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Green Living
Smog-Eating Buildings
Alcoa is the world leader in the production and management of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum, and alumina combined. Alcoa recently announced a building panel that can clean itself as well as the air around the building. Alcoa has coined these panels: smog-eating buildings. The panels are a silver aluminum that would cover the building like a skin. There is a coating of titanium dioxide that is layered on top of the silver paint of the panel. Titanium dioxide particles act as photo catalysts. When they interact with sunlight, their electrons become supercharged and they interact with water molecules that are in the air. The resulting interaction releases free radicals that break down organic material on the building panel. Thus, pollutants such as nitrogen oxide in the surrounding atmosphere are broken down. The free radicals are the major component that does all of the work. They fight the organic material and oxidize them down to harmless compounds that can be easily washed away with some rainwater. Titanium dioxide yields a hydrophilic surface when it interacts with sunlight. The hydrophilic surface lets water fall off the panel easily, rather than bead up in little droplets. The self-cleaning Reynobond with EcoClean panels may reduce a ...- Bookmark :
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Organic Planting
Having your own garden and planting your very own organic produce is a great way to liven up your home made dishes and eat healthier at the same time. Not to mention, growing your own produce is a great way to be eco-friendly. For starters, you can try growing organic tomatoes and basil. If you are interested in planting tomatoes, it’s a good idea to plant them with basil. When you plant tomatoes with basil, you'll find that the basil helps to improve the flavor and growth of the tomatoes. It's also suggested to plant basil with other items such as asparagus, peppers, oregano and petunias. Basil is also know to aid in repelling thrips (tiny, slender insects with fringed wings), as well as flies and mosquitoes. Make sure you avoid planting basil near sage or rue. The added bonus of planting basil with your tomatoes is that you get a bushel of basil. Basil has a terrific odor and has a wide array of uses in different dishes. You can pluck fresh leaves and add them to pasta dishes or even your salad, or morning omelet. Basil is also a key ingredient in pesto, and with fresh basil at your ...- Bookmark :
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New Species In The World, Part I
A group of taxonomists from around the globe and the International Institute for Species Exploration (IISE) at Arizona State University have created a list of the top new species for 2010. Check some of them out: Titanic Bacterium (Halomonas titanicae) This species is found at the bottom of the sea. It is an iron-oxide eating bacteria that was discovered on a rusticle from the RMS Titanic. It sticks to steel surfaces where it creates knob-like protrusions of corrosion that are contributing to the deterioration of the Titanic's metal. This will eventually lead to the complete dissolution of the Titanic! Some have suggested that this species could be used to remove old naval and merchant ships that have sunk into the ocean. This species of bacteria is appropriately named after the Titanic. Sierra Madre Forest Monitor or Golden Spotted Monitor (Varanus bitatawa) This species is a lizard that lives in trees in the Northern Sierra Madre Forest, Luzon Island, Philippines. This lizard eat fruits and can grow over 6.6 feet in length, but only weighs 22 pounds, which isn't very much considering how long this lizard is. These lizards are very brightly colored which makes it interesting that biologists never noticed them before now. The ...- Bookmark :
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Eco-Friendly Ant Elimination
Ants can be a real pain when they start showing up around your house. It’s when they find a way inside your home, that you have a real problem. With all of the chemical based ant sprays on the market, what’s an eco-friendly person to do to get rid of their pesky ant problem? Fortunately, there are many ways to get rid of ants that aren’t harmful to the environment. Check them out! If you can locate the point of entry that the ants are using, try placing any of the following items in a small line for them to encounter: citrus oil (which you can soak in a piece of string), cayenne pepper, lemon juice, coffee grounds, or cinnamon. The ants will not cross these items. You can also place cucumber peels or slices near their point of entry as they have an aversion to cucumber, especially bitter ones. Ants also have an aversion to baking soda. You can draw a line of baking soda to stop them in their tracks. Also try blending orange peels with water and placing it in wherever the ant trail goes. The citrus from the orange peel will deter them. You can put all sorts ...- Bookmark :
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Lentils
Lentils are great for your body and the environment. They are cheap, tasty, healthy and eco-friendly! You'll find that most recipes featuring lentils are sugar-free and gluten-free. In fact, lentils are one of the top 5 healthiest foods in the world. If you're looking for a good source of protein, your search is over. Lentils are a terrific source of protein. In fact, lentils have the highest level of protein by weight of any plant-based food. Lentils are also a very affordable option. At a cost of 20-30 cents, you can get one cup of lentils, which can make up one third of a 150-pound person's daily protein requirement. Not to mention, lentils are packed full of other beneficial nutrients. Lentils are not just the smallest type of beans out there; they are also the best beans for people to consume health wise. Food for thought: generally speaking, the smaller the seed, the more nutrition a food has by volume or weight. Lentils are also low in both sodium and fat, and they have the most alkaline of all the different types of protein sources. Studies have also shown that lentils possess high levels of fiber that is associated with decreased degenerative ...- Bookmark :
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