What Happen to A General who Misreads The Map?

Once I told my lecturer that I had a surveyor position in my new company, it's really a suitable position for whom had been graduated from soil science department like me. He responded "Oh that's good, you're gonna know whole parts of plantation zone, you're gonna know it more than others"

Then he added "that's the first step to be a leader, somebody has to recognize the territory very well, so that he can set up strategies"

It knocked the thoughts inside my head, I never thought that way before. I always think that becoming a surveyor will always grow my skill, I can learn more and more, knowing things around as it's main function. But actually there is more than that, it is the main part of setting up strategies through the map.

And then I imagine about the ancient war, how they work to find the best strategy, then I arrive on a conclusion that a leader must be the one who knows totally about the territory, to find the best way to attack or which part to defend, to know where the enemy's position, what they have, their probability and etc. 

Now I know to become a surveyor/mapper not only to draw map on a paper, but to decide where the things should go. 

Peat Land Model to Campaign Peat Conservation on Youth!

Peat land somehow contributes to the greenhouse gasses as it results some kind of emission gasses to the air. Peat land made by the accumulation of organic matter in saturated land with slow decomposition process, in soil taxonomy; peat land categorized as organosol as it contains more than 30% organic matters. The process when microorganism decompose the organic matter is the activity that will result more CO2, CH4 and another chemical compound to contribute to the air pollution.

 In Indonesia, Peat land called ‘Tanah Gambut'. Historically that name taken from a region in South Kalimantan which all the land almost covered by peat land itself, about a half hour trip away from my city. Many people live there and they exist from long ago as Gambut itself potentially used as agricultural area. Recently, through years Kec Gambut growing faster with so many development in it. Residences take over the land as real estates, people sell their land with a good price to stakeholders that want to get the profit from their business activity there. Does this land conversion have an impact to the peat land and environment? Yes it has. Explaining about it will take so many times and need to put so much literature about researches which have been done before. So I won’t explain too deeply about that.

I myself concern to the activity that will reduce the impact so I focus to the cause in social case. I wonder if the people who are living in Kec Gambut have enough knowledge about peat land they belong to beside its usage as farming land. Do they know about the negative impact peat land can bear if it’s unmanaged well? So let’s we start from here. The infrastructure development is running so fast in Gambut as this place has the main road that connects Banjarmasin and Banjarbaru which both are the biggest cities in South Kalimantan. It becomes a promising target for business stakeholders, between the cities you can find some real estates, even an apartments and amusement park such as water park and etc.

Land conversion is running wild, those who are used to be paddy fields now become building blocks; the place of luxury living. How about land conservation especially for peat land? It says that peat land with depth more than 2 meters is a conservation area that should not be managed, or, managed in very certain management system. We also learn that peat has main function as water-holder, it works like sponge that absorb the water around. Peat itself can absorb 10 times amount of water than its own mass. So we can see here that if we lose peat land, we will get a big amount of water that will cause flood to happen. Activity that will turn Kecamatan Gambut to be a metro city really gives contribution to this.

So what I’m gonna do? Based on the case above, I have an idea to spread the specific knowledge about gambut/peat soil to the people, as usual I concern to the youth who potentially will have long term impact. This project is aimed to make a massive awareness in the head of the people who live in Gambut about peat land; could it be dangerous or useful; the threat and the advantages; and all the best management they can do over the peat land. This project has the youth in Gambut as the target, specifically the high school students.

 

As I think the knowledge should be transferred in a good way, I and my team decide to create a simple peat land model. All the schools have planetarium, why don’t they have this- the thing that really shows what happening around them, the thing they are standing on-? This model will show the students about how peat land works and its function in a simple way and the threat that peat land will bear if it’s not managed well.

We will make 3 copies of this model and give them to 3 high schools located in Gambut. It works so simple and will be attached with the manual of the model. if the response good on this, we intend to make more copies and give to wider target. We also expect for funding, donation is really open for those who concern about the peat land environment.

Indonesia has a big amount of peat land, if planetarium is important in every school, so is this model to the region which has covered land by peat. 

Save Energy Using Replacement Windows

Most of us may thing that windows are just practical object used for letting the lights in. Well, there is more reason why we should go with them; they are also responsible for calculating the way energy moves through your home. It further defines the design of a house and keeps it correctly ventilated. Replacing your old windows can be easier than you think and can be the most apparent kinds of saving energy. Single old glass windows are ordinary and common in house. Having a single glass window is just like having absorbent valve. Air is continually evading your home. Replacing windows could offer your house a stimulating fresh look along with saving energy and money for future.

Many aspects of a window must be measured before getting and installing them. Get into the new trend of double glass window. Double replacement windows would save you great bucks on the heating and cooling bills. They considerably decrease heat loss during winter and can extremely reduce heat gain in the time of summer. It is recommended that a double glass window be enclosed with an unusual low emissivity coating. Where to make use this coating usually relies up on your geographic site. Getting in touch with some of the window contractor personally could be great to perform such task.

Cover for Windows are important

Do not forget about how significant it is to cover your windows. Multiple layers of cover on your replacement windows could protect your home and maintain heat inside. Anyhow, new skills have come up and people are now concentrating not only on the cover, but as well on the width of airspace among the windows. Thicker space makes superior wadding. On the other hand, too much space is a ravage in addition. Anything beyond 1″ would have no result on your energy saving act.

When speaking about energy saving you must also check out multiple paned windows, which could be packed with argon and krypton gas to lessen heat loses and augments R-values. The high the R-value (fight to heat loss) the superior padding you would have. The U-Value is an additional significant thing to think when replacing old vinyl windows. The U-Value is a measurement to calculate heat transfer. The lesser the U-Value is the less heat transfers would be. With less U-value window replacements, running the homes heat loss and gain would turn extremely easy. Ensure when evaluating fresh windows that you are scrutiny U and R values measured for the total window. Some replacement windows produced provide morals for the middle of the glass.

Before buy vinyl replacement windows, pay cautious attention to your environmental location. Different windows are compatible for dissimilar climates. Cold climate windows are as well intended to maintain heat standards. It is significant to think the U-value on winter season windows. U-value is a gauge of windows wadding aptitude. The lesser the U-value is, the improved the insulation ability would be. So choose carefully as replacement window is directly related to getting charm to your house.

Source: Here

Gucci Group Commits to Protecting Indonesia’s Rainforests

Joining forces with Rainforest Action Network (RAN), the prestigious conglomerate of fashion and luxury brands Gucci Group has decided to eliminate all paper made from Indonesian rainforests and plantations and by controversial suppliers like Asia Pulp and Paper.

The move is a first step in implementing an industry-leading paper policy and a continuation of the Gucci Group’s interest in stemming climate change, about twenty percent of which stems from forest loss. RAN is delighted to count the Group among its partners in an ongoing effort to protect Indonesian and other endangered forests.

This is a very good news to the world because Indonesia has so large rain forests around the country and rain forests are the lungs of the world. Many big brands who use paper in their production should learn to this big company. And make this world better

Read the complete news here....

Lets's Go Green!

Teplok Goes Green! and Keep Shining :)

Teplok goes green.

Didn't know but suddenly the thought crossed my mind to change Teplok's appearance to be green. But so far it's good. We have "Environmental" category that has many good posts about the world, and some involve green action.

Did you know that all the members of Teplok currently are the students of agriculture faculty? yes we are, and we always have subject to heal this world by green action in every semester. So why not we participate to campaign greening this earth. This can be a good addition into our mission and vision later in the future.

We also challenge you all to do the same, participate with us to campaign this good action. And don't forget to do something categorized as greening action, just a small thing you can do, such as using cotton bag, grow some plants around you, saving the energy and etc.

Believe me, it's gonna change this world into a better place to live. Let's go Green!!!

[Video] Google's Campaign to Save Worldwide Trees.

Now, Google is campaigning to save trees at worldwide.

Recently, Google has released a tool which will aware the situation of world’s forests to the forest scientists across the world.

This tool will be sought through the satellite. So obtained satellite images and other information will be brought to the world.

In the tool, Google have also included the discussion on the conference on climate change, which was running in Copenhagen.

What a good news! I hope by this technology we can save our forests from the destruction.

What do you think about this good news?

Good News: Recycling started from your Home, it's so easy!

Studies show that the more we consume the more trash we generate. Landfills and incineration are two major ways of trash disposal. However, landfills take up space and can create health risks for the communities by which they are located. Incineration burns waste however, it also can create air pollution. An alternative to generating tons of trash every year is recycling. Recycling reduces trash and is economical.

Many things people discard as refuse can be reused in many different ways. Reusing things makes it unnecessary to use valuable resources to create new product. The number of post consumer products on store shelves is increasing. You can do your part by starting it in the home. Recycling is easy, will save you money, and can even be fun for the whole family.

There are different kinds of recycling. There is recycling of paper, plastic, glass, aluminum, and even car oil. Bleached paper and newsprint recycling reduces the amount of trees that are cut down. Plastic can be recycled into other plastics. Glass can be melted down and made into many different forms from drinking glasses to glass fiber. Aluminum can be recycled into other cans, foil, and even wrapping paper. Most do not realize that even car oil can be burned for energy recovery and/or recycled and re-used.

In the home it is easy to recycle your used plastics, cans, paper, and glass. It is not necessary to buy expensive multi-sectioned containers or take up an entire room or garage. Recycling can be done in a corner of a kitchen. A couple of boxes in a corner or a couple of regular kitchen trashcans are sufficient.

To recycle aluminum cans, simply rinse them out after use, and toss into the container you set aside for aluminum. The same can be done with your daily newspaper after you read it—just toss it aside into your designated area.

Newspaper does not require any preparation. With glass, it is imperative that you clean it before setting it aside. Remove any wrappings and thoroughly wash any glass that has food remnants. Also thoroughly wash any glass that has held any sort of cleansing product or otherwise noxious substance. For plastic it is helpful to look on the bottom of containers to make sure they are indeed recyclable plastics. The recycling symbol is a triangle made with three arrows going clockwise. Many times there is a number in the middle that is used by recycling plants.

Car oil takes a little more preparation. If you change your own car oil at home, be sure to store it in an appropriate container. A suitable and safe container can be purchased at an auto parts store, gas station, or the automotive sections of stores like Wal-Mart and K-mart. Be sure that the oil is not spilled and never pour it down a sink or drain. The easiest thing to do is to take it to a service station unless you have an oil recycling center near you. For the things other than oil, locate recycling centers in your phone book or you can check with local chain stores. If you are near a university or college, you can usually find recycling bins around and near campus. Moreover some cities have recycling as part of the weekly trash pick-up and even provide containers. Find out if that may be the case in your neighborhood. A special perk of aluminum can recycling is that many times you can get a small amount of money for the cans. Some states have set amounts per can and some areas pay by the weight of the aluminum.

By recycling you are helping the environment and helping yourself. Recycling helps reduce cost that companies pass on to the consumer, reduces the number of trash bags you purchase for your home, and even puts you in a creative mindset to reuse your refuse. For example, instead of washing out a bottle for recycling you may decide to turn it into a lamp. Recycling will change your life in a good way. See how creative you can be.

Good News : "I'm not A Plastic Bag!"

"I am not a plastic bag" those words that I saw written on a student's bag. Those words declare to us to fight against Global warming because plastic can be a big threat to our environment.

Nowadays the using of plastic bag is substituted to other various alternatives and hopefully becomes trend to our society. There's so many alternatives such as using cotton bag or even doing a charity by giving our used and useless paper to a factory which will use it to produce paper bag.


Here are the various alternatives of that:

1. Use biodegradable bags made from fabrics.
2. Ladies can fold a cotton bag or two in to their purses which can be used to quench their sudden urge for shopping.
3. Nylon bags can be used and reused several times.
4. Donate old news papers and magazines to small scale institutes that cut these old papers in to paper bags and packets.
5. Use a wicker basket. (They can make a fashion statement today.)
   
6. Educate the local retailers on the ill effects of use of plastics.
7. Insist your local retailers to use plastic bags of thicker variety if at all he has to use.
8. Offices can distribute canvas bags as New Year gifts instead of diaries and other sweet nothings.
9. Better still buy a foldable shopping trolley. When you can buy a stroller for your new born this is not impossible you see.
10. The common man is already burdened with spiraling prices, so I don’t wish to suggest to the government to impose a plast-tax. Mere ban will fail, as it has in the previous.

Good News : Organic Food: Not Dangerous, Healthy and it's even Delicious

With so many food choices available at the supermarket these days, it can be overwhelming to try to choose quality foods. The dizzying array of labels also adds to the confusion stating things like “organic”, “all natural”, and “hormone free”.

While many of the foods containing these labels can often be a bit more expensive, the question of “is it really better for me?” is bound to arise. The answer is a resounding yes. Not only is organic food better for your body, it is also better for the environment.


Toxins
While significant numbers of research studies have not been conducted comparing organic foods and conventionally grown foods, the proof, as they say, is in the pudding. Organic foods do not contain large amounts of harmful herbicides and pesticides. A single strawberry contains over 27 different chemicals, many which do not disappear upon washing. This means your body has the job of trying to break down the chemicals and excrete them. Unfortunately, our bodies have a tough enough time trying to identify these harmful substance let alone be able metabolize them. Studies have linked pesticides to cancers, birth defects, damage to the brain, nervous system disorders, and Parkinson’s disease. Children absorb far more pesticides than adults do when compared with similar exposure because children have more skin per surface size, take in more breaths per minute than adults, and have yet to be developed detoxification pathways. A study conducted in 2006 analyzed the urine of children aged 3 to 11 who ate only organic foods. Upon commencement of the study, researchers found no pesticide metabolites in the children’s urine. However, when the children resumed eating a non-organic diet, metabolites of 2 toxic pesticides, malathion and chlorpyrifos, were found in their urine in concentrations as high as 263 parts per billion.

Nutrient Density and Flavor
When comparing organic produce with conventionally grown, studies have shown organic foods are significantly higher in many vital nutrients. A 2003 study found that organic produce was about 50% in cancer-fighting antioxidants than conventional produce. An independent review found that organic produce had higher amounts of 21 nutrients, including vitamin C, iron, magnesium, and phosphorous; as well as greater amounts of trace minerals. Organic food also tastes better, try a home taste test with your family and see which foods they like better. A main reason for the better taste is that organic food is close to how you would find the food in nature, as it doesn’t have anything added, or anything taken away.

Environment
Organic farmers practice sustainable agriculture, meaning they optimize farming methods that will preserve the land for generations to come. In addition, organic farming practices do not produce chemicals that remain in our soil, spread through the environment via air, or end up poisoning our waters. Organic animal products also ensure the animal was treated humanely and was allowed to graze in open pastures.

Value
Organic food does tend to be slightly higher priced than conventional foods but it important to look a little closer. The price difference, on average, ranges from 22 – 65 cents higher. That results in only pennies a day, a small price to pay for better health. Considering organic fruits and vegetables can contain as high as 50% greater nutrient content, you would have to eat double the amount of produce you currently eat and that would certainly add up. Current US statistics reveal Americans spend 90% of their food budget on unhealthy and fast foods.

In the long run, choosing organic is the better choice for you and your family. Review our Organic Baby Food – Know the Facts post for additional information on organic baby foods.

References:

* EC Multicentre Study on Antioxidants, 1997
* Committee on Toxicity (2002) Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment: Risk assessment of mixtures of pesticides and similar substances, Crown Copyright, September 2002
* Worthington V (2001) Nutritional quality of organic versus conventional fruits, vegetables, and grains. The Journal of Complimentary Medicine, vol. 7, No. 2, p. 161 - 173.
* Carbonaro et al M (2003) Modulation of Antioxidant Compounds in Organic vs Conventional Fruit (Peach, Prunus persica L., and Pear, Pyrus communis L.). Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2002, 50, p. 5458 - 5462).
* http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/16/dining/16WELL.html
* Davis D. et al. "changes in USDA food composition data for 43 garden crops 1950 to 1999" J of the Am College of Nutr. vol 23, no. 6; pp.669-682

Source : http://www.mummums.com/2008/03/Organic-Food--The-Benefits-of-Eating-Organic

Good News : Walking, walking, and walking!

When the last time you walk by foot? Scientists agree that walking is one of the healthy thing we should do daily. They suggest 30 minutes a day of walking or at least 10.000 steps. Nowadays we are eased by modern technology on transportation. Cars help us to go anywhere easily.

This easy of going anywhere makes us getting lazy ourselves to walk by foot even just to near place. Here are some benefits of walking you should know :

* Reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke
* Lower blood pressure
* Reduce high cholesterol and improve blood lipid profile
* Reduce body fat
* Enhance mental well being
* Increase bone density, hence helping to prevent osteoporosis
* Reduce the risk of cancer of the colon
* Reduce the risk of non insulin dependant diabetes
* Help to control body weight
* Help osteoarthritis
* Help flexibility and co-ordination hence reducing the risk of falls

So, this kind of exercise is necessary to us. At least do it 30 minutes a day, just walk to the near place you could reach and making friends on the way, it's cool!

Good News : What's the most economical-healthy-safe activity in the world? it's absolutely biking!

Okay, we all know bikes are one of the few methods of getting there that doesn’t produce carbon dioxide emissions. But biking also offers far-reaching benefits to you.

Find out what biking can do for you and the planet:

Easy on the Earth
Rather than adding to the pollution problem, biking is a completely clean form of transportation. The only fuel it burns is your own calories!

Biking is also quiet, a huge plus for all of us suffering from the ill effects of noise pollution.

Fitness
Not only good for the atmosphere, biking is good for your derriere, and lots of other body-parts as well. Firming, toning, calorie-burning: Biking has it beat over driving any day of the week.

How many calories will you burn in a hour of moderate biking? Or 30 minutes? Find out with this handy biking calorie-calculator.

Boosting Your Mood
Even moderate exercise, like a leisurely bike ride, will boost levels of euphoria-producing hormones called endorphins. Translation: You can bike away your blues.

Enjoying the Scene
When we whiz past scenery in a car, we miss so much. The slower pace of biking enables ups to experience the beauty of locale. Avid bikers report the satisfaction of smelling newly mown grass, or flowering trees, or the fertile damp earth as one of the added bonuses of cycling.

Meeting Like-Minded Others
You can bet that fellow cyclers are probably health-and-environmentally-minded. Many bikers say that deep friendships often form among cycling enthusiasts because of their common ground.

Source: here

Good News : Advantages of Solar Power - Why Not Use it in Your Home?

With the increasing awareness that fossil fuels are quickly becoming depleted, we need to start focusing on renewable sources of energy. Solar power is one of the most viable options. Of course, this is no surprise. Using the power of the sun has been around in some form since the dawn of time and there are many advantages of solar power for homes.

The sun's energy is renewable. This means that no matter how much we use, we will never deplete this resource. This is in sharp contrast to the dwindling supply of fossil fuels we use.

Also, unlike fossil fuels, energy from the sun does not harm the environment. There are no byproducts of solar power that leach into the air and create pollution or contribute to greenhouse gasses. In addition, acquiring the power is not intrusive to the environment like some other forms of energy. About the most intrusive part would be the solar panels which are well suited in most areas to fit snugly on the roof.

When generating energy from the sun to power your home, you can be a self contained unit. While it might not be practical in some areas to rely solely on the sun for power, other, less developed, areas might benefit immensely by being able to power homes with the sun without having to install power plants and run electrical cables. In areas where there is not enough sunlight for household needs, systems can be setup so that you can hook into the electrical grid during those times when more energy is needed.

While installing a solar power system for your home can be expensive at first, you will eventually see a savings because as time goes on you will reduce or eliminate your monthly power bill. And with readily accessible solar power home kits on the market, the barriers to entry are minimal. One particularly well put together step-by-step guide is Earth4Energy.

After the initial costs, generating power from the sun is free. So, once you have your collection and storage systems set up, you will reap the benefits not only in monthly savings but also in the benefits to our planet. These advantages of solar power make a commitment to using solar power the most sensible decision you can make to minimize your dependence on fossil fuels.

With a little bit of time and no specialized expertise, you can reduce your dependency on fossil fuels with a cost-efficient residential solar power system. Sign up for a free six-part mini-course and learn more at http://solarpowerhomekit.info

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dani_Deronda

Good News : How much will you pay for alternative energy? it's cheap!

Many people don't realize that there are cheap alternative energy solutions for your home that you can implement and thus free yourself from the ever increasing energy costs. This is definitely the time to look into cheap alternative energy solutions as prices will continue to rise in the coming weeks and months. Saving hundreds of dollars every month is in everyone's interest, and it's time we sought ways to harness are energy for free.

1. Solar panels.

You are likely aware of using solar panels to power your home and the amazing way this energy solutions can eliminate huge bills. But, you have probably also been led to believe that solar panels are "too expensive". This isn't always the case and there are definitely cheap ways you can make your own panels. Even if you go online and dig a little you will find some of the big, discount stores sell very affordable and complete systems for a lot less than the you'd imagine. And of course the panels will have paid for themselves over a short time.
2. Solar Cooker.

This is basically a small box which requires no fuel to cook food in. You can buy solar cookers or you can make them yourself. You can boil, roast and bake your food in a solar cooker. You'll be saving a ton of power and money cooking your meals from the sun in an energy efficient manner.

3. Solar Home Heating

Home heating can be a huge cost to fork out every month, but fortunately there are cheap alternative energy solutions. There are different methods for solar home heating, depending on the design of your house, as well as your wants, needs, and how much you want to spend as an upfront cost. There are also several do it yourself projects which are very cheap. For example people have been running pvc pipe through their yards as the sun easily heats it up and it runs into their home for hot water.

Want to make your own power at home for cheap with solar and wind energy and eliminate your power bill completely? Check out this step by step instruction manual - http://energyrenewables.blogspot.com

With this set up you can get your energy for free and save literally thousands of dollars which would otherwise go towards energy bills - http://energyrenewables.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chess_McDoogle

Good News : Global warming cure found by scientists

A “technical fix” that could stop global warming by taking billions of tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and save the coral reefs from being destroyed by acidification has been developed by scientists.

The process could be used on an industrial scale to remove excess carbon dioxide caused by the burning of fossil fuels from the atmosphere in “a matter of decades rather than millennia,” according to researchers from Harvard and Penn State universities.

The process relies on speeding up a process that happens naturally, whereby carbon dioxide dissolved in sea water breaks down volcanic rock and soils to make alkaline carbonic salts.

The water flows into the ocean and increases its alkalinity. Sea water containing more alkali can absorb more carbon, so more carbon from the atmosphere is “locked up” and becomes harmless bottom sediments, according to the journal Environmental Science and Technology.

Researchers estimate that it would take a cube of volcanic rock 10 kilometres across to return the concentration of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere to pre-industrial levels.

Unlike other proposed “technical fixes” that “sequester” carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, this one makes the sea more alkaline and therefore counteracts the other side effect of more carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere - the acidification of the sea.

The alkalinity of the sea has remained the same for 60 million years but the burning of fossil fuels has caused it to decrease.

It is feared that the drop in alkalinity will slow down the oceans’ take up of carbon dioxide - which accounts for half the Earth’s natural capacity for “scrubbing” carbon from the atmosphere.

It will also threaten animals whose bodies are made from calcium, which is alkaline, such as corals, shellfish and phytoplankton.

Scientists say the technique is adaptable to operation in remote areas, run on natural gas or geothermal energy.

“The technology involves selectively removing acid from the ocean in a way that might enable us to turn back the clock on global warming,” said Kurt House, a graduate student at Harvard University.

However, Prof Andrew Watson of the University of East Anglia, who was one of the authors of a Royal Society paper on the acidification of the sea, said the “fundamental problem” with dissolving rock into the sea was “the immense scale on which you need to do it to make any impact.”

He added: “We are producing 8 billion tons of CO2 a year and that takes the combined efforts of all coal mining, oil and gas production. If you want to make an impact on that you need a process of the same order of magnitude to make a difference.

“The local effect would be alkali pollution of the sea - but we are polluting the sea globally by putting carbon dioxide into the ocean. This method is expensive and therefore it’s not the first line of attack for the global warming problem.

“The first is energy conservation, the second the substitution of fossil fuels with solar energy or biofuels, and the third - and above dissolving rock into the sea - comes carbon capture and storage from power plants. We know what technology is needed for that and engineering companies can do it.”

Prof Watson, an expert on the carbon cycle and the oceans, said that dissolving rock was “worth considering” if the world got into a situation in which the oceans were dying because of acidity and we needed to alleviate the problem. “If you did it the right way you might be able to save the coral reefs from the worst effects. I would see it being done in areas where there may be another reason for doing it as well, such as this.

“There is no single ’silver bullet’ for global warming.”

Other “technical fixes” for global warming have concentrated on seeding the oceans with iron filings or nitrogen to stimulate algal growth in the hope that this would then die and take the carbon the plankton contained to the sea bed.

Good News : World’s First Functional Computer Made Out Of Wood

Computers were once thought to be a clean technology. Everything virtual! No more paper!

That turned out to be an illusion. Computers produce some of the most toxic waste.

But that’s all about to change with the introduction of the world’s first completely biodegradable computer. Yes, you read that right: biodegradable.wooden computer

The computer is made from wood panels which have been manufactured from waste products from the lumber industry.

The panels themselves have been impregnated with seeds. This means that once the computer reaches the end of its lifecycle it can be planted so that new trees will grow!

”One advantage of Iameco is that when the components are buried in landfill the wood gets wet, breaks down and new plants begin to grow from old computers.

There’s no mercury, lead or plastic in the machine, and it has three times the lifespan of other computers.”

It’s about $250 more expensive than a regular computer and runs any software

Good News : Boy discovers microbe that eats plastic

PhDs have been searching for a solution to the plastic waste problem, and this 16 year old finds the answer.

It's not your average science fair when the 16-year-old winner manages to solve a global waste crisis. But such was the case at last month's May's Canadian Science Fair in Waterloo, Ontario, where Daniel Burd, a high school student at Waterloo Collegiate Institute, presented his research on microorganisms that can rapidly biodegrade plastic.

NOTE: there are TWO high school students who discovered plastic-consuming microorganisms. The first was Daniel Burd (last year). The second was Tseng I-Ching (last month), a high school student in Taiwan.

Daniel had a thought it seems even the most esteemed PhDs hadn't considered. Plastic, one of the most indestructible of manufactured materials, does in fact eventually decompose. It takes 1,000 years but decompose it does, which means there must be microorganisms out there to do the decomposing.

Could those microorganisms be bred to do the job faster?

That was Daniel's question which he put to the test by a very simple and clever process of immersing ground plastic in a yeast solution that encourages microbial growth, and then isolating the most productive organisms.

The preliminary results were encouraging, so he kept at it, selecting out the most effective strains and interbreeding them. After several weeks of tweaking and optimizing temperatures Burd was achieved a 43 % degradation of plastic in six weeks, an almost inconceivable accomplishment.

With 500 billion plastic bags manufactured each year and a Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch that grows more expansive by the day, a low cost and nontoxic method for degrading plastic is the stuff of environmentalists' dreams and, I would hazard a guess, a pretty good start-up company as well.

NOTE: to the comment below. Yes there are certainly methods for decomposing plastic, but most are chemical in nature not organic, requiring high temperatures and chemical additives to cause the plasticizers to vaporize, for instance this patent on PVC extraction. There have been several successful bacteria based solutions developed at the Dept. of Biotechnology in Tottori, Japan as well as the Dept. of Microbiology at the National University of Ireland, but both apply only to styrene compounds.

It goes without saying that these discoveries need to be tested to ensure, for instance, that the bi-products of organic decomposition are not carcinogenic (as in the case with mammalian metabolism of styrene and benzene). The processing of plastics by these methods would also have to be contained in highly controlled environments. So, no, we're not talking about a magic panacea or a plastic-free paradise, but the innovative application of microorganisms to break down our most troublesome waste products is nevertheless a major scientific breakthrough.

ANOTHER NOTE: One of our readers pointed out a very interesting study in 2004 at the University of Wisconsin that isolated a fungus capable of biodegrading phenol-formaldehyde polymers previously thought to be non-biodegradable. Phenol polymers are produced at an annual rate of 2.2 million metric tons per year in the United States for many industrial and commercial applications including durable plastics.

Good News : Paint Your Roof White, it will reduce Global Warming

"How Can?" it's the common question will come out from everyone that first time to know this. Yes it can. Here is the explanation.

Global warming is the increasing of earth temperature because of the blanket of CO2 on the atmosfer. It will trap the sun light and its heat inside the earth and heating the temperature. This can be bad for our earth, there are a lot of negative things happen to the earth. And one of them is the melting of the ice in the arctic.

The ice is functionally as the mirror that reflects back the sun light and make it out, so that our earth will have no change on temperature. It has function like that because of its color of white. White color has capability to reflect all the colors spectrum and the heat. The melting of the ice in arctic is decreasing this color capability so the temperature will be getting higher and higher.

If it's the power of the white color that can reflect back the heat inside. We can make it ourselves and help the earth to do the same thing. The most useful way is to white our roof. This can be a great white roof movement because this can't be done just by one house. We need many houses with white roofs so it has function as same as the ice.