Sustainable Living Stack Exchange
Sustainable Living Stack Exchange

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What's the point of buying carbon offsets for completed projects?

I was thinking about buying carbon offsets, but when I started looking into what kind of projects would be funded, I noticed that all the projects listed had already been completed. This seems to be the case for several companies selling carbon…
Nic
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Electricity need to switch all cars from fossil fuel

For purely hypothetical discussion, I was asking myself how big electrical production increase would be needed for a first-world country when switching all cars from fossil fuel to EV only. I made the calculation myself for the country I live in…
lucamauri
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I'm on mains gas and live in England, am I eligible for the domestic RHI?

The domestic Renewable Heat Incentive is about to launch, in different formats, to different constituent countries of the UK. It is an incentive to install particular accredited renewable heat technologies, including solar thermal, air source heat…
410 gone
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Is thermal heating of soil contaminated by coal gasification plant safe in a built-up zone?

Where I stay, theres a site (see intro here) nearby that used to be a coal gasification plant (produces coal gas for lightning etc.). The plant contaminated the soil with PAHs and heavy metals with decades of use. The land was laid fallow for i…
Thinkerer
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Throwing away compostable packaging

When I search about recycling compostable packaging I always find articles about recycling packages to the backyard pit etc. My question is not about that. I just want to throw compostable packaging away. The question is: where? Does it go together…
ZygD
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Does oil spilled in backyard contaminate groundwater?

A poster near a recycling station mentions that one liter of cooking oil contaminates 1 million liters of water and suggesting cooking oil recycling. If I spill cooking oil in the dirt of the backyard, does it also contaminate groundwater pockets…
miguelmorin
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Water electrolysis for storing energy

When wind and solar generate surplus energy, can it be used to break water into oxygen and hydrogen and to store the gases in liquid form for later use as an energy source? Was this ever tried in any electric grid? What is the energy efficiency of…
Joe Jobs
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Studies show that toxic flame retardants in foam cushions pollute our living environments. Does this include memory foam?

I have a memory foam mattress and I've read studies** which have found flame retardants such as PBDEs (Polybrominated diphenyl ethers) and "chlorinated Tris" (TDCPP is one of number of chlorinated Tris) to be in 85% of cushions in furniture. The…
Charlie Brown
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Does a building need an equator-facing roof to take advantage of Solar PV systems?

Does a building need an equator-facing roof to take advantage of Solar PV systems? That is, in the Northern hemisphere, do I need a south-facing roof? And, conversely, in the Southern hemisphere, do I need a north-facing roof? Is the reduction in…
410 gone
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What will happen if I leave my freezer off most of the time?

I only use my freezer to freeze ice packs, which I only use about an hour every two days. Because of this, I plan to turn my freezer off (or to the hottest setting) most of the time, and then reduce the temperature right before using the ice…
capet
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Should I close vents to unused rooms?

It’s 40°C at dusk during a summer heat wave. My electric utility is threatening blackouts and begging people to conserve. I have a couple unused rooms in a detached suburban house that don’t need air conditioning. If I close the air vents and the…
Spencer Joplin
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How much weight would a wireless charging system add to an electric bus?

Wireless charging requires a number of 'receiving charging pad's and a 'management module' and I imagine there will be additional wiring. How much extra weight does this add to an electric bus?
atreeon
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Designing an electrical off grid system for winter

I'm currently planning the conversion of a panel van into an RV including heating, water, and electrical. The part which I'm not confident about is the reliable supply of electrical power in the winter months in central Europe (latitude: 48°). The…
GittingGud
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Throwing organic waste on the ground

Here is a situation I often find myself in. I’m in a park (trees, grass, etc), I’m feeding a fruit to my kid. At the end when I’m left with the peel (or seed or whatever is the waste), I look at the trash can, but decide instead to leave it on the…
Nathan H
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Any electric vehicle that can be used as a home energy storage?

I have a house with a solar array on top currently tied to the grid. I would love to be able to use an EV as a battery for my house, and after it charges up in the day be nice to use it for the little driving I do (less than 50 miles / 80 km a…
ronak
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