Saving Energy Use in Winter, Saves Cost and Helps Environment

Posted on January 6, 2023January 6, 2023 by Mukhtar Khalil in Blog Post, Green Idea, Info, Life Hacks

How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint in Winter:

Here are some ways to cut down on you home energy consumption in winter, thus energy saving. In colder months homeowners use more energy (electricity or gas), especially if you live in the north with harsh winters heating uses excessive energy, runs up heating bills. Also, in winter people tend to stay indoors, have long nights and holidays, it is easy to see energy consumption goes up more than at other times of year.

Reducing heating bills, also reduces your carbon footprint. Luckily there are several ways to conserve energy when the temperature drops, so here are some suggestions.

Weatherstrip your doors and windows
Sealing out drafts is a good place to start. Your doors and windows can leak out heat, so add weatherstripping. Please visit your local hardware store, they will assist you in advising the proper weatherstripping material, and how to install it. Seal the gaps under exterior doors also.

Switch to a smart thermostat
This is programmable thermostat, saves energy, this thermostat can fine-tune to optimize the duration of furnace running only when you need it. You can program the thermostat to lower temperature when you are sleeping and turn it on just in time of your arrival home from work.

Close the damper when not using the fireplace
Who doesn’t love the ambiance of a fireplace. But ambiance costs money. “The Old House” magazine say they can be a source of at least 8% energy leaking right up the chimney. You can help by choosing energy-efficient fireplace. While you can do your research on the efficient choices of fireplace suffice it to say installing a glass screen on the fireplace will make your fireplace more efficient. Building codes mandate the placement of a chimney to extract smoke to the exterior so you won’t suffocate on smoke, it also draws out heat into the atmosphere.

Give you heating system a yearly checkup.
Schedule an annual heating system check-up early each winter to ensure that your system is clean and is running efficiently. A regularly checked furnace has a longer life expectancy, because a smooth-running furnace doesn’t have to work as hard.

Don’t block air vents
Make sure all air vents are visible and are not blocked by furniture, carpets or drapes. If blocked it makes furnace work harder. When air vents in all rooms are not blocked by furniture, air circulates freely.

Check the insulation in your house
Good insulation is inexpensive and reduces energy use. Adding insulation in your attic is a good start this will maintain heat in your living spaces. Also, walls can be a source of energy leaks so seal any penetrations in walls such as plumbing pipes, etc.

Adjust you water heater’s temperature
Your water heater may be wasting more energy than you thought. Today’s newer energy saving water heaters can literally pay for themselves. Setting the temperature at 120 degrees (check municipality codes for temp requirements) provide sufficient hot water for domestic use.

Adjust you water heater’s temperature
Your water heater may be wasting more energy than you thought. Today’s newer energy saving water heaters can literally pay for themselves. Setting the temperature at 120 degrees (check municipality codes for temp requirements) provide sufficient hot water for domestic use.

Only wash and dry full loads of laundry
The most important rule for saving energy while washing clothes is to use full loads of washing and drying. The best way is run machines only when they are fully loaded. Partially loaded machines waste energy, put burden with added detergents into the sewer lines.

Insulate your pipes
Hot water pipes used for your home to bring water to faucets, showers and appliances are sources which wastes lot of energy in the process. If the water pipes travel from basement to upper floors in a typical suburban home are long, you are losing a lot of energy. Adding insulation to hot water pipes the water is delivered at hotter temperature by 2° to 4°F. Which also means you don’t wait as long for hot water for shower.

Unplug unused electronics
Many electronics and appliances draw energy even when they’re on “off” mode, they are drawing power when not expected, as they live in standby mode. The common energy burners also include printers, desktop computers, displays, televisions, video games, microwave ovens, when not in use unplug them when not in use to save energy.

Use LED light bulbs, replace CFL and incandescent
You will save electricity in winter by switching to light emitting diodes (LED) light bulbs. These are most the current most energy-efficient light sources available, they use 75% less energy and last 25 time longer. You can make a big impact instantaneously, save energy and save on bills.

Take out those warm sweaters, bundle up – as simple as that
This is a great way to save energy and its costs – turn down the thermostat. Those who know recommend lowering your thermostat a few degrees lower in the day, and further lower during nighttime. You can save upwards of 10% off your heating bill if you lowered the temperature 7° top 10° F for as few as 8 hours a day. Wear warm clothing rather than cranking up the thermostat.

Another simple solution – place rugs on hard floors
Add rugs on hard floors, they not only cheer up the place but act as a layer of insulation which will protect your feet from cold hard floors. Rugs can be used on floors and on walls to add color and decoration and they provide insulation value as well.

Let the sun in when it is shining but close drapes when not
Remember south facing windows bring in the most sunlight, as the sun travels east to west, its trajectory is biased to the south, winter sun will warm up your room. Opening and closing yourt drapes strategically can help saving on energy bills, thus using less energy.

Clean Fuels – Emerging Technologies

Posted on January 6, 2023January 6, 2023 by Mohammed Faheem in Blog Post, Green Tech, Info, News

Green fuels are types of energy sources that are considered environmentally friendly because they produce fewer greenhouse gasses when they are used compared to traditional fossil fuels. These fuels are also referred to as clean, renewable, or sustainable energy sources. Some examples of green fuels include:

Solar energy: This is energy that is produced by the sun and can be harnessed using solar panels. Solar energy is a clean and renewable energy source because it does not produce any emissions when it is used.

Wind energy: This is energy that is produced by the wind and can be harnessed using wind turbines. Like solar energy, wind energy is also a clean and renewable energy source.

Hydroelectric energy: This is energy that is produced by the movement of water and can be harnessed using hydroelectric dams. Hydroelectric energy is a clean and renewable energy source, but it does require a large amount of water to produce.

Biofuels: These are fuels that are produced from organic matter, such as plant material or animal waste. Biofuels can be used to power vehicles and other types of machinery, and they produce fewer greenhouse gasses compared to traditional fossil fuels like gasoline or diesel.

In a recent interview on ‘The Turning Point Podcast’ (www.theturningpointpodcast.com) hosted by Mohammed Faheem, Terry Marker, senior scientist at GTL Technologies spoke about the ongoing research and development in the field of green fuels, as scientists and engineers seek to find more efficient and sustainable ways to generate energy. Some of the latest research in green fuels includes:

Advanced biofuels: Researchers are working on developing advanced biofuels that can be produced from a wider range of feedstocks, including non-food crops and waste materials. These fuels have the potential to be more efficient and cost-effective than traditional biofuels.

Carbon capture and storage: Scientists are developing technologies that can capture carbon dioxide emissions from power plants and other industrial sources and store them underground, rather than releasing them into the atmosphere. This could help to reduce the carbon footprint of traditional fossil fuels.

Solar energy technologies: There is ongoing research into ways to make solar panels more efficient, as well as developing new types of solar energy technologies, such as solar paint and solar windows.

Wind energy: Researchers are working on ways to improve the efficiency of wind turbines and to make them more cost-effective. They are also exploring new designs for wind turbines, such as vertical axis turbines and turbines that can be deployed offshore.

Hydroelectric power: Scientists are studying ways to improve the efficiency of hydroelectric power plants and to make them more environmentally friendly. They are also exploring the use of small-scale hydroelectric systems, such as micro hydro systems, which can be used to generate electricity in remote areas.

Atomic Fusion: Nuclear fusion is described as the “holy grail” of energy production. It is the process that powers the Sun and other stars. It works by taking pairs of light atoms and forcing them together – this “fusion” releases a lot of energy. Nuclear fusion produces far more energy, and only small amounts of short-lived radioactive waste. And importantly, the process produces no greenhouse gas emissions and therefore does not contribute to climate change. This is in the experimental stages now.

GTL: Gas to liquid technologies: These processes are already in place in many countries. In Saudi Arabia, ‘Green Hydrogen’ is produced from sea water by separating hydrogen from oxygen and ‘Blue Hydrogen’ is produced by reducing Ammonia. Blue Hydrogen is currently exported to Japan from Saudi Arabia and is used to power several types of vehicles.

Overall, the goal of these and other research efforts is to find more sustainable and efficient ways to generate energy that will help to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Hiking inside the Mammoth Cave

Posted on January 6, 2023January 23, 2025 by Caroline Williams in Blog Post, Close to Nature, Info

Last summer, I visited Mammoth Cave in Kentucky with Fred, my husband. It was our first experience of hiking in a cave. My previous spelunking was inside a vertical cave in Indonesia. It was no hiking, but rappelling or descending deep underground. Fred has never been into a cave before. Both of us did not know what to expect, but we were excited to experience our new adventure.

In front of Mammoth Cave Visitor Center. Source: Caroline

The Size

Mammoth Cave was named for its “mammoth” or immense size of the cave’s chambers and avenues. Part of the cave, called Mammoth Dome is 192 feet high and the other one called Bottomless Pit is 105 feet deep.

One of the chambers called Rotunda is about a quarter acre in size where two Great War Monuments are located. During the War of 1812, the cave was being mined on an industrial scale for potassium nitrate (saltpeter) for use in gunpowder.

The cave is also known as the world’s longest cave. In September 2021, the cave set a new record of its length to a whopping 420 miles (676 km), according to the National Park Service.

The History

Mammoth Cave was established as a national park on July 1, 1941, but public tours began some 200 years ago. Inside the cave, we can see graffiti written by visitors from the year of 1883.

One of the first explorer of the cave was an enslaved African Americans, Stephen Bishop who worked from 1838 to 1856. He was also known as a self-taught geologist who had a prodigious memory. Bishop was capable to drew a map from memory of the cave’s explored passageways.

The Tours

The Park offers many interesting tours guided by passionate, knowledgeable, and sometimes funny rangers who love to share jokes related to the cave.

My husband and I took five of ten tours they offered. The length of the tours varies from two to four hours. My favorite tours are the Violet City Lantern and Star Chamber tours. Both tours need lanterns as the only source of light inside the cave.

Rangers with lanterns for visitors inside the cave. Source: Caroline

During the tours, we can see many amazing rock and geology formations. We can also see artifacts and other signs left by Native Americans who first discovered the entrances to the cave. Another interesting thing to see is the old tuberculosis huts built in 1842-43 deep inside the cave to accommodate patients with tuberculosis.

Stalagmite and Stalactite formation. Source: Caroline

One of many interesting rock formations. Source: Caroline

The difficulty levels of the tours are varies. Some tours are sightseeing tours. Other ones require hiking, climbing, and descending very steep hills. There are also fun sections called Fat Man’s Misery followed by Tall Man’s Agony. The first one is a very narrow passageway that takes about 15 minutes to pass through. The last one requires tall people to bend constantly to navigate the passageway.

One Frequently Asked Question from visitors is about bats. We saw only one bat during our five tours. Turns out, there is a disease called White-Nose Syndrome which has killed millions of bats since its discovery in New York in 2006. To prevent spreading the disease, visitors are required to walk across a decontamination mat to clean our shoes when exiting the cave.

Decontamination mat to clean our shoes to prevent us from spreading the White-Nose Syndrome disease. Source: Caroline

Hiking inside the Mammoth Cave turns out to be a fun-filled experience. Fred loves the the temperature inside the cave. It is around 54°F year-round. I was grateful to realize how our eyes amazingly adapt to the darkness of the cave. The only downside of it, for me personally, is how hard it is to take good pictures inside the cave. Overall, I highly recommend anyone to visit the Mammoth Cave, one of great natural wonders in the U.S.

Private Car or Public Transportation?

Posted on July 21, 2022July 25, 2022 by Caroline Williams in Blog Post, Info, Public Transportation

Last May, I went back to Jakarta, the capital city of my home country Indonesia for the first time in eleven years. I was surprised to see the amazing development of the newly integrated system of Jakarta’s public transportation. I don’t know how to drive. Therefore, I always depend on public transportation wherever I go.

Newly built train station close to my parents’ house in Jakarta, replacing the old ones that used to be dirty and unorganized

Compared to Chicago, I can say, I definitely choose public transportation over driving a private car in Jakarta. The integrated Busway and the commuter rail system can beat the traffic jam. That is the most important reason. Additionally, there are many options of public transportation there. We can choose two wheels (motorcyle taxi), three wheels (Bajaj), four wheels, small and big size of buses.

Another reason is, I enjoyed all the public facilities offered at many developed train stations. In a majority Muslims country, two public facilities that are needed the most are a clean bathroom and Mushalla, or small mosque for praying five times a day. It was great that we can find them easily at many Busway and train stations.

Public facilities in many train stations in Jakarta

Beyond that, we can also find cell phone charging stations, Nursery Room, and restrooms for disabled. In some stations, they even equipped with a small free library and a green space.

Back to Chicago, I am happy to know that the City is working on revitalizing public transportation under CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) as part of the 2022 Chicago Climate Action Plan (CAP). One of the actions to improve air quality is to increase CTA ridership 20% by 2030. Will that be possible?

Understandably, Chicago has more challenges than Jakarta in order to motivate people to use public transportation. One major challenge for me is the extreme weather in summer and winter.

Another challenge is how slow the buses are running because there are too many stops. In Chicago, with limited options of public transportation, it takes longer time to reach the destination by CTA than by a car.

However, there are of course many advantages of using public transportation. We don’t have to worry about parking, insurance, permits, tax, etc. I also learn more about a place when I travel with public transportation.

For example, I recently took Metra to take me to Bemis Wood North, in Westchester, IL to attend Hiking Leadership Training. I fell in love with Western Spring village because the Metra station there is so clean, neat, and beautiful. In front of the station, there is a museum that becomes my goal of destination to visit one day. It also inspires me to create a plan of weekend gateway to visit all Metra stations in Illinois.

When I shared my experience on CMGT’s WhatsApp group, one of our community members, Amina Rahman also shared her experience without driving in the City. She wrote, “Where we lived in the city, we chose to have one car as a family. Alhamdulillah, I feel it was really great because it forced me to be more organized about food and other shopping. We mostly did that on the weekend except for occasional milk runs on the weekdays.”

As a mother, she would take the kids to activities, museums, millennium park, jumaa, and other places by stroller/walking and bus and trains. “It was great to get to know the layout of the city, get to know the neighborhoods/shops/people in different areas as you slow down instead of zooming past everything without paying attention. It also allowed us to explore things and stop along the way which we may not have done otherwise,” she said.

Her kids love riding the bus and train and even just looking around while they walk and ride the stroller. “As they got older, the bigger kids would bring scooters so they don’t get tired and the little ones rode in the double stroller. Having the double stroller helped to carry all the snacks, supplies and even the scooters when we went indoors. One of the best bonuses is the little ones would fall asleep at nap time and I could just when them into the house with the stroller without waking them to take them out of the car seat!” she added.

It’s a great story to share. I love to hear it!

Sometimes, it’s true that private car offers more comfort than public transportation, especially if you are not the driver. In a hot and humid Jakarta, many people prefer to be inside an Air Conditioned car all the time. It’s the same reason I prefer to be inside a warm car in a snow day, rather than waiting outside for the bus or train.

However, in the name of comfort we often sacrifice an opportunity to challenge ourselves, to learn new things about a place, to keep our options open to explore the world, and to contribute to a better air quality for the benefits of all .

Eco-friendly Eid Celebration

Posted on May 1, 2022May 1, 2022 by Caroline Williams in Close to Nature, Green Idea, Info

Eid Mubarak!
Happy Eid!
Selamat Idul Fitri!

Eid al-Fitr is a major holiday in Indonesia, the largest Muslim-majority country in the world which is located in Southeast Asia.

Many Indonesians are still preparing the Idul Fitri festival in traditional and eco-friendly ways.

The main menu for the holiday is called Ketupat. It is a Javanese rice cake cooked inside a diamond-shaped container of woven palm leaf, an eco-friendly, compostable material.

Here is the diamond-shape container looks like:

This is the video how to make the Ketupat pouch:

Bakat yg terpendam bikin #KETUPAT 👀👀 #idulfitri1443H #Lebaran2022 pic.twitter.com/RF5T3CQR8V
— Dindin  (@didinw_14) April 30, 2022

The pouch will then filled with rice and boiled in water. Here is the traditional way to cook it with a big pot on top of wood stove:

Here is what they look like when they’re ready:

According to this Indonesian news, Ketupat was started to become an iconic meal on Eid in Indonesia since the 15th century.

Ketupat can be eaten with other side dishes like chicken curry or Rendang.

Rendang is another iconic meal on Eid in Indonesia. It is a chunk of meat slow cooked and braised in coconut milk seasoned with more than 10-20 different herbs and spices.

The traditional way to cook Rendang is using a big wok on a wood stove. Cooking rendang requires patience because it needs constant stirring to slow cook it for more than one hour until the meat is tender and coconut milk is caramelized.

20 macam bumbu, awalnya kuali itu penuh, sekarang sisa sepertiga, ekstrak bumbu,santan dan daging, wajar bisa awet rendang ini sampai berminggu🥰🤓#PrideHeritage pic.twitter.com/rNgN42uuZE
— Bang Edi orang baik (@EdiMahaMG) May 1, 2022

After Rendang is ready to be consumed, it can be stored for weeks without refrigeration. The herbs and spices used to make Rendang are the natural preservative agents.

Prior to refrigeration technology, this style of cooking enabled preservation of the large amount of meat. The cooking technique flourished because of its role in preserving meat in a tropical climate (see Wikipedia). Additionally, the taste of Rendang improves the more it’s reheated.

Aside from preparing meals, there are more ways to celebrate Eid al-Fitr the eco-friendly ways. Here are some ideas for decorations from recycled materials from our families in Indonesia. Enjoy!