Saving rain water for drinking purposes

Rain water is considered to be one of the most precious resources of water. I still cant forget how I did suffer during 1997 water crisis. I have to take bathe 2 days once in my office and has to collect the water everyday from the tankers arriving at our apartment.
People in other countries has start saving the rain water for thier daily purposes also at their homes.

To illustrate how important and how limited a resource freshwater is in our world, consider the following. More than 70 percent of the Earth's surface is covered by water, but only 2.5% of this supply is considered fresh water. The rest is found in the form of salt water in the oceans. Of the fresh water that exists, most is locked up in glaciers and ice caps. Water can also be found in the form of clouds and humidity in the soil. That leaves us 3/10 of 1 percent found in the form of lakes, rivers and streams. Unfortunately, much of this small amount of freshwater is in danger of drying up through desertification or becoming so contaminated that it cannot be used for human consumption. Changing our habits of water use can help to abate this growing problem.

How do I save rain water?
There are different ways and methods of saving rain water. the most common one is placing your own vessels outside in your garden or yards. Make sure that the rain water collected is direct and should not collect the water from the roof tops or drains etc.
The collected rain water can be used for garden landscape later or for washing your car and daily utensils.

For further details you can view some of the links I have given here.

http://www.rainbarrelguide.com


Some of these technologies has been used in other countries.

Saving Electricity as the cost inceases

For central &Split AC, install a programmable thermostat with a built-in timer.

For window unit AC's, just buy a plug-in timer from a home improvement store.

Either way, set the timer or thermostat to turn off about the time you leave for the day, and to turn back on a half hour before you get home. Contrary to popular belief, this does NOT use more electricity than having the AC constantly maintain a cool temperature; it uses less.

You can get programmable thermostats and plug-in timers from your local home improvement store. (Programmable thermostats come with instructions, but it's a quick job for an electrician if you're not comfortable doing the installation yourself.) Plug-in timers comes in different prices and there are more expensive models with more features.

It's a myth that leaving the AC on while you're away at work uses less energy than turning it on when you get home. Think about it: Heat constantly penetrates your home, and that's what your AC removes. If you turn on the AC when you get home, then your AC has to remove the accumulated heat only once. If you leave it on during the day, your AC must repeatedly remove heat that enters your home.

You might think that there's no difference, because your house should absorb the same amount of heat either way. Not true. With the AC off, at some point your house will be so hot that it can't absorb any more heat. But with the AC on, your house will always be cool enough to absorb more heat -- and you'll be paying to remove that heat, over and over again.

2) Increase the temperature of your air condition. This will also helps you to save electricity in your office or home. Make sure your windows are tinted or curtained to maintain the cold air in your offices and home.

3) Third but not least, use fan and open your windows. use some mosquito coils or spray before you sleep. It may help you to save some penny in your pocket. ;)

Bio-Gas

Bio-Gas for cooking:
Cows dung are abundant in streets of villages in India. There are certain houses which uses these cow's dung to get some cooking gas for their daily cookings. By decomposing these dungs, bio-gas are used in daily households. Yes of course, this method does not suitable for urban living in Malaysia, but it can be applied for the rural or Kampungs in Malaysia. Hence in malaysia, poultries can generate this gas for different usages.

Good home designs

In rapidly growing urban areas, rapid residential constructions takes place on each and every bits of land in this country. I predict, in less than 10 years, our country will face shortage of important natural resources like Water, forest and rain etc.
Since growth of economic is unavoidable in any forms, but it can be planned properly. Currently we have to agree that our town planning is not up to par with other developed countries like France, Italy, UK and so on.

Design of homes will also contributes in saving water and electricity bills.
In India, where I have noticed in certain villages, they have square opening in the middle of their houses to have ventilation. You may not beleive it, during a hot summer with 32 degree Celcius, once you get into the house, you can feel the sudden drop in the temperature and cool breeze in the house. Still people are practising the older design in their new homes.
In those days, they use natural water wells as their resource of water instead of refined tap water. In current days, I have also noticed they use both as their water resources.

INTRODUCTION

In recent times, all malaysians has feel the pinch of the increasing fuel prices and also other prices like ELECTRICITY and water (possible in the future)etc. As we can see throughout the world, each and every country is racing against each other to discover alternate resources of energy, no matter it is a renewable or non-renewable energy. All sorts of people are welcome to this blog where they can present their view and share their ideas on energy matters. Meanwhile I will post most of the articles and the updates from MALAYSIA about the alternative energies . Furthermore I will also posts on the tips to save energy on time to time.