The Mighty Minty Boost power pack is one of the innovative ways Altoid tins are being reused rather than thrown away. The Altoid tin power pack is basically a kit-driven battery booster using rechargeable batteries to recharge or power pocket devices.

Now, with the advent of affordable solar cells, Altoid tins can be converted to solar cell battery boosters and chargers. The basic Mighty Minty Booster kit costs around $25 USD and can be easily built at home by anyone with modest creative ability. The tin is carefully cut to accept the USB connector, the enclosed electronics and the rechargeable batteries. The batteries are charged from a standard outlet and the booster is used when the internal batteries of your electronic devices run out of power.

Read more …

What is an ice age? The term ice age refers to a period when the earth’s temperatures remain below freezing long enough to form ice sheets like those at the north and south poles. As long as those ice sheets remain in any form, we are still technically in an ice age. When those ice sheets disappear, the ice age is over.

What many people really fear is something that geologists say has happened only once in all of earth’s history. That is the snowball earth theory. In the snowball earth scenario, the entire planet is covered by ice and no land is visible. If the theory is correct, this event would have been the most devastating to life on earth, in whatever form that may have been. When people today think of an ice age, what they really fear is a snowball earth.

Read more …

Ultraviolet rays from the sun are the most powerful energy source available to most of the planet. As solar-electric technology races forward, nearly every open space on earth becomes a potential site for solar panel installation.

The most obvious locations for solar panels are roof tops and other open spaces. Although solar-electric conversion is not currently as efficient as wind power conversion, new discoveries in solar-electric power are making highly efficient solar panels possible.

Read more …

As energy costs continue to rise worldwide, people are thinking more about new ways to conserve energy resources and save money at the same time. There are many easy steps you can take to conserve energy at home. Here are a few ideas:

• Set your thermostat five (5) degrees cooler (or warmer) than usual and think about going five (5) degrees more when you are sleeping or no one is at home. When outside temperatures are mild, turn the heating or cooling unit off completely and open windows if possible. For convenience, you could install a 7-day programmable thermostat.

Read more …