Lots of Discussion of Sustainability on PBS’s “Ask This Old House”
I look forward to PBS’s wonderful program “Ask This Old House” on Saturday mornings, not because I’m a do-it-yourselfer, but because I love knowing how things work, and I appreciate all the thought that goes into sustainable ways of building our modern, energy-efficient homes. This morning, for example, we had a short talk on cordless tools that mentioned the power density (both volumetric and gravimetric) of lithium-ion, vs. nickel-cadmium, which, of course, is the phenomenon behind the use of lithium-ion in our electric vehicles. The speaker went on to talk about the importance of battery recycling – good stuff.
Of course, borrowing is even better than recycling. Did you know that the average cordless electric drill is used for nine minutes from the time it comes off the shelf at the store until it’s discarded at the end of its life? Wouldn’t it be cool if you could borrow one (or a belt sander, or a crème brulee torch, etc.) from your local library?
I am a DIYer, and the limiting factor on a cordless drill, at least for me, is the battery, so tool loans might not be as economical for cordless tools as they are for the corded ones.
But I do take advantage of tool rental services for specialized tools I don’t already own… most home improvement centers have tool rental, so your wish for tool loans has already come true. Although I think you’ll still have to go to the library for your creme brulee torch. Although my mom always used a Bunsen burner for creme brulee, and you could probably rent one of those…
More interestingly in my mind is an ad I’ve been hearing on the radio for a local auto parts store that will loan you a set of tools (for free) to work on your car.