December 23, 2012

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New Wind Turbine Makes Drinking Water

August 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Originally posted by Neal Colgrass on Newser.com, August 26, 2012

Eole Water

A French inventor may have an answer for the millions of people who scramble to find fresh drinking water each day: a wind turbine that literally pulls H2O from the air. Marc Parent, head of Eoie Water, designed the turbine while living in the Caribbean and enduring water shortages. His solution is called the WMS1000, which gathers moisture from the air and turns it into drinking water, ABC News reports. On average, each unit creates over 62 liters per hour when the temperature is 75 Fahrenheit with 45% humidity, according to the company website.

“Let me highlight this word: CREATE,” says Eole Water executive Thibault Janin. “All existing solutions (wells, desalination, lakes/rivers pumping, etc) only treat an existing source of water.” He adds that the world’s water scarcity will affect more than the 150 million possible WMS1000 customers; household water needs are also growing, so Eole Water is seeking other solutions—especially affordable ones. Once testing is complete, each WMS1000 should cost $600,000 and last for 20 years.

Source: https://www.newser.com/story/152849/new-wind-turbine-makes-drinking-water.html

Filed Under: Environment, Featured, Health, Positive, Self-Sustainability, Water

Major advance in generating electricity from wastewater

August 21, 2012 By 2 Comments

Improved microbial fuel cell (credit: Oregon State University)

Engineers at Oregon State University have made a breakthrough in the performance of microbial fuel cells that can produce electricity directly from wastewater, opening the door to a future in which waste treatment plants not only will power themselves, but will sell excess electricity.

The new technology developed at OSU uses new concepts — reduced anode-cathode spacing, evolved microbes and new separator materials — and can produce more than two kilowatts per cubic meter of liquid reactor volume — 10 to 50 more times the electrical per unit volume than most other approaches using microbial fuel cells, and 100 times more electricity than some.

This technology cleans sewage by a very different approach than the aerobic bacteria used in the past. Bacteria oxidize the organic matter and, in the process, produce electrons that run from the anode to the cathode within the fuel cell, creating an electrical current.

Almost any type of organic waste material can be used to produce electricity — not only wastewater, but also grass straw, animal waste, and byproducts from such operations as the wine, beer or dairy industries.

The researchers say this could eventually change the way that wastewater is treated all over the world, replacing the widely used “activated sludge” process that has been in use for almost a century. The new approach would produce significant amounts of electricity while effectively cleaning the wastewater, they suggest.

“If this technology works on a commercial scale the way we believe it will, the treatment of wastewater could be a huge energy producer, not a huge energy cost,” said Hong Liu, an associate professor in the OSU Department of Biological and Ecological Engineering. “This could have an impact around the world, save a great deal of money, provide better water treatment and promote energy sustainability.”

Experts estimate that about 3 percent of the electrical energy consumed in the United States and other developed countries is used to treat wastewater, and a majority of that electricity is produced by fossil fuels.

The system also works better than an alternative approach to creating electricity from wastewater that is based on anaerobic digestion that produces methane. It treats the wastewater more effectively, and doesn’t have any of the environmental drawbacks of that technology, such as production of unwanted hydrogen sulfide or possible release of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, the researchers believe.

The OSU system has now been proven at a substantial scale in the laboratory, Liu said, and the next step would be a pilot study. A good candidate, she said, might initially be a food processing plant, which is a contained system that produces a steady supply of certain types of wastewater that would provide significant amounts of electricity.

Once advances are made to reduce high initial costs, researchers estimate that the capital construction costs of this new technology should be comparable to that of the activated sludge systems now in widespread use today — and even less expensive when future sales of excess electricity are factored in.

The approach may also have special value in developing nations, where access to electricity is limited and sewage treatment at remote sites is difficult or impossible as a result.

The ability of microbes to produce electricity has been known for decades, but only recently have technological advances made their production of electricity high enough to be of commercial use. OSU researchers reported several years ago on the promise of this technology, but at that time the systems in use produced far less electrical power. Continued research should also find even more optimal use of necessary microbes, reduced material costs and improved function of the technology at commercial scales, OSU scientists said.

Filed Under: Chemistry, Environment, Featured, Green Energy, Pollution, Positive, Self-Sustainability

New solar cells increase solar panel efficiency by more than 25%

July 15, 2012 By 3 Comments

New solar cell (credit: University of Cambridge)

University of Cambridge scientists have developed hybrid solar cells that could increase the maximum efficiency of solar panels by more than 25%.

Typically, a solar cell generates a single electron for each photon captured. They added pentacene, an organic semiconductor, to harness the extra energy of blue light, allowing for generating two electrons for every photon from the blue light spectrum. This could enable the cells to capture up to 44% of the incoming solar energy.

Hybrid photovoltaic device architecture. Infrared photons are absorbed using conventional lead sulfide (PbS) nanocrystals. Visible photons are absorbed in pentacene to create singlet excitons, which undergo rapid exciton fission to produce pairs of triplets. (Credit: ACS)

Ref.: Bruno Ehrler, et al., Singlet Exciton Fission-Sensitized Infrared Quantum Dot Solar Cells, NanoLetters, 2012; [DOI:10.1021/nl204297u]

Filed Under: Environment, Green Energy, Positive, Science, Self-Sustainability

Zeitgeist: Moving Forward

December 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Filed Under: Self-Sustainability

It’s All In The Details. Or Is It?

December 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment

BY ALISSA FINERMAN

“A little perspective, like a little humor, goes a long way.”—Allen Klein

“If you go on a hike and only focus on the details, such as the rocks on the path, you will miss the beautiful view every single time. Similarly, if you only look out at the view and neglect the rocks, you could twist your ankle. Successful people balance the two and are able to keep the details in perspective while staying mindful of the bigger picture.”—Alissa Finerman

When I wrote my first book, Living in Your Top 1%, I was obsessed with the details in the final stages even though I was not concerned with them when I first started writing the book. Why? One typo or unfinished chapter in the first draft of a two-year book project really doesn’t matter. However, a typo when the book is going to print is major. It’s the same detail, a simple typo, but has very different implications when considered in line with the bigger picture of publishing a book. One is a detail that can be overlooked initially and one is a detail that will detract from the project. The more important issue is how we view details in our life and keep them in perspective relative to the bigger picture.

If you go on a hike and only focus on the details, such as the rocks on the path, you will miss the beautiful view every single time. Similarly, if you only look out at the view and neglect the rocks/details, you could twist your ankle. Successful people balance the two and are able to keep the details in perspective while staying mindful of the bigger picture. We can apply this same principle to all areas of our life. Consider the following three examples:

You pay your rent or mortgage late.

If you’ve never missed a payment before, you most likely will be subject to a late fee and it’s not the end of the world. However, if you’ve missed the last four payments, then the detail of missing another payment may have much more serious implications. This detail is obviously critical within the bigger picture of keeping your home.

A person is disrespectful to you.

If the person serves you coffee at your local coffee spot, you can choose to overlook the incident or get your coffee elsewhere. However, if you are seriously dating this person then it’s an important detail in line with the bigger picture of creating a life together that you will hopefully want to address. The single detail of being rude/disrespectful (although never desirable) has different implications depending on the situation.

You don’t like the seat you are assigned on a flight from LAX to NYC.

Your preference is to have an aisle seat in an exit row with more leg room but instead get stuck with a middle seat. If you’re healthy, this is undesirable but not the biggest deal. However, if you just had knee surgery and need to keep your knee extended or else you will be in extreme pain, the seat selection is an important detail. Again, a simple detail is more or less important depending on the situation.

How we view details is a dynamic process. It’s difficult to draw a conclusion from a single detail without understanding what it means within the context of the bigger picture. Some details really make a difference in your life and others take more energy to address than they’re worth. Are you you treating every “detail” like a missed mortgage payment or keeping it in perspective?

TOP 1% BOTTOM LINE: Yes, details are important but not every one is the most important. The key is to understand the bigger picture and to quickly assess how and if the details matter within that context. Knowing which details to overlook and which to focus on will depend on your values, goals, and how you want to invest your energy. As you move into the new year, take a moment and consider where in your life you could view the details differently to gain a Positively Positive perspective.

 

Source: https://www.positivelypositive.com/2011/12/12/it%E2%80%99s-all-in-the-details-or-is-it/

Filed Under: Self-Sustainability, Spirituality Tagged With: ,

Ready For Life ‘Off The Grid’?: GBTV Launches Reality Show ‘Independence USA’

December 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment

By

The show follows Frank Belcastro and his family as they try and become completely independent and prepare for life “off the grid.”

Here’s the news release:

GBTV LAUNCHES ITS FIRST REALITY SHOW- INDEPENDENCE U.S.A.

This January 2012, Join the Belcastro Family as They Prepare for an Independent Life Off the Grid. The show will debut on January 18th 2012 and will air weekly on Wednesdays.

Concerned that the economy could collapse? Or that a natural disaster could wipe out our infrastructure? So is Frank, and he is doing something about it!

Believing that America has become too reliant on a crumbling foundation, Frank is preparing his family for life “off the grid,” admiring the way people lived in the 19th century. Like them, he longs to become completely independent. So he is embarking on one project at a time hoping to prepare his family for the worst, such as building a car that runs on wood in case gasoline supplies are interrupted, becoming expert hunters when grocery stores are no longer in existence, and making his own alcohol for barter when the dollar collapses.

Frank does it all with determination, intelligence, and good humor. He’ll need all that and more, as he attempts to motivate a family that neither shares his fervor nor wishes to sacrifice the comforts and conveniences of 21st century life. In the series premiere- “A Hunting We Will Go”- we meet the Belcastro’s as they set out on a journey to be a self-sufficient family. Frank wants the family to be able to hunt and kill their own food but not every one is on board. Starting with making their own weapons Frank and his son Adam really learn an appreciation for the hunt but wonder if they will succeed.

 

Source: https://www.theblaze.com/stories/ready-for-life-off-the-grid-gbtv-launches-reality-show-independence-u-s-a/

Filed Under: Media, Self-Sustainability, USA

Senate Bill S510 Makes it Illegal to Grow, Share, Trade or Sell

December 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment

“If people let the government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny.”

Thomas Jefferson

 

Filed Under: Environment, Health, Law, Police, Protests, Rights, Self-Sustainability, Surveillance, Tyranny, USA

Preppers Are Now Considered To Be Potential Terrorists?

December 12, 2011 By 1 Comment

If you and your family store up lots of food, will you be identified as “potential terrorists” by law enforcement authorities? That sounds like an insane question, but sadly it has gotten to the point where “preparing for the worst” has become a “suspicious activity“.

Today, there are millions of preppers all across the United States, and the vast majority of them just want to be left alone and do not want the government to interfere in their lives. Storing up food is a completely peaceful activity, and preppers are generally some of the most patriotic and law-abiding people that you could ever hope to meet. Unfortunately, prepping has become associated with “extremism” by many in the government, and lately we have seen some very disturbing signs that authorities are actively seeking to gather information on preppers. So are preppers now considered to be potential terrorists?

Well, read the evidence posted in the rest of this article and decide for yourself.

The other day, U.S. Senator Rand Paul gave a speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate during which he suggested that having “more than seven days of food” in your house could potentially get you branded as a “potential terrorist” by the federal government.

The following is an excerpt from that speech:

Know good and well that some day there could be a government in power that is shipping its citizens off for disagreements. There are laws on the books now that characterize who might be a terrorist.

Someone missing fingers on their hands is a suspect according to the Department of Justice. Someone who has guns, someone who has ammunition that is weatherproofed, someone who has more than seven days of food in their house can be considered a potential terrorist.

If you are suspected by these activities do you want the government to have the ability to send you to Guantanamo Bay for indefinite detention?

It is incredibly chilling to hear a defender of liberty such as Rand Paul warn of such things.

But just because a politician says something that does not always mean that it is true.

So is there any evidence that Americans that are storing up food are being watched by the federal government?

Unfortunately, there is. In fact, Oath Keepers has posted a report about one incident in which federal agents actually visited a food production facility and demanded the names of anyone that has been “purchasing bulk food”. The following come from an article about this incident that was recently written by Rand Cardwell, the president of the Tennessee chapter of the Oath Keepers….

A fellow veteran contacted me concerning a new and disturbing development. He had been utilizing a Mormon cannery near his home to purchase bulk food supplies. The man that manages the facility related to him that federal agents had visited the facility and demanded a list of individuals that had been purchasing bulk food. The manager informed the agents that the facility kept no such records and that all transactions were conducted on a cash-and-carry basis. The agents pressed for any record of personal checks, credit card transactions, etc., but the manager could provide no such record. The agents appeared to become very agitated and after several minutes of questioning finally left with no information. I contacted the manager and personally confirmed this information.

Why in the world would federal agents be so interested in Americans that are “purchasing bulk food”?

Don’t they have anything better to do?

As I have written about previously, authorities are also now using a tool developed by the CDC to conduct “door to door disaster preparedness assessments” in some areas of the United States.

The following comes from a local news report in Tennessee….

The Metro Public Health and the Tennessee Department of Health will be using a tool designed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to go door to door and check to see how disaster ready you are.

The door to door assessment will take place from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday. It will be in 30 neighborhoods in Davidson County that have been randomly selected to be the target of a door to door assessment.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want anyone coming to my door to “assess” how “prepared” I am.

This is all very, very disturbing.

Lately, the federal government seems absolutely obsessed with the distribution of food.

As author Brandon Turbeville noted recently, “the U.S. government has publicly raided organic food shops, raw milk distributors, and the Amish with guns drawn” in recent years.

Aren’t there bigger threats to national security than the Amish?

Unfortunately, we now live in a “Big Brother” police state where just about anything can be considered a “suspicious activity”.

In fact, according to the FBI a bulk purchase of “meals ready to eat” is now considered to be “suspicious activity” that should be reported to them.

When the “war on terror” started a decade ago, we were told that we needed to fight the terrorists “over there” so that they would not come over here.

Well, now we are being told that the United States itself is part of the “battleground” and that the “terrorists” might just be our neighbors.

We are being told that if we “see something” that we should “say something” to the government.

In essence, the federal government wants us all to “inform” on one another.

Now that most of the big name terrorists have been removed from the picture, the Obama administration and the mainstream media are really hyping the idea that “homegrown terrorism” is a grave danger.

Just check out these headlines from the past few days….

ABC News: “White House Unveils New Strategy to Fight Homegrown Terrorism”

USA Today: “White House unveils new strategy to combat homegrown terror”

CNN: “Measuring the homegrown terrorist threat to U.S. military”

The entire focus of the “war on terror” has shifted. According to FBI Director Robert Mueller, “homegrown terrorists” represent as big a threat to American national security as al-Qaeda does at this point.

America is rapidly changing, and not for the better. All of this paranoia is going to rip this country apart.

In addition, have you noticed how they have taken the word “Islamic” out of their description of the terrorists and have replaced it with words like “extremist” and “extremism”?

Well, the truth is that just about anyone can be considered an “extremist” in one sense or another.

In fact, a recent Salon article asked this question: “Are Evangelicals A National Security Threat?”

These days, if you support an “alternative” political candidate there is a good chance that you will be labeled as an extremist.

During the 2008 election, one law enforcement report identified supporters of presidential candidates Ron Paul, Chuck Baldwin, and Bob Barr as potential terrorists.

Today, if you have a religious or political ideology that differs from the “orthodoxy” of the federal government then you are probably considered to be an “extremist”.

Beliefs that were once considered normal are now considered to be “dangerous” and “radical”.

For example, one unclassified Department of Homeland Security report published a couple of years ago entitled “Right-wing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment“ claimed that a belief in Bible prophecy “could motivate extremist individuals and groups to stockpile food, ammunition and weapons.”

During a Congressional hearing earlier this year, U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee warned that “Christian militants” might try to “bring down the country” and that such groups need to be investigated.

Back on February 20, 2009, the State of Missouri issued a report entitled “MIAC Strategic Report: The Modern Militia Movement“. That report warned that the following types of people may be potential terrorists….

*anti-abortion activists

*those that are against illegal immigration

*those that consider “the New World Order” to be a threat

*those that have a negative view of the United Nations

As I have written about previously, a very revealing document obtained by Oath Keepers shows that the FBI is actually instructing store owners to report many new forms of “suspicious activity” to them.

So what does the FBI consider “suspicious activity” to include? According to the document, the FBI now considers “suspicious activity” to include the following….

*paying with cash

*missing a hand or fingers

*”strange odors”

*making “extreme religious statements”

*”radical theology”

*purchasing weatherproofed ammunition or match containers

*purchasing meals ready to eat

*purchasing night vision devices, night flashlights or gas masks

All of this is completely and totally ridiculous.

Law enforcement authorities should quit worrying about preppers. The vast majority of us that are preparing for the hard times that are coming truly love this country, are completely and totally non-violent, and just want to be left alone.

There are real threats to national security out there, but the federal government refuses to address them. For example, our border with Mexico is wide open and it has been documented that terror groups are working in northern Mexico and have been coming across the border on a regular basis.

But instead of securing the border, the Obama administration is granting “backdoor amnesty” to illegal aliens instead.

In addition, law enforcement authorities should look into the massive breach of national security that the “Fast and Furious” scandal represents. With the full knowledge of the Department of Justice, ATF agents facilitated the sale of thousands of guns to Mexican drug cartels and dropped all surveillance on those weapons once they crossed the border. Those guns will be used to kill people (including Americans) for many years to come.

In fact, there is so much corruption and so many “potential terrorists” in Washington D.C. that it should be more than enough to keep law enforcement officials busy for a very long time.

So leave preppers alone.

Preppers are not a threat. They are not going to hurt anyone. They just want to store up food and prepare for the difficult times that are coming.

So what do all of you think about preppers?

 

Source: https://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/preppers-are-now-considered-to-be-potential-terrorists

Filed Under: Crime, Extremism, Food, Law, Police, Politicians, Self-Sustainability, Surveillance, Terrorism, Tyranny, USA Tagged With:

Federal Agents Raid Mormon Food Storage Facility, Demand List Of Customers Storing Emergency Food

December 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment

As was the plan all along, the so-called “War on Terror” has officially devolved into a war on the American people

This was clearly illustrated by the recent traitorous passage of the egregious National Defense Authorization Act by the US Congress. But in order to fully implement the ultimate goal of total control and tyranny, the federal government is now actively collecting the names of individuals that are preparing for the future by buying and storing emergency food supplies.

Oath Keepers, an association of active servicemen devoted to upholding their oath of guarding the republic and protecting individual liberty, has reported that federal agents recently paid a visit to a Latter Day Saints food storage cannery in Tennessee. Though they had no reason to be there, these agents allegedly interrogated the facility’s manager and demanded to see a list of customers that had purchased, and were storing, food there.

Oath Keepers Tennessee Chapter President Rand Cardwell confirmed the incident, according to reports, as he is in close contact with a fellow veteran who happens to store his own food at the facility in question. According to the man’s account, agents entered the facility and began demanding payment records and personal information for everyone connected with the operation.

“The manager informed the agents that the facility kept no such records and that all transactions were conducted on a cash-and-carry basis,” Cardwell is quoted as saying, concerning the incident. “The agents pressed for any record of personal checks, credit card transactions, etc., but the manager could provide no such record. The agents appeared to become very agitated and after several minutes of questioning finally left with no information.”

This unprovoked act of intimidation is highly concerning, but it is also somewhat contradictory. On the one hand, the federal government has been instilling fear into the American public for years, and has even made announcements urging the public to be prepared. But on the other hand, this same government is now pursuing those who are heeding these precautions as if they are terrorists.

Oath Keepers suggests the government might be trying to gather intelligence on food-storing Americans in order to later come and confiscate that food, or worse — after all, freedom-loving patriots who are preparing for social upheaval are a threat to the power structure that seeks to tighten the noose of tyranny around the neck of society.

 

Source: https://peopleforfreedom.com/

Filed Under: Financial Crisis, Health, Police, Poverty, Self-Sustainability, USA

May You Have Everything You Want

December 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment

A Tale of Forgiveness

A wise woman and her young disciple were walking down the street. Suddenly, out of nowhere, an angry man in a carriage drove haphazardly by the two, insensitively pushing the woman out of his way. She landed in a ditch filled with muddy water. The woman yelled after the man in the carriage, “May you have everything you want!” The disciple, surprised by the wise woman’s response, said: “I’m confused. Why did you say that to a man with such horrible behavior?” The woman replied, “Because a happy man wouldn’t have thoughtlessly pushed a woman into a ditch.”

Do you agree with this woman’s response?

In my book The Bounce Back Book, I offer many tips for embracing forgiveness and liberating yourself from anger and bitterness—even in the most challenging situations.

Here are a few quickie strategies to free you from your resentments starting today!

Say a Prayer

Whenever angry feelings about a person who’s harmed you enter your mind, tell yourself: “We are all good, loving souls who occasionally get lost.” Pray for this person to find their way back to a happier place—in the same way the woman in this story prayed for her offender.

Focus on Gratitude

Resist seeking happiness from the outside in. Instead, focus on gratitude exercises to bring happiness from the inside out. If you allow your mood to be at the mercy of unpredictable events and unreliable people, your happiness will be forever on a chaotic roller coaster ride! Happiness must always be an inside joy! When you are tempted to focus on all the ways the world has done you wrong, instead count your blessings by making a list of the five aspects of your life that you appreciate. It is good practice to purposefully end your day this way to keep focused.

Look for the Lesson

Many Buddhists consider huge difficulties to be a sign you’re an old soul—the bigger your misfortunes, the closer you are to enlightenment. Whether you believe this or not, it’s certainly cheery to reframe all your life’s bad events as tests of your character. If you feel particularly tested right now, ask yourself what the heck you’re being tested for! Patience? Compassion? Resilience? Forgiveness? Open-mindedness? What strengths must you develop further? Now consciously go out there and develop them!

Stay Centered

Recognize that when you respond with hate to hate, anger to anger, bitterness to bitterness, you are ironically becoming part of the problem. Choose to resist becoming like your offender and instead put in the conscious effort to remain a loving, soulful, happy person. In fact, don’t just tell your offender “May you have everything want.” Use this for a mantra to tell yourself—and re-focus all that energy of resentment into the energy to move forward to get what you want.

Source: https://www.positivelypositive.com/2011/11/12/may-you-have-everything-you-want-blog/

Filed Under: Psychology, Self-Sustainability, Spirituality Tagged With: ,
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