Using Recycled Timber: Reclaimed Lumber is Good For Your Home, and the Environment

 

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Recycled timber might just be the best thing for your latest project, it’s good for your home adding a little traditional style and history, it’s good for the environment . . . (no trees were harmed during the building of this closet) . . . and it can also be good for the pocket. Talk about a win, win situation – this one could be win, win, win.

Recycled timber doesn’t have to be left all rustic and rural, it can be milled to make it look brand new if you prefer, it really makes no difference ‘cos it’s the same stuff. It can even become a little addictive – there’s something very satisfying about finding just the right type of recycled timber for your latest project, and conversely finding a nice bit of wood and deciding on how it should best be utilized is pretty satisfying too – even if it is only to prop open the kitchen door until you think of something a little more appropriate.

  • Sourcing Recycled Timber – Probably the cheapest and best way to get your recycled timber is to head straight to the source – demolition sites are a great place to start. You’ll probably be able to hunt around for whatever you want and pay a very small price, they might even let you take it away for nothing as it means they won’t have to deal with it themselves.
  • Recycled Timber – Get As Much As You Need – if you’re planning on using recycled timber for a pretty large project in your home, like decking or flooring, then it’s important that you can get hold of enough of the stuff in one go, ‘cos it’ll be pretty difficult to match if you don’t. You not only need to match the type of lumber, but also the color and the grain – it’ll be pretty obvious if half of the floor is one type of recycled timber and the other half is different and could really spoil the whole effect of the room.
  • Choose Unpainted Recycled Timber – you might be tempted to buy reclaimed lumber which has been painted or treated in some way, and then simply sand off the paint. Okay, sounds easy enough, but it’s not ideal. The best recycled timber you can use is unpainted, old paints contained lead and other dangerous stuff which doesn’t stay in the surface coat of the paint but can penetrate beneath into the timber itself and even become airborne. If you can use recycled timber which has never been painted you’re gonna’ save yourself a whole load of time and trouble.
  • Know Your Wood – some recycled timber lends itself perfectly for some projects, much better than other types of wood. It really helps if you know the difference between the types of wood and what they’re good for. Some types of reclaimed lumber make great floors and decking, others are better for other projects. Know your wood, and if you don’t then make sure that you source your recycled timber somewhere where somebody can help you.
  • Acclimatize Your Timber - before you use your recycled timber, make sure that you clean it up and place it in the room where it will be eventually used . . . for a good amount of time too. The moisture within the air of the room will cause the timber to crack, warp, bend and move. It you leave your recycled lumber to do all of its cracking, warping, bending and moving before you try to shape it into something creative, it will help to prevent it from doing it later on and causing problems.

Using recycled timber really can be friendly on your pocket, add something unique and traditional to your home – and you’ll be able to sleep soundly at night secure in the knowlege that you haven’t contributed to deforestation of the planet – and that’s a good thing for everybody.

A – - – MA – - – ZING . . .

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Nickel and dime

A nickel is worth five cents, or 5 pennies. You can count nickels by counting by fives. A nickel is fairly easy to identify because of its thickness, and the dime because of its size. The penny is the only coin of usual thickness with a smooth edge.

A nickel is a coin in currency, 2mm thick, with a diameter of 21mm. Using trigonometry, the topple heights are .094mm and 21.095mm — it doesn’t take much energy to knock an nickel off edge. A nickel is silver and larger than a penny. Nickels are worth 5 cents or 5 pennies.

A dime is dropped in the glass, and a half dollar is placed above it. The object of this exercise is to remove the dime without touching the half dollar. A dime is placed in a wine bottle. A cork is then inserted. A dime is huge! The expression is ‘Don’t nickel and dime me’. That means don’t be a ‘nickel nose’. That means don’t be cheap! Don’t be greedy!

Some lenders are offering great deals on their Online Savings Accounts on all new money deposited from a particular period. Old money typically earns less. There are also online-only savings accounts. By operating exclusively online, some have less overhead and paperwork, so they can pass on more savings to you with some of the best rates around.

Many lenders offer online savings for every state and citizen in United States. Some give free checks, free outgoing wire transfers, one free overdraft/NSF waiever per year and a reward debit card. Now with a high-yield savings account connected to the free checking, there’s another nice perk. You’re not getting ‘Nickel and dimed’.

Fees are payable if a term deposit is repaid prior to maturity. Plug in your own numbers to see if the net gain is worth your time to move your money over! Fees may reduce earnings. There are also minimum balances to open Online Savings or checking accounts. Some lenders have percentage tiers, depending upon the amount you keep in your accounts. It pays to save your coins — put them in a jar and forget about them until the jar is full. Then take it to your bank and deposit it into your savings account. This is great for children’s savings: watch their account skyrocket!

Cardboard

Cardboard is also known as ‘corrugated paper’ and it originated in China during the 15th century. It wasn’t until several hundred years later that the first commercial cardboard box was created in England in 1817. Cardboard is collected separately for purposes of recycling.

Cardboard is an inexpensive material: it holds its shape and is also easy to fold. Cardboard is picked up by the building service technicians and carried outside to the dumpster areas unless it is raining, then the solid-waste handling crew picks up the cardboard the next day. Cardboard is bailed at the Recycling Center and loaded onto the trailer with the paper. Cardboard is separated by a star screen separator that utilizes large rubber stars mounted on shafts. These shafts spin the stars.

Cardboard is made from unbleached pulp that is thicker than writing paper, and when one piece of cardboard is crimped and glued to two flat pieces, it becomes corrugated paper for boxes. Cardboard is an inexpensive material that can be used to build things on a set, accent a set or makes great playthings for children. Often free, cardboard can be a great way to add to your set.

Cardboard is made of cellulose fibres, generally from wood pulp. To recycle cardboard it is first soaked in water and agitated to release the fibres, turning them back into pulp. Have suppliers use plastic totes for transporting inside the plant. Cardboard is used in many different areas and in everything from boxes to coffee cups/warmers. Cardboard is easily broken down and reused in many different forms for easy reuse and recycling. it is also the easiest material to work with. Cardboard is finally coming to life, this informational site is just the beginning. Cardboard will be available for presentations at schools, churches, and parent groups.

Shredders are machiones used to convert papers into miniscule sizes, or shred them, so that they cannot be reconfigured into any logical or cohesive manner. Shredding is often performed for confidential and sensitive information, financial information, private pictures, and the like. You can purchase a shredding machine at virtually any office-type store. Shredders are not very expensive, either, but they take some time to set up and use.

Stoves

A stove is just an inefficient electrical circuit that releases its energy in the form of heat. Stoves are frequently enameled in a variety of colors and some are covered with marble or stone. Steel-plate stoves are generally made of 3/16- to 1/4-inch thick plates cut and stamped to shape. Stoves are then dismantled. The body is sandblasted and painted black to ease future maintenance and cleaning.
Electric and gas stoves and ovens distribute heat evenly and allow for more precise cooking and temperature regulation. This was simply not possible with antique kitchen stoves that used wood or charcoal to generate heat.

Camping stoves operate with propane gas stoves and are best transported in mobile homes or cars. Small camping stoves consist of the actual burner plus cartridge while propane gas stoves additionally have a hose, a regulator and the gas cylinder. Camping stoves are convenient for multiple needs, ranging from camping to backyard cookouts or a back-up stove for times when cooking indoors is not possible. A camping stove allows you to cook virtually any food you might need. Camp Stoves are a great addition for Tailgating parties. It is a way to have an open flame that is regulated and controlled.

Cost and overall heat production is something that we all must think about. The dryer the wood the hotter. Cost is also a nice factor when considering the advantages of pellet stoves. A 40-pound bag of pellets sells for around five dollars and can be even less in bulk purchases.

The stove contains a lot of hollow spaces for insulation and becomes a light-mass stove. The side and the back walls are built as double walls, filled with ash for insulation which enables the fire box to heat up quickly. Designers must also make stoves work efficiently with a multitude of fuel types that are used by consumers in rural areas and villages, including twigs, wood chunks, coal and agricultural wastes. Some places, for example, use waste chilli and aubergine plants, and the dried branches of the babul tree.

Cast iron is slightly more brittle than steel and generally more expensive. Cast iron stove manufacturers cite their stoves’ abilities to heat up and cool down more quickly as a benefit. This can be especially nice in the spring and fall when days are still warm, but nights quickly turn chilly. Cast iron is going to heat up and cool down more quickly than soapstone due to its natural properties and is more responsive than soapstone. And, the point of lighting the fire to quickly warm up, not to wait to warm up.

Electrical heating coils or infrared halogen lamps are used as heating elements. Because of its physical characteristics, the cooktop heats quicker, there is less afterheat, and only the plate heats up while the adjacent surface remains cool. Electricity doesn’t have that drawback. I choose electric over gas for that reason alone. Electric fireplaces are designed to be plug-and-play appliances, much like a stereo or a television. Simply turn them off and on as needed, and enjoy them when the mood hits!

Shrinkwrap is a needy creature because it clings!

Everywhere, the shininess of new plastic. But shrinkwrap is not acceptable as the only packaging method for hardback books thicker than 1 inch or heavier than 1 pound. Shrinkwrap is now available in three colors to suit the climate. Blue absorbs heat, which allows ice and snow to slide off of it.

Shrinkwrap is the take-it-or-leave it model of software development. You develop software, wrap it in plastic, and customers either buy it, or they don’t. Shrinkwrap is for the designers that only want to be designers. If you would like to offer great web design and development to your clients without the hassle of understanding browser compatibility, then Shrinkwrap is for you! Shrinkwrap is often an option, but then it usually gets vetoed by sales departments. After all, who wants to buy a book they can

Calif water districts

Adams Ranch Mutual Water Company
Amarillo Mutual Water Company
Anaheim, City of
Arcadia, City of
Azusa Light & Water (Three Valleys)
Azusa Light & Water (Upper San Gabriel)
Bell Gardens, City of
Bellflower-Somerset Mutual Water Company
Bellflower Home & Garden Water Company
Berylwood Heights
Beverly Hills, City of
Boy Scouts of America
Brandeis
Brea, City of
Buena Park, City of
Burbank Water and Power
Butler Ranch
CA Water Service (Central Basin)
CA Water Service (Dominguez)
CA Water Service (Hermosa / Redondo Beach)
CA Water Service (Palos Verdes)
CA Water Service (Westlake)
California Amercian Water Co (LA Division)
California Amercian Water Co (Newbury Park)
California American Water Co (Duarte System and San Marino)
California Domestic Water Company
California State Polytechnic Univeristy
Camarillo, City of
Camrosa Water District
Carlsbad Municipal Water District
Cerritos, City of
Champion Mutual Water Company
Channel Islands Beach Community Services District
Chino Hills, City of
Chino, City of
Commerce, City of
Compton, City of
Corona, City of
Covina Irrigating Company
Covina, City of (Three Valleys)
Covina, City of (Upper San Gabriel)
Crescenta Valley Water District
Crestview Mutual Water Company
Cucamonga Valley Water District
Del Mar, City of
Del Rio Mutual Water Company
Department of Public Works
Downey, City of
East Orange County WD
East Pasadena Water Co., Ltd.
Eastern Municipal Water District
El Monte, City of
El Segundo, City of
El Toro Water District
Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District
Elsinore Water District
Escondido, City of
Fallbrook Public Utility District
Fontana Water District
Fountain Valley, City of
Fullerton, City of
Garden Grove, City of
Glendale, City of
Glendora, City of (Three Valleys)
Glendora, City of (Upper San Gabriel)
Golden State Water (Central Basin)
Golden State Water (Culver City)
Golden State Water (Orange County)
Golden State Water (San Dimas)
Golden State Water (Simi Valley)
Golden State Water (Three Valleys)
Golden State Water (Upper San Gabriel)
Golden State Water (West Basin)
Hawthorne, City of
Helix Water District
Hemet, City of
Hemlock Mutual Water Company
Home Gardens Company Water District
Huntington Beach, City of
Huntington Park, City of
Industry Public Works
Inglewood, City of
Irvine Ranch Water District
Jurupa Community Services District
Kinneloa Irrigation District
La Canada Irrigation District
La Habra Heights, City of
La Habra, City of
La Palma, City of
La Puente Valley County Water District
La Verne, City of
Laguna Beach County Water District
Lake Hemet Municipal Water District
Lake Sherwood Community Services District
Lakeside Water District
Lakewood, City of
Lanterman Development Center
Las Flores Water Company
Las Virgenes Municipal Water District
Lazy H Mutual Water Company
Lee Lake Water District
Lincoln Avenue Water Company
Lomita, City of
Long Beach
Los Angeles County Waterworks
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
Lynwood, City of
Manhattan Beach, City of
Maywood Mutual Water Company #1
Maywood Mutual Water Company #2
Maywood Mutual Water Company #3
Mesa Consolidated Water District
Mesa Crest Water Company
Midland Water Trust
Monrovia, City of
Monte Vista Water District
Montebello Land and Water Company
Montebello, City of
Moulton Niguel Water District
Mount San Antonio Jr. College
My Agency is not listed
NAVFAC Southwest
Newbury Park Academy
Newport Beach, City of
Norwalk, City of
Nuevo Water District
Oak Park Water Service
Oceanside, City of
Olivenhain Municipal Water District
Ontario, City of
Orange, City of
Orchard Dale Water District
Otay Water District
Oxnard, City of
Padre Dam Municipal Water District
Paramount, City of
Park Water Company
Pasadena Water and Power
Peerless Water Company
Pendleton Military Reservation
Perris, City of
Pico Rivera, City of
Pico Water District
Pleasant Valley
Pomona, City of
Port Hueneme
Poway, City of
Rainbow Municipal Water District
Ramona Municipal Water District
Rancho California Water District
Reliant Energy
Rincon Del Diablo Municipal Water District
Rowland Water District
Rubidoux Community Services District
Rubio Canon Land & Water Association
Rurban Homes Mutual Water Company
San Antonio Water Company
San Clemente, City of
San Diego, City of
San Dieguito Water District
San Fernando
San Gabriel County Water District
San Gabriel Valley Water Company
San Gabriel Water Company
San Jacinto, City of
San Juan Capistrano, City of
San Marino, City of
Santa Ana, City of
Santa Fe Irrigation District
Santa Fe Springs, City of
Santa Margarita Water District
Santa Monica
Seal Beach, City of
Serrano Water District
Signal Hill, City of
Simi Valley, City of
Solano Verde
South Coast Water District
South Gate, City of
South Pasadena, City of
Sterling Mutual Water Company
Suburban Water Systems (Central Basin)
Suburban Water Systems (Three Valleys)
Suburban Water Systems (Upper San Gabriel)
Sunny Slope Water Company
Sweetwater Authority
The Farm Mutual Water Company
Thousand Oaks, City of
Torrance, City of
Trabuco Canyon Water District
Tract 180 Mutual Water Company
Tract 349 Mutual Water Company
Tustin, City of
Upland, City of
Valencia Heights Water Company
Vallecitos Water District
Valley Center Municipal Water District
Valley County Water District
Valley View Mutual Water Company
Valley Water Company
Ventura County Water Works
Vernon, City of
Vista Irrigation District
Walnut Park Mutual Water Company
Walnut Valley Water District
Water Facilities Authority
Western Municipal Water District
Westminster, City of
Whittier, City of (Central Basin)
Whittier, City of (Upper San Gabriel)
Yorba Linda Water District
Yuima Municipal Water District
Zone Mutual Water Company

Human Power: The Most Neglected Power Source

How To Hook A 7 Year Old Up To A DC Power Inverter

As much fun as that sounds like, it is probably against some random child labor laws to hook a 7 year old to a DC power inverter. But all of that energy comes from somewhere, and it has to go somewhere, or the 7 year old will literally burst into flames. As adults, we spend most of our awake time wondering why we feel tired and run down, while our children go 500 miles per hour from task to task like rabid butterflies. In the interests of the environment and being eco-friendly and Green, let’s start taking more of a child’s approach to life instead of being the chronically worn-out adults.
Let’s face it. It takes a lot more energy to be lazy adults than it does to be active children. Air conditioning, television, restaurants, dishwashers, clothes dryers, and even the electric can opener are here to reinforce our slothful behavior. Instead of coming home after work and throwing yourself down on the Barca-lounger and ordering take out, get those bones outside and play in your yard for a while. Grill some dogs outside, throw a frisbee with your kids, or just read a book on the back porch while watching the local wildlife play in the bird bath. Children, those little monsters, actually like it when adults pay attention to them, and when you pay attention to your children, they tend to turn out as better adults. Rather than drag them inside and turn them into T.V.-watching-Jello children, go outside with them instead, and show them how an adult plays hide-and-go seek!

So, What Can I Do To Help?
Human beings need to recharge just like batteries do, but the difference is that the more energy you use, the less you have to recharge. If you are an active person who participates in life instead of a spectator, you already know how good it feels to run that extra 4 blocks, or to spend a few hours a day in a garden, or to play catch with you daughter. Most of the stuff you can do outside is energy-free. You don’t need a coal-fired power plant to catch a baseball, nor do you need to import foreign oil to plant a tree. Going green is going outside! Other stuff you can do to help includes :

* If you are going to take that huge step and exercise, go outside. Electric treadmills, gym memberships, and all of the modern toys that beep with approval take power to operate. If you need encouragement, take along a partner or your kids.
* If it is impossible for you to go outside to exercise, stay on the stuff that is human powered. Stationary bikes, free weights, jump rope, stretch mats, and gym balls are low-tech and low-power solutions to exercise.
* When you look for exercise outfits, look for Green. Organic fibers, recycled cloth and shoe rubber help complete the recycle circle, and make your workout planet healthy too.
* If you are hiking or jogging or just outside horsing around, stay hydrated, but skip the plastic water bottle. When it’s time to dry off, use cloth instead of paper towels.
* If you have to go to a gym ( you don’t) bike or walk to the gym. It’s a waste to drive your SUV to a eco-friendly workout.
* If you got a stationary bike, consider hooking up a DC converter to the drive wheel and generating your own electricity. REAL human power!
* If you are exercising in your house, keep a fan handy to cool down instead of dropping your thermostat.
* And of course, if you are hiking or backpacking or at the park with the kids, make your own granola. There. I said it.
*

‘Taps’ for Bottled Water

A ‘D’OH Moment

Since we already know the environmental problems 30 billion empty plastic bottles a year inflict on our landfill system, and we already realize that plastic bottled water is a waste of resources, landfill space, and water, let’s make a comparison between bottled water and tap water to clarify matters.
Bottled water IS tap water. In a bottle. And we are paying money for this.
Bottled water is bottled by companies that pull the water out of municipal water systems, filter it in the same manner as anyone with a faucet filter at home, put in a useless consumption-waste container, and sold to the public for 100 times the actual cost of the water we can get the exact same way from our own kitchen. For comparison, we can use the electricity from the power company, or we can pay someone else to take electricity from the power grid, store it in a battery, sell us the battery for $15,000 a month, then throw the battery away into a landfill where it will take centuries to decompose. Why would we even contemplate doing this with water?

Water Is An Acquired Taste, Like Air.

The human body, like every other mammal, requires water for survival. Because of this, most early civilizations were founded near large bodies of fresh flowing water (the Tigris, Euphrates, Nile, Tiber, Amazon, Yellow, and Mississippi, to name a few) to provide a steady flow of this life-necessary resource. Over the centuries, municipalities have spent billions of dollars to provide a clean continuous source of drinkable water to their citizens. The Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration set the standards for drinking water in the United States, permitting only trace amounts of harmful metals and chemicals to be present in municipal drinking water supplies (any water connection that serves over 25 households is considered ‘Municipal’ for this purpose). However, the water that is deemed safe and fit for human consumption is sometimes off-colored, contains chlorine, and in many cities, fluoride to promote dental health. So, while for health purposes this water is considered safe drinking water, it may not be as palatable as we would prefer. In this case, we have two options available. We can buy a home filtration kit (a home unit, or a faucet unit, or even a filtration pitcher) to winnow out the chlorine and fluoride and odd taste, or we can buy bottled water. Going without water is not an option, since without water, a human being will die in a week. So, as responsible, environmentally conscious American citizens who have a never-wavering eye on the big picture and who care about conservation, waste, and the global environmental impact of 60,000,000 plastic bottles a day being introduced into our landfill system, we do the intelligent thing.
Nah. We buy the bottled water.
Keep in mind that we bathe in tap water, wash dishes in tap water, clean our houses using tap water, brush our teeth with tap water, wash our clothes in tap water, give tap water to pets, put it in aquariums, water plants, and make ice with tap water. Then we go out and buy bottled water to drink.

Taste Is An Acquired Taste, Depending On The Marketing.

We buy bottled water because it tastes good, it comes in a handy disposable container, and the beverage corporations filter it for us, insuring its safety. To rephrase, we buy bottled water because it tastes just like water, comes in a disposable container that clogs our landfills and burns through our natural resources and wastes 3 times the amount of water it contains just to make the bottle, and beverage corporations use a filtration system similar to ones available for home use, but on a larger scale.
In several taste tests done over the years, bottled water and tap water generally taste just like water. In some tests, tap water actually tastes better than bottled water. So in the battle of taste preference, it’s an even fight. Except for one small detail: bottled water costs 100 times more than tap water.
We already know about the catastrophic cost of 60,000,000 plastic bottles a day being tossed into our landfill system. We already understand the 50 million barrels of oil used to make and transport bottled water to our local grocery stores and drink machines roughly equates to the same amount of oil used to power 3 million cars a year. We are cognizant of the waste disposal limitations of our society, and the hundreds of years it will take for one bottle to decompose in a landfill. There is no such thing as a handy disposable plasic container.
70 to 80 percent of bottled water comes out of a municipal water tap, just like the one in the kitchen, but bigger. The water is filtered by the beverage corporations using mostly the same technology we can use at home on our faucets, as a pitcher, or as a home unit. A home filtration system is advertised for around $600.00. If your family is drinking 6 bottles of water a day, this unit will pay for itself in 6 months. So none of the reasons we buy bottled water are actually valid, but we buy bottled water anyway. There is no logical or rational basis to purchase bottled water for daily use.

So, What Can We Do?

Well, for starters, we can:

1. Quit buying bottled water. If we keep buying bottled water, someone is going to start selling bottled air. Then we are really stuck.
2. If your tap water at home is not to your liking, consider buying a pitcher filter (around $30) a faucet filter (around $75) or a home filtration system (around $600) to take care of the problem. It’s a lot cheaper in the long run, and it takes you out of the consumption-waste cycle.
3. If you buy a filtration unit, make sure you change the filters as recommended, and dispose of used filters in the proper manner. This keeps your water nice and drinkable, and gives your husband something to do in the kitchen.
4.Until the rest of your neighbors catch up to your level of environmental and fiscal responsibility, recycle as much plastic bottle waste as you can. However, restrain yourself from riffling through their garbage. You can only do so much before someone calls the police.
5. If you really want to spend the money on a nice bottle of water, get a glass out of the cabinet, fill it with ice, and top it off with tap water. Then set $2.00 in the barbeque grill outside and set it on fire. Same result, no landfill waste.
6. Use refillable glass bottles and containers for water for trips. Glass is recycle-friendly, and moonshiners have been using Mason jars for decades. What is good for a mountain man bootlegger is good for your family!
7. If you are drinking bottled water as an alternative to drinking soft drinks, pat yourself on the back. Now quit buying plastic bottled water and give the Earth a hug too.
8. If you are a parent sending lunch to school, use that thermos that comes inside the lunch box. You will set a trend, and it will make your child popular!
9.The next time you go to the store to buy a case of bottled water, walk over to the appliance aisle, and buy a filtration pitcher instead. It might cost you an extra $20, but you will not have to buy bottled water ever again. Ever.
10. Go to the local army surplus store, and buy a canteen for fifty cents. They are made of metal, can hold any liquid, and unless you shoot a hole in one, are nearly indestructible. Plus, nothing says fashion like a canteen with a bandolier strap across one shoulder when you are on the road.

video support http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2qydjVbLJk

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The Wheel Is Still Turning, But The Hamster Is Dead.

How We Gonna Feed All Of These People? Domino’s?

Well, that one sentence ( the one about the pizza delivery, not the dead children’s pet, which was just a catchy title to get you to read this part) takes us to one of our new burgeoning problems, one that has the ultimate power of limiting our population far beyond anything else we can do environmentally. How are we supposed to feed all of these people?
Let’s say for the sake of visualization (and because it’s kinda fun) that an outdoor barbeque is symbolic of the Earth’s population. You have a few countries at the table already hogging the potato salad and the hot dogs. You have a few countries that have enough money to pay someone to bring them a plate of food. You have a few guests who are WAYYYY over there with no access to the food, and you have some who bought nuclear weapons to get some burgers. New guests keep showing up at the party, and the amount of hot dogs on the grill is still keeping up, but Momma is hollering for someone to go to the store and get some more potato salad just in case. Sounds like a typical barbeque, except for the nuclear weapons thing, but we will get to that in a second.
With the world’s current economic crisis as well as a redirection of land use for biofuel instead of food crops, this market situation has become critically unstable, particularly in Africa, where 21 out of the 30 critical-level countries are rapidly running out of food and currency to purchase more. Where other countries used to export grains, more and more countries are opting to freeze exports and hoard grains, pushing the market price for a bushel of wheat over $20 in some cases. With developed and developing nations reluctant to remove grain subsidies, the price of food as a commodity is rising quickly out of the purchasing range of the poorest countries. Even in the United States, where we waste about 20% of everything we buy just out of sheer bloody-mindedness, food prices are starting to become an economic hardship. What we have here is a perfect storm, an odd confluence of events that will resonate through the next 100 years of population growth and global economy.

Now, Let’s Go Back To The Hamster

The wheel is still turning, which is symbolic of the basic human need for food. Food, water, shelter, our basic needs as human beings, are not guarantees. A great deal of survival is mostly location and luck, not planning, and nation states take advantage of this. Take a random poor state in Africa, for example. It has teeming fish reserves, a little arable land, and some iron ore. The sensible plan would be to use the fish and land to nurture its population and sell the iron ore. Nah, that would make too much sense. Why not sell the fishing rights of the territorial waters to developed nations, sell the fish at the markets to wealthy countries, and import cheap food and force the farmers out of business instead? That is a much greater challenge than doing it the easy way, and it is also why a lot of countries are facing a food crises now. The only market in the world that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever is the international market for cereal grains. The market leaders in production are interested in padding their profits on top of the substantial government subsidies they already have built into their nation’s budgets, which are financed by selling bonds to developing countries that rely on grain imports for survival. Countries like China and India have the most need for food, and the least amount of arable land. Africa is located perfectly between the huge wheat fields of the Ukraine and the breadbasket of the US, but China pays more for the wheat, so Africa gets the short end of the stick yet again. Toss in Australia’s drought and wildfire problems and Argentina and Kazakhstan hoarding their grain reserves and you have a world wide food shortage. The dead hamster in the room was killed by horrible short term government level economic decisions.

So, What Can I Do To Help?

In all honesty, this problem is one of allocation and planning outside of the market base. What is needed is a world wide food plan that covers everything from fuel crops to oceanic protein harvesting to resource allocation to seed banks. This is not a hard problem to solve on the surface; however, as soon as someone finds a way to screw someone else out of a loaf of bread, then it is over. Remember that family at the barbeque with the nuclear weapons, right? 1/4 of the world’s hungry population lives in India, China, and Pakistan, all of which have nuclear weapons, and if their government feels like they aren’t getting enough potato salad, they might decide to use them. The good news is that we can actually do something about this, the bad news is that we probably won’t. Until our intelligent elected officials decide to do something about it, here are a few things we can do:

* Corn based ethanol is actually just as harmful to the atmosphere as petroleum based fuel when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions. Buy regular gas instead, or purchase a hybrid fuel cell automobile.
* Go grocery shopping, and buy in bulk. Americans are finally headed in the right direction, and we need to keep heading that way. Stay out of restaurants.
* Hearken back to World War One, and remember the Victory Garden. If you can, plant a small garden and grow your own vegetables and fruits.
* Take part in a day of fasting to recognize world hunger. While you may experience a little discomfort, feel better in the fact that the 24 hours you spent without food was a day where over 100,000 children died of starvation.
* The next time you feel an urge to lose weight, do it and keep it off. You owe the rest of the world that much respect.
* Quit smoking. Take the money you save every day from NOT smoking and make a check out to Oxfam, the Salvation Army, Child’s Fund International, or any other charity that can help alleviate hunger.
*The next time a community group or a church has a food drive, participate. Remember: if not for your location and some luck, you might be the one who needs the food.

video :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euMG40c4dsE
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video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFKhRTC8rI8

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Plow A Row Of Fish!

When Starving Children Meet Recreational Fishermen, The Children Lose?

Oceanic fish farming is a 21st Century way of providing renewable protein for our growing population. As farmland gets maxed out beyond it’s practical use, the next best idea is to turn to the sea to supplement our species growing need for protein. Since most current fishing stocks have been fished to the point of depletion (in some cases, up to 90% decline) anything to increase the commercial harvest of fish without further depleting the existing stocks would be welcome; however, in a paradox that makes the mind boggle, the bullhorn environmentalists are coming out against this practical use of ocean waters. And they have made some odd bedfellows: the chronically-polluting environmentally-unconscious recreational fisherman. How did this courtship even take place?

I Went To Bed At 2 With A 10, And I Woke Up At 10 With A 2…

Beer goggles aside, there is no practical purpose for the shrill environmentalist and the beer-drinking bubba to unite to deny a starving planet of a sustainable source of protein. But greed makes odd partnerships in the best of times, and this is a prime example. The recreational fishing industry is a multi-billion dollar conglomerate of yachts, fishing tackle, tournaments, and tourism. Shrill environmentalists like to see their names in the paper and their spokesmen on television. What you have here is a confluence of press releases that paint oceanic farming in a negative light based on PROJECTED problems. Recreational fishermen bemoan the loss of habitat for their fishing excursions; the bullhorn crowd draws attention to the demise of the wild salmon and the propagation of sea lice. Completely disregarding the long and storied history of rampant salmon overfishing for the last 120 years, the bullhorns wring their hands over the potential disappearance of a fish that is over 90% depleted through standard commercial fishing. The recreational fisherman sheds crocodile tears over his $2000 graphite and seal skin fly rod that he won’t ever get a chance to use, his $250,000 yacht that just sits in its little corner of his 5 car garage gathering dust and bug poop, and his increased time spending time with his family instead of being in his natural element, namely, drunk on the water throwing up.

Sustainable Protein, Farmed From The Oceans Responsibly

Ok, now that we have gotten the tearjerkers out of the way, let’s look at a few problems and solutions. The recreational fisherman’s arguments are without merit and can be discarded out of hand. If he can’t fish for relaxation, he should take up recreational farming instead. For the bullhorn environmentalists, the solution to your gripes and complaints lies in deep water instead of coastal waters, where indigenous species are most fragile and subject to competition. Already fish farms are moving out to sea into deeper water, with stronger currents that flush away the potential harm of a sea lice outbreak. What you should have been shouting through your various mouthpieces was the dangers of overfishing, and you should have been doing this 5 decades ago instead of ordering organic wild salmon salad at your favorite restaurant. Oceanic farming is the next wave of agriculture, and it is not restricted to just fish. Plankton for feeding existing stocks of wild fish, seaweed for biomass fuel and human consumption, shellfish, and other forms of food and energy are being looked at closely as an efficient way of maintaining our standard of living as our planet population approaches 10 billion people. Time and regulations are necessary to make this viable, but it is a superior starting point.

So, What Can I Do To Help?

When reading press releases for environmental ways to save the planet, try and remember the motives of the authors. Some groups are pretty sketchy when it comes to a funding base, so they will seek to drum up interest in their causes by taking extreme positions against rational thought. Other well funded groups will seek to keep their money coffers full, so they will take a position to encourage more donations from deep-pocketed corporations that will use these as charitable gifting and use the regulation to sell more toys. The odd man out in this case is the oceanic farmer, who has very little space in the argument for or against this particular technology, nor the deep pocket or shrill bullhorn to announce his presence. In the meantime, as always, some things you can do to help include :

* If you are a recreational fisherman, realize two truths. Your recreation is other people’s sustenance. When it comes down to your quality of free time and a family on the brink of starvation, get another hobby. The second truth is this : You are overfishing. Native Americans knew enough to leave a spot and follow the game and leave enough for the next generation. This is something you need to emulate.
* To the bullhorn environmentalists, just one truth. If you are not willing to be part of a solution, do not be a part of the problem. Guide and direct the proper utilization of this fragile resource without being disruptive and antagonistic.
* If you do fish, respect and follow your state guidelines for catch size and quantities.
* Read between the lines in respect to information, and be sure to read differing opinions. The corn farmers are pro-ethanol for a reason, just as the coal industry is pro-coal. Keep an open mind.
* When eating seafood, skip the frying part. Frying takes up vegetable oil, cornmeal and flour, and extra energy to cook the food. Simple sautee’ or broiling is healthier and uses less of other commodities.
* If you live near the coast, local seafood is a cheap source of protein. The farther inland you live, the more expensive it gets because of transportation. If you live in the Midwest, don’t be afraid to eat frozen catch, because it keeps longer and is easier to transport frozen rather than fresh.
* Pacific cuisine and Italian cuisine are wonderful compliments to any seafood without relying on deep frying. Learn a few recipes, or make up your own healthy concoctions.
* Make it a point not to eat wild caught salmon. Let nature have a fighting chance at replenishing the resource rather than letting commercial fishermen deplete it all together. Farm raised salmon and wild caught salmon taste exactly alike when drowned in Florentine sauce.

video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCz1KNBI60I
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video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y70aQxLzuLI
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