Melting steel with solar power
Posted by Laird on Dec 8, 2008
Melting steel with solar power
AWESOME
How To Have A Green Christmas
Posted by Laird on Dec 8, 2008
Working towards a green Christmas is not difficult, but it requires some thinking. With careful planning and some common sense, you can celebrate a green Christmas this year too.
Try to avoid sending paper greeting cards. Send e-cards or direct people to your blog. Compile family photos of previous Christmas in a video, add some Christmas tunes and you have a fun way of sending your best wishes. It is also a way to remind old friends and families of how much fun you had last Christmas.
When shopping, bring your own tote bag and refuse paper or plastic bags from your store. Make sure you listed down everything you need, such as gifts, groceries and so forth, so as to avoid making returns to the store and wasting both time and gas. You can opt for online shopping too. This way, you can avoid driving and getting caught in traffic.
When giving gifts, consider gifts that do not turn into waste, such as concert or theater tickets. Suggest family and friends create wish lists to exchange, so no gifts given are wasted or left to sit on a shelf collecting dust (or worse, in a landfill).
Consider making gifts, many handmade and homemade gifts are easy to make. This also makes your gifts extra special as they are one of a kind and made with love. Give homemade gifts such as cookies in glass jars that your mother or aunt can easily reuse in her kitchen. For co-workers or teacher’s gifts, consider biodegradable candles made of natural ingredients like beeswax.
Use recycled wrapping paper or reusable materials such as scarves or bandanas. Use fabric ribbons instead of synthetics. Practical items such as seasonal cookie cutters or handmade ornaments can be used to accentuate your gifts.
As for decorations, use strings of LED lights. They are energy-efficient, helping you save on electricity bills. Consider putting the lights on a timer so there’s no chance you’ll forget to turn them off, wasting energy.
For Christmas tree, try to get a real tree, if possible. Live trees with the root bulb intact are best, as they can be planted after the holidays, but a real tree from a christmas tree farm is also a good alternative. Be sure to send it to be processed after Christmas for mulch. Make your own Christmas ornaments or pick pine cones and berries as pretty ornaments.
If throwing a party, keep the portions just enough for everyone. Keep leftovers such as turkey, chicken or even salads in the fridge for next day’s meals. After a big feast, compose food wastes in your backyard for earth-friendly, natural fertilizer.
If you are traveling this Christmas, consider going paperless. Use e-tickets whenever possible. Walk whenever you can, if the weather permits. If you are driving, check the condition of your car and make sure everything is working fine. This will also improve mileage, thus saving you money on gas. If you are going out of town and need to rent a car, ask for a hybrid.
Having a green Christmas can be achieved with these simple steps. Remember that every little things you do will affect the environment, whether you realize it or not. Always choose natural, environmentally friendly alternatives.
Tips on Getting Children Involved
Posted by Laird on Dec 1, 2008
Tips on Getting Your Children Involved In Your Earth-Friendly Lifestyle
There are many tips on getting your children involved in your earth-friendly lifestyle. If you are in the process of going “green”, it is important to know and understand that this is a lifestyle choice, a way of living that should involve every member of your family. Children of all ages can get in on the “green” epidemic by learning how to live in a manner that is healthy, and rewarding to themselves, as well as the environment. The secret is to ensure that your children enjoy what they are doing, and have fun doing it. If you make it resemble a “chore”, then they will likely lack interest. However, if you make it a fun task with a lot of initiative, then they will be excited about it! Here, you will be introduced to tips on getting your children involved in your earth-friendly lifestyle.
Water
While the earth is composed of 75% water, we are unable to use all of the water resources in the world. There are many water resources available for our use when it comes to cooking, cleaning, hygiene, and drinking, but even those are limited. It is important to teach your children that water is the single most valuable resource that we have on earth. This substance is important as it is the basis of all life on our planet. When teaching your children how to live “green” and save our planet’s water resources, there are many things that you can instruct them to do:
1. Teach them that when they are washing their hands, it is important to use hot water but they should not turn it on full blast. Instead, they should challenge themselves to create a small stream of water about the thickness of a pencil.
2. Encourage your children to turn off the water while they are brushing their teeth when they are not using it to rinse their toothbrush.
3. When children are allowed to wash dishes in the home, encourage them to run a half sink full of soapy water, and then turn the water off. Tell them to wash as many dishes as they can, and set them in the empty sink. Once the empty sink has been filled with dishes, then inform them to turn on the water and rinse them with a small stream of water.
While there are hundreds upon hundreds of ways to save water, these are the most common and a good way to get kids into going into a lifestyle that is friendly to our planet.
Electricity
The next way to live “green” is to save on electricity usage. Children should be taught the importance of saving energy. If your child receives an allowance, you may use saving electricity as an initiative to that allowance. For example, if a child is caught turning off a light, or some other electrical device, then maybe you can give them a penny or a nickel. In the same respect, if they are caught leaving something on, then a penny or a nickel can be deducted and added to a special jar that goes towards something that helps save electricity, such as energy efficient light bulbs, outdoor solar lights, etc….
Conclusion
There are many ways to get children excited about living “green”. The two most important areas when it comes to this type of lifestyle are water preservation and limiting energy usage. By using the idea listed here, you are likely to excite your children about getting involved in your earth-friendly lifestyle!
Green Reasons/Ways to Borrow Instead of Buy
Posted by Laird on Dec 1, 2008
Green Reasons/Ways to Borrow Instead of Buy
The best way to cut down on the amount of materials it takes to make new things is stop buying so many. There are literally thousands of ways to borrow instead of buy if you just take the time to sit down and think about how easy it can be.
The library is a good place to start. They have books, Cds, and movies that you can borrow. You can go to the library and look at the latest magazines. Instead of having all this excess paper piling up in your home, take a trip to the library a couple of times a week and you will save your home from becoming littered with all the excess magazines and papers, not to mention the money you will save.
Newspapers are another way to save. Almost any newspaper today can be viewed online. This is another excellent way to keep from having so much extra paper in your home.
Rent your tools or borrow them instead of buying. Unless you do this for a living, the occasional tool for a project can be rented or borrowed and this keeps your home and garage free of many items that are only used occasionally.
Instead of having to make a trip to the grocery store for one item, borrow from a neighbor until your next regular time to go to the store then you can pay it back. If all you need are a couple of eggs for something you are making, instead of spending the gas to run to the store it would make much more sense to borrow.
Keep a small amount of cash on hand for anything that may come up. If you or your children or your husband need a few dollars for lunch or the boy who mows your lawn, it will be there, you will not have to run and cash a check and you can put back what you borrowed so it will be available for the next person who needs to borrow. This will not only save gas but it saves checks, especially if your bank charges per check.
If your home has become so cluttered you can hardly get through it, have a yard sale and get rid of things you no longer use. If you are keeping items because you may need them in the future, the time to get rid of them is now. If the occasion arises in the future when you need something you no longer have, find someone to borrow it from and then it will be returned and you will not have all the clutter in your home. This is one way you can limit your buying when it is something that you really do not use enough to justify the expenditure.
There are many ways you can utilize to save money by borrowing many things that are easier to borrow than to purchase. There are many items that are cost a lot to produce just for a one or two time use. The need to cut down on the overabundance of items being produced that end up being waste we have to dispose of is increasing. The best way to stop the waste is to cut down on what we purchase.
Myths and Facts about Global Warming
Posted by Laird on Dec 1, 2008
Myths and Facts about Global Warming
There are many myths and facts about global warming. In recent years, climate changes such as the overall increase in the Earth’s temperature, destructive hurricanes, melting glaciers, heights in sea levels, and other situations have caused scientists and the general public to take a look at the issue of global warming and how it can affect our world, and every single individual in it – now, and in the future. Unfortunately, there are a number of myths surrounding this very important topic. Here, you will be offered insight on the myths and facts about global warming.
The first myth that many believe to be true is that the issue of global warming is not an exact science and that the basic uncertainties of the topic make it something that is not quite as urgent as scientists and other specialists have us to believe. The truth is, however, that the individuals that specialize in studying the concept of global warming have all the tools and resources that they need to be completely accurate when it comes to the facts surrounding this serious issue. Conclusive studies indicate that not only is global warming occurring and that over the past one hundred years, the average temperature of the entire atmosphere has increased by nearly one degree Fahrenheit, but that people are causing this to happen!
With that being said, this brings us to our next myth. Many individuals feel as if the issue of global warming is a natural one that is destined to happen over time, much like the issue of the Ice Age, and the progression of the climate over time. However, scientists and other specialists that study this issue have determined that the issue of global warming is far from “natural”, and that people are actually causing the issue to occur at a dangerously rapid rate. This issue is a direct result of the amount of carbon dioxide that is being emitted into the atmosphere. There are many things that we do to contribute to global warming. These things include:
• Consistently burning fossil fuels to provide electricity like that of natural gases, various types of coal, and even oils
• Using trees that are cut down from forests with very little
• Polluting and not recycling materials, therefore creating more waste that has to be burned away upon disposal
The third myth that many individuals have is that humans are fully capable of adapting to the changes that may occur as far as climate goes, and that we can easily adapt to the warmer temperatures that are currently occurring. While it is true that we have all been able to adapt to various weather complications, history indicates that there have been societies that have died off as a direct result of shifts in the climate that were considered to be dramatic. It has been found that many will experience death by flooding near sea areas and lakes, others will suffer from medical conditions, and economic hardships will be completely inevitable. This is why it is so important to ensure that you learn all that you can about the myths and facts about global warming.
Save Water to Save Money
Posted by Laird on Nov 24, 2008
Save Water to Save Money
In the 1970s, water used to be free. Due to human beings’ negligence, water is no longer a free product as well as no longer pure and clean. People now buy drinking water unless they want to drink contaminated water. Measures must be taken to recycle resources and clean the water system before water becomes scarce.
For starters, people should reduce their usage of water by taking shorter showers, which will decrease their water and electric bills. Also, installing inexpensive low-flow showerheads and toilets will decrease water and electric bills. Furthermore, a faucet aerator, on all faucets in the household, is inexpensive, as well. These gadgets will reduce electric and water bills. But the water pressure will remain high.
Conserve water by using xeric gardens. Plants in xeric gardens are native to the area and do not require much water. In order to water them, it is recommended to use gray water. This gray water is the water from the kitchen, bathrooms, sinks, showers, tubs, laundry, washing machines, and dishwasher. Only biodegradable soaps are used in order to create this gray water. Recycle this gray water by watering gardens, plants, and lawn.
Use the machine washer/dryer and dishwasher after seven in the afternoon. Wash most of your clothes in cold water because hot weather uses up a lot of energy. When drying clothes, only place big and thick pieces, like towels, sheets, jeans, sweats, blankets, robes and pajamas in the dryer with dryer balls in order to reduce the length of drying. Try to lay out smaller pieces of clothing as well as the delicate and gentle garments to air dry. Recycle the gray water from the washing machine and dishwasher for watering the plants. Do not flush the toilet too many times during the daytime in order to decrease water bill.
As people learn to reduce their water usage, they should also take appropriate measures to religiously practice the three R’s on a daily and ongoing basis. The three R’s include reducing, recycling and reusing so that valuable natural resources do not become scarce. Important products that need to be recycled include aluminum, steel and tin cans, glass bottles and jars, and paper and plastic products. Old electronics should be recycled since they contain lead and mercury, which can taint the soil and water. Thereby, poisoning drinking water as well as vegetation. Car fluids, parts, batteries and accessories as well as auto bodies and tires should be recycled. Recycling old compost to create your own fertilizer will assist in the growth of nutrient-enriched plants and garden. Furthermore, be sure to buy merchandise in bulk or large boxes to save on packaging. Such bulk shopping can be found in warehouse stores, such as Costco.
Other products to watch out for when recycling include using VOCs and petrochemicals. Cotton and linen products do not emit VOCs in the air; and thereby, improving air quality. Organic cotton is a lot better because it does not use up petrochemicals. Also, using cleaning products that do not have harsh chemicals and that are not scented will recycle better. Do not use foam products, such as cups, bowls, plates, and clamshell boxes, because they use up petrochemicals and they do not recycle well.
Therefore, the secret to saving water requires reducing your water usage, recycling products, and reusing old products. But people need to remember that some products give out harsh chemicals, such as lead, mercury, petrochemicals, and VOCs, and can contaminate drinking water. To be safe, they should not buy such products that are scented or have chemicals. As people practice the three R’s, their water and electric bills start to decrease, their environment is cleaner, and they are saving the planet in the process.
Green Your Heating This Winter
Posted by Laird on Nov 24, 2008
Green Your Heating This Winter
Winter is coming and with it the high heating bills not to mention the amount of gases that are sent into the air we breathe. The winter season does not have to be spent wrapped in a blanket or thermal wear and turning the heat full blast. There are many simple ways you can stay warm and keep the air you breathe cleaner.
One of the simplest ways most people do not even think of when they are considering the cold winds blowing is their windows. The windows are one source of cold air that adds to the work your heating system is doing when it is struggling to keep the temperature at the setting you have chosen.
If you do not have storm windows or cannot afford them right now, the next best alternative is to get plastic insulation. It is clear so you can still see out your windows. The type that can be fitted by heating is a good alternative to letting the windows add to the cold air in the room. You will be surprised just how much of a difference this can make in your home.
Another way that is often overlooked and will work for both heat and air is the ceiling fan. They are not as expensive as they once were and one with a low setting that turns slowly can spread the heat or air. Everyone knows heat goes up so what better way to push it back down to where you are than to put up an inexpensive ceiling fan and enjoy the warmth.
Solar power is one source of energy that many people are finding is a great alternative to electrical power. There are many solar appliances becoming more commonplace today. For instance, there are many solar hot water heaters in use. This is an excellent way of heating your water. Solar panels are being installed in roofs to capture the warmth of the sun and distribute it to many different household uses. Much of the recent news about solar power is concerned with using it to actually generate electricity to save on your utility bills.
Here is another way of saving on heating bills as well as energy. The rooms that you do not use do not need to be as warm as the ones you are spending your time in. Besides which the rooms you are in until time to retire will be warmer just by having more people in them. Everyone generates body heat and if there are several people in one room the temperature will go up by more than you would think possible. By keeping doors closed and confining activities to certain areas of the house you will be using less energy and utilizing something you already have. This can also be a way to save energy when you are not home.
By turning the thermostat down to a cooler setting, you are saving energy that would just be wasted when the house is empty. Many people use timed thermostats for this purpose - turning the heat on/up just before rising in the morning, before everyone is due to be home, and this can also be used for turning the hot water tank on and off.
Get the whole family involved. Sit down together and make a list of everyone’s suggestions when it comes to saving energy and making the air we breathe cleaner. You might be surprised at some of the ideas your family will come up with.
Why Reducing Deforestation is Crucial
Posted by Laird on Nov 24, 2008
Why Reducing Deforestation is Crucial
When it comes to doing our share to save the environment, it is absolutely essential that we know why reducing deforestation is crucial. Each year, a large number of trees all over the world – particularly in the rain forest – are cut down. It has been estimated that the amount of trees that we use annually is somewhere in the billions. Even worse than this, the amount of carbon emissions released into the atmosphere is horrific! It is absolutely essential that we all work to take part in the fight that will reduce deforestation because of the fact that it is absolutely essential to the overall well being of our world!
Deforestation Explained
While deforestation is a serious issue when it comes to the environment and the atmosphere, many individuals do not quite understand what it is all about. The truth is that it is actually quite simple to understand. This is simply the destruction of forests, the trees in the atmosphere, as well as important woodland areas in the world. While there is a lot of deforestation occurring in the area of Latin America and even Africa, it is also evident in Asia and even North America. There are a number of reasons why these sensitive areas of the environment are destroyed. Wood is used in building materials, paper products, and more. Unfortunately, when they are destroyed, the dangerous greenhouse gas of carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere.
How You Can Help
If we continue to engage in high levels of deforestation, we will contribute heavily to the greenhouse effect. In turn, the potential for global warming will be increased. We all know the devastating effects of global warming. These effects mean more health problems, financial hardships, and many more complications such as flooding of areas near the ocean and more. The following steps will help you; help others to understand the hardships posed by deforestation:
1. First, you should educate yourself on deforestation as well as the role that forests play when it comes to reducing the overall emissions released into the atmosphere. You should then, in turn, work to educate others on these issues.
2. Next, you should enroll in the many incentive programs out there today that focus on preserving the forests and putting an end to this drastic complication.
3. It is important that you spread the word about the dangers associated with deforestation with your local and state government. Inform them of the many different ways that we can get the things that we need – like, through recycling.
Conclusion
If we want to slow down the effects of global warming, it is crucial that we work on the issue of deforestation. This will prove to be a great start in reducing our carbon footprint, and literally saving the world as a whole! Become educated on the importance of our forests, spread the word, and encourage others to take part in your cause. If we come together and work to reduce this problem, we will save ourselves a lot of trouble when it comes to global warming later.
Conservation of the Scottish Highlands
Posted by Laird on Nov 19, 2008
Conservation of natural forest and wilderness in Scotland
Scotland is universally known as one of Europe’s last remaining wilderness areas. Unfortunately, like most of the natural unspoiled wilderness areas left in the world, Scotland’s wilderness areas are under threat.
The planting of commercial forests mainly composed of Scandinavian pine rather than the native Scots pine, further threatens this ecology.
In nature, the mixture of trees, undergrowth and brush as well as open land forms an eco-system that enables a diverse range of animals and birds to live.
The mono-culture approach of the commercial logging companies destroys these eco-systems with their diverse flora and fauna as well as the natural beauty of the environment.
Cutting great swathes of land as the trees become commercially viable further hurts the eco-system. Mixed forests with trees of different ages and different species encourage a much wider range of insects, animals and birds – all evolved for their own ecological niche.
Natural pathways, fallen trees, brush and undergrowth are removed in favour of efficient pathways for machine access between trees of the same type planted in ordered rows.
Even these pathways are often blocked with machinery or piles of logs awaiting further processing in the factory forest.
Like an organism, nature has the ability to regulate itself, and return any damaged parts to a healthy condition. Unfortunately, this self-healing process of nature is being prevented in most places by the scale and intensity of human exploitation.
Ecological restoration seeks to allow the natural regeneration of ecosystems to take place again, and, where appropriate, to assist and accelerate it.
Ecological Restoration in Scotland
Scotland is a prime candidate for ecological restoration work, as it is one of the countries which has suffered most from environmental degradation in the past. The Highlands in particular have been described as a ‘wet desert’ as a result of the centuries of exploitation which have reduced them to their present impoverished and barren condition.
Become a Scottish Laird or Lady and help conserve the Highlands
Since being established in 1983, South Angus Survival has acquired tracts of land in the Scottish Highlands and it is their intention to acquire more land in these areas which are in danger of being changed into blocks of identical Scandinavian pine-forest
As a necessary part of our ongoing conservation, restoration and regeneration program, South Angus Survival are currently replanting these areas with many native species of deciduous trees; including, Rowan, Alder, Willow, Hornbeam etc,
This will help to create a natural mixed woodland where local flora and fauna can survive and live in safety in a diverse eco-system encouraging a .native animals and birds before they become endangered species or worse still, join the growing list of extinct species that we and our children will never see again.
In the past, Scottish forests were home to many species of wildlife no longer seen or endangered – the European beaver, wild boar, lynx, moose, brown bear and the wolf.
As a “Laird of Glencairn” or “Lady of Glencairn” you will help these natural areas to survive. It’s a small beginning - but it’s a beginning. This could be the last chance to preserve one of the most strikingly beautiful landscapes in Great Britain (perhaps even in the world) for future generations.
Can You Recycle Your Toothbrush?
Posted by Laird on Nov 3, 2008
Can You Recycle Your Toothbrush?
A Toothbrush has its own lifespan and we usually change one after just a couple of months, at the most. But what happens to the toothbrushes we keep on discarding? And if we strictly follow our dentist’s advice, we would have been tossing toothbrushes every quarter! In America alone, each year, around fifty million pounds of used toothbrushes end up in landfills!
But the good news is that, the Green stores and some with online availability option have come up with the eco-friendly versions of toothbrushes. Eco-Dent has come of with their Terradent variety of toothbrushes with replaceable heads. The beauty of this product is that, the head with frayed bristles could be changed for a fresh head, thus retaining the handle part, leading to bare minimum waste. Again, planned by the dentists, the Recycline Preserve one’s handle portion is manufactured from Polypropylene Plastic recycled from the second-hand cups of Stonyfield Yogurt! And after such a toothbrush completes its life, one has the option of either putting it back to Recycline or put it with other ecologically reprocess-able plastic items, into the blue bin. The polypropylene plastic toothbrush, so finds its application in the manufacture of long lasting durables as outdoor tables and deck. If you are not that keen on mailing back your discarded toothbrush, Carol Duvall, the Craft guru from HGTV has an idea! And the idea is that of curving bracelet for the young ones, rather than leading the old toothbrushes to landfills. Following Carol’s idea, you may try this idea as well. The steps involved sounds simple. Just one minute boiling (and removing the bristles) the toothbrush could be enfolded around a mini jar and let it cool down to the desired shape. Meanwhile, nature’s own product cellulose is also getting used in the making of recyclable as well as chic toothbrushes from the Radius stable. Radius has also come up with battery driven “Intelligent Toothbrush”, to reduce environmental hazards by using replaceable heads. They are even open to taking back the toothbrush after eighteen months, once is the battery goes off completely. But definitely, many of us don’t just want to shift from our regular mass-market toothbrushes. We all have our choices and preferences. So, here lays the solution to follow our heart while caring for the environment and recycling. Toothbrush Express, the online website designed towards retailing, has an approach much alike the Recycline, towards toothbrush recycle. You can get new toothbrushes delivered at desired intervals (may be monthly to even half yearly). And after use, you can post back your old toothbrush for recycling, through a pre-paid mailer. But off course, Toothbrush Express charges for this additional service.
