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Clotheslines

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Murphy O'neal

May 5, 2014
06:09

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313 Million Americans. Say 60% use clothes dryers. 2-3 loads a week. BTU value of a clothes dryer + the BTU of power generation. VS. The evaporative cooling by hanging out washing. What would be the effect of 100 million hanging out 1 queen sized white cotton sheet. Convenience has provided a counterproductive habit which causes haze from micro-droplets and optical brighteners being pump from so many small sources. I would assume no different than Londons Great Smog of 1952. Its surprising to learn hanging out your washing is illegal in many places within the USA. "Tumble clothes dryers were first introduced to the United States market about 75 years ago, bringing greater convenience to millions of households. As prices steadily declined , sales grew. Today, there are 87 million residential dryers in the US, which account for 6% of US residential electricity use and nearly 2% of natural gas use." http://www.clasponline.org/~/media/Files/SLDocuments/2013/2013_Analysis-of-Potential-Energy-Savings-from-Heat-Pump-Clothes-Dryers-in-North-America.pdf Thoughts?

Tom Morris

May 7, 2014
08:02

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I kick myself at times for paying $700 for a dryer that gets used maybe 20 times a year as we hang our clothes. in the phillipines I saw a manual dryer that was basically a big bingo ball that you spun by hand to get most of the water out then hung the clothes to dry the rest of the way.

Paul Via Franco

May 7, 2014
08:43

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I would say that this is a great idea, where applicable. Many urban areas do not have the footage at their disposal. Many suburban areas I've been to have a premium on land trying to cram as many homes as possible into each acre, leaving little room for clotheslines. I believe I might have seen this done in parts of Europe in urban areas, but I do not see how they discern which line is whose property.

Brian Cady

Jun 7, 2014
06:11

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This concept offers enormous savings with existing technology, while preserving our climate.

Charmaine Bach

Jul 7, 2014
05:10

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$700 was expensive for me..

Richard Gillaspie

Jan 18, 2015
11:56

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This is typical of issues in US society. Some jurisdictions actually counter the use of low tech solutions to planetary health, while others simply distain them. My wife in conversation with coworkers mentioned our clothesline, the main response was shock, "Don't you have a dryer?", said with a touch of superiority. After relating our savings in energy costs, as well as the freshness of natural air drying, she actually made some converts.