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1500 questions
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Carbon footprint and embodied energy of argon, krypton, xenon?
Noble gases such as argon, krypton and xenon are used to fill the gap between panes in some double- and triple-glazing sealed units.
What's the embodied energy, and carbon-footprint, of such gases? Aren't they by-products of the industrial…
410 gone
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Are there any truly sustainable business models?
I would like to start a sustainable ecovillage, but am worried about the ad-hoc nature of so many previous attempts that often assume we will just all "get along" without a formal structure.
While "business model" may seem oxymoronic to such a…
Patrick T. Anderson
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4
votes
1 answer
From a sustainability perspective, what is a method by which a city can set priorities regarding pollution?
From a sustainability perspective, what is a method by which a city can set priorities regarding pollution. In other words, which pollutants are the most important to reduce. So many pollutants are in the air, water and ground, it is difficult to…
user1227
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Which one is more sustainable: central A/C or window A/C?
I would like to know which kind of cooling will be the most sustainable, that is, will use the least energy and cooling agents.
I am considering summers with temperatures in the high 90's (35-37 Celsius), and about 800 square feet of apartment to…
MeloMCR
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How safe it is to produce, use, and dispose of PVC?
Environmental benefits of PVC are touted on what appears to be an industry funded website but there is also some serious criticism of PVC claiming that the manufacture produces dioxin and that additives contained in the material leach out during…
Highly Irregular
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3 answers
When bringing your own reusable bags for produce that needs weighing, what's the lightest option?
When purchasing fresh fruit and veges and other foods from the supermarket that are weighed during check out, I have tended to use the very thin plastic bags provided (when it's necessary to use a bag at all) because if I use my own cotton bags I'll…
Highly Irregular
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3 answers
Challenges of providing sustainable energy sources to meet future demand in Ireland
what are the main challenges Ireland faces as regards providing sustainable energy sources to meet future energy demand?
somers
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1 answer
Microbes used for home composting and cost effectiveness
This product which has recently launched in India claiming to provide a stench free alternative to home composting with little hassle. I had a discussion with its founder and he says its similar to bokashi composting, the difference being the…
sustainablecoolingsolutions
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Controling humidity of Vermicomposter in winter to prevent mold
I've recently inherited the responsibilities of taking care of a vermicomposting box. We used two of these plastic bins to make the composting box:
http://torontobestmoving.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/basic-plastic-bin2.png
The handles on the…
Raiyan
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How do I start composting?
I want to start composting after a few failed attempts at vermicomposting indoors (I didn't have a balcony or any access to land back then). I have a rather large apartment balcony and I think I could easily do composting on the scale of a large…
lemontwist
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How "eco" is the (3hr+) Eco mode on dishwashers
Our domestic dishwasher has an "Eco" mode that takes around 3.5 hours to run. I presume that the time includes lots of resting time to allow the contents to soak.
However, I find it very difficult to believe that a machine operating for that long…
Cheeseminer
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Is it inefficient to turn off the airconditioner for short durations of less than two hours?
I was recently recommended not to turn off the airconditioner (A/C) when leaving a room for two hours or less but instead to increase the temperature setting closer to the outside temperature. The explanation was that energy use of the A/C unit is…
HRSE
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How can you compare the costs of using public transportation versus using a personal car?
Possible Duplicate:
Impact of various travelling options
Freakonomics makes the claim that for public transportation, provided ridership is sufficiently high, that the most energy efficient means is commuter trains and subways and that buses are…
WilliamKF
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Do Energizer ultimate lithium disposable batteries waste supply that should be used on rechargable batteries?
I was surprised when I went to go buy some new rechargable batteries to see non-rechargable AA and AAA batteries advertised as containing lithium. I assumed this was wasting material that should be put into lithium-ion batteries. I can't find anyone…
jaltekruse
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4
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Forgot rechargeable batteries in the charger
I left rechargeable AA batteries in the charger for 3 times as much as it's recommended, that is for 36 hours.
Can I still use them?
Did it damage them?
valk
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