Greece Could Seize Personal Assets; Portuguese banks gamble with government debt - ValueWalk Greeks have to declare all their wealth From January 2017, 8.5 million Greek citizens have to file a declaration of their belongings. The government is on the hunt for real estate, jewellery, art and even cash – outside the banking system. Before government implements new tax, a directory of the soon-taxed wealth has to be prepared. Rating agencies – economic weapon of the USA Far from being news – the US uses rating agencies as a weapon of economic warfare against countries trying to become independent from the superpower. How to distinguish an attack from yet another revision of credit risk? Tourism is one of the key sectors in Turkey’s economy. China and Russia to double the efforts to help Syrians Chinese and Russian military delivers humanitarian help for Syrians in the conflict zone but will also start to arm and train Syrian military to fight the Islamic State. Cooperation of this alliance is also visible in the South China Sea. Governments tell people to stockpile food and water
Artificial photosynthesis breakthrough turns CO2 emissions into plastics and biofuel Scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California, Berkeley have created a hybrid system of bacteria and semiconducting nanowires that mimics photosynthesis. According to the researchers, their versatile, high-yield system can take water, sunlight and carbon dioxide and turn them into the building blocks of biodegradable plastics, pharmaceutical drugs and even biofuel. Although renewable energy is making up a growing portion of the world’s energy production, scientists have suggested that the current trends of CO2 buildup in our atmosphere are still likely to lead to serious consequences, and do so sooner than we had anticipated. One way to keep harmful emissions under control could be to trap the CO2 coming out of smokestacks using materials like polymers or sponges. Taking inspiration from Mother Nature, scientists have now devised a system that uses sunlight and water to convert carbon dioxide into a wide range of useful chemicals. Source: LBNL
GREEN BUILDING 101: Appliances, Electronics and Energy Use Here at Green Building 101, we’ve looked at many ways that you can design, build, and renovate your home with more attention to your health and the environment. This is the tenth installment in the series, and now that you’ve been thoroughly educated, we’re going to dig into the nitty gritty details. Get ready for glamour; we’re talking today about plug loads. Ah, plug loads! Pay up-front for quality appliances. Some call these white goods, but they come in all colors and buying the right models can save you lots in energy costs over time. But manufacturers are bringing more efficient models to the market all the time, so choose wisely. The easiest way to identify the most energy-efficient products is to look for the ENERGY STAR label. ENERGY STAR qualified clothes washers will save both energy and water, but remember to use cold water as much as possible and wash full loads of laundry. Room air conditioners fly off the shelves in summer months. Tools, toys and toasters
12 Organic Fertilizers & Natural Bug Repellants It’s officially time to start planting in most growing zones of the continental U.S. – how will you make your garden grow this year? These 12 easy, natural DIY pest repellants and fertilizers will enrich your soil and prevent damaging insects and slugs from undoing all your hard work. Safe for organic gardens, these homemade garden recipes and fertilizing tips will give you your best growing season ever. Castile Soap Spray Insecticide (image via: drbronner.com) Is there anything castile soap can’t do? Manure (image via: kristine paulus) There are few things better for enriching the soil in your garden than plain old rotted manure. Garlic Spray Insecticide (image via: mullica) Garlic spray acts as a deterrent, encouraging insects to move on to more appetizing plants. Nettle Tea (image via: la catholique) Nettles aren’t a pleasant plant to brush up against – their leaves are covered in stinging hairs that inject histamine and other chemicals into the skin, producing a stinging sensation. Compost
Utopia.de - wir fangen dann schon mal an "Smart" facade keeps offices from overheating, without using any electricity - Images The facade incorporates fabric discs containing shape-memory wires (Image: Bára Finnsdottir/Weissensee School of Art, Berlin) Office buildings with plate glass windows may provide a nice view for workers, but they're certainly not ideal when it comes to energy-efficiency. Among other things, the sunlight that pours through them can raise the temperature in the office, causing the air conditioning to come on. The facade was developed via a collaboration between Fraunhofer and the Weissensee School of Art in Berlin. Based on a concept by design student Bára Finnsdottir, it's composed of an array of circular flower-like components. In the case of the facade, that heat comes from direct sunlight. According to Fraunhofer, the facade could be retrofitted to existing windows, either on the surface of the glass or between the panes (in the case of double-paned windows). A working prototype of the technology will be on display from Apr. 13 to 17, at the Hannover Messe industrial trade show. Share
Electronics 101 - Fundamentals of Electricity - Lesson 1 - MATTER Throughout mankind, we have tried to explain the things we see around us. This is probably what sets us apart from the apes more than anything else. While other animals are simply content with the fact that a rock is a rock and a tree is a tree, we as humans must investigate and find out WHY a tree grows, and HOW was this rock formed? At first, man broke things down into various groups. Along the way someone found they could be broken down into 3 groups: Animal, Vegetable, and Mineral. This worked fine for monkeys, which were animal, and trees which were vegetable. Another way of classifying things was found: Solids, Liquids and Gases. Benjamin Franklin concluded from his many experiments, that electricity had certain properties, such as pressure, current. So again we pose the question, "What is MATTER?" Scientifically we define matter as all the "material" things about us. All matter then takes up space.
Raising Guinea Fowl: A Low-Maintenance Flock - Sustainable Farming Like officious little men in baggy gray suits, the guinea fowl scuttle up and down our driveway. Since dawn, they've been scouring our orchard for beetles, locusts, spiders, and ticks. Now they are ready to patrol our yard and garden for ants, cockroaches, flies, wasps, termites, cutworms, grubs, and snails. I can remember a time when my husband and I had no guineas. Raising Guinea Fowl Many people have never seen, much less heard of, guinea fowl. Ask those who keep guineas why they have them and you'll get a different answer every time. Free-ranging guineas spend most of their days foraging. But these little foragers have their faults. In addition to the minor inconveniences caused by dusting and occasional scratching, guineas have other characteristics that some people find somewhat less than endearing. Guinea Fowl: Low-Maintenance Poultry Maybe you can't pal around with these guys, but they're a heck of a lot less trouble than other fowl. How to Catch a Guinea Caring for Guinea Keets
Better Wind Turbines Are Here: Lightweight, Compact, Powerful! BuildingGreen Backpacking Light 101 A Lightweight Primer to Backcountry Travel for the Uninitiated By Ryan Jordan Ryan Jordan is the co-founder and Publisher of Backpacking Light. Ultralight backpacking, contrary to proclamations by Those That Carry Heavy Packs, is not practiced by that crazy fringe segment of wilderness society that derives their calories from obscure edible roots and their shelter from two twigs and a waterproof handkerchief. Ultralight backpacking is not hard, nor does it discriminate against those with physical challenges. How-To: Seven Steps to Enlightenment 1. Don’t have a digital scale yet? 2. Camp chairs, GPS units, espresso makers, the latest Clancy novel, cellular phones – do you really need all this stuff? 3. We have been fed a steady of diet of conservative backcountry theology that has created generations of hikers that prepare for winter but only hike between July Fourth and Labor Day. 4. Ultralight backpacking requires that you rethink your equipment list. 5. 6. 7. The Ultralight Way of Life
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