Short stories of human inventions
Posts tagged Low Maintenance
Astro Turf®- Laying Down the Footwork
In the past few decades, professional sports have slowly gained more mass public attention. With the increased demand came increased sales revenues, higher player salaries, and innovation in sports technology. One of theses innovations is the invention of the artificial turf “Astro Turf®.”
Astro Turf ®was created by three Monsanto employees; James M. Faria, Donald L. Elbert, and Robert T. Wright in 1965. It was originally named “Chemgrass,” but was later renamed the more appealing “Astro Turf®” during the patenting phase. One of the first artificial-turf stadiums was the Houston Astrodome. As years went on, many stadiums and high school fields have made the transition to artificial turf. In fact, Astro Turf ® is being used in residential and commercial housing projects as a low-maintenance alternative to grass and sod lawns.
From an owner’s (or groundkeeper’s) perspective, Astro-Turf® is a modern marvel. The need for irrigation is eliminated, conditions are not scathed by average wear and tear, and most importantly; the field requires an extremely low amount of work for upkeep. The main debate for and against AstroTurf® comes from the players
LED Retrofit Technology
November 7, 2009
by merlin
in Technology
According to a recent market research, the sale of traditional light bulbs in several European countries had dropped by 35 percent in the first quarter of 2009, with LEDs accounting for 65 percent of sales. Quite naturally, it did not take long for the infamous incandescent lamp to be replaced by its greener counterpart who continues to play a key role in energy conservation through LED Retrofit technology.
Thanks to their diminutive dimensions, energy efficiency and assured longevity, light-emitting diodes, better known as LED, are opening up new opportunities for energy efficient lighting applications. LED Retrofit technology helps achieve environmental synergy through energy efficient lighting fixtures installed at commercial centers, buildings and homes. It is the quickest path to the greatest energy saving solution available today and greatly reduces the consumption of electricity which, in turn, reduces demand and accordingly controls harmful emissions from off-site power generators.
Unlike LED Retrofit technology, the generation and distribution of electricity is only 25% efficient as a result of which, almost 10 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions are said to emanate from household… More >>