The concept of organic vegetable farming is not new given that ancient civilizations have been doing it for years. We somehow forgot that thinking that modern science could help us produce better crops.

But if we go back to the basics, we realize that the resources need to make this work is right before our eyes.

First is the soil. Although 2/3 of the Earth is made up of water, the remainder is what we use for infrastructure while a certain percentage of that is devoted to agriculture.

The second thing you need is water. The ancients used an efficient irrigation system so that water from the rivers would go to the land they planted on. These days, we have the technology to divert water to these areas using pipes. When it has not rained for a long time, we are able to make artificial rain.

Third is sunlight. We may not control its movement but if we are able to plant our crops in an area that has sufficient exposure to the sun, whatever we plant will grow.

But between the period of putting the seeds in the ground and before these are harvested, farmers have to be on their guard. The crops are threatened by insects. This is why people are advised to use other insects, birds and toads.

Organically made fertilizers also come to play here and some examples of them include the application of compost, manure and cover cropping.

The soil where the vegetables were grown and harvested may not be ready to plant the same crops so maintain its fertility, farmers are also encouraged to rotate their crops.

To make sure that farmers who practice organic vegetable gardening are doing it right, the Department of Agriculture together with the International Federation of Organic Agriculture or IFOAM that has been in operation since 1972 sees to it that certain standards are in place.

Some people will argue that organic farming is not able to produce the same amount of yields as compared to those who use fertilizers and pesticides. This is true however, in times of drought, these crops are still able to survive because there is still enough water underground. This means farmers will still be able to harvest and there is a steady supply of goods in the market.

It is expected that the demand for organic vegetables will grow in the future. This is as more people become of food safety issues and how this affects the environment.

You can do your share by trying organic vegetable gardening in your backyard. The things you need are very affordable. You just need to practice what farmers do in the fields.

In fact, such information can now be found in books and online so do some research and put this into practice. It is fun and rewarding to see that what you worked on for weeks is now being served on your dinner table.

Back then, you have to remember that there were only a few skilled jobs and one of them was being a farmer.

Have you made the leap to this source of healthy food yet or do you still have a lot of pesticides on your garden shelf? Let’s take a look at how you can transform your regular garden into a delight of organic vegetables. It doesn’t take much and you won’t have as many problems with insects or poor soil as you thought.

Organic gardens are different from regular gardens in the way that the plants are fertilized and in the way that pests are controlled in the garden. True professionals use only natural products and materials and shy away from any synthetic materials that could be harmful to the environment or to those who consume the produce.

Just like conventional gardens, and perhaps a bit more so, organic gardens take a great deal of work. You may need to plan for a few healthy meals when the vegetable or fruit is in season and leave it at that. On the other hand, an organic farmer may decide to can their vegetables or otherwise store them for when they are longer in season. Clearly, a bigger garden is in store in that situation. Make sure your garden has a steady water supply and that the soil drains well into the ground.

Remember that organic fertilizers and conditioners work more slowly than the synthetic variety so mix up the soil with your fertilizer at least three weeks before you actually plant. Make sure you remove any organic materials that haven’t rotted yet and any weeds or unwanted plants. Fertilizers usually mean using animal manures, plant manures, compost or a mixture of different types of organic fertilizers. Some parts of the world rely on human waste but,
generally, that’s not recommended.

Your organic fertilizer will remove the hardness of the soil and improve its overall condition. The soil will be able to hold both water and nutrients much better after fertilizing it. In addition, organic fertilizer buffers the soil so it is more stable to extremes of acidity or alkalinity. In many cases, the microbiology of the soil improves and the added nutrients will gradually release themselves as the plants grow.

Organic plant fertilizer will add healthy nitrogen to the soil in a process called “nitrification”. Nitrogen is a necessary nutrient for the growth of most gardens—even conventional ones. Compost piles help organic gardens by improving the usable nitrogen component of the soil.

Animal manures make for the best type of fertilizer for the average organic garden. It needs to have been aged for at least 30 days to make the nitrogen more usable. The manure varies depending on the type of the animal, the way the animal was fed and even the condition of the animal. After letting the soil rest with the animal manure, you’re ready to plant and grow the healthiest garden possible.

We take in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide (CO2) and emissions from factories, cars, and mining operations are but a few of the sources of CO2.

The CO2 gases get trapped in the earth’s atmosphere, causing unhealthy air that simply has no where to go. The effect that each of us has on the environment is called our Carbon Footprint.

Many factors contribute to our individual carbon footprint, including where we live, the size of our home, how old our appliances are, what we drive and how much air travel we do.

While there is no way to eliminate our carbon footprint to slow climate change; there are things we can do to reduce the size of our “shoe”.

In order to reduce our carbon footprint, we must first know what size we are. There are carbon calculators online (www.carboncounter.org) that are simple to use and will quickly show you how much your carbon burden is.

By knowing what our personal impact is, we can then work on reducing it. There are many organizations that continually endeavor to offset and mitigate the damages by CO2 emissions, including wind power, reforestation projects and solar power projects, including Conservation International, Nature.org and Carbon Counter.org

Working together to individually reduce our personal carbon footprint can only be good for our planet, our future and the future of generations to come.

Sea Foam Motor Treatment has been around since 1942, and was originally developed to remove varnish in carburetors in outboard engines. So the product has been around virtually forever, and is now used as a fuel injector cleaner, carburetor cleaner and all-around cleaner for anything touched by gasoline or diesel fuel. It’s also claimed to be a fuel stabilizer, an engine top lube, dry gas and de-icer. The manufacturer claims that it “cures hesitations, pinging and rough idle”. It carries a money-back guarantee, so what’s to lose?

As a fuel additive, Sea Foam motor treatment can help improve your engine’s performance and help you have a vehicle that runs cleaner and performs better than if you had never added it. Basically, all you have to do is add it directly into your gas tan and then let it do its magic.

There are all sorts of fuel additives on the market, but research has shown that Sea Foam fuel additives have far-reaching benefits. You need a clean carburetor to run your engine efficiently. Using the Sea Foam fuel additive will help with that.

Gasoline gunks up an engine. That’s why using a fuel additive such as Sea Foam fuel additive can significantly improve the performance of your engine. It cleans the parts of your engine that get all “gunked” up and makes them operate the way they were meant to be.

Plus, Sea Foam fuel additive is environmentally friendly. Even though you are using a gasoline burning engine that emits toxic substances into the environment, when you use Sea Foam fuel additives, you are reducing the amount of toxins that are being burned and released into the air. It’s an all-natural product that will make your car run better and harm the environment less. Isn’t that what we all want? I know it’s what I want!

You can find Sea Foam fuel additive in many places. Try your local automotive store first. If you are met with frustration, then you should look online. There are all sorts of places that sell Sea Foam fuel additives through mail order, and it’s easy to do! Then just pour that sweet liquid into your gas tank and know that you are doing your part to make our world a better place!

The earth is the perfect distance from the sun, allowing temperatures optimal for habitation of millions of specials of animals and plants, and it keeps the planet’s vast oceans at a temperature where the many species of fish survive.

In short, the planet Earth supports every species in the food chain, from the bottom to the top.

If the planet were to cool permanently, even a few degrees, there would be vast problems created. For instance, what if snow came earlier and stayed later in the Midwest; production of the grains grown there would decrease sharply, creating not only a grain shortage, but a meat shortage as well.

More importantly, what would happen if the earth were to heat up several degrees permanently? The ocean water temperature would no longer support plankton, which support fish, which support birds, and so on up the food chain.

The weather would greatly change; as the atmosphere heats, rivers and oceans evaporate. The levels of carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere would increase, making the quality of our air, the air that you and I breathe everyday, unsafe.

Every degree that our atmosphere changes is harmful to the life cycle of all humankind in some way. Think Globally!

Several recent studies on farms which produce organic foods determined that organic farms don’t release synthetic pesticides into the ground, the air and, most importantly, the water table. Some of the inorganic, chemical pesticides are known to be harmful to wildlife and other animals. Organic farms also are superior to conventional farms when it comes to maintaining surrounding natural ecosystems. This includes, maintaining healthy populations of natural plants, insects and indigenous animals. They also rotate crops more often to maintain a healthy soil.

When researchers calculated the energy use per unit area or per unit of yield of organic food-producing farms, it was found that organic farms used less energy and generated less packaging and chemical waste than conventional produce farms. The yield in organic produce farms is about 20 percent less when those farms used half the fertilizer and 97 percent less pesticide than conventional farming. Others feel that organically-used soil is of a higher quality and maintains higher water retention than farms that raise produce conventionally. This factor may improve the yield of organic farms during years when rainfall is less than average.

In one study on organic farming techniques, a comparison of an organic farm and a conventional farm during a drought season, the yields of soybeans were between 50 and 90 percent better than the regular farms. Organic corn yields were mixed but, on average, the farms were on par with conventional farms.

Consider the risk of pesticide exposure on farm workers. Farm workers on organic farms are spared the health risks of being exposed to pesticides, which are great, even when used correctly. Pesticides made from organophosphates, in particular, can cause serious acute health problems with over-exposure. Long term exposure, unfortunately, is associated with breathing problems, memory problems, skin conditions, cancer, miscarriages and birth defects.

To make matters worse, those who eat food not grown in an organic fashion can be exposed to both pesticides and herbicides that remain on the food. This is why all produce from conventional farms should be washed carefully. Exposure to certain herbicides is known to cause birth defects, even in small doses. Sadly, one recent study showed that the greatest source of pesticides in babies is through the dietary consumption of food not grown in an organic fashion.

On a happier note, another study found that a group of children who were switched from a regular diet to an organic diet dramatically reduced their levels or organophosphate pesticide exposure. In addition, studies have shown that organic food actually tastes better in taste tests than conventional food.

If you want to keep your family as healthy as possible, consider making the switch to organic foods. The benefits to the environment and likely to your family’s health are considerable.

To begin with, alternative fuel is cleaner burning than gasoline which is good for the environment – definitely a pro rather than a con. As we are confronted with many environmental problems these days such as global warming, many people feel we really need to take a moment and realize that it’s up to us to help stop these problems. When you use an alternative fuel in your car instead of gasoline, you are helping to stop the release of counter-productive elements into the air.

Many alternative fuel vehicles also get better fuel mileage which is another pro over con in the use of alternative fuels. Especially in hybrid vehicles, miles per gallon can be increased by more than 20 percent over a period of time! That can make a world of difference to many drivers.

There are many tax incentives that can be found when you buy and use an alternative fuel vehicle. The government knows that there are pros and cons to the use of alternative fuel, so they want to make it as attractive as possible to the consumer to make the switch. Who doesn’t want to save money on their taxes? If you can get a tax break, it can greatly benefit you and you’ll be helping the Earth as well.

As for the cons of alternative fuels, while not as numerous as the pros, the problems can be a bit bigger in the general mind of the consumer. Alternative fuel vehicles are often more expensive than regular gasoline vehicles. Even though you can get a tax break for buying one of these vehicles, you can still expect to pay anywhere from 10 to 40 percent more retail price for an alternative fuel vehicle.

The availability of alternative fuels is another huge con to offset the pros. While many places now carry E85 fuel (85 percent ethanol, 15 percent gasoline), it may be difficult to find other alternative fuel types. Even the stations that do carry E85 aren’t as plentiful as many people would hope and they often find themselves driving out of their way just to “gas” up their cars.

The pros and cons of using alternative fuels can forever be debated. What side you’re on depends on your commitment to our environment and what you can do to stop some of the deadly effects of the gases we release from our vehicles.

A fuel cell is an electrochemical energy conversion device. A fuel cell converts the chemicals hydrogen and oxygen into water, and in the process it produces electricity. The other electrochemical device that we are all familiar with is the battery. A battery has all of its chemicals stored inside, and it converts those chemicals into electricity too. This means that a battery eventually “goes dead” and you either throw it away or recharge it.

With a fuel cell, chemicals constantly flow into the cell so it never goes dead — as long as there is a flow of chemicals into the cell, the electricity flows out of the cell. Most fuel cells in use today use hydrogen and oxygen as the chemicals. The biggest advantage to a hydrogen fuel cell is that the only thing it emits when used as a fuel is water vapor.

You cannot ask the question “What is a hydrogen fuel cell?” without considering the types of fuel cells that have been produced. The main type of hydrogen fuel cell is the polymer exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). This is the fuel cell that the Department of Energy is focusing on as the next big thing because it is the most likely candidate for transportation applications.

The PEMFC has a high power density and a relatively low operating temperature (ranging from 60 to 80 degrees Celsius, or 140 to 176 degrees Fahrenheit). The low operating temperature means that it doesn’t take very long for the fuel cell to warm up and begin generating electricity.

There is another type of hydrogen fuel cell that shows promise when trying to operate a vehicle. This one is the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). Methanol fuel cells are comparable to a PEMFC in regards to operating temperature, but are not as efficient. Also, the DMFC requires a relatively large amount of platinum to act as a catalyst, which makes these fuel cells expensive.

What is a hydrogen fuel cell? It is the next new wave of emerging technology in the field of alternative fuels that will help our country as well as our environment. A hydrogen fuel cell vehicle burns clean and runs efficiently. It is what alternative fuel supporters have hoped for since the advent of alternative fuels for energy – a clean vehicle that runs great and has safe emissions.

These low percentage oxygenate blends – such as ethanol fuel – are not classified as alternative fuels for vehicles. We speak of ethanol vehicles as those specifically manufactured to be capable of running on up to 85% denatured ethanol, 15% gasoline (E85), or any mixture of the two up to the 85% ethanol limit. E85 may be seasonally adjusted in colder climates such that the real proportion of E85 is less than 85% ethanol. Vehicles manufactured for E85 use are commonly called flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs).

Because there are various types of ethanol fuel being developed even as we speak, it’s difficult to determine what kinds of vehicles will be naturally equipped to run this type of fuel. Light-duty FFVs include a wide range of vehicles, from compacts to sport utility vehicles to pickup trucks.

Unlike bi-fuel natural gas and propane vehicles that have two unique fueling systems, FFVs have only one fueling system. To qualify as an alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) for tax credits, incentives to meet requirements for mandated fleets (federal, state, and fuel provider fleets) under the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct), a vehicle must be capable of using fuel blends up to 85% ethanol.

In the Midwest, where corn production is generally centered, you will find more people using ethanol fuel as one type of fuel for their vehicles. In fact, in the Midwest, E85 fuel is starting to become one of the most popular type of fuel with lines forming behind that one pump that dispenses E85.

Types of ethanol fuel that is used to power vehicles can be priced at about the same price as gasoline. Now we know that isn’t a comfort to those of us with gasoline powered cars who are paying a premium even for the cheap gasoline. However, the growing trend towards cleaner burning fuels can help set the market price lower than gasoline since supply equals demand. Ethanol is high in supply but low in demand right now. That could be flip flopped in the very near future and we could see a lower price for types of ethanol fuels to power our vehicles.

These holes in the atmosphere allow the sun’s rays to enter the earth without a protective layer to shield us, which may cause an increase in skin cancer.

CFCs are an aggregation of chemical compounds that include alkanes and haloalkanes. These chemicals are used in aerosol spray cans, refrigerants, foam blowing (to make packing foam and foam cups), fire extinguishers and solvents to clean electronic equipment.

The use of CFCs began in the 1920, when carbon tetrachloride was used in fire extinguishers, until the end of World War II. In 1928, Thomas Midgley developed CFCs as a replacement for a mixture of ammonia, chloromethane and sulfur dioxide that was commonly used as a refrigerant.

The CFC was superior to the former compounds because it was non-toxic, had a low boiling point and was generally non-reactive.

CFCs continued to be used, mostly by the military and in firefighting, until 1974 after the journal, ¬Nature by Molina and Rowland, showed their findings regarding the ozone layer depletion. They won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for that work.

They found that by adding hydrogen and creating hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC), made the compound less stable in t