2007 April | Women Blog

We join the Earth day celebration in a small way - by our efforts to disseminate information about practical conservation and tips on Energy saving. Global warming has become a mantra in the media now. Steps to reduce the production of CO2 (carbon dioxide) that contributes to the global warming by the Green House effect can be attempted by anyone who has an interest in preserving Mother Nature.

We provide below some tips and guidance on Energy Conservation:

1. Air conditioning and Heating: Different people require different temperature settings for comfort. We feel comfortable when our bodies lose heat at the same rate as we produce it. Heat production varies with physical activity and our metabolic rates. At the same time, heat loss or heat gain depends on surface temperatures in the room, air movement and air temperature. What all this means is that your comfort factor depends on a lot of factors - one of which is the temperature. Start by setting your thermostat a couple of degrees low.

Energy Efficiency Rating: The energy efficiency rating (EER) of an air conditioner is its BTU rating over its wattage. For example, if a 10,000-BTU air conditioner consumes 1,200 watts, its EER is 8.3 (10,000 BTU/1,200 watts). Aim for a higher EER. Turn off the unit when no one is present. If you have a Voltage regulator for pre-conditioning the supply, turn that off as well.

Better Thermal Insulation: A false ceiling with better heat insulation efficiency can reduce as much as 20 % power bills. An energy-efficient house has a much higher insulation value. It has the ability to resist heat transfer and fasten the heat loss. Materials that weigh a lot store more heat and have high thermal mass. Use of such materials can reduce heating and cooling energy requirements by nearly 25% as compared with mere brick veneer houses.

Power Factor Correction: All electric motors consume reactive power from the supply. Power factor correction capacitors correct the anomaly in the power supply. Discuss with your electric contractor the size of the power factor correction capacitor and its installation. It could save about 10 % from your utility bills.

2. Replace all incandescent bulbs with CFL (compact Florescent Lamps). CFLs are very energy efficient. A 15 W CFL will provide the same amount of illumination as a 60 W normal bulb. But they can’t be dimmed using conventional dimmers. Clean all lamps and lamp shades periodically. A clean lamp and a clean lamp shade enhances light transmission.

3. Inflate your automobiles tires to the manufacturer recommended pressures. Inadequate pressure in your tires can increase rolling resistance by as much as 20 %. Combine trips and chores so that you save on precious fuel. Remove top carriers when not required. They increase wind resistance. Drive at a sedate speed to improve your mileage.

4. Turn off your computers and monitors when not in use unless you are running a data center. A typical Switch Mode Power Supply (SMPS) of a desk top computer consumes about 400 W of energy most of the time. Use a TFT LCD monitor if you are using the conventional CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitor. A typical 17 inch CRT monitor consumes about 120 W while the same sized LCD monitor takes in about one fourth of the energy. The heat produced by the CRT also heats up the neighborhood adding to the cooling cost.

5. Invest in automation. A PIR (Passive Infra Red) movement sensor based outdoor lighting can help save considerable energy. You can use them in aisles and elsewhere where manual switching on and off of lights is inconvenient. You will find more tips in energy saving in our article.

Spread the word around.

“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body“
- Joseph Addison

Inculcating a love for reading is probably one of the best gifts you can give your child. Kids who have early exposure to language surely have an edge. Not only will you be laying the foundation for literacy but you will be nurturing and molding the impressionable mind in more ways than one. The thought process is sharpened and attention span is increased. The rich visual imagery triggers imagination and faculties of thinking and understanding. The reading habit stands you in good stead when you are alone, when you are older and when you want to spend time by yourself.

I can look back to my childhood days and remember lazy summer afternoons curling up with a storybook lost in the mysteries and adventures of kids and their group of friends. I wished too for my child to feel the same pleasure, the same joy that came from imagination and ideas.

It’s never too early to start the reading habit in a toddler. My kid was hardly 10 months when I would read out some stories where the main character was a scarecrow called Poldy. While she would enjoy these reading sessions, I had my doubts on how much she was listening and comprehending. Till one day I asked her whether we can read more about Poldy……..and she promptly picked out the right book from her set of toys, books and baby stuff.

And this was a kid who could barely walk. So all these minds need is the right stimuli to set them going!

Take your toddler along to pick up books at a library. In this way at a very young age you are setting the grounds for choosing books and keeping them well. This makes a child comfortable with books and that is the first step towards a lifelong habit of reading. If you are in the habit of picking up a book yourself, you are more likely to influence your child. After all such values are imbibed, not taught.

Try and read as often as you can to your child. While some parents fix up a schedule such as bedtime or before naptime, it’s a matter or preference and convenience. With toddlers, any time is ‘learning time’.

Don’t be surprised if the toddler wishes to read the same book for days on end. You might tire of the story and may want to move on but your little one might insist on the same narration. Stories provide ample opportunities for questions, songs and plenty of visual stimuli. Ask the child to find out some pictures or even some oft-repeated words on a page.

Besides all these advantages that a child can secure from regular reading sessions, the innate sense of relaxation and security he or she feels with your undivided attention is worth all the effort. Both of you will look back on those happy moments that will last a lifetime.

Today people come up with incredibly clever hoaxes and jokes at the expense of others.

Here is a quick one from Google. It is an invitation to participate in another ground-breaking beta release - free in-home wireless broadband service.

If you search in Google, you will be taken to a well designed page which shows that Google has come with another free service - this time a free Broadband  access operating out of - err.. your commode. It doesn’t stop there. They have thrown together a very detailed page of how the “technology” works as here in the form of a press release: http://www.google.com/tisp/press.html

To quote from their page - “Interested consumers, contractually obligated partners and deeply skeptical and quietly competitive backbiters can learn more about TiSP at http://www.google.com/tisp/install.html.”

How many have clicked to avail of this incredible offer ?

Good Fun Google. :)