Nothing lasts forever, but hybrid batteries continue their charge.

 Serkan Toto writes:

The redesigned Prius will come equipped with solar panels on the roof, partly powering the air-conditioning system, which needs up to 5kw. According to the Nikkei, Toyota will procure the PV panels from Kyocera.

Visit Crunch Gear to read more.

Bombay Sea Circles

The artists of these delightful pieces say:

“The most exhausting part of our process is in the collection, washing, and preperation of the bottles before the creative part even can be considered. It would be MUCH EASIER to purchase art glass ready to go…however, it is our passion to create beautiful items of both form and function from the glass otherwise destined for landfill or waste.”

And we are lucky enough to be 1 of the 4 retailers allowed to carry their Bombay Circle earrings!

The neck of a Bombay Sapphire Gin bottle was cut into rings, then tumbled in Gulf waters and coarse beach sand gathered from Captiva Island to remove the sharp ”drunken” edges and etch the surface. Finally suspended on Sterling Silver with  Fresh Water Pearls.
Lovely!
These wonderful stretchy rings are great for stocking stuffers!  Wear one, two or as many as you like to create your own style. 

Crystal Sea Circles

Made from gulf water seaglass, sterling silver beads and  Swarkovski crystal rondelles…One size fits most!

I know someone who has been helping a friend of his convert his truck to hydrogen fuel & he said it is suprisingly inexpensive to do…if that’s the case and people are doing this in their garages, then why the heck do we not already have hydrogen powered cars?  Certainly makes me go hmmm…

ScienceDaily (May 26, 2008 ) — Since the 1962 publication of Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, awareness of how environmental toxicants can impact fertility has increased.

In a new article, Steinberg and colleagues provide evidence that adverse reproductive effects of toxicants may extend not only to the children of exposed individuals, but also to the next generation.

They treated pregnant rats with a mixture of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and found that reproductive markers were disrupted not only in the female offspring of these rats, but also in the “grand offspring,” which are derived from oocytes present in fetuses of the treated females.

Changes in the second generation included blunting of preovulatory LH release, reduced progesterone concentrations and reduced uterine weights.

The use of low doses of PCBs in this study increases the potential relevance of these findings to reproductive health.

Hmmm again…makes me wonder if this is why there is such a huge increase in autism even amongst non vac kids…

1. Rebecca M. Steinberg, Deena M. Walker, Thomas E. Juenger, Michael J. Woller, and Andrea C. Gore. Effects of Perinatal Polychlorinated Biphenyls on Adult Female Rat Reproduction: Development, Reproductive Physiology, and Second Generational Effects. Biology of Reproduction. 2008; 78:1091-1101. Published online in BOR-Papers In Press 27 February 2008; DOI 10.1095/biolreprod.107.067249

NEW YORK, New York, May 14, 2008 (ENS) - It may have been cold and wet where you lived this winter, but on a global scale, the warming climate is changing life on Earth, finds a new analysis of decades of scientific information not previously assembled. The data show that physical and biological systems across the Earth are being affected by higher temperatures resulting from human activities.

“Humans are influencing climate through increasing greenhouse gas emissions, and the warming world is causing impacts on physical and biological systems attributable at the global scale,” said lead author Cynthia Rosenzweig, a scientist at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and the Columbia Center for Climate Systems Research.

Both research centers are affiliates of The Earth Institute at Columbia University in New York.

Rosenzweig and researchers from 10 other institutions around the world analyzed data from published papers on 829 physical systems and some 28,800 plant and animal systems, back to 1970.

Their analysis of revealed a picture of changes on continental scales, while previous studies had looked mainly at single phenomena, or at smaller areas.

Scientists are recording earlier leafing of trees and plants over many regions; movements of species to higher latitudes and altitudes in the northern hemisphere; changes in long distance bird migrations in Europe, North America and Australia.

In physical systems, 95 percent of observed changes are consistent with warming trends.

These include wastage of glaciers on all continents; melting permafrost; earlier spring river runoff; and warming of water bodies.

Among living creatures inhabiting such systems, 90 percent of changes are consistent with warming, the researchers found.

In the oceans, they are observing the shifting of the plankton and fish from cold-adapted to warm-adapted communities.

“It was a real challenge to separate the influence of human-caused temperature increases from natural climate variations or other confounding factors, such as land-use changes or pollution,” said coauthor David Karoly, a climate scientist at the University of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia.

“This was possible only through the combined efforts of our multi-disciplinary team, which examined observed changes in many different systems around the globe, as well as global climate model simulations of temperature changes,” he said.

The researchers say it is unlikely that any force except human-influenced climate change could be driving all this; factors like deforestation or natural climate variations could not explain it.

Their work builds upon the consensus of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which in 2007 declared climate warming caused by human activities “likely” to affect biological and physical systems. This report was approved by consensus of 113 countries, including the United States, after a line-byline review.

The data showing the patterns of change are strongest in North America, Asia and Europe - mainly because far more studies have been done there, said Rosenzweig.

On the other continents, including South America, Australia and Africa, documentation of changes in physical and biological systems is sparse, even though there is good evidence there of human-influenced warming itself.

The authors say that there is an urgent need to study these environmental systems, especially in tropical and subtropical areas.

The study, “Attributing physical and biological impacts to anthropogenic climate change,” appears in the May 15 issue of the scientific journal “Nature.”

As Mothers Day approaches, let’s not forget the mother that provides for us all…

Enjoy!

Spring is here & the growing season is upon us.

Now is the time to support your local economy, save money & make an impact on the environment.

This article from On Earth Magazine on Feb 26 reminds us of the importance & helps us find the freshest local produce in our areas.

“Pop over to your nearest chain grocer and you’ll find the world at your fingertips, from Australian oranges to authentic Thai rice. And though offering your houseguests Chilean grapes may sound splendid, by now many of us know that it comes with a hefty price tag: those juicy orbs contributed to the 7,000 tons of global warming pollution emitted each year in the transport of Chilean grapes. NRDC’s new Web feature, Eating Local , tells you which fruits and veggies are in season in your state and then connects you to the location of your nearest farmers’ market. Visit http://www.nrdc.org/health/foodmiles .”

To celebrate earth day anyone reading this blog can save $5 off any purchase of $25 or more at SweetOrganicsandNaturals.com

with the coupon code: earth08

In addition 5% of your purchase will be helping local animal welfare agencies!

Feel free to share this coupon code with anyone you like!

Offer good through May 1, 2008

Here are 10 easy ways to make it a better Earth Day (April 22) and a better year for the Earth:

1. Turn it off. Switch off lights and appliances that aren’t in use. Shut off the faucet while you shave or brush your teeth.
2. Turn it up (or down). Raise the temperature on your thermostat during the summer months to keep the house a bit warmer, and lower it during the winter months to keep the house a bit cooler. Dress accordingly.
3. Turn it over. Use both sides of paper. The back side of paper can be used to print drafts or jot notes. When you print and copy new documents, choose double-sided printing.
4. Turn it down. When you shop, carry your own tote bags and say “no thanks” to paper or plastic store bags.
5. Turn it in. Do some spring cleaning and give away clothing, house wares, small appliances, toys, and games that you no longer need.
6. Turn it around. Use and reuse what you already have. Extend the life of what you own with proper maintenance. Follow instructions for recharging batteries to keep them in tip-top shape.
7. Turn it away. Reduce your waste at the source—don’t buy what you don’t really need. For example, take a look at last year’s spring and summer clothes before you start shopping this year.
8. Turn it back…into something else. Recycle! Your old containers and paper products become brand-new stuff—from containers and paper to furniture and insulation.
9. Turn it under. Compost your yard and garden waste, as well as your fruit and vegetable scraps, to create a nutrient-rich soil amendment.
10. Turn it on. When you are excited about taking care of our Earth, you’ll get others excited, too. So turn on your charm and tell your story!