My first blog adventure.
Remembering Earth Day
Posted 03-25-2008 at 07:35 AM by jezzie
Using a crockpot
I wanted a bit of science, a bit of calculation to decide on energy efficiency. It turns out that crock pots have heat conductive linings so you can cook at a steady 200 F.
Because you put all the ingredients in and then turn your back on it, you never lose any steam or heat from repeatedly lifting the lid. Opening your conventional oven, even just a couple of times loses a lot of heat. Okay, but what about the actual power draw?
I finally came across a website from a power corporation in New Zealand that gave a chart of appliances and the power they use. According to their chart a crock pot has a wattage of approximately 220 while both an electric oven and stove have a wattage of 3000. I guess that answers my question. I cook with gas, so I'm not really sure where that leaves me.
During my searching I read with interest one consumer who noticed how much her electrical bill went up when she used her George Forman Grill regularly.
Do you chart the electrical usage of your appliances? Do you use your crock pot frequently and feel you are saving electricity?
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/foo...t-for-ener.php
I wanted a bit of science, a bit of calculation to decide on energy efficiency. It turns out that crock pots have heat conductive linings so you can cook at a steady 200 F.
Because you put all the ingredients in and then turn your back on it, you never lose any steam or heat from repeatedly lifting the lid. Opening your conventional oven, even just a couple of times loses a lot of heat. Okay, but what about the actual power draw?
I finally came across a website from a power corporation in New Zealand that gave a chart of appliances and the power they use. According to their chart a crock pot has a wattage of approximately 220 while both an electric oven and stove have a wattage of 3000. I guess that answers my question. I cook with gas, so I'm not really sure where that leaves me.
During my searching I read with interest one consumer who noticed how much her electrical bill went up when she used her George Forman Grill regularly.
Do you chart the electrical usage of your appliances? Do you use your crock pot frequently and feel you are saving electricity?
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/foo...t-for-ener.php
Total Comments 5
Comments
|
A few changes for the environment I love.
* 1) Changed three light bulbs to energy savers. * 2) Stopped using plastic crock pot liners. * 3) Stopped portioning snacks into sandwich baggies. * 4) Bought five canvas bags to carry groceries. (One of them is an Oprah organic bag.  )* 5) Bought two string bags for produce shopping. |
Posted 03-25-2008 at 07:36 AM by jezzie
|
|
|
* 6) Stopped buying cases of water.
Each case uses thirty-two plastic 1/2 liter bottles; plus the shrink wrapped cardboard base. * (7) Put an energy saver 60 watt bug light over the back door. ($9.99) <gulp> * (8) Bought Method Wood for Good (almond scent) * (9) Bought Greening the Cleaning Citrus/Sage all purpose cleaner. I need to look for more. |
|
Posted 03-25-2008 at 08:21 AM by jezzie
|
|
|
In our every deliberationwe must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations - Native American Wisdom |
|
Posted 03-25-2008 at 08:55 AM by jezzie
|
|
|
# Fast Fact:
# Americans send about 38 billion water bottles a year to landfills. Approximately 1.5 million barrels of oil is needed to make those bottles. That’s enough oil to fuel 100,000 cars. Single use, disposable water bottles (PET plastic) create millions of tons of unnecessary waste each year. In fact, according to the Container Recycling Institute, less than 15% of plastic water bottles in the U.S. are actually recycled – most wind up in landfills where they can take up to 1000 years to biodegrade. |
|
Posted 03-27-2008 at 02:55 AM by jezzie
|
|
|
Not only does bottled water contribute to excessive waste, but it costs us a thousand times more than water from our faucet at home, and it is, in fact, no safer or cleaner.
"The bottled water industry spends millions of dollars a year to convince us that their product is somehow safer or healthier than tap water, when in fact that's just not true," says Victoria Kaplan, senior organizer with Food and Water Watch, a nonprofit that recently launched a Take Back the Tap campaign to get consumers to ditch bottled water. "As much as 40 percent of bottled water started out as the same tap water that we get at home," she adds. A 1999 Natural Resources Defense Council study found that, with required quarterly testing, tap water may even be of a higher quality than bottled, which is only tested annually. |
|
Posted 03-27-2008 at 03:42 AM by jezzie
|
Recent Blog Entries by jezzie
- Organic? Yea or nay. (06-26-2008)
- YOU: and the News ... (05-30-2008)
- YOU: Reading 360* - the Jaguar and ..... (05-28-2008)
- YOU: and Greenhouse gases (05-15-2008)
- YOU: Contemplating 'whining' (03-31-2008)
