Category: Enviroment

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Cricket Virus

I read an interesting story today about a new cricket virus that has killed millions of crickets that are raised and used for pet shop animals. The virus started in Europe and has finally reached the United States. It has caused some cricket growers to go out of business.

There are many cricket farms in the south and some are in real trouble. New sanitary measures must be taken to ensure the crickets are not exposed to the virus. This has been costly and time-consuming. The problem will be overcome but it has reminded us that food supplies of all types must be kept safe.

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Warm it up!!

I was reading an article today that was talking about how it was unnecessary to warm up your car before driving it. I guess I’m old- fashioned and I for one still believe that it’s good to warm up the car before driving it. I know I like to get into a warm car when it’s cold out.

I guess ill consider what the article is saying as many experts apparently believe that idling a car is wasteful. I don’t really know myself, but I believe I’ll continue the practice until the day that I die: or run out of gas!!

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No Snow

Since the winter weather is setting in, I was thinking that maybe I needed to get out of the area for awhile. It would be nice to take a break from the snow and go somewhere else. The only real problem I had was deciding where I wanted to go. I was talking with a friend at work and he mentioned that there were many resorts in Myrtle Beach that were very nice. I liked the idea and decided to check it out.

The first break I got, I went online and started looking around. I found a site called http://avistaresort.com. The site described all the great things about visiting that area and their proximity to the many golf courses that are there. I thought that it would really be nice to play some golf while I was there.

I guess my mind was pretty well made up that I would go on vacation soon. I just had to find the right Myrtle Beach hotel for me. I knew that wouldn’t be hard and I did it easily. I am looking forward to my vacation and to having a break. I know I will have a great time and that I will come back refreshed and ready to face the snow again.

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Godzilla

In the high seas of the remote Southern Ocean, there is a new force that will make a name for itself. The boat named Godzilla is 115 feet long and will help in the fight against Japanese whaling vessels. Sponsored by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, the boat is the latest entry into the war against whaling.

The boat and crew will enter dangerous waters. The Japanese plan to have armed members of their Coast Guard on their whaling ships. Godzilla will be used to help find the factory ship where the whales are processed. I wish the ship good fortune and hope it will help save the lives of many whales.

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New bulbs

One question that has been lingering for years is whether or not we can find a replacement for the standard 60 watt bulb. Finding a way to light our world more efficiently is a key to saving our environment while lowering power consumption.

One breakthrough seems to be the LED bulb. A new bulb produced by Osram Sylvania is due out in 2011. The bulb will be carried by Lowes stores around the country. The Led bulb is five times more efficient than the old bulbs. I hope these bulbs work as expected and we can use them to make our world a better place.

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Our earth

One thing I know for sure is that our earth provides everything we need to live. One thing that has always amazed me is the rain. It is important in so many ways to so many things. It provides water for every plant and creature no matter how big or small. The problem with rain is that you can’t always depend on it to come when you need it. That’s why it’s good to store water when it comes.

I first heard about the idea from a neighbor of mine. We were talking about our water bills and ways to reduce them. He was using rain water barrels to capture the rain water that fell. He would then use it to water his plants. The idea is called rain harvesting and it really works. It saves money in the long run and helps keep our earth green.

After our talk, I started looking into the possibility of getting some rain barrels for myself. I went on the internet and found there are many types of rain barrels for sale. I found some that would look nice at our house and got them immediately. Now I have extra water when the rain decides not to come. The whole thing has worked out great and I couldn’t be happier.

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Good news for the environment

The British government has stepped up to the plate and is working to help the world’s environment. They recently completed the largest offshore wind farm and it is operational. The site is in the North Sea about seven miles off the Southeast coast of England. The wind farm was constructed by a Swedish energy company.

The new site contains about one hundred turbines. They can produce about 5 gigawatts of electricity a year. That’s the equivalent of more than 200,000 homes. The savings to the environment are immeasurable. I think this is a great step for the British government and I hope they continue down this path.

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Emerald find

For many years, miners have known that North Carolina contains emeralds in the ground below it. Recently, a 65 carat emerald was found on a farm. The stone rivals the ones found in the crown jewels of the Russian empress Catherine the Great. The stone is being marketed as the Carolina Emperor.

The stone was found in the community of Hiddenite that has for many years been a producer of the stones. Most of the stones are not gem-quality, but sometimes excellent specimens have been found. Plans to sell the emerald are in the works and its owners hope to make a healthy profit. I say good for them!!

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Turtles in the Gulf

In the aftermath of the giant oil spill disaster, there appears to be some good news. Today, 22 oiled sea turtles were released back into the wild. On the coast of Cedar Key Florida, the turtles were given a second chance to survive. They were captured and cleaned before their return to their natural waters.

While the turtles seem to be doing well, there are still questions as to their long term health. That will be a difficult question to answer as it is nearly impossible to monitor the turtles after their release. All we can do is hope they will be ok.

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Warming

In the news recently were the giant wildfires that tore through Russia destroying fields and homes. Some in Russia believe that the fires are the result of global warming. This opinion is held by the Russian weather advisor Alexander Bedritsky. He believes that this and other events around the world prove that the world’s weather is heating up.

The recent fires in Russia have caused the government to take a new look at the climate change issue. I hope that Russia as well as the many developing nations will review their policies on greenhouse gases and come to a new agreement to fix the problem.