Green Toys Stacking Cups: Educational and Eco-friendly Toys
Educational Benefits of Green Toys Stacking Cups
At first glance, the educational benefits of Green Toys Stacking Cups aren’t obvious. Look a bit closer, however, and you’ll notice an interesting feature not found in similar products.
There are a myriad of features associated with this toy including:
* Numbers: Other stacking cups may have numbers on them, but the really fun thing about these cups is that they are “volumetrically correct.”
This simply means that when you fill cup 1 and cup 2, the contents of these cups will fit into cup 3.
Consequently, you’re able to help your child with number recognition, counting, and beginning math concepts.
Stacking Cups: an Eco-friendly & Educational Toy
These environmentally friendly cups are also great for:
* Sorting: Use the cups to help kids sort items of the same color, shape or size.
* Color Recognition: Toys today tend to come in four basic colors: red, yellow, green and blue. These lavender, teal, and lime colored Stacking Cups give you an opportunity to playfully help your child expand his or her knowledge of colors.
* Eye-Hand Coordination: Nesting the cups together from largest to smallest or stacking them to form a tall tower develops eye-hand coordination as well as problem solving skills.
* Recycling: Like all Green Toys products, these cups are made of 100% recycled milk jugs.
Beyond the other features, these cups make it easy to help kids understand a word they might be familiar with, but may not really understand such as the word “recycling”.
Telling kids that these toys are made from “those milk jugs we recycle” helps them grasp the concept in a way they actually relate too.
The benefits of Green Toys Stacking Cups go beyond these important educational aspects.
For example, kids as young as six months can safely play with these cups because they are non-toxic. Little ones can happily gum the cups and their folks don’t have to worry that they’re ingesting harmful substances because all Green Toys products are free of BPAs, phthalates, and PVCs.
I love that these stackers are made in the USA and are produced responsibly. Even better, one of my favorite things about Green Toys Stacking Cups is that they are an open-ended toy, allowing for flexible use and plenty of imagination. This toy is multipurpose meaning, the cups can be used in the bath or during water play, in the sandbox, or in the playroom. Since these cups are safe for the dishwasher, they are easily sanitized whenever needed.
But What About the Cost?
For some, the cost of the Stacking Cups is a little steep. Since babies, toddlers, and preschoolers seem to enjoy them equally well, you can expect to get a lot of use out of these cups. And, if they ever wear out, you can simply place them in the recycle bin rather than in the garbage where they inevitably end up in the landfill.
One thing to note about Green Toys products is that the open-box packaging design may cause a product to arrive with a bit of dirt or dust on the cups. Simply place the cups in the dishwasher for a cleaning before passing them onto your little one.
Regardless of this little inconvenience, the benefits of Green Toys Stacking Cups out weight some minor flaws. Even the packaging is made of recycled and recyclable materials and it’s printed with an Eco-friendly ink to boot!
Benefits of Solar Power: Get Free Electricity By Going Solar
I have always been impressed with those who could take on major projects around the home especially when they save and help the environment. Like the guy next door who is a DIY type of guy, he installed solar panels himself saving the high cost of a professional installation to get the benefits of solar power. I watched him work with his son for a couple of weekends and poof they suddenly were done with the installation.
Once finished, he invited the neighborhood over for a cookout. That gave him a chance to show off his handyman skills. He was telling all of us about how easy it was to install the solar panels. Given the step by step instructions that came as part of the kit, even his son could have done the job without much help.
You still may be wondering what a diy solar panel kit is. It is a kit with all the components you will need to use solar energy and create electricity to power appliances or lights in your house.
With enough solar panels, it is possible to power everything in your house that uses electric power. With one big exception, however, you will be doing it for a fraction of the cost of electricity. Once you recoup your investment you will be generating electricity for free.
As an example, let’s say you spend 2400 dollars each year on electricity to power your home. It will take around 3-5 years to see the savings but after that you will have some extra money to use somewhere else.
You will need to check for your area, but most states have incentives or rebates that will help you with the cost of the solar panels. If you qualify, you will receive your investment back sooner and really get the benefits of solar power for your home.
The sooner you get started with this project the quicker you can enjoy the benefits of free electricity. You will need to do some research first to estimate the materials you will need for construction of the panels. A great place to start is your local hardware store. If you have one of the national chain stores available, they may even sponsor some classes to help you get started even faster.
Take on the challenge, be the hero in your neighborhood, and go solar. There is plenty of information available for the DIY individual. Additionally, the prices are getting more and more affordable for solar panel kits. Just think, once the system is installed you won’t have to worry about your power bill rising. Plus you will be doing your part in making the earth a cleaner place to live simply by getting the benefits of solar power.
Using Ocean Waves to Generate Green Energy
Wave power is a method of harnessing the movement of the ocean (and other large bodies of water) in order to produce energy. It’s an evolving science that is not yet widely used, but is gaining respect because of its environmentally-friendly method of utilizing a renewable resource that is available 24-hours per day to generate power.
There are several different ways to use ocean waves to generate electricity but the process always involves combining natural (or artificial) waves with wave power devices to activate the electrical system.
Ocean Wave Power Generation Systems
Some of the techniques include placing generators on or below the ocean’s surface, using floating tubes to pump ocean water into a generator, or using fake wind, pools and air chambers to direct moving air into a turbine which activates a generator. An example of using wave generated wind-flow to drive the turbines is demonstrated in the following video:
Wave power has the potential to produce large amounts of electricity, but there are currently very few wave farms in the world. Wave power still appears to be in an experimental phase: the technology is proven to work, but the logistics of financing and setting up large-scale wave farms along major coastlines is not high up on the agenda for most nations, at least not yet. Additionally, there are difficulties with the actual conversion of wave energy into electricity. Although the potential for energy is there, harnessing wave power and putting it to use is not as simple as it is with wind and solar power. It’s also a challenge to design wave power devices that can withstand the constant crashing of the waves without getting damaged.
Wave power is only truly effective in coastal areas with enough wind to generate frequent, high-energy waves, such as parts of Scotland, Australia, Africa, Canada, and the United States. However, none of these locations currently have any wave farms large enough to generate a significant amount of electricity.
One of the more recent wave farms is the Aguçadoura Wave Farm, which opened in Portugal in 2008, but not to great success. After two months of operation, the wave farm came to a halt due to technical issues with the machinery and because of a lack of financing, the farm has yet to re-open.
There have been discussions about funding wave farms in Scotland (one of the earliest wave generators was built in Scotland decades ago) and Cornwall, England, but aside from these possible locations, there are still no other prospective commercial wave farms in the world. Currently, the wave farms that do exist are small, and are mostly used for desalination and pumping water.
Other Ocean-related Energy Systems
Similar to wave power is a system called “tidal power.” People sometimes confuse the two, and although they both use the movement of water to generate energy, they are not the same thing. Waves are caused by wind blowing across the water’s surface.
The tide, however, has nothing to do with the wind; it’s caused by the gravitational forces of the moon. As the moon rotates, the tide rises and falls because of the gravitational pulls. Although it’s easier to make predictions about the tide than the waves, the use of tidal power is still very minimal, mostly due to high expense and a lack of optimal places to implement it. The first tidal power station emerged in France in the 1960’s, and since then a handful of other tidal energy sites have sprung up in North America, Europe, and Asia. Tidal power mostly relies on the use of tidal barrages, dames, and turbines to generate energy.
Ocean Power: A Developing Resource
The main criticisms of wave power fall under the problems of finance and difficulty in effectively harnessing potential wave energy. Some people also complain how the wave energy devices are eyesores on what would otherwise be beautiful coastal areas. Additionally, these devices could potentially affect marine life or cause a bothersome amount of noise.
The evolving technology surrounding the wave power industry will likely continue to make improvements to address these concerns, and although it currently falls short of competing with wind and solar power, it’s possible that wave power will become more regularly used as technologies improve, the cost goes down and efficiency goes up.
Potential Benefits of Solar Energy
Solar power is produced by harnessing the power of the Sun to produce energy. It is mainly used to generate electricity from a renewable resource (the Sun’s rays) in regions where sunny days are the norm. The result is less consumption of fossil fuels that pollute the Earth’s environment as well as being a non-renewable and dwindling resource. Converting solar power into electricity can be achieved in several ways, but the most common methods are through the use of photovoltaic panels or solar heat concentration.
The Benefits of Solar Energy
Photovoltaic solar panels are assembled special silicon or germanium coated cells, which convert sunlight into usable electricity. These panels can be grouped together in a solar panel array and installed around homes and businesses and are usually situated on the roof of a building.
Solar power heat concentrators, on the other hand, do not utilize photochemical panels, but work more like a magnifying glass just on a larger scale. The sunlight is reflected through mirrors and lenses and concentrated into a beam of solar-charged heat. This solar heat is beamed towards a specific target, such as a steam generator for a power plant where the heat produces electrical energy.
Sunlight-driven solar energy is being put to many different uses including:
1) increased agricultural productivity;
2) natural and hybrid solar lighting;
3) water distillation and desalinization;
4) solar-powered food cookers;
5) electric-powered vehicles and gadgets, and
6) heating water.
A Limited Use Energy Resource
Despite all the potential benefits of solar energy in many areas of our personal and industrial lives, solar power still provides less than 1% of all electricity here in the United States. California is by far the state at the forefront of solar energy usage and innovation. Though solar systems are slightly more common in Europe and China, they still represent a minor source of energy compared to the energy produced using fossil fuels.
Pros and Cons of Solar Energy
There are two main drawbacks to using solar power; mainly the relatively high cost as well as being an inconvenience to many. Since the electricity is generated via sunlight, solar panels (and the use of heat concentrators) are only effective during the day while the sun is out. This is inconvenient when homes or business need to use electricity at night to power their air-conditioning and heating systems; electrical appliances, or lights. In addition, if you compare solar systems to other sources of renewable energy, solar power tends to be one of the more expensive options often costing more to produce than wind or wave generated power.
Fortunately, costs have been gradually declining plus new technological advancements are constantly being made, making solar energy an attractive option when considering the future of renewable energy. This is particularly true in areas receiving 300 plus days of sunshine like the southwestern U.S.
Despite its apparent drawbacks, solar power is undeniably important in terms of utilizing a renewable resource in order to provide the electrical power we all need. The inconvenience of being out of electricity at night can be diminished with the installation of alternative energy systems (wind power or buy-back from the grid) when the Sun sets or on cloudy days.
Over time the cost issue will likely continue to diminish as the price of traditional energy sources rise and technical advancements lead to more efficient systems. Rest assured, fossil fuels will not last forever, and as we continue to deplete that resource, their prices will rise even faster. As long as people still want to enjoy the comforts of a modern lifestyle, transitioning to renewable energy sources is more than necessary and with all the benefits of solar energy it will be part of the solution.
Green Your Travel With Eco-friendly Cars
In the last decade, there have been changes in the automotive market that significantly favor the use and development of Eco-friendly cars. Cars with internal combustion engines depend on fossil fuel to move about town. Gasoline is becoming increasingly expensive, and prices will only continue to rise since it’s a non-renewable resource. Apart from the cost factor, using gasoline also has a negative impact on the environment: regular cars release toxic emissions of greenhouse gases, which pollute the atmosphere and contribute to global warming. To solve these kinds of problems, the automotive industry has jumped over leaps and hurdles to create energy-efficient vehicles that depend on less gasoline to operate (or none at all), to effectively cut costs and pollute less.
Between the years 2004 and 2005, sales for hybrid cares increased by more than an astonishing 141 percent. Hybrid cars use gasoline and an engine, but also have an electric motor to provide extra power, significantly reducing the overall amount of gas consumption while improving mileage. With the success of hybrid cars, most major automotive companies have begun to jump on the bandwagon and contribute their own hybrid models and unique designs. However, although hybrid cars are a good step in the right direction, they are not the complete solution to the cost and environmental problems, because they still emit pollutants and and require the regular purchase of fuel.
Electric cars, although not widely used yet, have an answer for each of these problems. They use no gasoline and have absolutely no emissions. Their system is simple: an electric motor (instead of an engine) is connected to a controller, which is connected to a series of rechargeable batteries. These batteries do the work that gasoline would have done, and can be recharged with the same electricity that powers a home. Because they have no engine, electric cars are almost silent when they run, helping in a small way to reduce noise pollution. Having an electric car also means that there is also need to go to gas stations, pay for gas, or deal with engine repairs and the other usual problems that are common with regular cars. Electric cars don’t have these components, so there is never a need to repair them.
But do these Eco-friendly cars have the same basic comforts and functions that a consumer would look for in a regular car? Fortunately, the answer is yes. In general, electric cars look and are handled just like regular cars, although a few of the new designs are streamlined for a more modern look. Either way, they are just as easy to drive as a regular car. The breaks function through a vacuum pump, and the gas gauge is replaced with a volt meter that displays the level of battery charge (full, half, empty, etc.) They also come installed with both air conditioning and a small electric water heater to warm the car in cold weather.
Since electric cars run purely on a charged battery, one of the main concerns consumers have is the idea of losing power while driving, or running out of power early in the day with no time to recharge. Most drivers only travel cover a distance of 30-40 miles in an average day, which is approximately the distance that the car battery will allow, making electric cars perfect for day-to-day use, but not optimal for road trips. Although early electric cars could only last 40-60 miles before needing to be charged again, there are new advancements that allow for a much longer battery charge, and thus, more uninterrupted driving time. The Tesla Roadster, for example, operates with a powerful network of rechargeable lithium ion batteries. These are the same batteries found in a laptop but on a much larger scale. This allows the car to drive for up to 250 miles on a single charge. (The average electric car with a non-lithium battery system charges up to about 100 miles worth of driving time.) While standard electric cars require up to 12 hours for a full charge, the Roadster can be charged in 9 hours, or even in just 3.5 hours if the consumer installs a recharging station in their garage with a 220-volt, 70-amp outlet. Standard electric car batteries last for three to four years, but because the Roadster has revolutionized their system, Roadster batteries last up to seven years before needing to be replaced.
Although the benefits of using electric cars are many, there are still a few concerns that prevent them from becoming even more mainstream. One is that although the cars themselves have no emissions, the electricity needed to charge up the car usually comes from household electricity, which usually comes from power plants that burn fossil fuels, causing pollution. Fortunately, the “fuel,” or source of energy to recharge the car can come from any source, including cleaner energy sources like biomass, wind or solar power.
Another concern is the cost of purchasing these Eco-friendly cars. Prices are still high when compared to regular cars, and most people aren’t willing to spend extra money to have an electric car, even if they’re concerned about the environment. However, more affordable options are becoming readily available, such as the Nissan LEAF. It costs about $32,000, but federal tax rebates bring the price down by thousands of dollars, for as low as $20,000-$25,000. Although electric cars themselves are more expensive, they have less maintenance costs. In fact, the Tesla Roadster works out to about $5 per 250 miles, a fraction of the gas cost that would be needed to cover the same distance in a regular car. Overall yearly operating expenses are estimated at $2,000 for an electric car, and $6,000 for a regular car, proving that electric cars can be just as economical as they are environmentally friendly.
