Battery Recycling 101

Over 3 billion dry cell batteries are sold each year in the U.S. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, more than 350 million rechargeable batteries alone are purchased in the U.S. each year. Batteries are a unique product, some of which are comprised of toxic components. Rechargeable batteries include heavy metals like cadmium. There are many ways to recycle single use and rechargeable batteries, most of which depends on the type of battery you have. You can also reduce waste with prevention. Buy only what you need - check to see if you already have the batteries on hand before buying more When suited to the task buy hand operated items that function without batteries Look for the batteries that have less mercury and heavy metals Consider rechargeable batteries for some needs, but remember that they also contain heavy metals such as nickel-cadmium Batteries can be recycled and there are many locations available at Earth911. Learn more about rechargeable battery recycling from the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation. Battery recycling and reuse can have a positive impact towards our reduction of battery waste and pollution. But first lets understand the basics of batteries. Batteries 101 Tips on Recycling Batteries Primary, Single Use Batteries Alkaline Batteries Carbon-Zinc & Zinc Chloride Batteries Lithium Manganese Batteries Zinc Air Batteries Silver Oxide & Mercuric Oxide Batteries Secondary, Rechargeable Batteries Nickel-Cadmium Batteries (NiCd) Nickel-Metal Hydride Batteries (NiMH) Lithium-Ion and Lithium-Ion Polymer Batteries (Li-ion) Lead Acid Batteries (Automotive & Sealed Lead-Based) Courtneay Freeman-Zadrowski www.wolvesofsaintfrancis.org & www.designhoustongreen.com Take Care of Yourself - Howl @ the Moon with Reckless Abandon - Treat Each Other & All Creatures with Kindness & Respect!

My Countertops are Killing Me!

Filed under: Kitchen, Health hazards 09:38 am - August 5, 2008 Or so I thought, after reading a New York Times article a few days ago about the amount of radon emitted by granite countertops. Honestly, I rent, so I have no idea what my countertops are made of (I highly doubt they're granite), but my sister just had granite countertops installed in her new kitchen and the article had me concerned. Radon is a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas abundant in soil, water and hard rocks because it forms as naturally occurring uranium decays. It's also the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. (the leading cause among non-smokers). But according to the EPA, "the types of granite commonly used in countertops are [not] significantly increasing indoor radon levels." And just because you have granite countertops doesn't guarantee that they're emitting dangerous amounts of radon; the amount of uranium in granite can vary widely, depending on the source of the granite. Phew…but that doesn't mean we shouldn't take this issue seriously. Radon is like lead. It tends to crop up where you least expect it and there really is no "safe" exposure level. In its warnings about radon levels in homes, the EPA states that any home can have a radon problem, granite countertops or not. Because it forms primarily in soil, radon can seep into basements and ground floors through cracks in the foundation, and it builds up in our indoor air. Some areas of the country have higher levels than others, but the EPA still estimates that one in every 15 homes nationwide has more radon than is considered healthy. Fortunately, it's easy to test for radon, either with professionals or with do-it-yourself kits available at most hardware stores (if you can't find one, call the American Lung Association at 800-LUNGUSA for suggestions on where to look). You may even be able to get a free kit from your local or county health department. If your home has concentrations above 4.0 picocuries per liter (pCi/L), these levels should be quickly reduced by a professional (for both testing and mitigation, choose someone approved by the National Radon Safety Board). But lower concentrations are dangerous as well. A study published in the March 2005 issue of the journal Epidemiology found that average residential radon levels of 3.0 pCi/L triggered an 11 to 21 percent increase in lung-cancer risk over the course of five to 30 years. All in all, if you've got granite countertops, it's not a bad idea to test for radon in your home on an annual or semi-annual basis. And if you're installing new countertops in the near future, you might want to buy something with a little less uranium, such as tiles, concrete or even Icestone, a product made from recycled glass and concrete. But when it comes to home renovations, decorating your basement or ground floor with a new radon detector is some design advice we could all stand to follow. © The Green Guide, 2008 | Email this post Discuss this blog What Granite Types posted by sfahrendorf on 2008-08-13 06:39:58   It would be great if the Green Guide would review which varieties (with photos) of granite are most/least likely to have uranium/radon issues. Of course such a review would be only a rule of thumb. But it would be helpful. I have read that the problems are more often because of the "exotic" varieties (one site mentioned was Brazil as I recall). Radon in Countertops posted by MaryK28 on 2008-08-13 11:16:27   I think I heard from one of those home shows on cable, that all you need to do is to have a sealant applied to the granite countertop which reduces or eliminates the problem. Has anyone else heard this?

Got Gas Pains?

Gasoline is making headlines, and while rising prices are showing no signs of slowing, drivers sure are: According to the Department of Transportation, the total miles driven by Americans fell by 400 million from March to April of 2008, and we drove 1.4 billion less miles this April than last. Keeping your car in the garage, however, isn't often an option, and that means gassing up is a painful necessity. If you're feeling powerless at the pump, don't despair. There's plenty you can do to squeeze more miles out of every gallon. Here's our list of tips to save money and reduce your carbon footprint, too: Slow down. Gas mileage declines rapidly above 60 mph. Each 5 mph increase above 60 is equal to paying an additional 20-25 cents per gallon. Keep your tires properly inflated, and you'll improve your gas mileage by more than 3%. Consult your car's manual and use its recommended grade of motor oil to improve your gas mileage by 1%–2%. Use brands with "Energy Conserving" on the API performance symbol; they contain friction-reducing additives that further enhance engine performance. Keep your engine properly tuned up to maximize your mileage. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, replacing a faulty oxygen sensor can improve gas mileage up to 40%. Check and replace air filters regularly. Replacing a dirty air filter can improve gas mileage by as much as 10%. Replacing a dirty fuel filter can also have a positive effect. When running errands, plan the shortest, most gas-saving itinerary. Avoid retracing your steps and combine multiple errands into a single trip. Several short trips taken from a cold start can use twice as much fuel as a longer multi-stop trip of the same distance with a warm engine. Mellow out. Aggressive driving wastes gas and can lower your mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent in town. Replace jack-rabbit starts from a dead stop with slow and steady acceleration. If you have an RPM gauge on your dashboard, watch your RPMs as well as your speedometer as you drive. Find your car's steady RPM "sweet spot" (generally the RPM level it achieves at cruising speed on a flat straightaway) and keep it there. Stop fighting gravity and let your car naturally slow somewhat going up hills and speed up on the downhill. Avoid excessive idling. The average car uses less gas to start up than it does to idle for 30 seconds. So don't turn off the car unless you expect to be stopped for more than 30 seconds. Similarly, skip the drive-thru, where you'll idle and waste gas. Park and go inside. If you have it, use cruise control on the highway to maintain a constant speed and save gas. But don't use cruise control on hilly secondary roads. The constant ups and downs will cause your engine to work harder to maintain a constant speed. If possible, stagger your commuting and/or errand schedule to avoid peak rush hours. Avoid carrying items on your vehicle's roof. A loaded roof rack or carrier increases aerodynamic drag, which can cut mileage by up to 5 percent. Place items inside the trunk instead. Travel light. Avoid carrying unnecessary items, especially heavy ones. An extra 100 pounds in the trunk cuts a typical car's fuel economy 1-2 percent. Keep it clean! The reduction in aerodynamic drag created by a clean and waxed auto can boost mileage significantly―according to one cross country experiment by as much as 7%! Use your air conditioner on the open road! On today's aerodynamically designed vehicles, the drag created by open windows generally uses more gas than A/C. Be aware, however, that in stop-and-go conditions the situation is reversed, and A/C will cause your engine to work harder. Remember that hybrids work better in stop-and-go traffic than on highways. Hybrids use energy captured from braking to charge their batteries, a savings you won't realize if you do most of your driving at constant, high speeds. Buy a fuel-efficient car. Visit fueleconomy.gov and greenercars.com for information on buying fuel-efficient vehicles. Drive less! Take public transportation, carpool, bike, or walk whenever you can. For every gallon of gasoline you save, you'll prevent about 20 pounds of CO2 from being released. For more ideas and inspiration, visit GasSavers.org. photo: Marshall Astor