BTU Calculator
How may BTU (British Thermal Units) does your home require? This simple calculator will help you determine the approximate size you will need for your heating system. |
 Chimney fires are serious!
Temperatures in the chimney during a fire can reach 2000 degrees Fahrenheit – hot enough to destroy the chimney liner and possibly set the house on fire. Some chimney fires go unnoticed by the home owner. Other sound like a freight train running through the house and display thirty-foot flames shooting out of the chimney at high pressure.
Home Fires: Facts and Figures
Heating equipment is a leading cause of home fires during the months of December, January and February. Most of these were caused by creosote build-up. These fires caused an estimated 220 civilian fire deaths, 990 civilian fire injuries, and $449 million in direct property damage. (Data 2002)
NFPA: Rising energy costs may trigger more heating fires
September 15, 2005—The substantially increased cost to heat your home this winter might drive you to use supplemental heating sources whenever possible. Fireplaces can make a room toasty, but the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) urges consumers to use caution when using these devices by thinking fire-safety first. Clean your chimney and make certain that it is unobstructed and in good operating condition before lighting any fire. |
Eco Learning Center
The Eco-Learning Center strives to provide leadership, scientific research, study, education, guidance and promotion of living sustainably on the land, in diverse communities, and in natural balance with the Great Lakes Bio-region. As a model The Center becomes part of a global movement of ordinary people undertaking an extraordinary task - problem solving the environmental, economic, cultural and spiritual issues that forebode irreversible systemic damage to the planet - by the simple act of changing how people live. |
Energy Tax Credits
The Energy Policy Act of 2005, the new national energy law signed by President Bush on August 8, 2005, provides valuable federal tax credits for consumers who purchase fuel-efficient hybrid-electric vehicles and who make certain, specified energy-efficiency upgrades to their homes. Consumers who employ energy-efficient products in their homes or drive fuel-efficient vehicles enjoy multiple benefits. At home, these benefits include lower home energy bills, increased indoor comfort, and reduced air pollution. On the road, consumers will increase their gas mileage so they lower their gasoline costs, and they will dramatically reduce the amount of air pollution from their vehicles. In addition to helping savvy consumers lower their energy bills at home and on the road, the energy-efficient products eligible for the new federal tax credits actually lower the amount of federal income taxes that these taxpayers must pay Uncle Sam. |
Fuel Costs: a Comparison
This web page on the internet offers you the opportunity to compare the price of a wide variety of fuels in order to determine what makes the most sense for your energy needs. |
Fuel Value Calculator PDF
The Fuel Value Calculator is a tool that can be used to compare typical unit costs to heat with various fuels. |
Getting the Most Out of Your Woodpile
There are several reasons for choosing wood heat over the few available alternatives. Not the least of these reasons is economy. |
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If you have a chimney fire:
- Call the 911 immediately!
- Get everybody (including pets) out of the house.
- Have your chimney cleaned and inspected by a chimney professional before using it again.
- Some people think that a chimney fire is a good way to clean the chimney. They are wrong! Starting a chimney fire is foolish and dangerous. Chimney fires kill and injure people. Chimney fires destroy homes.
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Links on Corn
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Maggies Organics
For over ten years, Maggie's Functional Organics has been manufacturing clothing apparel made from organic fibers. Our products are made from certified organic cotton, wool, and linen and pesticide-free hemp. |
ODOM
Recycle, Reuse, Restore. We deconstruct, so you can save. |
Organic Consumers Organization
The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) is a grassroots non-profit public interest organization campaigning for health, justice, and sustainability. The OCA deals with crucial issues of food safety, industrial agriculture, genetic engineering, corporate accountability, and environmental sustainability. We are the only organization in the US focused exclusively on the views and interests of the nation's estimated ten million organic consumers. |
Oryana Natural Food Market
Oryana Natural Foods Market is Northern Michigan’s oldest and most trusted source for organic and healthy foods. |
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Proletarian Threads
Proletarian Threads provides all the radical book, music and threads we need. They use all water based, non-toxic inks on 100% sweatshop free cotton garments. They produce them without machines or slaves. |
| Renewable and Sustainable Energy
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| Renewable Energy Incentives
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Safety Tip
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Seeds
SEEDS is a non-profit research, design and educational institution whose mission is to seek the development of socially and ecologically sustainable environments. We foster projects that are participatory in nature and holistic in perspective. To this end, we act as an educational and networking resource. SEEDS focuses on incubating projects that lessen our ecological footprint, and designing spaces conducive to this. |
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State of Michigan Energy Office
The Energy Office promotes energy efficiency and renewable energy resource development to Michigan's residents, businesses and public institutions. Program activities are designed to encourage the use of new technologies and alternative fuels in buildings, industrial processes, vehicles and in power generation. Program objectives are advanced through a variety of services, including information dissemination, technical assistance, financial assistance and demonstration projects. SEEDS has received funding from the Michigan's Energy Office for a variety of education projects. |
The Chimney Sweep: a story
Do you remember the first time you saw the movie Mary Poppins? The magic of the scene on the rooftops of London, with chimney sweeps dancing precariously close to the roof's edge, has thrilled audiences of all ages for years. Chimney sweeps are not only of an era gone by; sweeping is an interesting and rewarding profession that entails many projects, and has an intriguing history. |
Traverse for Women Cooperative
The mission of the women's cooperative is to improve the standards of living for women through income generating activities, as well as money saving opportunities (group discounts etc). Our goal is to uplift the social and economic status of women and their families. |
Utopian Empire Creativeworks
Visual Communication Services that work for you. |
Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay
The Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay is a private non-profit organization, founded in 1990 and devoted to the protection and enhancement of Michigan's Grand Traverse Bay and surrounding watershed through research, education and collaboration with partners. |
