Last holiday season I had broached the subject of making your own Christmas lights. This year I’m going to do a series of posts that break this down into doable steps. When you are building your own solar Christmas lights, you have an awful lot of flexibility as to the size and design of your system.

Remember LEDs make the best solar Christmas Lights- Unless you want this

Now don’t get the wrong idea, I don’t have anything against buying a pre-made sets of solar Christmas lights. It’s just that some people prefer traditional sized Christmas lightbulbs and there are LED bulb sets which can be purchased. There is also a chance that someone really wants to go all out with the decorations and using ready-made solar Christmas lights would limit their creativity. When you are making your own solar Christmas lights it is important that you have all the important parts of your system worked out. You, of course, will need a solar panel and there are quite a variety of solar panels available. So you will have to make sure that you select an appropriate solar panel for the system that you are planning to build.

Here are some LEDs for your solar Christmas lights.

You, of course, will also need strings of LED Christmas lights. So you will have to select the quantity and size of the LED bulbs you want to be using. There are many places where these can be purchased and I will suggest a half a dozen or so, but realize there are many more including possibly your local drugstore. Now there are a few things that will have to exist between your solar panel and the actual strings of solar Christmas lights, unless of course you only want them to shine during the daytime. You will need a battery and possibly a device for controlling the charge of the battery, making sure your battery doesn’t overcharge and is charging correctly.

You are in charge, be creative.

Building your own solar Christmas lights will probably run you a little more than buying them off the shelf. So if you do it, do it to be creative, not to save money. I’m not saying that you can’t save money, especially if you have parts to make your own solar panel and use an old used car battery, and basically salvage the parts, but other than doing something like that you probably will spend a little more money. In exchange for the added expense however you will have complete control over your design and quality. You also might find that you would have to use for the individual parts of your system throughout the rest of the year. All of this however I will take up in later posts. I will probably do one post for each part of the system, and will probably start with the solar panel.

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When possible, it allows more sense to simply keep on the existing lighting strip and to replace with LED bulbs. The replacement expenses of new lamps are significantly less than the expenses involved with retrofitting entire strip lighting systems, and LED festoons are easy to install provided that the present linear strip operates on 12VAC or 24VAC current.

LED replacement lamps use less power than incandescent and Xenon festoons, and they produce absolutely no harmful UV rays. With only trace signatures of heat, they have turn into a favorite for retailers that exhibit sensitive items in merchandising display boxes. A luxury LED replacement bulb require only 10 percent of the energy required by an incandescent bulb, and thus gives a significant decrease in electric power costs regardless that quickly return ones initial cash investment.

Manufacturers seeking to obtain LEEDS accreditation can also lower their watts per square foot estimation by replacing incandescent and Xenon festoon fixtures with custom, luxury LEDs. These lamps fit easily into place and do not need to have a technician to install. Luxury LED replacement lamps supply an adaptable and efficient strip lighting upgrade product with a vital design feature, unique to the innovative system of the lamp. LED bulbs are actually DC powered light sources that need to have direct current inverters to control on AC wiring systems.

This often complicates what would otherwise be a simple change. Due to additional equipment demands a big sums of money and then present design changes with bulky hardware that is hard to conceal. This is not so with the modern generation of luxury LED lights. One distinctive lighting manufacturer, for example, makes specialized LED replacement energy saving light bulbs to work on existing AC linear strips.

These lamps are given with the much better LED replacement bulb than the type ordinarily found in basic lamps. Many of the lower grade diodes manufactured by other companies create dimmer levels of light that sacrifice quality for big savings. On the other hand, the latest registered festoons use a larger grade lamp with an output range of between 42-50 lumens. This is 5 times higher than any lamp created with LED replacement bulbs and perfect for 12 volt or 24 volt LED home lighting.

The superior perks delivered by these new bulb replacements are mostly due to the distinctive engineering used to shape festoon LED lamps. Each unit features six diodes placed in close proximity which generate a combined, radiant field of high intensity, and negligible voltage light.

These LEDs operate at small amperage levels and are specifically intended to in the long run replace 5 to 7 watt incandescent and Xenon festoons altogether. Because they do not need DC inverters, and because they replace larger transformers and dimmers with much smaller equivalents, new LED bulb replacements consist of a synthesis of high intensity lighting and low profile design.

At only 0.6 watts, a new luxury lighting, 2700K LED festoon lamp generates the same luminosity as a 7 watt festoon while at the same time reducing power consumption by 400 percent! This makes this idea of new generation of bulbs the most popular LED replacement favored by manufacturers seeking to develop aesthetics by minimizing fixture exposure.

At 50,000 average hours LED replacements reduce lamping cycles over incandescent festoon bulbs by 500 percent and then xenon festoon lamps by 200 percent. It is not uncommon for our LED strip lighting lamps to undertake consistently at maximum levels for up to ten years.

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A Xmas gentle specialist was created to discover which usually lamp inside the chain provides not survived and brought on the whole gentle string to visit dark. It is true that contemporary attractive illumination methods possess a shunt for each and every lamp avoiding the entire string from final away from any time only one bulb has burned away. Not surprisingly, the truth is that these shunts burn up as well quite easily along with the lights. Which means that the risk of the whole stringed proceeding darkish is actually substantially high. This is how the tester comes in.

The actual Xmas gentle specialist operates very basically. Whenever an electric existing is going through a signal it creates the sound, that we’re unable to listen to. Nonetheless, the actual tester has the capacity to detect that. In the event it registers this kind of hum, it has its gentle upon. When it picks up a reduction in the sound, the sunshine is reduced and also fades ultimately. All you’ve got to complete is always to operate the device on the Christmas light string and it will show you which the burnt out light bulb will be.

A few trialist designs tend to be more sophisticated than these. They may be made to have other capabilities for discovering burnt out bulbs besides using the sound. They’re made to force electric Alternating current current directly into shunts. Once this is completed, the working light bulbs will certainly light and the ones which can be burnt out there won’t. The particular double-function versions are better because the standard perform might not be enough in order to identify the actual problematic light bulbs if they’re more than one.

Nearly every Holiday gentle specialist available on the market includes a bulb remover. This remover is integrated into your body of the tester. It really is super easy to utilize. You only need to put the plate involving the husk and the base of the bulb. Then you definitely should just rotate the particular cleaner before lamp is unfastened enough to be pulled out without effort.

You should definitely get yourself a Xmas mild trialist for your home. The device is very basic and user friendly. It is perfectly dependable too, provided that you stick to the company’s directions appropriately.

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Did you recognize, however, that your home’s power bill might be decreased by as much as 30 percent via energy-efficiency that includes the purchase or energy efficient appliances as well as other products? In other words, you can save yourself money while you do your part to save the planet.

Here is some standard info about how energy efficiency works and why it is beneficial. An excellent deal of the power you consume within your house is produced by local power plants that have to burn fossil fuel to create the energy. These fossil fuels may be natural gas, coal or oil.

These types of fossil fuels also produce pollution. This pollution harms not just the environment but ultimately the people, as it causes smog, acid rain and respiratory diseases. Fossil fuel pollution is also a strong factor in altering the climate of the globe.

Opting for energy efficiency by way of your choice of products that are energy efficient is one of the best ways you’ll be able to cut down your consumption of energy and thus your distribution of dangerous emissions of greenhouse gas. Any home that buys equipment developed for power efficiency puts a major dent in harmful emissions of carbon dioxide.

Try working with fusionexcel products for your home. Read the fusionexcel wiki website on its products to find out where you’d like to begin. Lots of of the fusion excel products use alternative energy and will allow you to save money with its multi-purpose items.

The typical US household spends about 1500 each year on power. Energy-efficiency can cut down this bill by 400-450 annually. If you’re concerned about energy efficiency and wish to not just save the planet, but save yourself some money, it’s going to help to know which appliances account for what portion of your power use and bill.

Your dishwasher, personal computer, monitor, TV, VCR, DVD player and similar equipment each use up about 2 % of your total power consumption. Stoves, microwaves as well as other smaller appliances generally account for the rest, though at less than two percent of the total each.

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There are a variety of activities you can incorporate into bring the Christmas tree into your home. Some families enjoy singing “Oh Christmas Tree” as the tree is brought into the home. Make a fun activity of this whereby everyone has to come up with an original verse to the song (since few know the actual words). This can keep everyone entertained while someone else works to get the tree standing up straight.

Once the tree is in a stand and ready to be decorated, make a game out of the ornaments. Put all the homemade ornaments aside and work with those first. Start with the first family member and ask them who made the ornament, where did it come from? Once the details are out of the way, ask the crafter (likely a child) if they remember making the ornament. If you’re the parent, tell the child what you thought when you first saw the ornament. This is fun, since it reminds children that the things they make and bring home are meaningful to the parents.

There is always one ornament that is just ugly, or plain silly. Play “hot potato” with that ornament. Whoever gets stuck with the ugly ornament has to say one nice thing about it, such as “well, there’s a lot of glitter on it and that’s pretty”, or “Dougie made it, so I like it”. It’s a silly way to remind children to find good in everything. It might even remind them that things are just things. This is a good lesson for this time of year.

Some people use an advent calendar to count down the days until Christmas, and this is how it’s traditionally done, but there is one fun activity sure to be a hit with children. Similar to the concept in Germany (where the advent calendar originated) this involves providing one small gift for children every day until Christmas. In Germany, it’s only done for several days before Christmas, but you can do it for the 24 days of the month until Christmas arrives.

Buy tiny handled gift bags at the craft store. Buy 1 for each of your children. Have the children decorate the bags, and on each of the 24 bags, have them place a number as well, 1 through 24. As you decorate the tree, find space for each of these little bags. Because they have handles, they can hang right on the tree like an ornament, or you can tie ribbon on the handles so they have a more graceful swing. Each night, fill the right bag with a tiny prize or gift. So if it’s the night of December 14, you’ll take bag #15 (all the bags with earlier numbers will be gone) and put some little trinket in it. It might be a piece of candy, a tiny ornament for your child’s own tree, a tiny car or small eraser. The idea here is that it’s a small gift, but come morning, that’s the first activity your children will engage in – discovering what little treat you left for them the night before.

Trenton Denio likes to write for UniformHaven.com which sells dickies scrubs, dickies scrub jackets and lab coats as well as a host of other items.

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If you have already solar lights positioned along a walkway or designating the design of a garden, you can make them a part of your vacation lighting. There are snowmen and Santa available that fit over your present solar lights to create them look more fun.

There are solar string lights accessible that allow you to garnish numerous areas outside your home. Solar string lights are available in various designs, like icicles or snowflakes. It is possible to string these bulbs across the roof of your house, alongside of a fence, or weave them around a garden trellis. You may also decorate the outer part of a dog house with solar string lights. You can use white lights or colorful lights, determined by your personal preference.

Aside from decorating with solar string lights, you can add other types of solar Christmas accents to the exterior of your home. A solar Christmas wreath would be an attractive addition to your front door, or to the gate of a fence if you own one at your drive or at the doorway to your front garden.

A solar Christmas net light gives sparkle to your shrubs. Multicolored lights draped across hedges or short trees add a glow of festivity to your garden. There are some shapes of solar lights, such as a solar shell limelight, that are designed to transform colors. This light moves from blue to red to green, making it perfect accompaniment to your solar Christmas exhibit.

When it comes to decorating with solar LED Christmas lights, the possibilities are bounded only by your imagination. These adaptable and easy to work with lights can be formed into any shape that expresses your creativeness, both during the holiday season and after. So, get creative with your decorations, and take action to provide help to the environment at the same time!

Technorati Tags: home improvement, home lighting, led home lighting, LED lighting, LED lights bulbs

There’s a tale that tells about a certain brotherhood somewhere in Europe who began building trees inside their castles during the yuletide month and they embellish the trees with food and colored paper.And the fun part of it all is that when Christmas morning comes, the kids of the members of the brotherhood, run as quickly as they could -the moment that they wake up- towards the tree to acquire as many goodies as they can.

In another event, women and men of an old European village cut a huge tree and set it up in the center of the town and when night time falls and the fun start, this group of men and women sing and dance in front of the tree and before the celebration ends, they torch the tree making a huge fire.

In another story, there existed a saint in the name of Saint Boniface who was out to prove to the villagers in a small community in Germany that their god isn’t in existence, by chopping down a tree called Donar Oak. Out from the roots of that tree grew a fir tree and the saint proclaimed it as a sign from God and since that day, he instructed all Christian families to install a tree come the xmas season as a way of celebrating the birth of the Lord Jesus.

Believe what you must; but whatever the true origin of the Christmas tree is, the custom of setting up- whether it is a real or an artificial xmas tree within the house- and designing it and filling it with gifts will most likely stay on as long as there exists Christianity.And because of this tradition, many have found out that selling artificial xmas trees for families and business establishments is definitely a profitable business during the Christmas holidays.

The first artificial xmas tree was made by the Germans and it was built with wooden, tree-shaped pyramids which are in contrast with the modern-day artificial xmas trees which are normally made of polyvinyl chloride and the most modern ones are made of fiber optic.It will also be fun to see that the very first artificial xmas trees were created of goose feathers colored green to replicate the color of the tree.This type of xmas tree made its way eventually to the U.S..However, in the 1930s, there were some drastic changes in the design of the artificial Christmas tree and the Addis Brush Company made the very first artificial xmas tree using brush bristles.

They were created using the exact same machines as those used in producing toilet brushes.These were also colored green to get the same tree effect. The Christmas trees made of brush became immensely well-liked and many of them were also transported to Great Britain, where they also became quite renowned.

Buy your artificial xmas trees from us today and enjoy the great discounts we offer. Have a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!

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For the success of all the should of Christmas party Worlds largest Christmas display.com has introduce its Christmas balloons or Giant Santa balloons. These balloons are very able of selling products in the shopping area and can be a excellent obtain to beautify your home in that Christmas time. Our Christmas Balloons can add more style to your house ornament that Christmas. Most of them are Large Santa balloons, Parade balloons, Angel balloons, dancers, Solitary and double legged balloons, etc. These balloons be made up of of number of favorable characteristics. They are straightforward to use and atmosphere friendly. They are synonyms, long lasting and can be reused various times. The Greatest Christmas Display has wide range of gathering certain balloons which are tough and dependable than standard PVC balloons. These Christmas balloons are produced up of very best polyurethane material obtainable in the market. The Christmas balloons are available in all mix of hues and sizes. These advertising inflatables can be effortlessly configured to any feasible form to accomplish each and every second stipulation of the customer. Because its inception, ‘Worldslargestchristmasdisplay’ has been associated with that enterprise and has a large client base. Our team of designers requires sufficient care of the wants of potential prospects and provides them solutions to utmost satisfaction.  
       
Once we converse of “acquiring away from it all,” we usually show our dissatisfaction with the turmoil of state of the art living. Perhaps one of the good reasons why Christmas is such an pleasant event is that it gives most of us an chance to indulge that typically depicted desire to “get away from it all.” So why spoil the full happiness that we are about to get it Christmas? Christmas balloons can add more taste to your enjoyment.

It’s almost time for that special moment! Google Sniper 2 is about to hit the marketplace and you absolutely don’t want to miss it. There are already Google Sniper 2.0 prelaunch videos so you need to check them out now!

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The initial step to take in making a list will include the names of those you’ll be giving gifts this Holiday season. This should be done before even buying on the gifts since this is a great guide for keeping on track on the number of people and to stay away from missing out names.

Creating a list will allow you to know the number of individuals to be supplied with presents. This will allow you to break down your current allotted budget for presents this year among the amount of people on the list.

Create a list of potential items to be given soon after you’ve determined the number of individuals to be given items in addition to the budget allotted for each. This can be quite a bit easier because you’ll already have an over-all perception on the limited budget and the particular person to be given. After you’ve brainstormed your ideas on gifts, now you may go shopping with convenience. This is easier and quicker. However , if you can’t find the product on list that’s on sale, then you could also choose another option. Do not forget that the checklist is simply a guide and a starting point when you shop. You will probably find an even better gift item that‘s not even on your list.

Given that you’ve bought all of the Christmas gifts to be presented, you’ll have to have a brief recap on the people and presents they are assigned to. It may be more practical when having this list as you go along purchasing the gifts so you won’t forget. This particular checklist will help you keep in mind which is which during gift-giving. You may store these gifts for a few weeks or days whilst not failing to remember the names as well as presents these people are assigned to.

The author is a multifaceted writer. She writes articles for a number of subjects such as marriage and relationship advices, discount handbags and hobo bags, family and parenting, health and safety, and a lot more.

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Cooking packs a wallop in terms of health and environmental impact in the developing world: I’ve seen the numbers time and time again as I come across new appropriate technology for addressing that impact. Various social enterprises have played with clean, efficient cookstove models to address respiratory disease and deforestation that results from cooking with wood. I’ve been fascinated by these approaches: from rockets stoves to cogeneration concepts, there’s been a lot to admire on this front… and not just because these ideas are environmentally sustainable, but also address the economic impact of cooking in the developing world.

Of course, a stove that required no fuel would be perfect: no carbon emissions, no time devoted to gathering wood or working to earn the money to buy other fuels, no fine particulates that make people sick. The Wonderbag, a creation of South African social entrepreneur Sarah Collins, doesn’t eliminate fuel, but it does cut its use: once a pot of food reaches the boiling point, it can be placed in the insulated bag to keep cooking without burning any more wood or gas. When paired with a clean cookstove, I’d guess the resource savings would be tremendous.

How does this work? Essentially, thermal mass: the Wonderbag uses polysterene balls as insulation in the bags themselves, which hold the heat from the cooking pot. It can do so for several hours, turning a standard Dutch oven into a slow cooker… all while cutting emissions. Collins estimates that the Wonderbag “has already saved enough CO2 emissions to travel the globe 9,452 times…”

Want to see how it all works? Check out the video on bringing the Wonderbag to Rwanda on the company’s website. No doubt a simple invention like this would be great for American outdoorsy types (who can afford a $65 bag); for women and children in the developing world, it’s another lifesaver.

via yesterday’s Green tech finds post at SUNfiltered

Image credit: screen capture from “Wonderbag in Rwanda” video

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Almost exactly five years ago, I took at look at Transcendentist, a Berkeley based “green dentistry office” that combined environmental responsibility with a very different approach to patient care. Rather than the typical clinical approach, the founders of Transcendentist created a spa-like atmosphere… complete with foot massages. Even then, the idea was taking off: nothing like a little calm to take the edge off of that fear of the dentist thing.

Now, five years later, the concept has gone national (in part because of the work of Transcendentist founders Ina and Fred Pockrass)… so, yes, you can even find eco-dentists here in the Midwest! In Chicago, the hub of all things green in the region, the ORA Dental Studio has really picked up the concept and run with it. Not only do they offer what is now the typical combination of Earth-friendly dental equipment in a relaxing atmosphere, but they do it in a certified green building: their Wicker Park location has received the LEED Gold designation “for its eco-friendly and high-performance design, construction and operation.”

Designed by Chicago-based green architects 2Point Perspective, features of the new space include:

• Motion-sensor lighting, with all lighting consisting of LED (light-emitting diode) bulbs and compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs)
• Low-flow plumbing fixtures and Energy Star appliances
• Doors made of recycled resin
• Low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paint and flooring
• Reclaimed cabinets
• A high-efficiency mechanical system (Once installed, the system worked even more efficiently than originally envisioned, enabling ORA to surpass the LEED Silver rating it originally sought and achieve LEED Gold.)

And, as you can see, it’s also gorgeous… I probably won’t be taking a trip to Chicago for a teeth cleaning, but it’s tempting. If you are in the area, ORA Dental Studio is celebrating with specials on both routine visits (cleanings and such), as well as teeth whitening at the new LEED-certified office.

Use an eco-dentist? Tell us about it…

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“I love to upcycle because it’s in my practical, frugal nature to get the most out of what I purchase,” said Andrea. “I also think in our throw-away society, anything we can do to eliminate landfill waste creates a healthier environment and a healthier us.”

This sweetheart of a project is perfect for scraps of fabric, felt, paper or other materials which can be stitched together using a sewing machine. You’ll also need an iron, scissors, thread, a sewing machine and liquid seam sealant/fusible web (optional) to complete your garland.

How to Make a Valentine’s Day Garland from Scrap Fabric

1. Gather your fabric scraps. Pinks and reds are great choices to make a traditionally Valentine’s themed garland, but whites or non-traditional colors would work well too. (Designer note: If needed, iron your scraps to remove wrinkles and creases.)

2. For each scrap iron a fold in the material approximating the width of half of your heart. In this project, it doesn’t matter whether you iron with the right- or wrong- sides together. Like so:

3. Next, using fabric scissors cut out half a heat shape. If you prefer uniform hearts, create a cardboard template first. Andrea did this free hand for a more relaxed feel, and varied the heart lengths between ½” and 1½”.

4. After you cut out each heart, press it flat with your iron. If you want to completely eliminate the crease, you may need to spritz it with water.

5. This next step is optional, but helpful for fabrics with a loose weave and/or ones that look like they’re fraying after you cut out the heart shape. Dip the tops of the hearts into some liquid seam sealant and lay flat to dry. Or, if you’re using fusible web, iron it to the back of each heart.

6. Once your hearts are prepared, arrange them in a pleasing pattern. The designer chose to randomly vary the sizes and colors, but if you prefer a more formal look, try a repetitive pattern either with the colors and/or heart sizes.

7. Now for the stitching. Andrea threaded her machine with a light pink thread, but white or red would work as well. Make sure you leave enough of a tail (about 2-3”) at the beginning of your string so it can be tied or taped to something when you’re finished. With your presser foot raised, place your first heart under the needle, bring the needle all the way down and lower the presser. Using a straight stitch, begin stitching your hearts together – the stitches should go through the top ¼ of the heart and leave about a ½’space between each heart.

A good guide for this is as you finish stitching a heart and it reaches the back part of the presser foot, thread your next heart into place to be stitched. This probably sounds a lot more complicated than it really is, but if you’re unsure, try a few practice hearts until you’re pleased with the results.

8. Here you can see what the hearts look like when stitched together. Notice where the thread line lies on each heart – this is important as a lower thread line will cause the hearts to flip upside down when you go to string them up.

9. When all your hearts are stitched, cut the threads, again leaving a 2”-3” tail.

10. If this is a gift, or when you are ready to store them, wrap the strand around a piece of cardboard –food/cereal boxes are perfect for this – to prevent the string from tangling. If you’re gifting this string of hearts, consider decorating the cardboard holder and/or writing a special message to the recipient.

Saved by Grace Designs is an online shop handcrafting beautiful and practical creations like cherry pit packs, apparel, accessories and so much more from Upcycled materials. Andrea, the shop owner, strives to use minimal and environmentally friendly package for all her items. She loves doing custom orders because “the best way to keep something out of a landfill is to tailor an item exactly to a person’s tastes”.

Please note that a portion of the proceeds from each sale at Saved by Grace Designs is donated to causes working to alleviate the suffering of women and children. For every purchase made from the shop between now and February 20th, Andrea will include a SweetHeart Love String of 14 hearts as a special gift along with your purchased item.

If you’d like to stay updated on the latest blog posts, new items added to the shop, announcements, discounts and special offers, you can find Andrea on Twitter and her blog.

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Flooding on Arkansas' White River

By Janet Larsen and Sara Rasmussen

The global average temperature in 2011 was 14.52 degrees Celsius (58.14 degrees Fahrenheit). According to NASA scientists, this was the ninth warmest year in 132 years of recordkeeping, despite the cooling influence of the La Niña atmospheric and oceanic circulation pattern and relatively low solar irradiance. Since the 1970s, each subsequent decade has gotten hotter — and 9 of the 10 hottest years on record have occurred in the twenty-first century.

Each year’s average temperature is determined by a number of factors, including solar activity and the status of the El Niño/La Niña phenomenon. But heat-trapping gases that have accumulated in the atmosphere, largely from the burning of fossil fuels, have become a dominant force, pushing the Earth’s climate out of its normal range. The planet is now close to 0.8 degrees Celsius warmer than it was a century ago. Hidden within annual averages and expected variability are startling instances of new temperature and rainfall records in many parts of the world — weather extremes that would once be considered anomalies but that now risk becoming the new norm as the Earth heats up.

Worldwide, 2011 was the second wettest year on record over land. (The record was set in 2010, which also tied 2005 as the warmest overall.) Heavier deluges are expected on a warmer planet; each temperature rise of 1 degree Celsius increases the amount of moisture the atmosphere can hold by about 7 percent. Higher temperatures also can fuel stronger storms.

Weather-Related Natural Disasters… Worldwide

Brazil started the year with the deadliest natural disaster in its history: in January, a month’s worth of rain fell in a single day in Rio de Janeiro state, leading to floods and landslides that killed at least 900 people. That same month, flooding in eastern Australia covered an area nearly the size of France and Germany combined. Overall, it was the third wettest year in Australia since recordkeeping began in 1900.

The most expensive weather disaster of 2011 was the flooding in Thailand in the second half of the year, which ultimately submerged one third of the country’s provinces. At $45 billion worth of damage — equal to 14 percent of Thailand’s gross domestic product — it was also the costliest natural catastrophe the country ever experienced.

In October, more than 100 people died as two storms — one from the Pacific and the other from the Caribbean — pounded Central America with rain. In western El Salvador, nearly 1.5 meters of rain (almost 5 feet) fell over 10 days. And in December, Tropical Storm Washi hit the Philippines, creating flash floods that killed more than 1,200 people.

The 2011 Atlantic hurricane season had 19 named storms. Hurricane Irene brought extreme flooding to the northeastern United States in August, with total damages topping $7.3 billion. The year was the wettest on the books for seven states in the country, while it was among the driest for several others. Although the extremes appear to balance out, making for a near-average year, in fact a record 58 percent of the contiguous United States was either extremely wet or extremely dry in 2011.

Drought conditions in Somalia

Indeed, as is expected on a hotter planet, while some parts of the globe were overwhelmed by rain in 2011, others were distinguished by dryness. A severe drought in the Horn of Africa that began in 2010 devolved into a crisis situation in 2011, characterized by crop failure, exorbitant food prices, and widespread malnutrition. Exacerbated by chronic political instability and a belated humanitarian response, the death toll may have exceeded 50,000 people.

Back in North America, a drought that began in late 2010 and worsened over 2011 led hundreds of farmers from northern Mexico to march to that nation’s capital in January 2012 to draw the government’s attention to their suffering. Nearly 900,000 hectares of farmland (some 2.2 million acres) and 1.7 million head of livestock were lost due to the dryness — the worst in Mexico’s 70+ years of data collecting.

Scorching heat, drought, and wildfires across the U.S. Southern Plains and Southwest caused farm, ranch, and forestry damages that exceeded $10 billion in 2011. Wichita Falls, Texas, experienced 100 days over 100 degrees Fahrenheit — far more than the previous record of 79 days set in 1980. Oklahoma and Texas had the hottest summers of any states in history, breaking by a wide margin the record set in 1934 during the Dust Bowl. James Hansen, director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, writes that the likelihood of such extreme heat waves “was negligible prior to the recent rapid global warming.” Texas also had its lowest rainfall on record. Invigorated by the heat and drought, wildfires burned across an estimated 1.5 million hectares (3.7 million acres) in the state.

How Hot Was 2011?

For the continental United States, summer 2011 was the second warmest in history. Nearly three times more weather stations hit record highs than lows in 2011, in line with a trend of increasing heat extremes. Whereas in the middle of the 20th century there were close to the same number of record highs and lows — as would be expected absent a strong warming trend — in the 1990s highs began outpacing lows. In the first decade of this century, there were twice as many record highs as record lows.

Worldwide, seven countries set all-time temperature highs in 2011: Armenia, China, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Republic of the Congo, and Zambia. Interestingly, Zambia also was the only country to experience an all-time low temperature when it dropped to -9 degrees Celsius (16 degrees Fahrenheit) in June. Kuwait experienced the year’s highest temperature, with thermometers measuring a searing 53.3 degrees Celsius (127.9 degrees Fahrenheit), the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth during the month of August. Even more threatening to health than daytime highs are extra hot nighttime minimum temperatures, which do not allow any respite from the heat. The world’s hottest 24-hour minimum ever — 41.7 degrees Celsius (107 degrees Fahrenheit) — was recorded in Oman in June 2011.

Even the Arctic had a notably warm year, with the 2011 temperature a record 2.2 degrees Celsius (4 degrees Fahrenheit) above the mean for 1951–80. Barrow, Alaska, the northernmost U.S. city, spent a record-breaking 86 consecutive days at or above freezing, far more than the previous record of 68 days set in 2009.

In fact, over the last 50 years temperatures in the Arctic have risen more than twice as fast as the global average, melting ice and thawing permafrost. Arctic sea ice has been shrinking more rapidly, falling to its lowest volume and second lowest area on record during the 2011 summer melt season. With the summertime ice loss outpacing wintertime recovery, Arctic sea ice has thinned, making it increasingly vulnerable to further melting. Scientists expect a completely ice-free summertime Arctic by 2030 or even earlier.

As the reflective ice disappears, it exposes the dark ocean, which more readily absorbs solar energy, further warming the region. This sets forth a climate cascade, accelerating ice loss both in the ocean as well as on nearby Greenland, which contains enough ice to raise global sea level by 7 meters (23 feet) if it completely melted. The warming also thaws Arctic permafrost, releasing carbon dioxide and methane, further accelerating global warming.

Even without fully incorporating such climate feedback, models show that continued reliance on fossil fuels could raise the global temperature by up to 7 degrees Celsius (over 12 degrees Fahrenheit) by the end of this century. Such an elevated temperature would amplify temperature and precipitation extremes enough to make the weather events of recent years look tame in comparison. Only a rapid, dramatic reduction of greenhouse gas emissions can hold future temperatures in a range bearing any resemblance to what civilization has known.

Images credit: USFWS/Southeast at flickr under a Creative Commons license;  Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) at flickr under a Creative Commons license

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I never knew how to upcycle them, so I never tried. But I recently came across some really cool ideas that I now plan on using on the huge number of spent gift cards I have in my wallet following the holidays. I would encourage you to do the same, or come up with your own.

String Picks

Super cute and easy to make yourself, these picks for guitars and other string instruments are a great idea. The plastic density of most cards might be a little thin and overly flexible for good use, so you might want to think of using a trace to make two identical drawings before cutting them with an exacto knife, and then attaching the two for something thicker.

Make sure to use an adhesive that is well known for binding plastic, such as industrial strength plastic repair glue, including Henkel or Scotch Grip.

Photo Frame

This simple picture frame took a basic frame you can buy from any craft store, and then cut expired credit cards up into small squares to attach around it. The designer seemed to own quite a few cards, but upcycling is a great way to save money to help pay off credit card debt. A win-win situation! This would be a perfect project for after the holidays, since most of us have a large number of gift cards by the end. Especially if you are like me and impossible to shop for.

Spiral Notepad

Starbucks gift cards tend to be more attractive than most. This Etsy seller took advantage of that fact by taking used cards and turning them into these adorable little spiral notebooks with a closing band. As they point out, the pads are pretty durable and so easy to keep with a purse or pocket without damaging it. It wouldn’t be hard to decorate your own.

Mosaic Art

This Etsy user makes cute, custom mosaics using old gift and business cards, all set in wooden frames. They are complex and interesting, and show what you can accomplish with a little creativity. Most cards are so colorful and varied that you could easily create your own to hand on the wall or put on a desk, maybe even gift to someone close to you.

Bracelet

My favorite idea, simply because I love upcycled jewelry, this is an easy bracelet that can also be applied to other pieces of jewelry such as necklaces. You simply create little plastic disks from the card and connect them using split rings and end with a lobster clasp. They have full instructions here and a list of necessary tools.

There is no reason to throw out those plastic cards when you are done with them. Just use one of these handy ideas for upcycling, and keep the landfills free of plastic it can’t naturally break down.

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So what can you do with an old shipping container? Start an indoor farm? Build a mobile strip mall? These are just a couple of the more unique ideas I’ve come across; there are many others.

This weekend, while reading Fast Company‘s interview with Jason Aramburu, the CEO of re:char, I was struck by (among other things) the company’s design for a shipping container-based factory for its “Climate Kilns” (“a small pyrolysis system capable of generating biochar or fuel charcoal”). The idea’s ultimately very practical: according to Aramburu, “In places like rural Africa, it’s really hard to import and transport finished goods efficiently,” so the social enterprise start-up decided to create a mobile production space for its signature product that could be moved to the places where re:char would sell its kilns.

So. how do you turn a shipping container into a factory? re:char’s CTO Luke Iseman did a presentation at Austin’s Dorkbot in December, and shared it on the company blog (where you can also just look at his slides if you prefer):

The company is still working at getting one of these up and running in Kenya, but it’s a really intriguing model of reuse (which makes sense: everything this company does seems based on reusing “waste”). If you’re so intrigued by the biochar concept that you’d like to try making you’re own, re:char sells both complete Climate Kilns, or DIY basics (plans plus the pyrolyzer) on its website.

So, whaddaya think? Share your thoughts with us below.

via Triplepundit and @costrike

Image credit: Luke Iseman at Slideshare

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Read through, and take a look particularly at the potential for self-adjusting glasses: these strike me as having real potential to not only serve the vision needs of many around the globe, but to also cut back on the resources that go into new glasses for changed prescriptions.

Of course, we’re always interested to know what you think.

Image credit: Mezzner

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Most of us probably had similar reactions when we discovered the fact that the stinging nettle plant is not only edible, but even commonly eaten in other parts of the world: “Doesn’t that hurt?” No, apparently: cooking takes the sting out of the nettle, and the plant is commonly used in soup and tea.

But given that cooked stinging nettle is compared to spinach, it makes sense that there’s much more you could do with this wild plant. While I’ve never eaten nettle (that I know of), I’ve become intrigued lately with the notion of foraging… and stinging nettle is readily available almost everywhere in the early Spring. After a little digging, I also discovered this plant is really versatile, and works in recipes from a wide variety of culinary traditions.

How to Forage for Stinging Nettle

Generally, you can’t pick nettle up at the store; you have to go out and collect it yourself. For an overview of how to forage for nettle, check out our sister site Eat.Drink.Better’s guide to the topic.

7 Nettle Recipes

OK, so now you’ve got all those nettle leaves; what do you do with them? If you’re not feeling the soup or tea recipes above, try one of the following:

Nettle pesto: Once you’ve got you nettle leaves blanched, you’re about halfway there with this easy non-traditional recipe for the Italian spread.

Nettle Aloo Saag: Like Indian food? This staple side dish is also pretty simple. (via The Kitchn)

Pasta with Nettles: Start craving lighter food when the weather warms up? This pasta dish with nettles, sorrel, and lemon sounds perfect for a Spring or Summer dinner.

Nettle Risotto: Yep, lots of options on the Italian-inspired front. Lots of directions for Hank Shaw’s recipe, but about half of them are for preparing the nettles. The folks at Marquita Farms have a couple of other options for this dish (plus others).

Nettle Rarebit: Or rabbit if you prefer.

Nettle Haggis: I always think of sheep’s stomach when I see the word “haggis,” but this recipe is free of that rather unpleasant element of the traditional Scottish dish.

Nettle Lasagna: Paul Wheaton of Permies.com records Jocelyn Campbell making foraged vegetarian version of this classic Italian baked favorite.

Know of other interesting ways to cook these edible weeds? Share them with us… if they look good, I’ll even add them to the post.

Image credit: Pokrajac at Wikimedia Commons under a Creative Commons license

Related posts:

1. Vegan Recipes Monday at The Higher Pie
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There are many great and pleasantly simple ways to conserve water usage at home. Want to save an extra 50+ gallons of water each and every day? Here’s one way you may not have considered before: take a navy shower! No, you don’t need to shout “yes, drill sergeant” or drop and do fifty push-ups at any point in this process. It’s actually one of the better ideas to come out of the military…

A navy shower is a method of showering that originated on ships at sea, where freshwater supplies were frequently in short supply. The idea is quite simple: Turn on the water and rinse, turn off the water and scrub down with soap, and then turn on the water once again to clean off the soap. Really, that’s it.

Simple Home Water Conservation

Instead of having the water run for the entire duration of the shower (which is ultimately very wasteful – you’ll be no cleaner for it, believe it or not!), the shower is on for a mere two to three minutes.

Need more convincing? Amazingly, the average 10 minute shower requires 60 gallons of water. That’s 240 gallons of water for a family of four, just to shower once each day! A navy shower, however, can use as little as 3 gallons! To make the argument even more convincing, this resourceful individual did the math to calculate how much money that simple change would save you.

Combined with a low flow showerhead, you’ll be on your way towards greater water conservation at home!

Image credit: flickr via Squiggle

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Jes MaHarry has been a creator of sustainable, hand-crafted jewelry collections and a leader of mix-media design for more than two decades. Collectors and customers alike are drawn to Jes’ signature style of “finding perfection in what is imperfect” and combining unlikely pairs of raw and refined resources to make one-of-a-kind pieces.

Jes and her team of local artisans use only environmentally and people-friendly materials like reclaimed and recycled metals, conflict-free stones and non-treated gems, beads, feathers, shells, etc. in their collections. Her newest design is limited edition leather cuffs made from recycled horse harnesses and totemic charms.

Every handmade piece is created as an extension of Jes’ heart, and many are chosen as part of the Jewels of Kindness program which helps to bring goodwill to charities ranging from animal to human rights to environmental issues. Charity and special event organizers are welcomed to contact Jes’ studio for potential fundraising opportunities.

Jes MaHarry

“With all the goodness that fills my life, I am always looking for ways to give back and create uplifting change,” Jes noted on her website. She added, “After all, what is the point of this life without exchange, without being able reach out to each other in a time of need?”

The latest expansion of Jes’ clothing, fragrances, body oils and accessories lines have given her more avenues to be more eco-friendly and socially responsible. Her locally hand-sewn clothing is produced from 100% organic fabrics and dyed using low impact natural pigments. Her line of oils and fragrances are mostly derived from wild or organic plants, and the accessories are adorned with recycled and reclaimed glass, cardboard and solid pine.

You can create your own collection of Jes MaHarry’s handmade, eco-friendly creations by visiting her website and social media pages, finding her jewelry in the Sundance Catalog, and/or in boutiques near you.

Images courtesy of Jes MaHarry

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