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Simple Things that You Can Easily Do to Save the Earth

November 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Being an environmental activist isn’t necessary in order for you to be able to save the world. These are some very easy steps you can carry out in order to do so:

Save Water. Water is an essential resource which most people waste on a daily basis. You can save water easily by doing any for the following:

• In order to save one gallon of water with every flush you can simply put a brick into a plastic bag and put it into the back of your toilet
• Fixing any faucets or pipes that are leaking as soon as you discover the problem is also essential. You can save the drips in your pan and use it to water the plants, wash your dog or cook your supper. It’s all clean water anyway.
• Only wash laundry when you have a full load.
• Install low-flow faucet aerators on all your faucets. They’ll save you 50% which is 3-5 gallons of water a minute and the flow seems a lot stronger.
• You can collect rain in barrels or tubs, then you can use this rain to water any plants that you have and areas of your lawn that may be dry. It also uses less water than the water sprinkler.
Conserve Electricity. You can reduce wasteful electrical use by:
• Turning off your lights and appliances when you’re leaving a room.
• Turning off your computer monitor before going to sleep. A monitor left on throughout night uses enough electricity to print 5,300 copies.
• Search for the Energy Star rating whenever you’re buying new appliances
• Wrap your water heater with something such as a cloth and set your water heater at 130 degrees
• Try to wash clothes in cold water when you can
• Every once in a while hang clothes outside to dry.
• Turn down your heat by 1 degree for every hour you’ll be away from home
• Remove your traditional light bulbs and use newer ones that are longer lasting and which consume less energy.
• Decide what you want before you open your refrigerator or freezer, that way you save on energy
• Make sure that you unplug any appliances that you aren’t using at the moment.
Go Green. Going green doesn’t mean you have to change your entire lifestyle. These are some things that you can easily do in order to live a much more environmental friendly life:
• Plant a tree. You can easily save the earth’s oxygen this way.
• Make sure that you use homemade cleaning products or products that are entirely natural.
• Buy recycled products
• Use both sides of a sheet of paper before you get rid of it.
• Reuse envelopes and junk mail for writing notes and keeping lists

Ditch the Disposables. In a landfill a plastic sandwich bag may take up to an entire century to dispose of. You should ensure that sandwiches and any snacks that you use are placed in disposable or reusable containers. You can also rinse and reuse these disposable containers. Permanent containers also help you save the environment and save money as well.

These are a few other things that you might want to try:
• Swap plastic utensils, paper plates and other things like Styrofoam cups with permanent utensils.
• Recycle food containers and use them to store leftovers and any other food supplies.
• You should ensure that you make use of cloth kitchen towels that can be washed rather than paper towels.

Use Rechargeable Batteries. These sorts of batteries may cost you more but replacing your disposable batteries with batteries that are replaceable may end up saving you more than 10 or 20 times the original amount. If you want to extend the life of your batteries you should use an adapter or plug for radios and other small appliances.

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The Facts about Hemp

November 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Hemp is a largely misunderstood and underutilized plant that is found the world over. It was actually one of the very first plants that man cultivated. It is also one of the most versatile and useful plants ever grown. Hemp is also known as Cannabis or Cannabis Sativa and has been previously used for millennia in Egypt and China as medicine.

The plant and its advocates have been criticized for the indulgent use of higher tetrahychlorocannabinol concentration plants by some people who dry or compress hemp into marijuana and hashish. Because of this, attempts to make hemp gain respect in the worldwide market have been thwarted by its critics. People should note however that industrial grade hemp has a lot less TCE in it which makes it useless as a psychoactive substance.

This versatile plant has been used for a very long time to do things like make clothes, paper, medicine, ropes and fuel in different parts of the world. Before petroleum became a major fuel source, most lamp oil was made from hemp seed.

Irrespective of how a minor part of the human population may abuse different forms of hemp, the truth is that it is very useful when it is used for industrial reasons.

Hemp Fabric.
People have been using hemp to make things such as clothing, rope as well as canvas fabrics for a very long time. Before the industrial revolution came most of the textiles that were worn at the time had their origins in the hemp plant. Fabrics that are made from hemp are a whole lot stronger, durable and longer lasting than a lot of other materials. The same thing goes for their durability and insulating properties. Hemp fibers may also last up to three times longer than cotton fibers. Most hemp materials were usually made of coarser fibers in the past but advances in plant breeding have created a fabric that is softer and finer in nature and also equally capable of making durable and long-lasting clothing material.

Its Medicinal Uses.
Some people have abused the use of high TCE-containing hemp products in order to make “feel good” drugs. The truth remains however that in many parts of the world, the hemp flower has been used to make medicinal products for years. Since it is also rich in nutritional fats and vitamins it is also used to make balms, slaves and nutritional supplements. A lot of over-the-counter drugs may contain some form of hemp be it in flowers, seeds or oils. One benefit that can be derived from using hemp in medicine is that it causes no allergies. No cases of death, overdosing or allergic reactions have been documented in the case of hemp and hemp products.

Industrial hemp is legal to grow in 29 countries of the world, and exempt from strict international drug treaties and laws but the United States continues to forbid the general production of hemp plants and products on its own soil. This is despite the positive nature of its many benefits. A number of growers are permitted to grow hemp plants in the U.S but this is under strict regulations. Other countries such as Canada which shares a border with the U.S, has a liberal policy concerning the growth of the lower TCE-breed plant for industrial purposes.

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The History behind the Use of Air Purifiers

November 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Home air purifying systems are quite popular these days. They may seem just like a modern day fad but they have been used or centuries if you really go into the history of what these air purification systems are.
Since the period of the Industrial Revolution in the 1700’s and the 1800’s, scientists have all known the need that we have for cleaner air. Accordingly these scientists have been working in order to discover ways and means with which they may combat the problems of pollutants that we allow to get into our air and lungs and affect us.

In the year 1832, two brothers called John and Charles Dean developed a mask for firefighters which would help them combat and resolve fires safely regardless of the dangerous smoke fumes. In the year 1854 another person John Stenhouse came up with a mask that utilized carbon filters for divers and coal miners in order to protect them against the polluted air that they find on a daily basis.

In the 1930’s and the 1940’s the US Atomic Energy Commission created a new type of air filter that was capable of absorbing radioactive and dangerous dust whenever an atomic bombing might occur. This initial HEPA filter was actually discovered to be ineffective and in protecting people from radiation but it was quite capable of protecting people against mustard gas, chlorine gas and flamethrowers during the Second World War. Currently these highly efficient filters are installed in a large number of American homes and businesses and is capable or getting rid of at least 100% if the pollen, dust and allergens that may be found in the air that we inhale.

From the 1960’s onwards people started experiencing the negative effects of smog and pollutants in the major cities of the world. This made a lot more research in the development of additional means of air purification necessary. Less than a decade later people had started using home cleaners within the consumer market.

In the mid 1990’s reports started circulating about the fact that indoor air pollution was getting a whole lot worse. These reports claimed that the pollution was as high as five times more than the external outdoor pollution. This caused a great panic among a lot of customers who sought out cheaper and more efficient ways in order to clear out the air that was within their homes and residences.

Nowadays we have a lot of available means of air purification. Most of these means claim to be very effective in cleaning out your air but scientists claim that most of these air cleaning methods haven’t been sufficiently able to absorb or purify the atmosphere and the air within our homes.

The renowned HEPA filter is one of the best and most popular air filters that are sold on the market. While many people tend to claim that the newer ionic purification systems are much simpler to use and highly efficient, critics claim otherwise.

Consumers are waiting anxiously for the next introduction of air purification systems in order to define the systems that will best meet their needs, however for now; these available systems will have to do.

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How Your House May Be Harming You and Your Family

November 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Different forms of home furniture and products made for the home can result in air pollution in the home. These pieces of furniture may include kitchen cabinets, furniture, while products include perfume, candles and air fresheners.

Researchers have estimated that the amount of toxins that can be deadly to people that live in their homes may be greater than 5 times the amount of toxins available in the air of the dirtiest city.

Indoor air pollution is of a greater risk to the health of individuals than external pollution. Exposure to tobacco smoke, structural materials, household dust, mold and even a number of other materials can make people sick. Different biological contaminants exist such as mold and mildew and these contaminants allow disease-carrying pollutants reproduce and spread their spores through the air.

The toxic chemicals that can be found in air fresheners and other average cleaning and grooming materials can be dangerous whenever a build-up of such materials occurs in rooms which are badly ventilated. 90% of the world’s furniture is held together by formaldehyde which in turn causes different ailments such as headaches, nausea, lethargy and various breathing related problems.

Some other concerns include lead paint, radon and asbestos too. These are usually in homes which were built in the 1980’s or before then. These substances and odorless, tasteless and colorless and they are all impossible to detect without properly testing for them.
Whenever you want to protect your home from indoor pollution, you should follow these simple forms of advice:
• Use pump bottles to disperse your cleaning supplies rather than spray cans. These pump bottles spray a lot less fumes and can be directed much more easily.
• Environmental testers should be hired in order to check for other things such as radon, asbestos and lead.
• An addition of ventilation is necessary, other than this you can simply open your windows and doors in order to help reduce pollution indoors.
• Products that are “green“cleaning products should be used. These products are cheap and simple to make. These are some of the recipes for some simple household cleaning materials:
All Purpose Cleaner:
-1 qt. warm water
-1 tsp. liquid hand soap
-¼ tsp. lemon juice
It works wonderfully with floors, countertops, rugs and upholstery
Oven Cleaner:
Grime should be covered with baking soda. It should then be sprayed with water until it is wet. After this, it should be kept dry for around 4 hours. It should then be allowed to remain overnight and in the morning it can simply be cleaned with clear water.
Furniture Polish:
-1 pt. mineral oil
-1 tsp. lemon juice
Caustic household cleaners and chemicals could be the source of most of the human exposure to toxic substances. If you have to use any caustic substance around your home you should remember these two important bits of advice:
• Understand how to use these cleaners properly. Make sure that you use these caustic chemicals and cleaners in an area that is ventilated properly. Make sure that you use an air mask too if it is possible.
• Understand how to dispose these cleaners properly too. Disposing household cleaners improperly is one of the contributory factors that are responsible for toxic pollution in the United States today.
Follow these tips when getting rid of your household chemicals:
• Refrain from pouring any hazardous household substances down the drain.
• Original containers for ingredient lists and storage should be kept intact.
• You should remove the lids of paint cans and allow them dry before disposing them.
• All chemical containers should be taken to any local hazardous waste sites for onward disposal.

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