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Dear Mark,
I talk a lot so I cannot imagine anyone who has not
heard about my new company. But just in case, here
are the details...
I sold my portion of Oak Associates, Inc. and
started New England Breeze, LLC. I'll be selling and
installing small wind turbines and solar panels that
generate electricity.
Though I am starting in Eastern Massachusetts, my
customers will be all over New England.
You can get more information from my web site at www.NewEnglandBreeze.com
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Stop Those Little Vampires
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Power Strips Are Your Friend
Why? Because you can turn off a whole bunch of
those “bricks” with one switch.
AC adaptors (also known as "bricks"), convert wall
Alternating Current (AC) to lower voltage AC and in
the case of anything computer-like, convert the AC
to direct current (DC).
Think of how many of these bricks are hanging
around your house. Anything charging a battery has a
“brick” That includes cell phones, portable phones,
digital cameras, GameBoys, shop tools, or laptop
computers. Anything with a digital clock has a brick
(internal or external). That includes digital
clocks, microwave ovens, ovens, VCRs, DVRs, etc.
Anything computerish has one too. Printers, some
scanners, speaker systems, video games, network
routers and hubs, DSL or Cable modems, and computer
monitors.
So why do we care? Turns out that even after the
cell phone finishes charging or we disconnect if
from the charger, that charger consumes a trickle of
electricity. What a waste.
While it is not a huge waste, it still adds up. Al
Gore estimates
that these AC adaptors/chargers consume about 5% of
America’s total domestic energy consumption and are
responsible for 18 million tons of carbon being
released into the atmosphere every year!
That is where the power strip comes in. Put it in a
handy place and you can turn off a whole bunch of
“bricks” with one switch. Also, go into the garage
or shop and unplug the electric screwdriver when
it’s done charging. Switch back to a wired phone
(think of the time you’ll save not having to hunt
for the phone :-) What ever you do, stop those
little vampires from sucking all the time.
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Dad's New Job
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No, not that job
I have a new job. It is a noble position, handed
down from my dad who, no doubt, got it from his dad,
and I will, some day, pass it on to my children.
This job is quite simple but is hard to do well and
the bigger your family; the harder it is to do
well.
The job? Follow the kids around and turn off lights.
Why? Lights use lots of electricity. While my young
teens think I’m clueless (and getting dumber as they
age), thanks to my new “job” I am also in the
dark.
Next issue, learn how to get your kids to help in
your efforts to save energy. Really!
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An Environmental Statistic
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80% of the Carbon Dioxide our country creates in the
generation of electricity comes from burning coal
but burning coal “only” generates 50% of the US
electricity supply. (Source)
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