I think most people are hypocrites, myself included, when it comes ot the environment. The problem is that Western lifestyle is just so addictive. If we want melons at anytime of the year we can get them. If we want to drink wine made from grapes grown 3,000 miles way this is really easy.
It's just so difficult to try and give this sort of living up. I sometimes really hate myself because I want to try my best and I also see reports of people around the world who are living on food aid. This is because there are so many cash crops being produced. Cash crops can include sugar, coffee, tea, grapes, tobacco and cocoa beans. These products aren't grown so that people can eat, they are grown because people in the West pay good money for them so we can enjoy ourselves.
Then of course there is Biodiesel and bioethanol which I used to be infavour of but no it seems like the worst thing ever to have happened. Rainforests are being cleared to make way for palm plantations, rape seed, corn and sugar beet so they can be converted into "eco fuels". Of course, if you read anything indepth about this you will realize that this is not a good thing to happen. Often the forests are burnt so that the crops can be grown. In the process huge amounts of carbon is emitted into the atmosphere, way more than any of the cars that run on the fuel will ever use. In the process, countless flora and fauna will lose their home.
Sometimes I feel that I would like to live a simple life living from the land, growing my own vegetables and not needing to use a car. Unfortunately I find that this is an image I don't think will become a reality.
Tuesday 13 May 2008
Composting For The Environment
Composting is something that all people should be getting into. Even if you don't have a garden. Yes that's right, even if you don't have a garden. This is because there are compost bins of all types and there are even ones available that you can buy if you live in an apartment and don't have a garden of your own.
Compaosting is so important and numerous levels. First of all, the food and other organic matter that you throw out and ends up in landfills, doesn't actually break down as might expect. This is because for organic matter to break down it needs oxygen and mircoorganisms. In landfill this doesn't happen because the waste is compacted down and so no oxygen exists.
Composting is also great for those with a garden because it allows you to add nutrients back into the soil that are lost because the are used by the plants. There are some great tips when it comes to composting so you should try and find as many of these tips as you can. First of all you need to have a mixture of different types of material. If you find that there are lots of flies in your compost it's probably because you don't have enough materials such as cardboard and twigs.
You should also be careful about thorns that you get on plants such as roses. These thorns don't break down properly so if you put your hand into the compost you could easily get jagged. Believe me, this isn't something you want to happen.
Most compost bins you buy aren't suitable for cooked food however there are some types that are. So if you want ot compost all your kitchen waste then you should have a look for one of these bins. It's quite disgusting how much food people thow out everyday so if you do have to throw food out, at least you are able to compost it.
Compaosting is so important and numerous levels. First of all, the food and other organic matter that you throw out and ends up in landfills, doesn't actually break down as might expect. This is because for organic matter to break down it needs oxygen and mircoorganisms. In landfill this doesn't happen because the waste is compacted down and so no oxygen exists.
Composting is also great for those with a garden because it allows you to add nutrients back into the soil that are lost because the are used by the plants. There are some great tips when it comes to composting so you should try and find as many of these tips as you can. First of all you need to have a mixture of different types of material. If you find that there are lots of flies in your compost it's probably because you don't have enough materials such as cardboard and twigs.
You should also be careful about thorns that you get on plants such as roses. These thorns don't break down properly so if you put your hand into the compost you could easily get jagged. Believe me, this isn't something you want to happen.
Most compost bins you buy aren't suitable for cooked food however there are some types that are. So if you want ot compost all your kitchen waste then you should have a look for one of these bins. It's quite disgusting how much food people thow out everyday so if you do have to throw food out, at least you are able to compost it.
Are Eco Cars Worth It?
It seems that there are so many cars that claim to be environmentally friendly however the question you might be asking is whether they are woth it. I'm not entirely sure however you should think about the amount of energy that is involved in the production of a new car.
They have factories producing these cars all over the world. The factory workers have to get to work and will often drive causing pollution. The factory itself is using large amounts of energy in terms of lighting and electricity to power all the machinery. The cars then have to be transported to the dealership who then takes people out on test drives. Eventially someone buys the car but as you can see it might not be so eco friendly.
Have a look at all the cars around you when you are out. They are mostly just a few years old. It used to be that people thought that just owning a car was something to be proud of but now people don't just want to own a car, they want to own a new car which is shiny and sparkling.
What happens to the old cars? I have seen cars on scrap heaps that don't look in too bad condition to me and they're actually younger than the car that I drive. If we keep going out to buy these so-called "eco cars" it means that more and more perfectly good cars are being scrapped when they could easily be repaired at kept going for a number of years to come.
The second hand car market is pretty much dead because new cars are so cheap. So often when a car gets to a certain age and the repairs become more than the car is "worth" they have it scrapped. This is such a shame and I belive that more people should consider driving their car into the ground before they go out and buy a trendy eco car.
They have factories producing these cars all over the world. The factory workers have to get to work and will often drive causing pollution. The factory itself is using large amounts of energy in terms of lighting and electricity to power all the machinery. The cars then have to be transported to the dealership who then takes people out on test drives. Eventially someone buys the car but as you can see it might not be so eco friendly.
Have a look at all the cars around you when you are out. They are mostly just a few years old. It used to be that people thought that just owning a car was something to be proud of but now people don't just want to own a car, they want to own a new car which is shiny and sparkling.
What happens to the old cars? I have seen cars on scrap heaps that don't look in too bad condition to me and they're actually younger than the car that I drive. If we keep going out to buy these so-called "eco cars" it means that more and more perfectly good cars are being scrapped when they could easily be repaired at kept going for a number of years to come.
The second hand car market is pretty much dead because new cars are so cheap. So often when a car gets to a certain age and the repairs become more than the car is "worth" they have it scrapped. This is such a shame and I belive that more people should consider driving their car into the ground before they go out and buy a trendy eco car.
Increase Fuel Efficiency For Your Car
It's so frustrating seeing the prices of gas increase contantly at the pumps. Sometimes I think it would be great to get rid of the car altogether and just use public transport. I actually quite like taking the train because it allows me to relax and I'm getting increasingly more annoyed by the agrssive dirving that see all around me.
Anyway, the question is how to reduce the amount of money you spend filling up your car. One way of looking at it is just to compare prices. Yes, prices can very enormously depending on where you go which is quite crazy really. However this doesn't help the environment, just your pocket.
Another way of looking at things is to reduce the amount of time you actually use your car. People become far too reliant on using the car and use it for the shortest of journeys. This just isn't good at all because short journeys actually put a lot of wear and tear on your engine plus it's not very healthy to drive everywhere. Get out and walk if you can, especially if it's a nice sunny day.
However if you do need to drive your car there are ways that you can increase fuel efficiency. This is simply to drive in a more relaxed manner. Basically instead of trying to race away from the lights you accelerate gently. When you are approaching a red traffic light then you should take your foot off the gas and allow the car to drift along. So many peope speed up to a red light only to then slam on their brakes. I'm not quite sure what they think this is proving. I mean, other than they are total prats!
Another little driving tip is that before you drive up a hill, you should try to accelerate to give you more momentum. Think of a BMX bike or skateboard going down one side of the ramp to then go up the other side. This is momentum at work so use it to your advantage whenever you need to go up a hill.
UPDATE: Walmart are donating money to help people understand fuel efficiency in a Drive Smarter Challenge.
Anyway, the question is how to reduce the amount of money you spend filling up your car. One way of looking at it is just to compare prices. Yes, prices can very enormously depending on where you go which is quite crazy really. However this doesn't help the environment, just your pocket.
Another way of looking at things is to reduce the amount of time you actually use your car. People become far too reliant on using the car and use it for the shortest of journeys. This just isn't good at all because short journeys actually put a lot of wear and tear on your engine plus it's not very healthy to drive everywhere. Get out and walk if you can, especially if it's a nice sunny day.
However if you do need to drive your car there are ways that you can increase fuel efficiency. This is simply to drive in a more relaxed manner. Basically instead of trying to race away from the lights you accelerate gently. When you are approaching a red traffic light then you should take your foot off the gas and allow the car to drift along. So many peope speed up to a red light only to then slam on their brakes. I'm not quite sure what they think this is proving. I mean, other than they are total prats!
Another little driving tip is that before you drive up a hill, you should try to accelerate to give you more momentum. Think of a BMX bike or skateboard going down one side of the ramp to then go up the other side. This is momentum at work so use it to your advantage whenever you need to go up a hill.
UPDATE: Walmart are donating money to help people understand fuel efficiency in a Drive Smarter Challenge.
Environmentally Friendly Insulation
If you've ever had to live in a house where there are a lot of drafts and is poorly insulated then you'll know how it feels when the winter arrives and you're freezing. With so many other tasks you might have to do on your home, it's not always feasible to start insualting your home straight away. Combine this with a central heating system that isn't working properly and you'll feel incredibly cold.
There are many different types of insulation on the market each with its own special properties. Some are designed to be very thin and can be instlled onto your walls underneath gyprock. Other types of insulation can be failry thick and comes in rolls which you have installed in your ceilings and also your floors. If you have a garage you should seriously consider buying a garage door insulation kit.
If your homes has cavity walls then you should have them insulated if they haven't been done already. Some people don't like the idea of spending money on things like this just because insulation cannot be seen from the outside. It's not like spending money on windows or a garden gate which people can see and know that you have spent money.
However with insulation you will save a lot of money on heating bills and this in turn can allow you to spend money on other things that are that bit more enjoyable. The great thing is that you'll also be saving money for years to come and not just a few years. Energy bills are constantly rising so finding ways to reduce your bills now will mean you'll save even more in the years to come.
How environmentally friendly you decide to be with your insulation depends on yourself. You might just want to base your buying decision on price or practicality or else you might decide you want to find other materials such as sheep's wool and recycled telephone directories. The great thing is that you have a choice so have a look around to see what eco insulation you can buy.
There are many different types of insulation on the market each with its own special properties. Some are designed to be very thin and can be instlled onto your walls underneath gyprock. Other types of insulation can be failry thick and comes in rolls which you have installed in your ceilings and also your floors. If you have a garage you should seriously consider buying a garage door insulation kit.
If your homes has cavity walls then you should have them insulated if they haven't been done already. Some people don't like the idea of spending money on things like this just because insulation cannot be seen from the outside. It's not like spending money on windows or a garden gate which people can see and know that you have spent money.
However with insulation you will save a lot of money on heating bills and this in turn can allow you to spend money on other things that are that bit more enjoyable. The great thing is that you'll also be saving money for years to come and not just a few years. Energy bills are constantly rising so finding ways to reduce your bills now will mean you'll save even more in the years to come.
How environmentally friendly you decide to be with your insulation depends on yourself. You might just want to base your buying decision on price or practicality or else you might decide you want to find other materials such as sheep's wool and recycled telephone directories. The great thing is that you have a choice so have a look around to see what eco insulation you can buy.
Solar Water Purification
Much has been made of solar technology in the press in recent years as the world begins to realize that we can not continue to abuse the world in the way we've been. Although we tend to think of solar energy is used to generate electricity for our homes, in reality there are other uses that you might not have heard of before. You can use graphene solar energy storage or another use is for treating water.
The problem is that the water around the world often is not as pure as we are used in Western countries. People who drink dirty water could end up with all sorts of medical conditions such as typhoid and diarrhea. Even in developed countries may have problems with water. There are small devices that can easily be constructed to help with these problems.
Solar Disinfection (SODIS) is very similar to the method of pasteurization of milk. The microorganisms found in water that give us health problems, can not survive temperatures that are too high. Therefore, this is an ideal method of death, either germs or inactivation of the same.
You might think that creating a solar water treatment system is very difficult to create, however, is much simpler than you might have imagined. All you need is to put water in a plastic bottle of water with a black background so that sunlight is absorbed. On sunny days you can take a couple of hours so that water is purified. This knowledge can come in handy if you need drinking water, while hiking in the countryside.
However it is important that you know you should not use any type of plastic bottle. It must be the type of PET instead of PVC. This is simply because they block the sun's ultraviolet light over PET plastic, which reduces efficiency.
If you need to try something more than a bottle or two of water then we can build a larger version for only a few hundred dollars. What we need to build a container that is rectangular in shape and is only a few inches deep, there will be parts of glass along with a siphon hose.
Basically when the water is heated by sunlight water evaporates and condenses on the glass. The siphon hose is used to extract a portion of this water and you will see that will contain far less bacteria and chemicals such as chlorine.
The problem is that the water around the world often is not as pure as we are used in Western countries. People who drink dirty water could end up with all sorts of medical conditions such as typhoid and diarrhea. Even in developed countries may have problems with water. There are small devices that can easily be constructed to help with these problems.
Solar Disinfection (SODIS) is very similar to the method of pasteurization of milk. The microorganisms found in water that give us health problems, can not survive temperatures that are too high. Therefore, this is an ideal method of death, either germs or inactivation of the same.
You might think that creating a solar water treatment system is very difficult to create, however, is much simpler than you might have imagined. All you need is to put water in a plastic bottle of water with a black background so that sunlight is absorbed. On sunny days you can take a couple of hours so that water is purified. This knowledge can come in handy if you need drinking water, while hiking in the countryside.
However it is important that you know you should not use any type of plastic bottle. It must be the type of PET instead of PVC. This is simply because they block the sun's ultraviolet light over PET plastic, which reduces efficiency.
If you need to try something more than a bottle or two of water then we can build a larger version for only a few hundred dollars. What we need to build a container that is rectangular in shape and is only a few inches deep, there will be parts of glass along with a siphon hose.
Basically when the water is heated by sunlight water evaporates and condenses on the glass. The siphon hose is used to extract a portion of this water and you will see that will contain far less bacteria and chemicals such as chlorine.
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