Money wasted on ‘assistant mayor’

A selective recycling system
RENO — From the manufacture, to the store, to the consumer and to the recycling center, everyday products go through a long process before the containers that carry consumable goods can be reused.

Read more on Daily Sparks Tribune

Plastic recycling body slams report advising countries to landfill PET bottles
SRI Consulting’s (SRIC’s) report, ‘PET’s Carbon Footprint: To Recycle or not to Recycle’, evaluated the carbon footprint of PET and recycled PET (rPET) bottles across their lifecycle, concluding that landfill was a lower-carbon option to recycling and incineration for some developing countries, as well as parts of the US and UK.

Read more on Food Production Daily

ANN ARBOR: RecycleBank offers incentives for more city recycling
Masaki Hada was one of a large group of Ann Arbor children who made a bank out of recycled items, tasted local food from RecycleBank partners, and learned more about the new incentive program to encourage increased recycling in the city.

Read more on Ann Arbor Journal

Panel targets single-use plastics
A special panel in Madison is looking at ways to reduce the amount plastic packaging that ends up in Wisconsin landfills.

Read more on Stevens Point Journal

Money wasted on ‘assistant mayor’
I am writing to express my concerns over the reincarnation of John Barrett as a consultant to the mayor of the city of Pittsfield.

Read more on Berkshire Eagle

Best Synthetic Motorcycle -Oil Save Money

AMSOIL Customers Appreciate Greater MPG

Despite the fact results vary because of a variety of factors, a common denominator among AMSOIL motor oil users is an improvement in fuel economy. Independent testing reveals that AMSOIL Signature Series 0W-30 motor oil passes the API Energy Conservation Sequence VI test with a rating 38 percent higher than the API minimum specifications.

“In most cases it can increase mileage, but at the very least you’re getting superior engine protection.”

Ralph Sites, a police officer in Rustburg, Va. “I had been getting 30 miles per gallon,” Sites divulged.

His first oil change to AMSOIL, improved his mileage to 38 miles per gallon. At 6,500 miles on the engine, after replacing the final drive oil with AMSOIL Series 2000 75W-90 Gear Lube, he improved to 40 miles per gallon. “I switched to AMSOIL for the long-term gain. The improved gas mileage was just a bonus.

Anybody who comes and gets the AMSOIL motor oil in their motorcycle comes back with their cars,” he said.

Additionally, Lance Okeson of St. gained miles per gallon after switching to AMSOIL motor oil in his 1995 Cutlass Supreme.

Okeson made the switch after learning about AMSOIL from a customer of his at a quick lube where he works. A trip from the Twin Cities to Fargo, ND, in a steady 17 mile-per-hour wind, and back showed him an increase from 24 mpg to 30.5 mpg.

Protect your clutch, gears, valve train and other engine component’s with the industry leader in motorcycle lubricants. motorcycle synthetic oil.

For you Harley Riders read on and find a better alternative the Harley’s Screaming Eagle Synthetic Oil.

According to Harley-Davidson®, one of the unique asset’s offered by Screamin’ Eagle® Synthetic Motorcycle Oil is its versatility. For the first time the company is recommending an oil that can be used in the engines, primary chaincases and transmissions of most Harley-Davidson® motorcycles, including Evolution XL, Evolution 1340, Twin Cam 88 and 88B, Revolution and Buell models. This feature, however, is not unique.

How does Screamin’ Eagle® Synthetic Motorcycle Oil measure up to AMSOIL in wear protection? Four-Ball Wear Test results indicate that AMSOIL Synthetic Motorcycle Oil still provides the best protection possible for motorcycles. In fact, Screamin’ Eagle® Synthetic Motorcycle Oil leaves a wear scar nearly 80 percent larger than AMSOIL 20W-50 Synthetic Motorcycle Oil.

Suggested retail price of Screamin’ Eagle® is nearly $2 a quart higher than AMSOIL 20W-50 Motorcycle Oil.

Harley-Davidson® claims Screamin’ Eagle® Synthetic Motorcycle Oil has been “exclusively designed” for use in their motorcycles, pointing to across the boardbench testing and over 230,000 miles of durability testing to back it up. AMSOIL INC. has 30 years of experience providing superior lubricating protection for all brands of motorcycles, and AMSOIL Synthetic Motorcycle Oils have been tested in millions of over-the-road miles. Appreciationfrom countless motorcyclists further demonstrate the superiority of AMSOIL Synthetic Motorcycle Oils.

Composewith top-of-the-line synthetic base stocks and high-temperature deposit control additives, AMSOIL Synthetic Motorcycle Oils provide superior protection and performance for motorcycles in all operating conditions. AMSOIL Motorcycle Oils effectively withstand oxidation and thermal degradation, keep wear to an absolute minimum, hold contaminants in suspension and keep engines running cool and clean.motorcycle synthetic oil

Recycled Golf Balls: Save Money While Saving The Environment

Recycled golf balls may be one of the best kept secrets among golfers. While some players as still insist on buy Pro V1 gold balls for 50 dollars a dozen, you can access the same quality balls for a lot less. Shopping online for recycled golf balls is becoming more and more popular. Many players have found that they can have access to premium golf balls at a fraction of the retail cost.

Online suppliers of recycled golf balls

The industry that provides recycled golf balls is much more sophisticated than you might think. There is a huge market for recycled golf balls in premium condition. If you are a golfer who loses up to five golf balls a round an average, why spend 50 dollars a dozen when there is an alternative. A dealer that specializes in top quality, recycled golf balls like Nike, Titleists and Calloway in top condition has a product that’s in high demand. Besides, when you think about the fact that the only difference between recycled golf balls and brand new balls is that first hit, any golfer that’s not taking advantage of the savings recycled golf balls can bring is losing out on big savings.

Choosing the right golf ball for your game

It is not uncommon for a golfer to buy golf balls because of the brand name. They think just because the balls are expensive that they are better. This couldn’t be further from the truth. There is a science that goes into the design of golf balls that can affect a layers performance. What good is an expensive ball if it is hurting your game?

Knowing what type of golfer you are is an important part of choosing the right ball. Let’s say that you are an average golfer. You may prefer low compression balls can give you lots of distance and control around the greens. The most popular balls for average golfers include Maxfli Noodle, Nike Distance and Strata Tour Straight. You can easily find these balls in mint condition from a quality online supplier.

Where do they come from?

Recycled golf balls are usually collected following a game. The balls are cleaned and graded according to a system which rates balls as AAA, PERFECT, 1st Quality or Grade 1 if they are in perfect condition. It can be nearly impossible to tell the difference between top quality recycled golf balls and brand new balls. Once graded, these golf balls are made available online by a variety of golf ball dealers.

Green Golf

Choosing recycled golf balls is not only a great way to save money, it also helps the environment. Recycling balls results in less refuse for our environment. Even if you take the time to collect your own golf balls following a game and use recycles golf balls as practice balls instead of purchasing brand new, is more responsible. Golf balls are made of rubber, wool and nylon. Who knows how long it takes for them to break down and biodegrade. Just another reason why buying recycled golf balls is a smart move.

New car tax regulations will help you save money

The Fresh rule of thumb governing Motorcar Taxation in the United Kingdom has to do with just how much your Car gives off carbon dioxide. This means that those owning aging motorcars will have to pay up more Car Tax than those that are buying Fresh cars that let out less carbon dioxide.

This New Motorcar Taxation will rise from £35 to a maximum of £400. cars emitting more than 225g/km will be at the high end of the pricing table. However, if you have a Car such as VW Polo BlueMotion or the Seat Ibiza Ecomotive you will not have to pay an yearly Car Tax. The ground being is that both these cars give off less than 100g/km of carbon dioxide. Sounds blurred, right?

The mode this New Car Taxation is being adjudicated is that motorcars will be split up into seven different Motorcar bands A to G, which is close to the same mode in which white commodities are valued for energy efficiency. If your Motorcar is valued to give off less carbon dioxide then you will pay less in Car Taxation, however, if your Car gives off more carbon dioxide you will pay more in Motorcar Taxation. The positive news is if your Motorcar can use an substitute fuel, you can get a rebate.

The Fresh  Motorcar Tax is broken down such as A is up to 100g/k with no Motorcar Taxation. B from 101 to 120 g/km will bear £35, C from 121 to 150 g/km will pay £120, D from 151 to 165 g/km will pay £145, E from 166 to 185 g/km will pay up £170, F from 186 to 225 g/km will pay up £210, and G over 226 g/km will pay £400.

Now you must figure out how much carbon dioxide your Motorcar gives off to determine how much you will bear for your Motorcar Taxation. The best way in which to learn Regarding the Motorcar Tax and to estimate how much you will have to pay is by using an live Motorcar Tax calculator. This will give you an correct amount of the price you will pay up.

If you truly wish to save cash and not pay up such advanced prices for your Motorcar Tax, you need to look into ways to make your Motorcar green or just buy a support ecology Car, which qualifies you to all kinds of reductions in taxations including road or Motorcar Taxation, fuel Tax, and even the London congestion charge. You can also purchase green Motorcar indemnity and preserve even more cash. All is not gone when it comes to the Novel Car taxes, but it will take a good amount of money out of your wallet if you are not willing to go green.

How Do You Save Money On Gas?

Gas prices are very high today and it seams that every day that the price at the pump keeps getting a little higher, A couple of cents today and a few more cents tomorrow, A few cents may not be a lot at one time but when you have to buy 10 to 20 gallons of gas a week that can add up to some big money over a short period of time.

I drive about 500 miles a week and when you have to stop and pay for 20 gallons of gas a week that can get very expensive and in a hurry, But when you have to drive you have to pay the high gas prices but there are ways that you can save gas and in turn save a few bucks.

By improving your gas mileage by just one or two miles per gallon can save you one or two hundred dollars over the period of a year, But with a few changes in your driving habits you may be able to get even more milage per gallon.

Here are some tips to get you started that are easy to do and will help you save on gas.

Lighten up on the accelerator. The faster you drive, the more gas you use. Speed limits have gone up around most of the nation, but you don’t have to see your fuel consumption go up drastically as well. For example, driving at 55 miles per hour rather than 65 miles per hour can improve your fuel economy by two miles per gallon.

Combine errands into one trip and plan your stops for the most efficient route. You’ll save yourself time and money.

Be smart with the air conditioning. On the highway, closed windows decrease air resistance, so run the air conditioner. But in stop-and-go traffic, shutting off the air conditioning and opening the windows can lighten your fuel use. Air conditioning can lower your fuel economy by 10 percent to 20 percent.

Get the junk out of the trunk. A weighed-down car uses more fuel. For every extra 250 pounds your engine hauls, the car loses about one mile per gallon in fuel economy. Carry only the basic emergency equipment and items you really need.

If you use those tips you will see that each one can make a little difference and every little bit helps.

There are many other ways to save money on gas and how to find the best gas prices around.

Five Money Saving Eco Friendly Products

There are many eco friendly products out there that claim to save money as well as helping the environment but it is impossible to buy, or try them all to discover their real benefits. Many eco products claim they save money but unless you get a return on your investment of the original cost price, you are losing money.

To make things easier, here are five tried and tested products that will definitely save you money and pay for themselves in the long run. And the best thing is, they will also benefit the environment too:

Clothes Airer

Perhaps not a new invention, but more and more people are reverting make to this traditional method of drying their clothes. Clothes airers are great, they not only mean you can tun the tumble dryer off when it’s raining, but also they allow you to hang clothes around the house without blocking the heat from the radiators or cluttering the place up. And if you revert to them completely you’ll be amazed at just how much that tumble dryer was costing you.

Log Makers

Only for people with a log burning stove or open fire but these clever little devices allow you to turn waste paper and recycled card and newspaper into compacted logs for fuel for the fire. Logmakers are a great way of producing free fuel for both heating and cooking.

Log Maker

Radiator Panels

Radiator panels and reflective foil really give your radiator a boost. They reflect all that lost heat from the back of the radiator, that normally just soaks into the wall behind, back into the room. This can radically improve the heat output, allowing you to turn the thermostat down.

Energy Monitors

Whilst they won;t actually save you money themselves, electricity monitors allow you to identify areas of wasted power. By installing one of these relatively inexpensive box of tricks you can see in real figures and pounds just how much that television left on stand-by is costing or easily identify if that light under the stairs or in the loft has been left on and is draining power.

Energy Saving Light Bulbs

If you haven’t already replaced your filament bulbs it really is time you did so. Energy saving light bulbs use considerably less power and the savings can add up to be quite substantial. Don’t be put off by people telling you they are not as good as traditional bulbs either, while it may have been true when they first came to the market, energy saving lightbulbs are now every bit as good at producing all types of lighting.

Recycle and Make Money

See how recycling can benefit the environment and your wallet with Recycle Bank’s redemption program. Get discounts on all your favorite eco-products like Eco-Me home, body, baby and pet products! Green Home and Big Savings. For more info visit: www.eco-me.com

Cut Emissions And Save Money With A Hybrid Car

With oil prices regularly topping the $100-a-day mark and the need for every household to do its bit to combat climate change getting more urgent, the case for owning a hybrid gets stronger with each passing day.

In this article we look at the main advantages of owning a hybrid and try to address any concerns you may have about owning one.

Hybrid cars rely on an electric engine as well as a conventional engine. If the car is running at low speeds, it switches to electric and stops burning gas. Because they run on electricity as well as conventional fuel, hybrid cars only release a fraction of the emissions do that normal cars do. For example, the Toyota Prius has emissions of about 104.00 g/km, much lower than conventional cars and lower than a lot of other hybrids too.

It is true that a hybrid will struggle to match the raw power of a conventional gas-guzzling SUV. That said, performance isn’t bad either with many small hybrids posting around 150bhp beneath the hood, which should be more than adequate for running around town, nipping down to the shops or dropping the kids to school. There are also some excellent hybrid SUVs on the market now.

The main advantage of hybrid cars is that you get the best of both worlds. You get the clean efficiency of electric power which has no emissions and is quiet. You also have a conventional engine so you don’t have to worry about covering long distances.

While the technology is still relatively new, most major car manufacturers now have hybrid models that are as safe and reliable as any conventional car, and in some cases even more so.

Hybrid cars do cost a little more than conventional vehicles but hybrid owners find out that they easily recoup that money and more in just a few years. Hybrids work out cheaper for a number of reasons.

Savings

To start with you will save significantly on fuel costs, and the more that the price of oil rises the greater these savings will be. You can easily get 30 extra miles per gallon from an SUV compared to a conventional car. How, much you save every year will depend on your mileage, but for most people it is in the region of hundreds of dollars. There are also other savings to be made. The government offers ongoing tax benefits to hybrid owners that can cut motoring costs significantly over time, while there may also be savings to be made on the cost of insuring the car.

Whether a hybrid car will save you money will depend on how you use it. Those who clock up high mileage every year will make the biggest savings. However, if you clock anything above 10,000 miles a year a hybrid should make good financial sense as the fuel costs will save you money in the long run.

A few years ago, anyone looking to buy a hybrid car was limited in choice. However, that has changed with Toyota, Honda, Ford, Lexus and more top car manufacturers releasing quality hybrid models. And since hybrids first began appearing on the market in 2000, the technology has continued to improve and any early teething pains seem to have been ironed out.

If you are looking for the greenest car on the market, the Toyota Prius or the Honda Civic hybrids are the best choice for you. Other models offer better power and acceleration but higher emissions.

At present, California has by far the highest rate of hybrid car use in the United States. In 2006, 67,533 hybrid cars were registered there, followed by Florida in a distant second with 12,900 hybrid car registrations.

In the same year, just over 1.5 per cent of all new cars registered in the United States were hybrids. Of these, the Toyota Prius was by far the most popular, accounting for 42.8% of the hybrid market. The Toyota Highlander came in second at 12.5%, followed by the Honda Civic at 12.3%. More than 75% of all hybrid cars registered in 2006 were manufactured by Toyota/Lexus, so there is little doubt who the market leader is.

The number of people driving hybrids is increasing steadily and they are likely to account for a much higher proportion of vehicles on the nation’s roads in coming years. Also, manufacturers are constantly exploring new ways to fuel hybrids more efficiently and to reduce emissions further, so they will only get better. Expect to see vehicles using hydrogen fuel cells and bio fuels and various other combination on the roads in the near future.

Gas Mileage Devices – a Guide to Saving Money at the Gas Pump

Let’s face it, with the ever-increasing gas prices and the government’s lack of initiative to fund a good replacement energy source, we’ve been left holding the bag. For this very reason, many people have resorted to conservation and have started using gas mileage devices to lower their overall gas consumption. Here are a few examples of these gas-saving instruments:

1. Vapor Bleed instruments. These types of devices are installed near the engine compartment and bleeds air through a container of water and an anti-freeze mixture. Some examples of these tools include the Atomized Vapor Injector, the SCATPAC Vacuum Vapor Induction System and the Turbo Injection System.

2. Air Bleed Instruments. Similar to the Vapor Bleed devices mentioned above, Air Bleeders bleed air but this time they are injected into the carburetor.

3. Liquid Injection Devices, which add liquid into the fuel and air intake system instead of the combustion chamber.

4. Coolants for Fuel Line Devices. These nifty little devices prepare the fuel before it is entered into the carburetor. The coolant heats the fuel in order to take the load off the exhaust and the electrical system.

5. Ionized Fuel Line Devices. These are specialized devices installed in the fuel line and promote ionization in the fuel, through the use of several dissimilar metals.

6. Carburetor Mixture Enhancers. These gas mileage tools are installed between the intake manifold and the carburetor and do the job of improving the vaporization of the air/fuel mixture.

7. Liquid Mixture Enhancers. These things do the same job as the carburetor mixture enhancer, but are in liquid form and mixed with the fuel.

8. Various Engine Modifications. These are usually done to enhance the efficiencies of the engine, which means they would require less gas for propulsion. Most of these are done on old engines that are worn down because of age.

9. Various Fuel Additives. These types of gas mileage increasing additives vary in purpose and makeup, from liquid oil enhancers to lubricants to coolants, they are all lumped in this category as long as they are added internally to the gas tank.

10. Driving Aid Devices. These are by far the odd part of the bunch. Instead of helping the car increase mileage internally, these devices usually try to modify the driver’s habit. For example, a light or sound device that alerts the driver if he is going to fast or suggests a shift in gears. The most expensive types are usually digital devices that also provide warnings for other instances such as leaving the door or the trunk ajar.

There has been much criticism thrown at gas mileage devices due to some manufacturers’ claim that they can increase gas mileage by as much as 30%, even though the EPA has tested them and found only 12% to 25% increase in overall gas mileage. Either way, even though these devices were not able to live up to their hype, the 12% mileage increase would still go along way, especially in the long term. Just make sure to assess the total cost of some of the devices, if the savings on gas money will justify their cost.

How To Save Money On Gas Mileage

It’s fairly simple to calculate automobile fuel efficiency, however, motorcycle fuel efficiency is a bit more difficult to calculate. That’s because the riding style of each rider will produce different numbers for their own motorcycle. There are several factors that can effect the overall; numbers, such as motorcycle accessories, riding style, type and formulation of gas which varies from each city. If you were to produce a motorcycle gas mileage chart it would be important to remember that unforeseen variables would cause the resulting calculation totals to be a general guideline as opposed to exact motorcycle gas mileage MPG.

For the most part motorcycles use the internal combustion engine or gasoline engine. It is used in motorcycles which are available in just about any city where you live.

However, a motorcycle may use any one of three different types of fuel. There’s the alcohol burning engine which is less efficient than gasoline burning. It can be used in combination with gasoline. Then there’s the diesel-fuel based engine. It has efficiency of burning 50% compare to gasoline. Lastly, there’s the gasoline burning engine which is the most popular among all types of automotives.

Things You Can Do To Increase Motorcycle Gas Mileage:

Excessive acceleration and sudden use of break affects the mileage. One should skip these activities to prevent the damages of the system and wastage of gas.

To increase your motorcycle mileage, you should keep constant speed of your motorcycle. Some 80cc four-stroke motorcycle’s are capable of between 85-90 mpg. Sport bikes are superior in mileage than cars. A sport bike can achieve mileage above 35 mpg because of the sport bike’s system design and low weight.

* Avoid needless trips using your motorcycle.

* Write down changes of your motorcycle mileage.

* Try to avoid traffic jams while traveling riding to work on your motorcycle. There are more chances to waste gasoline during the rush hour timeframe.

* Maintain an up-to-date service log of your motorcycle.

* Switch off your motorcycle’s engine when you get stuck in traffic jams.

* Impure oil can possible increase fuel consumption, therefore you need to make sure that the gas used in your motorcycle is good quality.

* Cleaning your motorcycle’s engine on a regular basis could help your motorcycle conserve gasoline.

* Keep a check on the air pressure in the tires. A careful check of air pressures in tires can prevent friction of tires on the road. This means that the amount of power used for acceleration is reduced which is one way to increase mileage of your motorcycle.

* Plan your trips so that you’re required to make fewer stops.

* Travel by highway whenever possible. Highway roads are flat and you can maintain a steady speed, meaning you’ll require fewer instances of acceleration. It’s a sure bet that it will increase your motorcycle’s mileage.

* Don’t allow your motorcycle to be idle for lengthy periods of time. Strategize your daily routine so that your vehicles engine doesn’t have a chance to cool down because a cold engine will consume more fuel than warm engine.

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