Green Purr

May 14, 2012
by Helen
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Weekly Finds 7 – 2012

This weeks finds:

  • In the process of generating electricity from coal, we use our preciously scarce water resources.  The fact that Eskom is concerned we may not have enough water to supply the powerstations should be a massive wake up call to government to find alternative solutions to the energy problem in SA.  Will the population choose water over electricity?  Full story. 
  • South Africa’s first carbon neutral cheesery!
  • Gadget that draws water from air to feed plants.
  • Gadget that monitors moisture levels of soil in.
  • For those of us that have been the cause of death for some innocent indoor plants, here may be the answer to our problem!  
  • More help for the unfortunate indoor gardners. 
  • And some more help for those of us that love plants but don’t seem to always get it right.

Happy Week!

 

April 30, 2012
by Helen
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Weekly Finds 6 – 2012

The interesting things I found on the interwebs this week:

 Happy Monday!

April 19, 2012
by Helen
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Weekly Finds 6 – 2012

This weeks finds:

  • Some tips on how to use baking soda as a cleaning agent instead of harsh chemicals.
  • Terraniums are on my want list.
  • This is a rather long, but interesting article on how “cheap” energy is regulated…or rigged…which ever description sits well with you.
  • The new Phillips LED light bulb will finally be on sale (USA).  It boasts some great ‘green-ness’: ”…lifespan is an estimated 30,000 hours (more than 20 years when used four hours a day)…900 lumens of light while only consuming 10 watts of juice, making it 83 percent more efficient than standard 60-watt incandescents.”
  • James Cameron made the world’s deepest ocean dive and developed the technology that made it possible. 

April 17, 2012
by Helen
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Venice Sinking

 

A destination I’ve been dreaming about visiting for years is Venice.  For years I’ve been saying I need toget to this romantic and historical city before it sinks. And scarily, it seems I should get there pronto!

Apart from climate change increasing the risk of flooding and its natural subsidence, which was thought to have halted, it is also starting to tilt in an eastward direction.

At the moment it is subsiding at about 4mm per year, but if you included a rise in sea levels due to global warming (which could reach 50cm by 2100, according to a geologist at the Italian Institute of Marine Science) this could end up being almost 1cm a year.

Not good for the Venetians.  Not good for Venice hungry Helen. 

After years (from as far back as 1970) of considering the different options to protect the city from devastating floods caused by sea and wind storms, the Venetians decided on the MOSE flood-protection system.  It’s a huge project, costing thousands of millions of Euros.  While the protection of the city is important, the project has been through a fair amount of questioning regarding its treatment of the environment during construction activities, and how activities relating to the flood gate operations will affect it in the future. 

Social cost vs environmental cost?  It’s not so easy to balance this one.

Source articles can be found here and here. 

 

April 12, 2012
by Helen
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Weekly Finds 5 – 2012

This weeks finds:

  • Some 80,000 acres added to a bioshpere reserve in quatamala=win. 
  • How much water do you EAT?  A interesting menu shows the water footprint of each dish on the menu of the Wonderwater Cafe in Tian Hai.
  • Air pollution causes illness, mainly respiratory diseases, but could it be contributing to obesity?  
  • South Africa is scarely the only country in the world that grows GM staple foods commercially, AND doesn’t label them to allow consumer choice. 
  • Rainbow coloured ants - so pretty – and I’m sure no ants were harmed in the project.

H

April 10, 2012
by Helen
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Feeding People vs Saving Nature

Its been a crazy few days trying to submit all my assignments for varsity.  One of them included reading an article by Holmes Rolston III, entitled Feeding People vs Saving Nature. 

I consider myself pro saving nature and pro sustainable development.  I’m also pro better living conditions for all peoples of the world, but sometimes these viewpoints aren’t entirely compatible.   

I agree with much of what this article says.  It’s a longish read, but it makes for some introspection and moral churning.  Which is good at times!

Full article here.

March 23, 2012
by Helen
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World Water Day

Better late than never!  World Water Day was yesterday, 22 March.

 Did you know?

  • 97% of the earth is made up of water. 3% is fresh water.
  • Less than 1% is available to the 7 billion people living on earth!

Here are 10 ways you can save our water:

  • Make sure you close a tap tightly after using it; a dripping tap can waste up to 30 litres of water.
  • Keep a jug of drinking water in the fridge rather than letting the tap run every time you want a cool glass of water.
  • Take a shower instead of a bath. When you do, place a bucket under the tap while you wait for the water to warm up then use this excess water in the garden.
  • Avoid flushing the toilet unnecessarily. Dispose of tissues, insects and other such waste in a trash container rather than in the toilet.
  • Don’t leave water running when brushing your teeth or washing dishes.
  • On a rainy day, place buckets outside to collect the water and reuse it in the garden.
  • Choose water-wise plants, and water your garden early in the morning or during the early evening to cut the amount of water that disappears into the air.
  • Choose dual flush toilets when you’re replacing or installing a new toilet.
  • Replace traditional shower heads with low flow pressurised alternatives.
  • Check the water efficiency of dishwashers and washing machines before you buy. Front loading washing machines can use up to 40% less water than top loaders.

Information courtesy of MyPlanet in association with Woolworths Educational Programmes.

March 13, 2012
by Helen
1 Comment

Weather Control?

I love the odd conspiracy theory.  They make you think about all sorts of outlandish what-ifs.  I vaguely remember someone saying how the Tsunami in Thailand a few years back was actually caused by some military experiment. 

Anyway, it seems weather control is really possible and happening as we speak.  In Abu Dhabi.  So its a little far away to verify! 

According to this article on NaturalNews.com   its seems like rain can be created in the desert.

I wonder how mass use of this kind of technology would alter weather patterns?

 

March 6, 2012
by Helen
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Weekly Finds 4 – 2012

This weeks finds:

H

February 22, 2012
by Helen
0 comments

Weekly Finds 3 – 2012

This weeks finds:

  • Nanotubes to the rescue ! Glasgow’s University of Strathclyde has developed a paint that communicates with wireless signals, sending notifications of potential micro-cracks the structure is experiencing which may cause major future problems. Full article here.
  •  Anybody for a nice fat (probably not!) piece of lab grown steak?  In efforts to save cows and cut down on Green House Gas emissions, a university in the Netherlands is on its way to producing lab grown beef, for burgers specifically.  The project is suspiciously funded by an anonymous fat cat. Full article here.
  • A boy that could never see colours had a device made that allows him to hear colours.  Humans are so inventive! Full article here.
  • I love cats.  And so should everyone really! This article proves it. Full article here.
  • This is truly amazing.  Geneticists at Cambridge University have developed a way to mimic how squids change colour.  Full article here.

Happy Week!