ARE YOU PREPARED FOR DISASTER? (page 3)

proplog2

I bought my wife a solar clothes dryer. 100 ft. of rope and a sack of clothes pins.

Bonnie_Clyde

Clyde and I agree with Brent R. When a huge disaster occurs, the government won't be there for us. As Clyde says, "Better a year too soon than a day too late."

tula

I bought my wife a solar clothes dryer. 100 ft. of rope and a sack of clothes pins.

Air-drying is better for your clothes. Laundry machines toss clothes around, causing wear on the seams and sometimes snagging things with zippers. If you use a washer and dryer, you subject your clothes to twice as much tumbling as you would if you used only a washer. The heat of the dryer causes elastic to break down and T-shirt lettering to peel. It can also distort the shapes of knit garments.

Air-drying reduces wrinkles. If you remove clothing from a dryer immediately and hang or fold it, most items are relatively unwrinkled; however, this requires careful timing. How much time does your dryer save if you have to hang around waiting for the cycle to end or face a session of tedious ironing? Clothes which have been properly hung for air-drying will dry in the right shape, virtually wrinkle-free, and will be waiting when you're ready to get them.

Air-drying completely eliminates static cling. Electric dryers produce static electricity by rubbing clothes over each other repeatedly. Avoid this process, and you'll avoid the static! You'll also save money on fabric softener. True, air-dried clothes feel a bit stiff at first. Just remind yourself that the stiffness means clothes are freshly washed, and soon you'll find that those "nice soft clothes" feel dirty!

Air-drying is good for the environment. In many areas, electricity is produced by coal-powered plants. Reduce your electricity consumption, and you'll reduce the burning of irreplaceable fossil fuels.

Best of all, air-drying is free! If you use coin-operated laundry machines, you know that dryers account for at least half the expense. If you own a dryer, you're paying for extra electricity and repairs.

"the environmental quality of your wardrobe is ultimately determined by the way you wash it. A recent study by Cambridge University's Institute of Manufacturing found that 60% of the energy associated with a piece of clothing is spent in washing and drying it. Over its lifetime, a T shirt can send up to 9 lbs. of carbon dioxide into the air."

http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/environment/article/0,28804,1602354_1603074_1603130,00.html

tula

Here is a very interesting video on GREEN TECHNOLOGY in the works for the future.

It shows the actuality of using hydrogen peroxide water for fuel. I think you will be amazed. This is a viable solution.

For those who play the stock market.... this is an insider's tip!! Watch for initial public offering on this one!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMrRKFETsbo

jaguarbass

I live in Florida, I'm just waiting for it. I cant figure out how to get out of here.

tula

NON-ELECTRIC LIGHTING

As far as oil lamps, I think Aladdin mantle lamps are probably the best made. They put out brighter light than other lamps. They have a website for products and a discussion board for questions about maintenance, parts, supplies, collectors, etc.

In hot locations they might only be practical during the winter months because they do put out a lot of heat.

This can be advantageous if you want to use them for both light and heat.

I am just kinda freaky about fire. I don't like any kind of fire in the house. There have been occassions of homes burning down because a dog or cat knocked over a candle or lamp.

LED lights are not really practical for situations where you really need light. They only light up a few inches around and are used mostly as a guide for footing. It doesn't light up the room.

The best non-electric light I have seen is not available in the USA to my knowledge. They ARE however, in use in Africa and are manufactured in the UK. The manufacturer is Sollatek.

This portable light is used with a solar cell, which you can charge in the day and then have maybe 10 hours of use. You can also charge it from your car battery.

jgnat

Move to Saskatchewan. No coastlines. No mountains or volcanoes. No earthquakes. No flooding. No hurricanes. No hill to fall off of.

http://www.pbase.com/image/52589827

BabaYaga

Neato, Tula, that was pretty cool, thanks.

Cheers,
Baba

jgnat

*ahem*. Charcoal is NOT a clean energy source.

http://toxipedia.org/conf/display/toxipedia/London+Great+Smog

tula

Another method for cooking is the SOLAR BOX. However, it does have some drawbacks. It takes longer to cook and works better in some areas of the world more than others.

It is very simple and inexpensive to make. It can be made from a cardboard box and mylar film for the "window", and aluminum foil. You can get as fancy as you want. You can make it out of wood and use glass for the window.

Your cookware must be painted black with non-toxic paint. Things like corn on the cob can be cooked in black socks.

here is a website if you have more questions on the solar box: http://solarcooking.org/solarcooking-faq.htm

This is just one example. There are many different construction plans you can use. You can also use a panel cooker made from sheet metal.

I have found that developing countries often have the greener technology!

for more info on building and using this method, you can research "solar cooker"

ARE YOU PREPARED FOR DISASTER?

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