Linking to another blog post

There is a blog post that I just read that go me thinking big. This blog post contains information about a new kind of energy form that is being investigated in Korea. The whole idea is that there will be magnetic strips built into roadways that will give cars energy while they drive over the magnetic strips. If this were to work it would save a lot of time, money and energy. The strips would provide power to cars that have EV energy batteries that are the main engine for the car. The blog says that this would drive down the costs of labor and production of big, heavy-duty batteries that would be expensive to buy and charge. The magnetic strips would provide free energy for any car passing over them. Korea is going to test this plan first on a roller coaster to make sure that is efficient enough to spend time and money on. This roller coaster will have magnetic strips for approximately 400 meters of the total 1.2-mile long track. If it is a success then the production of these magnetic strips will start. They will first use them for bus routes to just make sure that they will work well with automobiles on the environment (roadways) which they use on a daily basis. With the new jump in battery-operated cars, these magnetic strips could be an invention that completely changes the landscape of the world’s roadways for a long time. Only time will tell if these will be a great success or a eye-catching failure.

Sneeze Page: The best of the last 30 days of blogs

For today I am going to take you back in time (barely). I am going to mention the best blogs that I have written since I started this blog site. For those of you that do not know, this is called a ‘sneeze page’. I have no idea why it is called that but it is a great idea.

First, the blog called, “A great blog that you need to read!”, is a must-read blog. It is based on a book that was written about the oil spill that “you’ve never heard about”. This blog gives you insight about a blog that talks about the book. If you read the blog that I analyzed you will be given a link to buy the book.

Second, the blog called, "Keystone Pipeline", is just as important as the above blog I just mentioned. It is in the same type of category but will explain our future instead of our past.

Third, the blog, “Review of Mountain Top Mining Video”, is of the same importance of the first two. The blog reviews the major problems of mountain top removal for the extraction of coal. There is a link for a video that goes in depth. The video is of grave importance to spark enthusiasm for an outcry against these companies that are removing the mountain tops.

Those are my personal top three blogs from the last 30 days. After you read those make sure to check out the rest of my, easy-to-red, short blogs.

Land Use

Land use and management do not seem to be a concern for many human beings.  In a sense, we are selfish when it comes to using land.  I live in a rather small town.  Throughout my life, I have seen more and more subdivisions and homes being built.  Where there was once an open lot, there now lies a home for someone.  My high school had an addition built on to it the year after I graduated because our town seemed to be growing.  I believe that not only is my small hometown expanding; but the entire world is expanding and our land is continually being used by us.  As we can see the worlds population plays a big part in how we use our land and how it is managed.  If we become overpopulated then how is there to be forests, lakes, deserts, when we need all of the land to build homes, towns, ad cities.  Much of our land has been deforested so new towns, subdivisions, and houses can be built instead.  We have turned little towns into big cities, expanding our land use.  We have turned our natural environment into a man-made society.  This plays a major impact on what we call our natural resources for instance our water, soil, plants, and animals.  For example, an area of land that has been deforested has a different quality of water compared to an area that is forested.  If we continue to cut down forests to build urban areas then our water supply will be of less quality.  As we all know, people are living longer due to the research and technology that has came about in the medical field.  Because of this, our environment will downfall due to the over expansion of the human race.  

12 Things I Learned

12 Things that I learned from ACC 255 Summer Edition

1. I learned how to make a website
2. I learned how to make a blog site
3. I learned what affiliate programs are
4. I learned what Search Engine Optimization is
5. I learned the process of getting known on SERPs and that there was even a process
6. I learned a lot about my niche area: i.e. dilbit, fracking
7. I learned how ads online work
8. I learned how to place ads online
9. I learned how to make personalized products and promote them
10. I learned how to add widgets/gadgets to web sites
11. I learned how much effort it takes to keep up with a website
12. I learned how to make money online!

Cell Phone Garbage

Electronic devices such as cell phones have came a long way in the past couple of years.  Most of society relies on cell phones in order to communicate with others via calling, texting, or even the famous facebook application.  Not only do people use it for communication but a bunch of other stuff as well such as information, directions, music, and entertainment.  Lets face it; people’s lives revolve around cell phone usage.  However, did we ever think about how a cell phone actually works, how it affects the environment, and how it is disposed of?  Most of us have not.  That is what this blog is for, to discuss and teach the hazards of the cell phone.  Whenever someone receives a text message or a phone call, radiation is emitted via the cell phone.  This can be obviously harmful to the human race as radiation can cause cancers and certain health risks.  Cell phones contain lead, which are released into the air along with other elements.  This can cause harmful affects to human beings as well as research has provided evidence toward neurological deficits due to lead exposure.  Cell phones are also not properly recycled.  Most of mankind who own a cell phone get a new one at least every two years.  All of these cell phones are being put into landfills.  By doing so, the lead containing cell phones are endangering the environment along with the health of humans by the decomposition of lead.  Electronic waste should not be put in landfills for this reason; instead, it should be reused and recycled properly.  Now that you know a little bit about how hazardous cell phones can actually be to the environment along with us; I hope you at least consider recycling your old cell phone. 

Car Pollution

What is the difference between earth and other planets?….Air and Water.  No other planet can create and sustain life.  This is due to the fact that no other planet contains air and water, as of today.  However, what if ur air was no longer good enough to be able to sustain human life?  This is actually occurring right now.  Currently, us human beings have been polluting our air.  This means that the air we breathe is being polluted with dust, gases, odors, fumes, and chemicals that may essentially cause harm to us.  This will cause and as caused harmful affects to us individuals along with our wildlife.  Air pollutants mainly occur from industries and motor vehicles.  These pollutants can essentially cause global warming and other harmful affects to the environment.  What I mainly want to talk about in this blog post though is the effect that cars have on our environment.  Cars (automobiles) have impacted the lives of human beings greatly.  However, they have not only affected our lifestyles, they have affected our environment as well.  Fossil fuel combustion, the result of driving a car, is the worlds most common cause of air pollution in history.  It contributes the most to the worlds air pollution.  As we all know, car use continues to increase.  Most people in America own a car; it is rare to know someone that does not own a car.  Because of this, car use is increasing every year leading to more air pollution.  Because of this, we need to be more considerate and more educated on how our driving affects the air.  Instead of driving gas containing cars, we could own hybrid vehicles which get their energy from batteries.  These cars are pointing their way to the future and should be considered more when people buy a car.  Also, people need to start using cars responsibly.  There are many times when people can either walk or ride a bike somewhere, however, due to laziness people tend to get in their car for a faster outcome.  But, I think we need to start becoming more conscious of the fact that we are polluting the air and start improving our environment by not driving cars when it is not necessary.  

How to stop global warming

It is important for the human race to be educated about global warming and climate science; after all this is the earth’s productivity and future we are talking about.  There is scientific proof that when the climate changes the earths temperature and atmosphere shifts and becomes altered as well.  I have talked about earlier in my previous blogs about the evidence on why and how I believe that global warming is currently in effect.  In order for us to save the future of the earth and its efficiency we need to start acting now.  There is discussions about how the government will help solve this crisis; however, I believe we do not need to wait for the government to come up with a solution, we the people need to start acting now.  There are some simple things that everybody can participate in to fight against and reduce global warming.  First, you need to start saving energy.  There are some common things that you can do to save energy, for instance, use less heat in the winter and less air conditioning in the summer.  Also save gas and the environment by driving less and riding your bike to work.  Start buying energy efficient products such has home appliances, light bulbs, hybrid cars, and etc.  Some of these products may be more expensive but more efficient and environment friendly in the long run.  Remember to start shutting off the lights when you leave the room and turn off the TV once your favorite show is done. It is effective to recycle and reuse products.  Most people do not think of this, but by planting a tree you are reducing global warming.  Trees and other plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the air.  Since deforestation and pollution is occurring there is more carbon dioxide being released into the air.  These tasks are simple and just need your attention.  Start teaching and inspiring others to follow in your footsteps and begin saving our earth.   

Extreme Heat

This past week has lead me to believe even more in global warming.  Currently, Chicago has set record highs in temperature history.  From experience, the past couple of days have been nothing but pure torture with temperatures reaching over 100 degrees over numerous days (a rare occasion in Illinois).  These temperatures did not even seem to be relieved when the sun went down.  Because of this, it has lead me to believe that a climate change is definitely in effect.  This to me is one of the biggest environmental problems in the world.  I have seen this past summer that an overall worldwide temperature increase is occurring.  These past couple of days have lead news stations to put out heat advisory warnings to get peoples attention about the extreme heats and how they should protect themselves from dehydration, heat strokes, and sunburns.  This heat has also affected the ability for individuals to work.  Carpenters and other blue-collar workers have been laid off or stopped working early due to the extreme heat leading to more economic problems.  Also, it has lead this area (the Midwest) into a drought.  More and more families are relying on their home sprinkler systems to help hydrate their plants and lawns (leading us into a more water shortage—see my blog water shortage).  Some farmers who rely on their crops for their livelihood have been having the worst harvest this year due to the drought.  Many corn crops have been destroyed due to the abnormally high heats and lack of rain.  Putting farmers yielding numbers at an extreme low.  Also, wildfires are more likely to happen due to drought and extreme temperatures we have been seeing.  These extreme temperatures definitely affects the environment and wildlife.  It also has bad affects on the entire human race and increasing the economic crisis in America.  There are different actions humans can take to decrease the expansion of global warming, if only we all cared to learn and act in such a way.  

Problems with Plastic

How many people on average do you think attend Walmart everyday?  Now imagine all of the plastic bags that were given to these customers.  That is a lot of plastic and that is just in one day.  Plastic is a commonly made material because it lasts a long time and is easy/cheap to make.  However, plastic pollution has become ever so popular and is extremely harmful to our environment.  Once people leave the grocery store, Walmart, people are very careless with the plastic bags that were once important in helping them carry all of their new items.  Because of this, people are accidently killing a ton of wildlife, for instance mammals and reptiles.  Plastic kills these creatures by either entangling them or by ingesting the material.  The use of plastic does not only affect the wildlife population, it also affects the entire human race. Lots of us drink water out of a plastic bottle. The reason people drink bottled water is so they can have filtered, chemical free drinking water (pure water).  This idea of pure water is essentially false.  This type of water is actually harmful to us because this material (plastic) releases its chemicals into the fluids we drink.  These chemicals that are released may cause harmful and potentially fatal side effects.  It is our job to protect and save wildlife as well as ourselves from this harmful material.  In order to do so, we must decrease the use of plastic and know proper ways of disposing of it.  Next time you’re at the grocery store, use a reusable bag instead and encourage others to do the same.  

Water shortage

Can you imagine a world with no pure water?  Without water, the entire human race along with anything living would no longer exist.  Many of us do not even think about the fact that the world is currently in short supply of drinkable or pure water.  Once the amount of water can no longer withstand its demands for life to exist, the world then will fall into what I like to call a “water crisis”.  Several different countries have villages that contain inadequate amounts of safe/drinkable water.  This lack of safe water leads to many civilians to drink contaminated water, which contains water-borne pathogens.  This essentially leads to many deaths in the human population.  Today, us citizens take water for granted.  A countless number of people leaves their facets running while they are brushing their teeth, leave their sprinklers running for hours, and even do not finish their two-dollar water they just bought.  Lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water are also being polluted by garbage and oil spills everyday.  In order to save this planet, we need to take into consideration how much water we are using and try to preserve it.  There are regulations in different areas that control how much water people use.  For instance, in the next town over from mine they have water regulations in place on Saturdays.  People cannot water their lawns, which leads to less water being used.  This also gets peoples attention and forces people to think about and consider when and how they use their water.    

Endangered species

I think that people need to start being aware of extinctions of species that have been accumulating throughout the last 10 years. We have produced numerous organization that strive to help endangered species from becoming extinct. But, there are so many endangered species that there is no way we can save them all. The only thing that we can do is be aware and try to stop doing what we are doing that is causing these animals to become extinct. We are able to save a few here and there but when compared to how many are endangered species there are, we are probably saving, approximately, two percent of them. All of these species have been here for a long time and the planet and all of the living ecosystems that are on the planet are used to having these species here. When one species is not around anymore the rest of the ecosystem is changed forever. There are keystone species. Keystone species are species that are critical to the other species in the same ecosystem, and maybe the whole world. Bees are a keystone species. I would suggest doing more research on what would happen if bees were to become extinct. I have read about what would happen and it is scary. Bees are integral to the processes of life that we are used to today. They are the major pollinators of the world. On top of being the biggest player in the pollinating “market”, they are also the best at doing it. So, if we are able to realize how important these endangered species are then maybe we would be willing to change lifestyles in order to help save them.

Prescription pills

Prescription pills are a form of medical care that is meant to help people deal with multiple different problems. Doctors prescribe pills to all types of people for an array of different reasons. I have heard of numerous stories where people faked conditions in order to get pills for their own recreational use instead of using them for medicinal purposes. But, let’s be honest. Getting any type of drug imaginable is possible. How else would there be so many drug addicts and such harsh drug regulations? The fact is, prescription pills can be, and in a lot of cases are, worse than drugs that are illegal. Many people die or have a life-altering event every year due to the uses of prescription medication. Also, most of them time these problems occur with out the misuse or mishandling of the pills (i.e. using them for non medical reasons). How does this happen considering we are suppose to have people that are meant to check these pill before they are even allowed to be used by the public. Those people work for the federal drug and food administration. But, they must not be administering much of anything if they repeatedly cannot catch harmful drugs from being released to the public. So, why do people even take pills? How come everybody still trusts the fact that these drugs are passed by the FDA? It is clear that harmful drugs are always being approved, but, yet, we still think that the next one that is approved is an improvement from the previous ones that have been approved and were proven bad. Hopefully this changes soon. 

Garbage

Excess garbage has become a big problem in the last decade. We realized that landfills are not what we thought they were going to be. The fact that landfills as safe as we thought they would be. We did not separate certain materials, so then chemicals, and other hazardous elements, began going through the bottom of the landfill, leaking into water tables, leaching to minerals and other natural elements, and making there was to people; where they were (and still are) then exposed to the chemicals. We have made many changes for the good, when it comes to garbage, lately. We have begun to recycle with better efficiency. Now most people have a garbage bin AND a recycle bin (that is the same size as the garbage bin) at their homes. We have made great strides but only when you compare where we are now to where we were before. There are still many things we need to get better at (and continue getting better at). One of those ‘things’ is being more innovative. We still do not have a perfect way of getting rid of all of the garbage that we create.  In my mind, the best answer would be to not create garbage in the first place. This is known, but it does not lead to any change. People really need to be more aware of what they use and consume and throw away. Simply being more aware of what we do on a daily basis and the implications of our actions could be the biggest change of all.

Terrible Consequences

I recently made a blog that was called, “Overfishing”. I talked about how overfishing in our society today is a major problem. I would now like to take the time to talk further about the situation. Most people do not know what the implications are of causing major extinctions of fish species in the ocean. Sometimes I wonder if we will ever slow down before we run into an uncontrollable situation. Sometimes I wonder if we will all continue our way of living until we completely crash the human race, and the world’s other complex species, straight to the ground. If we overfish small sized fish then the medium sized fish will die because they won’t have anything to eat. Then the large fish will die because they will also not have anything to eat. Then the algae, plankton, parasites, and other simple tiny organisms will thrive. Essentially, we will replace all of the complex living creatures with tiny simple living creatures. The problem is, we are complex creatures. We could simply wipe out ourselves by being selfish, greedy, and careless. When I learn about how close we are to a tipping point that we might not be able to control, I start to think again. Are we going to let this happen? Are we going to simply kill ourselves, our family, our friends, our future family, and our future family’s friends? Why don’t people care enough to change simple habits? How did everybody get this way? Then, I look at history. We have always been this way. But, changing only takes hope and love. I love life and I hope that we change. There’s a start. 

Keystone pipeline

My last few blogs have been about other blogs that have had subjects about the Canadian tar sands and the keystone pipeline. I think that this is such an important subject that I am going to talk even further about it. The environmental impacts that this pipeline could bring to the American people, and the land that they live on, has the ability to change the country forever. The pipelines that have been used in the past in order to transfer dilbit have been known to have a hard time dealing with the sticky, hazardous substance. If you do not know by now, dilbit is short for diluted bitumen. It is a type of oil that has the density of peanut butter. Considering that, it is unable to be transferred through pipelines without a little help form liquid chemicals. A chemical that is used to ‘dilute’ dilbit is called benzene. This is a very well-know carcinogen that tends to create cancer faster than some other carcinogens. Just simply knowing that benzene and that terribly sticky, sinkable substance, dilbit, are combined together is enough to know that this pipeline should not be made. Dilbit is more corrosive and acidic than normal crude oil, which is why it tends to burst through pipelines more often. Why would anyone think about combining a nasty carcinogen with a nasty ‘pipe killer’ together and then sending them thousands of miles through pipes? It is clear that sooner or later this is going to cause a major catastrophe. Especially since the proposed pipeline will run right above the Ogallala Aquifer. That is one of the biggest fresh water sources for America. It produces roughly 30% of the irrigation water for the United States. If that isn’t enough to get you to realize that this pipeline is a joke and needs to be stopped then you need to go and do some more research. Believe me, you will find enough information, sooner or later, that will convince you that this is not a good idea.

Analysis of great blog

I thought that it would be a great idea to analyze a blog post that was in the same area of blogging that I was in. I came across a blog that taught me a lot and brought upon me a subject that I was completely unaware of at the time. It talks about the keystone pipeline. I have heard of the keystone pipeline before but was unaware of why it was so controversial; now I know. This blog tells you about the potential dangers of the tar sand oil that will be running through the keystone pipeline if it gets approved. This blog post author does a good job of telling both sides of the story from both angles and perspectives; the oil company perspective and the environmentalist perspective. I think that it is pretty obvious from the start that the oil company is not going to want any bad press about its business. That is how businesses are, they protect their products and their company so that they are able to continually run business as always and keep maintaining high profits. I would obviously be viewed as an environmentalist so I would be put in that category of wanting to save the environment. This blog post author is clearly able to stay unbiased and tell the story so that both sides are represented. It is a well-written post that you are able to read yourself by clicking here. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. And don’t forget to do more research on your own or read my article called “Tar sand disaster” by clicking here.

A great blog that you need to read!

I would like to take time in this blog post to promote another blog post that I saw today. It is a very important blog post and is done very well. Stephen Lacey is the author. The reason why it is important is because it deals with an upcoming, potentially massive problem that could possibly affect every one in our country (US). It has to deal with an oil spill from a pipeline that was never able to grab any major media attention. The biggest reason for this was because it happened right after the major oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, courtesy of BP. All of the major spotlights of the world were on the BP oil spill and the oil spill in Marshall, MI was either never talked about or was instantly forgotten. This blog post shows how important the tar sands from Canada are and helps tell the story of how those tar sands ended up in Marshall, MI. Stephen Lacey helps promote a must-read book that you will be able to purchase by clicking a link that he provided on his blog post. I think that Mr. Lacey is a great writer that writes about what really matters in our world today. He seems to write about things that will affect people and the future of people. If you click here, you will be able to read the blog post that he wrote about the oil spill. You will see for yourself how informative and important it is.

Steps for buying non-organic fruits/veggies

I know that organic food can be expensive. If all of the costs that surround the creation of non-organic food was known and added to the price of that food, then organic food would be the cheaper option; but, that is a whole other story. Our economy, and the rest of the world’s economy, is so bad right now and the fact that our middle class is turning into an extension of our lower class (while the higher class just continually gets higher) is making it so that the normal citizen is not able to afford the constant higher cost that organic food brings to the table (pun intended). With that being said, most people will have to continue to buy non-organic food until things, hopefully, change in our economy, culture and collective human outlook/perception. For that reason, people should know how to handle their non-organic fruits and veggies that they are forced to buy.

First, you do not have to pick veggies and fruits that look perfect. If there is a bug bite out of a pepper then that could mean that the pepper had fewer pesticides on it for the bug to be able to survive to eat some of it.

Second, look for the types of food that are the least deformed.

Third, when you bring them home ALWAYS wash the food thoroughly. You want to make sure to get as much of the pesticides, herbicides, and other chemicals off of the food before you put it in your body. I always take a knife and scrape the outside of my peppers, apples, etc. under warm water so that I am sure that I take off most of the chemicals before I ingest them.

These are things that you should always do when buying fruits and veggies if you cannot afford organic ones. Just a few steps in order to help you stay away from one of the many environmental hazards of today.

My website

If you go to environment4life.webs.com then you will possibly be the coolest person ever to live, for just that second that you click enter. It is my website and is in coordination with this blog that I created. It shows who I am and some reasoning for why I write about the environment and why I believe that the environment and the problems that we are facing today, and that we will be facing in the short-term and long-term future, are some of the most important problems that humans have ever been faced with. The magnitude of these problems are insane. They affect every single thing on the planet so there are not many excuses for people to make for why they do not spend some of their time doing something to help the cause. Whether that be recycling, learning about everything that is going on, spreading knowledge, asking questions, talking to political figures in office, buying organic and less-packaged foods, reducing usage of resources, becoming more efficient, eating local foods, getting rid of e-waste in a safe way, etc. There are numerous ways to help out causes and they are not particularly hard things to do. Anyway, those are the reasons why I make this blog and they are also the same reasons why I made my website (again, environment4life.webs.com). I also have some articles that I made myself that go more in depth about certain aspects of what I care about. So, if you want to learn more about me, check out some of my articles, and help my cause then (I swear it is the last time I will say it) go to http://www.environment4life.webs.com/. Or click here.

Call to change

Our country holds a major need from our political ‘buddies’ that hold office in Washington or anywhere in the country. If we want change in our country for the better then we are going to need our guys and girls that are in office to step up for what is right. We do not “need” them necessarily but they would make it a whole lot easier for us if they were able to do what’s right for our environment. I recently wrote about mountain top removal as a form of extracting coal from the Appalachian Mountains. That is the type of scenario that our political figures need to stop and fight against. The big industries in our country seem to hold more power than our people in Washington. And we all know that they never have the public’s best interest in their mind when they make decisions. We have companies that have been know to harm our environment and the people by doing shady business that ranges from dumping hazardous waste to ruining the layout of natural lands (mountain top removal, deforestation etc.). When companies get caught dumping hazardous waste or something similar to that, they usually receive a fine and then it is swept under the rug. The fines are never enough to stop any behavior, maybe just try to hide it better or find a different place to dump. It is still cheaper for the companies to do shady business and pay the fines then to quit doing shady business. So we need to either call our political figures and hassle them to change or we need to put our future in our own hands.

Overfishing

Overfishing. When I was growing up I never thought that there would be a word such as, overfishing. I always knew that the world was mostly water and I would always go fishing and saw how many fish were in little ponds; so I could only imagine how many were in the ocean. But, the truth is overfishing is very real. We have ruined certain lakes, streams, rivers, and other bodies of water all around the world with pollution. That means we have brought down the fish population a ton. Also, we have found such good ways to fish that we have actually fished too much. Now we are actually taking too much fish out of the array of bodies of water. Some fishing companies use huge nets, either on the bottom or top of the water, to go and scoop up the fish. Even helicopters are used to find schools of fish and tell the workers on the boat where those fish are.

Since some of the fish populations are too low to fish, fishing companies have moved towards genetically modifying fish and feeding them certain foods so that they grow faster and become bigger. As everyone knows there are more people on the earth no than ever before, so fish demand is high but the populations are low. The impacts of overfishing can be grave. 

If you want to learn the extent of overfishing, click here. 

If you want to see a video that shows consequences of overfishing, click here.

Wind turbines

Wind Power. There are many skeptics out there that think wind power will never be able to become a vital source of energy for us. Then, there are many people that think that wind power will work and become a vital source of energy. As I am typing right now there is a big storm going on outside of my house. Trees are being shoved and bent backwards, forwards, left and right. I know one thing for sure, if I had a wind turbine in my backyard today then I would not have to pay my electric bill this month.

There are wind turbine fields all around my area and they are said to produce enough energy for 120,000 homes. That is 120,000 homes that are not using coal, crude oil, or natural gas to get ‘fuel’. Pollution has taken a hit because of those wind turbines. It is said, from a video that I have watched, that a single wind turbine can produce enough energy for 500 homes. (to watch the video on wind farming click here) That is simply amazing. It is the one of cleanest and most renewable form of energy that we can even imagine and it is already doing wonders for many homes and businesses today.

These massive turbines look simple from a far, but when you get close and see how big they are you realize how amazing they are.

If you want to see what these giants are made up of then click here.

If you want to see how the wind and the turbine work together click here. 

If you want to see how electricity is made and transferred to home click here. 

E-Waste Outsourcing

As of today, in America and other developed countries, problems are being solved using unjust means. The thing that is most talked about is outsourcing jobs from America to other, maybe, under developed countries. The biggest reason to outsource jobs, projects, or labor is because it is cheaper to do business in places that are regulated and taxed less than they are here in America. Although, this type of outsourcing is talked about more on the mainstream, there is another form of outsourcing that should be talked about further and more in depth.

Outsourcing of problems is what I call it. This ranges from bringing electronic waste to other poverty stricken, under developed countries for them to deal with to dumping all kinds of waste near the Mexican border so that we do not have to deal with it. (Read a story and watch a video on the story that was made by 60 Minutes about E-waste by clicking here.) 

It is well known that our industries and companies tend to take the easy way out of their problems instead of dealing with them themselves, even if those problems harms thousands of human and animal lives. Anything to save a few bucks goes with those types of people/companies.

The fact is, chemical waste from electronics is constantly being shipped out of the our country and brought to poverty stricken areas. Those people are not educated about the effects that these chemicals are and will have on their bodies, along with their family’s bodies. They are desperate people that are willing to do anything to make a quick penny and the companies know that. It is time the companies deal with the problems they cause correctly and sustainably.

To watch another video and read about e-waste click here.

If you want to learn on different ways to deal with e-waste safely, click here.

Review of Mountain Top Mining Video

I recently came across a very touching video online. This video really amazed me. It gave me another, large-scale, example of what the world is like today. Big industries and companies will do whatever it takes in order to make an easy profit. And I mean anything.

A coal company has been doing “mountain top mining” for the past two decades in Appalachia. The system is to go on the mountaintops and literally blow off the tops of mountains in order to get far enough down to where the coal is. As a man in the video mentions, the coal company has been using three and a half MILLION pounds of explosives…...per day.

What do they do with all of the land that is reduced to rubble? They take it and dump it in the nearest streams. They have covered up and ruined hundreds, maybe thousands, of natural streams that used to hold life. People that live in the surrounding area have had their lives completely ruined from this coal mining process. When there are no trees, plants, or wildlife on top of mountains anymore then what happens to the area when it rains? Sudden flash floods happen because there are no trees and plants to hold the land down. On top of that, they have completely ruined mountains and the habitats that existed on them. It takes thousands or even millions of years for a mountain range to form. Now they are totally ruined along with the drinking water for generations to come. We need to put a stop to mountaintop mining everywhere! Especially in West Virginia so that no more hurt is caused.

To watch a video on this mountain top mining disaster, click here.
To help stop mountain top removal, click here.
To learn more about mountain top removal and have another way to help stop it, click here.

Far-reaching problems

It is well known that humans are the top dogs on the planet, as a species. We have encircled the world and mastered how to tame the land in order to accommodate our wants and needs; nowadays we care more about our wants more than our needs in America. One thing is for sure, thought. The world is a complete system. Everything on, around, and in the planet is a group of interlocking parts that all feed off of each other in some way.

What I am getting at is that everything that a human, or humans as a whole, does can and will affect something else on the planet in a good or bad way. Since humans have been in existence we have not had many good affects on the things around us. As of today, we have created many problems. I would like to list a few of the biggest, far-reaching problems dealing with the usage of fossil fuels and uranium, in no particular order.

1.     Coal: The use of coal has polluted our environment across the globe because we have burned it in order to create energy. Also, the digging up of coal from the land has ruined terrain and the wildlife surrounding those areas.

2.     Crude Oil: If you do not know, crude oil gets refined in different steps and creates everything from gasoline to jet fuel to kerosene. The use of crude oil has polluted the world’s air and water. It is the reason why Los Angeles has a layer of smog over it.

3.     Nuclear Power: We have used Uranium in order to make energy. This has released a different kind of pollution into our environment, radiation. Effects of radiation release is felt throughout the world and the extent is still unknown

4.     Natural gas: Burning of this fossil fuel is cleaner than coal and oil. But, getting it from underground ruins land, wildlife, and can create sinkholes.

Test your water.

How many people understand where their drinking water comes from? How many people know what is in the water that they drink? These are things that I occasionally think about. Depending on where you get your water from, there could be an array of problems attached to your drinking water. Most bottled waters have different problems with them also. Every company that sells their bottled water cleans their water differently and/or adds different things into the water. So, if you really want to know what is in the water that you normally drink then you need to go to the store and get a PH test kit and a TDS meter.
The PH test kit will tell you what the part of the PH scale the water is on. The Ph scale ranges from zero to fourteen, with seven being neutral. Neutral all the way up to 14 on the scale is good for drinking water. If it is below seven then it is more acidic. Bacteria thrives on acid so that is not what you want your drinking water to be like. A TDS meter measures the ppm (part per million) of dissolved solids in water. Zero means just that, there are zero per million. The scale goes up to eight hundred. The more ppm the worse off the drinking water is.

I would suggest buying those two products (PH scale kit and TDS meter) in order to test you drinking water as soon as possible. You should test all the water that you could possibly drink some time in the future. Or you could test water before you drink it.

If you would like to purchase a PH scale kit online click here.
If you would like to look at different types of TDS meters to make a purchase click here.
If you would like to watch a man on youtube test Aquafina, an off brand spring water from Walgreens, tap water, and filtered water with both of these products click here.

Fruits and Veggies

Every time I go to the grocery store I cannot help but look at the fruits and vegetables and think about all of the things that were done to them before they finally arrived to the store that I was at. I think to myself, “Don’t people wonder how, no matter what time of year, there are ALWAYS every kind of fruit and every kind of vegetable?”. It is a very valid question considering that there are only specific times a year for each specific type of fruit and vegetable to be grown naturally. Also, “How are they all big and juicy still?”, pops into my head. With some seasons being worse or better than others, it is normal for the fruits and vegetable to be terrible one season and good the next; or have excess one season and a shortage the next. But it never fails. There are always plenty amounts of everything and the, for the most part, look like the same quality every time.
It is very simple how this happens. These fruits and vegetables are grown inorganically. The use of genetic modifications and chemicals helps these foods grow faster and bigger. Chemicals are also used to make these fruits and veggies last long enough to make it around the world with enough time to arrive being still eatable. But, if it seems too good to be true, it is. No matter how fast, big, or long-lasting these fruits and veggies are, they are still poor quality food that should not even be considered eatable. The genetic modifications that are eaten make genetic modifications to our bodies and the chemicals harm us terribly. On top of that, they don’t even taste good. If you are used to the tastes and don’t believe me, go to an organic food market and try their vegetables (especially green peppers and tomatoes); you will immediately understand. 

Nuclear Power, Solar and Wind?

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I have recently noticed that nuclear power is used in the same sentences as wind and solar energy. I don't know when this started to happen but nuclear is not even close to the same category as wind and solar energy. First of all, wind and solar are forms of renewable energy. Nuclear power is not. Nuclear power plants need Uranium 235 (U-235) as a fuel source in order to, ultimately, produce heat to spin a turbine to produce energy. Uranium 235 is a finite resource; meaning we could use it all up; meaning it is not a renewable resource; meaning it should not be in the same category or even sentence as wind and solar. On top of that, wind and solar are far less dangerous than using nuclear power plants. It is very simple, if an earthquake hit an area full of wind turbines and solar panels, the turbines and panels might be ruined but will not affect anything else. If an earthquake hits a nuclear power plant (i.e. Japan) then the reactor has a chance of melting down from uncontrollable reactions and radiation will be released into our world. If the problem is big enough, the radiation has a chance at encircling the whole world by the time it is done spreading. One problem big enough at a nuclear power plant has the opportunity to affect everything on the planet while solar and wind sources of energy simply just need to get re-built. The differences between renewable energy sources and non-renewable energy sources are just as obvious as the differences between the dangerous and the non-dangerous. Don’t get it twisted, nuclear power is finite and harmful; solar and wind are clean, harmless, and infinite. 

Houses made of old habitats

There are many reasons to use trees. We use parts of trees every single day without thinking about what it takes to use those things or, most of the time, even realize that trees were used to in the construction of the objects. Even when you walk into a house and sit at a desk you never think about how many trees it took to make that desk, the wooden bed frame behind you, the books pilled up on the desk, and the house that you are sitting in. Something that is even more hidden to our thoughts are the consequences of using that many trees. The consequences are not in the minds of societies as much as they should be. When you cut down a tree you are taking something from the world that took up to 200 years to grow. These trees are cut down and not planted. When you cut down trees you are doing multiple terrible things that include: killing animals and sometimes leaving them for extinction, taking away biodiversity of the planet, taking away “natural levees”, causing erosion, causing flooding, taking away oxygen, adding more CO2, taking away forests/wetlands and turning them into deserts, and ultimately making life very hard for not only animals and wildlife but also for us as humans. Taking down one tree will immediately cause more water run off that will erode the ground where the tree once was. Now, think about what that does to a huge area on a mountain side (currently being deforested in Alaska). The whole mountain, once the trees are gone, will change dramatically from landslides, floods, and the habitats that were killed. Since we are not planting any trees and are continually cutting them down, we are moving closer and closer to turning our whole world into a animal-less desert constantly being flooded without a sight of fresh drinking water anywhere.

Reason for a rain barrel

When I told my friends that it would be a good idea to make a rain barrel most of them laughed in my face. Most of them wondered why I would ever want to do such a thing. They thought it was "pointless" and that I just wanted to do it so that I could be a "penny-pincher". The linkage of saving pennies and collecting rainwater seemed to be the most common thoughts toward this idea. Although I understand their point of view that spending time and energy creating something that is meant to save a few bucks might seem to be over-the-top, I still think it is them that do not understand the whole concept. Water is becoming very scarce around the world. People are predicting that there are going to be many water shortages in the U.S. by 2013. If you did not know, that is only about 6 months away from now. The winters have been warmer and the summers have been hotter. Water has, and is going to continue, to dry with the new, year round, higher temperatures. If you were to have a 60-gallon drum to save water you would be surprised how fast it got filled up. If you had a very unlikely sized rooftop of about 200 square feet you would be able to fill up that 60-gallon drum with only a half of an inch of rainfall. Two hundred square feet is approximately the size of a parking spot ladies and gentlemen. Simply setting up multiple rain barrels at your house will give you the ability to save massive amounts of non-chlorinated water to do any of the following: water plants, save money, use to rinse of hands/feet/tools/cars, clean and treat to use for shower/drinking water, etc.

Kill For Looks.

When I drive around some neighborhoods I always enjoy seeing the more "expensive" houses and the beautiful landscaping, yards, and upkeep of their houses. It is clear when you drive through a neighborhood of wealthy people. I have just recently begun to not enjoy looking at those houses as much as I used to. When you realize that having a great lawn and plenty of weed less flowerbeds entails great consequences. Herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides are a major part in the creation of beautiful flowers beds, lawns, and weed less houses. People love to justify their actions and say that, "I am only putting a little bit on" or "this is only the second time I used chemicals this year" or maybe even, "I'm getting too old and/or do not have enough times to pull the weeds". Actually, just as I type this sentence I am watching a weed killer commercial on TV!! A Round-up commercial just so you get the whole picture. Back to the topic, no matter what type of justifications people make for using chemicals the same things are always true. These chemicals WILL leach to soil, water, and nutrients. These chemicals WILL get introduced into the water tables, wells, and/or aquifer. No matter how good the filtration systems are for the public water, these chemicals WILL enter the bodies of whoever drinks the water. When these chemicals enter the body, they do damage. They accumulate in the body throughout the entirety of the life of the person. Different chemicals attack different parts of the body in different ways. Most of them also can be transferred to babies that are made from chemically consumed people. On top of that, these chemicals kill wildlife, diversity, and ruin bodies of water. The Mississippi River at one point in time had a 250 mile stretch that was uninhabitable and the fish were killed; due to run off of chemicals into the River. If we don't realize that health is more important than getting quick beauty out of our lawns then we will continue to harm ourselves and all of wildlife.