Archive for Ecology
October 21, 2012 at 6:11 pm · Filed under DIY Projects, Ecology, Green Tech
For those who still remember that prescient maxim spouted by physics teachers the world over – energy is never lost, just converted – now might be the time to consider what this means for our homes. For most of us, turning off the light when we leave a room is automatic. Knowing what other changes to make in order to save energy, though, can be trickier, yet the solutions we choose don’t have to be groundbreaking. Here are my top tips to drastically save money and protect the environment, from the small to the large.
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August 16, 2012 at 9:07 pm · Filed under Ecology, The Politics
If you take the time and really Compare Electric Rates in Texas with those of other states, you probably notice that a lot of electric companies in Texas are now getting their power through natural sources. Look a little deeper and you learn that some of these natural sources include wind, water, the sun and even natural gas.
Natural gas and the future prospects surrounding this power source have been all over the news in recent years. Something else you might have heard in association with natural gas is a term known as “fracking.”
No, it’s not some science fiction curse word – it’s a relatively new extraction process used for obtaining natural gas. I have taken the time to break down this process so that those interested in the method can better understand how it all works.
1. A well is drilled vertically for several thousand feet.
2. The drill pulls a 90 degree turn and drills horizontally until it drills into the shale where a pocket of natural gas is believed to reside.
3. A mixture of water, sand, sodium chloride, ethylene glycol, borate salts, sodium/potassium carbonate, guar gum and isopropanol (also known as fracking fluid) is pumped into the well, creating fissures.
4. The natural gas escapes through the fissures for processing and application.
There are many different uses for natural gas including some of the more common domestic kinds you may be familiar with such as heating homes, drying clothes and even portable grills. Natural gas is also used for most forms of major, public transportation and makes up a substantial portion of the energy used by Americans on a yearly basis.
October 31, 2011 at 10:56 pm · Filed under Ecology, The Politics
The global water crisis is a matter of life and death for millions of people around the world. Statistics fail to capture the severity of the crisis, but their relevance cannot be gainsaid. More than 1 billion people live every day without clean drinking water and 2.6 billion people live without proper water sanitation, all of which result in an estimated 1.8 million deaths a year. The death toll is expected to rise as the world’s population continues to grow, and urbanization and industrialization absorb even more of the world’s natural resources.
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October 23, 2011 at 6:08 pm · Filed under DIY Projects, Ecology
The sight of nature is such a stress buster that many of us are longing for that nature trip. Well, if we weren’t limited by our budgets, people would not be playing virtual farming games on the Internet just to get their dose of nature. And unlike what you see in Farmville, you really don’t need hectares of land to cultivate nor a special education on agriculture. Some have turned to their own backyards for a relaxing and nurturing activity which is home gardening. Not only it is a great hobby to get into, but it also makes any yard appearance priceless. And just like your online farm, they could be equally easy to grow and understand.
There are even apps that can work with your mobile device on how to nurse dying plants to health which is one of the most discouraging scenarios for new gardeners. So fret not, use your modern gadgetry for nature and check out the following apps that are all you need for a green thumb.
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September 13, 2011 at 7:39 am · Filed under Ecology, Green Tech
The summer is winding down. The days are shorter and the temperature is dropping. So are all those leaves that have provided shade for you during the “dog days” of summer. Now is the time to look forward to turning all those leaves into
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July 21, 2011 at 10:52 am · Filed under Ecology
In the past when a garden suffered from an insect infestation, homeowners just like you turned to chemical-based insect killers. While they may be effective at killing insects, they also leave unwanted effects in the environment. The chemicals can also deplete your soil’s health, hurt your plants, and kill beneficial insects. However, there are organic pesticides on the market today that are excellent insect killer. These organic insect killers are effective and much healthier for the environment.
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June 25, 2011 at 11:00 pm · Filed under Activism, Ecology
Environmental awareness began to develop as a movement in the early Sixties, because more and more people were choosing to spend their vacation time in the outdoors. There was shift in attitude from living off the land to having minimum impact on our environment. It was during this time that the Sierra Club and the Bureau of Land Management began advocating minimum impact principles.
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November 26, 2010 at 8:45 pm · Filed under Ecology, Green Tech, The Politics
The cold winters in Denmark is synonymous with salt lation. Up to 500,000 tonnes is spread out on the roads, and it all ends up in ditches and on cars. The environmental consequences are large, and rust and wear on the cars cost millions of dollars. A new solution combining ryddning by spraying a liquid saline solution can reduce consumption by 80 percent and provide citizens with accurate information on the amount of salt used on each route. Read the rest of this entry »
December 1, 2008 at 10:47 pm · Filed under DIY Projects, Ecology, Green Tech
I just came across this Canadian invention that lets you reuse the thermal energy from your shower. The great thing about is that is so simple and it is has no moving parts meaning no energy consumption. The downside is that it has to be build in with your drain. This is on my list for my future house. Check it out at http://www.ecodrain.ca/
The cold water that you usually mix with the hot water gets heated by the used water. This increases the efficiency of the water heater by 25%-40%, says ecodrain.
June 2, 2007 at 12:03 pm · Filed under Ecology, The Politics
The European Parliament has adopted a report, which seeks to strengthen proposed new regulation on organic production and the labelling of organic products. The parliament has called for stricter rules for importations and certification bodies, better labelling with the possibility to keep national organic logos, integration of non-food products and extension of the scope of the legislation to catering and restaurants.Following the vote, Vice-President Marie-Helene Aubert from (Greens) said: “The EP has today voted for much stronger rules for organic production and product labelling in the EU. Following the active role of the Parliament on this regulation some of the changes proposed in the EP report have already been accepted by the Council. These include: a better framework for controls, inspections and certification of imports of organic products from third Countries, which did not have similar legislation and controls in place; clearer rules for processing, certifying and labelling of organic products, while preserving the existing specific national and regional labels of the private organic organisations. We also welcome that regular consultation of the stakeholders in organic farming is now agreed,” writes www.neurope.eu.
May 30, 2007 at 8:19 am · Filed under Ecology
Organic food which has been flown into Britain could be stripped of its status under Soil Association proposals to cut the environmental impact of the food industry. More than half of the organic food eaten in Britain comes from abroad. Soft fruit, including strawberries, blueberries and raspberries, would be especially affected by any change in status. The Soil Association, which licences 85 per cent of Britain’s organic produce, has suggested that food which has been transported by air might be classed on a par with being non-organic. Oxfam has said the loss of organic status would threaten the livelihoods of poor farmers in Africa and Central America, because organic food is more highly prized, writes the Daily Telegraph today.
December 18, 2006 at 9:11 pm · Filed under Climate, Ecology
Planting forests to combat global warming may be a waste of time, especially if those trees are at high latitudes, new research suggests. Scientists say the benefits that come from trees reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide can be outweighed by their capacity to trap heat near the ground. Computer modelling indicates that trees only really work to cool the planet if they are planted in the tropics. Link
