Which Is Better: Granular Activated Carbon or Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration System

You have several options to consider when choosing a water filtration system. Two common options are systems using granular activated carbon and systems using reverse osmosis.

Which is better? There’s no universal answer to this question. The ideal water filtration system for one person’s needs might not be the right option for you.

The following overview covers the significant differences between granular activated carbon and reverse osmosis water filtration systems. The information here may help you more easily choose between the two.

How Does a Granular Activated Carbon Water Filtration System Work?

Per the Minnesota Department of Health, granular activated carbon filters work when chemicals in water bind to activated carbon granules. Over time, these granules may become too covered in such chemicals to serve their purpose.

Replacing them may be necessary when this happens. That said, it’s often possible to reuse granular activated carbon by removing the chemicals that have already bound to it.

How Does a Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration System Work?

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), reverse osmosis systems work by using pressure to transfer a given quantity of water through a membrane. The membrane separates the “reject water” (which contains the contaminants a reverse osmosis system filters out) from the clean water.

Filtration Capabilities of Granular Activated Carbon vs. Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration Systems

Granular activated carbon comes in a variety of styles. Different types of granular activated carbon have different filtration ratings. If you use a granular activated carbon system, check the filtration rating first to confirm its sufficient for your needs.

Granular activated carbon is effective at removing numerous contaminants from water. However, reverse osmosis systems tend to remove more due to the tiny size of pores in a reverse osmosis system’s membrane.

That’s not to say reverse osmosis systems are inherently “better” than granular activated carbon systems. Because reverse osmosis systems can remove certain contaminants that a granular activated carbon system might miss, reverse osmosis systems may be useful for individuals with health conditions. On the other hand, some argue that reverse osmosis systems also deprive water of its potential nutritional benefits by removing vitamins and minerals as well.

Cost, Size, and Related Practical Considerations for Water Filtration Systems

Reverse osmosis water filtration systems usually require more components than granular activated carbon systems. They’re bulkier as a result. The added size of these systems means they may also be costlier than granular activated carbon systems.

Water waste can also contribute to the high cost of reverse osmosis systems. According to the EPA overview in the link above, some reverse osmosis systems can generate up to 10 gallons of reject water for every gallon of clean drinking water they generate. Such inefficiency is bad for the environment and bad for your bank account.

Granular activated carbon systems may be smaller and more efficient. They may also require less maintenance than reverse osmosis systems.

Speak With an Expert

Choosing the right water filtration system for your goals is vital. Although the information here might help make this decision a little easier, it’s best to speak with an expert if you have more questions about this subject. Discussing your needs with a professional can ensure you get the best water filtration system based on the way you plan to use it.

Puragen offers granular activated carbon filtration solutions to customers across a range of industries.

Colossal Biosciences: Saving the Elephant To Save the Savanna

Elephants are often admired in captivity and beloved for their intelligence and charisma, but did you know that in the wild they alleviate climate change and are vital to generating sustenance and shelter for iconic grassland species like zebras, impalas, and buffalo? While all three species of elephants are crucial to the functionality and diversity of the ecosystems they inhabit, they’re all also facing unprecedented declines due to habitat loss, human conflict, and disease. But not if Colossal Biosciences has anything to say about it.

With the World Wildlife Fund reporting that at least 20,000 African elephants are killed each year by illegal poachers, and experts from the Oregon Zoo estimating that 1 in 5 young Asian elephants die in captivity — and likely the wild — from EEHV (elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus), innovations in conservation may be the key to preventing the extinction of our favorite animals. Colossal Biosciences recognizes the ecological importance of elephants and the need for novel solutions to combat their population declines — and they’re not just talking the talk, they’re walking the walk.

Founded by technological entrepreneur Ben Lamm and renowned geneticist Dr. George Church, Colossal Biosciences has taken a unique approach to elephant conservation. While the company’s end goal is to reverse the extinction process and revive long-gone legends like the woolly mammoth and dodo, Colossal is also dedicated to sequencing the genomes of all three current elephant species and developing a vaccine against the deadly EEHV. Since its founding in 2021, Colossal has raised $225 million in total funding for its de-extinction and conservation efforts.

Elephants: A Keystone to Biodiversity and Fighting Climate Change

While it’s not unheard of to assume that focusing such extensive efforts and resources on an individual species is frivolous, as a keystone species, the long-term and widespread impacts that elephants (and potentially their prehistoric counterparts, the woolly mammoth) have on the environment cannot be understated.

Recognized as having a significant impact on ecosystems relative to their abundance, keystone species shape our environments and provide essential services that, if lost, would have detrimental effects on the ecosystem. Many of the world’s most beautiful and pristine landscapes, such as Yellowstone National Park in the western U.S. and Patagonia in South America would be unrecognizable without keystone species like the gray wolf and beaver.

As the world’s largest keystone species, elephants have a massive impact on their surroundings, with conservation efforts known to have an “umbrella effect” on an ecosystem, providing far-reaching results despite a seemingly limited scope.

Given their massive size and propensity to walk up to 7.5 miles per day, elephants have a disproportionately momentous impact on their native ecosystems. In the savannas and rainforests of Africa and Asia, elephants can break down dense foliage, providing pathways, food, and habitats for smaller mammals and increasing light penetration to promote plant biodiversity. Elephants often create watering holes that support a myriad of biodiversity in wet and dry climates alike. In the rainforest, rainwater pools in their footprints and can act as microhabitats for bugs and tadpoles. In the savanna, the behemoths can use their tusks to tap into deep groundwater reservoirs, providing hydration for a list of species in direly dry conditions. 

Labeled as ecosystem engineers, elephants also play a major role in the plant compositions of their respective environments. Through their dung, African elephants can disperse thousands of seeds per day as far as 40 miles away from their origin, more than can be said for any land mammal and many bird species. Certain plant species are completely reliant on elephants for dispersal, and a variety of insects (such as the dung beetle) depend on elephant droppings as a food source or spot to lay their eggs. In addition to its help in disbursing seeds, elephant excrement is considered a natural fertilizer, with grass in areas where elephants graze containing as much as 50% more nitrogen than in areas without elephants.

While the benefits elephants provide their ecosystems are more than enough justification for large-scale conservation efforts, the impact that elephants can have on climate change may be an even greater boon. Since elephants prefer to snack on vegetation with a low carbon density (or ability to store carbon), their grazing makes room for vegetation with a high carbon density to grow, thus promoting carbon sequestration. 

This is supported by a report published by Saint Louis University that found that the absence of the African forest elephant — an already critically endangered species — from its native rainforest could result in the Earth losing between 6% to 9% of its ability to store carbon and exacerbate climate change.

“If we lose forest elephants, we will be doing a global disservice to climate change mitigation,” said Stephen Blake, Ph.D., senior author of the paper. “The importance of forest elephants for climate mitigation must be taken seriously by policymakers to generate the support needed for elephant conservation. The role of forest elephants in our global environment is too important to ignore.”

A similar study conducted by the International Monetary Fund found that restoring elephants in the African rainforest to their former range and pre-poaching levels can sequester as much carbon as 250,000 trees and provide over $150 billion in carbon-capture services.

Colossal Biosciences: ‘The Largest Land Animal on Earth Needs Our Largest Conservation Effort. Now’

Given the colossal benefits that elephants provide our ecosystem, it’s only fitting that Colossal Biosciences has invested substantial effort into conserving and “backing up” the species. “The largest land animal on earth needs our largest conservation efforts. Now,” Colossal posted on its website. “The Asian elephant and African Savanna elephant are classified by the [International Union for Conservation of Nature] as ‘endangered,’ while the African Forest elephant is listed as ‘critically endangered.’ All species are in dire need of a science that will save them.”

Colossal is hard at work on that science. In addition to the use of CRISPR technology to develop a vaccine for EEHV — the same technology used in sequencing a woolly mammoth — Colossal Biosciences has partnered with the Vertebrate Genomes Project to generate a high-quality reference genome for all three elephant species.

In May 2023, Colossal and the VGP published the first-ever, near-complete chromosome level genome sequence of the African elephant to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. This marks the second elephant genome published by Colossal and the VGP following the complete sequencing of the Asian elephant in 2022 (which is currently one of the highest-quality mammal genomes in existence).

Mapping a species’ genome not only grants insight into their evolutionary process and needs for survival, but also ensures that charismatic and ecologically valuable species like the elephant have a genetic backup and won’t fall victim to extinction.

As Colossal CEO Ben Lamm told The Dallas Morning News, “We hope that elephants won’t go extinct. We hope that humanity can save them. But in the event that they do, we at least want to see that reference data.”

With all three elephant species showing worsening population trends in their latest IUCN assessment and the effects of climate change predicted to further exacerbate their plight down the road, there’s a harsh possibility that the future of elephants will rely on this sequence. For all we know, future generations may be thanking Colossal and the VPG for the lushness and biodiversity of our savannas and rainforests — and for saving the elephants.

Easy Ways To Have An Eco Friendly Home

Easy Ways To Have An Eco Friendly Home

The world is currently in a climate crisis. One way to save the world is to adapt to eco-friendly changes at home. Eco friendly methods adoption at home reduces the adverse effects to the environment. Home pollution may not be as much as in larger organizations, but it still contributes to the pollution.

Here is a list of efficient ways people like Alexander Djerassi can adapt to have an eco-friendly home.

1. Solar Panel Installation

The solar panel is a renewable source of energy. It uses the natural energy from the sun as its source of electricity. Natural energy is cleaner than the burnt fuels. Some families are lucky enough to get enough solar energy that can support the entire household.

2. Opt for Homemade Cleaning Products

Cleaning agents such as detergents contain chemicals that are harmful to the environment. Switching to homemade cleaning products reduces environmental depletion as they are less

dangerous.

3. Compost Kitchen Leftovers

Food waste composition is an eco-friendly method of disposal. Food waste releases methane gas which is harmful to the ecosystem. Instead of throwing the waste into a trash can, why not put it in a compost bin for later use. Once decomposition occurs, one can use the material in the garden as manure.

4. Unplug Electronic Devices

Electronic devices should be switched off and unplugged when not in use. Most of these devices use non-renewable energy sources. Power stations release carbon dioxide gas when energy is in use.

5. Buy Biodegradable Products

Oral pills discovered by Carl Djerassi, Alexander Djerassi’s grandfather, are an example of synthetic products. These pills have assisted many women from unwanted pregnancies; however, they are non-biodegradable. They can be released into the aquatic system via sewages or oceans and have proven to be harmful. The estrogen substance in the pills has a negative effect on aquatic animals.

6. Use Water Filters

Single-use water bottles pollute the environment even if thrown into the bin. The reason is only a few of the bottles are recycled. Water filters save on the money intended to buy the drinking water.

Some water bottles are reusable, others are not. Plastic bottles take years to biodegrade, so water filters are suitable substitutes for purified water bottles.

7. Opt for LED Light Bulbs

The LED bulbs use less energy than the old-fashioned ones. This means less carbon gas emission. These energy-efficient light bulbs also save on money due to the less energy used. In some cases, LED light bulbs are recycled, unlike the old-fashioned ones, which can’t be recycled once damaged.

8. Grow Plants

This is where the compost material from the kitchen waste comes in. The fertilizer helps in plant growth—growing plants at home promotes clean air circulation. Plants produce oxygen in exchange for carbon dioxide.

9. Adopt Eco-Friendly Ways in The Kitchen

One way to do this is by using a toast maker instead of an oven. An oven consumes a lot of energy to heat up. On the other hand, a toast maker is fast and consumes less power. An oven also loses a lot of heat because of the constant opening and closing.

Another way to save on energy in the kitchen is the use of a pressure cooker. This kitchen gadget uses less time to cook meals which means less energy use.
Eco-friendly homes are significant to every household or person. Eco friendly methods reduce the negative environmental effect and save on money. All the above points are steps that Alexander Djerassi can use to start the journey to an eco-friendly home.

The Future of Solar Energy in the United States

The Future of Solar Energy in the United States

When we hear about solar power, we tend to think about massive farms of solar panels, generating thousands of kilowatt hours of energy. The debate in scientific circles has tended to focus on whether or not renewable energy sources, like wind, solar, and geothermal, can come close enough to matching the output of traditional forms of energy like oil, natural gas, and coal to make the switch to renewables worth it. In reality, any sustainable energy plan for America’s future must necessarily feature solar power as one amongst a plethora of energy options that are more sustainable for our planet. Solar power is here to stay, and many experts think that as solar panel technology is improved solar power will become more readily available for average, everyday Americans. In fact, though cost is the greatest enduring barrier to widespread use of solar panels, many technologies are being developed that will make solar powered conveniences for everybody, not just those who can afford to put a full set of solar panels on their roof.
Helen Lee Schifter has recently pointed out that solar power does not just have to do with large scale energy operations, though. Even something as simple as sustainable décor for holiday decorations can make a small impact. Helen Lee Schifter notes that many Americans like to use string lights during the holidays. The problem with that, however, is that string lights on such a grand scale tend to use a great deal of energy. A solution to this that she suggests is solar powered holiday lights that soak up the sun’s rays during the day and shine brightly at night. This would mean that a net zero amount of energy would be taken from coal or natural gas powered plants to fuel a festive holiday decoration setup. It is true that sustainable holiday decorations like solar powered lights are great for the environment and save on fossil fuels, but they also help the individual consumer as well. Those who switch to solar powered lights and other sustainable holiday decorations will notice a great deal of savings on their energy bills. Creative solutions like this are a great way to take discussions about solar power out of the media and into individuals’ homes. The future of solar power does not just have to be about how the country at large structures its power grid. In fact, discussions about solar power do not have to be political at all. Developing new sustainable technologies like solar powered holiday lights that are cheap and widely available to consumers will encourage individuals to take responsibility for the way that they consume electricity. It will also allow people to make sustainable yet small choices that, on the aggregate across many consumers, will have a great total impact on the health of the environment. In the end, that is what sustainability is all about. Helen Lee Schifter believes that each individual should be empowered to make ethical decisions that can end up making a profound impact on the world.

Politics of Business

The politics of business has become more complicated in today’s climate. More corporations are using their money to lobby government policymakers at the federal, state, and local levels. Most corporations will have to remove their conservative ideals and align themselves with the left-wing to pass legislation. Alexander Djerassi has seen the best and worst of politics in business. A corporation with an overtly liberal stance on social issues such as gay marriage will be challenged by its employees. It might lose business because of its stance on social issues.

Negative politics can be highly destructive for a business. When a company tries to serve both the employee and owner, it creates hostility and resentment. This hostility is not healthy for a business and helps no one. Positive politics can help maintain productivity and help build a healthy work environment. Positive politics can also help a business owner retain his employees.

The first principle of business is that a business must serve the customer. It is illogical to think that a business can do business with its employees if it does not approve of social conscience or socially conscious employees. Many companies have replaced their advertising with “green” advertising. This type of advertising promotes environmental responsibility for the company while simultaneously increasing the bottom line. The values of socially conscious employees can help both the owner and the employee.

The second principle of business is never to forget who owns the business and to leave the politics to the customers. When a company becomes too involved with the politics of the community, it loses its unique branding. It seems like the corporation is part of all the problems in the world rather than an entrepreneur who is solving his problems. It is illogical to think that a business should seek to protect itself from government regulation if it can easily accomplish through voluntary action what it could quickly achieve without regulation. A business owner who is skilled in politics can use that skill to help his business succeed. A business owner should also be careful in what he speaks about concerning politics.

The third principle of business is that if a business serves the public, then that business will be successful. In other words, a business needs to appeal to the general public to stay successful. By carefully catering to the public, a business can increase customer loyalty and increase customer satisfaction. A business that successfully appeals to the public always receives positive word-of-mouth advertising that helps it grow.

The fourth principle of business is that people are afraid of the loss of their freedom. The owner can hire people who will act as agents of the business. The owner also has the power to refuse to work with people who have certain behaviors that interfere with the freedom of others. A business that is run in this manner will continue functioning even when the owner is not there. Alexander Djerassi understands that if a job has policies against business politics, individuals will still use it.

Novel Covid-19, What is Going on Now?

During all of the uncertainty going on in the world, a quick recap of recent news over the pandemic is deemed necessary. Cory Harow, a doctor, is entrusting medical professionals to come up with a cure. The info given in the news or on social media can sometimes be overwhelming. The best info and protocols to follow through this pandemic come from medical databases or other sources like the CDC where the public safety is the main interest. Most news reports or media outlets seem to run off of a fear tactic that try to instill fear in the public. Although it is a frightening time, one should not be given news with such a negative cognitive because it is causing the public to go into survival mode instead of just taking the right precautions and staying at home. This world wide pandemic has seemingly increased as the winter season begins to roll in. With it, there have came a few new laws and regulations that have recently gone into effect in an attempt to stop the COVID curve. A curfew has been in effect for regions that are in purple tier for about a week now. This curfew only allows essential workers to be out between 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Another regulation targets travelers, it is now suggested that one quarantines for fourteen days at the trip destination before flying back. Even then one will need to quarantine another fourteen days to make sure there was no contamination during the trip or on the flight. The next step to insure that there are less cases is a modified lockdown. Intensive care unit centers have gotten incredibly saturated and only have a seventeen percent availability rate. If this number drops down to only fifteen percent available, the lockdown will go into full effect for three weeks. This means that any establishment not seen as essential will need to shut down with the exception of grocery stores. For the publics’ safety, any sort of social gathering is prohibited regardless of the amount of people. The lockdown is projected to start in the coming week seeing that patients have been falling ill after the Thanksgiving holiday. Amidst all this uncertainty, there has been talk of a second stimulus relief check which will aide a lot more people this time around, but the distribution date is still to be debated. With an upcoming lockdown, a stimulus check or even unemployment checks will be needed once again. An upside to this unfortunate virus is that a vaccine has finally submerged and has had positive results in combat with COVID-19. They will be targeting patients in the ICU centers with the new vaccine before it is actually made available for the public.It is, however, unsure when they will start administering this vaccine. The best the nation can do is to take precaution and stay safe. According to Cory Harow taking measures like staying home, wearing a mask, and washing hands seems like common sense but it will be the difference between self safety and that of others from ending in the ICU.            

Are Electric Cars Worth The High Price?

Electric cars, like Tesla’s, are very expensive and many wonder if they are worth it. In the end, investors like Helen Lee Schifter, believe that electric cars are the way of the future. With carbon emissions heating the earth to 1.5 degrees celsius, there could be an irreversible impact on the environment and electric cars might be the only solution. 

With fossil fuels being buried at an astonishing rate, the world has serious issues to solve in the next ten years. Droughts, fires, lack of water, and so much more can occur if matters aren’t taken into our own hands. Electric cars will soon be the only thing on the road because it’s the only way to fight carob emissions. So yes, investing now into an electric car is worth it. In the long run, it will be normal to have eclectic cars. Helen Lee Schifter recommends Tesla’s to anyone because of how efficient they are. There are plenty of other electric car options and there will be even more as the future of automobiles expands.

How New Technology by LifeWave Can Help Activate Stem Cells

It seems information about stem cells is everywhere these days. That’s with good reason since these unique cells hold remarkable potential for improving health and wellness as scientific understanding of them increases. However, even as understanding in the scientific community changes, there is still plenty of work to be done in educating everyday people in this exciting area of research. To help with this, we looked to the work being undertaken by LifeWave, a leading health and wellness company with innovative research directed at stem cells. Information on that work, coupled with a general overview of stem cell research, is a great first step to understanding this growing field.

Stem cell primer

Let’s start with a basic question — what are stem cells? Stem cells are cells that exist in every human body that have the unique ability to create other specialized cells with specific functions. Stem cells are highly dependent on their environmental context, along with other factors, to determine what type of cells they can form. For instance, a stem cell might divide to create a liver cell in one context, whereas that same stem cell might be able to form a heart cell in another context. The ability for stem cells to create such a wide variety of new cells, called daughter cells, is much of the reason for why they have become a focus of so much scientific research of late.

The daughter cells that are produced by stem cells have also become a focus of research since they can be used for so many different functions. Oftentimes these cells can become stem cells of their own, a process known as self-renewal. When these cells do become more specialized, the process is known as differentiation. The body’s ability to differentiate to create specialized cells is a key part of the growth we all undergo as humans. It’s also a major contributor to health and wellness. Due to this fact, the ability to harness stem cells and their ability to differentiate is seen by many as a key path towards improving wellbeing for large portions of the population.

Adult cells

When discussing stem cells, people often have a few misconceptions that prevent a full and in-depth understanding of this area of study. A key misunderstanding that has persisted for some time is that all stem cells are embryonic in nature. It is true that stem cells play a critical role in even the earliest stages of development, however, these cells are still present in our bodies throughout our adult years. In fact, most adult tissues have stem cells present within them to varying degrees. These cells help aid the body in regrowth and regeneration throughout our lives and play a key role in how we age.

Of course, like other parts of our body, these cells often become less effective as we get older. This can be seen in a variety of ways such as a typically reduced ability to recover from injury and illness as we reach advanced age. This has provoked plenty of research into our ability to help delay or reduce the aging process through the use of stem cell therapies. While some of these therapies are promising, most are still a-ways off from being utilized on a large scale.

Phototherapy patches

The newest product created by LifeWave, however, has shown a remarkable ability to take advantage of the health and wellness-promoting characteristics of stem cells. Known as the X39 patch, this newly patented product comes from the line of phototherapy patches that have helped propel the company to its status as a leader in the field of health and wellness. The technology utilizes reflected wavelengths of light to promote changes at the cellular level.

The concept of using light to create changes in the body is part of a long tradition of understanding how it can be used to promote health and wellness. Even before the scientific method was established, cultures understood the importance of sunshine in keeping a person fit and ready to deal with the difficulties of daily life. Modern science has underscored this idea. In fact, many conditions these days are treated through the use of light therapies such as exposure to ultraviolet, infrared, or natural light.

Stem cell activation

One of the key innovations that LifeWave has developed in connection with the X39 patch is the idea that we don’t need to transplant new stem cells into the body to benefit from the field’s potential. Though it’s true that these cells decline in their ability to promote health and wellness as they age, there are ways of slowing and perhaps even reversing that effect. The new patches from the company are one such method designed to achieve that goal. With the benefit of many clinical studies and decades of development, these patches have been shown to achieve a number of remarkable health and wellness outcomes.

Perhaps most impressive amongst these is the ability of the patches to improve energy and vitality to levels that many users haven’t seen since their youth. The patches have also been shown to provide pain relief, increased mental clarity, improved exercise recovery, and more. This is all accomplished by activating existing stem cells in the body to perform more effectively and efficiently. Through this process, these cells can return to a healthier, more youthful state of functioning and can better help people combat many of the deleterious effects of aging. In this way, the technology allows users to capitalize on much of the promise of stem cell research without resorting to costly and potentially dangerous procedures.

Stem cells have become a topic of much discussion of late. This is especially true as scientists delve further into research that uncovers a host of potential benefits from these unique cells. However, while the field is generally known by many, misconceptions of work in this area have served to confuse many people about their true potential. The above overview of this area of study along with a look at offerings from LifeWave should serve as a useful guide for those interested in this work. For more information on the field, look to LifeWave, the health and wellness company, and monitor its emerging research as it continues to be released.

5 Tech Devices That Give You a Greener Home

Many people associate an eco-friendly lifestyle with decreased technology usage. Others believe that living off the grid is the only way to truly live an environmentally-sound life. While there’s nothing wrong with limiting your use of technology or living off the grid, it’s not necessary to do either to protect and respect the environment. In fact, more tech devices than ever before are available that can help you live a modern lifestyle while honoring your commitment to care for the environment.

Solar Panels

Image via Flickr by cogdogblog

Solar panels are a great way to reduce pollution and power usage. Over the last decade, they’ve become more effective and affordable, making them available to a wider range of homeowners than ever before. To have solar panels installed, you need about 500 square feet of roof space. The typical homeowner needs about 30 panels, but the number you need will vary based on the rating of the panels you choose. Solar panels work best on asphalt shingles or corrugated metal roofs that get at least five hours of sun every day.

Smart Thermostat

Smart thermostats from Sullivan Heating and Cooling allow you to control the temperature of your home from your smartphone. They’re easy to program and can greatly reduce your power consumption. Some advanced versions are even able to learn your habits and adjust your home’s temperature on their own. While you could manually change your temperature settings, with a smart thermostat, you won’t have to.

Smart Power Strips

Smart power strips reduce your power usage by turning off products that are in standby mode. The data varies, but experts estimate that devices in standby mode account for about fifteen percent of the average homeowner’s monthly power bill. Smart power strips will help you reduce the usage of standby power consumption, amounting to big energy savings.     

Tankless Water Heater

Tankless water heaters only heat the water you need, making them more eco-friendly than conventional water heaters. Although they’re more expensive to purchase than conventional units, they also tend to last several years longer and use about 30% less energy.

Wind Generators

If you don’t get enough sunlight or your roof isn’t conducive to housing solar panels, a wind generator may be an option for you. While it may sound far-fetched, small wind electric systems are slowly growing in popularity across the country. While some homeowners opt to make their wind generators from components purchased from the local hardware store, others choose to have their systems professionally installed. DIY kit-based generators will typically provide enough power to offset about 10% of your energy usage while professional versions can offset almost 90%.

If you want to live an eco-friendly lifestyle but aren’t ready to give up your smartphone or air conditioner, it’s okay. There are plenty of things you can do to live a life that’s both environmentally friendly and modern. Many of them are surprisingly affordable, and they all allow you to recoup at least some of your initial investment by decreasing your energy usage.  

Sleep Trackers Help You Get More Rest

There are a wide variety of things that can keep you from getting a sound night’s rest. Things like stress, ill health, discordant surroundings, noise levels, and even your own snoring. Before you go see your physician for help in getting a better night’s rest, why not invest a little time and money in one of today’s technically advanced sleep trackers? It will give you a clear picture of your sleep patterns and how your surroundings are affecting your hours of sleep. You can then work at changing things on your own, to see if that will enhance your sleep experience enough to avoid a visit to the clinic.

A modern sleep tracker will measure your patterns of sleep by monitoring your heart rate and how much nocturnal movement you experience after going to bed. Using the latest technology they also monitor the ambient temperature in your room and keep track of the noise levels around you — including your own snoring. They keep careful track of the air quality in your bedroom and monitor how much light you are subject to. They can do much of this without even coming in contact with you personally — tabs on top of your mattress can record most of this data automatically for you to read in the morning on a smartphone app.

And good news if you already own a fitness tracker; with some of the newer models you can actually use an app to convert them into basic sleep trackers as well!