Bicycles at war Back in the 1880s, when two wheeled steeds with pneumatic tires were state-of-the-art technology, the military saw their usefulness in traveling quickly and silently over rugged terrain. Over the years, armies worldwide, from Allied to Axis, adopted such innovations as folding bicycles that could be conveniently strapped to your back or delivered … [Read more…]
Eight Amazing Things About Solar Panels That Could Change the World With so much focus on solving global warming and reducing air pollution, smarter and cleaner forms of energy are being looked at very closely by scientists and consumers. There are several cool facts about solar power that can change the world. Miniwiz makes iPhone … [Read more…]
Carrie and I have spent a lot of time in Germany, and though we are in Finland now, we’re still seeing lots of wind turbines. Which led me to wonder how wind turbines work. This video walks you through the pieces and parts of the large wind turbines. I found it very interesting. Though it’s … [Read more…]
Whistleblowers from FOX News on a growth hormone with serious potential problems for human health.
It would appear that we (as humans) are advancing well, despite what the news and TV would have you think. People are inventing amazing things on a daily and weekly basis, battery technology is advancing, solar panels are improving, and people everywhere are rising to challenges that can be solved in years instead of decades … [Read more…]
Afghanistan is considered impoverished and “one of the world’s poorest” (Wikipedia, 2011) countries. As its “unemployment rate is 35% and roughly the same percentage of its citizens live below the poverty line,” it comes as no surprise to hear that “about 42 percent of the population live on less than $1 a day” (Wikipedia, 2011). And as such, this brings a glaring question to the forefront – how does a country whose primary concern is simply on surviving through another day, possibly make headway on any environmental idea?
http://www.instructables.com/id/V10_vawtsavoniusvertical_axiswindturbineamete/ Here’s what you need: 5 pvc tube. size 3″X10′ (hardware store)$48 3 bike wheels. size 12″ (junk yard or ask your kid to use their bikes for a minute) maybe $5 Ametek38 volt (ebay or surplus store) $60 (a problem with ametek, it needs 500 rpm to reach 14.1volt. Or buy windblue alternator (ebay) … [Read more…]
Many of the reusable products created are using an excessive amount of CO2 emissions during the process of creation. Though the products might be used again and again, the effects of them being created cause one to wonder if it is really worth it. Not to mention the process of them being destroyed. Sure, we may use our Rubbermaid containers again and again and again until they finally crack and break down on us, but how many of us actually take the time to recycle them once they’re done in? Many of these reusable items simply end up in the same landfills we were initially hoping we’d avoid filling and yet because of the nature of the material being used for these products, many of them are even less biodegradable then their disposable alternatives.
“Hybrids are sexy and make a statement, but require no real sacrifice. Sure, they cost more per mile to run than an economy car because people pay more for them up front. But so do Hummers. People buy hybrids because they’re upscale and make a very public statement about being eco-friendly, just as Hummer owners make their own statement to the tree huggers” (Mitchell, 2007).
Since 1996, I have thought I was allergic to milk. But I’ve drank a fair amount of milk during our past 2 years of world travel. Not coincidentally, in the past two years, I’ve not been in the United States for more than 2 1/2 weeks combined. But I’ve drank more milk in the past … [Read more…]