tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73719881213141557422024-03-14T01:30:48.597+08:00Citer Terkinione stophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06832458449597491315noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371988121314155742.post-44359156630089581212013-04-06T15:46:00.000+08:002013-04-06T15:46:34.275+08:0010 Resolutions for Going Green with Your Family This Year<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">1. Non-Toxic Cleaning</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">One of the very first changes I made on my journey towards more green living was to switch to homemade and non-toxic cleaners for my home, so it's one of the first things I recommend to anyone who is interested in making green changes in their family's life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It's really important to be aware of the products we use on our skin and our children's skin. Unfortunately, there are lot of nasty chemicals in most conventional brands of personal care products, so you'll need to read labels and choose products that are safe and non-toxic.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">3. Ditch the Disposables</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Reducing the amount of garbage your family creates is a great way to have a big impact on the environment. This could be anything from switching to cloth napkins and rags instead of paper napkins and towels, to using cloth diapers instead of disposables.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Making a commitment to buying things used instead of new saves money and saves the environment at the same time. Before you run to store to purchase things this year, try to find what you're looking for used - at garage sales, thrift stores or online from sites like Craigslist or Ebay.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If your family doesn't already recycle regularly, this is an important step to take to reduce the impact of the waste your family creates on the planet. Set up a recycling system that everyone in your family can easily use, and begin to teach your children what is recyclable and what is not — and try to use recyclable things more than disposable ones!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is a really easy one that you can even get your toddler involved in. Make sure you turn off the lights when you leave a room, and don't leave lights on in areas of the house that you aren't using. Have your kids help you remember to turn of the lights, and if they're anything like my kids, they'll want to go ahead and turn the lights off themselves!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I think it's really important to teach our kids where food comes from, not just that we buy it at the grocery store. One great way to do this is to plant your own garden and have your kids help you with it. There are lots of ways to grow your own food, even if you have limited space.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Simplifying your stuff may not really seem like a way to live green, but less stuff means you save money and earthly resources needed to produce and buy that stuff, and gives your family the space and time to enjoy the truly important things in life. Getting away from materialism and back to basics is one easy way to live a little greener.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The food we eat has a major impact on our environment, but choosing local and organic food can help to decrease that impact. Resolve to shop your local farmer's market and buy more food directly from the farm this year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There are lots of little ways you can conserve water and make a dent in your overall water use this year. Start with turning off the faucet while you brush your teeth, taking shorter showers, making sure you don't have any leaky or dripping faucets around your house, installing a low flow shower head, and even following the "If it's yellow, let it mellow" rule in the bathroom.</span></div>
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one stophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06832458449597491315noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371988121314155742.post-26384650135561091182010-10-28T18:00:00.001+08:002013-04-06T14:49:38.749+08:006 Extremely Weird Plants<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>1.<em> Rafflesia arnoldii</em>:</strong> this parasitic plant develops the world’s largest bloom that can grow over three feet across. The flower is a vibrant red-pink, with bumpy white spots. It has an offensive odor and has a hole in the center that holds six or seven quarts of water. The plant has no leaves, stems, or roots.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><img src="http://dingo.care2.com/pictures/greenliving/uploads/2010/09/weird2.jpg" /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>2. <em>Hydnora africana</em>:</strong> an unusual melon-colored, parasitic flower that attacks the nearby roots of shrubbery in the arid deserts of South Africa. The putrid-smelling blossom attracts herds of carrion beetles.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>3. <em>Dracunculus vulgaris</em>:</strong> smells like rotting flesh, and has a burgundy-colored, leaf-like flower that projects a slender, black appendage.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>4. <em>Welwitschia mirabilis</em>:</strong> consists of only two leaves and a stem with roots. Its two leaves continue to grow until they resemble an alien life form. The stem gets thicker rather than higher, although this plant can grow to be almost six feet high and twenty-four feet wide. Its estimated lifespan is 400 to 1500 years. Mirabilis grows in Namibia, and is thought to be a relic of the Jurassic period.</span><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>5. <em>Drakaea glyptodon</em>:</strong> an orchid. It is the color of, and smells like, raw meat. Pollinated by male wasps.</span><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>6. <em>Wolffia angusta</em>:</strong> the world’s smallest flower. A dozen plants would easily fit on the head of a pin and two plants in full bloom will fit inside a small printed letter “o.</span><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
one stophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06832458449597491315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371988121314155742.post-87697234807580017932010-09-20T01:19:00.001+08:002013-04-06T14:48:22.691+08:0010 tips to avoid bedbugs<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small; line-height: 16px;">10 tips on how to spot the blood-suckers and what to do if you find them.</span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">1. When sleeping in a new bed, check for signs of their feces: small, black or dark brown dots on sheets or the mattress. (If you are in a hotel and find potential bedbug fecal matter, ask for a new room far from the original.)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">2. While bedbugs mostly hide out during the day, you may be able to spot the actual bug at night (using a flashlight may be helpful). Baby bedbugs are nearly invisible, but their older relatives are brown to red-brown and oval-shaped (see image above).</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">3. Regularly inspect places where pets sleep for signs of bedbugs.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">4. In some heavily infested areas, a <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;">coriander-like</span> odor may be present.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">5. If you suspect you've been exposed to bedbugs when traveling, clean out everything you traveled with. Vacuum out your suitcase and wash all clothes in hot water if possible, whether they are dirty or not. When traveling, leave your suitcases on hard surfaces if possible (rather than carpet or upholstered furniture).</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">6. If you suspect there are bedbugs in your home, do not jump directly to pesticide application. Many pesticides, especially over-the-counter treatments, are ineffective in killing bedbugs and their eggs, and only add unnecessary chemicals to your living space. Professional steam or heat treatments kill eggs and adults.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">7. Make sure it is indeed bedbugs that are causing your bites before treating the problem. Fleas, ticks, mites, mosquitoes, or allergic reactions may be the cause of the skin lesions. IdentifyUS suggests a <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;">variety of trapping methods</span> you can use to find and identify a bedbug.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">8. If you cannot find a bedbug, but suspect they are present, a <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;">bedbug-sniffing dog</span> may help sniff-out the culprits.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">9. Do not put infested furniture on the street or in common areas, as that may spread the problem to other homes. If you do move infested furniture out of your house, place in a locked dumpster and label it as bedbug-infested. If you have infested furniture that is useful, you do not need to dispose of it; it can be cleaned and treated.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">10. Clear your clutter. Having a non-cluttered home also makes treatment easier, as there are less objects to clean.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small; line-height: 16px;">Five ways to get rid of bedbugs</span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">1. Steve Tvedten, author of a <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;">nontoxic pest control website</span>, suggests using a steam cleaner on cracks and mattresses weekly, if you suspect bedbugs. Bedbugs are very sensitive to heat and cannot stand temperatures above 111 and 113 degrees Fahrenheit. An hour of high heat exposure should eliminate most infestations, according to Tvedten.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">2. Low temperatures (32 to 48 degrees Fahrenheit) for longer periods of time (30 to 50 days) can also eradicate bedbug infestations.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">3. Vacuum anything you can. Put other items in sealed plastic bags.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">4. Wash any fabric you can in hot water.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">5. You may want to use a <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;">nontoxic spray</span> for controlling bedbugs.</span></div>
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one stophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06832458449597491315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371988121314155742.post-39602162972890438922010-09-11T00:18:00.002+08:002010-09-11T00:24:21.233+08:0020 ways to detox your house<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_care2/smallhouse.jpg" alt="house" /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 16px; font-family:arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; ">There are many things you can do to "detox" your home, some more practical than others. Here are my 20 suggestions:</p><center><img alt="shoes" height="267" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_care2/shoes.jpg" width="443" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; vertical-align: top; " /><br /><br /></center><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "><strong>No shoes in the house.</strong><br />Most household dirt, pesticides, and lead <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylt=AiIi7Iy1cV0zZtyMdjNbQy2CV8cX/SIG=12e135hqh/**http%3A//www.care2.com/greenliving/please-remove-shoes-before-entering.html" target="_blank" style="text-decoration: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">come in on your shoes</span></a>. Go barefoot or wear slippers. Place floor mats vertically by your entryways to wipe your shoes. This way more dirt and residue from your shoes stays outside on the mat.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "><strong>Keep the air clean.</strong><br />Keep your windows and doors open as much as possible to ventilate. Use green plants as natural air detoxifiers. Remove odors with baking soda. Use fresh flowers or bowls of herbs like rosemary and sage to add a pleasant fragrance to rooms. Have your air ducts and vents cleaned with nontoxic cleaners. Get a portable air cleaner/purifier, especially for the bedrooms.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "><strong>Switch from the standard household cleaning products to cleaner and greener ones.</strong><br />These don't damage your health or the environment's as much and work as well as the mass marketed ones. You can also use basic ingredients you have around the house, for instance, vinegar in place of bleach, baking soda to scrub your tiles, and hydrogen peroxide to remove stains. According to Annie Bond, the author of "Better Basics for the Home," she can clean anything with water and these five basic ingredients:<a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylt=ArOlQ7sciOv1IkLdgL3g3v.CV8cX/SIG=12c3uorja/**http%3A//www.care2.com/greenliving/five-basics-for-nontoxic-cleaning.html" target="_blank" style="text-decoration: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">Baking soda, washing soda, distilled white vinegar, vegetable-based liquid Soap (e.g., Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Soap), and tea tree oil</span></a>.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "><strong>Replace your skin care and personal products with less toxic and chemical-free options.</strong><br />Deodorant, toothpaste, cosmetics, hair products, nail polish, and perfumes are often loaded with toxins. Learn how to identify them and avoid them.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "><strong>Use plastics wisely<br /></strong>Some plastics contain Bisphenol A (BPA), which is linked to cancer, and phtalates, which are linked to endocrine and developmental problems. <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylt=Aqpx6AeEv9hnJQqlFgQ7L1uCV8cX/SIG=128ml04u1/**http%3A//www.care2.com/greenliving/kitchen-plastic-easy-greening.html" target="_blank" style="text-decoration: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">Avoid plastic food packaging</span></a> (when you can). Don't <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylt=AjoIzwV3vMxeUDtQbb60.FeCV8cX/SIG=128ml04u1/**http%3A//www.care2.com/greenliving/kitchen-plastic-easy-greening.html" target="_blank" style="text-decoration: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">wrap food</span></a> in plastic. Don't <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylt=Ao8rXMvBwwqJB8xTzaeZHiGCV8cX/SIG=128ml04u1/**http%3A//www.care2.com/greenliving/kitchen-plastic-easy-greening.html" target="_blank" style="text-decoration: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">microwave</span></a> food in plastic containers. Choose baby bottles made from glass or BPA-free plastic. Avoid vinyl teethers for your baby. Stay away from children's toys marked with a "3" or "PVC." Avoid plastic shower curtains.</p><center><img alt="Hand with frying pan" height="264" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_care2/teflon.jpg" width="443" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; vertical-align: top; " /><br /><br /></center><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "><strong>Avoid nonstick pans, pots, bakeware and utensils.</strong><br />Teflon contains <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylt=AjcaMYsKT2VqK_EIssKaKUiCV8cX/SIG=12auqckvs/**http%3A//www.care2.com/greenliving/nonstick-cookware-easy-greening.html" target="_blank" style="text-decoration: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs)</span></a> which have been linked to cancer and developmental problems.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "><strong>Keep house dust to a minimum.</strong><br />More dust means more toxins. Mop all surfaces at least once a week. Use a vacuum cleaner (with a HEPA filter, preferably) for your carpets. HEPA-filter vacuums capture the widest range of particles and get rid of allergens.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "><strong>Avoid excess moisture.</strong><br />It encourages the growth of mold and mildew. Check areas for moisture accumulation or leaks (particularly basements). Regularly clean surfaces where mold usually grows - around showers and tubs and beneath sinks.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "><strong>Get a shower filter.</strong><br />Many of the contaminants in tap water become gases at room temperature. A shower filter can help keep these toxins from becoming airborne.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "><strong>Get a water filter.</strong><br />More than 700 chemicals have been identified in drinking water. <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylt=AnPBw7WSnsGxj4Ae1bj6uVCCV8cX/SIG=12fbd4j5p/**http%3A//www.care2.com/greenliving/get-off-the-bottle-and-on-the-filter.html" target="_blank" style="text-decoration: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">Filtering your tap water </span></a>is better than drinking bottled water.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "><strong>Avoid stain-guarded clothing, furniture and carpets.<br /></strong>These may contain PFCs. Wrinkle free and permanent press fabrics used for clothing and bedding commonly contain formaldehyde -- use untreated fabrics where possible.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "><strong>Be conscious of toxins in carpeting. </strong><br />Avoid products made from synthetic materials. Use natural fiber wool & cotton rugs. If possible, <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylt=AuxXAUBKAiPiQ_A1MR8VcRKCV8cX/SIG=11sbteep1/**http%3A//www.care2.com/greenliving/rethinking-carpet.html" target="_blank" style="text-decoration: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">replace wall-to-wall carpeting</span></a> with hardwood floors, all natural linoleum or ceramic tiles. Use nontoxic glues, adhesives, stains, or sealers for installation.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "><strong>Seal (with a nontoxic sealer) or replace particleboard walls, floors or cabinets.</strong><br />These often contain formaldehyde, which can emit irritating and unhealthy fumes for decades. Avoid plywood, fiberglass, fiberboard and paneling.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "><strong>Avoid harmful pet-care products.</strong><br />Avoid <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylt=AjCNw6b.fv5CcXnUq1vFrZqCV8cX/SIG=125qm4rvm/**http%3A//www.care2.com/greenliving/get-rid-of-pests-naturally.html" target="_blank" style="text-decoration: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">toxic pest control</span></a> (including traditional termite exterminators).</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "><strong>Replace toxic lawn and garden pesticides and herbicides.</strong><br />Use with less harmful natural ones.</p><center><img alt="dry cleaning" height="268" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_care2/drycleaning.jpg" width="443" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; vertical-align: top; " /><br /><br /></center><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "><strong>Tell the dry cleaner not to use the plastic wrap.</strong><br />Or remove it as soon as possible because the plastic traps the dry cleaning chemicals on clothes and in your closet. Let your dry cleaning air out (preferably outside) before storing it. <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylt=AsSEesSR8urc.xivCvwNdzeCV8cX/SIG=11t9bssa3/**http%3A//www.care2.com/greenliving/green-dry-cleaning.html" target="_blank" style="text-decoration: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">Use "wet cleaning"</span></a> if you are lucky enough to have it in your area.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "><strong>Use low VOC, low-odor latex (water-based) paint. </strong><br />Open all windows to ventilate properly when painting indoors.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "><strong>Have your house checked for carbon monoxide leaks.</strong><br />These are most commonly found in leaking gas stoves, gas fireplaces, furnaces and chimneys and gas water heaters).</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "><strong>Check Radon levels.</strong><br />Inspect poorly ventilated basements that have cracked walls and or floors. <a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylt=Amx0WjN15pyJHDfvYDZ1yB.CV8cX/SIG=12c3r8suh/**http%3A//www.care2.com/greenliving/granite-countertops-are-radon-hot.html" target="_blank" style="text-decoration: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">Radon is an odorless gas</span></a> that forms as uranium in rocks and soil breaks down. Radon is linked to lung cancer.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "><strong>We can reduce our risk of chronic illness. </strong><br />Limit exposure to these toxins but don't let this become an obsession which can cause so much stress that it creates more of a negative impact on your health than the toxins themselves.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; ">And finally, no amount of environmental toxins are as important as emotional toxicity. You can do all the above, but if your house is full of anger, resentment, jealousy, unhappiness and a lack of love, compassion, and forgiveness, the house will remain toxic.</p></span></div>one stophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06832458449597491315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371988121314155742.post-49099448497888722062010-09-03T16:14:00.000+08:002013-04-06T15:18:56.610+08:007 Nutrients You Need<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Pita bread with bean sprouts, onion, and can of tunafish" src="http://img4.realsimple.com/images/food-recipes/recipe-collections/0702/vegetable-scissor_300.jpg" /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">1) </span>Calcium</span></h4>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recommendation:</span> 1,000 milligrams a day.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Benefits:</span> Bone health.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sources:</span> Dairy products; fish with bones; dark, leafy greens.</span><br />
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2) </span>Fiber</span></h4>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Recommendation:</span> 25 grams a day.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Benefits:</span> Protects against coronary heart disease and reduces the risk of diabetes.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sources:</span> Fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains.</span><br />
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3) </span>Magnesium</span></h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recommendation:</span> 310 to 320 milligrams a day.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Benefits:</span> Helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function and develop and maintain bones.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sources:</span> Nuts, seeds, bran, halibut and other fish.</span><h4 style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;">
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4) </span>Potassium</h4>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recommendation:</span> 4,700 milligrams a day.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Benefits:</span> Helps maintain healthy blood pressure and reduce the effects of salt; may reduce the risk of recurrent kidney stones and possibly decrease bone loss.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sources:</span> Potatoes, tomato paste and puree, white beans, yogurt, soybeans, bananas.</span><h4 style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;">
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5) </span>Vitamin A</h4>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recommendation:</span> 2,310 international units a day.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Benefits:</span> Important for vision, red blood cell production, embryonic development, and immune function.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sources:</span> Organ meats, orange vegetables; green, leafy vegetables.</span><h4 style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;">
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6) </span>Vitamin C</h4>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recommendation:</span> 75 milligrams a day.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Benefits:</span> Acts as a disease-fighting antioxidant; may help to maintain a healthy immune system.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sources:</span> Fruits and vegetables, including citrus fruits, red and green peppers, kiwis, and guavas.</span><h4 style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;">
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7) </span>Vitamin E</h4>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recommendation:</span> 15 milligrams a day.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Benefits:</span> Acts as a disease-fighting antioxidant; may support eye health.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sources:</span> Some ready-to-eat cereals, some oils, almonds, peanut butter.</span></span></div>
one stophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06832458449597491315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371988121314155742.post-27937378376735458742010-08-28T17:28:00.001+08:002013-04-06T14:42:13.666+08:00Six perfect plants for dorm rooms<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">Check out our list of the best dorm room plants to decide which is right for you!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;"><strong>Dwarf Lemon Tree</strong><br />It doesn't at first seem logical to put a tree in such a notoriously cramped space, but a dwarf lemon tree can work in many dorm rooms. The trees can grow up to six feet tall in good conditions, so they might require a bit of pruning to keep them to a reasonable size. But it's worth the effort for the gorgeous yellow lemons that come all year and delicious citrus smell.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">Water your tree enough to keep the soil moist, and mist the leaves daily so they don't dry out. Keep it by a window for optimal sunlight, and give it fertilizer once a month. Make sure to put it in a pot that allows for drainage and air flow to the roots. You can purchase dwarf lemon trees online or grow them from seedlings, if you don't mind waiting seven or eight years before it bears fruit.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;"><strong>Mint</strong><br />It's the hour before your chemistry final, and you're nervous to the point of nausea as you pour over your notes one last time. For an easy, natural, and healthy way to relieve the stress, look to mint. Crush or chew on a mint leaf to emit a strong aroma that can calm nerves, ease nausea and sore throats, and freshen breath by killing germs.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">Mint comes in a lot of varieties (may we suggest <em>chocolate</em> mint?) and is very easy to grow. Put plants in a moist, well-drained pot and make sure they get plenty of sunlight all year. Mint is widely available and can be purchased in pots or as seeds.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;"><strong>Lavender</strong><br />Lavender plants are colorful and fragrant and a great way to freshen up a dorm room. To spread the yummy lavender scent around the room, you can dry out flowers to make sachets for drawers and closets.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">Lavender plants like sun and air, so try to put them next to an open window or a fan. Keep your plant in sandy soil that drains well -- the roots rot easily in standing water. Buy lavender plants at nurseries or online.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;"><img alt="aloe vera plant" src="http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/daily_green_news__1/daily_green_news-616865346-1282155643.jpg?ym8hboDDxABrQgOu" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; vertical-align: top;" /></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;"><strong>Aloe Vera</strong><br />Consider your aloe vera plant your own personal pharmacy -- at least for skin irritations like sunburns. Just break open a leaf and squeeze out some liquid for instant relief. Aloe vera plants are perfect for rooms that don't get much sunlight (the leaves start to turn brown if they're in the sun too long), and don't require much watering.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">Try to buy mature plants. It's an easy plant to maintain that can help you out in a pinch! You won't have any trouble finding aloe vera where plants are sold.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;"><strong>African Violets</strong><br />African violets are the perfect dorm room flower. They're small enough to fit on a windowsill, don't require much water and can grow in a variety of temperatures. And the flower isn't just known for its beauty, it's also known to clean the air of pollutants to leave you with a healthier indoor environment. Buy African violet plugs at local nurseries or online.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;"><strong>Cactus</strong><br />Successfully taking care of a cactus is one of those out-of-the-classroom tests that helps you discover a little more about yourself. In this case, if it dies you'll know you're less nurturing than a desert. The only basic guideline: Don't overwater.</span></div>
one stophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06832458449597491315noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371988121314155742.post-5946901361470274602010-08-17T00:35:00.002+08:002013-04-06T14:40:51.115+08:0012 surprising reasons to eat more blueberries<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">1. Catechins found in blueberries <strong>activate fat-burning genes in abdominal fat cells</strong> to assist with weight loss, and belly fat loss in particular According to research at Tufts University, regularly ingesting catechins increases abdominal fat loss by 77 percent and double total weight loss.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">2. They contain a group of natural phytonutrients (plant nutrient) called proanthocyanidins which have a unique ability to <strong>protect both the watery and fatty parts of the brain against damage from some environmental toxins</strong>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">3. Blueberries are one of the richest sources of proanthocyanidins. These phytonutrients </span><strong style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">decrease free radicals levels that are linked to aging</strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"> (yes wrinkling!) and disease.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">4. In animal studies, those given an extract of blueberries had less motor skill decline and performed better on memory tests than animals not given the blueberries. Researchers conclude that compounds in</span><strong style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">blueberries may reverse some age-related memory loss and motor skill decline</strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">5. Blueberries are packed with </span><strong style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">vitamins C, E, riboflavin, niacin, and folate</strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">6. They are a rich source of the phytonutrients ellagic acid. Ellagic acid has proven </span><strong style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">anticancer and genetic-material-protection capabilities</strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">. It also encourages a healthy rate of apoptosis how the body seeks out and destroys harmful or damaged cells, like cancer cells.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">7. Because they contain plentiful amounts of the phytonutrient quercetin, they </span><strong style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">may reduce the likelihood and severity of allergies</strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">8. Blueberries contain </span><strong style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">minerals like iron, magnesium, manganese, and potassium</strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">9. Blueberries contain salicylic acid the natural version of aspirin. Salicylic acid is known to </span><strong style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">thin the blood and reduce pain</strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">10. Blueberries are </span><strong style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">excellent anti-inflammatory agents</strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">. They increase the amounts of compounds called heat-shock proteins that decrease as people age. When heat shock proteins decrease the result is inflammation and damage, particularly in the brain. Research shows that by eating blueberries regularly, inflammation lessens.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">11. They </span><strong style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">increase the production of feel-good dopamine</strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">. Dopamine is a natural neurotransmitter (brain messenger) that tends to be low in Parkinson's.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">12. </span><strong style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">They just taste grea</strong><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">t. Ok, this is no surprise but it's a great reason to eat blueberries anyway.</span></div>
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one stophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06832458449597491315noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371988121314155742.post-61061802961653547002010-08-01T14:37:00.002+08:002010-10-31T02:24:12.363+08:00Seven animals smarter than humans<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_care2/homing-pigeon-digart.jpg" alt="pigeon" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; "><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "><strong>1. Homing Pigeons</strong></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; ">While most humans need several types of maps and a compass to find their way home after a long journey, the homing pigeon can return from extremely long distances (more than 1,100 miles) without any guidance.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; ">Well, as a matter of fact, they do have some help: According to research by the University of Frankfurt, these pigeons have iron-containing structures in their beaks, which help them sense the Earth's magnetic field independent of their motion and posture, and thus identify their geographical position.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; ">Research results this year indicate this magnetic charm is present in other birds as well.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "> </p><center><img alt="ants" height="267" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_care2/ant-daviddennis.jpg" title="ant-daviddennis" width="443" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; vertical-align: top; " /> </center><center><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "><strong>Ants</strong></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; ">Despite their size, the world's many varieties of ants have amazing skills. One of the most impressive is the<em>mycocepurus smithii</em> from the Amazon, a super feminist species that has developed the ability to reproduce via cloning -- dispensing with both sex and males -- to evolve into an all-female breed.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; ">According to research from the University of Arizona, it's not clear when the change happened, but by reproducing without sex, the ants avoid the energetic cost of producing males and double the number of reproductive females produced each generation.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; ">For us humans, ants have also learned super efficient ways to organize their traffic. And 2006 research by the Berkeley University of California has established that the trap-jaw ant (<em>odontomachus bauri</em>) can close its mandibles at an incredible speed: The strike lasts 0.13 milliseconds, 2,300 times faster than the blink of an eye. This allows them to jump enormous heights for their size.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "><img src="http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_care2/elephants-exfordy.jpg" alt="Elephants" /></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "><strong>3. Elephants</strong></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; ">They're huge, and sometimes they seem tired and slow. But it's no surprise that this mammal's peculiar nose is really <em>something</em>: Research from the University of St. Andrews suggests that elephants can keep track of up to 30 absent members of their family by sniffing out their scent and building a mental map of where they are. How useful would this little feature be for moms with several kids?</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; ">Even better, according to another study by the same University, elephants can tell whether a human is friendly or a threat by their scent and color of clothing. So good luck trying to fool them.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "> </p><center><img alt="Termites" height="267" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_care2/termite-mound.jpg" title="termite-mound" width="443" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; vertical-align: top; " /><br /><br /></center><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "><strong>4. Termites</strong></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; ">In Zimbabwe, the termite species <em>Macrotermes michaelseni</em> has developed a precise technique to farm a specific fungus they feed on. As this fungus can only grow at 87 degrees Fahrenheit, and temperatures outside range from 104 degrees Fahrenheit during day and 35 degrees Fahrenheit at night, the termites have come up with a system to keep the temperature steady in their mounds by constantly opening and closing heating and cooling vents.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; ">This is such a useful idea that Loughborough University has conducted research in order to use the same technique in human buildings. Case in point - the Eastgate Centre in Harare, Zimbabwe has been modeled after the termites' system.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "> </p><center><img alt="Chimps" height="267" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_care2/chimp-belgianchoc.jpg" title="chimp-belgianchoc" width="443" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; vertical-align: top; " /></center><center><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "><strong>. Chimps</strong></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; ">Much has been said about the intelligence of chimps, with some people claiming they're geniuses and others saying they're only as smart as a three year old kid. Of course, the actual facts fall in between.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; ">But there is at least one area in which chimpanzees are smarter than humans -- photographic memory.A study by the Primate Research Institute at Kyoto University proves young chimpanzees have an extraordinary working memory capability for numerical recollection, better even than that of human adults tested with the same apparatus following the same procedure.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; ">Presented with the same sequence of numbers, small chimps could recall them, outperforming humans. Not too shabby.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "> </p><center><img alt="Crows" height="267" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_care2/crow-mshades.jpg" title="crow-mshades" width="443" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; vertical-align: top; " /></center><center><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "><strong>6. Crows</strong></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; ">Contrary to the massive amount of animals and species facing extinction, crows are thriving, reproducing all over the world, with the small exceptions of the Arctic and the Southern tip of South America.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; ">But, although they're proven to be smart in many ways (as Joshua Klein explains in this TED talk), officially scientists say they're not smarter than humans.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; ">However, their amazing capacity for fast adaptation and ability to live in cities show they could be a lot more than they are today. And who knows, one day they might top us.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "> </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "> </p><center><img alt="Dolphins" height="267" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_care2/dolphins-ebberly.jpg" title="dolphins-ebberly" width="443" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; vertical-align: top; " /></center><center><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; "><strong>7. Dolphins</strong></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; ">Ok, again, not officially smarter than humans yet, but dolphins have recently been declared the world's second most intelligent creatures (after humans). A zoologist from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, according to <i>The Times</i>,has even gone far to say that their "neuroanatomy suggests psychological continuity between humans and dolphins," and called for reconsideration of human-dolphin interactions. Another scientist from the Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles has even called them 'non-human persons.'</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.25em; ">So yes, dolphins are smarter than chimps and with communication skills similar to humans'. Their brains are only second in mass to the human brain, making them cultural animals with distinct personalities with the ability to think about the future, among other faculties.</p></center></center></center><p></p></center></span></div>one stophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06832458449597491315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371988121314155742.post-69279170153615526872010-07-23T00:44:00.001+08:002013-04-06T14:36:48.086+08:0014 ways honey can heal<img src="http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_care2/honey.jpg" /><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">The fossil record tells us honeybees have been around for 150 million years or more. No one knows when we discovered the treasure hidden in their hives, but paintings of beekeepers lining the walls of a cave in Spain prove that we have been practicing the art of beekeeping for at least 7,000 years. Honey is versatile. It has been prized as a sweetener, as medicine, as an offering for the gods, as currency, and as a symbol of love. In Greek mythology, for example, Cupid dips his arrows in honey before aiming them at our hearts.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">According to ayurveda, honey is the nectar of life. Because it is created from the essence of a flower's sex organs, it has a natural affinity with reproductive tissue. It can also heal sore throats, colds, coughs, ulcers, burns, and wounds. And when ingested with a healing herb (like ashwagandha), honey travels to the deepest tissues, transporting the chemical properties and the subtle energies of medicine to the cellular level.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">Ayurveda says that raw honey is medicine, but cooked honey is a slow poison. Why? In its natural form, honey is rich in minerals, vitamins, enzymes, amino acids, and carbohydrates. But heat strips honey of most of its nutritional value and transforms the honey molecules into a non-homogenized glue that adheres to mucous membranes and clogs subtle energy channels. Cooked honey creates cellular toxicity and may lead to immunological dysfunction. It can also clog the arteries and lead to atherosclerosis (thickening of the arteries), hampering blood flow to the vital organs. So as a general rule, honey should never be cooked, and nothing should be cooked with honey. Instead, add raw honey to yogurt, warm tea, or spread it on bread or toast.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">Ayurvedic texts are full of honey-based remedies for a wide range of ailments, such as:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;"><strong>For obesity, high blood pressure, and/or high cholesterol,</strong> drink a cup of hot water with a teaspoon of honey and 5 to 10 drops of apple cider vinegar early in the morning daily. (Ayurvedic texts say honey scrapes fat and cholesterol from the body's tissues.)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;"><strong>To relieve rheumatoid arthritis symptoms,</strong> take 1 teaspoon of honey with 200 mg powdered guggulu daily.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;"><strong>To heal oral ulcers,</strong> apply 1 teaspoon honey and a pinch of turmeric to canker sores, mouth ulcers, or sores on the tongue. This mixture will generate saliva and draw out toxins; spit it out to speed the healing process. For internal ulcers, mix a cup of warm milk with a teaspoon of honey twice daily.<strong></strong></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;"><strong>To heal a wound,</strong> dress it daily with sterilized gauze brushed with honey; dispose at night.<strong></strong></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;"><strong>For the common cold,</strong> mix 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon with 1 teaspoon honey and eat two or three times a day.<strong></strong></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;"><strong>To clear your sinuses,</strong> take a mixture of 1 teaspoon each of fresh ginger juice and honey two or three times a day.<strong></strong></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;"><strong>For asthma,</strong> eat a mixture made of 1/2 teaspoon bay leaf powder, 1/4 teaspoon pippali, and 1 teaspoon of honey two or three times daily.<strong></strong></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;"><strong>For nausea, vomiting, and/or indigestion,</strong> mix one part lemon juice with one part honey. Dip your index finger into this mixture and lick it slowly twice daily.<strong></strong></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;"><strong>For anxiety,</strong> drink 1 cup of orange juice with 1 teaspoon of honey and a pinch of nutmeg powder twice daily.<strong></strong></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;"><strong>To help reduce the craving for cigarettes,</strong> chew small pieces of pineapple with 1/2 teaspoon of honey before smoking.<strong></strong></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;"><strong>For abdominal pain,</strong> take a mixture of 1/4 teaspoon ground bay leaf, 1/4 teaspoon ajwan (celery seeds), and 1 teaspoon of honey before lunch and dinner daily.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;"><strong>For chronic fever,</strong> make a tea of 1 teaspoon of holy basil (tulsi) and 1 cup of hot water. Add 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper powder and 1 teaspoon of honey. Take two or three times a day.<strong></strong></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;"><strong>To aid poor circulation,</strong> mix 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon trikatu, and 1 teaspoon honey in 1 cup of hot water. Steep for 10 minutes. Take twice a day.<strong></strong></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;"><strong>To stop hiccups,</strong> mix 1 teaspoon honey and 1 teaspoon castor oil in a container. Dip your index finger into the mixture and lick it. Repeat every 10 minutes until your hiccups stop. (Hiccups are due to spasm of the diaphragm, and these ingredients in equal proportion are anti-spasmodic.)<em></em></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;"><em>Did you know?</em> To make one pound of honey, a swarm of honeybees flies about 24,000 miles and visits 3 to 9 million flowers.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">Because its qualities are heating and sweet, honey is good for kapha and vata, and in moderation with pitta.<em></em></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;"><em>Please Note:</em> Raw honey is not recommended for infants under the age of 18 months, the very elderly, or others with compromised immune systems.</span></div>
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one stophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06832458449597491315noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371988121314155742.post-89057854378182528382010-07-16T00:28:00.001+08:002013-04-06T15:16:07.348+08:00Nine myths and facts about lightning<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"></span><br /></span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">Scientists have been studying lightning for hundreds of years. Although they have a pretty good idea about what causes it, there is still more to learn about these mysterious sparks of electricity. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">Given that summer is peak season for thunderstorms, it's probably a good idea to brush up on your lightning facts, particularly if you have some outdoor adventures planned.</span></div>
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<strong style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; text-align: right;">Tornadoes and hurricanes are more dangerous than lightning</strong></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><strong>Myth: </strong>Lightning kills more people (about 58) each year than tornadoes or hurricanes. In fact, it is the most underrated weather hazard, according to the National Weather Service. Only floods are routinely responsible for more deaths than lightning.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><strong>You can get struck by lightning when you're inside</strong></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><strong>Fact: </strong>It's true that being inside a building when lightning strikes is your safest bet, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't take some precautions.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">If a building gets struck the electrical current will most likely travel through the wiring or plumbing before going into the ground. That's why you should stay off of corded phones (cellular and cordless are okay) and away from running water (so no showers or hand- or dish-washing). Don't use stoves, computers, or anything else that's connected to electricity. Here are some more indoor safety tips.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><strong>Lightning always takes down planes</strong></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><strong>Myth:</strong> The reality is that lightning regularly strikes airplanes, but rarely causes plane crashes. On average, each U.S. commercial plane gets hit at least once a year. Most airplanes are made of aluminum, a good conductor of electricity, and there are also strict lightning protection requirements for planes.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><strong>You need to unplug major electronics in a storm </strong></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><strong>Fact: </strong>Electrical surges generated from lightning can damage electronics even if your house isn't struck. Unplug your computer, television, and other electronics before a storm hits because you can't necessarily depend on a surge protector You can be struck if you try to unplug your gadgets during a storm.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><strong>You should avoid cars during a thunderstorm </strong></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><strong>Myth:</strong> Cars are actually one of the safest places you can be in during an electrical storm if you can't be inside a building. Just make sure you're in a car with a hard top. Golf carts and convertibles don't count.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><strong>Lightning never strikes twice</strong></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><strong>Myth:</strong> Lightning can hit the same spot more than once during a thunderstorm.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><strong>It's not safe to be outside during an electrical storm</strong></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><strong>Fact:</strong> If you're outside, then try to find a grounded building or car to take cover in. If you can't, then here are some tips to minimize your risk: Avoid open fields and tall isolated trees or other tall objects. Stay away from water. Don't lie down on the ground.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><strong>You should stay indoors until 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder</strong></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><strong>Fact:</strong> Most people are not struck at the height of a thunderstorm, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). Lightning can strike as far as 10 miles from where it is raining, but if you can hear thunder you are within striking distance.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">The NWS suggests following this advice: "When thunder roars, go indoors and stay there until 30 minutes after the last cap of thunder."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><strong>You can tell the distance of a storm by counting</strong></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><strong>Fact:</strong> Surprisingly, that old childhood trick you learned is based on fact, not fiction. Light travels faster than sound so lightning is seen before thunder is heard.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Here's how it works according to the Federal Emergency Mnagement of website: "You can estimate how many miles away a storm is by counting the number of seconds between the flash of lightning and the clap of thunder. Divide the number of seconds by five to get the distance in miles."</span></div>
one stophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06832458449597491315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371988121314155742.post-28414875635038089642010-07-14T03:01:00.006+08:002013-04-06T14:35:22.413+08:007 amazing auroras seen on Earth ... and beyond<img alt="The world's biggest light show" src="http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/node-gallery-display/01_1.jpg" /><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">The world's biggest light show</span></h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">The flickering lights over our northern- and southern-most skies at times seem like a mystical offering. Good ole northern lights (aurora borealis) and southern lights (aurora australis) — visible 65 to 72 degrees north and south latitudes respectively — are actually just natural light shows that exist in our ionosphere.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Scientists say auroras are created when a solar wind of charged particles from the sun crashes into the Earth's upper atmosphere over the polar regions. As a result, auroras are generally spotted closer to the north or south poles. You can see them here.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><img alt="Bear Lake, Alaska" src="http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/node-gallery-display/gal_bearlake.jpg" /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3366ff;">Bear Lake, Alaska</span></span></h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">This photo was taken by a U.S. Air Force airman who was stationed nearby. NASA explains that auroras occur most often when the sun is in the most intense phase of an 11-year sunspot cycle. Sunspots increase in number due to violent solar flare eruptions. This means more electrons and protons are added to the solar particles sent into the Earth’s atmosphere. Consequently, this brightens up the northern and southern lights considerably.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><img alt="Kulusuk, Greenland" src="http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/node-gallery-display/gal_kulusuk.jpg" /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ff9900;">Kulusuk, Greenland</span></span></h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">This photo of aurora borealis was taken on Kulusuk, a small island on the east coast of Greenland. In Greenland, the northern lights are most visible on a dark, clear night from September to the beginning of April. They are present all year but cannot be seen during the summer months because of the shining midnight sun. Inuit legend says that when the northern lights “dance in the night sky, it means that the dead are playing football with a walrus skull.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><img alt="A red aurora seen from Kangaroo Island in south Australia" src="http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/node-gallery-display/gal_kangarooisland.jpg" /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Kangaroo Island, Australia</span></span></h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Red auroras are considered among the rarest sights on Earth. People living in south Australia are often treated to aurora australis during strong geomagnetic events. The southern lights are most visible during Australia’s autumn and winter months. Experts say the best way to see aurora australis or aurora borealis is to wait for a dark, clear, moonless night. Viewers should head into rural areas to avoid light pollution from neighboring cities.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><img alt="Lapland, Finland" src="http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/node-gallery-display/gal_lapland.jpg" /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #996633;">Lapland, Finland</span></span></h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Lapland is home to some spectacular views of the northern lights. Lapland is a geographic region in northernmost Sweden and Finland, though Sweden has no administrative powers. The photographer says this is a shot of the boreal dawn, which occurs 200 days per year. It is never visible when the summer midnight sun is shining.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><img alt="An aurora is seen in the Arctic" src="http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/node-gallery-display/07_1.jpg" /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #009900;">The Arctic</span></span></h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Auroras have had many names throughout the centuries. The name comes from the Roman goddess of dawn, and the Cree call them the "Dance of the Spirits." In the Middle Ages, auroras were simply called a sign from God. NASA refers to them as “the world’s greatest light show.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><img alt="Aurora over Canada as seen from the International Space Station" src="http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/node-gallery-display/08_1.jpg" /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ff6666;">Canada from space</span></span></h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">This picture was taken from the International Space Station (ISS). NASA says the ISS orbits at the same height as many auroras. "Therefore, sometimes it flies over them, but also sometimes it flies right through. The auroral electron and proton streams are too thin to be a danger to the ISS, just as clouds pose little danger to airplane.” This image shows auroras borealis over northern Canada. NASA reports that changing auroras look like “crawling giant green amoebas” from space.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><img alt="A blue aurora on Jupiter" src="http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/node-gallery-display/09_0.jpg" /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Auroras can also be spotted on other planets. This sharp blue aurora glows half a billion miles away on Jupiter. This photo is a result of a NASA Hubble Space Telescope close-up. One of the many details that make this aurora different from those seen on Earth are the “satellite footprints” within them. As NASA writes, “Auroral footprints can be seen in this image from Io (along the lefthand limb), Ganymede (near the center), and Europa (just below and to the right of Ganymede's auroral footprint).” These emissions, produced by electric currents generated by the satellites, bounce in and out of the upper atmosphere.</span></div>
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one stophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06832458449597491315noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371988121314155742.post-43624504053810096392010-07-05T22:08:00.003+08:002013-04-06T14:26:16.868+08:007 Animals With the Longest Life Spans<img src="http://dingo.care2.com/greenliving/geoduck.jpg" /><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><strong>Geoducks</strong></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><b><br /></b>First on the list are these large saltwater clams that are native to the Puget Sound and have been known to live for at least 160 years. They are characterized by their long ‘necks’, or siphons, which can grow to over 1 meter long.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><strong>Tuataras</strong></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><b><br /></b>The word “dinosaur” is commonly used to describe an old person, but when it refers to a tuataras, the term is as literal as it is metaphorical. The two species of tuatara alive today are the only surviving members of an order which flourished about 200 million years ago — they are living dinosaurs. They are also among the longest-lived vertebrates on Earth, with some individuals living for anywhere between 100 and 200 years.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><strong>Lamellibrachia tube worms</strong></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><b><br /></b>These colorful deep sea creatures are tube worms (L. luymesi) that live along hydrocarbon vents on the ocean floor. They have been known to live 170 years, but many scientists believe there may be some that have lived for more than 250 years.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><strong>Red sea urchins</strong></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><b><br /></b>The red sea urchin or Strongylocentrotus franciscanus is found only in the Pacific Ocean, primarily along the West Coast of North America. It lives in shallow, sometimes rocky, waters from the low-tide line down to to 90 meters, but they stay out of extremely wavy areas. They crawl along the ocean floor using their spines as stilts. If you discover one, remember to respect your elders — some specimens are more than 200 years old.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><strong>Koi</strong></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><b><br /></b>Koi are an ornamental, domesticated variety of the common carp. The are common in artificial rock pools and decorative ponds. Amazingly, some varieties are capable of living more than 200 years. The oldest known koi was Hanako, a fish that died at the age of 226 on July 7, 1977.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><strong>Tortoises</strong></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><b><br /></b>Tortoises are considered the longest living vertebrates on Earth. One of their oldest known representatives was Harriet, a Galapagos tortoise that died of heart failure at the age of 175 years in June 2006 at a zoo owned by the late Steve Irwin. Harriet was considered the last living representative of Darwin’s epic voyage on the HMS Beagle. An Aldabra giant tortoise named Adwaita died at the rumored age of 250 in March 2006.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><strong>Ocean quahog</strong></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><b><br /></b>The ocean quahog (Arctica islandica) is a species of clam that is exploited commercially. Researchers have interpreted the dark concentric rings or bands on the shell as annual marks, much like a tree has rings. –Some collected specimens have been calculated to be more than 400 years old.</span></div>
one stophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06832458449597491315noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371988121314155742.post-57878150077141033772010-07-05T20:58:00.000+08:002013-04-06T14:21:41.242+08:005 Tips for Teaching Kids to Care for the Environment<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><strong>Positively Green’s Top 5 Kid’s Tips</strong></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">1. For the very young: Consider subscribing to the National Wildlife Federation’s publication designed for children ages 1-4.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">2. Instead of buying store bought wrapping with all of the icky ink dyes, suggest reusing brown paper bags and coloring your own gift paper for the next birthday party; a perfect activity for children 3-7.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">3. Plant a tree with your own hands and share the fun with your 6 to 9 year old child by choosing flowers that are easy to plant at the tree’s base. Talk about how trees support clean air and beautify too.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">4. Head to your closest organic fruit farm and pick organic raised strawberries, apples, blueberries or any delicious fruit. Discuss why organic is better than what you typically buy in the store. Even teens will appreciate this experience.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">5. Not all wood is the same. Encourage your preschool child to choose toys that are made with FSC certified wood. Unpainted wood toys are typically safer than plastic that contains PVC, and treasured from generation to generation. FSC certification ensures that the wood you buy has been forested responsibly to allow for sustainable growth.</span></div>
one stophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06832458449597491315noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371988121314155742.post-14172391718648100212010-07-03T07:28:00.003+08:002013-04-06T14:22:39.999+08:00Top 10 Countries Killing the Planet<img src="http://dingo.care2.com/greenliving/peru.jpg" /><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><strong>10. Peru </strong></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><b><br /></b>Although Peru hardly seems capable of the harmful environmental impact that larger industrialized countries are capable of, the South America country ranks number 10 overall of countries creating negative environmental impact. Of 179 countries, Peru ranks <strong>2nd for marine capture</strong> and <strong>7th for threatened species</strong>. Over fishing and illegal trade of endangered species seem to be the culprit: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITIES) lists ten animal species as critically endangered (like the short-tailed chinchilla pictured above) the last step before extinction, 28 as endangered, and 99 as vulnerable in Peru.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><img src="http://dingo.care2.com/greenliving/australia.jpg" /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><strong>9. Australia</strong></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><b><br /></b>About 11.5 percent of the the total land area of Australia is protected, which leaves a lot left (although much of it is arid desert) for unbridled usage, which is how the country ranks <strong>7th worst in habitat conversion</strong>. It also ranks <strong>9th for fertilizer use</strong>, and <strong>10th for natural forest loss</strong>.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><img src="http://dingo.care2.com/greenliving/russia.jpg" /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><strong>8. Russia</strong></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><b><br /></b>Less than half of Russia’s population has access to safe drinking water. While water pollution from industrial sources has diminished because of the decline in manufacturing, municipal wastes increasingly threaten key water supply sources, and nuclear contamination poses immense problems for key water sources as well–landing Russia in <strong>4th place for worst water pollution</strong>. Russia ranks <strong>5th in worst CO2 emissions</strong>–air quality is almost as poor as water quality, with over 200 cities often exceeding Russian pollution limits. The country ranks <strong>7th for marine capture</strong>.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><strong>7. India</strong></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">According to the Wall Street Journal, in an effort to boost food production, win farmer votes and encourage the domestic fertilizer industry, the government has increased its subsidy of urea fertilizer over the years, and now pays about half of the domestic industry’s cost of production. The overuse of urea is so degrading the soil that yields on some crops are falling–landing India is <strong>2nd place for environmental impact due to fertilizer use</strong>.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">India ranks <strong>3rd for water pollution</strong> as increasing competition for water among various sectors, including agriculture, industry, domestic, drinking, energy generation and others, is causing this precious natural resource to dry up–while increasing pollution is also leading to the destruction of the habitat of wildlife that lives in waterways. India comes in <strong>8th for another three areas: threatened species, marine capture and CO2 emissions.</strong></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><strong><img src="http://dingo.care2.com/greenliving/mexico.jpg" /></strong></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><strong>6. Mexico</strong></span></strong></span></strong></span></strong></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><strong></strong></span></strong></span></strong></span></strong><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Mexico holds more species of plants and animals than just about any other country: 450 mammals (Brazil, which is more than twice Mexico’s size has only 394 mammals); about 1000 birds, 693 reptiles; 285 amphibians, and more than 2000 fish. As of the mid-1990s, many species were known to be already threatened: 64 mammals, 36 birds, 18 reptiles, 3 amphibians, and about 85 fish. Mexico did not join the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), the chief international agreement to stop trade in threatened and endangered plants and animals, in effect since 1975, until 1991, the last Latin American nation to do so. It is perhaps because of these factors that Mexico ranks <strong>1st for threatened species</strong>. One of the many reasons? The country ranks <strong>9th for natural forest loss</strong>.</span></strong></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><img src="http://dingo.care2.com/greenliving/japan.jpg" /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><strong>5. Japan</strong></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><strong></strong>Japan ranks <strong>4th for marine capture</strong>. By 2004, the number of adult Atlantic bluefin tuna capable of spawning had dropped to roughly 19 percent of the 1975 level in Japan, which has a quarter of the world supply of the five big species of tuna: bluefin, southern bluefin, bigeye, yellowfin and albacore. After the moratorium on commercial whaling in 1986, Japanese government started its “whaling for research purposes” the following year, which has resulted in <a href="http://www.care2.com/greenliving/sashimi-from-scientific-whales.html" style="color: #0c739e; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">documented cases</a> of “scientific” whale meat ending up on sashimi platters. Japan ranks <strong>5th for both natural habitat conversion and water pollution</strong>, and <strong>6th for CO2 emissions</strong>.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><img src="http://dingo.care2.com/greenliving/indonesia.jpg" /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><strong>4. Indonesia</strong></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">According to Global Forest Watch, Indonesia was still densely forested as recently as 1950–yet 40 percent of the forests existing in 1950 were cleared in the following 50 years. In round numbers, forest cover fell from 162 million ha to 98 million ha2. For this, Indonesia ranks <strong>2nd in natural forest loss</strong>, which probably has some to so with their taking <strong>3rd place for threatened species</strong>. Indonesia is ranked <strong>3rd for CO2 emissions</strong>, <strong>6th for marine capture, 6th for fertilizer use, and 7th for water pollution</strong>.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><strong>3. China</strong></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">China’s coastal waters are increasingly polluted by everything from oil to pesticides to sewage, helping China earn its <strong>1st place ranking for water pollution</strong>. In China, 20 million people lack access to clean drinking water; over 70 percent of lakes and rivers are polluted; and major pollution incidents happen on a near daily basis–the World Health Organization recently estimated that nearly 100,000 people die annually from water pollution-related illnesses.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">China isn’t doing much better in terms of overfishing–they take <strong>1st place for marine capture</strong>. Add to that <strong>2nd place for CO2 emissions</strong> and <strong>6th place for threatened species</strong>, and we can see how China takes the bronze for most environmental impact. Chinese environmental protection agencies lack sufficient authority, financial resources and manpower. When there are conflicts between environmental protection and economic development, the former often loses to the latter.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><strong>2. USA</strong></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">You’d think with all of the smarts and resources this country has, it would rank a bit better than Number 2–afraid not. Although it did rank a respectable 211 for natural habitat conversion–that honor is pretty much negated by the country’s abysmal ratings in other areas. Ringing in at <strong>1st place for fertilizer use</strong>, this country’s excessive application of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium (NPK) fertilizers can result in the leaching of these chemicals into water bodies and remove, alter or destroy natural habitats. The USA also ranks in <strong>1st place for CO2 emissions, 2nd place for water pollution, 3rd place for marine captures, and 9th place for threatened species</strong>. Not feeling all that proud to be American at the moment.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><strong>1. Brazil</strong></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">In all seven categories considered for the report, Brazil ranked within the top ten for all but marine capture: <strong>1st place for natural forest loss, 3rd place for natural habitat conversion, 3rd place for fertilizer use, 4th place for threatened species, 4th place for CO2 emissions, and 8th place for water pollution</strong>. What’s to account for these areas of intense environmental impact? A large portion of deforestation in Brazil can be attributed to the expansive Amazon rain forest (pictured above) land clearing for pastureland by commercial and speculative interests, misguided government policies, inappropriate World Bank projects, and commercial exploitation of forest resources. Soy and cocoa crops, as well as cattle ranching, have had a far-reaching effect. While in the Atlantic forests of Brazil, some of the world’s most diverse ecosystems have been converted to fast growing plantations (mostly non-native eucalyptus) for paper pulp.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">The proportional index, which takes into consideration the impact as proportional to the resources available in the country, ranks these as the top ten countries creating the most negative environmental impact: Singapore, Korea, Qatar, Kuwait, Japan, Thailand, Bahrain, Malaysia, Philippines and Netherlands.<strong> </strong>According to the study from which both of these rankings were taken, “continued degradation of nature despite decades of warning, coupled with the burgeoning human population (currently estimated at nearly 7 billion and projected to reach 9 to 10 billion by 2050), suggest that human quality of life could decline substantially in the near future. Increasing competition for resources could therefore lead to heightened civil strife and more frequent wars. Continued environmental degradation demands that countries needing solutions be identified urgently so that they can be assisted in environmental conservation and restoration.”</span></span></div>
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one stophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06832458449597491315noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371988121314155742.post-65066753027467450182010-06-30T01:03:00.002+08:002013-04-06T14:16:28.825+08:009 great green houses<img alt="Chrysalis Farm House " src="http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/node-gallery-display/chrysalis.jpg" /><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Designed by Roland Gundersen at Whole Trees Architecture and Construction, a green design and natural building company. Located in western Wisconsin, this company incorporates carefully chosen, debarked trees into its structures. Each tree is chosen only when it will benefit both the building's structural integrity and when its removal will benefit the forest in which it grows. TheChrysalis Farm House is a passive solar guest house made of whole-tree columns and beams, along with walls made from recycled shipping palettes</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><img alt="Custom House " src="http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/node-gallery-display/photos/2%20-%20Kaufmann%20custom%20house%20by%20Michelle%20Kaufmann.jpg" /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Designed by Michelle Kaufmann. Kaufmann is well-known for her prebuilt and custom homes — all of which focus on sustainability and ease of use. Kaufmann homes, like theCustom Home seen above, use eco-friendly materials, low-energy lighting design, energy-efficient building systems and other green features. All of this along with unique and beautiful design elements come together to create a simple and sustainable way of life for each homeowner.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><img alt="Lundberg Cabin" src="http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/node-gallery-display/photos/3%20-%20Lundberg%20Cabin%20by%20LUNDBERG%20DESIGN.jpg" /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Designed by Lundberg Design. The Lundberg Cabin is eclectic, sustainable and beautiful. A perpetual work in progress, the Lundberg is a cross between a warehouse and cabin and boasts an overabundance of materials and components salvaged from demolished structures. Among other amazing features is a salvaged 50,000-gallon water tank turned into an outdoor, 14-foot-deep swimming pool, a 3,000-square-foot vegetable garden and large steel sash windows reclaimed from five different remodeling projects.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Designed by DeBoer Architects. TheGatehouse is not only curvy and dreamy in design, but also incorporates many sustainable design features. This one-bedroom passive solar straw-bale guest cottage features earth-plaster walls, radiant-heat floors stabilized with linseed oil, and a woven bamboo-mat ceiling with bamboo trim. While small in size, the open floor plan and rows of windows brighten the entire structure, making it appear more spacious.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><img alt="The Remainder House " src="http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/node-gallery-display/remainder.jpg" /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Designed by Openspace Architecture. TheRemainder House was built in a tree-heavy area of British Columbia, but instead of merely tearing out trees to make space, architect Don Gurney built this home in a way that allows people and trees to live together. No trees were removed. This small house instead nestles snugly and naturally into the space allowed by the forest shape, which leaves the land virtually undisturbed. The home also boasts reclaimed Douglas fir wood and reclaimed materials from a warehouse that was already being razed.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><img alt="Sonoma Coast remodel" src="http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/node-gallery-display/sonoma.jpg" /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Designed by Arkin Tilt Architects. This is an excellent example of how anyone can remodel green. Features in this Sonoma Coast home remodel include a renewable energy system that meets virtually all the home's needs and even provides emergency power during grid interruptions. New energy-efficient aluminum-clad wood windows were added to the home along with increased insulation levels throughout. Lastly, this remodel uses salvaged materials both inside and out, including the laundry sink, the range-top oven, interior doors and some light fixtures. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><img alt="Mayne Island cob house " src="http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/node-gallery-display/mayne.jpg" /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Designed by Cobworks and Cob Cottage Company. The Mayne Island house is the first fully permitted cob house in Canada. Built in 1999 for Hilde Dawe, the Mayne Island cob house is not only adorable and eco-friendly, but so is the back story. "The couple who bought this home had both seen a picture of the house [before they knew each other] and it motivated them to take a cob workshop," says Kit Maloney of Cobworks. "They met at our Baja project in 2004, married the next year and now own the cob house that brought them together." </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="Maryfield Home" src="http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/node-gallery-display/photos/maryfield.jpg" /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Designed by Sparano + Mooney Architecture(John Sparano and Anne Mooney). This is a stunning example of green building. Shiny and unique, this home has great views and great green details, including a small footprint, recycled framing, low-VOC paints, concrete radiant floors, EnergyStar dimmable CFLs, Solatubes, and a high-efficiency boiler, among others. To learn more about this amazing structure, visit Jetson Green, which scored a Maryfield Home tour with plenty of pictures.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="PCI Residence " src="http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/node-gallery-display/pci.jpg" /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Designed by Pb Elemental Architecture. ThePCI Residence glows, literally — the home's exterior is made up of 100-percent recyclable polycarbonate walls, which illuminate the home from dawn to dusk, as well as a custom LED lighting system. Chris Pardo, cofounder of Pb Elemental Architecture, says the design "was based on the concept of interacting with and utilizing nature." Among other green building techniques, the home incorporates rooftop solar panels, in-floor radiant heat, a rainwater-harvesting system and low-impact materials such as raw concrete and raw steel.</span></span></div>
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one stophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06832458449597491315noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371988121314155742.post-25087205174824357652010-06-29T12:54:00.001+08:002013-04-06T14:16:48.279+08:0011 Best Tips for Growing Roses<img src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:mrzYnPuzjyA3sM:http://tipnut.com/projectpics/roses-pot.jpg" /> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;">To thrive, a rose must like your climate. So you must choose a variety compatible with the particulars of your area. You need to know how cold-hardy the rose is and how much summer heat it can withstand. Also consider whether your climate is arid or humid. Consult a reputable nursery in your area for guidance on choosing suitable roses.</span><br />
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><b style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ff6600;">When choosing a rose,</span></b> look for more than pretty flowers. Also look for low maintenance. Most shrub roses -- such as David Austin, Medilland, rugosa, and other so-called shrub or "landscape" roses tend to be more disease-resistant and cold-hardy. They also have an attractive, bush-like shape.</span></li>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><b style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ff6600;">Choose hybrid tea roses</span></b> only if a classic rose shape and excellent cut flowers are important. Hybrid teas, as a rule of thumb, tend to be more prone to disease and less cold-hardy. They also are leggier looking.</span></li>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><b style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ff6600;">Check the bloom habits of the rose</span></b> you have in mind. Nearly all roses have a flush of bloom in early summer. Some then stop while others bloom again, some just once and others so often they seem constantly in flower. </span></li>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><b style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ff6600;">For the best display of blooms,</span></b> fertilize roses at least every few weeks. There are special fertilizers for roses, but a general-purpose fertilizer will do. Using too much can result in lots of leafy growth but not many flowers. </span></li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><img src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:Egseh05EbuMtKM:http://www.planetnatural.com/planetnatural/images/growing-roses.jpg" /></span></div>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><b style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ff6600;">Once a rose has bloomed</span></b> and the flower is fading, clip it off just above the first five-leaflet leaf. This deadheading will encourage more blooms.</span></div>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><b style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ff6600;">Roses need at least six hours of sun</span></b> a day, and they like rich, well-drained soil that has been worked to a depth of at least 18 inches.They require 1 inch of water per week with as little as possible splashed on their leaves. A 1 to 3 inch layer of mulch around them conserves moisture and prevents soil-borne disease.</span></div>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><b style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ff6600;">Stop fertilizing</span></b> two to three months before the first frost. Fertilizing after that point only encourages tender new growth that may be winter-damaged.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><b style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ff6600;">Make all cuts at a 45-degree angle,</span></b> slanting downward toward the center of the bush, and about 1/4 inch above an outward-facing leaf bud. This encourages new growth outward.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><b style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ff6600;">How far you cut back rose canes</span></b> depends on the rose. Many climbing roses bloom only on old wood -- the canes that grew last season and earlier. Cutting them back too far would prevent blooming. If a rose blooms on new wood, cut it back by about one-third.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><b style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ff6600;">Protect most roses with a 4-inch layer of mulch</span></b> where winters are mild. In colder areas, most roses need to be mounded: Put two or three spadefuls of compost or good-quality topsoil on the base of the plant to protect the roots from freezing.</span></div>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ff6600;">Wrap tender roses</span></b> with burlap, and tie in place with twine, in the coldest parts of the country. Remove the wrap in very early spring. Gently push away the mulch and mounded soil in mid-spring when new growth begins.</span></li>
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one stophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06832458449597491315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371988121314155742.post-39675898649947800152010-06-27T01:46:00.003+08:002013-04-06T14:11:13.847+08:00Endemic species: Top 9 lonely animals<img alt="Lemurs of Madagascar" src="http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/node-gallery-display/lemur.jpg" /><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Madagascar, home of the lemur, is one of the global hotspots for endemic species. There are five families of lemurs with 99 species and subspecies. The smallest lemur would easily fit in your hand, while the largest can top 25 pounds. Many lemurs live in matriarchal societies where females call the shots. Most species spend the majority of their time in the trees and travel the forest canopy climbing and leaping — as agile as any monkey. Sadly, most species are also listed as endangered or threatened and some have fallen into extinction in the last few hundred years.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><img alt="Hawaiian honeycreeper" src="http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/node-gallery-display/Hawaiian%20honeycreeper.jpg" /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">As their name suggests, honeycreepers are endemic to Hawaii. A beautiful bird with a distinct beak, the honeycreeper specializes in probing flowers for nectar, with a particular taste for the flower for which they are named. Some of the subspecies have developed beaks better suited for catching insects. Less than half of Hawaii's 51 historic species of honeycreepers still exist, having been driven to extinction by hunters, disease, habitat loss, competition from invasive species, and predation by human-introduced animals like rats, cats and dogs. Efforts are under way to protect honeycreepers by eradicating avian flu-carrying mosquitos, protecting their habitat and removing invasive species.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><img alt="Formosan Rock Macaque" src="http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/node-gallery-display/Formosan_macaque.jpg" /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">These macaques are a small (2 feet-plus in length) species of monkey endemic to the island of Taiwan. They are listed as a protected species because of over hunting and habitat loss. They are prized for use in medical experiments and have been hunted by locals because the monkeys damage crops. Their numbers fell to an all-time low in the late '80s, but the population has since rebounded thanks to stronger conservation efforts in the last decade.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><img alt="Javan Rhinoceros" src="http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/node-gallery-display/javan%20rhino.jpg" /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Rhinos of Java</span></h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Javan rhinos used to be the most widespread Asian rhinoceroses on the planet but have been hunted to near extinction. The best estimates put the remaining numbers at less than 100. The few Javan rhinos left in the wild live in two small and separate national parks — none live in zoos. The animals are valued by poachers for their horns which can fetch as much as $30,000 per kilogram on the black market. The future does not look good for this rhino — those that aren't killed by poachers can look forward to a uncertain future of disease and health problems caused by inbreeding. Rhinos don't do well in zoos in general, and the Javans have fared even worse; the last captive died in an Australian zoo in 1907.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><img alt="Santa Cruz Kangaroo Rat" src="http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/node-gallery-display/kangaroo%20rat.jpg" /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">This kangaroo rat lives in the Santa Cruz Sandhills of California and gets its name from its distinctive large hind legs. In the past, this rare animal could be found in the mountains south of San Francisco, but populations been pushed to a single parcel in the Santa Cruz Mountains. One of 23 subspecies of kangaroo rat found in California, the Santa Cruz variety is under a real threat of extinction because of dwindling populations and health problems stemming from low genetic diversity. Their loss would be a withering blow to Santa Cruz mountains — the kangaroo rat is known as a keystone species that support many other species; its loss would send a ripple of damage through the entire food web.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><img alt="Sinarapan, world's smallest commercially harvested fish" src="http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/node-gallery-display/sinarapan.jpg" /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Sinarapan</span></h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">The Sinarapan is the world's smallest commercially harvested fish, and is rarely longer than half an inch. They are native to the Phillippines and found in only a few freshwater lakes and river systems. They're prized as a food source in Asia where they are fried in oil, boiled with vegetables, or dried and salted. In addition to having to dodge the fisherman's net, Sinarapan are under threat from larger invasive species that find them as tasty as humans do.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><img alt="Haast Tokoeka kiwi" src="http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/node-gallery-display/haast%20tokoeka%20kiwi.jpg" /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Haast tokoeka kiwi</span></h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">The Haast tokoeka kiwi is a beautiful, unique bird that lives in the foothills of the mountains in South Westland, New Zealand. It is critically endangered, with the number of known birds numbering in the low hundreds. This kiwi is a smart bird that uses passivesolar energy when nest building, choosing large flat sun-facing rocks to build its nests under to take advantage of the stored heat. Though once widely eaten by native Maoris and early European settlers, the kiwis are under threat today from loss of habitat and predation from invasive species.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><img alt="Philippine crocodile" src="http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/node-gallery-display/philippine%20croc.jpg" /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Philippine crocodile</span></h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">This crocodile lives only in the Philippines. The animal lives in freshwater and is relatively small, as crocodiles go, reaching no more than 9 feet in length. It is endangered from hunting and dynamite fishing (that's when fisherman toss a stick of dynamite into the water and collect what floats up after the explosion.) Today there are only a few hundred known Philippine crocs in the wild.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><img alt="Galápagos tortoise" src="http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/node-gallery-display/galapagos%20tortoise.jpg" /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Galápagos tortoise</span></h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Galápagos tortoises are the largest living tortoise — fully grown adults can tip the scales at over 650 pounds and grow to be 4 feet long. A long-lived species, this tortoise can live to be 150 years old. They are native to seven islands in the Galápagos archipelago. Though still threatened after a few centuries of over-hunting, Galápagos tortoises have been making a strong comeback in recent years thanks to the development of the Galápagos National Park and a successful captive breeding program. Unfortunately, one subspecies out of the 12 is functionally extinct — the last remaining individual lives in a zoo.</span></div>
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one stophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06832458449597491315noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371988121314155742.post-48867605936399766992010-06-26T02:36:00.000+08:002013-04-06T14:06:25.093+08:00How to eat more fiber at every meal<img src="http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_care2/berry-smoothie.jpg" /><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">There's one ingredient that should be part of every meal. There's no need to make a trip to a special store to find it: Nature has already thoughtfully prepackaged it in a cornucopia of vegetables, legumes, fruits, and nuts. The special ingredient? Fiber.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">It's famous for improving regularity and helping lower cholesterol. But dietary fiber also performs other key roles that might surprise you, affecting everything from your skin to your gallbladder, heart and immunity.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">Here's how to add more of the good stuff to every meal.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;"><strong>Breakfast</strong></span></div>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">Throw some frozen raspberries or strawberries and a handful of greens (spinach or mixed salad greens), along with half a banana, into your smoothie.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">Instead of pairing your eggs with hash browns and toast, try adding a side of black beans and salsa.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">Cook up a big batch of steel-cut oats over the weekend and reheat some each morning with a little chopped-up apple.</span></li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;"><img height="267" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_care2/blackbean-salsa1.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; vertical-align: top;" title="blackbean-salsa" width="443" /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;"><strong>Lunch</strong></span></div>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Seek out legume-based soups.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Look for healthy prepared salads at the grocery store that use whole grains, such as barley, and layer them over a base of mixed greens.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Eat at ethnic restaurants, such as Indian and Mexican locales, which are sure to give legumes a starring role.</li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;"><img height="267" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_care2/sauteed-vegetables.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; vertical-align: top;" title="sauteed-vegetables" width="443" /></span></div>
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<strong>Dinner</strong></div>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Start out dinner with a bountiful raw vegetable salad.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Replace starchy side dishes with legumes.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Sauteing some veggies? Start out with a little garlic and onion.</li>
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<img height="267" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_care2/mixed-nuts.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; vertical-align: top;" title="mixed-nuts" width="443" /></div>
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<strong>Snack</strong></div>
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<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Pack a small bag of nuts, such as almonds, pistachios, or walnuts or seeds, such as pumpkin seeds, in your bag or car.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Whip up a big batch of black bean dip to have on hand for tortilla chips and raw veggies.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Keep it simple: Eat a piece of fruit, like an apple, orange, or banana.</li>
</ul>
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one stophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06832458449597491315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371988121314155742.post-13016383567277113822010-06-24T01:13:00.000+08:002013-04-06T14:04:50.380+08:005 Reasons Why You Should Respond to Every Comment<strong>1. It Encourages People To Comment</strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">People don’t leave comments just so they can be left unread. By replying, you’re not only letting people know that you’re actively involved in reading the comments, but you’re encouraging them to come back and comment again later.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Furthermore, people who don’t normally comment may be happy to do so knowing that their comment will indeed be read.</span><br />
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<strong>2. It Adds to the Quality of Your Posts</strong><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">A reply can often lead to side conversations within the commenting area that add to the content and overall quality of your post. Your points will be explained further, new points will be brought up, and questions that people may have get answered.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Also, new people will join the side conversations and add their own comments that they wouldn’t have normally made otherwise.</span><br />
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<strong>3. It Helps With Search Engine Optimization</strong><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Comments on your blog posts do in fact help with search engine optimization, although admittedly in a minimal way.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">More comments, including your own, usually mean more instances of the keywords that you used in your blog post, which means you’re more likely to be found in the search engines for those terms.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Additionally, new terms that you did not use in your blog post will be brought up and discussed, which could potentially help you for those terms as well.</span><br />
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<strong>4. It Adds More Social Proof</strong><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1277311290_4">Social proof</span> is a psychological phenomenon that occurs when people’s decisions are influenced by making the assumption that surrounding people know more about certain situations than you do.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">For example, if you’re at the mall and you see a huge crowd of people around a particular store, chances are that you’re going to walk over and see what the big deal is. In a similar way, you might be more inclined to follow a certain blogger in a niche just because they have more subscribers and followers than others.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">In most cases, your own comments will count towards the overall comment count of your post. Respond to 15 comments, and you’ll have a total comment count of 30, which looks more far more impressive and interesting to your readers and any new visitors to your blog.</span><br />
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<strong>5. It Helps You Build Authority and Credibility</strong><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Finally, by responding to each comment, you’re establishing yourself as a go-to expert in your niche. You become more “real” and are seen as someone who actually takes time to care for your readers, which adds value to you and your blog.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Because responding to comments is abnormal, you’ll stand out of the crowd like no other. And if you can leave thoughtful, meaningful comments, you’ll make that much more of an impact on your readers.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">It doesn’t take very much extra time, and the return on investment can be phenomenal. So why not give it a shot?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Try responding to every comment and see what happens.</span></div>
one stophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06832458449597491315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371988121314155742.post-2447419982420676852010-06-20T23:34:00.002+08:002013-04-06T14:00:07.901+08:0010 Fantastic Cat Facts<img src="http://dingo.care2.com/greenliving/cats1.jpg" /><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">1. <b>Ambidexer-Cat?</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><b><br /></b>You probably never thought about a cat as being either left- or right-pawed, but over 40 percent are either lefties or righties. That means there’s quite a few out there who are ambidextrous. Luckily for them, they can probably operate the can opener with both paws…</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">2. <b>Warm or Cold?</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><br />Food that is. Cats don’t like their food too hot or too cold. They like it just right. And for them, just right is room temperature, just like their prey would be in the wild. Cats are indeed the Goldilocks of the animal world.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><img src="http://dingo.care2.com/greenliving/cats3.jpg" /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">3. <b>In Living Color</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><br />Cats see in color, so your new paisley frock in orange, purple, and yellow won’t be lost on them. They also have fantastic night vision, and only need one-sixth of the light humans require to see. So don’t go getting your cat night-vision goggles.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><img src="http://dingo.care2.com/greenliving/cats4.jpg" /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;"></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;">4. <b>What’s in a Name?</b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;"><b><br /></b>A group of kittens is called a “kindle” (yes, just like that fancy new electronic book device available now), while a group of adult cats is called a “clowder.”</span></span></div>
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<ul class="pagination_scroll" style="height: 30px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;"><img src="http://dingo.care2.com/greenliving/cats5.jpg" />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;">5. <b>Meow?</b></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;"><br />We all know the meow sound, whether it’s questioning, scared, happy, or imperiously demanding dinner. Curiously, cats only meow at people, not at other cats.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;">6. <b>Four-Legged Mood Rings</b></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;"><br />Cats are highly intuitive creatures, and they are more than able to pick up your mood, especially from your tone of voice. They know when you’re yelling at them (though they often don’t seem to care). If you need your cat to calm down, try speaking to her in a soothing, loving voice. You’ll be amazed.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;"><img src="http://dingo.care2.com/greenliving/cats7.jpg" /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;">7. <b>Lofty Beginnings</b></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;"><br />Ever wonder who invented the cat door? It was Sir Isaac Newton. Perhaps he was vexed by his cat wanting in and out all the time and disturbing his work, so he did something about it–much to the relief of cat lovers everywhere.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;"><img src="http://dingo.care2.com/greenliving/cats8.jpg" /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;">8. <b>It’s All in the Fall</b></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;"><br />Cats really do land on their feet. In fact, they all fall in the same way. First they rotate their head, then twist their spine around, followed by a rear leg alignment and finally they relax into it and arch the back, thus lessening impact. But please, don’t experiment with this at home. Take our word for it.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;">9. <b>Baby Machines</b></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;"><br />Unless you want a “clowder” of cats cluttering your home, spay, and neuter your furry feline. Just one pair of cats and their kittens can produce 420,000 (!) offspring in a mere seven years.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;">10. <b>Individuality</b></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;"><br />Like human fingerprints, cats have their own built-in unique tag of telling them apart–their nose! The nose pads of cats are all uniquely ridged, meaning no two are the same.</span></span></span></div>
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one stophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06832458449597491315noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371988121314155742.post-57287027247517127162010-06-19T04:21:00.001+08:002013-04-06T13:56:43.284+08:0010 things you should know about fragrance<img src="http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/fragrance530.jpg" /><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><strong>1. Fragrance is protected under trade secret law</strong>. That means the industry is not required to reveal what goes into its mixes. In its Cosmetic Labeling Guide the FDA states that fragrance ingredients “may be declared... as "fragrance." Now flip any bottle in your bathroom and peruse that list. Somewhere amidst the unpronounceable words is that familiar “fragrance”—but that alone represents an average of 10 to 20 hidden ingredients. The industry will claim that these protective measures are a necessary bulwark against thieving perfumers—but really? Just because I know what’s in theCaramilk bar, doesn’t mean I can duplicate it. These laws represent a significant deterrent, sure, but any hack can have a perfume analyzed in a lab and get the ingredient list that way. So who should get the protection: the fragrance business, or the consumers? Read on.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><strong><img align="left" alt="soap, candle, body wash" border="1" height="100" hspace="5" src="http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/user-1071/2_4.jpg" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(197, 197, 197); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(197, 197, 197); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(197, 197, 197); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(197, 197, 197); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; margin-right: 8px;" vspace="5" width="100" />2. Fragrance is everywhere</strong>. As already mentioned—from your lipstick, to your body lotion, to your scented candle, from your cat’s collar, to your Tide. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><img align="left" alt="beaker on fire" border="1" height="100" hspace="5" src="http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/user-1071/3_3.jpg" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(197, 197, 197); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(197, 197, 197); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(197, 197, 197); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(197, 197, 197); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; margin-right: 8px;" vspace="5" width="100" /><strong>3. Many of its ingredients haven’t been tested at all</strong>. The industry likes to boast about its scientific review panels and its voluntary safety compliance, but a recent lab analysis of 17 perfumes, colognes, and body sprays done by the EWG and the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics reveals: “The majority of chemicals found in this report have never been assessed for safety by any publicly accountable agency, or by the cosmetics industry’s self-policing review panels.”</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><strong><img align="left" alt="phthalates and hormornes" border="1" height="100" hspace="5" src="http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/user-1071/4_2.jpg" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(197, 197, 197); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(197, 197, 197); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(197, 197, 197); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(197, 197, 197); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; margin-right: 8px;" vspace="5" width="100" />4. Fragrance may be messing with your hormones</strong>. Of the ingredients we do know something about, on average, each of the tested products contained four potentially hormone-disrupting chemicals. J-Lo and Halle Berry’s scents were singled out for containing seven. Among most of the products were phthalates (see our previous entry on that subject), that ubiquitous group of chemicals suspected of causing deformed sex organs in baby boys according to this <em>60 Minutes</em> report. Despite mounting evidence, the fragrance industry has argued for their safety in the past.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><strong><img align="left" alt="rat with myrcene" border="1" height="100" hspace="5" src="http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/user-1071/5_2.jpg" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(197, 197, 197); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(197, 197, 197); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(197, 197, 197); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(197, 197, 197); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; margin-right: 8px;" vspace="5" width="100" />5. It may also contain carcinogens</strong>. As one example (and there were more), the fragrance compound myrcene was detected in 16 of the 17 products. According to a two-year study conducted by the National Toxicology Program, this substance has shown “clear evidence” of carcinogenic activity in rats. Charming.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><strong><img align="left" alt="allergen" border="1" height="100" hspace="5" src="http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/user-1071/6_1.jpg" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(197, 197, 197); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(197, 197, 197); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(197, 197, 197); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(197, 197, 197); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; margin-right: 8px;" vspace="5" width="100" />6. You could be allergic to it</strong>. Twenty-four common allergens were found in the lab results. Sensitizations to fragrance are frequent, varied and, as you can imagine, notoriously difficult to diagnose thanks to the business-friendly laws mentioned above. For the book we spoke to a woman who spent eight years trying to track down the very common but “secret” chemical she was reacting to in fragrance.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><strong><img align="left" alt="nose" border="1" height="100" hspace="5" src="http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/user-1071/7_1.jpg" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(197, 197, 197); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(197, 197, 197); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(197, 197, 197); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(197, 197, 197); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; margin-right: 8px;" vspace="5" width="100" />7. It’s designed to linger in the air</strong>. Yet another major frustration for the sensitized. By design—and those ever-nifty phthalates help with this—fragrance is meant to stick in the air and on our bodies. So no matter who’s wearing it, everyone gets to breathe it—and we’ve all had some unpleasant, if not allergic, department store or elevator experience to substantiate that. The more extreme anti-fragrance lot feels that perfume in public is akin to second-hand smoke (PDF).</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><strong><img align="left" alt="baby" border="1" height="100" hspace="5" src="http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/user-1071/8_0.jpg" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(197, 197, 197); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(197, 197, 197); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(197, 197, 197); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(197, 197, 197); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; margin-right: 8px;" vspace="5" width="100" />8. Moms and babies should avoid it</strong>. For obvious reasons already covered (like sons with small penises), expecting mothers should at least avoid using personal care products that contain fragrance on their bodies and in their environment. For starters, read your labels and ditch any cosmetics that feature the f-word. Blacklist nasty air fresheners and the houses of friends who use them.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><strong><img align="left" alt="essential oils" border="1" height="100" hspace="5" src="http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/user-1071/9_0.jpg" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(197, 197, 197); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(197, 197, 197); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(197, 197, 197); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(197, 197, 197); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; margin-right: 8px;" vspace="5" width="100" />9. The best smells come from nature</strong>. The upshot is that perfume has been around since the beginning of time, distilled from the incredible smells provided in nature. While some essential oils can also be allergenic, these are generally a much safer bet—and truly clean companies will list them as their fragrance source. If you’re very attached to your synthetic perfume, consider wearing it less often and switching out other products to limit exposure.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"><strong><img align="left" alt="perfume in front of a courthouse" border="1" height="100" hspace="5" src="http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/user-1071/10_1.jpg" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(197, 197, 197); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(197, 197, 197); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(197, 197, 197); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(197, 197, 197); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; margin-right: 8px;" vspace="5" width="100" />10. Fragrance is going to the courts</strong>. Canadian cities like Halifax had the fragrance industry up in arms back in 2000 over its anti-scent campaign, and Ottawa proposed putting a ban into law in 2006. But it’s a recent lawsuit in Detroit (yep, Detroit) that should really get the fragrance industry nervous. City employee Susan McBride sued Detroit, claiming that she couldn’t work because of a sensitization to a co-worker’s perfume. She won a $100,000 settlement. Are we smelling a precedent?</span></div>
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one stophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06832458449597491315noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371988121314155742.post-19972663581200225682010-06-17T04:37:00.005+08:002013-04-06T15:09:27.827+08:007 Surprising Uses of Oil<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #484848; font-family: inherit;">Humans have applied natural cosmetics on their lips, eyes and faces for centuries, but most of today's lipsticks and eye liners derive their visually-pleasing magic from petroleum products or byproducts such as crylates, coal tar colorants, and propylene glycol. Given that foundation, it's little surprise that many women also turn to the petroleum product known as Vaseline (petroleum jelly) as a simple eyeliner remover or base for lipstick.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #484848; font-family: inherit;">Solar panels may help homeowners and businesses usher in renewable energy by harnessing the power of sunlight, but most panels still rely upon petroleum-based resins and plastic components in their photovoltaic cells. That could eventually change as companies have begun rolling out new bio-resins and bioplastics that could replace the petroleum-based components.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #484848; font-family: inherit;">Cotton may represent the fabric of our lives, but polyester pants, shirts and other clothing items bring the benefits of wrinkle resistance, durability and shrugging off stains. Those special properties come courtesy of polyester's origin at the oil refinery, where several petroleum products are created to eventually form the synthetic material that helps clothe millions of people. But that's not all bad, because polyester recycling can produce new, high-quality polyester fiber.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #484848; font-family: inherit;">People who enjoy the snap and long-lasting texture of their chewing gum can give a nod of thanks to petroleum-derived polymers. Today's gum bases can consist of both natural latexes and petroleum products such as polyethylene and paraffin wax, which also means most gums are non-biodegradable. But the firstchewing gums typically relied upon the natural latex known as chicle <span style="border-collapse: collapse; color: initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">-- still </span>the gum base of choice for some upscale gum brands and certain regional markets.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #484848; font-family: inherit;">Oil has helped make many fond childhood memories of drawing inside a classroom or a home. Each and every crayon in a child's Crayola box consists of paraffin wax, a waxy solid made from petroleum. Paraffin wax also happens to help make candles, and may even provide the polish on an apple or the glossiness of chocolate.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #484848; font-family: inherit;">Aspirin has proven itself one of the safest and most reliable medications over the past decades. People swallow billions of tablets per year for headaches, fever and as a preventative against heart conditions or stroke. The acetylsalicylic acid inaspirin shares the pain relief properties of the chemical salicin in willow bark. Yet most aspirin manufacturing begins with benzene, a hydrocarbon that is typically derived from petroleum products.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #484848; font-family: inherit;">Call them leggings, hosiery, tights or whatever you like. Millions of modern women wear nylon pantyhose for both comfort and fashion, just as women decades ago latched onto the nylon stockings that became popular during World War II.<span style="border-collapse: collapse; color: initial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"> </span>They probably don't pause to consider that nylon represents a petroleum-derived thermoplastic invented in 1935 by Wallace Carothers, a chemist working at the DuPont company. Today, nylons help make products ranging from dish scrubbers to parachutes.</span></div>
one stophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06832458449597491315noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371988121314155742.post-33565789682731980572010-06-16T23:03:00.002+08:002013-04-06T13:48:48.384+08:0010 Ways to Green Your Home<div style="text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Build it Green</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #484848; font-family: inherit;">Trees, in a word, rock. They absorb heat-trapping carbon dioxide, hold soil together to prevent landslides, and provide a rich habitat for diverse plants and animals. Choose furniture made from eco-friendly sources such as sustainably managed forests, bamboo, and reclaimed wood. Buying vintage wherever possible, rather than adding something new into the wastestream, is always in style. Also, look for furniture that is durable and likely long-lived-you'll save money on replacements in the future and prevent more wasted materials from winding up in the landfill.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #484848; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Go Au Naturale</span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #484848; font-family: inherit;">Our chemical arsenal may be able to exterminate creepy crawlies and polish our countertops, but they're slowly killing us, too. The man-made chemicals we favor are like the obnoxious houseguest who overstays his welcome-an average of 200 industrial compounds, pollutants and other chemicals, for instance, were recently discovered in the umbilical-cord blood of newborns. (These included seven dangerous pesticides, some of which were banned in the U.S. more than 30 years ago.) We're serving ourkids potent chemical cocktails even before they're born-not quite the head start they may have been hoping to get. Pesticides have also been implicated in Parkinson's disease, infertility, brain damage, and cancer. So ditch the poisons and choose natural, non-toxic, and equally effective methods of cleaning and corralling pests. You probably already have what you need in your kitchen to get started. Chowing down on organically grown food will cut out pesticides from your diet, as well.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #484848; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Slay Energy Vampires</span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #484848; font-family: inherit;">You may not know it, but households across the globe are infested with vampires. Energy vampires, that is. Cleverly disguised as innocuous household appliances (<i style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">psst</i>, your television is one of them), their nasty pointed teeth plunge deep into your wall socket, draining power all hours of the day and night, even after you've switched them off. (Americans pay $1 billion a year to power our televisions and VCRs while they're turned off.) Other sleeper agents of the electric undead that consume 1,000 kilowatt hours a year per household, while in standby mode: your toaster, coffeemaker, hair dryer, PC, printer, cable box, and cell phone charger. You don't have to live in a constant state of fear, however, forever checking behind your back for that one appliance you forgot to pull the plug of. Just plug adjacent equipment into power strips with surge protectors, and before you crawl under the safety of your covers-or head out to work-simply flip the switch.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #484848; font-family: inherit;">Opt for clean, renewable energy if it's offered in your area. Low-impact sources such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric power reduce our dependence on coal-burning power plants, a major source of greenhouse-gas emissions. And because harnessing the power of renewable "fuels" such as sun and wind are free, your electric bill is likely to scale down because of the reduced price of wholesale electricity.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #484848; font-family: inherit;">Start rolling those Rs: Reduce, reuse, and recycle-and in that order. Let's face it, we're mired deep in ecological debt because we're consuming more resources than nature can replenish. By gorging on more than our fair share of the world's resources, we're also diverting essentials such as food, clothing, and water from communities in greater need. So let's recap: It's better to reduce your personal consumption than it is to reuse something, and it's less environmentally taxing to reuse a product than to have it recycled. Separating recyclables from your regular trash, which barely takes any effort, is a no-brainer, of course; recycling aluminum, for instance, takes as little as 5 percent of the energy we'd need to manufacture virgin aluminum.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #484848; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Get Better Mileage</span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #484848; font-family: inherit;">Who knew cauliflower were such globe-trotters? Or that jet-setting tomatoes racked up frequent-flier miles? But it's true: North American produce typically travels a minimum of 1,500 miles. Grapes can clock 2,143 miles cruising from vineyards in Napa Valley to supermarket aisles in Chicago, gobbling up barrels of crude oil and spewing pollutants and greenhouse-gasemissions in their wake. By buying your produce locally, whether it's through the farmers' market or a community-assisted agriculture program, you can reduce your "food miles," otherwise known as the distance your food has to travel to get from the farm to your plate. Now that's fresh.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #484848; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">No Soliciting</span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #484848; font-family: inherit;">Deforestation is responsible for 25 percent of all carbon emissions released into the atmosphere, through the burning and cutting of 34 million acres of trees annually. Save some virgin and old-growth forests by opting out of paper catalogs and browsing online, instead. Why did you think Al Gore invented the Internet? Shed those extra 41 pounds of junk mail the average American packs on each year by removing yourself from direct-mail mailing lists; if you need a tad more help, companies such as GreenDimes and 41pounds.org have got your back.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #484848; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Paper Nor Plastic</span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #484848; font-family: inherit;">Eschew plastic bags by bringing your own reusable canvas totes the next time you're at the supermarket or store. Because petroleum-based plastic isn't biodegradable, it's certain to outlive you-by about a millennium or so. Each year, thousands of marine animals, including the endangered leatherback turtle, choke to death on plastic trash they mistake for snackable morsels. Our unholy love for plastic disposables has also bred a swirling vortex of plastic trash the size of Texas in the North Pacific Ocean-not surprising when you consider that Americans run through about 100 billion plastic bags annually, using up an estimated 12 million barrels of oil.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #484848; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Seeing Stars</span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #484848; font-family: inherit;">The average home can pump out twice as much greenhouse-gas emissions as the average car. Purchasing energy-saving Energy Star-rated appliances, electronics, and lighting can help mitigate that, while slashing a third of your electric bill. (A power guzzler is nobody's friend.) Improving the energy efficiency of yourhome could even earn you tax credits from Uncle Sam.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #484848; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">One Bright Idea</span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #484848; font-family: inherit;">If you're going to do just one thing for the planet, make it the switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). Although they cost several times more upfront than regular incandescent light bulbs, they also last about 10 times longer, which means that for every CFL you screw in, you'll be saving eight incandescent light bulbs from landfill purgatory. Plus, you'll save some serious cash in the long run. Because CFLs use 75 percent less energy, swapping one incandescent bulb for a CFL reduces carbon dioxide by 500 pounds a year; replacing 17 has the equivalent effect of taking one car off the road for a year. Just remember to recycle spent bulbs responsibly - CFLs contain trace amounts of mercury, which although isn't enough to be hazardous to you, could pose a problem in landfills when mercury from multiple bulbs leaches into the ground.</span></div>
one stophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06832458449597491315noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371988121314155742.post-81659796962109479672010-06-08T21:20:00.004+08:002013-04-06T15:08:03.482+08:00Dangers in the Deep: 10 Scariest Sea Creatures<img height="160" src="http://wallpapers.free-review.net/wallpapers/15/Box_Jellyfish_underwater_Images.jpg" width="200" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">These gelatinous creatures are flat-out deadly. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">While no official tallies exist, anecdotal evidence suggest dozens of people and perhaps more than 100 or more die each year from the many species of box jellyfish that exist in all oceans.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #484848;"> </span>Some 20 to 40 people die from stings by box jellyfish annually in the Philippines alone, according to the U.S. National Science Foundation. "But because death certificates are not required in many countries within the range of box jellyfish, worldwide fatalities from box jellyfish may be seriously underestimated," the NSF states.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Yeah, yeah, the great white shark gets all the attention. But reality is tiger sharks kill more people. And few things (other than snakes) automatically terrify people more than sharks. Tiger sharks will eat anything: fish, seals, birds, squid, small sharks, dolphins, license plates and pieces of old tires, according to NOAA. They can grow more than 18 feet long and weigh a ton. Take that, Jaws! Tiger sharks are found in many tropical and temperate waters, and they are especially common around islands in the central Pacific. For the record: Great whites do attack more people each year, on average. Oh, and a little detail that explains why sharks aren't No. 1 on this list: The number of people attacked by sharks worldwide each year -- a few dozen -- is roughly equal to the number <i style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">killed </i>by lightning just in the United States. Only four people around the world died from shark attacks last year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This one nearly tops the list for two reasons: It's the most venomous fish in the world, and it's a master of disguise, hiding in plain sight on the seafloor, looking like any other rock. The stonefish doesn't attack, but you don't want to step on it. Its spines are used as defense against sharks and other predators. The venom can cause temporary paralysis and death if not treated.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Pufferfish</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">You don't even have to be near water for this creature to kill you. The pufferfish, also known as a blowfish, packs tetrodotoxin -- stronger than cyanide. Specially trained Japanese chefs prepare safe parts of the fish as a delicacy, but every now and then a diner dies. The puffer, named for its ability to suck in water and swell to twice normal size, could end up saving people: a drug made from the puffer's toxin has been tested for treatment of withdrawal symptoms from drugs like heroin.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Sea Snake</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The innate human fear of snakes propels these slithering swimmers to the list. However, the truth is that while sea snakes out-venom their terrestrial counterparts, they're highly reclusive and so not much of a threat. Still, sea snakes are related to cobras, so when it comes to venom, they know what they're doing. Their bite paralyzes and kills prey in seconds. They rarely attack humans though, preferring to hunt eels, shellfish and shrimp.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Lionfish</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Popular in home aquariums, these docile fish sport a striking fan of venomous spines. Although not fatal to humans, the spines deliver a painful sting that can cause headaches, vomiting, and respiratory distress, according to NOAA. The worst of the pain typically lasts only for about an hour, but some people report pain and tingling sensations for weeks. Lionfish are not aggressive. So the fact is home aquarium owners are more likely to be stung by lionfish than divers or fishermen.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Crocodiles</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Saltwater crocs have earned a reputation as one of the wild kingdom's most ferocious predators. They can grow more than 20 feet long and weigh 3,000 pounds, and they have been known to hunt a wide range of prey, including monkeys, kangaroos, buffalo and even sharks. Relying on purely brute strength, they are capable of dragging down water buffaloes and have occasionally victimized humans. Using an attack method known as the "death roll," crocodiles kill their prey by latching on with their jaws and then taking down the dinner with a powerful, twisting roll. The technique is also employed to break apart large animals.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Stingrays</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Just the name practically qualifies these creatures for this list. And the death of "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin by stringray in 2006 certainly solidified the reputation of these shark cousins as dangerous beasts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The tail of of a stingray is capped with a roughly 8-inch spear made of the same stuff that makes up shark scales, known as dermal denticles. The spear, which stiffens when the stingray feels threatened, is serrated like a steak knife and packs a venom that can be deadly to predators. "The venom itself is a largely protein-based toxin that causes great pain in mammals and may also alter heart rate and respiration," according to the Mote Marine Laboratory. Stingrays don't typically attack humans, however.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Sea Lions</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Really? Sea lions? Yes, because they're very territorial. They're considered cute, trainable and are major attractions at zoos, but have been known to bite people.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In California, a spate of vicious sea lion attacks reported at Manhattan beach, Newport beach and San Francisco back in 2006 led to growing concern among caretakers and scientists. Some researchers suspect the sea lions may have eaten fish contaminated by toxic algae, which may explain the uncharacteristic behavior. The city of San Diego warns on its web site "Like all wild animals, seals and sea lions are unpredictable and can become aggressive quickly. They have sharp teeth and may bite, particularly if cornered or harassed."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Moray Eels</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Snakelike body, protruding snout and wide jaws. These primitive creatures just look like death. They're fish, by the way, and they can be up to 8 feet long. A bite from their razor-sharp teeth and powerful, locking jaws will produce ragged wounds that are prone to infection from the bacteria inside the eels' mouths, according to NOAA. The good news: If morays bite out of fear or by accident (especially when foraging for food), they will usually release their grip and let you go. They tend to hide in crevices and holes during the day, then hunt at night. They'll eat any fish or other creature they can catch. Some expert advice, from NOAA, on how to avoid being bitten by one: Keep your hands out of submerged, rocky holes and crevices. Oh, and avoid this common diver gaffe that leads to many moray eel bites: Don't feed them!</span></div>
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one stophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06832458449597491315noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7371988121314155742.post-31045747428681619302010-06-04T02:06:00.003+08:002013-04-06T13:33:40.220+08:00AdSense Is The Main Revenue Source for 45% of Our Readers<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Last week I launched a poll asking our readers what was their main revenue source. Among the options to vote you had AdSense, <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1275588398_2">affiliate marketing</span>, selling one’s own products and so on. I was expecting that the results would be quite balanced, but that was not the case.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">It turns out that over 45% of the readers who took the poll rely on <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1275588398_3">Google AdSense</span> as their main income source. <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1275588398_4">Freelancing</span>and consulting services appeared in a distant second position, with 17.8% of the votes.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Affiliate marketing appeared in the third position with 13.6%, and selling one’s own products in the fourth position with 9.3% of the votes. Another curious point was the small percentage of people using direct ad sales as a main income source, since this has been one of the most profitable methods I have used. Only 5.4% of the participants voted on it.</span></div>
one stophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06832458449597491315noreply@blogger.com3