Comments on: Use electricity wisely http://www.ecostreet.com/blog/energy-saving/2007/11/04/use-electricity-wisely/ Raising Green Consciousness since 2002 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:12:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Cool Billboards - Think and Act | Go Green and Friendly http://www.ecostreet.com/blog/energy-saving/2007/11/04/use-electricity-wisely/#comment-68600 Cool Billboards - Think and Act | Go Green and Friendly Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:09:49 +0000 http://ecostreet.com/blog/energy-saving/2007/11/04/use-electricity-wisely/#comment-68600 [...] EcoStreet and WattWatt You can receive our articles for free in your email inbox, with more eco news, [...] [...] EcoStreet and WattWatt You can receive our articles for free in your email inbox, with more eco news, [...]

]]> By: Debbie http://www.ecostreet.com/blog/energy-saving/2007/11/04/use-electricity-wisely/#comment-68553 Debbie Wed, 17 Sep 2008 05:24:19 +0000 http://ecostreet.com/blog/energy-saving/2007/11/04/use-electricity-wisely/#comment-68553 John Davison asks: how green are carbide lamps? I don't know the full answer, but a lot of energy is used in making the calcium carbide, and more in transporting this solid fuel to the lamp users. And, unless the carbide is 100% pure, other gases are formed that would be unhealthy to breathe in a confined space (cavers tend not to stay in caves for extened periods). John Davison asks: how green are carbide lamps?
I don’t know the full answer, but a lot of energy is used in making the calcium carbide, and more in transporting this solid fuel to the lamp users. And, unless the carbide is 100% pure, other gases are formed that would be unhealthy to breathe in a confined space (cavers tend not to stay in caves for extened periods).

]]> By: Um Belo Exemplo… | [Coió Online] http://www.ecostreet.com/blog/energy-saving/2007/11/04/use-electricity-wisely/#comment-68207 Um Belo Exemplo… | [Coió Online] Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:17:24 +0000 http://ecostreet.com/blog/energy-saving/2007/11/04/use-electricity-wisely/#comment-68207 [...] Um Belo Exemplo… Escrito em 4 Novembro, 2007 Por admin …de como se deve usar a eletricidade com sabedioria. A empresa Eskom, uma das fornecedoras de energia na África do Sul deu seu exemplo neste incrível outdoor. Em uma época em que os recursos naturais estão cada vez mais escassos, e grande parte da eletricidade consumida no mundo é gerada através da água, este é um anúncio inteligente.Via: Eco Street [...] [...] Um Belo Exemplo… Escrito em 4 Novembro, 2007 Por admin …de como se deve usar a eletricidade com sabedioria. A empresa Eskom, uma das fornecedoras de energia na África do Sul deu seu exemplo neste incrível outdoor. Em uma época em que os recursos naturais estão cada vez mais escassos, e grande parte da eletricidade consumida no mundo é gerada através da água, este é um anúncio inteligente.Via: Eco Street [...]

]]> By: Graham http://www.ecostreet.com/blog/energy-saving/2007/11/04/use-electricity-wisely/#comment-68107 Graham Mon, 17 Mar 2008 21:15:38 +0000 http://ecostreet.com/blog/energy-saving/2007/11/04/use-electricity-wisely/#comment-68107 The billboard is clever in the simplicity of its message. Locally the humour of it will not have escaped South Africans. For example, the billboard will more often than not be in darkness due to load shedding (a sanatised way of saying we don't have enough juice to supply all our customers' needs). We tend to forget that Eskom used to produce more electricity than is does currently. What a pity the advertiser is not as bright as its message! The billboard is clever in the simplicity of its message. Locally the humour of it will not have escaped South Africans. For example, the billboard will more often than not be in darkness due to load shedding (a sanatised way of saying we don’t have enough juice to supply all our customers’ needs). We tend to forget that Eskom used to produce more electricity than is does currently. What a pity the advertiser is not as bright as its message!

]]> By: pieul http://www.ecostreet.com/blog/energy-saving/2007/11/04/use-electricity-wisely/#comment-67994 pieul Fri, 22 Feb 2008 13:21:13 +0000 http://ecostreet.com/blog/energy-saving/2007/11/04/use-electricity-wisely/#comment-67994 I back to differ with some of you who said that electricity woes are fuelled by Zimbabwe. We South Africans are the ones to blame, eskom has not faced this problem today. We lacked foresight as well as being reluctant to invest in power generation. Iam saying this because Zimbabwe too is in these squables so we can,t shoulder our shortcomings on another country. The only way forward is to upgrade our power stations and build new ones. I back to differ with some of you who said that electricity woes are fuelled by Zimbabwe. We South Africans are the ones to blame, eskom has not faced this problem today. We lacked foresight as well as being reluctant to invest in power generation. Iam saying this because Zimbabwe too is in these squables so we can,t shoulder our shortcomings on another country. The only way forward is to upgrade our power stations and build new ones.

]]> By: John Davison http://www.ecostreet.com/blog/energy-saving/2007/11/04/use-electricity-wisely/#comment-63032 John Davison Fri, 25 Jan 2008 10:13:49 +0000 http://ecostreet.com/blog/energy-saving/2007/11/04/use-electricity-wisely/#comment-63032 How green are carbide lamps? These simple lamps used to be common in mining, were attached to cycles, and were the main lighting tool for cave exploration for many years. The British made Premier Carbide Cap Lamp seems to have gone out of production some years ago - a few examples can be found for sale on EBay as collectors items these days. The carbide lamp operates because of a chemical reaction between calcium carbide, and water: CaC2 + H2O => C2H2 + CaO + heat However, there is another chemical reaction that occurs within the lamp bottom between the lime (calcium oxide) and the water to produce calcium hydroxide. CaO + H2O => Ca(OH)2 A net search shows there seems to be a company with an Italian type of name Triveno Corporation CL TMC which still makes a carbide lamp but perhaps the production is in China as the website's home page appears first in Chinese.Carbide lamps in the USA these days seem to be for outdoorsmen use in the main. Carbide lamps if environmentally acceptible and reasonably safe might be an option for ESKOM in SA to subsidize for the poor as they will remain poor for centuries if their kids don't get quality education and have light to study under! Shack fires are already a horrendous problem in South African cities so Carbide lights probably won't introduce any particularly new element of danger than already exists with parrafin stoves and candles and could be a whole lot safer? How widespread the use of carbide lamps would have to become before showing even a dent in the electricity supply vs demand problem southern Africa currently faces is, I guess, the major limiting practicality of going back to carbide power in homes? Does anyone know of a supplier or manufacturer of carbide lamps here in South Africa? John Davison How green are carbide lamps? These simple lamps used to be common in mining, were attached to cycles, and were the main lighting tool for cave exploration for many years. The British made Premier Carbide Cap Lamp seems to have gone out of production some years ago - a few examples can be found for sale on EBay as collectors items these days.
The carbide lamp operates because of a chemical reaction between calcium carbide, and water:

CaC2 + H2O => C2H2 + CaO + heat

However, there is another chemical reaction that occurs within the lamp bottom between the lime (calcium oxide) and the water to produce calcium hydroxide.

CaO + H2O => Ca(OH)2

A net search shows there seems to be a company with an Italian type of name Triveno Corporation CL TMC which still makes a carbide lamp but perhaps the production is in China as the website’s home page appears first in Chinese.Carbide lamps in the USA these days seem to be for outdoorsmen use in the main.
Carbide lamps if environmentally acceptible and reasonably safe might be an option for ESKOM in SA to subsidize for the poor as they will remain poor for centuries if their kids don’t get quality education and have light to study under! Shack fires are already a horrendous problem in South African cities so Carbide lights probably won’t introduce any particularly new element of danger than already exists with parrafin stoves and candles and could be a whole lot safer?
How widespread the use of carbide lamps would have to become before showing even a dent in the electricity supply vs demand problem southern Africa currently faces is, I guess, the major limiting practicality of going back to carbide power in homes?
Does anyone know of a supplier or manufacturer of carbide lamps here in South Africa?
John Davison

]]> By: Tracy http://www.ecostreet.com/blog/energy-saving/2007/11/04/use-electricity-wisely/#comment-59018 Tracy Sun, 06 Jan 2008 19:24:18 +0000 http://ecostreet.com/blog/energy-saving/2007/11/04/use-electricity-wisely/#comment-59018 Energy prices are going up dramatically in the UK too: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/money/consumer_affairs/article3136581.ece Energy prices are going up dramatically in the UK too: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/money/consumer_affairs/article3136581.ece

]]> By: Nikki http://www.ecostreet.com/blog/energy-saving/2007/11/04/use-electricity-wisely/#comment-55050 Nikki Fri, 21 Dec 2007 00:59:50 +0000 http://ecostreet.com/blog/energy-saving/2007/11/04/use-electricity-wisely/#comment-55050 Sign of the times... 14% price hike by Eskom in South Africa http://iafrica.com/news/sa/743662.htm Sign of the times…
14% price hike by Eskom in South Africa
http://iafrica.com/news/sa/743662.htm

]]> By: Snowy Smith http://www.ecostreet.com/blog/energy-saving/2007/11/04/use-electricity-wisely/#comment-53212 Snowy Smith Wed, 12 Dec 2007 19:05:55 +0000 http://ecostreet.com/blog/energy-saving/2007/11/04/use-electricity-wisely/#comment-53212 How many people are NOT PAYING?? How many ILLEGAL CONNECTIONS???? The Playing customers are subsidizing the NON PAYING CUSTOMERS AND THIEVES. How many people are NOT PAYING??

How many ILLEGAL CONNECTIONS????

The Playing customers are subsidizing the NON PAYING CUSTOMERS AND THIEVES.

]]> By: coda http://www.ecostreet.com/blog/energy-saving/2007/11/04/use-electricity-wisely/#comment-46730 coda Mon, 26 Nov 2007 08:59:41 +0000 http://ecostreet.com/blog/energy-saving/2007/11/04/use-electricity-wisely/#comment-46730 Eskom "leads by example"? ha ha ha. <a href="http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20071124092527350C533695" rel="nofollow"> Eskom is the second highest polluting power company in the world</a> Eskom “leads by example”? ha ha ha.

Eskom is the second highest polluting power company in the world

]]>