The concept of composting has been around for quite a long time in the forests. Leaves fall to the forest floor, decompose, and their nutrients will be absorbed back into the trees through the roots. Farmers and Gardeners have been taking advantage of the nutrient rich by product from this decomposition for thousands of years and you can too.
Composting is a great way to add nutrients to your garden or potting soil. Not only is it good for your garden and plants, it also is a good way for you to help reduce your overall garbage going to the dump. There are no hard and fast rules in what you should do your composting in. In fact you could do it in a pile in the yard, although it will probably not be well accepted by the rest of your family. While you can go out and buy a commercially sold unit that will do well for all your composting needs, I prefer to save a few bucks and build one myself.
The real hero’s in the world of composting are the fungi, bacteria, worms and other insects that will take your yard and kitchen waste and turn it into the black gold you want for your pots and garden. Now it is in your best interest to keep these guys in good conditions so they can digest the food you give them. Their basic requirements are just like you and I, they are food, water, and air. If you want to help these insects and microbes along, keep your compost in a nice cool corner of your yard.
To better understand these basic needs for your compost let’s start with the food. Essentially there are two types of food. There are the brown foods that include straw, autumn leaves, wood chips/sawdust, and dead plant material. These materials mainly consist of long chains of sugar molecules that the microbes digest and use as a source of energy. There are also the greens such as green grass and weeds, kitchen fruit and vegetables, coffee grounds, and tea bags. These materials have a lot more nitrogen in them than the browns. This nitrogen in your compost pile acts as a source of protein to all those microbes for them to feed off of as well.
The next part is the air. It is very important to get good airflow into your pile. The microbes you want to decompose your pile cannot do this without air. If there is no air supply then other microbes will move in. They will also do the job but they work a lot slower and tend to make the compost smell like rotten garbage. So unless you want your backyard to smell like the city dump you will have it “fluff” your pile. “Fluffing” your pile is easily done with a spade or a garden fork. You will have to completely break it apart and then pile it back together leaving it in a “Fluffy” condition.
Some “food” like grass clippings or wet leaves will sit heavy on the pile and not allow good air flow through that portion of the pile. You should mix this sort of ingredient into the pile to avoid a spot that won’t decompose very easily. Straw is a great ingredient to add to your compost because unlike grass they will not mat down into slimy layers and add to the airflow.
Water is the last important ingredient in your compost. This is where it gets a little tricky. You need to get the water just right to aid and not hinder the work of the microbes. Too wet and the pile gets too heavy and the airflow gets cut off to the middle of the pile. Too dry and the microbes will not be able to break down the waste as easily. Ideally you want to get every particle wet but not saturated. In wet climates you may need a lid or a tarp to avoid saturation.
Having a good mix of the greens and browns is a good thing for a few reasons. Not only does it supply all your little microbes with a good diet, but it also helps in airflow since the browns are dry and “light” and the greens are wet and “heavy”.

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Installing a wind generator can help you save substantial amounts of money on your electricity bills each month. If you are someone who wants one in your home, you can also consider building one on your own. Building a wind generator not only helps you save money on energy bills but also to contribute your might towards a clean environment.

Building a wind generator can seem a daunting task if proper planning is not involved. You will first of all need to have adequate knowledge about the various parts that make up the generator and how to put them together. Fortunately these days there are many detailed guides available over the internet that can help you gain knowledge about all these aspects.

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• Earth’s climate and climate change
• Experiments in a model atmosphere
• Global warming
• Ages 10+

Product Description
Conduct experiments with a model atmosphere to learn about Earth’s climate system, weather, and atmosphere. Explore the hydrological cycle. Conduct experiments to model wind and ocean currents. Learn how human activity influences the climate with experiments involving carbon dioxide and the greenhouse effect. Investigate the potential consequences of global warming on humans, ecosystems, and the world’s economies, and learn what we can do to protect the climate…. More >>

Thames & Kosmos Alternative Energy and Environmental Science Global Warming

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The wiring will connect the solar panels to the charge controller. Learn about wiring for solar panels from a professional in this free energy conservation video. Expert: Roger Bacon Bio: Roger Bacon is the owner of RGB Home Repair and Renovation in Santa Barbara California. He has experience in all phases of home repair and renovations such as plumbing, heating and solar power. Filmmaker: Diana Bacon

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Are there any back up techniques?

Wind Turbine systems are available in several designs according to the way they store surplus power generated. For example:

Grid Connected Off Grid Stand alone Hybrid System etc.

Incidentally the applications of each of the above types will depend on the;

Availability of the National Power Grid within an economically viable distance. Ability to sell back surplus power to the National Grid. Buy-back price of unit energy uploaded Whether a reasonable and consistent wind flow is available at the site through out. Availability of a stand-by battery bank of adequate capacity and maintenance of it.

Of these the Grid connected and Stand Alone systems possess the ability to provide continuous power supply to the end user. A hybrid system will possess the same capability subject to it works as a stand alone system.

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We all come home from the grocery store, our bags overflowing with the wide array of delicious foods we have bought, and then proceed to put a variety of  meats, fish, poultry, dairy products, fruits, vegetables and eggs away. But how long can we really store food in the refrigerator and still maintain the freshness we desire in order to maintain a healthy diet? Obviously a great deal depends on how fresh the food is when we purchase it, so always try to buy the freshest. Pay close attention to expiration dates, they are there for a reason! The refrigerator should maintain a temperature somewhere between 34 and 40 degrees F, anything above this will cause foods to spoil rapidly.

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• 1100 lumen. 10000 hours avg. life.
• Mini size fits most fixtures where 75W bulb would fit.
• Use 15W yield light equivalent to 75W!
• Lasts up to 9 years.
• Save $72 per bulb over their lifetime! ($0.12 KW/hr. rate)

Product Description
The small size of this bulb makes it ideal for use in a wide range of lighting fixtures that use standard incandescent bulbs.

Here are some of the features:

Energy Star Rated

Up to1100 Lumen light output (similar to standard 100W)

Uses only 15W electricity (but gives out light equal to a standard 75W bulb)

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Alternative Energy systematically approaches various alternative sources of energy, discussing in layperson’s terms the current state of public policy, energy technology and the political, economic, and social feasibility of the alternative energy paradigm. The goal is to help the less technically-minded become active participants in choosing the energy future for their community…. More >>

Alternative Energy: Political, Economic, and Social Feasibility

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Solar energy is available all around us, it helps control environmental pollution and the best thing is, it is free. Apart from that, most of us feel that installing solar panels to extract this valuable solar energy into our homes is difficult and troublesome. But little do we know that installing these solar energy solutions is surprisingly easy. Furthermore, installing these solar energy systems in our homes will help us cut down on our electric bills or even eliminate it altogether. Knowing that you are doing your part to save the earth for your children and the future generations will make you feel satisfied and delightful…

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Owen Bailey from the Sierra Club shows us how to compost biodegradeable waste for reuse as fertilizer for your yard or garden.

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