Garden Hand Tools | Ergonomic Garden Tools | Garden More. Hurt Less.
Singapore's 'supertrees' spark green thoughts
18 June 2012Last updated at 12:04 ET By Saira Syed Business reporter, BBC News, Singapore Kenneth Er, chief operating officer of Gardens by the Bay and a forest ecologist, explains what the project seeks to achieve They look like they belong on another planet with their wiry canopies and greenery where the bark should be, but the man-made "supertrees" that sit against the backdrop of Singapore's central business district mimic the qualities of trees here on earth. Seven of the 18 structures are fitted with solar panels that convert sunlight into energy. They are part of an energy-efficient green space called Gardens by the Bay that has cost 1bn Singaporean dollars ($784m; £504m). "It provides a green lung for the city rather than just having high rises everywhere," says Kenneth Er, chief operating officer on the project and a forest ecologist. He hopes that people leave the garden with a sense of "how to recreate nature's balance". Emissions debate 'Disadvantaged' 'Extremely vulnerable'
The Bee Buzz
Rendering Beeswax I've done a fair amount of research on rendering beeswax, and I think I've tried every method known to man. At the end of each of them, I ended up with several hours invested in figuring out how to refine the wax from the big mess I made during the process. Lucky for you, I am here to show you what I learned - minus all the mistakes I made along the way. I'm going to give you a list of items you'll need during this process, but first there is something you should know. large stainless steel pots (you want stainless steel so that nothing leaches out into your wax) Cool, clear water Empty, clean half gallon milk/juice carton with top cut off (the kind that's coated with wax inside) Knee high panty hose Wax Screen - or lots of cheesecloth Newspaper And now we're ready.
Striving Toward Sustainable
Will there be farms in New York City's skyscrapers?"
By 2050, it's estimated that 80 percent of the world's people will live in urban areas (currently, 60 percent do). The population will have increased to about 9.2 billion, much of it in the developing world [Source: New York Magazine]. Many experts contend that unless drastic measures are pursued, the world could face dramatic shortage in both food and arable land. Famine and ecological catastrophe are among the possible dire consequences. Enter vertical farming -- farming in skyscrapers several dozen stories high. The key to vertical farming is space. By converting from "horizontal farming" to vertical farming, humanity would never have to worry about running out of arable land. These farms would also be located in the urban areas where most of the Earth's population will be living. Because vertical farms would exist in the communities they serve, crop selection could be altered to fit the local community.
DIY Beeswax Survival Candles
I was surprised by the overwhelming reaction to our post on DIY Survival Candles back in February--it has become by far the most popular single post on T-Blog. I wanted to follow up with a how-to for using beeswax for candle making. A good, 100% natural, chemical-free beeswax is the highest quality wax you can get, burning brighter and hotter for longer than other waxes. All good qualities in a survival candle. Beeswax is more expensive than the soy wax that we used on the survival candles--around three to five times the cost, I've found. Because of its expense, beeswax is probably best when you really need to maximize your candle horsepower in a given size/weight package. Beeswax also has a high melting point of 144 to 147 degrees, so if you want to leave a candle in a vehicle, beeswax is your best bet. To make beeswax candles, the procedures are similar. Supplies Needed: BeeswaxWicks - square braid cotton wicks are traditionally used for beeswax candles.
Global Food Disparity: A Photo Diary
In an increasingly globalized world, it’s still sometimes shocking to see just how disparate our lives are compared with other human beings around the world. A book of photographs by Peter Menzel called "Hungry Planet: What the World Eats" ("©Peter Menzel www.menzelphoto.com. Ten Speed Press, published in 2005) makes a relevant point with great irony: at a time when hundreds of millions of people don't have enough to eat, hundreds of millions more are eating too much and are overweight or obese. In observing what six billion eat for dinner the authors note, "Today, more people are overweight than underweight." It is these cultural differences, emphasized and reinforced by the author, which exemplifies the lifestyles and dietary habits of people around the world. You can buy the book here. Meet the The Manzo family of Sicily. Germany: The Melander family of Bargteheide Food expenditure for one week: 375.39 Euros or $500.07.
FOOD, LAND, POPULATION and the U.S. ECONOMY
Why is the global economy constrained by the energy cost of energy? Executive Summary Released November 21, 1994 For copies of the full report contact: Carrying Capacity Network 2000 P Street, N.W., Suite 240 Washington, D.C. 20036 (202) 296-4548 The following two pages are highlights of the study, "Food, Land, Population, and the U.S. At the present growth rate of 1.1% per year, the U.S. population will double to more than half a billion people within the next 60 years. Drs. Land: On-going soil erosion and expanding urbanization contribute to the continuous loss of cropland in the U.S. Water: The groundwater that provides 31% of the water used in agriculture is being depleted up to 160% faster than its recharge rate. Energy: The availability of non-renewable fossil energy explains in part the historically high productivity of U.S. agriculture. Given current depletion rates of land, water, and energy resources, U.S. agricultural productivity is already unsustainable. Introduction
