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We recently received a package of Yerba Mate in the mail. We are big tea drinkers, so this sounded like a very good ecological replacement, that is also good for you.

Yerba mate has been shared daily among friends as a healthy and energizing drink, providing 24 vitamins and minerals, 15 amino acids, and abundant antioxidants. Revered for centuries as the “drink of the gods”, yerba mate triumphs as nature’s most balanced stimulant.

In South America, yerba mate has been revered for centuries as the “drink of the gods” and is drunk daily for optimum health, sustained energy and mental clarity. Of the six commonly used stimulants in the world: yerba mate, coffee, tea, kola nut, cocoa, and guarana, yerba mate triumphs as natures most balanced stimulant, delivering both energy and nutrition. The leaves of the rainforest mate tree naturally contain 24 vitamins and minerals, 15 amino acids, abundant antioxidants. In fact, The Pasteur Institute and the Paris Scientific society in 1964 concluded “it is difficult to find a plant in any area of the world equal to mate in nutritional value” and that yerba mate contains “practically all of the vitamins necessary to sustain life.”

About Guayakí
Our name Guayaki (Gwy-uh-KEE) honors the Aché Guayakí people. The Ache live in the sub-tropical rainforests of Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil, home of the yerba mate tree. Guayakí Yerba Mate is grown and hand-picked below the shade of its native rainforest canopy, then traditionally wood-aged to complement its natural earthy flavor.

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You have heard the old adage, “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.”

Well, World Vision ofter fishing kits, goats, and other bootstrap items to needy folks all over the world, and we can sponsor such a gift through their website at http://www.worldvisiongifts.org.

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Want a carbonated juice that the kids will think is soda, but has nothing in it but 100% juice and carbonation? At just under a buck for 12 oz., soda is cheaper, but the sugar, caffeine, and color dyes can send the kids off the walls. So switch to the Switch, it tastes good, and it’s good for you. My wife’s favorite is the Citrus Blend, mine is the Peach and Apricot blend.

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A Public Radio Commentary by Bill Hammack:

My wife and I got a package in the mail that fascinated me. I don’t even recall its contents, because I was taken with the the green packing peanuts used to protect whatever it was from damage. As I scooped up the pellets to toss them in the trash, my wife said, with a very knowing voice, “Just toss them on the compost pile.” What! Plastic in the compost? No. She showed me a slip of paper that explained: There was no “plastic or polluting gases” used to make these peanuts; they were made of cornstarch.

Toss them on your compost pile or spread them on your lawn and with a bit of water they’ll dissolve in minutes. These cornstarch packing peanuts are part of a movement called “green engineering.”

It’s a design philosophy where the environment is explicitly considered from the beginning: A goal is to find processes and products which are feasible and economical while minimizing pollution at the very beginning. These cornstarch packing peanuts are the work of food engineer Bill Stoll.

Read more at http://www.engineerguy.com/comm/3294.htm and at http://itotd.com/articles/540/biodegradable-plastic/

Available online at $18 to $25 for 12 cu. ft. at a variety of sources including Uline.

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This excellent reference is written for the folks who believe camping doesn’t mean hooking up to water, cable, and electric at a mobile version of a trailer park. Off-grid camping doesn’t have to mean spoiled food and no lights, or noisy smelly generators. It’s also a good start for folks who want to learn more about living off-grid in general in RV’s without wheels (camp or primary home). You will learn about solar panels, batteries, chargers and inverters. You’ll learn how to hookup and maintain your system. We highly recommend this resource.

Rver’s Guide to Solar Battery Charging

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From Conergy:

Water well pumping can be the largest load on a remote home power system. There are several ways to minimize its energy consumption. Here is another technique that applies to any pressurizing system, especially if it uses an AC pump.

If you look at the performance curve of any centrifugal-type pump (including all AC submersibles and jet pumps) you will see that as the pressure increases past a certain point, the flow drops drastically. Here is an easy way to detect this situation at the job site. Release some water, just until the pump switches on. Watch the system’s pressure gauge and observe its rate of rise (this indicates flow rate). Does it rise to a certain point and then slow way down? If so, then that is the pressure at which the pump “slips” and loses efficiency.

We had a customer in Colorado whose cut-out pressure had been set to the typical 50 PSI (pounds per square inch). As the pressure got past 40, the flow rate slowed way down. There seemed to be more than enough pressure at the faucets, so we reduced the cut-out to 36 PSI. In doing so, we cut the energy use of the pump nearly in HALF. The owner couldn’t detect a change in the water delivery but, as it was gardening season, she saw an immediate increase in the amount of energy available from her PV power system!

Why do most Americans want more than 35 PSI at their home? It’s because of undersized plumbing! Most houses in the U.S.A. are plumbed to the legal minimum requirements of the plumbing codes (1/2″ and 3/4″ pipe). At the end of a long pipe run, the dynamic pressure may be diminished by 30%. Where a house has not yet been plumbed, we recommend using one size larger than minimum, for all cold water lines.

Similarly, when using garden hose, 3/4″ hose will cause far less pressure drop than 1/2″ or 5/8″ hose. When these measures are taken, a pressure setting of 25-35 PSI will please anybody. Where a house is already plumbed, observe water delivery at the faucets. If water flow is satisfying without opening faucets all of the way, then a reduction in pressure may be acceptable.

How to reduce water pressure

Pressure adjustments are made at the pressure switch. On a standard switch there are two adjustment nuts, with a spring under each one. Turning counterclockwise will lower the settings. You will see the result by watching the pressure gauge as the pump cycles on and off. First, loosen the nut on the longer screw. This will reduce both cut-in and cut-out pressure. Set it for the CUT-IN that you desire. Second, adjust the nut on the shorter screw. It adjusts the CUT-OUT only. Cut-out pressure should be around 2/3 of the cut-in pressure.

Once the pressure is set and everyone is satisfied, reset the precharge air in the pressure tank. This will maximize its storage and minimize on/off cycling. To reset the precharge, first make note of the cut-in pressure. Now shut off the power to the pump. Release water until the pressure gauge drops to zero. Measure the pressure of the tank’s air bladder using a tire pressure gauge at the fitting on top of the tank. Set the air pressure to 2 or 3 PSI less than the cut-in pressure. Restart the pump. Finally, write down the running time per cycle. Write it on the wall, so the performance can be checked later to detect pump wear or other problems.

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Ed Begley Jr, the star of countless quirky movies and the classic TV hit “St. Elsewhere,” stars in “Living with Ed,” which premieres New Year’s Day on HGTV, a show about how his wife, an aspiring Hollywood star, tries to handle his ultra-green lifestyle. The guy’s such a true believer, he’ll ride on a bike just to power his toaster.

The premiere is Jan 1, 1pm (EST and PST) – perfect for starting the new year off with a laugh. Then you can catch it Sunday nights at 10.

You will enjoy Ed’s 10 Tips for Going Green along with other ideas for green living at http://www.hgtv.com/green

TV and movie actor Ed Begley, perhaps the greenest man in Tinsel Town, rides his electric car to the Academy Awards and powers his home with the sun and his stationary bike. But Living with Ed and his environmentalist passion isn’t always a walk in the park for wife, Rachelle. This first-of-its-kind reality green show chronicles life with an earth-friendly fanatic with humor and heart. Check out this fresh unscripted docu-soap about the lifestyle of a diehard activist who puts his money and his time where his mouth is 24/7. Definitely not recycled TV.

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I have been using a Radio Shack Fast Charger to charge my NiMH AA batteries. Today I received a Energizer Fast Charger (CH15MN), reporting a 15 minute charge time. The Radio Shack unit takes 4 hours and gets the charger and the batteries very hot. The Energizer unit runs cool, has an integral fan, and showed the batteries charged within the 15 minute time frame. It also has a 11-16 vdc (5a) input on the side, so I can charge it in the car, with solar, or from my house batteries, without using ac. My digital camera confirms the battery status. With the 1GB SD card, I’m ready to take 1096 pictures tomorrow with the HP PhotoSmart 320

The charger and four 2500 mah AA batteries (also charges AAA) was $19.95 at our local P&C grocery store.

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Green Gadgets for the Holidays
December 2006
Read this issue of Greentips online

Electronic gadgets are popular holiday gifts, but as their popularity and versatility continue to grow, so does their impact on the environment.

Devices that plug into wall outlets are responsible for a small but growing portion of a household’s total energy consumption (about five to seven percent). This energy is generated primarily by fossil fuel-fired power plants, which are America’s single greatest source of heat-trapping carbon dioxide and the air pollutants mercury and sulfur dioxide.

Battery-powered devices pose problems as well. More than three billion alkaline batteries are thrown away in the United States each year instead of being recycled; the toxic metals they contain (such as lead, mercury, and cadmium) can leak into groundwater supplies and harm local residents or wildlife.With a few simple strategies, you can give your gadget-loving friends and family members a gift with a smaller environmental footprint:

Look for the Energy Star label. These electronics use significantly less energy than conventional models. Energy Star-rated power adapters and battery chargers are also available.

(Re)charge it. Look for models that come with a rechargeable battery. If the gadget on your shopping list comes only with conventional alkaline batteries, replace them with rechargeable batteries and include a battery charger with the gift. (Note: both conventional and rechargeable batteries contain toxic metals and should not be thrown away. See the related links for battery recycling locations.)

Go solar. Consumers can now power electronic devices such as cell phones, music players, and even laptops with solar-powered battery chargers. Some are small and easily portable (including backpacks covered with flexible solar panels), making them suitable for travel.

Shake it up. A variety of gadgets (including radios, cell phone chargers, and flashlights) can be powered mechanically, either by turning a crank or shaking them. For example, winding a cell phone for two minutes can provide six minutes of talk time (or several hours of standby power), while a 30-second shake can power a flashlight for 5 to 10 minutes. These products are perfect for hikers or campers who might want to bring a bit of civilization with them into the wilderness.
If you plan to give someone a new gadget to replace an older model, consider recycling the old gadget as part of the gift. Many companies (see the related links) refurbish older electronic devices, salvage the usable parts, or recycle the toxic components.

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