Americans dispose of more than 700 billion pounds of paper, glass, plastic, wood, food, metal, clothing, electronics and other refuse annually. The problem of managing mountains of waste may seem overwhelming, but experts note there are easy ways for consumers to make a difference every day. “Old habits might die hard, like forgetting to recycle a soda can or newspaper, but the good news is, there are many simple ways to cut down on waste, from buying concentrated household products to... more
Archive for January, 2009
History of Wind Turbines The first wind machines were used in Persia, as far back as 200 B.C for the purposes of grinding grain. By 250 A.D the Romans began to use the same process for the same purpose. The Dutch started using windmills to drain water from the areas lying in the Rhine River delta. Windmills began to be used for the production of electricity in the year 1888, and the first such windmill, meaning the first wind turbine was built by Charles F Brush in Cleveland, Ohio. By the year... more
The visual identity of the American southwest has certain iconic signifiers: desert plains, tumbleweeds, rusty-red rock formations and a certain towering cactus called the Saguaro. These cacti, some as tall as 50 feet and as heavy as 8 tons, are one of the greatest symbols of America’s wild deserts. The Saguaro Cactus is found only in the Sonora Desert, from sea-level to elevations of approximately 4,000 feet, and limited by freezing winter temperatures. Though their habitat is threatened by... more
The world is in a sorry state due to greenhouse gas emissions. You know to recycle, reduce and reuse, but a girl can’t go around looking like a tree-hugging hippie; you must look chic at all times. And that includes every aspect of your green-living life, from the way you decorate your home to the way you accessorize your person. Remember, going green doesn’t mean you must abandon your sense of style or forfeit all things luxury. Check out labels like Ecoist, which makes really cute... more
Both now-discarded Lamarckism (the supposed inheritance of acquired characteristics) and Evolution Theory postulate that function determines form. Natural selection rewards those forms best suited to carry out the function of survival (“survival of the fittest”) in each and every habitat (through the mechanism of adaptive radiation). But whose survival is natural selection concerned with? Is it the survival of the individual? Of the species? Of the habitat or ecosystem? These three –... more
The last example of this specific phenomenon was apparent was in the early 70’s, when there was a crude oil trade embargo and hence, no gasoline. Substitute energies began to pop up here and there with many people jumping on the band wagon. But, gasoline soon returned in plentiful supplies and unconventional energy sources fell beneath the average consumers radar screen again. Now, in 2009, the common consumer is seeing petrol prices move higher and found a realization that global warming will... more
Sounds crazy right? Well tens of thousands of people from all over the world disagree. Shark diving is getting increasing popular all over the world as tourists and scuba divers face their fears to take the plunge with some of the most feared animals on earth. Whether it is from the safety of a cage or in the open water, shark diving is becoming huge draw card for shark infested waters like South Africa, Australia, The Gulf of Mexico and California. South Africa is leading the way in shark diving... more
Studying process is not easy. Ask any student and the answer will be pretty much the same. It is not easy to cope with all the tasks and assignments given at the university on time, therefore there is no free time left. The absence of rest results into over exhaustion which prevents you from getting the most out of your studies. Constant depressions or just feeling low is quite familiar to students. It has nothing to do with the teenage period, it’s all over and gone, when you are a college... more
Its unfortunate that so many people just don’t get it. They seem to feel the need to light and generally overlight everything. They light their homes and businesses. They light parking lots and walkways. They light trees and shrubs. They light just about everything and anything. As if this wasn’t bad enought, they tend to light them from dusk to dawn even though most everybody is sleeping during those hours and completely unable to see them anyway. A recent study by the National Park... more
The 35th anniversary of Earth Day will take place on April 22. Through the combined efforts of government, grassroots organizations and environmentally minded companies, Earth Day has evolved into a worldwide campaign to protect the global environment. In the U.S., the Department of Energy (DOE) is also concerned about protecting our environment and resources. To address these issues, the DOE recently issued a mandate that now requires all new, central air conditioners manufactured after January... more
