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Natural organic products

country — Wed, 19 May 2010 22:38:25 +0000

Post from: country music videos Natural organic products The intense popularity campaigns run by environmental organizations has increased the exposure of organic products and people’s awareness about them. Organic producers and farmers worldwide now receive assistance from national governments to focus on efficient chemical-free farming. The challenges of green productions are higher, the productivity lower, yet the [...]

It Is Possible To Build Your Own Private Greenhouse – Learn How

James Hill — Mon, 17 May 2010 19:02:05 +0000

Garden greenhouses are a fun way to house your plants, however did you know it is possible to create one yourself? Contemplating these broad set ups it may well seem very unlikely, yet it is possible. To be able to learn to make a greenhouse here are a few procedures you simply must take. The following actions are going to teach you exactly how to develop an attractive, tough greenhouse which you can be proud of.

Where Do Those Cold-blooded Animals Go in Winter?

Garrett McCord — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 10:01:13 +0000

I love a New England winter. With snow falling and wind raging outside, I'm inside with hot chocolate in hand, curled up in my puffy chair, and snug-as-a-bug-in-a-rug. What's that? Is a bug actually snug in a rug? Better not be in my rugs! Bugs and other creatures are outside in the elements, not in my rugs I hope.

So how do cold-blooded creatures cope with this season, anyway? First of all, let's be clear on what, "cold-blooded" means. This is actually an inaccurate and outdated word. We're talking about animals that get their heat from their environment, like amphibians, reptiles, insects and other arthropods, and fish. We call them "ectothermic", meaning literally, "outside heat". These creatures seek out warm places or cooler places in order to stay just the right temperature. The benefit of being ectothermic is food. They don't need to eat nearly as much as mammals and birds who need to fuel that fire within. Going without eating for a few months therefore works for them; winter's cold though is a challenge.

I've compiled a few ectothermic animals and their amazing adaptations for surviving winter. These over-wintering strategies have developed over a long period of time enabling generation after generation to carry on from year to year.

Yellow-jackets and Hornets: During summer months, a whole colony of sterile female workers are busy hunting for insects, raising young and caring for the colony while the queen lays eggs. Toward the end of the season, the queen lays eggs that develop into fertile females and males, who, once mature, mate. The fertilized females are the only ones who over-winter; every other colony member dies. Each female may find a bark crevice, rotten log, or pile of leaves to hide in. These queens single-handedly start a new colony next spring.

Mosquitoes: Mosquitoes from temperate regions have varying winter strategies. The adults of some species die, after leaving cold-hardy eggs that over-winter under ice. When the water warms in spring, the eggs will hatch. In other species, females who have mated in the fall will hibernate in a hollow log, your basement, or other secure place. This location does not have to stay above freezing, as the insect produces glycerol, which infuses its body and acts as a natural anti-freeze. Amazing.

Aquatic Frogs: Aquatic frogs, like leopard frogs, green frogs or American bullfrogs, spend the winter underwater in a low energy state. During this time, they have to breathe through their skin, so they cannot be buried deep in the mud where the oxygen content is low. They need to be where the water still has plenty of oxygen, so incoming streams and rivulets may be good places for them to be.

Terrestrial Frogs (Toads): The American toad is a good digger. It digs itself a deep burrow in which to over-winter below the frost line. Spring peepers and wood frogs cannot dig so well, and find themselves a crevice in which to sleep away the winter. The amazing thing is, the fluid in their bodies can freeze - without doing harm to the animal. Again, a natural antifreeze - glucose - infuses the vital organs, preventing ice crystals from piercing cells and body organs, and dropping the freezing point of water. A partially frozen frog wakes up in the spring none-the-worse for wear.

Snakes: Snakes spend the winter in a rock crevice, animal burrow, or deep hole under a root ball. It is necessary that this den be below frost level. Since there may not be many of these locations, many snakes oftentimes den together. Some garter snakes may number in the hundreds - or thousands - in a single hibernaculum, or winter den. Copperheads, black rat snakes and rattlesnakes commonly den together.

Each organism has a way of coping with winter's challenges. During this time, life is certainly on-the-edge. Cold snaps can be disastrous. Still, amazingly, there are those who survive. The next time you are snuggled in your hibernaculum, think about some of those creatures outside who are awaiting the warming rays of spring sunshine.

About the Author

Nancy Condon is an award-winning Environmental Educator, cross-country canoeist, hike leader, fan of National Parks, and co-founder of NaturePods, Guides for the Nature Traveler. For unique programs to download to your iPod before you travel or explore the outdoors, visit http://www.NaturePods.com

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Attention All Greenies; Do It Yourself Alternative Energy Ideas

Garrett McCord — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 09:51:50 +0000

Alright, so you dont have to be an official greenie to read this or to follow anything on this page, you can also be a greenie in training Its been said since the 1980s and even earlier on that there was a huge hole forming in the ozone from things like methane gases from garbage dumps, animals becoming extinct because of littering, and polar ice caps melting and collapsing piece by piece because of the rising temperatures. Isnt it about time we start saving the place we live in, rather than hurting it even more

You can easily find ways online, to start participating in this process, as well as find tons of information on energy saving tips by using solar and wind generated energy. A few years ago these processes were absolutely unheard of. But through meticulous research and testing, people have finally figured out how we can use solar and wind energy to our advantages. One of the main things you might want to look for online are e-books These types of informational guides include all sorts of interesting information on how to reduce energy costs, and help reduce the amount of energy that is used as well.

Lets take a look at some stats. There are over 7 billion people on earth, granted a lot of these people dont have electricity or tons of technology so lets just look at Americans for now. In 2007 the World Library Fact book stated that there were an estimated 301,139,947 people living in the United States. Now most of us know how we live. Im not even super-techy and I have a ton of gadgets, electronics, and other things that use energy. I know I use up my fair of energy, and I can be as green as I wanna seem, but wasting energy is one of the biggest threats to our society. Im sure we have all heard of the Energy Crisis by now Its one of the reasons gas is so darn expensive nowadays

For those you who dont know exactly what this is; An energy crisis is any great price rise in the supply of energy resources to an economy such as gas. It usually refers to the shortage of oil and additionally to electricity or other natural resources. An energy crisis may be referred to as an oil crisis, petroleum crisis, energy shortage, electricity shortage or electricity crisis. A major crack in the infrastructure is brought on by over consumption.

So how can we, as Americans, reduce the amount of energy we are wasting Well, as stated in the beginning of this article, one way is to use solar power and wind power. I know this is going to sound stupid but just to make a very bold point; Sun doesnt cost money and it doesnt eat up energy, Wind doesnt cost money and it doesnt eat up energy. Makes sense right Thats about as far in as Ill go to try to explain things because from there it can get a little confusing which is one of the main reasons you should take a look at some of the e-books listed below:

Earth 4 Energy - A complete step-by-step guide. This guide will give you steps on how to build your own DIY solar and wind powered generators and its as easy as 1-2-3 This book contains some really terrific additions to make it easy to understand and comprehend, such as step-by-step instructions and illustrations

Make Natural Power - A great All-In-One guide. This book has been chosen among many "green" friendly websites as the number 2 choice of all the books available out there earth 4 energy being number 1. This is another easy to follow guide on how to build your own renewable energy resources.

Home Made Energy - Easy step-by-step methods. Bill Ford is the author of this book and he will teach you a plan that he came up with on how to beat the energy companies at their own dirty games. These energy systems can be implemented into anyones home for just a few dollars.

You can also find many other books available online, some of these e-books are free, some are not. In my experience even if you spend a few bucks on the e-books it usually means they are of higher quality than the ones you might find everyone rummaging around in for free. The books above are well worth the few bucks you might spend on them

About the Author

This author is a HUGE fan of Save on Energy Costs

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Selling your farm products at a farmers market

heybert00 — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:32:52 +0000

Post from: country music videos Selling your farm products at a farmers market Farmers markets are perfect for direct marketing. Consider selling at any farmers market within one hours driving time. Your State Department of Agriculture should have a list of markets. The biggest advantage of selling at a farmers market, is that you’ll find lots [...]

Installing Hydrogen Boost Unit To Cars Can Double Gas Mileage

heybert00 — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:08:07 +0000

Post from: country music videos Installing Hydrogen Boost Unit To Cars Can Double Gas Mileage By Carol Anders Staff Writer PLYMOUTH — Tim Bope enjoys the quality of life he has on his rural property about four miles from Tyner. To help make sure future generations can prosper as well, he spends his days seeking ways [...]

12 Ways To Sell Your Niche Farm Products To Hungry Customers

heybert00 — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 19:39:28 +0000

Post from: country music videos 12 Ways To Sell Your Niche Farm Products To Hungry Customers There are a multitude of methods by which you can sell what your farm produces. Let’s take a quick look at some of these. The first eight listed here are direct marketing opportunities; the others may involve [...]

Growing Niche Crops On The Small Farm For Profit

George Mole — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:15:40 +0000

Post from: country music videos Growing Niche Crops On The Small Farm For Profit Small farmers should raise crops and livestock for niche markets. This means relying on alternative crops and livestock, or alternative marketing, rather than the traditional types of farming the universities promote. While universities will claim that their research is size [...]

Understanding Recycling

Joseph Then — Sun, 25 May 2008 19:42:50 +0000

You've probably heard it a hundred times that the world is suffering global warming. Of course, this is true. Even if you have not heard about it, you must have realised it due to the increasing temperature. Living in the tropical part of the world, I certainly can feel the heat. Wonder how you can help the environment? Easy, by recycling of course!

Recycled Checks – Helping the Earth

Alan Plastin — Fri, 16 May 2008 04:00:37 +0000

With so much emphasis on taking care of our earth these days, we are always on the lookout for little ways to make a difference. Something that may not readily pop into mind is ordering recycled personal checks. We all need checks. But by purchasing personal checks we take care of that necessity while also taking care of our environment.

Environmental products in the home:

Garrett McCord — Mon, 12 May 2008 20:18:33 +0000

Using Environmental Products:
The origins of personal cleanliness date back to prehistoric times. Our early ancestors lived near water, and understood the basic cleansing properties of it. That is to say, they at least realized that water would rinse dirt and mud from their skin. The earliest evidence of a soap-like material was found in ancient ruins of Babylon and date back to about 2800 B.C.
According to an ancient Roman legend, soap got its name from Mount Sapo, a place where animals were sacrificed. Rain would wash a mixture of melted animal fat, or tallow, and wood ashes down into the clay soil along the Tiber River. Women discovered this clay mixture and found it made their wash cleaner with much less effort.
The soap making process developed over the centuries but remained essentially the same, and natural, until 1916. In response to a World War 1-related shortage of fats for making soap, Germany developed the first synthetic detergent. The chemistry improved over the years, and the major breakthrough in development of detergents came in 1946 in the U.S., when the first built detergent (containing a surfactant/builder combination) was introduced to the market as an all-purpose laundry wash. By 1953 sales of detergents in the U.S. surpassed those of soap. The availability and lower cost of synthetic detergents has resulted in the use of these chemicals replacing natural ingredients in many of the home and personal care products you use every day.
The average adult uses nine personal care products a day, containing a grand total of 126 chemical ingredients. There are roughly 10,500 chemical ingredients (many of them with little or no testing) stirred into the personal care products that line shelves. Each day, we slather and bathe our bodies in these chemicals, will little concept of the effect they will have on our future health. Equally as frightening is the toxic brew of chemicals found in many of todays household cleaners. Glancing at the labels on these products, and you will often see a long list of chemical names you cant even pronounce. Yet every day, people spray or wipe these products on the surfaces we prepare food on, our windows, or even mist into the air to eliminate foul odors.
There are alternatives today. Thanks in a large part to the green consumer, willing to pay a premium for environmental products, an ever growing line of environmentally friendly products has been introduced to the marketplace. These environmental products are becoming increasingly easy to find and relatively inexpensive. There is also an abundance of information on the internet about how to make your own natural and chemical free cleaners and personal care products. Everything from soaps, shampoos and skin lotions, along with non-toxic, natural cleaning agents can be made right in your own kitchen with simple every day items.
As environmental awareness continues to grow, there are sure to be more and more new products developed without all of the toxic chemical ingredients found in todays items. It is often said that the consumer votes with their pocket book. By choosing to purchase only environmentally friendly products, the public is driving down prices, and forcing the large corporations to introduce their own lines of environmental products to meet the growing market. The effects of synthetic chemicals on humans are probably more understood today that at any other point in our history. While there is still much research to be done, we are beginning to realize that making environmental choices now can have long term benefits.

About the Author

Craig Wallace is author of this article on Environmental Products in the Home.
Find more information about Environmental Products in the Home here.

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Truth Behind Dinosaur Fossils

Garrett McCord — Tue, 06 May 2008 14:07:40 +0000

Paleontology is the branch of biology that studies the forms of life that existed in the past geologic periods and eras, mainly by studying and scrutinizing of its remains, the fossils. Basically, fossils are those what is left and remnants of a dead animal or a plant that can be seen these days that has been ingenuously planted on rocks and other form of hard earthly surfaces.

Although, of course, it doesn't mean that the said "remains" are the real skeletons or the actual plant rather fossils can be a petrified product of the original and also be the imprints like footprints. Fossils are believed and considered to have been submerged on water before, for the reason of the belief of that the remains of animal or plant was first covered by a soft soil and after some times layers of it gathered on it, hardened, solidify and then were pressed on together by natural processes. The water that is made up of minerals goes through the layers and changed the plant or animal relics into a rock like appearance and features.

The most intriguing kinds are the dinosaur fossils. The name dinosaur is a derived word from Latin terms: deinos, which means, "Great;" sauros for "lizard;" and fossils meaning "dug up." Literally, it means "great lizard that was dug up." The occurrence of these things is not new to us anymore.

In fact, people have been finding dinosaur fossils for almost thousands of years. The very fist recorded finding of the existence of dinosaurs is most of it in England, through a British fossil finder named as William Buckland. It was in the year 1819 when he exposed his findings of Megalosaurus Bucklandii (Buckland's Giant Lizard) from England.

In the year1824, his discovery was named after him. However, earlier than this, Reverend Plot had discovered a very large femur bone during the year 1676 also in England. After careful studies, authorities imply that it may in fact have belonged to a dinosaur. Nevertheless, because there were past discoveries of enormous human skeletal remains that may range from 8 feet to 12 feet-tall many assumed that the discovery might have belonged to a very tall, almost a giant like human. However, during the year 1838, the entire dinosaur fossil was seen at New Jersey, USA by William Parker Foulke.

Out of curiosity, many people would hollow out information about the presence and occurrence of dinosaurs way back early times and this helped them become aware of their existence so the next fossil discovery was given enough attention. Also, dinosaur fossils were believed to be millions of years old, which were based on its geologic column, which dates fossils based on the rock's type, appearance, and formation where they are found.

These fossils are located all through the earth's sedimentary layers. Almost 95.0% of all earth's fossil recorded comes from the remains of marine invertebrates, 4.74% are from plants and estimate of 0.25% are land invertebrates and 0.0125% are a vertebrate. Among those vertebrates, the majority comes from fishes. Furthermore, those 95% vertebrates are found to have only one bone or less.

Through these dinosaur fossils, people of modern days are able to recognize that there are animals living here on earth even before the existence of the first man. This, in one way or another made us realize the importance of animals consequently believing that modern animals should be preserved as much as possible. These "leftovers" also give us a picture of what the earth looks like before now.

About the Author

For more information on Dinosaur Fossils please visit our website.

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Going Nuts Over Soap Nuts

Garrett McCord — Tue, 06 May 2008 05:42:05 +0000

The world is going green and numerous campaigns are aiming at promoting the use of environmentally friendly and biodegradable materials for our daily needs. A lot is being spoken about soap nuts. Unlike the name suggests, soap nuts are neither soap nor nuts. They are closer to being berries whose shells are useful to us and are sometimes referred to as soap berries.

What are soap nuts?

A soap nut is the common term for fruit of the Sapindus/ Ritha tree which grows well in warm, clement and sultry regions. Soap nuts are widely grown in India, Nepal and other South Asian countries. Sapindus trifoliatus and Sapindus mukorossi are the two most common varieties of soap nuts, the former being small in size and the latter the more commonly used and larger sized variety.

A soap nut is a tiny fruit which feels waxy to the touch and is covered by a solid outer casing. It is this hard outer shell that is most sought after and is used in the various soap nut products that are now gaining popularity. The soap nuts ripen like any other fruit and fall from the trees. They are then collected by the harvesters and the outer shells are removed and separated from the fruit inside. The shell of the soap nuts are then dried in a natural manner by placing them under the sun, thereby eliminating the need to use any harmful chemicals.

The unique ingredient of a soap nut shell that makes it very useful is what are called saponins. Soap nuts hold 12% saponins which are used in many commercial detergents and have natural detergent properties. These saponins are released when the soap nut shells come into contact with water and are, therefore, a great alternative to commonly used washing powders and chemical detergents. They are especially used in washing garments made of wool and silk due to the delicate nature of the fabrics. They are an all natural and environmentally friendly means of washing clothes, and do not damage clothes, as they contain no harmful chemicals.

Some other uses of soap Nuts

Soap nuts are also used in the preparation of soaps, shampoos, lotions, skin cleansing creams, products for pets and in ayurvedic medicine preparations. Sapindus mukorossi, the larger variety of soap nuts, is a part of many medical ayurvedic formulations and featured in the list of herbs and minerals used in Ayurveda. They can been used in the treatment of extreme salivation in pets, epilepsy, migraines, psoriasis, getting rid of freckles, eczema and chlorosis. Soap nuts are also used as emetics, contraceptives and expectorants. In addition, soap nuts are an excellent way to get rid of lice that may be present in the scalp due to their insecticidal properties. Soap nuts also have anti-microbial properties that make them invaluable for greywater and septic systems. It is common to find jewelers in Indonesia and India who use soap nuts as a means to remove tarnish from precious metals such as silver.

Some advantages of using soap nuts are:

Soap nuts are a biodegradable and renewable resources that can be added to your compost once you are done using them.

Soap nuts do not cause any allergies, making them safe for pets and even babies. They are especially great for people with allergies such as dermatitis and other skin irritations that occur due to the chemicals used in detergents and laundry powders. Clothes washed using soap nuts do not cause any irritation or allergies to the skin.

Soap nuts do not contain chemicals or bleaches which translates to retention of colors on your fabrics and therefore no fading of colors on clothes.

Soap nuts are a good option from a financial point of view. They are cheaper than other detergent brands that you commonly use. Nearly 400 loads of clothes can be washed using a kilo of soap nuts, thereby saving you 20 to 50% of your laundry costs. Also, a rinse cycle is not necessary with soap nuts. This helps reduce your water consumption and save on your utilities bill.

There is no need to use fabric softeners when laundry is done using soap nuts, cutting costs even more.

About the Author

http://Stores.HotterThanHealth.com http://www.BuySoapNuts.com

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Save The Planet Songs & Video – Introduction To Global Warming

Garrett McCord — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 18:43:29 +0000

Global warming simply means the presence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere beyond the permissible limits. The overabundance of carbon dioxide that is present in the atmosphere will capture the heat from the rays of the sun and form a blanket that is warming our planet Earth. By definition, Global Warming is the increase in average temperature that gradually warms the Earth's atmosphere. It is a phenomenon, which has been on the rise but in the last century, the increase in the levels have been alarming.

It has been proven that our planet Earth is the only planet that we know of in our solar system capable of sustaining life. Humans and animals need oxygen and of course water to survive. Slowly but surely we are destroying not only the air we breathe, but also our water supply. Without water and oxygen, all life forms on Earth would perish.

The average temperature of the atmosphere has risen by 0.74 - 0.18oC during the last century. According to the study by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), it is observed that the increase in global average temperature has been caused due to an increase in greenhouse gas concentrations. This has led to an unprecedented warming of the Earth's surface.

We are polluting our water supply and causing our fish to die because humans are putting chemicals, litter, old tires, and garbage in our waterways. Our ozone layer protects us from the heat and radiation given off by our sun. The more factories and vehicles that are on the road, the more we are breaking down our ozone layer. Because of the damage we have already done to the ozone layer, we are already feeling the effects of the damage and are experiencing global warming. The earth's temperature is increasing and unless we protect our planet, we will continue to destroy it. Unfortunately there's only one Earth and if we destroy it, then we'll ultimately destroy ourselves.

The major source for this rising global warming situation is the human beings living in this planet and it is up to us humans to concentrate on the features that will help to reduce the effect of global warming or will alleviate the occurrence of global warming on our planet. The combating of this dilemma called global warming can be carried out by concentrating on these few points:

- Conserve energy - There are so many ways in which you can conserve energy like turning off appliances that are not in use; pooling of cars to go for office or function; using energy efficient lamps; not using appliances that release chlorofluorocarbons(CFC); planting more trees etc.

- Cut on the work hours - This will help save energy and if this is practiced by all the working professionals all over the world, then millions of energy can be saved, which will lead to stopping global warming.

- Recycled products - Use products that have fewer microns which will help in the increase of pollution that will lead to increase in the global warming.

- Environment friendly fuels and vehicles - Although it may be a bit expensive, but will not contribute to polluting the environment.

- Natural Energy - Usage of solar energy, wind power or water energy to generate electricity for homes and offices.

While debates and conferences around the world are occurring to address this alarming global warming issue, another effective method to spread this save the planet message is none other than through songs. Such Go Green and Global Warming songs have since hit the music industries with a subtle approach.

About the Author

Welcome To Save The Planet Song and Video by Michael Droste and Jeffrey Walker. Buy Local Recycling products and learn more about green home improvement. Get your save the planet songs here.

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Rice Shortage A Global Crisis In The Making

heybert00 — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:11:47 +0000

Post from: country music videos Rice Shortage A Global Crisis In The Making Increasing global demand for food, speculation in commodities and rising fuel prices has led to a near doubling of the price of rice around the world. As nations like China and India demand more of the precious grain, speculators continue to run the [...]

Interview With Bobby Mote 2007 PRCA Bareback Riding World Champion

heybert00 — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 21:28:44 +0000

Post from: country music videos Interview With Bobby Mote 2007 PRCA Bareback Riding World Champion Country-Yall.com contacted The 2007 PRCA World Bareback Champion, to ask him a few questions about what it takes to be a champion in the ultra-competitive world of professional rodeo. Bobby and his wife Kate, live with their 3 children Charlie, Trey, and Laura [...]

Why We Don’t Want To Recycle

heybert00 — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 15:13:14 +0000

Post from: country music videos Why We Don’t Want To Recycle After watching The National Geographic Channel’s latest guiltfest last night, it made me think about the real reason that many in the USA do not recycle. Last night’s program hosted by Elizabeth Vargas attempts to make you feel bad for having a great life. Oh the horror! [...]

Organic Poultry Is Hot At Specialty And Upscale Markets

heybert00 — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 02:16:03 +0000

Post from: country music videos Organic Poultry Is Hot At Specialty And Upscale Markets Eggs and poultry are now among the fastest growing organic food products in the U.S., despite high feed costs and other challenges in production and marketing. Industry analysts estimate that organic poultry and egg sales reached $161 million each in 2005. Although organic [...]

Biodiesel – The Facts On What Is Going On

Garrett McCord — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 05:13:42 +0000

Any fuel made to drive a diesel engine is called diesel fuel. Most people are familiar with petrodiesel, and don't even bother to add the prefix. But advances in physical and chemical biomass conversion and processing have made the term biodiesel a term that may not yet be commonplace but has probably been heard by most adults in developed nations. The usual sources for biodiesel are oils and fats, which are mixed with a solution of methanol that contains sodium hydroxide (lye, an extremely caustic substance). Amazingly, the eponymous Rudolf Diesel demonstrated biodiesel at the 1900 Paris World Exposition using an engine that ran on peanut oil. Gasoline engines rely on a spark to fire, and can be quite finicky about fuel, but diesel engines depend on high cylinder compression to heat and ignite the air/fuel mix, so many modern diesel engines can run on 100 percent biodiesel and others can run on petro-bio mixes. That's good news for the air: according to the Department of Energy, pure biodiesel emits 75 percent less CO2 than petrodiesel, and mixes by anywhere between 75 and 15 percent.

There are many potential biomass sources for making biodiesel. For example, the Industrial Agricultural Products Center, which is part of the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, recognized that its home state leads the nation in commercial cattle slaughter. That process yields not only the steaks and burgers in your grocery store but also 1 billion pounds a year of tallow. Accordingly, the IAPC has developed a biodiesel that makes use of this largely unused material.

Food industry giant Perdue Incorporated (the chicken people) actually formed a BioEnergy group dedicated to biofuels. Oddly enough, Perdue is the twelfth-largest grain company in the United States and has three soybean crushing plants and a deepwater port, so the company works with biodiesel and ethanol producers to make feedstock (any raw material fed into an industrial process in this case, for generating power).

Another food industry heavyweight, Tyson Foods, produces more leftover animal fat (from chickens, cattle, and hogs) than any other company in the U.S. The company recently announced a renewable energy division of its own to put to use the 2.3 billions pounds of chicken fat they create each year. That could make around 300 million gallons of pure biodiesel, or go into the most popular petro-bio mix, a B20 fuel 80 percent petrodiesel, and 20 percent biodiesel. Americans use almost 40 billion gallons of diesel a year.

Biodiesel currently has a good news/bad news story. The good news is that it exists, it works, and it's getting easier: in 2000 there were 88 plants in the U.S. producing 250 million gallons of biodiesel. The bad news is that most of the biodiesel (and other biofuels) comes not from industry leftover but from energy crops such as soybeans, which require significant farm acreage that could otherwise be used to produce vegetables and grains for human consumption.

The Defense Energy Support Center, which handles securing fuel for the Depart of Defense, is the single-largest consumer in the U.S. of biodiesel (5.2 million gallons in 2003-2004; more recent figures are unavailable). The U.S. began using B20 in its non-tactical vehicles in 2003. The military consumes between 120 and 145 million barrels of oil in a single year; according to the Department of Defense, every $10 increase in the price per barrel of oil means another $1.3 billion the military needs to keep its fleets operational.

About the Author

Alternative Energy HQ provides quality information and tips on energy in the modern age including a free ebook on Alternative Energy.

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How to Camp and Enjoy Nature

Garrett McCord — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 02:13:17 +0000

Camping is fun, recreational, and a great way to spend time with your family. Since we are always indoors, camping is a great way to get back outdoors and stay healthy. Recent studies show that we are becoming ill more often because we are spending more and more time indoors. Companies are seeking ways to plant plants and other outdoor nature inside office buildings so their employees do not get sick.

Some people camp almost entirely indoors, but how can you enjoy the nature surrounding you if you are inside? Get outdoors, bring your family camping and enjoy the nature. Enjoy the outdoors.

Nature Walks -

Going on a nature walk while you are camping is a perfect way to explore the world around you and enjoy the outdoors. Make sure you are camping on a site that has a well traveled trail so you can go on a nature walk safely without getting lost.

Before you decide to go on a nature walk you will need to be prepared, even if it is just a ten minute walk. Everyone will need to be dressed well, covering everything as much as possible. This will reduce the amount of bug bites you get and the possibility of bringing a tic back. Bug spray will also help. Sneakers or boots are best - no sandals or other shoes that allow your ankles or feet to stick out.

Bring a book guide with you for nature walks so you can identify what you find. This will be fun for the whole family. You should be able to find a wide variety of flowers, plants, trees, frogs, bugs, slugs (kids love these), deer beds, and maybe even more!

You might want to also take along some binoculars for bird and animal watching, a camera to take pictures of anything you find interesting! A backpack is ideal for carrying everything that you would need on a nature walk. Some even find that taking a digital recorder works well to record those wondrous sights of nature.

When traveling along a nature trail, it is always wise to use the buddy system. This makes sure that no one is lost or left behind. This works well in all camping situations when someone could accidentally get lost or left behind. This also works well in other situations involving camping. Hiking on nature trails are ideal for the buddy system whether it is a family or a small group of people.

Camping in General -

When camping outside, it is best to be prepared with all that you will need for a camping expedition. This includes tents and sleeping bags, food and cookware, a source of water, flint for making fires, sand to put them out. You will also need any medicine that is taken, bug repellant and all other equipment that will be needed to make your campsite a safe one. Safety should always be priority one for anyone camping in the outdoors.
When camping, make your site near a stream or very close to traveled paths. This will help you in the event that you do become lost. You can be located much faster this way, than if you were camped off the beaten path.

Camping is a fun vacation and memories of sitting around the campfire toasting marshmallows and singing songs is a way to ensure pleasant memories. It is also a good way to get back in touch with nature.

A word of caution when it comes to wild animals: Don't go anywhere near them or feed them. Keep all food enclosed in animal proof containers. Many a camper has been injured by either blundering into a wild animal's territory, or feeding the animals. In the last case, they are mauled when the animals turn on them. If you blunder into a wild animal's territory, back away very slowly and make no sudden moves. A sudden move can cause say a snake to strike you. Look under logs and watch where you put your feet. This will help you avoid a wild animal problem when camping.

By taking this all into consideration, your camping trip and enjoyment of nature should go off without a hitch. Nature is full of splendor and wonder. She should be enjoyed in all her natural beauty. This is also a perfect way to bond with family and friends. The memories of a camping trip do last a lifetime, and can be told as stories to other generations.

About the Author

William "Cole" Doggett is a knife expert and owns an Internet knife shop, Knife Supply Company, LLC at http://www.KnifeSupplyCompany.com. His website is devoted to all things Pocket Knife and Discount Camping Supplies. Stop by!

Article Source: Content for Reprint

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