Wednesday, October 8, 2008

keeping your food for thought cold

I'm getting off the bike and up on a soap box for a few minutes. Being a cyclist being aware of the environment is something that just follows along hand in hand. Hey we need someplace to ride don't we. Now as you know I own a major appliance service company. Yep I fix things like fridges. This little shout out is about the Great Refrigerator Round Up that our has been going for the last year. What do I think?

It's bullshit. Don't do it, keep your fridge. Here is why. It is the most shorted sights pile of crap I've heard when it comes to saving power. Yes your fridge uses electricity, guess what so do the new ones. So here is why you should keep your fridge going.

First, they will only pickup fridges that are still working. HMMM ok so that means they want you to throw something out that is still good. Yep sounds like a government run program.

Second, your old fridge may use a little bit more power than a new one. Say 20 cents a month more, now I wonder how much power it takes to mine the minerals to make the steel frame and components and what about the factory that makes the refrigerant. Oh what about the plastic factories that are need to make the shelves and liners. I guess there needs to be a factory to that has to put it all together. Oh ya one more thing, what about disposal of your old working fridge?

If you want to make you fridge working efficiently, keep it full. Empty space changes temperature very quickly, an empty fridge will work harder. I've noticed there have been alot of these commercials for "every kilowatt counts" lately. Phantom loads etc. Fluorescent bulbs, at least they are finally making ones without mercury now. They are trying to persuade you to buy all this energy saving stuff and toss all that power sucking product in the garbage. Where is the power savings??? I always thought that shutting off the light switch when you're not in the room was the best way to save power. Fixing things is always better than throwing it out and buying a new one.

Not to sound like a conspiracy nut but do you wonder if maybe Hydro One doesn't want to spend any money and update their power grid so there are no power concerns. Hey if you conserve all this power but yet your rates continue to go up and Hydro 1 doesn't need to change a thing. Hmmm sounds like a good business plan. For some strange reason it doesn't seem to stop all the township buildings from leaving their lights on all night. Oh ya stick it on the little guy.

Alright I'm stepping off the soapbox before someone kicks it out from under me. Bike stuff, not much, LSD rides. Heather has me heading back to the gym, my favorite place. Will play at the Barrie cross race in a couple weeks from now. Should get some good rides in this weekend. Gotta burn off that turkey.

Later.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I agree with you on that. Hey...you want to ride together next Sat and Sun?