Eco Evaluator

Did you know that up to 50 percent of the energy used in your home goes toward powering your heating and cooling system? According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), this cost is around $1,100 per year for the average home.

Buildings represent a large percentage of all the energy consumed in the United States. That’s why increasing the energy efficiency of buildings, especially existing ones, has become a major priority for many cities throughout the country. In addition to enhancing overall quality of life, transforming commercial and industrial properties combats climate change and fosters innovation that ultimately strengthens our economy.

Many types of specialized heat reflective paints are on the market today. These coatings are very popular in hot climates like the southwestern U.S. as well as Australia, Dubai and China. When properly applied, these coatings can reduce the amount of heat that penetrates the building. By reducing the amount of heat that enters the building, the load on the air conditioner is reduced thereby increasing the energy efficiency of a building. So here's an overview of the basics behind this technology.

Many homes and office buildings are built to take advantage of a view. Naturally these structures offer multiple windows to enjoy it. These windows permit brilliant natural light to shine in which adds life to the space. The real issue arises from the low insulation value of windows and is multiplied by the solar heat gain. Therefore many of the new windows have incorporated Low-E coatings to help deal with the heat gained through them.

The sun gives life to this planet and, if properly harnessed, it can provide plenty of energy and light. Unfortunately, using sunshine effectively is not as simple as just letting the sun shine. In the winter, we want more when there is less and in the summer we want less when there is more. It seems that these two goals are constantly reversed. Natural sunlight and solar heat gain used to be one of the most underused methods of heating a home, but that is changing.

Why oh why does the air conditioner always quit on the hottest day of the summer? It just so happens to be the most common time because that’s when an air conditioner is working the hardest. It’s due to the heat that is created by the unit added to the heat of the day which equals a great amount of stress for an air conditioner. And good luck finding an air conditioning technician during the summer. If one is available, getting it serviced on the same day is unlikely.

These days, we have several players in the ever-growing $1.5 billion artificial sweetener industry. Sugar substitutes are used in place of sucrose, or table sugar, to sweeten food or drinks. They are sweeter than regular sugar and, therefore, smaller quantities can be used to sweeten food to the same sweetness level. These compounds or chemicals sweeten food without the significant calories and also help diabetics to live a normal live. So what’s the catch?

Since many of us are not eating a nutritionally complete diet, a variety of people choose vitamins to supplement whatever they are missing. In fact, 44% of the US population takes dietary supplements including vitamins. Do you think vitamins are the answer to a healthier you?

In 1992, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) developed the Food Guide Pyramid. This handy visual reminded people which foods we could eat in large quantities and which foods we should moderate. In April 2005, with recommendations from the US Department of heath and Human Services (DHHS) as well as the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, MyPyramid was born.

World hunger has been a hot debate between humanitarians and environmentalists rightfully so. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimated that in 2010 there were 925 million hungry people worldwide. That means that nearly 1 in 7 people are undernourished. The problem is not due to a lack of food. Instead the deficiency is related to the cost of food. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has identified multiple factors responsible for rising food prices that are responsible for increased starvation. Two of those factors, slowing growth in agricultural production and rising farm production costs, can be mitigated with the science and technologies of selective plant breeding.

Organic farming is good for the environment and organic foods are great for your health. Many studies suggest organic produce has more nutrients primarily due to the soil being less depleted and without pesticide residue. This is great, except for the fact that buying organic is just more expensive. Many people today find it difficult to justify the additional cost of buying organic. Fortunately, a recent report spells out which fruits and vegetables are more/less crucial in buying organic.

Technology has managed to enhance the lives of people. However, along with the enhancements, there have been some adverse effects as well. For instance, the synthetic hormone diethylstilbestrol (DES) that had been used to stimulate growth in cattle was finally banned in 1979 after forty years of data had been accumulated reflecting cancer and birth defects. It seems that we would learn from our previous experiences, right?