A while back now I started working on ideas on how to reduce my water bill. So far the bulk of what I have done was change my habits around water. Yet just last week I changed out my downstairs toilet to a 6L flush model from my old 13L flush model.
I had originally planned to install a dual flush toilet downstairs due to the daycare, yet I changed my mind. Why? The capital costs involved were not really worth it. For example, I bought a 6L flush at Rona for $129 + tax, while a dual flush would have cost $225 + tax. The difference between the lower flush setting on the dual flush is 6 L - 4.1 L = 1.9L for the extra $96. Now given my water consumption charge is $0.88 per 1000L, that would mean I would have to use the lower flush option about 57,400 times before I would break even on the cost. So if I assume a generous 9 flushes a day I would have to use the toilet for about 17 years to break even. So you get the idea. It's not really worth doing unless you are going to live in a house for 20 years or more.
On another front I finally got most of the pieces I need to build my rain barrels. I was a bit stuck on what to use to the overflow system when I watched a rainstorm last month and saw how much water can fall in a short period of time. My downspouts looked like fire hoses. I've settled on using some PVC piping to do the job. So now I just need some time to put it all together and install them.
I'll keep you all posted on the savings on these changes make on my next water bill. Oh, yes, for those who want to know the 6L, white toilet from Rona flushes down everything with no problems in one flush.
Showing posts with label Environment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Environment. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Finanical Implications of Global Warming
Global Warming is generally agreed by most people to have some serious implications to everyone's lives. Often experts explain things like more severe weather and shifting rainfall patterns (for example see the latest from Environment Canada).
Perhaps this is the wrong approach after all I can't really understand things unless you talk in terms I can relate to. For example, why can't they take the information and hand it off to an economist and have them come up with some changes your personal spending. Now that is something I could relate too.
For example, if we take Environment Canada's rainfall map and do a little creative thinking about Canada's crops you are forced into some interesting conclusions. Like yes likely we will get a longer growing season overall with more rain, but not where we need it most ( the southern prairies). Instead that is going to dry out and we can kiss goodbye some great farm land. Which will force farming towards the north with poorer soil and more natural lakes and rivers which could flood with increased rain. So overall we would lose farmland. That would result in reduced wheat and canola yields which would be further reduced to do severe weather which could destroy crops in various areas. Overall your baking is going to cost more and your cooking oil is likely to cost more. If you add in the severe weather factor then the price is likely to be significantly more unstable as it will be hard to tell if you have a good crop until you can get it off the field and sold before bad weather strikes.
So imagine they did that for not just Canada, but the world? How expensive would your coffee get if growing conditions change in South America? How often would go to your timeshare if the warm island you knew was now a barren desert? Could you afford flood insurance in Canada if it happened more frequently everywhere?
For me that would be useful climate data and likely get a much better response from the general public that just rainfall patterns.
Perhaps this is the wrong approach after all I can't really understand things unless you talk in terms I can relate to. For example, why can't they take the information and hand it off to an economist and have them come up with some changes your personal spending. Now that is something I could relate too.
For example, if we take Environment Canada's rainfall map and do a little creative thinking about Canada's crops you are forced into some interesting conclusions. Like yes likely we will get a longer growing season overall with more rain, but not where we need it most ( the southern prairies). Instead that is going to dry out and we can kiss goodbye some great farm land. Which will force farming towards the north with poorer soil and more natural lakes and rivers which could flood with increased rain. So overall we would lose farmland. That would result in reduced wheat and canola yields which would be further reduced to do severe weather which could destroy crops in various areas. Overall your baking is going to cost more and your cooking oil is likely to cost more. If you add in the severe weather factor then the price is likely to be significantly more unstable as it will be hard to tell if you have a good crop until you can get it off the field and sold before bad weather strikes.
So imagine they did that for not just Canada, but the world? How expensive would your coffee get if growing conditions change in South America? How often would go to your timeshare if the warm island you knew was now a barren desert? Could you afford flood insurance in Canada if it happened more frequently everywhere?
For me that would be useful climate data and likely get a much better response from the general public that just rainfall patterns.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Saving Money on Cooling
A friend of mine recently told me that they estimated that out of their last power bill half of it was due to using their air conditioner in the summer. He noticed my house was fairly cool, but I didn't have mine on.
I have to confess. I have central air in my house, but I almost never turn it on since I know it is such an energy hog. This summer for example, I don't think I have used it yet. I typically only turn it on with the house temperature gets above 27C (80F) and then I only use it to cool down the house so I can sleep at night.
So how do you live without air conditioning? Fairly easily, but there are a few steps.
Step 1 - Plug leaks - Most people wait until fall to install weather stripping and prevent air leakage in your house. I have never understood that. I did as soon as I move in because it keep the heat in the house during winter and also keeps the cool in during the summer. Plug every little leak you can and watch your power bill drop in the summer.
Step 2 - Overnight Cooling - If you overnight low gets down to under 21C (70F) make sure you open all the windows you can in your house. If you have a basement door open that as well before you go to bed. This will create a natural draft in the house which will dump out the hot air from your top floor and bring up the cool air from your basement. I can typically get my house down to the overnight low if I open up my windows an hour before sunset and close them first thing when I wake up the next morning.
Step 3 - Manage Daytime Heating - Close all your drapes/blinds that get sunlight on them. For example I close off the north side of my house first thing in the morning since that when I get sun there. In the afternoon the south side of the house gets baked so I close those off too. Try to avoid drying laundry, using the oven and stove top to produce extra heat during the daytime. Summer is about BBQ season for a reason, you want to keep the house cool. Also try to use the microwave more if it saves turning on your stove top.
Also if you haven't switched to Compact Florescent Light bulbs I suggest doing it now. As regular bulbs are the worst in hot weather. You pay extra power to run a regular bulb which generates extra heat in your house (since 80% of the energy is converted to heat) and then you pay more money to use your air conditioning to cool off the house to get rid of the extra heat.
Step 4 - Cheap Man's Air - My last trick I use before turning on the air is just a modification of step 2. Except I use it during the day. I open up my basement door and turn on a fan at the base of the basement steps to blow cool air up. Then I go upstairs to the top floor and turn on both bathroom fans to suck out the hottest air in the house. The again creates a draft to cool the house, but this time I'm helping it along with a fan in the basement. The trick here is to avoid opening a window which could move the hotter outside air into your house (since heat tends to move from a hot area to a cool area). Powering fans is MUCH cheaper than running an air conditioner compressor. I recall reading on a website that you can run a ceiling fan for an entire month for about $3 to 5 dollars.
So best of luck to everyone as you keep cool this summer.
I have to confess. I have central air in my house, but I almost never turn it on since I know it is such an energy hog. This summer for example, I don't think I have used it yet. I typically only turn it on with the house temperature gets above 27C (80F) and then I only use it to cool down the house so I can sleep at night.
So how do you live without air conditioning? Fairly easily, but there are a few steps.
Step 1 - Plug leaks - Most people wait until fall to install weather stripping and prevent air leakage in your house. I have never understood that. I did as soon as I move in because it keep the heat in the house during winter and also keeps the cool in during the summer. Plug every little leak you can and watch your power bill drop in the summer.
Step 2 - Overnight Cooling - If you overnight low gets down to under 21C (70F) make sure you open all the windows you can in your house. If you have a basement door open that as well before you go to bed. This will create a natural draft in the house which will dump out the hot air from your top floor and bring up the cool air from your basement. I can typically get my house down to the overnight low if I open up my windows an hour before sunset and close them first thing when I wake up the next morning.
Step 3 - Manage Daytime Heating - Close all your drapes/blinds that get sunlight on them. For example I close off the north side of my house first thing in the morning since that when I get sun there. In the afternoon the south side of the house gets baked so I close those off too. Try to avoid drying laundry, using the oven and stove top to produce extra heat during the daytime. Summer is about BBQ season for a reason, you want to keep the house cool. Also try to use the microwave more if it saves turning on your stove top.
Also if you haven't switched to Compact Florescent Light bulbs I suggest doing it now. As regular bulbs are the worst in hot weather. You pay extra power to run a regular bulb which generates extra heat in your house (since 80% of the energy is converted to heat) and then you pay more money to use your air conditioning to cool off the house to get rid of the extra heat.
Step 4 - Cheap Man's Air - My last trick I use before turning on the air is just a modification of step 2. Except I use it during the day. I open up my basement door and turn on a fan at the base of the basement steps to blow cool air up. Then I go upstairs to the top floor and turn on both bathroom fans to suck out the hottest air in the house. The again creates a draft to cool the house, but this time I'm helping it along with a fan in the basement. The trick here is to avoid opening a window which could move the hotter outside air into your house (since heat tends to move from a hot area to a cool area). Powering fans is MUCH cheaper than running an air conditioner compressor. I recall reading on a website that you can run a ceiling fan for an entire month for about $3 to 5 dollars.
So best of luck to everyone as you keep cool this summer.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
The Water War - Part I
As I mentioned a while back I'm currently updating some items in my house to see how much money I can save on my water bill. My average bill use to be about $50/month. Last month my bill came in at $43.48, so what changed? Nothing but my attitude and a few minor habits.
I basically just became aware of when I was using water in the day and trying to reduce that amount. So when brushing my teeth I fill up my rinse cup with 1/3 full of water and that's all I use to brush my teeth. I also stopped running the water while washing my hands. I just fill the sink with a bit of water and then proceed to wash my hands and then let the water out. I'm down to perhaps two cups of water to wash my hands now. Then when washing the dishes I start with a small amount in the sink and during rinsing of objects I end up with a larger volume at the end to wash the big dirty pots and pans. I'm also letting my grass grow longer so it needs less frequent watering over the summer. That's all I changed during that time.
I've also picked up a few new things just this last weekend so I will get to see the results on the next bill. I bought a few sink aerators to reduce the flow at my taps from 2.2 gal per minute to 1.7 gal per minute. These things are a good deal. I spend about $4 on the item and install it in two minutes with no tools. For the one tap I've put in I estimated it will save me $0.47/month just on my water bill. That doesn't include the natural gas savings for using less hot water. So I will have a pay back period of around 8 months.
Another project I'm starting in the next week or two is making some rain barrels. I've picked up two 98L-garbage cans, which I'm going to convert over to rain barrels. I still need to pick up a few items to finish the project, but I'm hoping to be able to do it for about $50 for two barrels. I'll let you know the final cost and how to build your own once I'm done.
I basically just became aware of when I was using water in the day and trying to reduce that amount. So when brushing my teeth I fill up my rinse cup with 1/3 full of water and that's all I use to brush my teeth. I also stopped running the water while washing my hands. I just fill the sink with a bit of water and then proceed to wash my hands and then let the water out. I'm down to perhaps two cups of water to wash my hands now. Then when washing the dishes I start with a small amount in the sink and during rinsing of objects I end up with a larger volume at the end to wash the big dirty pots and pans. I'm also letting my grass grow longer so it needs less frequent watering over the summer. That's all I changed during that time.
I've also picked up a few new things just this last weekend so I will get to see the results on the next bill. I bought a few sink aerators to reduce the flow at my taps from 2.2 gal per minute to 1.7 gal per minute. These things are a good deal. I spend about $4 on the item and install it in two minutes with no tools. For the one tap I've put in I estimated it will save me $0.47/month just on my water bill. That doesn't include the natural gas savings for using less hot water. So I will have a pay back period of around 8 months.
Another project I'm starting in the next week or two is making some rain barrels. I've picked up two 98L-garbage cans, which I'm going to convert over to rain barrels. I still need to pick up a few items to finish the project, but I'm hoping to be able to do it for about $50 for two barrels. I'll let you know the final cost and how to build your own once I'm done.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Composting - Is it worth it?
Composting is often presented as once of those things good environmentalists or serious gardeners do in their backyard . But from the purely economic perspective does it really pay?
Composting contrary to popular belief doesn't have to be hard. In is basic form you putting your vegetables/fruits/coffee grounds and some yard waste into a pile with some dirt and then you let the entire thing decay into a black/brown mess which is just full of nutrients for your soil. You can take the lazy route where you just pile it up and ignore it except for the occasional turn with a pitch fork and wait up to a year to get your compost. Or you can give it some more attention and balance nitrogen/carbon/moisture and air flow to get your compost in as little as three months (for more details see here).
On the economic side you are spending around $20 for a small pitch fork as all the basic equipment you need. Then after that your spending your time to turn the pile to produce a bag or two of composted material per year (at least) saving yourself perhaps at most $8 per year. So yes you can save a tiny amount of money, but if you value your time at all you are likely losing money on the deal.
So if you aren't doing it for money, you are basically just doing it for environmental reasons. I personally do it because it is fairly easy to do and it makes my wife's garden produce veggies like mad. Who said you can't save the planet and still be selfish?
Composting contrary to popular belief doesn't have to be hard. In is basic form you putting your vegetables/fruits/coffee grounds and some yard waste into a pile with some dirt and then you let the entire thing decay into a black/brown mess which is just full of nutrients for your soil. You can take the lazy route where you just pile it up and ignore it except for the occasional turn with a pitch fork and wait up to a year to get your compost. Or you can give it some more attention and balance nitrogen/carbon/moisture and air flow to get your compost in as little as three months (for more details see here).
On the economic side you are spending around $20 for a small pitch fork as all the basic equipment you need. Then after that your spending your time to turn the pile to produce a bag or two of composted material per year (at least) saving yourself perhaps at most $8 per year. So yes you can save a tiny amount of money, but if you value your time at all you are likely losing money on the deal.
So if you aren't doing it for money, you are basically just doing it for environmental reasons. I personally do it because it is fairly easy to do and it makes my wife's garden produce veggies like mad. Who said you can't save the planet and still be selfish?
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Saving Money and the Environment
Ok, I'll admit it. I'm a bit of eco-nut under all this talk of personal finance. I like to save money, but if I can save the world too, better yet! In fairness to you the reader I do try to keep those posts that edge on the environment some what tied to personal finance.
Well a few weeks back I came across this blog called No Impact Man and from the environmental side it was a great read. The idea of the blog is simple, can a family live in the middle of New York city with no net impact to the environment for one full year. My only problem about sharing this blog was the fact he never talked about his finances. So at last the blogger finally made a post to this regard, which you can read here.
Granted his methods are a bit extreme (like not using toilet paper) but it got me thinking. Beyond the entire save the world thing is there a significant economic benefit to living a green lifestyle. So far in my life and that of the No Impact Blog I would have to say YES. By reducing your ecological footprint you also reduce your economic footprint. Granted it going green often takes some investments to get going (like a low flow shower head or compact fluorescent light bulb), but in the long haul you also can live with less money which also allows you to retire earlier since you need a reduced cash flow.
So with this in mind and my tax return in my ING account I'm going to go shopping to reduce my water bill. I've got some old 13L/flush toilets I have to replace anyways and some old taps in the sinks which are just starting to leak a bit. I'm currently spending $50/month on water and I'm curious with a few changes how far I can get it to drop. I'm going to try and keep track of my the cost differences to go green and the amount of money I save and let you know how the economics all turn out. This should be interesting.
Well a few weeks back I came across this blog called No Impact Man and from the environmental side it was a great read. The idea of the blog is simple, can a family live in the middle of New York city with no net impact to the environment for one full year. My only problem about sharing this blog was the fact he never talked about his finances. So at last the blogger finally made a post to this regard, which you can read here.
Granted his methods are a bit extreme (like not using toilet paper) but it got me thinking. Beyond the entire save the world thing is there a significant economic benefit to living a green lifestyle. So far in my life and that of the No Impact Blog I would have to say YES. By reducing your ecological footprint you also reduce your economic footprint. Granted it going green often takes some investments to get going (like a low flow shower head or compact fluorescent light bulb), but in the long haul you also can live with less money which also allows you to retire earlier since you need a reduced cash flow.
So with this in mind and my tax return in my ING account I'm going to go shopping to reduce my water bill. I've got some old 13L/flush toilets I have to replace anyways and some old taps in the sinks which are just starting to leak a bit. I'm currently spending $50/month on water and I'm curious with a few changes how far I can get it to drop. I'm going to try and keep track of my the cost differences to go green and the amount of money I save and let you know how the economics all turn out. This should be interesting.
Friday, April 27, 2007
The Carbon Age
After working for months (or was it stalling) the Canadian federal government finally rolled out the details of their air pollution/climate change plan. The main focus was on big businesses which generate about half of the pollution in Canada (for a quick summary see here).
There was lots of interesting points in the plan and everyone is already lining up to say 'it's great' or 'it's horrible.' Some like the 55% reduction target of air pollutants like sulfur dioxide (acid rain), nitrogen oxidizes (smog) and particulate. While others dislike how vague the plan is on reducing carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere and how Canada will not meet its Kyoto targets.
Perhaps not realizing what they have done, the most important thing the government gave industry was the number: $15/tonne of CO2 tax starting in 2010. You see industry has seen this coming. Despite all the rhetoric to the contrary they have not had their heads in the sand. They have bought studies, funded R&D and attended conferences getting to know their options for CO2 reduction. The biggest problem with all their efforts was the economics. How much was avoiding producing a tonne of CO2 going to be worth? Now they know and now the real work begins.
In the next several months we are going to see two things happen. One a lot of current projects will be canceled since they are no longer economically feasible. The second thing will be a series of announcements on new projects starting up. Why? Well to actually engineer, fabricate and construct most of what the facilities required to clean up the emissions to the new standards will take at least four to five years. The deadline of the first phase is 2012 meaning most of these projects will have to start not six months or year down the road, but NOW.
So in the end, Canada has turned the corner and entered a new age: the carbon age. The old rules are now gone for power generation and oil & gas. The entire economics of any major construction project have just changed overnight. So what is an investor to do?
Well let's follow the money. First you will need lots of engineering for these new projects, so check out any publicly traded engineering firms such as SNC-Lavalin. Then materials to build everything such as steel (from Ispco for example) and concrete. Also there are typically a fair amount of chemicals involved in these processes so you might want to look at Dow Chemical. Then there will be the other big winners of all this: alternative energy production like wind turbines, solar panels, ethanol and biodiesel (there is so many different companies involved in these I'll leave you do your own research). Perhaps the most interesting change of all for potential investments will be the construction of a Canadian carbon credit exchange. Will the public be allowed to trade? Is so will the credits be in high demand or will the market be flooded and have the price crash like it did on the European exchange?
The other issue swirling around all of this is the fact Canada is currently run by a minority government. So if the opposition really dislikes this plan it might trigger an election and drop Canada back into limbo with its climate change plan. Hold on to your seats, this could be an interesting few weeks.
There was lots of interesting points in the plan and everyone is already lining up to say 'it's great' or 'it's horrible.' Some like the 55% reduction target of air pollutants like sulfur dioxide (acid rain), nitrogen oxidizes (smog) and particulate. While others dislike how vague the plan is on reducing carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere and how Canada will not meet its Kyoto targets.
Perhaps not realizing what they have done, the most important thing the government gave industry was the number: $15/tonne of CO2 tax starting in 2010. You see industry has seen this coming. Despite all the rhetoric to the contrary they have not had their heads in the sand. They have bought studies, funded R&D and attended conferences getting to know their options for CO2 reduction. The biggest problem with all their efforts was the economics. How much was avoiding producing a tonne of CO2 going to be worth? Now they know and now the real work begins.
In the next several months we are going to see two things happen. One a lot of current projects will be canceled since they are no longer economically feasible. The second thing will be a series of announcements on new projects starting up. Why? Well to actually engineer, fabricate and construct most of what the facilities required to clean up the emissions to the new standards will take at least four to five years. The deadline of the first phase is 2012 meaning most of these projects will have to start not six months or year down the road, but NOW.
So in the end, Canada has turned the corner and entered a new age: the carbon age. The old rules are now gone for power generation and oil & gas. The entire economics of any major construction project have just changed overnight. So what is an investor to do?
Well let's follow the money. First you will need lots of engineering for these new projects, so check out any publicly traded engineering firms such as SNC-Lavalin. Then materials to build everything such as steel (from Ispco for example) and concrete. Also there are typically a fair amount of chemicals involved in these processes so you might want to look at Dow Chemical. Then there will be the other big winners of all this: alternative energy production like wind turbines, solar panels, ethanol and biodiesel (there is so many different companies involved in these I'll leave you do your own research). Perhaps the most interesting change of all for potential investments will be the construction of a Canadian carbon credit exchange. Will the public be allowed to trade? Is so will the credits be in high demand or will the market be flooded and have the price crash like it did on the European exchange?
The other issue swirling around all of this is the fact Canada is currently run by a minority government. So if the opposition really dislikes this plan it might trigger an election and drop Canada back into limbo with its climate change plan. Hold on to your seats, this could be an interesting few weeks.
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