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Protect Your Garden and Your Self From Chemical Spray Drift

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:45:05 +0000

About 25 years ago I was working on the farm where I live in Illinois. We were working on an implement of some type making some adjustments preparing to do some field work. A chemical spray truck backed up to a field not more than 16 feet away and began spraying herbicides. It is this stupidity on the part of applicators that is one of the most dangerous aspects of our chemical society.

Five or six years ago another chemical spray truck began spraying the field out in front of our house. That was not so strange but the problem was the current wind conditions were a steady 15 miles per hour directly at our house and yard. I filed a complaint. The Illinois Department of Agriculture sent a person out to take plant samples and subsequently sent the Applicator Company a warning letter.

What people have to do is complain when their person or property is exposed to the myriad number of chemicals sprayed into the environment every day. The chemicals are regulated to some extent and there are guidelines for their application. The steady 15 mile per hour wind was clearly a violation. If an applicator gets enough complaints they could simply be put out of business.

The blaze’ attitude evident in my two stories is prevalent in this agricultural area. It is an attitude fostered by chemical companies to take attention away from their poisoning of the environment. Also, it is an attitude held by farmers who really do not want to admit or think about the consequences of what they are doing, even to themselves.

But the blaze’ attitude permeates our society. I have seen countless times a young guy walking across a suburban yard with a hose trailing back to a truck. He is spraying out either herbicides or pesticides. Who knows? Then they put these little postage stamp signs on the corner of the yard the is supposed to warn people of the recent application.

I also have seen lots of times state owned trucks driving along the highway spewing chemicals along the roadside to kill everything except the grass. I speak of what I see here in the Midwest. I am sure there are other types of applications in other parts of the country. I know years ago there was a lot of complaint about spraying herbicides from airplanes over forest land.

In Illinois it is the Department of Agriculture that handles complaints about chemical applications. It may be another agency in your state. Probably a call to either the state department of agriculture or the state environmental protection agency will get you started in the right direction. If you know or you think you have been exposed to chemical contamination call them up and find out how to complain.
Michael Dappert is a co-founder of Winco, Inc., a provider of wireless internet access to small communities in West Central Illinois. More articles and discussion can be found at Mike’s Garden Blog and discusses a wide range of topics at Flyoverfolks.com.

Going Green In Your Office The Easy Way

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:15:55 +0000

Many of us want to be responsible citizens of the Earth. We think about the effects our lifestyles have on the environment. We are concerned about global warming. We want to ensure our children’s future on this planet is one that still has clean air to breathe, an abundance of trees and wildlife, and clean water to drink. However, many of us also think that the sacrifices might be too great to “go green” in our own office. Good news. It’s not as difficult as you think.

There are 3 areas where you can make a significant impact without significant expense or inconvenience: paper, lights, and electronics.

The average American office worker throws out about 150 pounds of paper per year. Paper manufacturing contributes to the deforestation of the planet and in America is responsible for 35 million tons of CO2 a year. So what can you do? Buy recycled paper. Make full use of that paper by printing on both sides and/or using paper that is only printed on one side for scratch paper. Do your proofreading and edits on your computer before printing to reduce the number of prints you make. Re-use file folders by placing new labels over the old ones. All of these changes are easy to make but have a big impact. Pretty painless, right?

Another way you can go green in your office is as easy as changing a light bulb. In fact, it is changing a light bulb. Incandescent bulbs use 4 times more energy than is necessary to produce light. Halogen lights can get as hot as 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s hot enough to cook an egg! Alternately, Energy Star certified compact fluorescent lights (CFL’s) use 75% less energy to produce the same amount of light, last 10 times longer and produce less heat. If you feel like you need even more reason to switch to CFL’s, consider that you will also save money over the lifetime of the bulb. Once you have made the switch to energy efficient bulbs, make sure lights are turned off when they are not needed. A great way to ensure that this happens is with motion sensors that will turn the lights off when everyone has left the room.

38% of all of the carbon dioxide emissions come from the electricity we generate. That electricity is used to power all sorts of things. A major drain on our electricity is all of our office equipment such as computers, copiers, printers, and fax machines. When going green with your electronics, you need to look at 3 factors. You need to consider the waste that is created in the manufacturing of the products, the effects on the environment when you use the products, and the waste that is created when you are done with the products. That may seem like a lot to think about but if you follow these simple guidelines, you will be able to minimize the negative impact your office equipment has on the environment.

The manufacturing of electronics uses a lot of resources including electricity, raw materials, and water. Electronics also account for billions of pounds of municipal waste each year. Just a few of the contaminants that electronics create are toxic heavy metals, lead, PCB’s, mercury, and various acids. To lessen your office’s affect on the number of new pieces of equipment that are manufactured, as well as end up in land fills, buy all-in-one machines that combine multiple functions into one. Whenever possible, get rid of machines completely by using services such as Internet fax. With an Internet fax service you get rid of the fax machine completely, as well as reduce the amount of paper and ink that gets consumed. Another way to decrease waste is to recycle machines that are no longer working and donate those that do to charities where they will stay in use.

25% of the total electricity used by all commercial buildings in the US is consumed by office buildings. When buying any new office equipment, look for Energy Star certified machines. This will make a huge difference in the amount of electricity that is used to run your office. For example, an Energy Star certified computer is going to be 52% more efficient than a standard one. Laptops also use a lot less energy than desktops, so consider whether this is a viable option for your office. Energy efficient machines are also going to have stand by options that will power down or go into sleep mode to conserve energy when not in use. Once the office is closing for the day, make sure that all equipment is powered off.

Taking these steps will get you on your way to going green in your office. And as I promised, they will help you make a significant impact without significant cost or inconvenience to you and your employees. And you thought going green was going to be hard.
Brandi Cummings is an expert author on various topics relating to small and home based businesses. Take the first step to going green in your office and visit www.Fax800.com for Internet fax solutions.

Why Buy Energy Efficient Appliances

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:30:05 +0000

When purchasing a new home appliance, a lot of people have the tendency to go straight to the discount department and select the cheapest models available. Sometimes the difference in price can be indeed significant, but is it really worth it?

You have to be aware that most of the time, the cheapest models of appliances are far from being the most energy efficient ones, which is why is highly recommended to select the model which is likely to produce future benefits, rather than just having a reduced price on the shelf. In other words, if you end up by buying a fridge that is more expensive than the discounted models, but has, on the other hand, the energy saving option available, you will discover that it is worth the extra money because the energy costs will be reduced.

In order to make sure the appliance you are about to purchase has the right kind of features there are some simple steps to follow: carefully read the label or the user guide; try to compare the energy consumption for apparently similar models; do not forget to consider both the price and the estimated energy consumption when deciding on a specific model.

The main reason, however, for which you should turn towards an energy efficient model, is related, first of all, to the amount you pay for your utility bills. However, it is as well, very important to keep in mind the fact that the use of all these appliances help reducing the pollution in the air and conserving natural resources.

Despite the fact the majority of the home appliance brands available on the market do meet energy conservation standards, you have to be aware that some models are more energy efficient than others, which is why you should not hurry into taking any decision, before reviewing all the possible options.
Detailed information about energy saving, including tips on household savings and environmental issues, are available at http://www.energyshack.com/

The Pros and Cons In The Work Of A Cultivator

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 16:30:09 +0000

A cultivator is a person who is involved in the cultivation and supervision of a land, whether he may own the land or not.

They play a vital role to the development of agriculture all throughout the world. Since agriculture is one of the most important of all existing industries, these cultivators provide the world with the most basic necessity which is food.

If these all of the world’s cultivators decided to stop plowing their crop, majority of the world’s population would be stuck of panic and a world-wide hunger would occur. In the end, their country and the world depends mostly upon their services.

There are many benefits and disadvantages on working as a cultivator.

Since the beginning of time, the cultivator does their own tilling of the soil, planting and after a while, harvesting of the crops.

Many of the traditional cultivators still use this process. But, because of recent scientific discoveries on agriculture, studies on soil, high-tech machinery, and modern fertilizers, the cultivators’ job becomes more stress-free.

Because of these up to date discoveries, further learning on machineries and knowledge on their soil and fertilizers should be taken into consideration for all cultivators. They have to know how to take care of the machines to be able to go to work instantly.

The efforts of a cultivator may be very disappointing when the forces of nature are beyond the cultivators’ control. Because agriculture depends on the weather conditions, extreme rain, sunshine, or frost may cause the entire crops of the farmer to get ruined. The total year-round work wasted with a few days of weather calamity.

Other factors like plant diseases and insect pests are another factor for the downfall of a cultivators’ work. These factors could be dealt with the advice of experts from the government which updates these cultivators on what to do.

For the cultivator to start his own farm, a considerable amount of money is needed for the business capital. Not anybody could afford buying a large area to be planted on, so the farmers resort to taking care of other landlord’s farm.

Plus, the market of the products is unstable depending on the location of your farm. If the transportation costs exceed the returns he gets from his harvest, the work is not worth it.

A farmer is independent in his work. The cultivators’ boss is his own. He has the control of his daily routine, whether he prefers heavy or light work for the day. He will decide the modernization of his own land if it needs innovations.

He could try anything he likes on his farm. If he has studied on a modern variety of tomatoes, he could experiment on his own and grab success or fall on his own mistake. His farm is always a work on progress.

The best advantage of all cultivators is his work cannot be studied on books and research alone. The more experience one farmer has on the field, the knowledgeable he becomes on the end product of his crop.

But, it wouldn’t harm the farmer to study about new technologies that could help raise his profession into a new level. This would make his job a lot easier and a better opportunity for market.

Many professions and trades are available in the competitive working force. But one trade stands out, which is agriculture, because nothing can replace food than food itself. The cultivator, who produces the world’s food, is a worker whom the world couldn’t manage without.
James Monahan is the owner and Senior Editor of CultivatorBase.com and writes expert articles about cultivator.

Ski Resorts Fear Greenhouse Will Melt Away 2008 Tourists

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 19:45:09 +0000

With ski holidays increasing in popularity over the last twenty years, Andorra has been increasing her visitor numbers to over ten million per annum for ski holidays and happily investing for the future to ensure she remains as one of Europe’s top ski destinations but that came to a screeching halt this year when the one thing a ski destination really needs didn’t arrive - snow.

The Andorra authorities are hoping that the lack of snow which kept so many regular visitors as well as new ones away this year is a one off, and that snow in November will mean a normal level of bookings for the new 2007/8 season.

But if this year is a sign of things to come for the European ski industry as a result of global warming, Andorra is considering a future with little snow, and having to diversify.

Andorra is a tax free country, and benefits from high employment in the financial services and banking sectors, but reports from the country suggest that revenue raising via a new corporate tax is being considered. But according to a local travel guide for Andorra this is unlikely.

‘Introducing a corporation tax could be counter-productive as a revenue raiser, they say. Continuing ‘Andorra is along with Monaco Europe’s most complete tax haven, and it would give high net worth individuals who would be looking for residency in Andorra and spending money in the country second thoughts. The Andorra authorities know that they can’t start introducing personal income tax because that really would kill the goose that lays the golden egg. Take away Andorra’s ski industry and the country’s in trouble - take away her tax haven status too and it would decimate her economy.’

Andorra has invested heavily in new infrastructure and facilities for the ski tourist in recent years, which would make a second successive poor season particularly hard to bear.

This year Andorra opened a new family friendly ski park in Arinsal, moving away further still from her old image of a cheap and cheerful ski holiday for 18-30 year olds to one that caters well for all. The snow park includes a conveyor belt and a game zone, designed to give children confidence before they ski and use the chair lifts.

Well known ski villages in Andorra include Soldeu, Ordino as well as Arinsal.

Other new developments in Andorra for the 2007 ski season included a 540 space underground car park in La Massana close to the cable car, and an extension of the beginners area in Arinsal.

Commenting on the new facilities, the travel guide for Andorra claims that should the snow levels return to normal it will allow Andorra to compete with other ski areas in Europe for the future.
For ski holiday information about Andorra, including the village of Ordino visit YourAndorra.com YourAndorra.com includes ski holiday to Andorra information and reviews for hotels in Barcelona

Prince Albert Raises Money For The Monaco Environment

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 20:15:02 +0000

Prince Albert had long been thought of as a playboy while his father was the monarch of Monaco. He was known for his carefree lifestyle, much of which he learned while attending college in the United States.

Since Prince Albert has taken over the throne in Monaco, he has changed his ways and become a leader concerned about the future of the second smallest country in the world. To this end, he has worked hard to protect the environment of Monaco.

Prince Albert takes such a remarkable interest in the global warming cause in part because his small country sits on the Mediterranean Sea. As the level of the seas slowly rose, he became quite concerned that Monaco would be disastrously affected. In April 2006 he journeyed to the North Pole to make a point about the seriousness of global warming and saw first-hand how glaciers were slowly melting.

Environmental and social issues are a big part of Prince Albert’s agenda. He has gone to great lengths to heighten awareness of global warming and ways to work together to protect the environment. The first act that Prince Albert achieved in his environmental efforts was to sign the Kyoto Protocol; a treaty signed by many nations to help reduce the greenhouse gases that affect the environment.

The Monaco Embassy in Washington, D.C. is known as “The Green House”, a nickname given it by a Monaco travel site. Many believe that this embassy was established in order for Monaco to exert influence over the US Congress on social and environmental issues. Monaco publishes Gross Domestic Product statistics, which allows them to have full participation in the Third World and donates 7% of GDP to UN agencies appropriately.

The “plant a billion trees” campaign has Prince Albert’s participation. The purpose of this campaign is for companies, communities and other organizations to plant more trees in their surrounding areas. Participants pledge to report how many trees they commit to plant to the United Nations Environment Program. The goal of the program is for at least 1 billion trees to be planted worldwide each year.

From April 19-27, 2008, the Tennis Masters Series will take place at the Monte Carlo Country Club. This event attracts the elite of the male and female tennis arena, many hailing directly from Monaco. Prince Albert will once again take the opportunity to use the popular annual event to raise money for sustainable development of the country, as well as environmental protection endeavors. The proceeds from the event go directly to the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.

It is easy to see that Prince Albert cares much about the environment of his country. There was concern that the residents of Monaco would not share Prince Albert’s enthusiasm for environmental causes.

Would his spotlight on environmental issues diminish their claim to fame as a favorite tourist attraction country, with the Monaco Grand Prix and other popular venues? Since Prince Albert has found a way to keep environmental issues in the UN and not hurt revenues within the country, however, people are onboard with Prince Albert and they congratulate his efforts.
Monaco and Monte Carlo information can be found at Monaco travel guide YourMonaco.com, and the information includes the latest on the Monaco environment. Visitor to Monaco information includes a street map of Monte Carlo and hotels including the Hotel de Paris and other Monte Carlo hotels

The Pros and Cons In The Work Of A Cultivator

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 23:30:37 +0000

An Overview Of Energy Efficiently

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 01:00:04 +0000

While we often think of energy efficiency as the way to save our environment, we also often consider it a costly endeavor. Did you realize, however, that your homes energy bill might be reduced by up to 30 percent through energy-efficiency that includes the purchase or energy efficient appliances and other products? In other words, you can save yourself money while you do your part to save the planet.

Every time you buy a new air conditioning unit, a new washer or dryer, a new refrigerator, microwave, or piece of office equipment, you are affecting the environment, either positively or negatively depending on your choices. Smart choices of products designed for energy efficiency help the air we all breathe and reduce your energy bill each month.

Here is some basic information about how energy efficiency works and why its helpful. A great deal of the energy you consume in your home is produced by local power plants that must burn fossil fuel to create the energy. These fossil fuels might be natural gas, coal or oil.

These fossil fuels also create pollution. This pollution harms not only the environment but ultimately the people, as it causes smog, acid rain and respiratory diseases. Fossil fuel pollution is also a strong factor in changing the climate of the globe.

While we hear a lot about the harmful gas emissions that emanate from vehicles, what we dont hear much about is the fact that your home probably produces twice as much of these emissions as the average automobile.

Opting for energy efficiency through your choice of products that are energy efficient is one of the best ways you can reduce your consumption of energy and thus your distribution of harmful emissions of greenhouse gas. Any household that buys equipment designed for energy efficiency puts a big dent in harmful emissions of carbon dioxide.

In fact, over the lifetime of one of these energy efficient appliances or other products you will have reduced pollution the equivalent of what would be saved by one fewer vehicle for seven years. The use of energy efficient household products reduces nitrogen oxides too, which contribute extensively to acid rain and smog.

The average U.S. household spends about 1500 each year on energy. Energy-efficiency can reduce this bill by 400-450 annually. If youre concerned about energy efficiency and wish to not only save the environment but save yourself some money it will help to know which appliances account for what portion of your energy use and bill.

The biggest, which probably comes as no surprise, is your heat and air conditioning. This is a whopping 45 percent of your energy bill. Your water heater uses up 11 percent of your energy, and your washer and dryer 10 percent. The lighting for your home is seven percent of your energy costs, while your refrigerator is six percent of your bill.

Your dishwasher, computer, monitor, TV, VCR, DVD player and similar equipment each use up about two percent of your total energy consumption. Stoves, microwaves and other smaller appliances generally account for the rest, though at less than two percent of the total each.
James Copper is employed by newcareerskills.co.uk who help people to become a qualified energy assessor.

Ozone Generators Are Fast Becoming The Next Big Thing

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 03:15:33 +0000

Ozone generators are devices that are used to generate highly reactive ozone molecules by passing a voltage through a chamber containing oxygen. The ozone gas produced by these machines has many applications, both commercial and private.

Ozone generators are designed to efficiently produce a high ozone concentration, while consuming very little energy. Most models have built-in timers and automatic adjustments for output. Input filters are also standard features to trap dust and particles. Ozone generators are generally very reliable and may also be referred to as air cleaners or ozone purifiers. Ozone generators that are created for home use are compact, portable and lightweight. When used as directed, ozone machines are safe, efficient and have a long life-span.

There are three main types of ozone generators:
corona discharge, ultraviolet light and cold plasma generators. Corona discharge is the most affordable and popular type because it can run on regular air and does not require an outside oxygen source. These generators are still the most common in personal and industrial settings. On the other hand, ultraviolet light ozone generators use UV rays to produce ozone, but can only achieve a low concentration. Typically, UV generators are more affordable, but only useful in instances where a smaller, steady source of ozone is required. Cold plasma generators produce much higher concentration of very reactive ozone in a shorter period of time. Because they require pure oxygen to function, the cold plasma type is very expensive and far less common.

Ozone generators have a multitude of applications in a variety of environments. The ozone gas that these machines produce combines with particles in both air and water, rendering them inactive. Consequently, functions include odor and taste elimination, mold and mildew extermination, pollution control, disinfecting and inactivation of harmful bacteria and water purification. Ozone generators are often used in cleanup efforts after environmental disasters because they are effective in reducing smoke odors and controlling mold production after floods.

They are used in farm facilities also, primarily for odor control and as a disinfectant. In food production, ozone generators are used to extend shelf life or remove tastes and color from certain foods. In the medical field, ozone is a powerful disinfectant and also has therapeutic applications, such as the treatment of cancer or slow-healing wounds. In the home environment, ozone purifiers are generally used for cigarette smoke or pet odor-control, removal of mildew in small, damp areas and water or air purification.

The advantages of ozone generators are numerous and include a high-energy yield-to-consumption ratio, ease of installation and use, automatic features and maintenance-free settings and cost-effective operation requirements. Ozone is one of the most powerful purifiers in existence (3000 times stronger than chlorine).

Ozone generation is a safe and effective way to tap into this all-natural resource and put it to use in almost any setting. With all of the recent problems with pollution, it is no wonder that ozone generators are fast becoming the next Big Thing.
If you would like more information on ozone generators please visit our site Ozone Generators.

Can All Metal Buildings Withstand An Earthquake

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 05:45:02 +0000

In certain areas of the world, it is crucial to build structures to withstand the massive shock and damage associated with earthquakes. Unfortunately, science has not yet developed an early warning system that can give immediate notice when an earthquake is imminent. Thus, we are completely at nature’s mercy to survive an earthquake, and buildings must be built to withstand an earthquake at any time.

Much research and study has been devoted to learning which types of structures fare best in an earthquake. Generally speaking the consensus is that metal buildings fare better than concrete.

However, one might ask: does this mean that all metal buildings can withstand an earthquake?

The answer is no. Just because a building is metal does not mean it will automatically do well in an earthquake.

Metal structures are more likely to survive earthquakes because they are more ductile — they can bend and flex without breaking. This characteristic is crucial in a serious earthquake.

The most common type of metal used to build earthquake-safe buildings is steel rebar. Steel rebar has the ductility that is critical to absorbing earthquake and is very strong, making it the best and most effective option for building in an earthquake zone.

Steel rebar has proven to be an excellent building material that can withstand earthquakes, but it is not fool-proof in and of itself. It must be applied with the correct engineering and architectural principles to maximize its effectiveness. If you are considering using steel rebar to build an earthquake-resistant structure, be absolutely sure your plans and methods are correct, or hire a builder who is familiar with such structures.

Other types of metal buildings are far less resistant to earthquakes, and can be quite unsafe in earthquake-prone areas. Many metal modular homes are not constructed to withstand the tremendous shock of an earthquake. These types of buildings would be very unsafe in an earthquake zone. Also, sheet metal buildings are very fragile and highly likely to collapse during an earthquake. Experts do not recommend either of these types of structures to be placed in an earthquake zone. Some zoning laws forbid them altogether.

Another very important factor that influences whether a building will survive an earthquake is the distribution of weight. A building that is top-heavy is more likely to fall than a building that is lightweight at the top. An earthquake-safe building not only should be constructed with steel rebar. It should be framed with lighter materials in the upper floors and have a heavily reinforced lower section.

The most important lesson to learn from this discussion is that just because a building is made of metal doesn’t necessarily mean it is earthquake proof. To be fully earthquake proof, a building needs to be built with the correct materials (like steel rebar) and be built according to the correct standards.

If you are building a commercial facility, you owe it to yourself, your customers, and anyone who uses the building to use the best materials and techniques available to you. You want to get the most out of your investment, so give it the attention it merits.
Steel buildings offer durability and protection for your storage needs. Choose from pre-fabricated steel buildings or customize to meet your storage needs. http://www.futuresteel.com/