Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Thu, Sep 09, 2010
Global Warming Changes Weather Patterns
Earlier this month a monstrous 100-square mile chunk of Greenland’s massive Petermann Glacier broke off and headed into the North Atlantic. That’s a floating ice island about four times the size of the island of Manhattan in New York City! At the top of the world, the long searched for Northwest Passage opened as the Arctic ice cap melted, opening shipping lanes between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans for the third year in a row. Russia roasted under its hottest summer since the czars began keeping records, temperatures hovering in the high 90s in Moscow where the average summer temperature is 68 degrees. A powerful hurricane devastated Haiti. With forecasters predicting a record number of severe hurricanes this season, more destruction is sure to come. Massive flooding in Asia has caused horrific landslides in China and all but drowned Pakistan. Drought is shriveling crops in Australia and starving people in Africa. And the hits just keep on coming!
Scientists say that global warming is behind the bizarre weather patterns plaguing the world. And they tell us that we should expect increasingly severe weather in Lorain County and around the globe if we don’t start reining in greenhouse gas emissions. The U.S. has been chastised in the global press for failing to join worldwide efforts to decrease carbon emissions. President Obama’s environmental initiative has been sidetracked by more pressing economic matters and the pending congressional elections. Little if any progress is anticipated before next year.
The U.S. Energy Report Card
So how does the U.S. rate today on tackling climate change? At SOLAR 2010, the American Solar Energy Society Policy Committee issued a report card grading the government on its energy policies. While the country managed to squeak by with a passing grade, there’s plenty of room for improvement.
Carbon emissions C-
Building efficiency B
Renewable energy C-
Transportation policy C+
Smart-grid and transmission policy B
Green economy and workforce policy B
Federal leadership C+
Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Wed, Jul 07, 2010
Don't Forget About Water Conservation
Located near the shore of Lake Erie, part of the largest fresh water lake system on the planet, people in Lorain County don’t spend much mental energy on dwindling fresh water supplies. We may suffer a few weeks of high temperatures and a touch of drought from time to time here in northern Ohio, but with millions of gallons of water sitting right in our backyard, Lorain County folks don’t get overly concerned. Perhaps we should.
Climate Change Plays A Big Role In Water Supply
Political analysts warn that the next great wars won’t be fought over ethnic or political boundaries but over water rights. The world’s population continues to grow. Global warming is melting the glaciers that hold the bulk of the world’s fresh water. Annual glacial melt fills the streams and rivers that supply drinking water to the majority of Earth’s peoples. When the glaciers dry up, so will their water supply. Climatologists say global warming is changing weather patterns, causing increasingly severe weather including long-term drought. A glimmer of what the future holds has been playing out in California and the U.S. Southwest for the past few years. Before this spring’s torrential rains, five years of unrelenting drought had forced California to shut off water to agricultural fields and ration water use in homes and businesses. California and Southwestern states already import most of their water from states east of the Rocky Mountains. In the last five years they came perilously close to running out of water. Another drought could be a death knell.
Help Conserve Water With Lorain County
Water conservation is a worldwide problem and must be a worldwide effort. Even people who live in areas like Lorain County where water is still plentiful need to start preparing for the future. Water conservation is everyone’s responsibility. Your Lorain County plumbing professional offers many state-of-the-art plumbing products that can help you start saving water today. Give us a call.
Next time: How much water do you use?
Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Mon, Jun 28, 2010
Climate Change Shows Evidence That Warmer Summers Will Become The Norm
Climate researchers say May 2010 was the hottest May on record. With more high 80 and 90-degree temperatures bearing down on Lorain County this week, June is already following in May’s sizzling footsteps. If climatologists are correct – and so far they’ve been right on the money – Lorain County residents can expect hotter than normal temperatures to become the norm in northern Ohio. Since 1985, scientists say the planet has been experiencing exceptionally warm weather worldwide. Temperatures around the world have been exhibiting a distinct upward trend for decades. May marked the 303rd consecutive month that was warmer than its 20th-century average, according to information released by the U.S. National Climatic Data Center.
Don't Expect Warmer Winters In Lorain County
Interestingly, hotter summers don’t necessarily mean warmer winters as might be expected. Over the past few years, erratic wind currents in the upper atmosphere have wrought havoc with winter weather patterns around the planet. At last week’s meeting of International Polar Year researchers, scientists warned that the current pattern of brutal winters is expected continue in parts of North America, Europe and eastern Asia next year and into the foreseeable future. James Overland, a leading U.S. climatologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, predicted, “Cold and snowy winters will be the rule rather than the exception.”
Save Money Now With Energy Efficient Products
If, as climatologists predict, greater temperature extremes and more severe storms are to be the norm here in Lorain County, smart homeowners will invest now in energy-efficient air conditioners and Energy-Star furnaces. With Ohio offering money-saving rebates on many Energy Star appliances and the federal government offering lucrative income tax credits on the installation of energy-efficient home comfort appliances, this is the perfect time to contact your Lorain County plumbing, heating and air conditioning professional about upgrading to an energy-efficient furnace and air conditioner.
Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Fri, Jun 04, 2010
Sounds like this summer in Lorain County is going to be a real scorcher. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which predicted 2010 to be one of the hottest summers on record, released first quarter temperature profiles indicating that its scientists are right on the money. January through April was the warmest quarter on record since reliable temperature records were begun in the late 1800s. The Earth’s surface temperature average was 58.1 degrees in April, 1.35 degrees warmer than the 20th century average. The planet hasn’t been this hot since 1998!
Brace for the Climate Change This Summer
One degree might not sound like much, but when you’re talking global temperature; scientists say it’s huge. Global warming means that everything on the planet got a little hotter -- oceans, land masses, air – and stayed hotter. But the bad news isn’t over for Lorain County home and business owners. The National Center for Atmospheric Research just warned the country to brace for what could be one of the worst hurricane seasons since 2005 when Katrina inundated New Orleans.
Meteorologists say wind patterns and warmer ocean temperatures are creating a perfect storm for hurricane development. They expect 15 to 20 major named storms to develop between now and the end of November. Even worse, storms are expected to incubate in the southeast Atlantic, home of 90% of the Category 4 and 100% of the Category 5 hurricanes that have battered the U.S. Just because Lorain County is hundreds of miles from the ocean doesn’t mean we’re in the clear. Hurricanes moving up from the Gulf or Atlantic blanket Loraine County with rain and insufferable humidity. This summer we could fry in our own juices!
There’s never been a better reason to schedule an A/C Performance Check with your Lorain County air conditioning professional and you might want to invest in an energy-efficient air conditioner since it sounds like we’re going to be cranking the A/C all summer.
Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Thu, May 27, 2010
Despite the frozen winds and heavy snow experienced in Lorain County, Ohio and other parts of the U.S., weather experts say that worldwide the past winter was the fifth warmest winter on record. While northern Ohio and two-thirds of the U.S. struggled through a winter that was colder and snowier than normal, usually cold parts of the country including northern New England, the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, experienced unusually warm temperatures from December through February. Worldwide the planet’s average temperature was 54.9 degrees Fahrenheit, 1.08 degrees above normal.
Schedule an Air Conditioner Performance Check...Experts Predict a Hot and Humid Summer!
So why talk about a winter that is blissfully fading from memory? Climatologists warn that the 2000 to 2009 decade was the warmest on record, beating out the sweltering 1990s, the previous high temperature mark. A warmer than usual worldwide winter is seen as a harbinger of continuing above-average temperatures. In other words, Lorain County could be in for a monster of a heat wave this summer. If temperature trends continue to increase, as weather experts expect them to, heat and humidity in Lorain County this summer could go from the usual hot and sticky to unbearable heat and drenching humidity. All in all, an excellent reason to make certain your air conditioner is in peak operating condition.
Win a Free A/C Performance Check!
Scheduling an annual air conditioner performance check with your plumbing, heating and air conditioning professional is the smartest way to ensure that your A/C will keep you and your family cool all summer long. During your A/C performance check, your cooling specialist will carefully inspect, clean and repair every aspect of your air conditioning system both inside and out. Annual inspections of your cooling system catch problems before they cause a breakdown and keep your air conditioner functioning efficiently, which saves you money on your utility bills. Sign up to be our fan on Facebook and you could even win a FREE A/C performance check.
Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Mon, Dec 21, 2009
Humidity Inside Your Home?
Static electricity can make cold weather shocking in Lorain County, Ohio, and the rest of the northern tier of states. Children love to scuff their feet across the living room carpet in the winter, then reach out and give their siblings a jolt. Dry winter air makes it easy to create an electric charge, but when indoor air becomes too dry inadvertent static electricity can give you an uncomfortable shock when you least expect it; for instance, when you reach to flip on a light switch or sit down to give the dog a pat.
Static electricity is just one of the annoying consequences of Lorain County’s dry winter air. Our bodies don’t respond well to dry air. Our skin starts to flake and itch as the humidity in the air drops. Our noses feel uncomfortably stuffy as dry, irritated sinus passages swell. Allergy sufferers, asthmatics and those with pulmonary diseases find it harder to breathe comfortably. The lack of moisture in the air makes us more susceptible to sinusitis and bronchitis. We suffer unpredictable nose bleeds as sinus passages fissure from breathing in dry air. The lack of humidity inside our homes causes our hair to dry out and frizzy hair days become the norm.
The same thing happens to your furniture during Lorain County’s long winters. Dry air absorbs moisture from the structural and decorative wood in your furniture causing wood fibers to contract creating minute cracks. Over time, lack of humidity can cause finishes to crack and furniture to become brittle.
Humidifiers Provide Comfort
Fortunately, these problems can be easily solved by raising the humidity inside your home. Your Lorain County heating professional can install a furnace humidifier that will immediately increase indoor humidity and improve the air quality inside your home. Carrier humidifiers provide whole house humidification with advanced moisture control allowing you to raise or lower humidity levels inside your northeastern Ohio home to provide maximum winter comfort.
Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Fri, Jul 03, 2009
It sure seems that way, especially during the “dog days” of summer, but what’s the reality of global warming in our region? Independent research predicts more frequent, more severe and longer lasting heat waves and droughts in the coming years.
Depending on our commitment to conserve energy and reduce carbon emissions, we may see degrading air quality, a shrinking Lake Erie and declines in the health and quality of livestock and agriculture. Roll in increasing disease and economic impacts, and it seems we’re in for some tough times ahead.
What can we do about this? Voicing your concern to your state and local representatives is a good start, but there’s a lot more you can do at home and at work to help improve the situation. Most of us are aware of the benefits of energy conservation. The most obvious benefit is lower electric and gas bills!
- Replace your old incandescent light bulbs with energy-saving (compact fluorescent) light bulbs.
- Monitor you’re A/C thermostat, and keep it as close to the outside temperature as you can while still remaining comfortable.
- Unplug your recharging units for cell phones and other electronics when not in use.
- Always look for the ENERGY STAR® and EnergyGuide labels when shopping for home appliances.
- Keep your A/C and heating systems well maintained with an inspection and service every year.
But there’s more you can do, even at home, and now’s a great time to take advantage of tax incentives for home energy efficiency. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 includes new tax credits for home improvements designed to reduce energy consumption. You can take a tax credit for 30% of the cost of improvements up to a total of $1500 per year for great energy savers such as:
- Heating and cooling systems including energy efficient central A/C units
- Water heaters including gas, oil or propane and electric heat pumps
- Roofing and insulation including metal or asphalt shingles and high SEER home insulation
- Energy efficient windows and doors that can greatly reduce energy loss and electric bills
Check the ENERGY STAR® website for eligibility of your home improvement project, and remember to consult with a licensed professional to plan and install your upgrades. You can check the company or contractor out by going to the BBB web site and downloading free reliability reports.
Raymond Plumbing and Heating trained personnel are here to provide you with trouble-free service and installation. We install reliable and energy efficient equipment with satisfaction guaranteed. We are licensed, bonded and insured.