Bridgestone Finds Russian Dandelion May Be a Sustainable Source of Natural Rubber

Plant shows potential to produce tire-grade rubber

Russian Dandelion (botanical name: Taraxacum kok-saghyz, or TKS) is a different species than the Common Dandelion frequently found in the U.S. and other areas (botanical name: Taraxacum officinale).

Bridgestone Corporation (Bridgestone), has announced that recent research conducted by Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (Bridgestone Americas) has produced promising results indicating that the Russian Dandelion can become a commercially viable, renewable source of high-quality, tire-grade rubber.

Bridgestone Americas is one of several collaborators taking part in the Russian Dandelion project being led by PENRA – the Program for Excellence in Natural Rubber Alternatives – based at the Ohio State University’s Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. The company’s specific role in the project is to scrutinize the performance of the rubber produced by using natural rubber extracted from Russian Dandelion.

“We know that there are more than 1,200 types of plants from which natural rubber could in theory be harvested, but finding one that could practically produce the quality and amount of rubber needed to meet the demands of today’s tire market is a challenge,” said Dr. Hiroshi Mouri, President, Bridgestone Americas Center for Research and Technology. “Bridgestone continues to dedicate substantial resources to finding sustainable alternatives for the natural rubber needed to manufacture tires and other high-quality rubber products, and we’re excited about this potentially game-changing discovery with the Russian Dandelion.”

Bridgestone subsidiaries will conduct additional testing on Russian Dandelion-harvested natural rubber at their technical labs in Akron and Tokyo this summer, with larger scale testing to follow in 2014.

This news comes on the heels of a March 2012 announcement that outlined a project to research and develop Guayule, a shrub native to the southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico, as an alternative to natural rubber harvested from rubber trees (also known as Hevea trees). For that project, Bridgestone Americas is establishing a pilot farm and constructing a rubber process research center in the southwestern United States.

Russian Dandelion and Guayule have almost identical qualities compared to natural rubber harvested from the Hevea tree, which is currently the primary source for the natural rubber used in tires.

This new project, as well as the Guayule project, is being undertaken by Bridgestone Americas in collaboration with Bridgestone. Bridgestone is providing the funding and strategic input for these projects while Bridgestone Americas is responsible for their execution. Bridgestone Americas is leveraging the resources of the Bridgestone Americas Center for Research and Technology and the Americas Technical Center in Akron, Ohio to provide technical and research support for the projects.

With the demand for tires expected to continue increasing in the near and long term, the Bridgestone Group has embraced its responsibility to develop technologies and business practices that encourage conservation of finite natural resources. Through separate and unique efforts such as the Russian Dandelion and Guayule research projects, the Bridgestone Group is working to develop tires using 100% sustainable materials (renewable and recyclable resources). Bridgestone is involved in other efforts to develop technologies and processes that reduce, reuse and recycle resources as well as projects to develop concept tires made from 100% sustainable materials and expects to share additional information about those projects in the future. You can learn more about all of Bridgestone’s environmental activities worldwide at http://www.bridgestone.com/responsibilities/environment/.

To learn more about the PENRA Russian Dandelion project, visit http://www.oardc.osu.edu/penra/.

This press release is presented for your information only.

Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.

This article is for your information only and the GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW does not (necessarily) approve, endorse or recommend the product, service or company mentioned.

International day for biological diversity

On the UN International Day for Biological Diversity, The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) calls for a greater awareness of the threats to marine biodiversity as without life in the ocean there would be no life on Earth.

The greatest diversity of life on Earth is actually in the sea. Over 70 percent of the Earth is covered by ocean, constituting over 90 percent of the habitable space on the Earth. It is home to the largest animal on the planet and there are more micro-organisms in the sea than there are stars in the universe. The first global census of marine life (which ran from 2000 to 2010) has logged 250,000 species; yet in its final report, the census team suggested that for every species known, there are at least four yet to be discovered.

However the health of our oceans hangs in the balance. Overfishing, degraded habitats, pollution, invasive species and climate change are all causes for concern. Commercial overexploitation of the world’s fish stocks are so severe that it has been estimated that up to 13 percent of global fisheries have ‘collapsed.’ Between 30 and 35 percent of the global extent of critical marine habitats such as seagrasses, mangroves and coral reefs are estimated to have been destroyed; plastic debris causes the deaths of more than a million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals every year; and a recent increase in harmful algal blooms suggests that we have affected the bottom, as well as the top, of marine food chains. The burning of fossil fuels is causing the ocean to become warmer and more acidic, the consequences of which, we are only beginning to grasp.

Marine environments provide us with a whole host of resources and services, from food and medicines to storm protection, and most importantly of all, phytoplankton produce half of all the oxygen in our atmosphere. Supplies of fish as a healthy food source need to be secured for the millions that depend on them without destroying fish stocks and damaging the marine environment in the long term.

CIWEM’s Executive Director, Nick Reeves OBE, says: “Marine issues are a global concern and as they are a common public resource, require concerted management to avoid over exploitation. Whereas approximately 13 percent of the world’s land surface area is protected in reserves, the figure for marine environments is a little over one percent. The Convention on Biological Diversity has established a target of 10 percent of all coastal and marine waters being protected in reserves by 2020. The UK must play its part in upholding its national, EU and international marine conservation commitments to help achieve this.”

1. The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) is an independent professional body and a registered charity, advancing the science and practice of water and environmental management for a clean, green and sustainable world www.ciwem.org
2. CIWEM’s recently published report ‘From microbes to mountains’ can be found at: http://www.ciwem.org/media/503645/ECOSYSTEMS%20REPORT%20FINAL%20MARCH%202012.pdf
3. Further information on the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) is available from: http://www.cbd.int/idb/2012/

This press release is presented for your information only.

Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.

This article is for your information only and the GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW does not (necessarily) approve, endorse or recommend the product, service or company mentioned.

Matthew Dieumegard-Thornton reaches summit of Mount Everest

Young mountaineer Matthew Dieumegard-Thornton has become one of the youngest British climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

Young mountaineer Matthew Dieumegard-Thornton has become one of the youngest British climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

Matthew, who turned 22 during his expedition, safely reached the top of the world’s highest mountain in the early hours of Saturday 19th May.
Matthew, of Sleaford, Lincolnshire, UK achieved the monumental feat to help raise awareness of global environmental and sustainability issues and to commemorate The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Matthew is raising money for international charity Global Angels to provide disadvantaged children and their communities with access to safe drinking water.

He was sponsored for his expedition by global digital services provider Yell.

Matthew’s successful attempt on the 8,848 metre summit started on 30th March and will end when he has safely returned to Base Camp, before the journey home to the UK. In the first few days of his climb, Matthew had to overcome a bout of laryngitis to stay on track. He also had to brave the risk of avalanches – one major avalanche in the notorious Khumbu Icefall wrecked the camp that he and his team had just left a few hours before.

Matthew followed the south eastern route taken by Sir Edmund Hillary in 1953 when he became the first man to reach the top of Mount Everest – three days before Queen Elizabeth’s coronation.
Matthew also climbed Everest to highlight the continuing fight against “environmental irresponsibility”, as an Ambassador of Climate Unchange, a global webshop that enables individuals and businesses – small and large – to offset their carbon footprints.

Due to high winds, Matthew was unable to make a phone call from the summit but his Mother, Nicolle, received confirmation later in the day that his climb had been successful.

Mike Pocock, Yell Group Chief Executive Officer, said: “Many congratulations to Matthew for becoming one of the world’s few to achieve such an impressive feat and for highlighting important global environmental issues. His inspirational achievement is a testament to the continued drive, motivation and entrepreneurial spirit that he has shown throughout the expedition – all values that resonate with Yell, as a responsible organisation.”

Ahead of his climb, Matthew received messages of support from The Queen, who wished him “warm good wishes” in achieving his goal and his safe return, and explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, who praised Matthew’s maturity and inner strength.

Matthew is a graduate in Sport and Exercise Science, specialising in environmental physiology, and has previously trained as a squash professional. In mountain training, he has climbed Peak Lenin(7,134m) in the Pamirs range of Kyrgyzstan, and Mera Peak(6,476m) and Baruntse(7,219m) in Nepal.

Matthew is aiming to raise at least £8,848 – the equivalent to the height of Everest - for the Global Angels’ Water for Life project whereby every £5 raised provides one person with safe drinking water for 10 years.

Yell’s support for Matthew reflects its long established track record for corporate social responsibility, with the aim of providing its shareholders and other stakeholders with confidence that it is a well-managed, responsible and sustainable company.

You can support Matthew's challenge and donate to Global Angels via Just Giving:
www.justgiving.com/MatthewDThornton or text the code SNOW92, your amount (e.g. £10) to 70070.

You can read more details about Matthew’s achievement at: www.matthewclimbseverest.com
@MattDThornton
#MountainMatt

About Yell
Yell Group is a leading provider of digital services within the emerging local eMarketplace for consumers and SMEs across its operations in the UK, US, Spain and some countries in Latin America.

Building on its strong presence in the local market through its current digital and print portfolio, Yell is developing a broad range of digital services tailored to the converging needs of SMEs and consumers.

These address both the SMEs’ need to grow, transact and be efficient in the digital world, and the consumers’ need to connect locally to the goods and services they want, in a way which saves them time and money, and moves their lives forward.

In the year ended 31 March 2011, Yell Group had 1.3 million SME customers.

Yell is in the media sector and is classified as a low impact company with regards to climate change.

About Global Angels
The Global Angels Foundation is an international charity, empowering disadvantaged children and communities around the world.

They focus their efforts on those living in extreme poverty or disadvantage: street kids, orphans, trafficked kids, marginalised women and families, child slaves and those suffering as a result of devastated environmental conditions or natural disasters. Partner projects are strategically designed to equip individuals and their communities to turn their lives around, family by family, village by village, and in so doing, build their own model for sustainability.
Through The 100% Promise, every penny Global Angels receives from public donations goes directly to tangible on-the-ground resources such as safe drinking water, water food, education, homes, rehabilitation, medical care and disaster relief.

About Climate Unchange
Climate Unchange is Wardour And Oxford’s social mission fighting environmental irresponsibility. www.climateunchange.com is a carbon offsetting webshop featuring carbon credited projects independently verified and certified by organizations accredited by the United Nations.

About Wardour And Oxford
Wardour And Oxford is a global business development agency working with entrepreneurs, emerging and Fortune 1000 companies to grow their businesses locally and internationally. The company provides management consultancy, global lead generation, sales, marketing, communications, public relations, events and appointment setting services, connecting clients to CEOs, business leaders, venture capitalists, angel investors, political, creative, entertainment and royal connections. Explore http://www.wardourandoxford.com

This press release is presented for your information only.

Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.

This article is for your information only and the GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW does not (necessarily) approve, endorse or recommend the product, service or company mentioned.

Simple Living tips from the Amish and other Plain People

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

There is lots that we who wish to live a simpler life and to treat easier on the Planet can learn from the Amish and other Plain People even though we may not (wish) to subscribe to their religious beliefs and views.

In fact one can seriously agree to disagree about the Amish and their religious beliefs and especially practices but as to how to live a simpler life with fewer wants one certainly can learn a great deal from them.

While many of us may be far too partial to modern conveniences, and to some degree I am – I do like my computers (I could not do my work without them), and the Internet and Skype, and such – to adapt the Amish way of life (even without the religious connotations) there is lots that we all can learn from them about living well from this simple, community-oriented culture.

In fact, personally, some of the religious aspects of the Amish life are, to me at least, not something I would wish to follow, as many of them are not Scripture based but are but man-made laws, much like rabbinical teachings and the Amish are not one complete cohesive group but a variety of sects. In a way the same is true for many of the (other) Mennonite groups.

However, there are obviously many more tips that can be taken from the lives of the Amish and other Plain People but here are just a few:

One: Turn off the TV and sit quietly or go outside and enjoy the sounds of nature. Better still, as I have done, divorce your TV, make use of the PC for streaming those things that you “must” see.

It is true that the Amish do – in the main – have neither television sets nor computers though some orders may have computers. The fact is, though, that without the TV your live is not, as much, affected by the commercials, the adverts, and the push for you to spend, spend, spend, and buy this or that. And more often than not those things advertised are things that you really do not need at all. Not having a TV will especially benefit any children in the home though, if they are not homeschooled they may moan that there is no TV as they cannot hold with their peers who have TV and talk about the programs all the time.

I divorced the proper TV many years ago now mainly because of the fact that the programs on offer, in my view, were absolute garbage for much of the time and thus I could not see why I would be paying a, at that time, $150 (equivalent) license fee to be entitled to watch programs.

Now that in the UK the analog TV signals are going to be switched off, something which already happened in the USA for the entire country a year or so ago, is a good time to ditch the box in the corner, the television, for good.

Two: Hang laundry outside to dry for not only is it better for you and for the environment; it also saves you a packet.

Unfortunately I am also well aware that some codes and ordinances in many cities, towns and even rural areas in the US forbid the hanging of washing outside to dry. I have never heard anything more stupid, I think but there you have it. Oh, wait a minute, there is another stupid ordinance like that and that is the one that forbids the harvesting of rainwater via rain barrels even only.

Three: Eat out less and fix more home-cooked meals. While this seems to be common sense advice – the problem is common sense is not very common these days – many people today do no longer know how to cook from scratch. So, if you don't learn it. There are enough books about and be adventurous; play with recipes. I do all the time and in the process often create something great tasting.

When I say here home-cooked meals I do not mean “ping meals”, that is to say those ready meal things that you just pop into the microwave. That is not home-cooking.

Also, sit down for your meal(s) at table and that even if you are living alone. As a family it should be the norm – though I know very well that it no longer is – to sit together as a family at the table and not plonked in front of the goggle box. But then again, we ditched that in point one.

Four: Make handmade gift items for friends and family members instead of going out to buy. DIY is an old skill and one that is good when it comes to so many things including and especially gifts for friends and family. More often than not a handmade gift is also cherished much more than any not so expensive bought item.

Five: Grow a garden. Growing your own food in the form of vegetables is not difficult and can be done almost anywhere. You don't have to have much land for a garden especially if you employ the square foot method or the deep root one. While the former can be done in rained beds the latter requires large planters and both can be done, theoretically, on a patio even. In addition to that you could employ what I call “Clandestine Gardening (& Farming)”.

Six: Buy fewer clothes and unnecessary material things and make do with what you have and make your own things, from scrap even.

Reuse and upcycle what you want and need from what others would regards as waste, such as making your own notebooks, visiting cards, pencil bins, storage jars, etc., from packaging material, one side printed paper, and so on.

If you put your mind to it there is very little that you may actually have to buy and that you can make or upcycle. Today's folks often seem to believe that they invented DIY but the fact is that before mass-production everything, where possible, was made on the farmstead, with a little help from some craftsmen in the villages and towns such as the shoemaker, the smith, the cooper and the wagoner.

Much can also be done through repairing things such as older PCs, etc., and upgrading them. An older PC is not, necessarily, obsolete just because it cannot run the latest version of Microsoft Windows; MS Windows (and Apple) are not the only operating systems on the market. Linux is a great option to rescue older PCs and with a little help from forums and such like to learn some of the aspects that are different to Windows you soon have a PC that is better than any Windows PC.

This is just a very small selection of how we can simplify our lives a little more. Let's do it. We all will benefit, as will the Planet.

© 2012

Beating Recession with a Sandwich Obsession

• 69 per cent of Brits now make a packed lunch

• 45 per cent more Brits make packed lunch than pre-recession

Saving money is a top priority for Brits with 45% stating saving money as the reason to make a packed lunch. The average consumer saves £29 a month making their own packed lunch – the equivalent of £13billion a year.

It’s not just our bank balance that has benefited from home-made lunches with a new culinary trend of pimping up the British sandwich to make lunchtime a more glamorous affair heralds a new lunchtime meal - ‘the glamwich’. Over two thirds (69%) of Brits now make a packed lunch and almost half (47%) change sandwich ingredients to make a packed lunch more exciting.

The research published today of more than 2,000 Brits by Pilgrims Choice the number two cheddar brand* and Censuswide, highlights over 60 per cent of the population now regularly choose to make their own lunches. Out of these lunch makers nearly half (48%) choose to make a sandwich, which if made on a daily basis would be enough sandwiches to fill 48 double decker buses per day.

With one in five consumers adding fancy fillings to make their lunch more exciting and because it looks better than shop bought products, there are endless examples of aesthetics taking lunch making to an alluring new level:
• One third (32%) of all consumers use high-quality cheese to add glamour to a sandwich
• A fifth (21%) buy more interesting bread to make their packed lunch a more exciting occassion
• One in ten sandwich makers add olives or pesto (10%)
• Nearly a fifth (18%) add sweet chilli sauce
• 12 per cent try to replicate sandwiches they have seen or bought in shops

The increase in sandwich making has nutritional benefits as Dr Carina Norris a nutrition expert says: “Sandwiches shouldn’t be boring and making your own means you choose exactly what goes into them, so you can control the fat and salt content, maximise the amount of nutritious salad and help achieve your daily nutrient targets.”

”Try to include a variety of different vegetables in your sandwiches – different veg contain different vitamins and other healthy plant compounds, so eating a variety is a great way to help ensure you get all the nutrients you need. Salad leaves, baby spinach, cress, watercress, tomato, cucumber, grated carrot, thinly sliced radish, beetroot, finely chopped celery and peppers are just a few ideas. Thin slices of apple work well too- they’re especially good with cheese.”

For further ideas to put the rock back into your lunch roll Pilgrims Choice has demonstrated its ‘expertises in cheeses’ and launched a free smartphone app ‘Good Sandwich Pilgrim’ with plenty of categories and over 100 sandwiches to inspire your sandwich making: Glamwich, Speedy, Cheap Eats, Healthy, Vegetarian, Sweet Tooth and Kids Lunchbox.

www.goodsandwichpilgrim.com

Alastair Jackson, Marketing Director at Pilgrims Choice, said: “You only need to look at popular television shows such as MasterChef, Come Dine With Me and Great British Bake Off to see that there is a huge consumer appetite for all things foodie and why should this stop when eating ‘al desko’. This research illustrates that as we celebrate the 250th year of the sandwich, consumers are taking sandwich making to a new level. There is now a renewed interest in not only the content but also a need to make presentation ever more appealing.

For more ideas on how you can make your food more artistic visit us at our own sandwich art exhibition at Bath & West, May 30th – June 2nd.”

Pilgrims Choice prides itself on being the choosiest cheese company, going to great lengths to find and hand select the best cheese for your enjoyment. To explore our full range of cheeses on and see our latest recipes, visit www.pilgrimschoice.com

Methodology
Research was carried out by CensusWide among a representative of 2,010 UK consumers in April 2012. The results can be broken down by gender, age group and region if required.

*Number two cheese brand according to Neilson, March 2012

This press release is presented for your information only.

Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.

This article is for your information only and the GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW does not (necessarily) approve, endorse or recommend the product, service or company mentioned.

Euro-Line Solar presents the ApolloFLEX solar module

Importer and Distributor of "Made in USA" technology launches new thin and flexible solar module in Europe

Berlin, Germany, 05/22/2012 : Euro-Line Solar has been marketing "Made in USA" Technology to the European market since 2003, providing solar panels and small wind generator charging solutions for 12 and 24 Volt battery charging. The company is now launching the newest, most revolutionary solar panel for the caravan and motorhome markets, the ApolloFLEX 100 Watt module.

The solar module is manufactured in the U.S.A. using CIGS solar technology, which does not include the use of glass or aluminum framing in its production. This is the reason the panel is so light. It weighs only 2.6 Kg which saves up to 80% weight in comparison to traditional solar modules. This is a great benefit for the Motorhomes and Caravans being built today which use only the latest and lightest building materials in their design. As an example, a 200 Watt system of ApolloFLEX modules installed on a Motorhome would save over 20 Kg in comparison to standard glass modules.

The ApolloFLEX includes an adhesive attached on the bottom side of the panel and has a “peel and stick” installation method. There are no heavy spoilers or mounting brackets required to fasten the panel onto a roof. This saves additional weight and removes any wind load, thereby saving on vehicle fuel costs as well. Weight and energy savings go hand in hand in designing a state-of-the-art motorhome.

The benefit of CIGS cells is that this solar technology also creates power even in diffused sunlight. The ApolloFLEX begins charging a battery earlier in the the day and later into the afternoon, providing the customer with added battery charging, in other words, more power. This is ideal for consumers with plenty of power hungry appliances on board, such as a HiFi system, SAT television and an Induction cooktop.

The ApolloFLEX also has 2 diodes built into each cell, which helps the panel in shaded conditions. The panel is very shade tolerant. Even if the panel is 50% covered by a shadow, the panel will still continue to charge the battery, just at a reduced rate. In traditional panels, the power output would be reduced to almost zero.

The outer surface of the ApolloFLEX is made of ETFE, a very tough composite material. Once the ApolloFLEX is mounted, it is very durable and non-breakable. The added benefit is that the panel cannot be subject to theft, whereas other panels can simply be removed using a screwdriver.

This press release is presented for your information only.

Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.

This article is for your information only and the GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW does not (necessarily) approve, endorse or recommend the product, service or company mentioned.

RHS Chelsea Flower Show Garden Product of the Year Award 2012 Winner Announced

London, UK, 05/22/2012 : The RHS Chelsea Flower Show, sponsored by M&G Investments, is pleased to announce that Harrod Slot&Lock™ Framework Building System by Harrod Horticultural has been selected as the winner of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show Garden Product of the Year 2012 award.

The product was designed and developed in the UK by Harrod Horticultural as a result of their customers’ frustration with supporting framework falling to pieces and ruining their flowers and vegetables. With this system, aluminium tubing simply slots into the sockets in a range of plastic connectors which can then be locked into position with a stainless steel screw. This product is the answer to the problems associated with building framework for protection netting and supporting plants.

Chairman of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show Garden Product of the Year 2012 award, Dougal Philip, said: “Congratulations to Harrod Horticultural for winning this award. The judges felt that this was a product that all gardeners can appreciate, and which offers a real solution to a real problem. It is simple and value for money, while being high quality and functional. The standard of entries this year was exceptionally high and we would like to congratulate all the contenders on what was a very strong short list.”

The product was selected from a shortlist of fifteen, and some of the other products shortlisted included garden tools, lighting and gardening accessories. The award was judged by a panel of experts who were looking for innovative, sustainable and quality garden-related products. The panel of judges consisted of:

• Sarah Cottle – Garden Media Consultant
• Chris Harrop – Group Marketing Director, Marshalls
• Andy Peck – RHS Chairman of Tradestand Assessing
• Dougal Philip – Chairman of RHS Chelsea Flower Show Product of the Year and owner of Hopetown Nurseries
• Jean Vernon – Gardening writer

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show Garden Product of the Year award was launched by the RHS in 2011 to celebrate the best new garden product introductions available at the Show. The products are judged on a variety of criteria including innovation, functionality, quality, visual appeal and environmental sustainability. The winning product and the others on the shortlist will be on display during the show in the Fresh tradestand area, on stand number FR38.

The products shortlisted for the RHS Garden Product of the Year are:

• Access Half Growhouse, by Access Garden Products
• Threadhoe, by Agralan Ltd
• Keo Cordless Garden Saw by Bosch Lawn & Garden
• Kneelo™ Ultra Cushion Knee Pads by Burgon & Ball
• The Back Door Gardening Bag by Carrier Company
• Bamboo Children’s Hand Tools by Darlac Limited
• The Crucello by David Harber
• Jubilee Spiral by Gaze Burvill
• Harrod Slot&Lock™ Framework Building System by Harrod Horticultural
• Tango E5 by John Deere
• Prometheus Landscape Range by Prometheus Lighting Instruments
• Meadow in My Garden by Solar Technology
• Aliplanter by Squareroot Planters
• Weedmaster Damask and Floral Gloves by Town & Country
• Garden Trunk by Wilstone House and Garden

About the RHS

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s foremost gardening charity, helping and inspiring millions of people to garden. We do this at our gardens and shows and through our scientific research, publications, libraries and our education and community programmes. We are entirely funded by our members, visitors and supporters.

RHS membership is for anyone with an interest in gardening. Support the RHS and secure a healthy future for gardening. For more information call: 0845 130 4646, or visit www.rhs.org.uk

RHS Registered Charity No. 222879/SC038262

This press release is presented for your information only.

Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.

This article is for your information only and the GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW does not (necessarily) approve, endorse or recommend the product, service or company mentioned.

Fiskars Quik DrillTM – Product Review

Review by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

Improved drilling power through design

The Fiskars Quik Drill abandons the large helical screw thread found in more traditional designs in favor of two optimally angled boron steel blades secured around a sharp drill spike. This design assists penetrating even more resistant soil types and avoids jamming as the thread penetrates further. The exiting soil comes up in a neat pile for ease of disposal once the hole has been excavated.

The Quick Drill from Fiskars is a hand-operated earth auger for your garden and general homestead use. It makes planting potted trees and putting in fence posts a lot easier.

Whether you are planting trees, building fences, or other such tasks, Fiskars Quick Drill cuts to the point – pardon the pun – and makes digging those holes light work.

While it may look like and ice drill, and I would not be surprised if such a tool was the inspiration for the Quick Drill, it is, in fact, a garden drill or, to be more precise, an earth auger.

It is rather a simple product and simple is often superior to sophisticated and has many different uses.

First of all it make a hole in the soil and such a hole can be used for a variety of purposes. You can use it to plant flowers, shrubs or trees. You can make holkes foir fence posts and other similar tasks.

The blades, which are interchangeable by use of a so-called Allen key, some in three different sizes (so far), which are 10cm, 15cm and 20cm. The latter is the largest size presently available.

I have, in my tests, planted two trees using the Fiskars Quick Drill and using it was extremely easy and the job was accomplished very quickly. Well, in the second instance it was better than in the first. In the first one I encountered some rather serious obstacles, about 20cm or so down the hole, in the form of two large, overlapping, lumps of flint. Once they were prized out it continued with ease and the depth marker on the tool's shaft makes digging to the right size easy.

A great simple tool which makes digging holes for a variety of purposes easy without the need of employing a power auger.

Features:

• For planting hedges and trees, drilling a compost holes and installing large posts

• Drills a smooth edged hole without getting stuck on small stones or roots

• Handle made from FiberComp (a fiberglass reinforced polyamide) to make it extremely strong

• Steel tube shaft for maximum strength

• Dual cutting action with two optimally angled and sharpened blades

• Plus Parts are attached to the shaft with screws

• Working diameter 200mm

Made in Poland, European Union

© 2012

HP Opens Technology Renewal Center in Scotland

Presence expands asset management and recovery service capabilities for HP Financial Services

PALO ALTO, CA : HP today announced the opening of a technology renewal center in Erskine, Scotland, enabling commercial HP customers to acquire certified legacy HP products and participate in equipment reuse programs, regardless of equipment type or manufacturer.

Owned and operated by HP Financial Services, the company’s leasing and asset management subsidiary, the 8,400-square-meter facility provides customers in Europe, and around the world, with a full range of IT legacy asset management and reuse services. The services provided by the renewal center are specifically focused on helping large business enterprises handle the complexities and challenges associated with the life cycle management of IT equipment. The facility will help reduce potential e-waste by renewing older IT equipment.

“HP has full responsibility for the equipment that we take out of service,” said Paul Sadler, service delivery manager in the Education Department for the States of Guernsey Government, an HP customer. “Without HP’s help, we would have to pay to store our decommissioned equipment.”

Renewal services are a key component to the center’s operations. IT equipment processed at the facility is put through a rigorous renewal process that includes reconditioning, testing and certifying assets back to original manufacturing standards before they are remarketed.
“HP Financial Services manages and remarkets more than 2.3 million legacy IT assets each year,” said Jim O’Grady, director, Global Asset Management, HP Financial Services. “Equipped to handle the strategic requirements of enterprises large and small, the Erskine facility will enable HP Financial Services to significantly expand the global capabilities, asset management and recycling services we provide our customers.” 

Providing asset management and recovery services to customers for more than a decade, HP Financial Services works to ensure chain-of-custody control is established before taking back HP or non-HP technology at the end of a lease period or during the upgrade refresh cycle. As customers deploy new technology solutions, HP Financial Services will remove and dismantle old or end-of-life equipment that no longer meets strategic needs.

HP Financial Services is the second-largest captive IT leasing company in the world and offers a full range of life cycle asset management and financial solutions for businesses. HP Financial Services develops financial solutions that can enhance clients’ ability to implement IT infrastructures that meet their needs today, and into the future.

More information about HP Financial Services is available at www.hp.com/hpfinancialservices. Follow us on Twitter @HPFinancialSvcs.

About HP

HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The world’s largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure to solve customer problems. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com.

This press release is presented for your information only.

Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.

This article is for your information only and the GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW does not (necessarily) approve, endorse or recommend the product, service or company mentioned.

Bag Warehouse Links Promotional Tote Bags to Increased Brand Awareness with Low Cost-Per-Impression.

Recent Surveys, and client testimonials, indicate that Promotional Tote Bags with company or event logo are the lowest cost-per-impression giveaway item with high brand awareness.

Santa Ana, CA : In recent years corporations and annual conferences have scrapped promotional tote bags in an effort to reduce costs, not realizing that tote bags are actually one of the lowest cost-per-impression promotional items available. Bag Warehouse, a promotional bag provider, has worked to educate clients on the importance of continuing to market during the down economy. Clients that took the leap, and spent the money on promotional tote bags despite their budgetary concerns, were nothing less than thrilled with their decision.

Bag Warehouse VP of Sales and Marketing, Alexandra Andersen, commented that “a client recently told us that while she walking the retail area near the conference center where her event was being held, she saw many of the attendees out and about using none other than the promotional tote bag that had been provided at the conference. She saw the event logo being “toted” around town for all to see. What better advertising could one ask for?”

Additional proof of the high awareness, low cost-per-impression promotional tote bag achievement comes from a recent survey by the Advertising Specialties Institute (ASI) The survey showed that customers/recipients use promotional tote bags more than 9 times a month, and have had their oldest promo bag for an average of over 4 years! Further results displayed the average cost-per-impression for an imprinted promo bag is only $0.002, compared to $0.033 for an ad in a national magazine, with each custom imprinted or logoed bag averaging 1,038 impressions a month.

Just imagine the places your brand might travel on a promotional tote bag? Thousands of people at an airport. High-level executives around the office. Hundreds of people at the Grocery store. The places your logo will go are endless, so don’t forgo the promotional tote bags this year!

Bag Warehouse is a promotional bag wholesaler that sells directly to corporate buyers, groups, organization, conference or event planners and associations. Bag Warehouse is headquartered in Santa Ana California, and maintains production facilities for imprinted or embroidered promotional bags on the East and West coasts. Bag warehouse offers custom imprinted promotional bags in the following categories: tote bags, meeting bags, brief bags, travel bags, sports related bags, and brand name bags.

For more information about Bag Warehouse visit http://www.bagwarehouse.com

This press release is presented for your information only.

Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.

This article is for your information only and the GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW does not (necessarily) approve, endorse or recommend the product, service or company mentioned.