Bat House at McFarland Park, Story County, Iowa. Click on the image to see more photos.

My Eagle Scout project consisted of building a large bat house at McFarland Park near Ames, Iowa. The structure is made to accommodate hundreds of bats, although I don’t know if it has ever been occupied. It was built and installed around 1995/1996, and much has been learned about how to make bat houses since then. In 2006 my father and I added a vertical landing platform under the roosting areas. After looking at modern bat house designs it seemed that a landing platform was the most important feature that was missing. The landing platform was heavily scored with a table saw to give the bats something to grab onto and climb. The roosting partitions were also scored with a rotary tool.

After 10 years the structure still looks fantastic and is holding up remarkably well. The hope is that the vertical landing platform and scoring of the roosting partitions will make the structure more attractive to bats.

If you’re wondering why anyone would want to build a bat house, I recommend going to Bat Conservation International – Install a Bat House FAQ

I’ve created a Google Maps application that shows recycling locations in Indianapolis for various categories of recyclable material.  The map currently contains locations for city drop-off bins, cardboard, and computer and lab equipment.  I plan to add more categories in the future.  Click the image to go to the map.

Indianapolis recycling Google map

Indianapolis Recycling Map

• Erase your cell phone data – instructions provided by ReCellular
• Print a pre-paid shipping label from Cell Phones for Soldiers
• Put it in the mail and you’re done.  Now wasn’t that easy?

They think it is cleaner – In some circumstances this may be true. In developing countries that do not have an infrastructure to deliver clean water – bottled water is a convenient alternative. In the US, however, this is rarely an excuse. Tap water in the US is heavily regulated. According to the Earth Policy Institute, roughly 40% of bottled water begins as tap water.

Convenience – It is often easier to find bottled water than it is to find a drinking fountain. Some places are built this way intentionally so that they can make more money by selling the bottled water. (The new Indianapolis Colts stadium)

The reality is that there is now an enormous amount of trash generated by empty water bottles. An article in the Great Falls Tribune – Environment drowning in bottled water – has some good information regarding this pollution problem.

Solution – My solution for consumers is to simply reuse your own bottles. I very rarely buy bottled water. When I do buy bottled water, I reuse the bottle for weeks or months before I recycle it. Fill it up at home or at a drinking fountain. Not only will you help to reduce landfill waste, but you will save money. According to the Earth Policy Institute, bottled water can cost up to 10,000 times more than tap water! If you do the math, much of the available bottled water is more expensive than gasoline!

Via Reddit

Environment drowning in bottled water – Great Falls Tribune
Bottled Water: Pouring Resources Down the Drain – Earth Policy Institute

The Citizenre Corporation has a program called Citizenre REnU which provides solar power to homeowners. The homeowner does not pay for the panels or installation. Citizenre owns and maintains the panels. The homeowner pays for the solar power at or below their current rate and enjoys a clearer conscience. You also have the benefit of locking-in your current rate for up to 25 years.

via Treehugger

Update 12/17/06: There seems to be a lot of interest in the Citizenre program. For a detailed look at the program check out Tom Konrad’s blog. He has actually signed up for the program and has some great information for potential participants.

One of the consequences of these data centers is that they use massive amounts of electricity. Ask.com’s current data center is 1/3 empty because they have maxed-out the local power grid. This is why the search companies have to choose their location based on the price and availability of electricity.

In the study of computers, you cannot avoid learning what has constrained their advancement. Storage, memory, processor speed, and bandwidth come to mind. While electricity is not a constraint of the personal computer, it appears to be turning into a constraint for the data centers of search-engine companies. Perhaps these companies will turn into the major supporters of alternative energy research.

Learn more about factory farming at the following websites:

• GRACE Factory Farm Project
• Sierra Club Factory Farm Page
• Humane Society Factory Farming Campaign
• Farm Aid