses on the environment, reuse and recycling, and saving energy or making it in new ways. However, there's more to it. Green projects cut across all of our categories, and DIY is deeply and inherently green. When you make something yourself you often save materials, time, or money, while simultaneously generating less waste and creating a relationship with your project. Because of that relationship, you are more likely to cherish the final product, upgrade it, repair it, or even pass it along to someone else who will also cherish it. All of these actions involve making more with less, and that is fundamentally green. From my perspective as a life-long DIYer, I feel that it's time our culture took an active interest in all things green. I want to make sure the things we do are meaningful. We may have passed peak oil, but we can all work to ensure we pass "peak waste." So, to help inspire you, we'll be running a number of Instructables project contests all with a green theme. Some will be large, and some will be small -- we've even arranged sponsorship to give away Voltaic solar laptop bags and an Epilog laser cutter! To help you plan and get your projects started early and finished on time, we'll be publishing the timing of several of the contests scheduled during the first half of the year. Obviously, I think the best time to do a project is when you're most passionate about it, but I recognize everyone can benefit from a little extra motivation. Things are, of course, subject to change, but if you have even the slightest inkling of a green project, start now; especially since the real prize will be inspiring everyone that sees your work make their own lives a little bit greener.

The SciStarter Citizen Science Contest is live! This is your opportunity to help millions of citizen scientists contribute to real scientific discovery. Make their experiences better by coming up with solutions to some real annoyances that hinder their participation. To get you started, here is a specific--and very real--challenge sent to us by project organizers. PROVIDE 1000 CHEAP WIRELESS CLIMATE DATA LOGGERS Background: Wildlife of Our Homes provides an opportunity for citizen scientists to help researchers study the species that live alongside us everyday - bacteria, fungi, and insects. By using a sampling kit and answering a few questions, volunteers help researchers create an atlas of microbial diversity in homes across the country. The Problem: Project organizers would love to collect climate data in each of the 1000 homes where volunteers are sampling microbes from 4 common surfaces. Unfortunately, climate sensors are expensive, and more importantly, project organizers don't have an easy way to transfer data from those home sensors (temperature, humidity, etc) to an online database. Currently, they must physically retrieve and download the data. The Challenge: Find a way to log climate data and wirelessly transmit the data to the project organizers. Enter now! Contest closes January 21, 2013

Getting places is crucial, but it doesn't have to negatively impact the environment. These three ideas--while not really viable given a modest budget--are interesting ways of approaching homemade green transportation. I especially like the third one, Dream Car 123 (pictured below)--but that's probably because I've always wanted to drive around in a car that looks like it's from Sleeper (a sleeper cell, if you will) and the bulletproof glass will ensure that I don't get shot.Link

Some drivers leave their cars idling.. many times unattended.  They are getting lousy gas mileage and adding carbon needlessly to the environment. Can we deliver some kind of kinetic energy to the vehicle that will cause the engine to shut off without endangering anyone? I'm thinking this would be a remote control device... Just point and click.... and the engine stops running until the driver shows up and starts the car again.

I love ingenuity, so I wanted to share this link to an article on a Brazilian machinist who makes skylights from water filled pop bottles. I'm not sure if these would classify as a budget solatube or a twenty first century deck prism.There's also a video, but it's in some obscure foreign language. Portuguese i think.I might add one to my shed...

Is the homemade plastic(made up of milk and vinegar) harmful to the environment?if yes! why? how?if no! why not?

 Most of the project ideas that I've seen so far seem too basic, too simple, and not creative enough for a college level project ( e.g. a milk carton bird feeder, green house is a bottle...) Any ideas on a project that will show a high level of difficulty, creativity, and usefulness of a material that might otherwise cause harm to the environment if not recycled? Thanks for any help...

My friend told me about a new book by David Mackay. I've added screenshots of two of the really nice graphs he put together in his book. Says my friend:Forwarded Message:David Mackay, Cambridge U Physics Professor and a flat-out rockstar inthe field of statistical inference, has written a book on SustainableEnergy, which he is (as usual) giving away for free on his website. http://www.withouthotair.com/There's also a few slide decks for the overview: http://www.inference.phy.cam.ac.uk/mackay/and a blog: http://withouthotair.blogspot.com/I'm not much through it yet, but the gist seems to be putting realnumbers on the size of the energy problem, much as Saul Griffith hasbeen doing. It's written in his usual style, which is to say it readslike common sense you feel you should have known all along.

I am interested in selling photo prints in galleries as well as online. I would like to present these prints as tidily as possible and so need some kind of display cover as well as cardboard backing. Can anyone tell me how I could create or order these covers from eco friendly materials (like biodegradable) and also if there are uk sources for strong cardboard. Thanks for your help.

Hey everyone. Tap33 and I started a new DIY Green Blog. You can find it here. Basically, we're finding cool DIY projects on the internet about going green and posting them.If anyone wanted their Instructable that related to "Going Green" featured on the site you can leave a comment here, PM Tap33 or me, or contact us at the Contact Us section of the Blog. We know that there are a lot of great projects here so please, tell us if you want it featured on the page. Also, does anyone have any ideas for new "Green" projects?

I got no soldering/electronic skills, but would like to enhance clothes with Arduinos as next project. Arduino runs with 8/16Mhz and i thought, if the mobiles do have that tiny but fast chips, maybe theres a possibility to implant them on Arduino-Boards, but i dunno, if thats possible and howto.

Hello everyone, im new to the raspberry pi world. I have raspberry pi 2 module b (the new one with 1g ram) that im not using. i want to use it to control indoor small growing environment. I have 4 x 12v pc fans that i want to control  the speed of, due to the humidity and temperature. I have 3 led bulbs that i want to switch off/on with a schedule maybe in the future i will connect 5 / 12 V small water pump.  and to connect a camera to use time laps. I dont mind of using external power sources for the 12v fans and bulbs. im all new to this world, with the programming i think i will handle, but dont know much about electronics. im searching for easy way to do this,  dont mind of working hard and spending money on this, just need a good ideas and help :) thank you all.