Mindzle

Archive for the ‘Guest’ Category

Welcome back, if you haven't already, you might want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Everyone has heard of a drive-through, you know those nasty fast food restaurants, that pass food to you through a window. Well St Lucia has something a little more exciting in store for any of its visitors.

Something that may be quite important to note at the moment is that St Lucia receives about 300,000 visitors each year, which is quite a modest amount. However about 70% of these do not know there is a Volcano on this island! Now you would think that this is quite a distinctive factor to consider when planning your holiday. Apparently though it appears that at least this many people have no idea that the Volcano (Pitons – two Volcanic Plugs) even exists.

The Volcano itself is a true marvel to behold because it is one of the most unique in the world. Simply you can take your car through it. Not like any other Volcano, the Sulphur Springs Volcano is classed as an “Inactive” Volcano which means that it has already had its final major eruption before it caved in on itself. People can drive through these springs and see the bubbling mud pits and the sulphur rising from cracks in the ground.

Sulphur Springs (Courtesy of Wikipedia).

The majority of people visit St Lucia for the spa holiday opportunities, and would probably dismiss the idea of visiting a Volcano. However people should be taking advantage of this glorious feature and take a short trip to visit these springs. There are around 2000 known volcanoes in the world, and this is the only Drive-in one, surely it is worth a visit!

Bio:

Marcus Travels all over the world, working with tour Operators dedicated to both Maldives holidays and Caribbean holidays, reporting on what he finds is a great passion of his.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Dante’s St. Lucia DLC Brings Online Co-Op, Player-Created Content (kotaku.com)

To say that the staging the Winter Olympics is a monumental task is a lot like saying the Pacific Ocean is a pretty big body of water. The 2010 Olympic games in Vancouver/Whistler required massive building and renovating of new and existing structures and infrastructure. Along with all of these colossal undertakings, there was also the need to find ways of moving large crowds and staff safely and efficiently from one venue to the next without leaving a King Kong-sized carbon footprint. Here are the top five of the many green initiatives employed by the organizers and sponsors of the games.

5. Have A Coke And A Smile

Coca-Cola set up a waste diversion program to ensure that 95% of waste generated during the games wound up in recycling plants and not landfills. Bottles, shrink wrap and cardboard trays will be recycled and reused, sparing the city a huge influx of excess waste courtesy of the thousands of tourists flocking to the city to cheer on their athletes.

4. Generator Nix

A large number of diesel generators were usually kept on hand during past Olympic games sites in case of emergency. As it was imperative that the generators be ready to be put into place at a moment’s notice, they were usually kept idling until needed, polluting the air and burning fuel. The solution to this problem came courtesy of BC Hydro and two underground power lines, one of which served as a back up in case of a power loss in the main trunk. With a switching system, power could be diverted from one trunk to the next almost instantly.

3. On The Road

Even before the games officially got under way, steps were taken to reduce the carbon footprint of the torch relay across Canada and the rest of the world. Through use of recycled materials and making smart, green transportation choices in moving staff and volunteers from one spot to the next, this green approach produced an energy efficient relay that was good for the planet. Also energy efficient skytrain systems were expanded along with hybrid taxis brought into service to help shuttle people about.

2. Village, People

The Olympic Village, called Millennium Water, is a shining example of sustainability. Half of the buildings have green roofs which cut down on the cost of heating and cooling the 200 units in each of the buildings spread over 9 blocks. Also the US Green Building Council is expected to give the Olympic Village a LEED gold certificate for the green initiatives utilized in the facilities.

1. Used Medals?

Were you aware that the Olympic medals are made from recycled end-of-life electronics? And by making the medals some of the heaviest ever distributed at the games, more recycled material was kept out of landfills and instead was transformed into one of a kind works of art. Each medal is unique but the sustaining initiatives employed to create them hopefully aren’t.

Andrew Salmon is a freelance writer. He writes on a variety of financial topics such as universal life insurance policies.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Vancouver using recycled metals for medals (guardian.co.uk)
• Coca-Cola Canada Opens Happiness at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games (newswire.ca)
• Winter Olympic medals: Gold, silver bronze and green (businessgreen.com)
• Winter Olympic Medals Made From Recycled E-Waste (huffingtonpost.com)

Natural Cleaning Techniques: “But…how did they do it 100 years ago?”

This is a common question that I ask myself and my fellow community members here at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage, a striving-to-be-sustainable community. How did they do this or that before electricity? Before mass production? Before everything came in plastic? More often than not we adopt the old way of doing things here: canning or root cellaring our food for preservation, heating our homes with wood, and making butter with a hand cranked, turn-of-the-century churn.

When it comes to cleaning, there are certainly many old fashioned ways of cleaning that one could easily choose to use. From baking soda to lemon juice, there may be simple ways to save yourself from adding too many products to your life. I know at least a few folks who believe that you can clean just about anything with white vinegar and newspaper or an old rag. And while we do employ a number of very simple cleaning techniques here at Dancing Rabbit, even we are not free of mass-produced cleaning products… but we stick to those that meet our standards for sustainability.

That’s why you’ll find a number of Seventh Generation products under our sinks. We’ve been known to use their various spray bottle bathroom cleaners and those squirty-topped dish soaps, because we know this company shares our vision of living more lightly on the Earth. Having replaced toilets with a simple humanure system, we don’t need to use any of their toilet cleaning products (though we do still use Seventh Generation toilet paper).

You will also find a number of citrus-based cleaners used for anything from mopping the floor to washing our clothes. Citric acid can, in almost all cases, be used in the same way as bleach. Mixed with salt, citrus becomes especially powerful. And just think of how much more pleasant the smell of lemon is compared to the smell of bleach!

Personally, I have, at one time or another used Dr Bronner’s Magic Soaps for just about everything. From its inception, Dr. Bronner’s has listed “eighteen-in-one” potential uses for their product on the bottle, and it can really be used for every one of them. Along with body wash and hand soap, Dr Bronner’s also makes great laundry soap, and is even safe to use on your pets!

I have no doubt that some people look at our way of life, and think that we’re trying to return to the 19^th century. With some specific practices, they’re right! But we don’t reject progress… we just want to see it achieved sustainably. These natural cleaning products allow us to enjoy a bit of convenience, while still maintaining our values.

Best of luck combining simplicity, sustainability, and practicality, and happy cleaning!

Mary Beth Bishop is a resident of Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage in Northeastern Missouri, and a freelance writers currently under contract with long-running green blog sustainablog, which now features an eco-friendly shopping portal that carries a full range of cleaning brands, including Dr. Bronner’s.

Related articles by Zemanta

• 5 Green Ideas For Naturally Clean Kitchen (bargaineering.com)

There has long been a conflict between living a sustainable and environmentally friendly lifestyle, and still indulging in life’s luxuries. We don’t want to pollute the atmosphere with CO2, but still want to take our holidays to Barbados every year and keep our houses warm and cozy in the winter. We don’t want to fill up landfill sites, but can’t resist those luxury biscuits that come in a tin and five layers of packaging inside. We don’t like to waste water, but a hot bath at the end of a long day just feels too good.

Thankfully we are starting to realize that we don’t have to give up on all of life’s luxuries in order to save the earth, and improvements in technology and innovation have allowed us to do more than ever whilst keeping a clear conscience. One such luxury that has not always been so ‘green’ is spa days. These intensive pampering sessions have received a lot of criticism over the years for their harmful impact on the environment, but now you can go on spa days that are a little kinder to mother nature. Here are 3 ways that health spas are going green:

Green Products.

Whilst the skin care and beauty products used by health spas are often very good, they are not always good to the earth. Synthetic ingredients, harmful bi-products and animal testing are just a few of the ways products can be harmful, but thankfully there are good alternatives these days. Producers of all-natural skin care and beauty products have upped their game recently, and largely due to increased public demand, there is a far greater range and level of quality for health spa products.

Green Energy.

Most health spas often encompass a scary number of energy-consuming devises and environments. Saunas, Jacuzzis, swimming pools, steam rooms etc, they are burning large amounts of fuel and don’t do any good for the planet’s CO2 levels. More health spas though are now waking up to green energy, both creating it from renewable sources and improving the efficiency of its use. Here are some examples of how health spas are reducing energy usage/loss:

• Solar panels on roofs

• Recycling of hot air from pools, steam rooms etc

• Better insulation in spa areas

• Movement sensor switches on lights

Green Waste.

Health spas are notorious for producing large amounts of waste. Water is wasted at an incredible rate via ‘back-washing’ the pools to remove sentiment and also via constant laundry washing. Much of this waste water can actually be reused if put through the proper filters and many spas can make their money back within a couple of years by saving on water costs. The other big wastage is the packaging and containers that beauty products and are delivered in. Some spas are recycling these by handing them back to the suppliers after each delivery and asking them to be reused, saving both money and unnecessary landfill.

So with all these green initiates that many health spas are signing up to, you can still enjoy your massage, without feeling guilty about your impact on the planet.

Duncan is a green enthusiast and a blogger for a London health spa who are doing their bit for the environment.

Related articles by Zemanta

• A Winning Combination: Renewable Energy & Healthy Green Living (eon.businesswire.com)

Like some men, I am notoriously late on finding gifts for my friends, family and my wife. I really hate shopping, but that isn’t why it gets put off to the last minute. It has more to do with not noticing the days slip away. Running around, getting “work” done gets in the way, not that I mind.

We don’t watch TV, not in the sense that most people do. We simply do not have any television service, and chose not to get any wen we moved out here in the boonies. We watch movies and occasionally a show from our Netflix subscription.

I love Netflix, it puts entertainment on my schedule not that of the TV networks and advertisers. It also means I don’t see commercials anymore. Consequently we watch very few hours of TV a week, and sometimes none at all.

This has given me time to work on things like our yard, garden, chicken coup and fun projects like painting and drawing. This time also gives me plenty of time to read.

I read quite a bit. In fact it is hard to have enough books around to not run out or end up re-reading the same books over and over again.

In our little corner of the world we lack a local library. What we need is a Netflix for books. Well I just came across this fantastic service, Book Swim the Netflix for Books. I am going to get several gift cards for avid readers in my social circle, and sign up for my own account today.

Happy Holidays everyone and I hope 2010 s a better year for everyone!

If you have been following along with my coverage of the “Everything Green Expo” here in Portland Oregon then you know my excitement about many of the products, services and ideas I learned of while there. This post is another in that vein. I expected to see new products from new companies and hopeful entrepreneurs. I was genuinely surprised to see the number of old established companies in attendance. In part 2 I talked of a local skylight company (Skylights NW) that now installs Solar Water Heaters. In this post one of the largest manufacturers on Earth shows there new Green wares!

The Portland Rebuilding Center

As promised here are a few of my favorite products and services I met at the Everything Green Expo:

1) EcoStone -Eco-Friendly pavers made from reclaimed granite.

Ecostone Booth at the Everything Green Expo

EcoStone is a Portland based company that manufactures tile, landscaping pavers and interior/exterior stone from reclaimed granite and other natural stone. A typical kitchen granite counter install results in a 30% waste of material, most of which ends up in landfills. EcoStone collects this “waste” material from several stone fabricators in the Portland area and uses a patented hydralic press to tranform it into solid granite tile and pavers of various shapes and sizes. Any resulting waste is crushed into gravel and used as aggregate with zero net waste ending up in ladnfills. Thier goal is to keep 1,000,000 pounds of waste out of Oregon landfill each year. I hope they exceed this goal. In fact we will be installing an EcoStone patio to replace our existing ground level deck that is in it’s last years of useability. I will definately be posting more about this product, and the installation of our patio in the near future. Check out http://www.ecostonenw.com for more information.

The Solar Oregon Booth at the Expo

2) Solar Oregon – Good Energy for Oregonians, is there slogan. My first question to them was: Is Oregon sunny enough for solar?The answer a resounding YES! Even portland and the rainy Willamette Valley recieve as much sunshine as the average US city. In fact, solar is Oregon’s most abundant renewable resource. Today, more than 17,000 Oregon households use solar energy systems to generate electricity or heat water. Suprisingly half the power we use in Oregon is generated by power plants that contribute to climate change and pollution. the sun is a clean, renewable source of energy that can help us reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Okay, great we can do solar in Oregon, but what does Solar Oregon do? They make it easy for homeowners to install solar energy systems. They are a nonprofit organization that offers free workshops, expert advice, cash incentives from the Energy Trust, State of Oregon Tax Credits, information about Federal Tax Credits, referrals to qualified contractors and access to affordable financing. To learn more or attend a free workshop go to http://www.solarnoworegon.org Their Solar Now! campaign connects Oregonians with the resources and assistance they need to choose solar energy.

3) McGee Salvage- Purveyors of quality reclaimed hardwood floors. Their business is reclaiming hardwood flooring from gymnasiums, homes, hotels, churches, dance halls, etc. around the Pacific Northwest. They then sell the reclaimed materials to customers who are interested in hardwood flooring that is unique in character, antique out-of-production, and green eco-friendly. You can visit them online at http://www.mcgeesalvage.com

The Master Shield demo at the Everything Green Expo

4) Master Shield – Gutter protection that actually works. the single largest problem with gutters on my own home is pine needles. They clog the downspouts, fill the gutters, and always seem to somehow overcome any device designed to stop them. But, believe me this system actually works. We are having them installed on all our gutters. I will be writing about the install with plenty of photos.  They say it keeps ALL debris, including leaves, pine and fir needles, twigs, seedpods, oak tassels – you name it! And after seeing the product I believe it. They give an unconditional 100% money back warranty if it ever clogs. They say they have never had a gutter clog, anywhere, nationwide.

This makes the water in the gutters the cleanest of any gutter system, and eliminates all debris. Which brings about the real importance of this system, it makes rainwater cistern projects much simpler. And this is why we are so excited to install the system. Our hope is to soon be installing a gray-water system for the toilets and gardens using the rain water from the 8000 gallon cistern.

You can learn more about Master Shield and find a local contractor to install the system at their website http://www.mastershield.com

5) Skylights NW- Adding light to your life. Skylights are less than exciting. Though, we will be adding a few to our home to allow more natural light. What is exciting is this 65 year old, established company is now selling and installing Velux Solar water heating systems. On average, installing a solar water heater, your water heating bills should drop 50%-80%. Also, because the sun is free, you’re protected from future fuel shortages and price hikes. On average it takes 3-7 years to payback the system in most areas.

We have not yet chosen a solar hot water system or contractor, but this Velux system is one of the more interesting ones. You can find more information at: http://www.veluxusa.com/solar

In the next part of this series I will be talking of several photovoltaic systems, and  more from the Everything Green Expo.

In this time of high cost electric energy, having your own homemade solar power can be beneficial especially, because solar power is cost free and abundant in supply. Read on, because we will discuss several advantages and disadvantages of solar power and later on we will tell how you can make your own homemade solar power for a price less than $500.

1. Advantages Of Solar Power

- What I like about solar power is that it is a renewable source of energy, no matter how much you use it. You will always find plenty of it as long as the sun is up. So you can use it over and over again without need to worry it will diminish.

- It doesn´t produce pollution, unlike any other sources of energy that pollute our environment incurring global warming to our world.

- Low maintenance cost. Homemade solar power equipment needs a very low maintenance cost and can last for a lifetime. Unlike any other generators you might just need to check it once a year and it would be perfectly fine.

2. Disadvantages Of Homemade Solar Power

- Unfortunately, solar power cannot be generated without sunlight; some areas have such a bad weather until they have only sunlight few times during the year.

- Ready made solar panel systems are still too expensive since they are not manufactured in large quantities and that could put people off.

How To Produce Your Own Solar Power

Buying homemade solar power is not cheap and can cost you thousands of dollars, however you can build your own solar power equipment for less than $500. You can find almost all the necessary equipments at your local electric store.

Some of the necessary equipments are small solar panel, deep cycle 12 volt battery, box for protection from children or animal, 12 volt DC meter and DC input.

Michael Harvey has written a guide on how to make your solar generator yourself that cost less than $200.

If you want to learn how to generate your own solar power yourself, check out Michael Harvey Earth4Energy guide. Check out my Earth4Energy review here.

Building your own electric car is the dream of most DIY enthusiasts. I will state unequivocally that this is my dream project. And I hope to document my process of converting a standard car to electric, right here on http://www.mindzle.com

One of the resources that will help me begin this process is the “How to Convert Your Car to Electric” manual created by Les and Jane, a couple who have managed to live 100% off the grid for a few years now.

The manual is definitely developed by and for people who are not mechanically inclined. Les and Jane had a huge advantage in this arena as they already had a very large bank of batteries for their home energy system. And without a doubt the number one need in building an electric car, other than the car, is batteries. They also teach you how to get used batteries cheap, and how to recondition the batteries to like new status. They also tell you how to get the electric motor cheap as well.

This manual really is a great resource if you’ve ever considered making an electric vehicle or converting you car to electric. It has gotten me going down the path myself. I am starting to collect the batteries now, and looking for a small “Sports car” to convert.