No, we are not talking about the magnets on your refrigerator door.  We are talking magnetic refrigeration technology.  This is the latest in environmentally friendly, virtually pollution free green cooling technology.  While not yet available for home use, it could be in the near future.  It has much to offer as a green alternative to our traditional gas compressor cooling systems.  Magnetic cooling systems would require 20 to 30 percent less energy to run than the best current conventional systems.  Plus they would not require the use of ozone depleting chemicals or greenhouse gases.

Each summer air conditioning and refrigeration account for approximately 50 percent of U.S. energy consumption.  It is a major component of energy consumption world wide.  Think about it, your refrigerator runs 24/7 for your entire LIFETIME.  Imagine using 20 to 30 percent less energy because of one house hold appliance for a whole lifetime, not to mention the fact that it doesn't use ozone depleting chemicals or greenhouse gases.  Another really cool (no pun intended) benefit is that it is virtually silent.  Wouldn't that be great?

So, how does it work?  Basically magnetic refrigeration works by applying a magnetic field to a magnetic material causing it to heat up.  The excess heat is then removed by water, there by cooling the material back down to its original temperature.  The material cools down even more as the magnetic field is removed.  Research is now keyed on looking for new metallic alloys which amplify the cooling effect at room temperature.  The technology is based on research funded in the U.K. by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

This technology has the potential of making a huge change in our energy use and pollution contribution to global warming.  Possibly effecting every home and auto.  Isn't it exciting to see what science has the potential to do?  I like it when science helps to solve problems in ways most of us can't even imagine.

The coming Earth Day has me thinking about new ways of helping our environment. Some way of adding to the more common existing things we do everyday. Recently, I happened to run across a term I'd not heard of before ..... locavore. The definition goes something like this; a consumer of locally grown or produced products.

The transportation component of the products we eat and use is a huge part of our overall energy use and CO2 emissions. Something as simple as choosing products that are grown or produced close to home could have a profound effect on both. Imagine the difference in total energy used in the following scenario. Tomatoes grown in Mexico, trucked to a rail or truck facility, then put in diesel powered refrigerated rail cars or trucks and transported via rail/truck to various location in the U.S. or Canada to then be re-distributed via truck vs purchasing tomatoes grown locally. The difference has to be huge. Obviously with some products, like bananas or pineapple there is no choice, but there are many items that we eat that we do have a choice for much of the year.

There may be added benefits of using locally grown produce also, such as a more palatable quality product. Large commercial growers producing products for export are likely to grow varieties of produce that are chosen for their resistance to damage and deterioration during transport rather than taste. They are also likely to be picked before they become fully ripe. On the other hand local producers can pick and sell produce at its peak of ripeness and choose to grow varieties for no other virtue than its good taste.

Examples of other items are easy to find. I live in Idaho, we have lots of dairies which produce lots of milk, butter, cheese etc. But if you look in most of the large local grocery outlets you find milk, butter and cheese that is produced and processed in California, Oregon and Wisconsin. Some is even produced in Idaho then trucked out of state to be processed and trucked back to be sold. But if you search you can find locally produced dairy products, they are there and they are a fresh quality product.

In most areas of the U.S. you should be able to find locally produced dairy products, eggs and poultry and locally grown fruit and seasonal vegetables. They may not be at your local big name grocery but check your local Co-OPs, farmers markets, specialty and organic food stores and ads in your local newspapers. The key is you have to look, a little effort may surprise you. You may find items like organically grown produce, free range poultry or grass fed beef or hormone free/antibiotic free poultry, beef and pork. You may find quality products that you prefer to those you previously used. You may even find items like locally produced textiles, furniture or art too.

Local farmers markets provide a great opportunity to save energy and CO2 emissions and help our local economies as well. Communities large and small are suffering economically as a result of money leaving and never returning. Think about it, in my home town, when I first moved here in 1973, virtually all of the grocery stores, restaurants, clothing, sporting goods, drug stores, almost everything we purchased was purchased in a locally owned store. Most of the money spent here stayed here. Fast forward to 2009 and almost all of the products we buy and use daily are purchased at big box, big name or franchised stores and restaurants whose profits go to who knows where, but they don't stay here. Buying locally grown or produced products or buying from locally owned businesses can in a sense be looked at as a way of recycling. Recycling money in your community. You are spending dollars that stay in you community and help to sustain your community and neighbors plus saving energy and helping to reduce CO2 emissions. Try it, you could become a locavore!

Everyone seems to be awakening to the existence of their carbon footprint. But have you thought about your water footprint? Yep, you have one, and the two are closely intertwined. We are all aware that almost everything we use in our daily lives comes with an associated energy cost and carbon release. The energy cost of producing and transporting almost everything we eat, use and wear in our daily lives. But all of these things come with a water cost as well. Fresh water is becoming a scarce and precious commodity in many countries of the world, ours included.

Here are a few examples that really surprised me.

1. Your morning pot of coffee - 37 gallons

2. Bowl of cereal with milk - 22 gallons

3. Two eggs - 36 gallons

4. One apple - 18 gallons

5. One orange - 13 gallons

6. One hamburger - 634 gallons

7. One pound of beef - 1500 gallons

8. One glass of wine - 31 gallons

9. One pint of beer - 20 gallons

As you can see there must be more to the equation than simply how much water it takes to grow a plant or water a cow. There are associated water costs of processing, packaging, fertilizing, transporting and even consuming. At the consumer level producing the electricity you use to cook your meals with is a big water user. Most forms of electrical production require large amounts of water whether it's generated by gas, coal or nuclear. They all use heated water to make steam which drives the turbines which produce our electricity. Hydroelectric production obviously uses lots of water, but it doesn't need to be heated. This makes wind or solar power even more attractive as they require virtually no water. Choosing items that don't require long cooking times may save water and energy.

Simply becoming aware of water use can help you make more informed decisions about the products you buy and use and the foods you choose. When replacing faucets, shower heads, toilets, dish washers and clothes washers, look for the products with lower water usage in mind as well as energy saving models. A shower head that uses less water not only saves water but energy as well, by not using as much hot water, as do the low water dishwashers and clothes washers.

Using less water can also mean using less energy too. So, next time you turn on the tap, remember, water is precious, don't waste it, be Green, need what you use. -MB