Nowadays, more and more people are getting into organic gardening. Although organic gardening applies to all forms of plants, most often when you say organic gardening product, the first things that come to mind are vegetables and fruits. But, products of the organic way also cover other plants like ornamental and flowery plants. Regardless, may it be growing vegetables, flowers, or even fruits, people are trying to reap the benefits of the organic way.

Organic gardening is a science. It is not just simply planting the seeds and waiting for the plant to grow, flower or bear fruit. The process involves careful planning since organic gardening follows the natural principles of nature in soil cultivation, managing pests, and propagating plants.

However, don’t be daunted since we only mention that organic gardening is a science to emphasize that we don’t just let nature do the work. We grow our plants or crops by applying a system that is approved by Mother Nature. That’s the essence of it.

There are a lot of elements involved in organic gardening but for our discussion we will focus on general aspects of soil cultivation and pest management.

To succeed in organic gardening, we need to keep the soil healthy. You can’t use chemical fertilizers, obviously, since it negates the very purpose of the activity and also the long term use of such fertilizers damages the natural components of the soil. Composting is an essential part of organic gardening. Composts have various benefits for your plants. One, it provides the needed nutrients and improves the overall soil constitution. Second, the compost can help the soil retain more water which means less time spraying your plants with a garden hose.

Aside from proper soil cultivation, the problem that is dreaded by most growers is pest control. From flying to crawling, from walking to boring, managing pests is a vital key in producing quality organic produce or maintaining a healthy organic garden.

In an organic garden, the plants should be able to handle the damage of ordinary insect attacks or damage from common diseases. However, if you feel you need to support your plants there are several ways you could do so. You can spray your garden or plants with solutions that are friendly to the environment such as diluted soapy water or organic sprays from naturally occurring insecticide plants, the neem tree for instance.

Or another way is to “equip” your garden with friendly insects. You can find out what kind of pests are there in your garden and look for its natural enemies. This way, population of pests can be controlled by your own army of insects. By introducing natural predators, you will no longer fear of pests getting immune from insecticides. But, pest management for an organic garden really involves combinations of techniques.

With proper care, and the right techniques, your organic garden can be sustained. You can be assured that the soil is cared for and healthy, plants will be able to pollinate effectively, water will be conserved, and plants in general will survive longer.

All these elements when combined together will result to a hefty harvest of an organic garden product of your choice. Your vegetables or fruits will be fresher than before. You will have a garden with vibrant and healthy flowers.

In Britain there had been several attempts to build steam cars with varying degrees of success with Thomas Rickett even attempting a production run in 1860. Lawson in 1896 and making their first cars in 1897. Since the 1920s, nearly all cars have been mass-produced to meet market needs, so marketing plans have often heavily influenced automobile design. Sloan who established the idea of different makes of cars produced by one company, so buyers could “move up” as their fortunes improved.

Hybrid

Hybrid vehicles are on track to achieve record U. Hybrids combine the best of electricity and gasoline. Hybrid technology also works on a larger scale. Hybrids sound good — they are, for example, exempt from the range limitations of battery-powered cars. Automobile propulsion technologies under development include hybrid cars, battery electric vehicles, hydrogen cars, and various alternative fuels. Experts say hybrid sales on pace for record-setting year. Sales this year despite signs consumer interest in hybrids is waning, an auto information company. Full hybrid systems allow both the gasoline engine and electric motor to provide power to the wheels; often, this allows the vehicle to shut down the gasoline engine when stopped at a red light, and to start driving the car on electric power only. The hybrid systems available from Toyota, Lexus and Ford employ this technology. Mild hybrids, by contrast, use the electric motor primarily to boost the performance of the gasoline engine, when it needs extra power; this technology is seen most often in the hybrids sold by General Motors. In the mild hybrid vehicles available today, most use what’s known as a Stop/Start hybrid system, which shuts the gasoline engine off at idle (like at a red light) and instantly starts it up again on demand (like when the light turns green and you hit the accelerator).

Toyota

Rather than ask engineers and designers what they had in mind for loyal owners, Toyota asked loyal owners what they wanted the engineers and designer. Toyota first demonstrated a futuristic hybrid concept vehicle at the Tokyo Auto Show in 1995. The Toyota Prius is the best-selling hybrid in the US. The hybrid systems available from Toyota, Lexus and Ford employ this technology. In 2000, Honda and Toyota both started selling “hybrid” electric cars that evade those bothersome range limits. The Toyota Prius, a five passenger hybrid about the size of a Corolla, gets 52 miles per gallon around town and 45 on the highway. Toyota was supposed to start introducing the lithium-ion hybrids between 2008 and 2010, according to the Journal. See all models Hybrid News Toyota unveils plug-in hybrid car; Japanese automaker Toyota has unveiled what it says is the world’s first certified plug-in and go car for public use.

A handful of other hybrid cars, SUVs, minivans and pick-up trucks are expected to go into production and be available in the next two or three years. All of the hybrid cars available today are considered “parallel hybrids,” for the ability of both the electric motor and gasoline engine to provide power to the wheels.

Water , of course. By saying meduim I mean the bottom… I have heard, sand, gravel. lava rocks, a mixture of them all.. none of the above…. I want to start my garden indoors and have plants ready for transfer outside in spring.

Best answer:

Answer by Jack430
Water, of course.

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Best answer:

Answer by kyrasapoon
grass

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A wind generator is essentially a device to extract energy from the wind. This is accomplished by a three blade fan which rotates on its axis with a frequency generated by the hitting wind density. Its ancient name is windmill, which is still used for pumping water, grinding grains or stones, or cutting lumber and is based on simply using the mechanical energy. If the created mechanical energy is converted into electrical energy then the same assemblage of machinery is called wind generator.

Wind generator is rated by its wind power density (WPD). It is the mean power per square meter of swept area of a turbine available annually and is tagged with their ground heights. WPD of a particular area is proportionate to the wind velocity and air density. It is rated by class. For example, 200 watts per square meter or less at 50 meter height is termed as Class 1. Its commercial viability generally begins from class 3 and above.

Wind generators are of two type; horizontal axis or vertical axis. Horizontal axis type is more common. The main rotor shaft and the electrical generator are situated at the top of the tower in horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWT). The turbine is placed upwind on the supporting tower to suffer minimum from the turbulence produced by the tower itself. Small turbine has a simple wind vane. Larger turbines have a wind sensor joined to a servo motor. Most turbines have a gearbox which enhances the frequency of rotation of the blades thus making electrical generators more efficient. Turbine blades are made of stiffer material so that they do not get bent towards the tower. These blades are positioned at a distance from the tower and are most of the times tilted forward into the wind to accept more wind energy.

Wind generators are constructed as per individual needs or for larger supply. Small generators may be a 50 watt output generator commonly installed on a boat or for caravan use. These have direct drive generators, direct current output, lifetime bearings, and aero-elastic blades. Their vanes point into the wind. Larger wind have geared power trains, alternating current output, flaps and actively point into the wind. The largest capacity wind generator is EnerconE-126 having a rated capacity of 7.58 MW. It is around 200 meter high and its diameter is 126 meter. In near future, 10 MW generators may hit the market.

Best answer:

Answer by Nikki
Reality set in.

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The history of global warming scare is of recent origin and the scare seems to have acquired alarming proportion in current times. First let us talk about what global warming scare means and how the bandwagon is reaching and acquiring new dimensions.

Global warming is a phenomenon attributed to man made factors. It is an hypothesis that increased levels of industrialization leads to enhanced levels of carbon di oxide in the atmosphere. The result is increased greenhouse effect and global warming. No wonder the phenomenon of rapid industrialization and growth is finding opponent in the form of environmentalist and green peace workers opposed to the whole concept of lopsided development.

Whether the global warming scare is real or a bogey of so called experts and doomsayers is open to debate and discussion for years together.

The history of global warming scare has been existence since the late 19th century and the earlier part of the twentieth century. However the concept was more of academic interest rather than any established scientific proof or evidence of the phenomenon. It was merely an idea, an easy way out to put the blame on human factors for global warming.

The climate changes effects have still not been scientifically proven. However the concept itself has great potential for an international initiative and today thanks to the overdrive of politicians and policy makers, the scare of global warming has achieved the centre stage in the world polity.

The Earth Summit, the Kyoto protocol and a host of other important decisions and meetings bear testimony to the increased attention the concept of global warming has been receiving during last one and a half decade.

No wonder the word is divided into different lobbies each trying to wriggle out and pursue and address its own vested interest in the field. The global warming phenomenon is said to be identified with increased energy consumption and high affluent emissions into the atmosphere. As USA is the highest energy consumer of the world, the cost of climate changes and global warming has been attributed to it the highest.

This way the developing economies are putting pressure on developed nations to pay for the environment damage. The generation and trading of carbon credits and increased share of emerging economies in having such credits is a phenomenon which has been witnessed in recent times.

The history of global warming scare bears a testimony of nations and leaders joining new hands and breaking long established partnerships to pursue their on interests. As people say that politics makes strange bedfellows and so does the pressure groups on global warming. It makes all the more important to keep a tab on what it happening in real world as you may be swayed by the extreme opinions available in the field.

Best answer:

Answer by Paula R
green energy can change the economy to a good era. If you believe in Ethanol, youre out of the picture..

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This summer I’ve waited for the opening of the movie Eat, Pray, Love with an anticipation that is a bit different from my hope that Congress would find effective strategies to address climate change. The difference? I don’t think I’ll be disappointed with the movie’s ending.

I’m a Christian, an environmentalist, an academic, and a pop-culture junkie. And I think the three verbs in the movie’s title – eat, pray, love – may provide direction for the thousands of believers from diverse faith traditions who advocated for a religious response to global warming in three stories that unfolded this summer.

Despite sincere prayer and informed lobbying, people of faith have watched: (1) the Senate’s inability to tackle the real problem of climate change (2) the lack of progress at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, and (3) the failure of the oil spill along the Gulf Coast to create a national demand for alternative energy sources.

Given that the United States imports 68% of its oil, couldn’t this disaster propel a call for more sustainable policies and practices? And if not, what are the next steps for people of faith whose religious beliefs motivate their environmental actions?

In an essay entitled, “Jesus and the Climate Bill,” the Rev. Peter Sawtell, executive director of Eco-Justice Ministries, describes the Senate’s failure to provide leadership around climate change as “genuinely sinful.” In the face of his own frustration, Sawtell turns to Scripture.

In Luke 17:3, Jesus calls us to rebuke the offender (hold legislators accountable) and if there is repentance, forgive. In Mark 6:11, Jesus says that if any place refuses to hear you, “shake off the dust that is on your feet” and essentially, go elsewhere.

And this is where Julia Roberts comes in. In the movie, she goes elsewhere. She leaves the frustrations of her personal life and a divisive marriage (read Congress) for an epic spiritual journey.Congregations across the country are living these three verbs – eat, pray, love – without traveling to Italy, India, or Indonesia. They are creating bold acts of redemption to address global warming in ways their parishioners can understand: how climate change affects the people and places they love. Their examples provide signposts for how our collective acts in the trenches can generate a momentum that transcends the actions of individuals or inaction of legislative bodies.

Eat Congregations literally feed people with bread and serve millions of meals to people in need each week. The metaphor of eating also calls us to ask what feeds and sustains us as believers. At All People’s Church in inner-city Milwaukee, Wis., the back of the sanctuary becomes a free farmer’s market each Sunday, with organic vegetables grown by youth of the church. Across the country, St. John’s United Lutheran Church in Seattle, Wash. has integrated care of creation into a church garden, energy-efficient buildings, sermons, and the Sunday school curriculum. People of faith can practice sustainable eating in community and integrate place into a life of prayer.

Pray Prayer provides stillness that can connect us with God’s creation. The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico precipitated a groundswell of prayer vigils from Pensacola, Fla. to Newark, N.J. In its climate justice tours, North Carolina Interfaith Power and Light integrates prayer into educational journeys for congregations to learn about the relationship between energy production and climate change. Congregations can use contemplation as a strategy that inspires reflection and action to reduce our carbon footprint.

Love Loving our neighbor as ourselves stirs believers to care for creation. The organization GreenFaith focuses on environmental actions such as promoting energy-efficiency in low-income homes, green jobs, and solar panels on sanctuaries. In Washington State, Earth Ministry is bringing interfaith religious leaders and legislators together in a campaign to transition the state from coal to clean energy by 2015. Communities of the faithful can model this belief in love and justice by protecting healthy environments for all. These local, state, and regional efforts may be one practical alternative to our current reality of stalled federal leadership and international agreement on effective approaches to reduce global carbon emissions. Global warming has created common ground for Jews, Evangelicals, Muslims, Lutherans, Baptists, and Roman Catholics. Our diverse religious traditions provide the structure of intentional community, a shared moral imperative, forgiveness and redemption, and most importantly, hope in things not seen.

In the trailer for the movie, Julia Roberts tells her boss she is leaving her job for a journey: “I want to go where I can marvel at something.” The end to our own story can inspire awe, rather than disappointment. Follow the conversion of congregations across the country to address climate change. Eat. Pray. Love.

This article was originally published Aug. 10, 2010 in USA Today.

Best answer:

Answer by Chris
Green living is a fantastic idea for anybody today. Personally I don’t even think it should be a complicated thing for somebody renting or a homeowner, in both scenarios, there are things people can do to save energy and live greener. I have made a number of changes in my life that have resulted in 50% savings on my energy bill including building my own wind generator.

For some more simple solutions try some of these tips:
-Change to CFLs over Incandescent
-Use your dishwasher and washing machine ONLY when they are full
-Try drying your clothes on air dry or hanging them to dry

Furthermore, on the topic of green living I believe it is no longer fair, right, or morally acceptable to turn your back to green living. It is important that we ALL play a role in reducing our carbon footprint and the perks? Well you save money when you are saving energy!

There is a lot more you can read on this subject at http://www.federalenergyincentives.org

Good Luck Goin Green!!

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