Our Planet’s Water Crisis
Posted by admin in environment on 10 31st, 2009Water is a life giving substance! Everyone knows that life cannot exit apart from the presence of clean, liquid water. While we are able to live several weeks without food, we can only live days without water. Recent moon explosions were planned for the purpose of, hopefully, detecting the presence of water through analyzing the dust, for moon colonization is virtually impossible without it.
It is certain that earth is not short of water. The 326 million trillion gallons of water on earth divided by the current population, 5.8 billion, reveals that we have 56 billion gallons apiece. For sanitation, bathing, and cooking needs, the average person in the world has a daily requirement of about 13.2 gallons of water. That means the world contains enough water to last each of us over 11 million years (not counting population growth)! And that doesn’t take into consideration its wonderful ability to be recycled.
The problem is that most of this water is unusable in its present form. Ninety-eight percent of the water on the planet is in the oceans, and is, therefore, unusable for drinking because of the salt. Of the 2% of the planet’s fresh water, 1.6% is locked up in the polar ice caps and glaciers. Another 0.36% is found underground in aquifers and wells. A mere .036% of the earth’s water is found in lakes and rivers. That still provides 392 million gallons for each of us. The sobering fact is that only about 0.007% of all water on earth (and less than 1% of the world’s fresh water) is accessible for direct human use.
The problem is bad also because useable water is not evenly available to the world population. The average American uses more water taking a five-minute shower than the typical person living in a slum in a developing country uses in a whole day. Nearly one billion people of the world do not have access to safe water. Nearly one billion people of the world lack access to safe water. That amounts to about one in eight people. Further, two and a half billion do not have access to improved sanitation, which means they are unable or don’t bother to separate drinking water from wastewater.
Major health issues throughout the world result from a lack of sanitary drinking water. As many as half of all people in hospital beds at any given time are there because of a water related disease. This results in one child dying from a water-related disease, usually from diarrhea, every 15-20 seconds. That totals a staggering 1.4 million children each year. The children in these environments often carry 1,000 parasitic worms in their bodies because of stagnant water supplies. In all, unsafe drinking water, inadequate sanitation, or insufficient hygiene account for 88% of diarrhea cases worldwide.
Polluted water brings death, but also an increase in disease, crime, birth defects, and decreased ability to concentrate in school. In short, it results in general economic decline. An investment in pure water sources, even desalination of the sea water, is an investment with dividends. Some have estimated that every US dollar invested in providing adequate water supplies returns a benefit to them of eight US dollars.
Some would have us in the west feel guilty for taking a shower or watering our lawns. This reasoning is flawed. Lowering our living standard in use of water only borrows their problems. America has good, clean water because we have learned where to find or clean it, and how to preserve it. Our response to criticism should not be guilt but better stewardship and an increased willingness to share our knowledge with others. When our water systems are conserved and maintained, America will continue to set a high standard for others to follow.
But what if you are on well water or city water that has bad taste or odors. You would be benefited by an activated charcoal water filter. The Berkey Filter are the best line of activated charcoal filter we are aware of. Check out the Royal Berkey or another model. One amazing feature is that each set of filters they ship with can be re-cleaned to purify up to 6,000 gallons of drinking water.
read comments (0)Pattern Mistakes You Can Avert Today
Posted by admin in environment on 10 28th, 2009You’ll be happy to know that with the increase in popularity of web designing tools like Sitegrinder and the likes, the need for hardcore HTML coding is not exactly necessary anymore in terms of site creation. As expected it’s good if you can also read up more about how to make your website aesthetically welcome and well-made. Using Sitegrinder, such as, all you have to do is create a mock up of a site using Adobe Photoshop, label the elements properly, and then export to HTML. SiteGrinder 2 lets you make your own website even if you are not knowledgeable about complex programming codes. To add to this a basic information about basic design principles, here are some informative tips you can practice on your website:
- If you’ve just discovered an awesome fonts website, just remember that you still have to be particular about what you use on your own website. Even if you find a way for them to work, this might not always be the case across all computer systems.
- Never arrange your website’s navigation in a baffling way. Keep your navigational menu in one spot, and hold it constantly on that spot so that your readers will not be confused when they navigate around your website. It’s also a good idea to give your navigational buttons names that clearly indicate where your readers will be taken to when they click it.
- Do streamline your design so it loads faster; don’t put unimportant add-ons like auto-loading audio or video. It would seem like imposing your music on your readers, and the majority of them would not stick around long enough to find the pause or stop button to your music. Then imagine going to a website and all of a sudden this deafening music play together with the music you’re listening to – not exactly a very good way to make a first impression on your visitors.
- Excessive number of advertisements on the pages. It’s appropriate for you to have advertisements on your website; it’s a good way to generate some income to keep the website up and running. It’s not cool, on the other hand, to pack your website with so many advertisements everywhere that finding your content becomes such a torture; you should also empathize that your viewers might not appreciate pop-up ads, markedly those that get past the pop-up stopper.
- Using your favorite vibrant gif as a background image, although if its adorable. There’s advantage in cleanliness, and this relates especially to background colors or images. Your background’s look should enhance the content of your website, not take away its crack.
You can’t forever give pleasure to everybody with the website that you design; there’s always something wrong, something lost, or something that needs to be changed. What matters is that your website is aesthetically pleasing to the majority. Still, you should always remember what the purpose of your website is, and if your purpose is more than private, then you should think about who is checking your website. There are particular things that you should consider when designing with your viewers in mind. If you keep this in mind, you’ll be skilled to open a site that looks great and is something people will keep on visiting.
Farming Methods In UK Should Set Example
Posted by admin in environment on 10 26th, 2009The national scientific debate committee known as The Royal Society has put forward a recommendation to UK government, stating that they should be investing more time and money into sustainable farming techniques and setting an example to other countries. Further to this they state that the UK needs to consider how to support farmers and rural populations through their farming methods, when most advances in agriculture seem to be promoting mechanical and automated farming systems that are putting people out of work. From new roaming seeding machines to factory glassware production for product bottling, they are not taking the local communities into consideration.
In response to these calls from the Royal Society, Professor John Beddington, the government’s chief scientist on agriculture has claimed that a “range of solutions” would be needed, not only to secure farming the in the UK, but to also develop sustainable farming methods in other countries who look to us for guidance.He said that national demand for agricultural commodities is definitely on the increase, largely as a result of the rise in the amount of dairy and meat products we are eating causing increased demand for livestock feed. In fact, Beddington suggests that the UK will see a 50% increase in food demand by the year 2030.
As an addition to the £50m that is currently spent on scientific research for food farming every year in the UK, the Royal Society suggested another £2bn be invested to firstly combat domestic issues, but more importantly start the process of solving the problems faced in third world and developing countries. It is these countries that have the most pressure on them to produce crops at unreasonably low cost and many have turned to the less stable farming methods in order to achieve this, which can mean they have very hard habits to break
For more information on food and drink issues and related products such as a wine rack, wine glasses and wine cooler fridges visit Wineware, the store that supports ethically sourced products.
Soy Ink: An Easy Way to Green Up Your Office
Posted by admin in environment on 10 25th, 2009Going green in the work environment is very important. Considering how much energy and resources the average office uses, it’s hard to deny the impact that office work can have on the environment.
Although there has been a lot written about reducing energy consumption in the work place, there are several other areas that need to be addressed. One of the most important is printer inks.
Printer ink cartridges are a big source of waste in the environment. Not only do they come in environmentally un-friendly packaging, they are disposable and are not normally recycled. In addition, disposing of them with the remainder of ink left in the cartridge can potentially pollute soil and water.
If you’re looking for a green alternative to traditional printer ink, consider using soy based inks. Soybeans are used in a variety of other capacities, and now they can be used to help in printing.
Soy based inks are produced from soy bean oil, which is created from soy beans. Because soy is a renewable resource and is relatively easy to grow, soy based inks are very environmentally friendly.
There are many benefits to soy bean ink that make it superior to other forms of ink. It is easier to recycle paper that has used soy based ink than paper that is printed with standard ink. Before paper is recycled, it is put through a de-inking process. Soy based inks tend to do better with this process than standard inks, which means that the paper can be used more thoroughly and produces a whiter, brighter recycled paper.
Soy based inks can also produce brighter, cleaner printings. The colors produced from soy based inks are often much more vibrant than what is produced with regular inks. Since the colors are brighter, you can get better results with less ink, which leads to less waste.
In addition, soy based inks do not rub off as easily as traditional inks. If all newspapers switched to soy based inks, we wouldn’t have to worry about the smudgy black prints left on our hands after handling newspaper. This can also be an advantage to people who print professional media, such as flyers or business cards, on their own computers.
Soy based inks operate more efficiently than other types of inks, even in standard printers because soy inks require a higher temperature to boil than standard inks. This can be a big benefit when you are using a laser printer. The ink can get very hot and still maintain stability.
Additionally, printers can maintain a more consistent color and print darkness when they are run with soy based inks. Instead of having to adjust your printer every 100 sheets or so, you can go longer and still have consistent print quality.
Soy based inks can be used in ink jet and laser printers alike. With the use of soy based inks, you can reduce your carbon footprint and help divert oil into other resources.
Find the latest coupons for discount office supplies, including any current offers for eco friendly office supplies as well $30 off $150 office coupons, when available.
What is green printing?
Posted by admin in environment on 10 25th, 2009Going green is the buzzword of the decade, and with good reason. Everybody wants to do their part in keeping the environment safe and clean for the next generation. Sometimes it is the tiny things that we do that actually count. Imagine all of the business cards and brochures that are out there in the world today. Making them eco friendly business cards and eco-friendly flyers is certainly a smart move on our part. But what is equal friendly printing?
First of all, let me tell you that becoming green when printing your business supplies can save you cash. So not only do we help the ecosystem, we get to keep a little money in the bank. Sounds like good deal to me.
When you’re making a call to go green with your business selling and communication needs , choose a company that offers recycled paper and soy ink for printing. This makes you stand out as a responsible corporation. Everyone likes to be told about the corporations that try to make a contribution to a Healthier environment.
Recycled paper is employed in eco-friendly printing like, business cards flyers and the like. Using a corporation that offers at least 80% recycled material can make an extreme difference on the environment. Green recycled materials and paper are non-toxic and use such materials as a hemp, garlic skins, coffee chaff, junk mail and denim.
ecological inks are used as well. These inks consist of soy or other vegetable oil based inks. Soy ink is made from soybeans. Normal ink is petroleum-based, which isn’t extraordinarily friendly to our surroundings. The great thing about soy-based Ink is that it is not only ecological, but makes recycling the paper easier, and produces brighter colors.
As of current, only 25% of all commercial printers in the united states are using soy ink. On a good note however,over 95% of America’s daily papers do use soy based ink. So even though we are making enhancements in the printing industry towards a greener way of living, we’re not quite there yet. It is up to each one of us to do our part. For more insights go to Green Printing Online
Is You Mobile Phone Eco Friendly?
Posted by admin in environment on 10 25th, 2009So many gadgets are now going green and the mobile phone is no exception to the current trend.
If you appliances already have the energy star they are deemed to be green and of course you have the option of going green when it comes to the car thanks to the hybrid. However when buying your next mobile is there an option out there for somebody who wants to save the world?
Well since the teaming up of Sprint and Samsung there now is. Unbelievably the new phone is made from corn and is made up by using 80% recyclable materials. You have to question why this hasn’t been done before though? With just about everybody in the developed world owning at least one mobile phone, it seems really strange why this sort of thing wasn’t released earlier!
The phone charger itself now has the energy star on it and some of the applications on the phones are even put on there beforehand to try and make you a greener person. The Discvoery Channel have pre-loaded apps onto there to help turn you into an even greater greener person. They have even put a glossary on there to help explain things on climate changes.
This isn’t the end of it for this phone, it is also a smartphone with GPS, you get to browse the web and it even has speech recognition. It also shows something else, technology seems to be leaping forward at an alarming rate.
Of course it doesn’t just have to stop on the phone, you can buy so many different things for the home that are green and eco-friendly now whether that is accessories for the kitchen as well as accessories for the bathroom So whatever homeware you are looking to change there is always something out there for you to choose.Whatever will they come up with next. Technology is a wonderful thing, but where will it all end?
Why Have Our Local Newspapers Fell Out Of Favour With The Public?
Posted by admin in environment on 10 25th, 2009Over the weekend I read a report about the demise in interest in the local newspaper.
I do not work within the media in any sense; my vocation is to do with becoming a foster parent, stammering therapy and DVD authoring.
I live in Birmingham and I am the type of person who loves to play and watch sports. Where I live we have a famous Saturday nights sports paper which arrives in the shops at around 6pm, it is called The Sports Argus and is pink in colour. This paper has been a must buy for my family for as long as I can remember and it includes all of the days football results and the latest football tables. It also has match reports from all of the local teams as well as a lot of information about other sports including the horse racing and its results. I am very sad to report that this paper is no longer available to purchase; it had its final publication around four weeks ago.
A few years ago the first place to read about these results and to see the updated football divisions was via this newspaper. This is no longer the case of course. We are now able to view this information almost immediately after each football match has finished on either satellite television, the internet or even on our mobile phones. Less and less people are now purchasing this particular paper which is a shame as I had continued to do so and will miss it!
We are now also able to watch the news twenty-four hours a day if we want to and if we of course have access to satellite television. This has had a huge negative impact on the local newspaper sales. Other potential reasons for a decline in our local newspapers could include the fact that they are no longer that local, if you know what I mean. As an example some of the papers include lots and lots of national news items and only a few about local stories and events. The reason we are purchasing the paper is to find out about what is going on in our own area, if I want to know about national items I would of course buy one of the national newspapers.
In my opinion if the local newspapers are going to survive they need to fight back. They should become as is their name, more local. By all means include the main two or three national news stories but ninety percent of the items should be about the local area and its people.
Wind And Solar DIY Guides
Posted by admin in environment on 10 25th, 2009Most people are now always looking for other sources of cheaper energy. Some of the ones that are now being opted for are wind and solar. In the article that follows the reasons they are gaining popularity are discussed in detail.
The discussion below will revolve around the following topics: Wood Boiler For Creating Electricity, Solar Wind Power and Efficiency and DIY Solar panels
DIY wind and power systems are taking the frustration out of life. Gone are the days when you had to chase the kids around and make sure the lights are switched off. With solar and wind power once you put it in place then you won’t be paying any energy costs. The reduction on the money for power bills will amaze you. The extra money give you a chance to direct your money to other important things.
The electrical power generated from wind and solar does not run out. The extra energy that you generate can be stored in batteries and can be used whenever the need arises. You can maximise the amount of electricity that you generate by building more panels. Isn’t that a big task you ask?
No; constructing your own DIY wind and solar power systems is very simple. The Instructional and DIY manuals available allow you to be able to set up and fit your own system within at least two days. So over a period of a month its possible to have your home completely operating on green electricity. The guides will have step by step illustrations to make the task easier.
Most of the power sources that have been in use are very harmful to the environment. The wind and solar power systems do not affect the environment and therefore considered green ways of generating power. The only thing that could be stopping you from taking up this is not knowing where to find the material.
This is not a problem as any recommended DIY wind and solar power system will usually provide information on where you can purchase the necessary components. There will also give you an idea on the price you can expect to pay. But it should not be more than $250.
The straw that broke the camels back, a parable about a crashing economy
Posted by admin in environment on 10 23rd, 2009There is an old Middle Eastern tale about a poor farmer.
He and his wife and three daughters lived in a modest straw hut.
He owned 3 old camels .
Twice a year, at the Spring and Fall solstice, he would pack the camels with large bags of straw and wheat.
He waved goodby to his family and began the 10 hour journey to the market.
This was a very important trip for the poor farmer, who hoped to sell his produce and earn enough money to keep his family alive for the next 6 months.
Upon arriving in Dandalia , he would join with farmers from all over the Province . He began to display his wares in the assigned booth.
The market would last for two full days,.The crowds were boisterous and the din was deafening. By the end of the second day, the farmer would count up his meager earnings, repack the now empty hemp sacks, and tie his three camels into a caravan.
The return trip home was always much quicker, because he and Gabor, his young helper could ride the tired old camels.
The farmer awoke to find his neighbors waiting for him.
They offerd the farmer bags of straw as additional produce to bring to market.He could keep 50% of the profits for his trouble.
The farmer was excited. With the extra money he could keep his family secure and comfortable.
The day before Spring Solstice was cool, with a brisk gusty wind.
The farmer brought out the three old camels, and proceeded to load his bags of straw,
He looked at the camels. They were pretty well loaded, but he was determined to pick up the additional freight from his neighbors.
He arrived at Abmar’s yard and found 8 additional bags waiting for him.
The camels were loaded with much argument and posturing.
The farmer and the heavily burdened camels walked to Fardeneen’s yard
There he found Fardeen and five additional bags of straw.
Loading the camels required a ladder, a makeshift pulley assembly and also a great deal of discussion.
Each camel in turn staggered as the additional burdem was placed on its back. Their knees trembled, and they shifted unsteadily.
"Well," said the farmer," I guess I'll be on my way.” He shook his head,” I don’t think these camels could carry another ounce of freight.”
Just then, Fardeen’s 12 year old daughter, came running out of the house. She was holding a large straw doll wrapped in a scrap of pale grey cloth. It was 2 feet tall, and had been made by weaving stalks of straw together, then dyed and clothed.
"Daddy, Daddy" she gasped, her arms wrapped around the doll's body to hold it steady. ” You promised I could sell Esmerelda at the Solstice Market. I need the money to buy cloth for my new clothes.Mother says I am turning into a little woman, and need larger more appropriate dresses.”
He turned to the farmer,” Well ? Will you take the doll and sell it for my Mindlee?”
The farmer looked at the three ,seemingly unsteady , overburdned camels.” I’m afraid to add any further burder to these camels. They are important to feed my family. I don’t think they can carry another thing.”
Fardeen looked at the farmer. “Come on Hamoken, share the wealth. Give my little girl a chance to get some pretty cloth for dresses. We can't afford the cloth unless she sells the doll.”
He shook his head. ” I don’t want to disappoint you but these camels are carrying the burden for our entire community. Let someone else share his wealth. They are already over burdened.They’ll break down.”
The farmer looked up, and spied the local tax collector approaching from the East.
The tax collector looked at the farmer with a sly smile on his lips. ” I am here on the Governors business. As I’m sure you know, the irrigation project failed due to sabotage from our enemies. We are now faced with many new poor and starving residents.
It is the Governor's decree, that a 25% tax will be placed on all new business above last years totals.
New business is to buy you a luxury .That new wealth should be shared with those citizens who have the need.”
The farmer looked distressed.” After the extra cost for a slower trip and paying for the extra market space necessary, it will not be worth anything to carry all this extra weight.”
The tax collector sneered.” The Governor has already been told of this extra tax on your load in our report to his scribes. You will have to carry the load to earn the money to pay the tax, even if it does not pay you very much.”
The farmer’s shoulders sagged. He knew he was stuck. The extra burden was all on his shoulders .
He turned to Mindlee and gave her a half smile.” Come on, give me your straw man, if we can carry all these taxes for government giveaways, we can carry a little more straw. After all, straw is so lite.”
He took the straw doll, and placed it carefully on top of the lead camel’s pile of straw filled bags.
The camel turned its head toward the farmer, and gave him a long sad look.
They heard a crack, the camels back broke, and it keeled over…dead.
The moral of the story.Too much taxation is a backbreaker
TOO MUCH TAXATION IS A BACKBREAKER
Water In Washing Machines Will Not Be Needed
Posted by admin in environment on 10 20th, 2009Is the world changing for the better, because it is really changing? More and more people are seeking greener ways to do things and it is no different when it comes to washing machines. This isn’t just for the home either; many companies are looking for greener commercial washing machine and commercial dishwashers.
So is there anything on the way for the washing machine or is it set to be replaced by something new and better? It looks like washing machines are going to be getting a big update in 2030 to make them a lot greener. Apparently it will become the norm to have an ultrasonic washing machine. So what is an ultrasonic washing machine?
Water is only going to be needed at the start, after that it will not be used at all. Now usually it takes a lot of water power to actually get all of the detergent off of the clothes which is why water is used. These futuristic ultrasonic machines will actually fire sound waves out at the clothes and tear the detergant away from the clothes which in turn rakes the dirt along with it. The real question is are all types of clothing going to be able to be put into this machine or will we still have to do hand washing.
This idea first came into play in the 80s but was laughed at for being stupid. However with energy prices soaring through the roof and the worlds resources looking very thing, companies are looking for solutions like this to have in their commercial laundry equipment.
It is also said that the spin on these washing machines will be strong enough to power things like the dishwasher and that our future showers will be powered by recycled rainwater. If you think about it the water that we use for out showers is actually recycled already it just gos through a lot of stages to make it clean?
Is this really likely to takeover from the washing machine?
