How to Make Your Own Green Energy Source

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Wouldn’t it be great if we can produce our own green energy source? If we can do that, we don’t have to pay electrical bills or gasoline anymore for our cars. While we can buy some of the equipment, the rest will have to be done on our own.

Take solar or wind energy for example. We already know how to harness and make it. If you want to make one, do some research online and then set up the system yourself.

To have solar energy, you will need to buy an inverter, battery, charge controller, solar panels, some wires and support structure. The only difference with wind energy is that you need a fan. Once you have everything you need, you can put it all together.

If you are not skillful, you will be happy to know that some companies sell the entire system. By buying it from them and having it installed by their experts, you are sure that there won’t be any problems the moment you switch it on.

There is one more thing you need before you can use one or the two green energy sources. Before you buy the materials or the system, make sure you have a flat area that is about a hundred square feet or so because it occupies a lot of space.

For those who don’t have the space or the budget to use these two energy sources, another option is to create your own biofuels.

Biofuels are used in many countries and they get it from harvesting corn, sugar and other crops. Luckily, you don’t need a farm to produce it because you can also make your own using some recycled waste.

A good example of this is vegetable oil which we use for cooking. To turn this into a biofuel, we first filter it by warming up the liquid and then filtering this with a coffee filter. The next step is to remove the water also by boiling it again at 100 degrees for a short period of time.

We need to know the amount of lye present in the vegetable oil and we do this by a process known as titration. When we are done with that, we now mix sodium hydroxide to produce sodium methoxide.

The process of converting used vegetable oil before it becomes a biofuel takes quite awhile and it must be heated the entire time. This is done so the fuel we produce is pure and only when this is achieved that we give it time to cool.

Just how much biofuel we make after all the work varies but you will have an idea of how much you have produced since this is the one you see floating at the top. If there is still some glycerin present, filter it again. From there, you already have your own backyard biofuel which you can use and even sell to those who are just as concerned with the environment as you are.

By making our own green energy sources, we make ourselves less dependent on gasoline in its various forms to power our heater, home or car. Why don’t a lot of people do it? Well simply because they don’t have the time to make it and would rather rely on someone else to do it for them.

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What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Green Energy Sources?

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Today, we are now aware of the effects of global warming. Fortunately, it’s not too late and we can still change which is why many are pushing for green energy sources.

The advantage of using green energy sources is that it is clean so it does not emit anything harmful into the air which has an impact on the environment. It is also renewable which means we will never run out of it unlike oil which is expected to dry up in a decade or so.

Although green energy facilities are expensive to build, it requires less maintenance so you don’t have to shell out a lot of money to operate it.

It can also bring economic benefits to certain areas even boost tourism.

While these sound good, there are some who say that there are disadvantages to using such technology.

While green energy sources can produce electricity, how much it can generate is not consistent. This is because we have no control of the weather so if a certain area relies on solar energy and there is a weather disturbance, it will not be able to convert sunlight into electricity.

Building these facilities also requires a lot of land so we may have to cut on farmland which is what many are concerned about if more wind turbines are to be put up.

Another disadvantage is the fact that some of the green energy sources cannot be installed in certain areas of the planet. For instance, wave energy can only be utilized if the waves coming from the ocean reach at least 16 feet. The use geothermal energy can only be done in geologically unstable parts of the planet.

But if you look at such arguments, places that cannot use one form of green energy source can be substituted for another. If wind turbines need more space, they can be installed near the coast instead of putting these on land. A study shows that you can generate more electricity while these are in the ocean.

While the weather is something we cannot control, it is not everyday that there is a weather disturbance so this too shall pass. If solar energy is being used and the sun is covered, the emergency generators will be activated and use up the energy that was stored.

The point is that there are ways around the arguments put by certain individuals which discourage the use of green energy sources. In fact, research is ongoing to try and harness other means to generate the power we need.

A very good example of this is called ocean thermal energy. Power is generated by harnessing the different temperatures in the water. It is currently being used on a small scale both in Japan and Hawaii.

In the US, only 7% of green energy sources are used nationally. This was much higher 11 years ago and if we don’t have to worry about the cost of oil or even reduce our dependency on it, we have to invest more in this clean energy.

We can get it from green energy sources such as biomass, biodiesel, geothermal, solar, water and the wind. These are things we have all around us and all it takes is for someone to harness it instead of relying on traditional non-renewable means to produce energy.

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Go Green Easily: Recycle

Mr. Don


Go green easily and start recycling.

Recycling is more than rinsing the garbage out and putting it in bins on the curb or going to a center. Recycling is also done by reusing grocery bags for future shopping or poop-scooping. New uses for old items is recycling, as is composting. Searching out post-consumer recycled packaging of your favorite products is also supporting the effort. Reducing our contribution to loading up garbage barges and landfills is becoming more and more important. The less garbage we have, the less fuel is needed to transport it, the less land is swallowed in trash and the more empowered you feel doing your part for your planet.

Go green easily by recycling and get some change.

Recycling in some areas is rewarded with cash and who can't use a little extra green for going green? Many towns, county dumps and grocery stores have a cash back policy for aluminum, tin, plastic bottles, cardboard and other paper products so it's worth checking out before tossing something to the curb.

Call your local trash company, look on line or try asking at the library for information about your local programs. Most phonebooks have a section for newcomers that gives out this information so your resources are out there.

According to the EPA, over 260 million pounds of recyclable items hit the landfills every year in addition to 2 billion water bottles and 16 million gallons of recycle oil. That's an awful lot of energy wasted making new containers that didn't need creating. There are still far too many towns that make recycling feel like a major hassle instead of a needed task. Several areas in Washington state, as an example, charge you for home pick up of recyclables. Seattle, among a growing number of other cities and towns, has patrons just dump all their non-plant matter recycling into one bin and yard/garden waste into another. This creates jobs for the sorters and patrons feel encouraged to do their part.

Go green easily: recycle in as many ways as you can.

Donate items to charities, use consignment stores, reuse jars and other containers in a new and useful way or distress and tap into your creative side. By turning rags into rugs, chipped mugs into folksy vases or wine bottles into candle holders you have lowered your stress with artistic and responsible flair. You can utilize your trash service, turn it into art or get some cash, the choices are there.

We have gotten too used to tossing things out before rethinking their alternate uses. Saddly this same attitude is being re-enacted by our children, who unless we start now to intervene, will pass it on to their children

Not recycling can be hard on our hard-earned paychecks and planet.

Learn what you can do now to begin to recycle in ways that are easy to do and will have a big impact on the planet. Sign up for the Free E-course to get started right away!

Until next time,
Take care and be safe!

Mr. Don


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Go Green, Grow Your Own Goodies

Mr. Don

Go green by growing your own fresh garden goodies, no matter how small or large your garden area.

All the ingredients for salsa can be grown in two pots on the balcony. Fresh herbs thrive in tiny pots on the window sill as easily as in a side yard. Amaze your guests by letting them pick their own potatoes for the grill at the same time they gather flowers for the salad, no matter where you live. Even tall plants like corn and sunflowers will do well in patio pots. By catching and storing the cold water that would go down the drain when it's heating up for a bath or shower you have provided your garden its life source, cut down on your water bill and stretched another resource that much farther.

Go greener planting goodies you watched grow from seedlings.
Seed companies are increasing their varieties and stocks of ornamental and edible plants for the small-space and backyard gardeners because the demand is high. People want fresh, ripe, toxin-free food that is affordable and readily available. How can you be any more in control of what you eat than by growing it yourself? Patio gardens are easy to plant, care for and are right at your fingertips. Gardening in your backyard isn't as complicated or time consuming as you may think, especially if you join forces with a couple of folks who don't have any more extra time than you. Everybody takes an hour or two, one or two days week to weed or mulch or water and all enjoy the harvest.

Growing fresh flowers, edible or just ornamental, is a very environmentally friendly and neighborly thing to do.

There's no need to buy crop flowers that needed bug-spray or hauling from the fields because those bright beauties are in front of your door. Flower beds or potted plants add sparkle and smiles to your neighborhood, even up on the 12th floor. Everybody likes to see fresh blooms whether they have allergies or not so take pictures of your accomplishments for sneezing friends and share the real deal with everyone else. You can even make potpourri drying your scented bloomers.

Go green and grow your own goodies to eat, admire and share.

Considering all the information available on what grows best where and how you live, why not see what color your thumb is?



There are many benefits to growing even a small amount of your own food supply. While it seems like awhile a go, we all remember the food scares of tainted foods from the growers fields! In addition to the safety factor, food costs go down, stress and blood pressures lower while nutritional value goes up.

Again, this is a great family activity and it is really cool to tell friends that they are eating vegetables that you grew!

Go green all the way around; plant greens to save greens.

Until next time,
Take care and be safe!

Mr. Don

PS. We are please to let you know that we will soon be offering a Gardening for Health program that take all the guess work out of gardening. Before you invest huge amounts of money into a backyard garden, sign up for the free mini ecourse that we will be making available soon.

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Go Green Easily: Organic or Not?

Mr. Don


Go green easily by knowing which foods to buy certified organic and which ones you can pass on. The big push is to eat everything organic in order to save the planet and the human species.

That isn't exactly a clear picture of the situation.

Organic foods are certified in different ways to stand for different qualities. Many foods deemed organic are grown in conditions that still harm the land they're grown on and many are packaged inappropriately. Just because a product flashes the word "Organic" on it doesn't make it worth automatically buying.

Certain plants are naturally bug-proof and get non-toxic treatments that make them invalid for the "organic" label.

It's not too difficult to go green easily within the big Organic Debate. There are websites, local gardening classes and University extension programs that will answer your questions.

How is a product deemed Organic?

What do the different types or certifications actually mean?

Are there some countries, states or counties whose foods you should avoid or buy with caution?

What foods really should be organic and which ones just need a good washing?

As to this last question, the rule of thumb is that root and tuber vegetables, thin skinned fruits and leafy vegetables should be bought at the store as organics. Again, a little research from a trusted source will yield a bounty of important information. Local Cooperative Extension offices are a fantastic resource of information and tips. Also consider contacting your local Master Garderners Group if you have one.

Go green easily within the controversy of what should be organic or not by growing some super simple produce of your own. Grow your own spinach, lettuce, carrots or whatever strikes your fancy. Greens and carrots are very easy to grow and care for plus the savings are astounding. A self grown package of "designer" salad greens costs around $2.75, is ready for picking in 25-35 days from sprouting and keeps producing as long as you have seeds. Three 10-inch pots on the patio will provide a constant supply of salad goodies that can be brought in during winter and kept going year-round. You can do the same with herbs and a windowsill.

Go green easily choosing organically grown foods vs traditionally grown by getting more informed, being more aware and even dabbling in small batches of your own creations.

It is easy to get a small family garden growing, even in the most limited of space. If you have children it is great way to get them involved in growing something that can be shared and was produced with their efforts. It’s a great esteem builder!

There are a lot of different ways that you can begin to educate yourself and your family about becoming more involved in the process of eco friendly living and one of the very best is to sign up for our Free E-course. Learn how easy it is to really make a difference in the health of our planet and ourselves, while saving money!

Sign up right now!

Until next time,
Take care and be safe!

Mr. Don


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