May 16, 2009
Mechanical engineering is rightly thought to be the most comprehensive of any of the various engineering fields, and on graduation with a mechanical engineering degree, an immense range of mechanical engineering jobs will be open anytime. Industries include energy and heating, refrigeration, and even air-conditioning systems; automotive design, plant engineering; highly pressurized vessels and piping. Mechanical engineering jobs can be as diversified as positions involving business development, administration and management, additional alternatives are agriculture and production fabrication. Just how much money can a mechanical engineer earn? According to a 2003 mechanical engineering salary study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, a position in mechanical engineering could extend an income ranging from $40K per year to as much as $93,000, salary depends on education and obviously experience. An additional factor affecting your salary is the field of engineering you have opted for. Finding a position: — It’s a necessity to put together a comprehensive and up-to-date curriculum vitae. Once you are happy with curriculum vitae which highlights your qualifications, you must be proactive and get out there. Where can I find roles in the industry? Visiting employment fairs: The engineering staff in your college should receive details concerning local employment fairs. You will have a wonderful prospect to introduce yourself to the individuals recruiting.
Gaining invaluable experience with an internship: Any university can extend support with an internship. Graduating scholars are regularly employed by businesses in which they had an internship, internships can likewise have quite an effect on the kind of income you can ask for.
Join groups: Engineering groups and meetings open up the chance of not only learning what’s taking place in the industry, but also gives you an opportunity to make contacts in the industry. The press is a worthwhile resource: Businesses who employ engineers advertise in the newspapers just the same as any employer. Scan the press every day; post your curriculum vitae and be sure to follow through. The secret is perseverance. Make good use of the internet: Post a comprehensive curriculum vitae on the big recruitment websites on the net. Log onto LinkedIn, build up a profile and start making new contacts. Make use of the internet and accelerate job hunting. Getting the perfect vacancy takes perseverance and networking. Make sure your name and curriculum vitae are visible to the industry; follow through on all leads; make good use of the might of the internet to network, take time to submit a profile. These measures can help you discover the job you really want.
May 1, 2009
Algebra is good at differentiating relationships between things that vary from time to time. For example, the relationship between a person’s income and grow of his expenses could be learned and foretold using simple algebraic equations. Maths is not an easy subject for many students. Many software programs are available with a assortment of study introduction so students of any intellect level can find the way that works for him/her. These applications also helps students to comprehend importance of Algebra in real life as well as in industry field. Broader functions employed in algebra include Graphing fractional inequalities , Solving compound inequalities , Solving quadratic inequalities , Adding and Subtracting matrices etc.
Although algebra is an easy to follow course of study, students may face a lot of trouble if they do not practice the basic concepts hard enough. This makes elementary math skills important to help students successfully pass algebra and promote into higher math with authority.
How to Successfully Tackle Algebra
Facilitating algebra software applications offer more than what can be found in the students practice books, such as homework assistance, interactive tutorials, games and a worksheet tool or graphing calculator. The most useful software have all of these constituents - ease of use and covering of all the topics.
Such instructional tools come in handy when various forms such as audio, video, animations and games are put in to use in order to instruct the lessons. All the important topics should also be covered from Pre-Algebra through Algebra II. Important topics in these courses are: Finding complement of an angle, composition of functions, finding type of polynomial, determine if line is , determine if line is parallel, determine if parabola opens up, determine if relation is a functions etc.
How to Make Use of Algebra Software
Some algebraic software shows results only, while other (most suitable for elementary use of algebra) give away techniques and ‘how-to’ guides on math basics that are in use. Students mostly concern over the ease of use of software. Thus, the software should be loaded with value added components like high quality and timely user assistance, enclosed help options, and easily laid out math wizards.
March 23, 2009
Algebra is one of the most principal and major arms of mathematics. Although at beginning it may appear to just fly over your head, a lot exercising helps students to understand the field of study. One has to continue learning this subject field at higher educational stages like college, thus it is critical to create a strong base from the start.
The Difficult Areas
Algebra includes many areas of study, graphing being one of them. This could include graphing a circle, graphing systems of quadratic equations , graphing inequalities or graphing quadratic equations . Exponents is one of the important areas of study. This can range from subtracting exponents, dividing exponents or just applying the laws of exponents. Rationalizing, factorizing, matrices, hyperbolas and quadratics all have to do with algebra.
It is commonly agreed that algebra is a hard subject area. Still, in today’s day and age that is not a problem as virtually each student has access to a computer. One can easily use online maths programs that instruct and test the user. These software programs also have worksheets to help pupils practice and enhance their mastery. Online tutors are also available and are easy to reach. The charges can be based on number of hours or per module and this works as if the student and the tutor were face to face.
Getting Aid with Algebra
For helping pupils, there are a large number of computer software available on the Web. These computer programs provide gradual guides to help pupils over their troubles. These computer software programs can help you with your homework, test readiness and even exam preparation! As algebra has a wide number of sub-sections you can pick out software programs that relate to your specific difficulty or problem. This could be complex equations, inequalities, functions, or just graphing. Some computer software programs also include games and videos that could further develop your algebraic skills.
Algebra calculators are one of the most primary tools available for helping your skills in algebra. They can help resolve many types of algebraic questions. Mostly these will include questions that have to do with radical equations or fractional inequalities. Various types of calculators help pupils to focus on different fields of algebra.
Though these software packages and other aids can aid many individuals master a great number of problems, it is important that they are used for the right purpose. Using these facilities for cheating would only be a loss to yourself. These software system are ideally used for double-checking your answers of your homework assignments rather than using them to complete your homework.
December 28, 2008
The world is a big place with big problems. Some environmental activists demand
we stop living our lives and look at everything we do as an Earth-changing event,
but not everyone can focus their entire lives around saving the planet. The truth
is that it isn’t necessary to make drastic changes in one’s life to make a
difference. It isn’t even necessary to spend more money to be environmentally
conscious. Below are seven simple ways to make a difference in the environment,
and save money doing it.
1. Buying compact fluorescent light bulbs instead of incandescent ones. Advances
in technology have led to a light bulb that’s designed to last up to 15 times the
life of a standard bulb. They cost more up front, but they are replaced much less
often, which makes them cheaper in the long run. Plus, these bulbs will use less
than a third of the power of incandescents, which will reduce electricity costs.
They also generate less heat, so less air-conditioning is needed in the summer.
2. Reusing shopping bags. Every bag reused is one less bag that needs to be
manufactured. Also, several supermarket chains have started giving small credits
towards their customers’ bills when they bring in old bags to reuse. Some people
like to keep old shopping bags in their trunk, just in case. Even more of an
improvement would be using non-disposable canvas bags - they still count towards
the credit at the check-out, but are made from eco-friendly materials.
3. Carpooling. Most people associate carpooling with going to work, but there are
many other opportunities to share a ride. A great deal of money could be saved on
gasoline by one car going to the mall rather than two. Also, with a little
planning, shopping trips could be taken less frequently.
4. Turning off the water when not in use. Simple things like using half a
sink full of water to wash dishes instead of running the water can prevent waste.
Turning the water off while brushing your teeth is also a good idea. Finally,
making sure faucets aren’t left dripping will make a significant difference in
water bills.
5. Completely turning off electronics. A great many of today’s appliances and
electronics have a standby mode. Televisions and stereos in particular tend to use
a great deal of electricity while on standby. Plugging devices into a power strip
that has an on/off switch can give consumers more control over their electricity
use. Particular attention should be paid to anything with a big transformer plug,
as these devices tend to use the most power and waste the most money.
6. Turning off the air-conditioning and/or heat when leaving the house. A great
deal of electricity is wasted cooling or heating an empty home, which leads to
bigger bills. Even setting the temperature one or two degrees different, keeping
the system from activating as often, can save significant amounts of money each
year.
7. Turning off the lights. A good rule of thumb is, “light is useless if there’s
nobody there.” Turning off any ceiling fans, floor fans and lights when leaving
the room saves just a little bit of electricity, and money, every time it’s done.
Of course, there are many more ways to help the environment while saving money.
These seven are simply among the most often overlooked easy solutions. Public
libraries and environmental websites are great sources of further information.
About the Author
Juan Anselmo Borla is a freelance writer and poet. He lives at Dancing Rabbit, a sustainable ecovillage in northeast Missouri. There, he hopes to make the world a better place by using his Chemical Engineering degree to develop an alternative fuels program. His fiancee and two cats hope he doesn’t blow himself up in the process.
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December 20, 2008
Why We Like the Green Giant Arborvita(e) So Much
Our farm, Highland Hill Farm, is located in solid clay. We therefore like plants that grow well in dense, heavy, rather impermeable, NOT well-drained soils. One of the arborvitae, the Green Giant, the Western Redcedar Tree, or botanically, the Thuja Plicata, is our favorite. Here is why we like this plant:
The hardiness zone the Green Giant Arborvita tolerates is from zone 5 to zone 8. That’s where extreme cold temperatures get down to a temperate level of about 15 or 20 degrees in the winter (Zone 8), but also as low as a frigid level of 15 or 20 degrees BELOW zero (zone 5). Green giants are evergreens, being cedars. Their rapid growth rates can in ideal conditions reach 3 feet per year. Site requirements for the Green Giant Arborvita are sun to partial shade, moist well drained soil preferred (but still does well in clay), and protection from wind, at lest when young.
The Green Giant is a beautiful tree. It has an aesthetically fine form. It’s conical, being narrow to broadly pyramidal, reaching from 50 feet to 80 feet in height in southeastyern Pennsylvania. The width at the base of the cone is usually about 15 feet to 20 feet. The leaves are rich green making graceful foliage.
Green Giants make a superb privacy screen. They keep their foliage color year ’round, great for brightening bleak gray winter days with snow on the ground. The cinnamon bright red bark when young turn rich russet brown with time crating a strong contrast with the needle leaves.
Green Giants’ flowers, their fruit are pretty little light brown half-inch female cones. (Just so you know, Green giants are females, so its okay to call the cones pretty.) The Green Giant is also a wonderful shade tree, casting a dark, dense shade. The wood is strong too, once the tree is beyond its youth.
This is an arborvita that should outlive even your grandchildren. There are Green Giants out west documented to be over 300 years old. Just don’t plant these too close to the ocean, or roads in areas where there’s a lot of salt used for snow removal. If you get over 100 inches of snowfall and more per year, no roadside Arborvita planting where salt is used, PLEASE. The greatest soldier of ancient Greece in the Trojan war had his one little weak spot, what proved to be a fatal flaw, and the “Achilles Heel” for Green Giant Arborvitae is hypersensitivity to salt.
http://www.zone5trees.com , http://www.highlandhillfarm and http://www.seedlingsrus.com
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October 13, 2008
LV series oil purifier are suitable especially for purifying and restoring hydraulic oil, machine oil, coolant oil and various other lubrication oil. The most breakdown of machinery which has lubrication oil system results from contaminated lubrication in which has water, gas, impurities etc. LV series can rapidly remove water, gas, particulate matters and impurities from lubrication oil and improve properties of lubricating oil so as to greatly extend lifetime of machinery which has lubrication system.
Brief Introduction Sino-NSH Oil Purifier Manufacture Co., Ltd is a high-tech Company which is engaged in researching, developing and manufacturing lubrication purification equipment. NSH oil purification equipment series are extensively used in the fields of electric power, petroleum, natural gas, mechanical manufacture, steel, metallurgy, railway, aviation etc. which consume lubrication oil. Product Catalogue Insulation Oil Series VFD Double-Stage High-Efficiency Vacuum Insulation Oil Purifier VFD-A Double-Stage Vacuum Insulation Oil Automation Purifier VFD-R Double-Stage Vacuum Insulation Oil Regeneration Purifier VFD-T Double-Stage Vacuum Insulation Oil Purifier with Tester Turbine Oil series TF Turbine Oil Purifier TF-A Turbine Oil Automation Purifier TF-R Turbine Oil Regeneration Purifier Lubrication Oil series LV Lubrication Oil Purifier LV-A Lubrication Oil Automation Purifier LV-R Lubrication Oil Regeneration Purifier Gas Engine Oil Regeneration System GER Series
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October 13, 2008
Eliminating Allergenic Mold Spores in Your Gardens
Thomas Leo Ogren
Tiny mold spores cause plenty of allergies. Often our gardens are full of molds but luckily there are many things we can do to eliminate allergy-causing mold spores. All molds produce tiny reproductive spores and the trick is to find ways to get rid of the molds themselves. What we plant, and where, has a large influence. I continually see the flat out dumb practice of planting tall evergreen trees and shrubs on the South sides of house. In the winter the sun is low on the horizon and we get most of our light, and warmth, from the sunlight that shines from the South. Our warm morning light comes from the East and it is never a good idea to block that with tall evergreens either. The best place for tall evergreens is on the North side of our houses. There they can act as a windbreak and not rob us of any needed winter sunlight. A house with tall evergreen trees on the Southeast side, is one that will always be cold, and damp, in the winter months. And cold and damp is exactly what mold thrives on. Recently I was at a store, standing outside waiting for a friend of mine to finish up inside. It was a cool wintry day and I was in the full, deep cold shade of a very large Canary Island Pine tree. I walked over about thirty feet and stood in a spot, in between the trees where the sun was shining through. There it was nice and warm. To my left was the big pine shading that store, and just to my right was another huge evergreen tree, a Ficus retusa, the Indian Laurel Fig. The big fig cast a shade even deeper, and colder, than did the pine. I looked down at the sidewalk to my left and right, and sure enough, you could see mold growing in the cracks and along the edges. The north side of the trees, where I was, also had a good deal of mold growing on the tree leaves themselves. Deciduous trees are perfect for these locations. In the hot summer they will be all leafed out and will cool down the buildings behind them. In the cold winter months they will be bare of leaves, and the low sunlight will come through and warm things up. In this day and age of exploding energy costs, it is just plain ignorant to plant evergreens where they don’t belong. For stopping mold spores, deciduous trees on the South-Eastern exposures is the only way to go.
Mulches Many people seem unclear on just exactly what is a mulch. Very simply, a mulch is anything that covers the soil. They can be made of old leaves, straw, rocks, bark, gravel, boards, bricks, even plastic. Mulches are almost always a very good idea but when it comes to mulches and molds, they aren’t all created equally. Bark is a very good material on which to grow mold. Gravel mulches are good because they don’t encourage mold growth. I like smooth gravels, river gravel, and please! No white gravel. Flat stones and pavers work well for this too and in the right spot, they look good as well. Mulch holds down weeds and cuts down on summer water loss. Earthworms often thrive under mulch and in general mulches usually help plants grow better. The one spot where mulches are less effective is in those cold, always shaded areas. Here mulch will keep the soil from ever warming up. Every where else though, mulch is useful. Newspaper mulches by the way, not only look trashy, they also grow lots of mold.
Buggy Plants and Mold Plants that are not being grown right will usually get infested with insects. The insects secrete “honeydew” and on this very nutrient rich gooey substance molds grow quickly. The molds then start producing spores and pretty soon there is a serious allergy situation in the landscape. The insect dander itself is highly allergenic and just adds to the problem. Buggy plants often look dirty and this is because they are covered with honeydew, mold, and yuck! They are dirty. Clean, healthy plants are what we want in our yards.
Why Are the Plants Covered With Insects? If a tree is native to the cold, damp forests of Japan or Minnesota, it just won’t thrive in a place like Los Angeles. It certainly might grow in Los Angles though, and that’s the problem. It will grow there but it won’t thrive. Because it doesn’t have the conditions it needs it will always be somewhat weakened, and pests always prey on the weak. Remember, insect pests equal mold spores. If an area is very deficient in fertilizer the plants there won’t thrive. As they grow weaker, the insects start to prey on them. If plants are getting far too much fertilizer they will also become weak. If a tree is a type that needs regular water in the summer but never gets it, again it will become weak and soon be a target for the white flies, aphids, scale, spider mites, and mealybugs. If shrubs or trees are native to an area with acid soil and you’re growing them in alkaline dirt, sure enough they’ll probably become bug infested. If a tree is simply not tolerant of urban smog and it is planted right smack in the middle of a great metropolis, it will draw the pests. If a row of shrubs are all the kind that loves bright sunshine, but someone has planted a fast-growing tree over them, perhaps a pine, when the whole row of shrubs is now growing in deep shade, if they live, they will certainly become an insect magnet. I know of a hedge just like this near where I live. A large old hedge of lantana, now shaded by a big pine, it is literally covered top to bottom in white flies and mold. It is growing right outside the back entrance to a health clinic! There are many other cultural reasons for plants not to thrive and any one of them can result in weak plants and mold.
A Word to the Wise on Natives Judicious use of natives is often one of the very best ways to avoid many of these weak plants-mold problems. However, make sure the “natives” you buy are endemic to your own particular area. Also, make sure you’re not getting a bunch of male ( pollen- producing ) clones. Many of the native trees, shrubs, and ground covers sold now are male clones.
Air Flow In every place there are prevailing winds. The breeze generally blows mostly from one direction. Many landscapes are so plugged up, so crowded, that the breeze simply can’t penetrate the mess. A landscape with no air flow is one where molds will thrive. Molds grow best in conditions with poor air circulation. If your own yards are over-grown and choked for lack of fresh air, then get out the pruning saw and start thinning them out. Clean, fresh air, free to move about, equals less mold and fewer mold spores.
Sunlight and Molds Bright light and fresh air are the enemies of mold. Many landscapes have huge trees overhead that let in little light. Consider hiring a tree trimmer to thin out some of the branches overhead. Open the trees up so that the sunlight can come through. Perhaps it would be a good idea to actually remove a tree or two if they’re growing too close. Let the light shine! When planting any new tree, consider the shade that it will cast when it is full-grown. Certain trees always develop very thick canopies while others will be light and airy.
Watering and Irrigation Perhaps as important as any other single mold factor is the watering. Too little water makes for weak plants that attract insects. Too much water will also always produce weak plants. Automatic irrigation systems, on clocks, are responsible for a great deal of mold growth. Allergists in desert areas often find very high mold spore counts, in the middle of the summer! Much of this is being directly caused by irrigation systems that are not being monitored closely enough. Often they are set to irrigate lawns that are already still soggy from the last watering. Over-watered lawns will quickly become mold factories and will shower everyone near them with an abundance of mold spores.
Plant Diseases and Spores Many pests of our plants are not insects but are fungal type diseases such as mildew, rust, black spot, scab, and leaf blight. These organisms also produce allergenic airborne spores. The very best way to avoid these diseases and their spores is by planting disease resistant plants. The second most valuable approach is to keep plants growing cleanly and strongly. Insect-attacked plants will often later be attacked by fungus diseases, and visa-versa. Healthy plants go a long way to keeping our air clean. Certain plants if grown in the wrong area can almost be counted on to harbor disease. Evergreen viburnum growing in the shade will certainly get moldy and full of mildew. Crape Myrtle trees grown in an area that doesn’t have hot summers will always have mildew. A cold, wet spring frequently brings out a huge flush of both mildew and anthracnose on the leaves of California Sycamore trees. In areas with cool, foggy nights and warm days, rust will surely grow on any roses, hollyhocks, or snapdragons that are not rust-resistant. Most roses grown in too much shade will quickly mildew. Actually almost any plant that thrives in full sun will run into problems in too much shade.
Insecticides and Fungicides When you see a plant covered with insects or fungus, fight the urge to go get out the chemical sprays. Many chemical sprays will themselves trigger allergies. They may also weaken your immune system. A shrub full of insects can often be helped immensely by just blasting off the bugs with a strong jet of water from the garden hose. Spider mites on plants can also often be brought under control with this same stiff spray of water. Many insect pests can be killed with a simple, non-toxic homemade spray of vegetable oil, water, and liquid dish soap. For a gallon of water add two tablespoons of vegetable oil and two to four tablespoons of soap. I like Ivory Liquid. For fungus diseases spay them with a mix of baking soda and water. I use from two to six tablespoons of baking soda per gallon of water, depending on how bad the infestation of disease is. This often needs to be repeated all summer long. The baking soda will also kill some aphids. If you like you can just add some baking soda to the insecticide mix of soap and oil and have an all-around insecticide-fungicide spray mix. Do not expect these homemade sprays to be just as effective as the most powerful chemical killers. Often they’re not. But they do work and they are much safer and a whole lot less likely to cause allergies.
IPM This stands for Integrated Pest Management and one of the basic themes of IPM is that we are not looking to eliminate insect pests, just to control them. Using beneficial insects such as ladybugs, mealy bug destroyers, tiny parasitic wasps, and green lacewings is always worth a try. It would be worthwhile for any gardener interested in allergy control to read a book or two on organic pest control.
Ants, Aphids and Scale Ants will farm out aphids and scale and will protect them from their natural predators. When the aphids and scale have ruined one part of a plant, the ants will move them to another fresh spot. Frequently we can’t seem to get rid of the insects because there are so many ants on the trees and to kill the ants I use a slow-acting but effective mix of powdered sugar and borax. Look for the borax in a box in the grocery store where they sell laundry products. Mix the sugar and borax fifty-fifty. Sometimes I like to flood the area under where the ants are thick with a hose and then when they’re all over the place, I sprinkle the sugar and borax mix. A few types of ants don’t much care for sugar and for these try mixing corn meal and borax. This bait mix will also kill some other garden pests such as slugs, earwigs and roaches. I have also had good luck killing ants with a mix of non-dairy creamer and borax. Cockroaches by the way, inside the house cause plenty of allergies and the best way to kill them is with a mix of boric acid and powdered sugar as a bait. Sprinkle this powder down where the roaches will walk through it. You can buy boric acid in almost any drug store. These baits are cheap, safer than other poisons, and they work. Out in the yard don’t put these baits where the dog will eat them. Sometimes it works well to hide them under old boards or flat rocks. A Note about Ferns Ferns don’t produce mold spores but they sure can produce fern spores. Often these spores from the ferns can be just as allergenic as the mold spores. Fern spores usually shoot out and land fairly close to the fern. Small ferns growing in a shady part of the garden rarely trigger much allergy. But people love to grow ferns in hanging baskets and then they often hang these over patio chairs, tables, right where someone will be sitting. When these overhead ferns cast off their miniscule spores, they will land directly on the unsuspecting victim underneath. Hanging basket ferns are fine, but watch where you hang them! Tree ferns are handsome creatures but again we need to watch where we plant them. All too often they are planted right next to front doors where with their added height, they can shower spores on the people coming and going. Another consideration with tree ferns is that they have millions of tiny reddish-brown colored, needle-sharp hairs on their trunks. These little fern hairs can make you itch and they can also cause plenty of irritation of the throat and nose when they’re inhaled. Plant tree ferns back away from most human traffic.
Thomas Ogren is the author of Allergy-Free Gardening, Ten Speed Press.
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October 11, 2008
Ahhhh, the scent and sight of a burning paraffin wax candle and the appealing ambiance that it floats throughout a room! One may think that this scenario is innocence in its purest sense. There is, after all, that cozy feeling which makes one give thought to everything that’s good in this world. That is until you take the time to get acquainted with the darker side of the world of paraffin wax candles.
Did you know that paraffin is a petroleum by-product which means that paraffin wax may be a risk to the well-being of your health? How is that, you ask? Well after petroleum is processed into gasoline, kerosene, motor oil, diesel and other fuels, the excess waste is then used in the production of paraffin which contains harmful toxins and carcinogens. Hmmmm.
The black soot buildup on your walls, ventilating system, furniture and so forth after burning paraffin wax candles is similar in composition to diesel soot. This dirty matter makes a deposit of unwanted and dangerous pollutants into our homes that endangers the health and welfare of family, pets, and ourselves when breathed into our collective lungs. Studies have shown that cancer-causing agents released by paraffin wax candles are just as toxic as second hand cigarette smoke and can cause damage to the heart, lungs, circulatory system and nervous system. This is not a good thing.
Why then have scented candle sales increased to over 2 billion dollars annually over the last decade according to the National Candle Association? I’m not sure but I’d hazard a guess that the mesmerizing glow and soothing fragrances are part of why seven out of every ten households burn candles regularly.
Here’s a question, though, that I’d like to pose to anyone that subscribes to the rules of common sense. It’s the one that your parents or teachers of yesteryear asked when the majority was acting in an intellectually challenged way. I’ll paraphrase it here : “If everyone was jumping off a cliff, would you do the same thing?” The same thing holds for paraffin wax candles but what alternatives are there to break this dangerous habit?
I’m glad that you asked. The answer is Soy Candles. Why the joy for soy? Soy wax is 100% vegetable by-product and not a petroleum by-product. Soy is completely non-toxic and non-carcinogenic and soy candles produce little or no soot to damage the surrounding room or to those with allergies or breathing problems. Soy wax is environmentally safe, biodegradable and is easily cleaned up with just soap and water.
Hold on, I’m not finished yet….Soy candles burn cleanly and evenly leaving very little to zero excess wax on the sides of the jar to eliminate waste. They also burn cooler than most paraffin wax candles which will lessen the risk of serious burns from melted wax. These babies also burn 30 to 50 percent longer than paraffin wax candles which makes them more economical to use. They also seem to hold their fragrances extremely well compared to the naughty petroleum by-product kind.
Ok, Ok just one more reason to think soy. These candles are made from 100% soybean wax made from soybeans grown right smack here in the USA. So what? Well, this not only benefits our environment but also supports our local agricultural industry. It appears that soy candles beat those bad-boy cousins on every level.
Ya gotta get the facts before indulging in the pleasure of enjoying the world of candles. Think outside the box and do the right thing. Your life and others may very well depend on it!
About the Author
Brian is a partner in E-Connors Enterprises which builds and promotes various websites. He enjoys the world of candles and feels strongly about the health benefits of soy candles and the beauty of gel candles. Go to HeavenlyGelCandles.com for more info.
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October 11, 2008
There are many ways we can use our human energy to lighten the load on natural resources and tread lightly on our home planet. Check how many of these you do already:
1. Recycle and re-use
Wherever possible, separate waste into compost material, bottles, tins, paper, clothing etc and make sure that these get recycled. See if your local council has a policy for recycling, food reclamation to fuel or even methane extraction from waste. If they don’t - start one. Ask your neighbours to contribute to a local composting station.
“The UK has one of the worst recycling records in Europe (12.4%) compared with 64% in Austria, 52% in Belgium, 50% in Germany and 47% in the Netherlands.
In the UK we bury 80% of our rubbish in landfills, compared to the Swiss who only landfill 7% of their rubbish.” (The Observer 2004)
2. Shop locally or order a veg box
Give your local farmers a boost by buying direct - either by visiting farms, farmer’s markets or through vegetable box schemes - which are usually organic. This saves transport costs in ‘food miles’ and guarantees, fresh, local, un-polluted and healthy, in-season food. Try and avoid supermarkets and shop locally when possible to enhance your own local micro-economy.
“The average household [in UK] spends £470 a year (or one sixth of its total food budget) on packaging. In a typical Asda or Tesco shopping basket only 26% of the cost is accounted for by food; the rest is packaging, processing, transport, store overheads, advertising and the mark-up of supermarkets which is sometimes as high as 45%.” (National Farmers’ Union)
3. Make more of your own food from fresh
Stop buying ready-meals and throw away your microwave. Take the time to make healthy, balanced and delicious meals and condiments from wholesome raw ingredients. Be like the French and live to eat - rather than eat to live ! Eating food is the only activity apart from sex that involves all of our senses.
4. Promote community exchange
If you can exchange skills, items or energy direct with other people without the use of money - this makes your activities more efficient. If you can share resources with people around you - then you don’t have to earn so much to buy things and you don’t have to work as much.
5. Improve local diversity of nature
See what you can do to provide the right ecosystems to promote local biodiversity. Bring butterflies, moths, birds, wild flowers and so on into your local environment by providing the resources they need.
6. Review domestic energy use
Check whether you can save energy by cutting down consumption or being more efficient. There are government schemes in the UK to help with heating efficiency and insulation. Even switching off at the plug at night saves power -those little red ‘power on’ lights add up to over £4 million of electricity used in the UK each year ! Look at how your home uses energy and where it can be saved, even if it means putting a jumper on occasionally.
7. Start a local investment scheme
If you want to save for a future - doesn’t it make sense to invest in something you can see and touch - like a local investment system that brings a return on your money and improves your own locality ? Invest money where you can see what it is doing - and where you can lend a hand if needs be. Community companies, local co-operatives and credit unions are a growing resource for sustainable local investment. What better way is there than to invest your energy directly into your local micro-economy where you can cherish it ?
8. Use an ethical banking system
Just what does your money do when you invest it a bank? Do you invest in the land mines that blow off children’s legs ? Do you support armaments manufacturing, the over-exploitation of rainforests, globalised cartels intent on raping the planet ? Does your default investment in a bank endorse child slavery and prostitution, international drug running and money laundering ? Check the investment policies of your bank to see just where they are putting your energy as an investment. If you
don’t like what you see, at least consider using an ethical bank that might invest in things you want in the world. Even better - reach for a lifestyle that doesn’t include a bank account at all.
Did you invest in this ?
“Japanese physicist Professor Yagasaki calculated that the 500+ metric tonnes of depleted uranium (DU) that the US unleashed on Afghanistan was the radioactive equivalent of 51,875 atomic bombs of the size dropped on the Japanese city of Nagasaki.
During the 2003 Gulf War the amount of DU used was the equivalent of 103,750 atomic bombs the size of that dropped on Nagasaki. DU fallout will travel from the Middle East to the UK, US and parts of Asia.” (International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War)
9. Review car use and petrol consumption
The real price of petrol, if you apply economic principles to its production - that includes the time the earth has taken to make it - comes in at over £1 million per gallon. Its use produces awful chemical pollution and extreme noise. Most internal combustion engines run at an incredibly low efficiency (usually about 20%). The logic of having something that weighs over a ton to transport a single person defeats me. Yes, I know they’re incredibly convenient compared to the alternatives and that many motors have cult status but - come on - there has to be a better way than this ! Boy am I looking forward to hydrogen / oxygen fuel cells. Cycling is great!
10. Start a local energy collective
Your roofs are a resource ! Take a look at some of the rooftop energy panels available today. Chat with your neighbours about a collective approach to local energy needs. Sell your excess energy back to the grid ! Intermediate technology combined with modern technology in wind, solar or water power has come of age so start your own power supply.
11. Learn more about the nature in your local environment
Which wild animals and plants live in your environment? Share some time with them and see what they can teach you. Become a direct ‘friend of nature’ and explore how other species see the world we share. You could even adopt some wild nature near you and ‘look out’ for it.
12. Make things from found or recycled materials
Do you remember the fun you had whittling wood when you were younger? Keep an eye out for interesting wood you can prepare to make useful things. So much stuff is just thrown away or destroyed that could be useful again given a little T.L.C. Wild wood can make attractive coat hangers, boxes, shelves, even furniture.
Waste skips often have objects that can easily be given a ‘new life’. Working with your hands to make things ‘new’ can be a deeply satisfying experience.
13. Make your own Christmas and birthday presents
Take time out to make things that you enjoy and give them away to people you love. These have a value way over anything you can buy. If you have a creative hobby - use it to make gifts instead of buying them. If you don’t - find a hobby or activity that puts you in touch with natural things.
14. Stop using pharmaceutical drugs and chemicals and go natural
We are in a culture where medical consumerism is the norm. Explore some of the alternatives like using your food as preventative and curative medicine, or learn about the herbs and spices that have traditionally boosted mankind’s health for millennia. There are many gentle ways to find, promote and maintain health and you will find some excellent examples at the StarFields Network.
15. Join an environmental group
Express your energy in a collective way by joining a group that voices your concerns. Put your energy into changing the situation for the better by directly sponsoring a specific environmental cause.
16. Use natural materials from a sustainable source over synthetic materials
The more natural a product is - the less pollution is usually incurred in its production. Support your environment by valuing natural materials over synthetic, for example (organic) cotton over polyester. Think about where building materials or other resources have come from and the processes it takes to make them.
17. Feed your neighbour
A quick story based on Dante’s Inferno:
Dante (or someone like him) visits Hell and finds a room of ‘food torture’. The inhabitants are glued to chairs round a large table covered with food, but they all have their arms replaced by 10 foot chopsticks. They lift bits of food high over their heads and drop it down onto their faces in a pathetic attempt to feed themselves.
Later, our hero visits heaven and finds exactly the same situation except for one thing. The people in heaven are feeding each other across the table !
18. Dance, sing and laugh. Look after yourself and have fun
If you are happy, fulfilled, in good humour, enjoying life’s journey and so on - the chances are that others around you will be able to feel that way too. This moves us all along.
19. Don’t fly in airplanes
If possible, take a ship or train for long hauls or holidays. Aircraft are extremely expensive in pollution terms. Enjoy the sensation of travelling more slowly. Accept the journey as part of the trip.
20. Take an action holiday
Why not donate your energy to a cause like helping indigenous people set up sustainable economies ? There are many companies offering the experience of useful voluntary work overseas. This is a most direct way to contribute to a sustainable world and gives you face-to-face contact with other cultures.
21. Grow more plants indoors
Enhance your pact with nature by turning your home into a plant haven. Even simple spider plants can improve your space by bringing nature in and cleaning the air.
Plants are pretty undemanding compared to pets and they bring life in and produce air. Go the whole hog and grow some trees.
22. Consider changing your employment
What does your ‘means of income’ do in energy terms ? If the ‘ethics’ of your employment is distant from your own values then you have essentially sold your soul for money. Think carefully about the consequences of your employment. Consider finding employment that is near to your core values and you will find a more
fulfilled ‘you’.
23. Review how you are investing in your own future
Concerned about pensions ? It is certainly looking like someone has pulled the plug on that one. Anyone under 45 should be looking to exactly what they want in older years and finding ways to achieve it that may not involve money. There are serious flaws in our investment systems that are becoming more and more evident.
Co-operative or communal solutions to support in older years will be an increasing solution to lack of money.
24. Review your usage of water
If you have metered water, review how much you use and where savings might be made. For example bath water (without chemicals) can be used to water plants, a brick in the water cistern saves flush water. Can you use the water that lands on your roof that you pay for the privilege of having removed ? Water butts are cheaper than ever and some local councils offer price reductions to residents.
There are many water filters on the market that improve the quality of tap-water and water is a key issue in health, we are mostly made of it ! Water is a key issue on planet earth in the 21st century.
” Nearly 97% of the world’s water is sea water or otherwise undrinkable. Another 2% is locked up in ice caps and glaciers. This leaves 1% to meet all of humanities growing needs, including agriculture, manufacturing, community and personal household needs. Of that 1%, one quarter of the world’s fresh water is found in Canada’s lakes, rivers and streams.” (CPS June 2004)
25. Cut down on noise and light pollution
Many birds in cities sing at night as it’s the only way they can make themselves heard. Generally birds in cities have to sing louder and the stress this causes gives them shortened life spans.
Listen for a moment now - what can you hear beyond the hum of computer fan? How much of this noise is really needed? Wouldn’t just some ‘quiet times’ be nice?
Get together with your neighbours and see if you can negotiate a local ‘quiet time’, like a Sunday morning.
Unnecessary light also interferes with wildlife and even worse - it blocks out the stars - a source of wonder till the end of time.
26. Start your own herb garden
Grow your own medicinal and culinary herbs. Many of these are easy to grow on a windowsill, in a window box or tub somewhere. The direct growing and use of plants ties you into natural cycles and rhythms - you could even learn about ‘moon gardening’ cycles and biodynamics !
27. Grow your own food
Even simple growing such as mustard cress or delicious sprouting seeds contributes to a good diet. A surprising amount of your own food can be grown in a little space by using ‘potato stacks’ or climbing fruits. There is no better feeling than harvesting your own crop and eating it with friends. There are many dwarf bush varieties of fruit, some even have more than one fruit type on the same bush.
28. Downsize
Think about how you can work less and keep a good quality of life. Balance quality of life with standard of living. Contribute less to GDP and the national/global economy and more to a wholesome local and global ecology. Think global and act local.
29. Go organic
Whatever you consume, source it from a place that values natural processes over industrial ones. There are many enterprises providing organic food, drink, clothing or materials from sustainable sources. Take pride in tracking these down and using them in preference to more exploitative practices.
30. Spend time with nature
Take the time to visit nature and spend time relating with it. Find and adopt special places where you can go to feel the cycles and forces of nature and know that it is an aspect of you, and you of it. Many people are forming ‘collectives’ to protect or improve special places they value.
About the Author
SECRETS OF CREATIVITY by Simon Mitchell
A revolutionary ebook from a top internet author. This ebook gives you the
ULTIMATE POWER TO CREATE with structured courses to improve your personal
creativity. Unleash your SECRETS OF CREATIVITY at:
http://www.simonthescribe.co.uk/secrets.html
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October 8, 2008
There’s always that nagging doubt isn’t there? The nagging doubt that they just won’t get it.
I went to the Post Office yesterday, the small local one round the corner, to draw a relatively large amount of money out of my account. Whilst in the queue, I saw a packet of refill cartridges going cheap. Half-price. Which in consequence meant it was around 50p to keep an ink pen running for a good year or so.
Thinking they might come in handy, I procured some and when I was at the head of the queue, placed them on the counter, saying casually to the postmistress that I sincerely hoped that the money I was drawing out would indeed cover the cost of the cartridges.
As I was drawing out in excess of £300, there was a strong chance really and my comment was merely meant to make her smile.
“Yes, it will,” she said. Indeed, it appeared that she had done some quick mental arithmetic to make sure. The whole transaction was rather icy, in retrospect.
It could almost have been a precursor to the BBC2 programme I watched later, where on Horizon, it has been predicted that Britain could well, before long, be plunged into another ice age. (Postmistresses roaming the streets, doing unnecessary mental arithmetic, unsmilingly.)
That aside, Horizon proved compulsive viewing. At present, Britain enjoys its temperate climate due to the warm air brought to us from the Gulf Stream. But, due to global warming, were the ice sheets to continue to melt, we would have some major problems. It wouldn’t get hotter, as you’d think. It would, conversely, get a hell of a lot colder here in Britain.
You see, the North Atlantic is an incredibly important area. From a meteorological point of view, you could say it is “strategic.” It is the point where the Gulf Stream sinks to join what is known as the Atlantic Conveyor, a massive rotating belt which takes cold water back along the ocean floor to the tropics, where again, it rises, to begin the journey again.
This whole process relies on the salinity of the water. As salt water cools, it’s density increases, causing this drop to the floor I just mentioned. What could bugger this up?
Well, naturally, fresh water from the melting ice-sheets, along with the huge Siberian rivers, which are flooding more than ever, contributing to this fresh water being thrown into the Atlantic.
Put simply, diluted salt water will not sink, the Gulf Stream would call it a day and it would get bloody cold. No, really cold.
Dr Terry Joyce, of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute believes there is a 50% chance of this happening within the next 100 years. “The likelihood of having an abrupt change is increasing - global warming is moving us closer and closer to the brink” he warned.
(It was sobering stuff. Again, vitriolic thoughts about the world’s leaders who continue to allow global warming to happen bombarded my brain, as the Atlantic continues to be bombarded by this fresh water.)
It’s been cold recently, more so since the central heating has decided to pack up and the damned landlord has taken aeons to sort it. So, it was a case of watching this programme whilst huddled round my Zippo.
I’m relatively new to this town, so whilst I was on the playground today, picking up the kids, I got talking to this chap that I have begun to know. In the past, it has merely been a case of exchanging pleasantries. I was telling him about the central heating having shut down. Turns out, he’d seen Horizon last night as well.
“Knowing my luck” I said, ” this forecasted ice age will hit us tonight before the landlord gets the boiler sorted.”
“Oh no, I think it would take around 10 years to fully hit us. It wouldn’t happen overnight.”
Is he related to the postmistress? I’m beginning to get nagging doubts about this town.
About the Author
Freelance Journalist. 2004 has seen pieces published in The Guardian and pieces also accepted by Jack magazine. More articles available at my site: http://www.articles.me.uk
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