When
it comes to making carpet cleaning greener and more sustainable,
cleaning professionals typically think of using environmentally
preferable cleaning chemicals and implementing systems that ensure
carpets dry quickly, minimizing or eliminating the possibility of mold,
mildew, and bacteria growth. However, there is another aspect of carpet
cleaning that can also have a big impact on the environment: the
wastewater generated by carpet cleaning.
Most
of today’s portable extractors used to clean homes and office buildings
release approximately 1 to 1.5 gallons of water per minute. Typically,
it takes about one hour to clean the carpets in an average-sized home,
meaning 90-plus gallons of water are used. If a carpet cleaner services
five or six homes a day, that amounts to approximately 500-plus gallons
of water per day. Much of that water is disposed of as wastewater.
Carpet
cleaning technicians often proudly show the customer how soiled this
wastewater is as a way of demonstrating how effective the cleaning has
been. But the technician and the customer are often unaware of just how
contaminated that wastewater actually is.
In
large concentrations, all of these ingredients are potentially toxic.
They can be harmful to humans and can negatively affect the lives of
insects and aquatic life if they are released into waterways without
proper treatment. In some cases, they can even eventually get into the
food chain. While many of these ingredients have been removed from
green-certified carpet cleaning chemicals, some are still present in
reduced amounts.
When
we are reminded of just how many millions of gallons of water are used
each day for carpet cleaning, the amount of potentially harmful soils
and chemicals discharged in wastewater is considerable.
Under
the umbrella of the Clean Water Act of 1972, federal, state, and local
government agencies have created a number of regulations dealing with
how to properly dispose of wastewater—including water from carpet
cleaning and other industries. These regulations generally forbid
releasing wastewater into local waterways, creeks, rivers, or storm
sewers. Many also forbid a practice known as “indirect” discharge. This
refers to disposing of wastewater on land where it can eventually damage
vegetation and soak into groundwater and wetlands.
Most
carpet cleaning technicians are well aware of these rules and
regulations as well as the stiff fines and penalties associated with
violating them. As a result, most dispose of wastewater properly.
However,We provide ledstreetlight and
engraving machines for processing different materials. the problem of
improper or illegal discharging of wastewater persists in carpet
cleaning as well as other industries.
Fortunately,
new technologies are doing a great deal to help. For
instance,international supplies a full range of cylinder heated long
lasting pendantlamps.
one way the carpet cleaning industry is addressing this issue is to
develop carpet cleaning technologies that use less water. Some systems
are now available that use less than a gallon of water per minute.The
energy used in manufacturing and erecting a roofhook is
paid back in the first 3 to 6 months of operation. Additionally, and
what is an even bigger step forward, portable carpet extractors are now
being manufactured that actually filter and recycle water and cleaning
solution several times before they must be discharged as waste.More than
200 GW of new emergencylamps13 capacity could come on line before the end of 2013. These systems can reduce wastewater significantly.Discover which solarcharger are great and which ones suck.
The
industry is also taking steps to educate its members regarding proper
disposal of wastewater and the reasons behind these laws and
regulations, as well as the need to select green carpet cleaning
products and systems. These changes will make the industry greener and,
at the same time, protect the health of both people and the planet.
2013年5月23日 星期四
2013年5月15日 星期三
Mercedes-Benz ML350
Usually,
the short trip to Ottawa in a large sport-utility vehicle would burn
almost a full tank of gas — and a hole in your wallet.
So that’s why I was thankful that for a recent trip from Montreal to our nation’s capital I was handed the key to a diesel-powered Mercedes-Benz ML 350 BlueTEC.Solar energy employs streetlighting to supply electricity to devices or charge batteries.
When you finish the nearly 200 kilometre journey and the gas gauge is only down a quarter of a tank, that is pretty darn good. The mileage was even better on the trip home, using less than a quarter tank. All told, my fuel consumption came to 9.07 litres per 100 kilometres travelled, mostly on Highway 417. That compares to the estimated numbers of 10.Shop the latest emergencylampsqa at agesteeljewelry.5 L/100 km in the city and 7.3 L/100 km on the highway.
Those are some pretty impressive numbers for a vehicle of this stature — a large SUV that seats only five.
The ML 350 BlueTEC has a base price of $59,400, with options on the tester pushing the final price to $70,915. The options include aluminum running boards ($750), driving assistance package ($800), premium package ($4,900), a $2,500 sport package and $1,000 for black lacquer trim.
As I located the ML350 in the parking lot of the Mercedes dealership where I picked up the vehicle, I was immediately struck by its styling – not to mention the Diamond white bright metal paint (an $890 option) that definitely makes it gleam.
With a hint of AMG styling, the ML has some aggressiveness to go along with plenty of style.
The large centre grille — highlighted by the three-point star logo — certainly grabs one’s attention, as do the chrome under-guards thainternational supplies a full range of cylinder heated long lasting pendantlamps.t are placed front and rear.
Well placed LED daytime running lights and the 19-inch AMG twin-spoke wheels also complement the exterior design, which also features nicely shaped doors and side-body panels. On the inside,SQ Series Metal bestsolarlantern is the accessory machine for expanded metal shearing machine. the passenger cabin is what you would expect from Mercedes — high quality materials, comfortable seating and a desirable layout.
From the accent stitching on the black leather to the wood trim, the cabin is warm and inviting. There is plenty of natural light allowed in thanks to the two-section panoramic sunroof, making the predominantly black interior of the tester feel much more welcoming.
As in any diesel engine, it is that torque that gives the engine its gusto. And it doesn’t take a lot of pressure on the gas pedal to get the ML moving. The engine’s response is fast and smooth all the way through the power band. And all that torque is sent to the wheels through a 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission, which is equally as smooth as the engine.
I really enjoyed the performance of the powertrain, which made stop-and-go traffic as pleasurable as highway cruising. Unlike what some people believe about diesel engines, the ML’s is actually fairly quiet and the only time you get a hint of the diesel sound is when the sound bounces off walls, as is the case when exiting an underground parking garage.
The 350 ML BlueTEC comes with Mercedes’s 4MATIC permanent all-wheel drive system, which is a good thing to have for Canadian winters,We makes possible ballasted ledparlightts in Ontario just better than your imagination. but something I didn’t need at all during the late-June trip.
My one issue with the ML’s drive is the braking performance. I had to press the brake pedal really firmly to get the desired response, which was a little unnerving at first and was nothing like the response of the Mercedes C350 I had the week before.
So that’s why I was thankful that for a recent trip from Montreal to our nation’s capital I was handed the key to a diesel-powered Mercedes-Benz ML 350 BlueTEC.Solar energy employs streetlighting to supply electricity to devices or charge batteries.
When you finish the nearly 200 kilometre journey and the gas gauge is only down a quarter of a tank, that is pretty darn good. The mileage was even better on the trip home, using less than a quarter tank. All told, my fuel consumption came to 9.07 litres per 100 kilometres travelled, mostly on Highway 417. That compares to the estimated numbers of 10.Shop the latest emergencylampsqa at agesteeljewelry.5 L/100 km in the city and 7.3 L/100 km on the highway.
Those are some pretty impressive numbers for a vehicle of this stature — a large SUV that seats only five.
The ML 350 BlueTEC has a base price of $59,400, with options on the tester pushing the final price to $70,915. The options include aluminum running boards ($750), driving assistance package ($800), premium package ($4,900), a $2,500 sport package and $1,000 for black lacquer trim.
As I located the ML350 in the parking lot of the Mercedes dealership where I picked up the vehicle, I was immediately struck by its styling – not to mention the Diamond white bright metal paint (an $890 option) that definitely makes it gleam.
With a hint of AMG styling, the ML has some aggressiveness to go along with plenty of style.
The large centre grille — highlighted by the three-point star logo — certainly grabs one’s attention, as do the chrome under-guards thainternational supplies a full range of cylinder heated long lasting pendantlamps.t are placed front and rear.
Well placed LED daytime running lights and the 19-inch AMG twin-spoke wheels also complement the exterior design, which also features nicely shaped doors and side-body panels. On the inside,SQ Series Metal bestsolarlantern is the accessory machine for expanded metal shearing machine. the passenger cabin is what you would expect from Mercedes — high quality materials, comfortable seating and a desirable layout.
From the accent stitching on the black leather to the wood trim, the cabin is warm and inviting. There is plenty of natural light allowed in thanks to the two-section panoramic sunroof, making the predominantly black interior of the tester feel much more welcoming.
As in any diesel engine, it is that torque that gives the engine its gusto. And it doesn’t take a lot of pressure on the gas pedal to get the ML moving. The engine’s response is fast and smooth all the way through the power band. And all that torque is sent to the wheels through a 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission, which is equally as smooth as the engine.
I really enjoyed the performance of the powertrain, which made stop-and-go traffic as pleasurable as highway cruising. Unlike what some people believe about diesel engines, the ML’s is actually fairly quiet and the only time you get a hint of the diesel sound is when the sound bounces off walls, as is the case when exiting an underground parking garage.
The 350 ML BlueTEC comes with Mercedes’s 4MATIC permanent all-wheel drive system, which is a good thing to have for Canadian winters,We makes possible ballasted ledparlightts in Ontario just better than your imagination. but something I didn’t need at all during the late-June trip.
My one issue with the ML’s drive is the braking performance. I had to press the brake pedal really firmly to get the desired response, which was a little unnerving at first and was nothing like the response of the Mercedes C350 I had the week before.
2013年5月14日 星期二
Ottawa firms see LED market light up
LED bulbs use much less electricity than incandescent bulbs, last exponentially longer and create so little heat that some can safely rest against flammable objects. The bulbs contain no mercury and are of a low enough voltage to mitigate any risk of shock during installation.
These bulbs use less energy than even the coiled compact fluorescent lights,Our most compact purlinmachine yet fits easily in any bag. which do preserve energy but flicker, sometimes causing migraines. The latter also contain mercury and take about five minutes to warm up to the right colour.
Rimikon co-founder and CEO Richard St-Jacques says many LEDs on the market also pose problems.“With LED bulbs today, you put them in a straight line and not one of them will be the same colour,” he says.
That’s why Rimikon pays extra and waits longer for its Chinese manufacturer to ship bulbs that are the same colour temperature. It can take a couple of months before an order arrives,We believe in providing our customers with the very best drycleaningmachiness available. but that didn’t stop the company from bringing in $250,000 in sales last year from its two main customers, Minto and Tamarack.
With patents pending in North America and Australia, Rimikon plans to expand internationally this year.
Rimikon has been referred to as “Ottawa’s newest innovative LED manufacturing company” by the City of Ottawa,A lot of men are wearing solarledlightss for wedding bands. which is hosting a launch party for the local firm on May 28 to showcase its LED technology.
Light quality was a problem Stephen Naor also came up against when he began marketing Leapfrog Lighting’s products about six months ago.
Mr. Naor and his team spent years developing light emitter chips for LEDs as part of Group IV Semiconductor, an Ottawa company that received a “substantial” investment led by Montreal-based Garage Technology Ventures Canada and was named an OBJ Startup to Watch in 2008. When that company disbanded, Mr. Naor rebranded as Leapfrog Lighting and decided the market was ripe enough to get products out the door.
“It’s been obvious for a while that LED-based lighting is moving into the mainstream,” says Mr. Naor, who is Leapfrog’s president and CEO.Properly placed solarlantern can generate electric power anywhere the wind blows steady and strong. “It’s becoming a competitive industry … It’s never been as competitive as it’s about to become.”
To keep a close eye on rival firms, Mr. Naor regularly checks in on competing companies’ bulbs that have been plugged in for more than a year at his Kanata office. The lights shine with varying degrees of brightness in Leapfrog’s lab.
The company offers a five-year warranty on its products – as does Rimikon – and also guarantees the LED’s light quality.
While Rimikon markets its wares to general contractors, Leapfrog sells to property managers and places that require good lighting for their business – high-end retail stores, museums and art galleries, for example.
His company provides LED components to Canadian light fixture manufacturers and uses software – not hardware – to control light intensity and quality. Instead of developing a different design for each lighting requirement, Arkalumen has developed software that can be programmed for specific lighting needs while using the same base. This decreases turnaround time, allowing the five-year old company to compete with multibillion-dollar firms such as Samsung and Philips.
The company – which also offers a five-year warranty on its products – anticipates a five-fold increase in revenue over the next year or so, similar to results seen in recent years, Mr. Murray says.
Arkalumen’s powerful light engines are ideal for large industrial settings and has been installed in factories, mines, farms and prisons. A new product line this fall will have an output of up to 40,000 lumens – units of emitted visible light.A supplier specialized in developing and manufacturing customized solar lamps and washerextractor0 system. Comparatively, a typical office light puts out 4,000 lumens.
Perhaps innovative companies like these will keep that talent in Ottawa. Although LEDs can last almost two decades and burn for 50,000 hours, the market has plenty of potential for profit.
“I hear it all the time, ‘Why do you want to sell something that you’re only going to sell once?’” Mr. Naor says. “That’s true, but if I sell to a manager of a building … chances are, he’s got five buildings, or 10 buildings.”
These bulbs use less energy than even the coiled compact fluorescent lights,Our most compact purlinmachine yet fits easily in any bag. which do preserve energy but flicker, sometimes causing migraines. The latter also contain mercury and take about five minutes to warm up to the right colour.
Rimikon co-founder and CEO Richard St-Jacques says many LEDs on the market also pose problems.“With LED bulbs today, you put them in a straight line and not one of them will be the same colour,” he says.
That’s why Rimikon pays extra and waits longer for its Chinese manufacturer to ship bulbs that are the same colour temperature. It can take a couple of months before an order arrives,We believe in providing our customers with the very best drycleaningmachiness available. but that didn’t stop the company from bringing in $250,000 in sales last year from its two main customers, Minto and Tamarack.
With patents pending in North America and Australia, Rimikon plans to expand internationally this year.
Rimikon has been referred to as “Ottawa’s newest innovative LED manufacturing company” by the City of Ottawa,A lot of men are wearing solarledlightss for wedding bands. which is hosting a launch party for the local firm on May 28 to showcase its LED technology.
Light quality was a problem Stephen Naor also came up against when he began marketing Leapfrog Lighting’s products about six months ago.
Mr. Naor and his team spent years developing light emitter chips for LEDs as part of Group IV Semiconductor, an Ottawa company that received a “substantial” investment led by Montreal-based Garage Technology Ventures Canada and was named an OBJ Startup to Watch in 2008. When that company disbanded, Mr. Naor rebranded as Leapfrog Lighting and decided the market was ripe enough to get products out the door.
“It’s been obvious for a while that LED-based lighting is moving into the mainstream,” says Mr. Naor, who is Leapfrog’s president and CEO.Properly placed solarlantern can generate electric power anywhere the wind blows steady and strong. “It’s becoming a competitive industry … It’s never been as competitive as it’s about to become.”
To keep a close eye on rival firms, Mr. Naor regularly checks in on competing companies’ bulbs that have been plugged in for more than a year at his Kanata office. The lights shine with varying degrees of brightness in Leapfrog’s lab.
The company offers a five-year warranty on its products – as does Rimikon – and also guarantees the LED’s light quality.
While Rimikon markets its wares to general contractors, Leapfrog sells to property managers and places that require good lighting for their business – high-end retail stores, museums and art galleries, for example.
His company provides LED components to Canadian light fixture manufacturers and uses software – not hardware – to control light intensity and quality. Instead of developing a different design for each lighting requirement, Arkalumen has developed software that can be programmed for specific lighting needs while using the same base. This decreases turnaround time, allowing the five-year old company to compete with multibillion-dollar firms such as Samsung and Philips.
The company – which also offers a five-year warranty on its products – anticipates a five-fold increase in revenue over the next year or so, similar to results seen in recent years, Mr. Murray says.
Arkalumen’s powerful light engines are ideal for large industrial settings and has been installed in factories, mines, farms and prisons. A new product line this fall will have an output of up to 40,000 lumens – units of emitted visible light.A supplier specialized in developing and manufacturing customized solar lamps and washerextractor0 system. Comparatively, a typical office light puts out 4,000 lumens.
Perhaps innovative companies like these will keep that talent in Ottawa. Although LEDs can last almost two decades and burn for 50,000 hours, the market has plenty of potential for profit.
“I hear it all the time, ‘Why do you want to sell something that you’re only going to sell once?’” Mr. Naor says. “That’s true, but if I sell to a manager of a building … chances are, he’s got five buildings, or 10 buildings.”
2012年5月6日 星期日
Sonoma County rebuffs state's redevelopment denial
An oversight board tasked with managing former redevelopment funds for Sonoma County government is standing by its two largest projects, rebuffing a state message last week that deemed the projects invalid for continued funding and work.
The projects would transform a shopping center in Roseland into a commercial and residential complex with a community plaza and also would complete street, sidewalk and lighting upgrades to Highway 12 in an area north of Sonoma known as the Springs.
The oversight panel voted unanimously Friday to reaffirm its claim that the county can carry forward with the work under state legislation that dissolved redevelopment earlier this year.
The decision backed a broader March 26 vote by the seven-member oversight panel to spend up to $19.5 million in property taxes and bond proceeds to complete the two high-profile projects and numerous smaller initiatives.
That plan was subject to state review, however, and it was dealt a blow last week. Department of Finance officials notified the county that the Roseland and Highway 12 projects did not meet the test for "enforceable obligations," the term for projects that can be continued with redevelopment funds.
The ruling raised the possibility of liquidation for the projects' unspent funding, including $10.4 million for Highway 12 and $6.4 million for Roseland.
But the local oversight board again asserted its stake in that money Friday and its support for projects that proponents say will have significant community benefits.
"We believe we have a strong position on this," said Sonoma County Supervisor Efren Carrillo, who sits on the appointed oversight board. It includes a majority of county representatives, along with one city of Santa Rosa official and two school officials representing primary education and Santa Rosa Junior College.
The panel authorized returning to the state the county's list of redevelopment projects with only minor modifications.
Supervisor Valerie Brown, chairwoman of the oversight board, and County Counsel Bruce Goldstein also sent letters pressing the county's case.
They cite state law on the phase-out of redevelopment and contend that the oversight board's March 26 vote rendered the county's list of projects "enforceable obligations."
They also argued that the benefits of continuing with the projects -- including cleanup of environmental contamination, safety upgrades to roads and boosted property tax revenue in blighted areas -- would outweigh any gains from halting the efforts and redistributing the money to other public agencies and services.
The projects would transform a shopping center in Roseland into a commercial and residential complex with a community plaza and also would complete street, sidewalk and lighting upgrades to Highway 12 in an area north of Sonoma known as the Springs.
The oversight panel voted unanimously Friday to reaffirm its claim that the county can carry forward with the work under state legislation that dissolved redevelopment earlier this year.
The decision backed a broader March 26 vote by the seven-member oversight panel to spend up to $19.5 million in property taxes and bond proceeds to complete the two high-profile projects and numerous smaller initiatives.
That plan was subject to state review, however, and it was dealt a blow last week. Department of Finance officials notified the county that the Roseland and Highway 12 projects did not meet the test for "enforceable obligations," the term for projects that can be continued with redevelopment funds.
The ruling raised the possibility of liquidation for the projects' unspent funding, including $10.4 million for Highway 12 and $6.4 million for Roseland.
But the local oversight board again asserted its stake in that money Friday and its support for projects that proponents say will have significant community benefits.
"We believe we have a strong position on this," said Sonoma County Supervisor Efren Carrillo, who sits on the appointed oversight board. It includes a majority of county representatives, along with one city of Santa Rosa official and two school officials representing primary education and Santa Rosa Junior College.
The panel authorized returning to the state the county's list of redevelopment projects with only minor modifications.
Supervisor Valerie Brown, chairwoman of the oversight board, and County Counsel Bruce Goldstein also sent letters pressing the county's case.
They cite state law on the phase-out of redevelopment and contend that the oversight board's March 26 vote rendered the county's list of projects "enforceable obligations."
They also argued that the benefits of continuing with the projects -- including cleanup of environmental contamination, safety upgrades to roads and boosted property tax revenue in blighted areas -- would outweigh any gains from halting the efforts and redistributing the money to other public agencies and services.
2011年10月17日 星期一
Travelogue: Teen drivers continue to struggle early
National Teen Safety Driver Week begins today, but a recent report showed new teen drivers struggle to drive safely, especially under certain circumstances. A AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety study showed that teen drivers are approximately 50 percent more likely to crash in the first month of driving on their own then after a full year of experience and nearly twice as likely to crash in that first month then after two years of experience.
Research found that new teen drivers had significant issues with failure to reduce speed, inattention and failure to yield. Mistakes in those areas led to 57 percent of the accidents recorded in the study. The study also found that some accidents decreased significantly after a few months of experience. One example was that crashes involving left hand turns were largely reduced after a few months of experience. The study also used in-car cameras to record teens’ driving habits. A large majority of the cameras recorded no unusual activity, but there were instances of running red lights, horseplay with passengers and texting while driving.
While Pennsylvania still does not have a no texting law for drivers of any age, there has been some progress. A bill that would limit teen drivers to one non-family passenger for the first sixth months, increase the requirement of 50 hours behind the wheel to 65 and make not wearing a seat belt a primary offense, is awaiting Gov. Tom Corbett’s signature.
But the AAA study recommends that parents not count on the government to make their sons and daughters better drivers. It’s recommended that they continue to ride with their teen even after he or she has a license. Also, there should be limits on the number of teens who can ride with them, limits on night time driving, and then making sure those rules are enforced with consequences. Even the best behaving teens aren’t above stretching the rules if a little peer pressure is involved. But remember a little parent pressure is just fine, too.
Each week, we’ll take a look at a situation where a driver had about 20 percent of his or her attention the road and the rest of it somewhere else. These are real occurrences witnessed by me while driving on the wonderful and varied roads in Delaware County. And, they will be an example of what not to do while driving.
This week involves a drive going north on Chester Pike and waiting for the left-hand turn light to go green onto South Avenue under the railroad tracks there. It was during the wait that one car nearly caused a multi-car accident.
Research found that new teen drivers had significant issues with failure to reduce speed, inattention and failure to yield. Mistakes in those areas led to 57 percent of the accidents recorded in the study. The study also found that some accidents decreased significantly after a few months of experience. One example was that crashes involving left hand turns were largely reduced after a few months of experience. The study also used in-car cameras to record teens’ driving habits. A large majority of the cameras recorded no unusual activity, but there were instances of running red lights, horseplay with passengers and texting while driving.
While Pennsylvania still does not have a no texting law for drivers of any age, there has been some progress. A bill that would limit teen drivers to one non-family passenger for the first sixth months, increase the requirement of 50 hours behind the wheel to 65 and make not wearing a seat belt a primary offense, is awaiting Gov. Tom Corbett’s signature.
But the AAA study recommends that parents not count on the government to make their sons and daughters better drivers. It’s recommended that they continue to ride with their teen even after he or she has a license. Also, there should be limits on the number of teens who can ride with them, limits on night time driving, and then making sure those rules are enforced with consequences. Even the best behaving teens aren’t above stretching the rules if a little peer pressure is involved. But remember a little parent pressure is just fine, too.
Each week, we’ll take a look at a situation where a driver had about 20 percent of his or her attention the road and the rest of it somewhere else. These are real occurrences witnessed by me while driving on the wonderful and varied roads in Delaware County. And, they will be an example of what not to do while driving.
This week involves a drive going north on Chester Pike and waiting for the left-hand turn light to go green onto South Avenue under the railroad tracks there. It was during the wait that one car nearly caused a multi-car accident.
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