Restoring your biological clock

We all have got one, all animals, in fact all life...

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

Did you know that you possess your greatest level of cardiovascular efficiency and muscle strength at around 17:00? And that the sharpest rise in your blood pressure occurs at 6:45 in the morning? The primary cause of these “built-in” functions is daylight.

The technical term for our biological clock, also often called “body clock”, is called a circadian rhythm. The term “circadian” comes from the Latin circa, meaning “around” and diem or dies meaning “day”. The rhythm is linked to the light-dark cycle, which is recorded and interpreted by the retina (our eyes), which is then passed on to the pineal gland, responsible for producing the hormone melatonin. Melatonin is nature’s sleep-regulating hormone and antioxidant, stimulated by darkness and suppressed by light. Levels are lower during the day and gradually increase as night falls to help induce sleep. Low levels of melatonin can lead to difficulty in initiating sleep, maintaining sleep and waking too soon from sleep – all cases of varying degrees of insomnia.

Prolonged disturbances to sleep patterns can also seriously alter levels of important hormones linked with appetite and eating behaviour. When you are sleep deprived the hormone leptin, responsible for making you feel full decreases while levels of ghrelin increases thus triggering hunger. In other words, lack of sleep puts your body into a pre-diabetic state, making you feel hungry, even if you have already eaten.

Often people are unaware that their bed may be one of the reasons why they are not sleeping well. Research shows that a new bed is more effective than sleeping pills, so if your mattress is more than 10 years old, you should seriously consider replacing it, and maybe with one also that is not a box sprung one; if you can find one. I am still looking.

Sleep is directly related to how you feel during your waking hours. A good night’s sleep helps the body recuperate and all stages of the sleep cycle are necessary in order for you to wake up alert and rested. Deep sleep revitalizes the body and REM-sleep clears the brain. In addition, your bed should be pressure relieving and free from blood circulation interference. That makes the construction and the content of your bed incredibly important.

When I was a kid there were mattresses that were put onto a bed frame with springs, though the same can be achieved with cords, as they do in India, which often was filled with horsehair or sea grass. Those mattresses, in my opinion, are far superior to any of the modern box sprung ones. Those old mattresses supported and also cradles you and it did not matter how old they were; there were no springs inside that could cause problems

Many people recommend memory foam mattresses but it seems that true memory foam mattresses are difficult to get in some places and secondly, as far as I am concerned, foam is a product that can off-gas and I am not about going to have anything to do with that.

Ultimately, it is sleep quality rather than quantity that’s key to positively influencing our biological clock. There is compelling evidence that a healthy sleep routine can contribute greatly to one’s physical and mental well-being as well as their overall quality of life. Sufficient sleep ranks among the best defence mechanisms we have to stay healthy and effectively handle stress.

This means that going to bed at a proper time is not just something for children but for adults too, and that time should be, as far as possible, at the same time in the evening.

If you make use of the diagram then it will become clear when the best time is to go to bed because the body is getting ready for sleep and there are times when, definitely, your body will tell you. You fight that at your peril.

© 2011

Cutting Black Carbon Provides Fast Benefits for Climate, Health

Congressionally mandated EPA study shows “win-win” potential

Washington, DC, March 25, 2011 – Black carbon (BC) is “ripe for ‘win-win’ emissions reduction approaches that bring both climate and public health benefits”, according to a new U.S. EPA study mandated by Congress. 

The study, which is now undergoing peer review, states that reducing “BC emissions can halt the effects of BC on temperature, snow and ice, and precipitation almost immediately.” The EPA study also states that cutting BC will protect public health and help agriculture.

“Cutting BC provides the biggest benefits for the regions making the cuts,” said Durwood Zaelke, President of the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development.  “This is an attractive strategy for regions with high emissions, including Asia .”

Zaelke added, “Cutting BC is an essential strategy for vulnerable regions like the Arctic and Himalayas .  If we don’t cut the BC emissions that end up in these vulnerable regions, we risk triggering positive feedback mechanisms that accelerate warming.”  (An example of a positive feedback is loss of Arctic sea ice; when it is replaced by darker water, it absorbs more incoming radiative energy and accelerates warming.)

BC emissions may be half or more of the warming in the Arctic, and in the Himalayas as well. In the Arctic , the average springtime forcing from BC is 1.73 watts per square meter.  This compares with global warming from CO₂ of 1.66 watts per square meter.  The report notes instantaneous warming of up to 20 watts per square meter in some places in the Himalayas in springtime. 

In the U.S. , BC is reducing snow cover and overall snowpack and contributing to earlier spring melting.  This reduces melt-water later in the year when it is most needed.

While cutting BC will provide powerful climate protection in the short run, it has limited impact on long-term warming.  In contrast, cutting CO₂ has little benefit in the short-term.  CO₂ stays in the atmosphere for decades to millennia. After cutting CO₂, the climate is slow to respond because the atmospheric concentrations that have accumulated since 1750 remain relatively constant for long periods. 

“We can only win,” Zaelke said, “if we cut BC and the other short-lived climate pollutants, while also slamming on the brakes for CO₂ emissions.  It’s not one or the other.  We need to cut both for the Planet to continue to be habitable for humans.”

In the U.S. and other developed countries, most BC is from diesel use in the transport sector.  For these sources, BC emissions can be reduced with ultra-low sulfur diesel, along with new engine standards and retrofits of existing engines. In developing countries, BC emissions are from residential cookstoves, as 3 billion people worldwide still cook with biomass or coal in rudimentary stoves or open fires.  This source of BC pollution not only causes significant regional warming, it also causes 2 million deaths a year, mostly women and children.

Improved cookstoves are available and there is “greater potential to achieve large‐scale success in this sector today”, according to the EPA report.  Existing technologies also are available for other sources of BC in the developing world, including brick kilns, coke ovens (largely from the production of iron and steel), and industrial boilers. Open biomass burning is another source of BC emissions globally, but is mixed with cooling pollutants as well.  The EPA report concludes that open burning causes warming over snow and ice, but more data is needed to determine the impact in other regions.

EPA has posted the draft study here:

http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/WebCOUNCIL/6A702A1E6287B6C78525780E005074BA?OpenDocument

The Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development’s mission is to promote just and sustainable societies and to protect the environment by advancing the understanding, development and implementation of effective, accountable and democratic systems of governance for sustainable development.

Beginning in 2006, the Institute embarked on a “fast-action” climate mitigation campaign to promote non-CO₂ strategies that will result in significant emissions reductions in the near-term, to complement cuts in CO₂ which are essential for the long-term. These strategies include reducing emissions of local air pollutants such as black carbon, methane, and tropospheric ozone; mitigation of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) through the Montreal Protocol ozone treaty; and carbon-negative measures such as biosequestration through expanded biochar production.

Source: Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development

M&S aims to recycle 500,000 clothes in one day

Marks & Spencer is calling on its customers to donate any unwanted or unused clothes to Oxfam.

On Thursday March 24, 2011, 367 M&S stores across the UK will be accepting donated clothes and accessories. The high street giant hopes to collect as many as 500,000 items and customers who donate their cast-offs will be rewarded with an M&S £5 off voucher.

The ‘one day wardrobe clearout’ is being supported by an advertising campaign fronted by X-Factor judge Dannii Minogue. The initiative follows new research which shows that charities are missing out on as much as £1.5 billion in revenue a year as clothes are thrown out instead of being donated to charity shops.

Richard Gillies, Director of Plan A, CSR and Sustainable Business at M&S, said: “It’s clear that far too many clothes still go to landfill when they could be making money for charities and helping the environment. We’re calling on our customers to donate their clothes: it’s an easy way to make a difference and you get a great M&S money-off voucher.”

The event is part of the M&S Plan A Campaign, which aims to increase recycling in the UK and promote environmental causes. A recent M&S poll of 2,200 people revealed that today’s busy lifestyles get in the way of recycling with a third of people citing time as a reason for not donating items to charity.

Oxfam's Director of Trading David McCullough said: “The M&S and Oxfam Clothes Exchange has been an incredibly successful partnership for us. The generosity of the thousands of M&S customers who have donated to our shops has helped us raise more than £3.5million to support our ongoing work fighting poverty around the world.”

LED Lenser V2 Triplex - A Product Review

Review by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

If you only ever buy one LED flashlight make it a LED Lenser V2 Triplex

LED Lenser V2 Triplex
With new light chip technology
Cloverleaf reflector system
3 high quality LED’s, in fact a high intensity LED light chip
Solid metal casing
Durable nylon pouch and lanyard included

Burn Time: Up to 10 hours from 1 AA alkaline battery.
Dimensions: 141mm x 37mm
Weight: 160gms
Power Supply: 1 x AA alkaline battery (Two sets of batteries included: 2 x AA)

The patented pure metal housing is ergonomic and extraordinarily smooth to the touch. The patented photon tube reflectors cause the high power diodes to shine with undreamed of brightness. Due to its low power consumption, 1 x AA alkaline battery will provide up to 10 hours of light.

Price: approx. GBP 24.99

Agents in the UK: Ledco Ltd. www.ledco.co.uk

Manufacturers: Zweibrüder Optoelectronics GmbH www.zweibrueder.com

Well, so much for the information from the manufacturer and UK distributor.

Yes, I have written the original review of this product some years ago for another, now defunct, publication. However, I thought, after the experience, a positive one, that I have just had with this flashlight, it needs to be rerun.

I said that I was impressed with the LED Lenser V2 Triplex flashlight when I wrote the original review on it and, as as I have mentioned before on occasions, I do not impress easily. And that was just as regards the design and especially the light output from this little light. I am even more impressed with it now, and the reason for that you will find out shortly.

The light is about the size of the so-called “Mini Maglite”, the one that uses 2xAA batteries as power source, but that is about where the comparison ends. The power source in this one that I have tested and am using is one single AA alkaline cell and considering that, the light output is awesome and then some more.

The light source is a three LED light chip in a cloverleaf pattern and the diodes produce an extremely bright and intense white light.

The only drawback that could be mentioned is that the beam cannot be focused but, then again, there are others of the same manufacturer where this is indeed possible and I do hope to be able to review – should the manufacturer/agents be prepared to furnish me with the samples for review – some of their tactical flashlights, including the new one that is aimed at the law enforcement market. I have seen it and handled it already but have not been able to put it thru its paces properly, not having a review sample to hand.

All I can say is that this surely is a lot of light in a small package and don't let the price deter you. This is a solid little flashlight made of solid stuff and I am sure it will give many, many years of reliable service.

I have just put one – in its holster – still in the pocket of a pair of pants – through a full washing cycle in the washing machine and the light still works perfect. I wonder how many others would have held up like that. And therefore my verdict on this flashlight would be a definite 20 out of 10 would that be possible.

© 2011

Growtubes

A different take on the humble upcycled toilet roll tubes

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

Harrod Horticulture is offering "growtubes" which are biodegradable pots which are open at the bottom. The same can be achieved for free using the cardboard tubes from toilet rolls and that for nothing.

In all honesty those growtubes are nothing but a biodegradable tube, even though they may be slightly tapered at the bottom. A toilet roll tube will, however, work equally well and you can, in theory, get two pots out of each toilet roll tube.

While the growtubes from Harrod Horticultural are an alternative to the toilet roll tube from those that don't have the time to collect those tubes, the thrifty grower, like myself, will collect those cardboard tubes for sure. I fact I wish I had not put so many of them into the composter over winter. Each empty tube equals one growtube.

I have used toilet roll tube growtubes in the years gone by and always with good success and last year tried paper pots made with the Paper Potter but they did not work that well. No fault of the potter and the idea but the fact that I used too much newspaper for the pots and thus made them in such a way that they did not break down properly.

You never stop learning in the gardening and growing game that's for sure.

© 2011

Budget to re-energise funding and planning for renewables

• New measures on planning could have positive implications for onshore wind farms
• Green Investment Bank: industry welcomes funding structure
• Carbon floor price needs post 2020 certainty 
• Education, enterprise and technology boost could translate into supply chain growth

The Coalition Government’s second budget was today welcomed by RenewableUK, the country’s leading renewable energy trade association, as containing a number of policies encouraging long term sector growth. However, the organisation warned that these should be considered an initial step, requiring further refinement and action.

Measures on planning designed to promote economic growth (including a 12 month deadline for decisions), which could have a positive impact on onshore wind farm applications, underline industry estimates that around £1 million from each installed megawatt stays at regional and local level during the life time of the wind farm. But, RenewableUK warned that ‘sustainable development’ needs to be defined closer, as it is set to significantly impact the planning process

The trebling of funds for the Green Investment Bank (GIB) and its new 2012 earlier start up date were warmly welcomed, with the association reminding that it should serve as catalyst for investment.

Commenting further Dr. Gordon Edge, RenewableUK Policy Director, said: “The Government made the right decision to set up the GIB as a bank, rather than a fund, with the powers to borrow money post 2015. The fact that the GIB funds will be underwritten by the Treasury shows Government commitment to attracting long term investment. ”

While supporting the carbon-floor price, which will make low carbon electricity more competitive with electricity from coal and gas, the industry called for a longer term indication of post 2020 levels.  RenewableUK also called for a commitment to reinvest proceeds (projected at over 3 billion in 2013-2016) in low carbon transition programmes and green energy R&D.

“Today’s details on the carbon floor price and the GIB should be the first steps towards a long term solution on funding for a host of technologies such as the next generation of offshore wind farms and wave and tidal devices. We would encourage more clarity and further action following today’s budget, as the measures so far look promising,” concluded Edge.

Finally, measures on enterprise zones and education and training could translate into supply chain growth, particularly around UK ports. RenewableUK has called for more action in encouraging entrants not just at apprentice and graduate levels, but also for mature employees looking to transfer skills.

Source: RenewableUK

Budget still failing poorer households

Charity Sustrans accuses the Chancellor of delivering a disastrous budget which focuses on short term gains to get popular support. His measures to reduce and limit the cost of fuel mean that once again we are incentivising people to use their cars while failing to offer alternatives that would provide a transport lifeline to poorer households without access to a car.

Jason Torrance, Sustrans' Policy Manager says “Mr Osborne has missed a golden opportunity to invest the £2bn from the oil companies in providing alternatives to car travel.

People are now being encouraged to drive in a 1970’s dream that could soon evaporate with a change in the price of oil.

“Sadly he has delivered the budget from behind the steering wheel of a Ford Focus and turned his back on an opportunity to provide alternatives to car use and much needed support to those suffering from the high cost of fuel.

“We do ourselves no favours by continuing to ignore the obvious – oil is a finite resource and will become unaffordable long before it finally dries up. Unless we invest in low carbon alternatives to car use we are facing a divide in society with the majority of people living in transport poverty.”

Source: Sustrans

Lockheed Martin and the English census

What is an American defense contractor doing running the English census?

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

Do you think that paying an arms manufacturer, and a foreign one at that, 150 million British Pounds to run a census is a good idea? Personally I think it is a very bad idea and why is an arms manufacturer even being invited to do this.

Do you feel happy about being legally obliged to give your personal data to international arms dealers? I am not but I already filled in the form before I became aware of this fact. The other problem is that, legally, you have no choice but to fill in the questionnaire and the entire one applicable to you. Unlike in the United States where the legal requirement for the census goes no further than the question about name, address, date of birth, etc., in the UK you have to tell them what your ethnicity is, what religious affiliation you have, etc. and you cannot opt out of those questions. You are obliged by law, under threat of punishment, to comply and reply.

The census in England and Wales is now in full swing but very few will be aware of the fact that it is being run by part of American weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin. They make Trident missiles, warplanes, bombs, and own a major part of AWE, the UK atomic weapons facility.

There hasn't been a lot of mainstream publicity about Lockheed Martin's involvement in the census.

While one website states that it is up to individuals to decide whether they wish to take part in the census, but they should be aware of who they are supplying the information to, this is in fact incorrect. Not the fact about being aware to who they supply the information to but as to the fact that individuals have a right to decide whether or not. In fact people cannot – legally – opt out. The form has to be filled in and it has to be filled in accurately. They even want your telephone number to call you back in case questions have not been answered correctly. Well, there they ran into a problem with me and got a N/A in the box. They can like or hate it; they are not getting my phone number.

Those that think that they can put in “Jedi Knight” under religion also better reconsider for rumor has it that they'll come after you if you do for it is not a recognized religion. Well, mine is neither but I am of that faith, namely the old faith of the Romani People.

Claims are made that the census is necessary to forward planning, for family search in the future, etc. bus all those claims are claptrap and there are other ways in which the authority and the Office of National Statistics can put together the needed information.

The census is nothing but another government intrusion into the privacy of the residents of the United Kingdom and here not just subjects of Her Britannic Majesty. Every person who resides in England and Wales for more than a certain time from the time of the census must fill in this form, and the stress is on must.

Maybe it is time that we ask our Members of Parliament as to why it was an American's weapons manufacturer that won the bid to operate the 2011 census for England and Wales? I doubt though that we will get a satisfactory answer.

© 2011

Detoxing Your Home

by Krista Peterson, Guest Contributor

We often think of our homes as safe houses, places where we can filter out the dangers of the outside world and shelter ourselves. However in the wake of the Environmental Working Group’s report that hexavalent chromium-6, the carcinogenic chemical that was made famous by the based-on-true-events movie Erin Brockovich, was found in thirty-one American cities’ tap water it’s time to examine other possible toxins that are commonly found inside the house. Among the most common and dangerous toxins are houses painted with lead-based paint, insulated with thermal insulation containing asbestos, or containing mercury-based thermostats or other items.

The most common sources of lead poisoning, even though the EPA banned the use of lead-based paint on houses in 1978, still includes deteriorating lead-based paint and lead contaminated residential soil. Be extremely careful if you are renovating your house because the chances of getting lead poisoning are worst when people unknowingly breathe in lead dust during renovations that disturb surfaces painted with lead-based paint. Be particularly careful around children as well because children’s brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to the effects of lead poisoning, so kids six years old and younger are most at risk. Lead poisoning can lead to reproductive problems, high blood pressure, nerve disorders, or memory problems.

Mercury is one of the most common toxins found in households. It can be found in several household items including certain thermostats, switches, batteries, and light bulbs. However, mercury-free alternatives are available for all those products and should be purchased whenever possible. High levels of exposure to mercury can lead to tremors, headaches, kidney problems, and even respiratory failure. If you do have a thermostat or other item that contains mercury be careful not to crack the casing because mercury is most likely to cause long-term health problems when breathed in as a vapor.

Asbestos use, just like lead use, has been regulated in the US since the 1970’s. However asbestos can still pose a serious threat in older homes. Asbestos was commonly used to insulate houses and has been known to lead to both asbestosis and mesothelioma, a form of cancer. Of the environmental toxins that are commonly present in the average household asbestos is the most dangerous because the mesothelioma life expectancy is only a little over a year. Because asbestos has been found in houses built all the way up to 1986 it’s wise to have your house examined for asbestos even if it was built after the EPA began regulating its use.

As much as we like to imagine our houses as safe, it’s important to know that these toxins are present in the average American home. However, they don’t have to be present in your home. With care and a little work you can rid your home of these common toxins.

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Krista Peterson is a recent graduate from the University of Central Florida and an aspiring writer. As a Health & Safety Advocate, she has a passion for the wellness of our community and environment and she uses her writings to spread awareness of such issues to encourage others to live the healthiest and most eco-friendly life possible.

ACCESSIBLE WATER

Despite the very real danger of global water shortages, today’s water crisis is not an issue of scarcity, but of access. One billion people still lack adequate access to safe drinking water and more than two billion people lack access to adequate sanitation. And now that the world's urban population exceeds the world's rural population, unprecedented challenges are being faced.

CIWEM supports World Water Day 2011 on 22^nd March, focusing international attention on the impact of rapid urban population growth, industrialisation and climate change on urban water systems through their theme of Water for Cities: Responding to the Urban Challenge.

The unplanned growth of cities creates huge pressure on local ecosystems, overwhelms environmental resources and exacerbates pressures on public health services. Millions do not have access to adequate clean water or sanitation, and yet remedial policies are often based on inadequate knowledge and fail to achieve their objectives.

CIWEM believes that the developed country model for building capacity in water supply, sanitation and hygiene is inadequate for developing countries. Often the stakeholders in development projects have preconceived narratives based on fundamentally flawed logic and are too tied up in bureaucracy to be able to adapt to local conditions.

CIWEM calls for profound shifts in ideology, policy, institutional approaches, engineering R&D, and in donor and recipient government attitudes, to develop and apply alternative service models to provide water and sanitation for all within a reasonable time limit.

CIWEM believes that improvements in the water and sanitation sector can be best achieved through the community‘s involvement as an equal partner with government and sector agencies, building on indigenous knowledge so that policies and programmes are relevant to their beneficiaries. Emphasis must be placed on education, social mobilisation and community participation, backed by measures to strengthen local institutions in implementing and sustaining water and sanitation programmes.  Such an approach requires substantial public dialogue and social interaction at all levels of society.

CIWEM Executive Director, Nick Reeves OBE, says:

“The lack of access to water and sanitation for millions of people is the greatest development failure of the modern era. Sanitation has enormous economic, social and ecological implications.”

“Society has long believed that science and technology can provide effective solutions to most of the environmental problems that we face. But it is political commitment that is key to making services work and to do this, governments must be held to account by active citizens demanding their rights. Governments must be pressured to spend more on essential services and to spend it better. There will be no sustainable development unless we develop coordinated mechanisms and processes that, together, offer a participatory system to develop visions, goals and targets for sustainable development.”

Source: The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM)