by Fern Shaw | Oct 7, 2014 | Charity, Water
I believe that you will have gathered by now that I’m a pretty huge proponent of The Africa Trust. I may blather on about it, but please, pick one of numerous reasons, not in the least the fact that thanks an incredibly hard working team, potable water is brought to millions of people in the world and you’ll have really clear idea of why I’m such an enthusiast.
With this in mind, I’m constantly on the look out for discoveries / inventions that can make the world a better place for all involved. Ways that draw from nature, science, ways that are practical, sustainable and more often than not, pure genius.
*Open-Source, Personal Water Desalinator: Italy
Briefly, Eliodomestico is an eco-distiller that uses solar power to make salt water drinkable. Created by Italian designer Gabriele Diamanti, Eliodomestico is an open-source project designed to provide safe drinking water for people in developing countries. Essentially, the device works like an upside-down coffee maker to produce five litres of fresh water every day. Users begin by adding sea water in the morning. Over the course of the day, the heat of the sun causes steam to rise into a water-tight boiler. The steam is then forced down through an expansion nozzle and condenses against the lid of a collection basin. At the end of the day, users can remove the basin, which is full of fresh water and designed for transport on the head.
Eliodomestico is made from widely available materials and requires no electricity or filters; maintenance is simple, Diamanti says.
Gravity-Powered Lamp: United Kingdom
Many of us may take electric lights for granted, but there is a considerable portion of the world—around 1.5 billion people—that lives in poor, remote areas and has to rely on dangerous kerosene alternatives. Currently being funded through an Indiegogo campaign, the GravityLight hopes to change that by offering a cheap lamp that runs on a renewable resource. The device is attached to a weight, which when lifted for a few seconds harnesses enough energy to power the light for 30 minutes. Operating without batteries, the GravityLight contains no deteriorating parts and means owners don’t have to spend money to keep it running.
How fabulous are those? Pretty fabulous I say.
*extracts from an article at Spark
by Fern Shaw | Sep 12, 2014 | Water, water cooler
Summer is winding down to a close – we’ve all had (hopefully) our summer hols, gloried in our blooming gardens and green spaces, watered the lawn, rejoiced in the warm temperatures and generally had a jolly good old time.
Now late summer progresses into autumn and with it comes a new set of to-do’s for your gardens in preparation for the winter months –
September is generally a cooler, gustier month than August and the days are noticeably shorter. While there’s not as much to do in the ornamental garden at this time of the year, if you have a fruit or vegetable patch, you’ll be busy reaping the rewards of harvest. It’s also time to get out and start planting spring-flowering bulbs for next year and you can collect seeds for next summer’s colour too.
1 – Divide herbaceous perennials.
2 – Pick autumn raspberries.
3 – Collect and sow seed from perennials and hardy annuals.
4 – Dig up remaining potatoes before slug damage spoils them.
5 – Net ponds before leaf fall gets underway.
6 – Keep up with watering of new plants, using rain or grey water if possible.
7 – Start to reduce the frequency of houseplant watering.
8 – Clean out cold frames and greenhouses so that they are ready for use in the autumn.
9 – Cover leafy vegetable crops with bird-proof netting.
10 – Plant spring flowering bulbs.
* Excerpts from an article in the Royal Horticultural Society
by Fern Shaw | Sep 10, 2014 | Health and Hydration, Water
Our local whizz, Shelly, just added a page about healthy water drinks ideas, all containing a herb or spice that packs a power punch of health, with the added bonus of tasting good too. Then there was a mention on social media about the incredible healing powers of garlic and it got me to thinking – just how beneficial is garlic to our well-being?
There are apparently numerous benefits – I’m detailing just a few cloves worth here:
- Garlic strengthens the immune system as well as helps to fight chest infections, coughs and congestion. In the winter months garlic is a great food to boost your immune system and ward off colds and flu.
- Cardiovascular disease can be reduced by ingesting garlic. LDL cholesterol is no friend of garlic and the aortic plaque deposits that gather on the walls of your body’s veins can be reduced with the use of garlic too.
- Fungal and bacterial vaginal infections are toast when treated with garlic. When crushed or bruised, garlic releases Allicin which is a sulphuric compound that is a natural antibiotic. WWI soldiers even apparently used crushed garlic on infected wounds suffered in battle. If you decide to take garlic in tablet form be sure to use powdered capsules. The processes used to create garlic tablets destroy the Allicin that is present.
- Garlic regulates blood sugar as it enhances the level of insulin in the blood. This may assist in the control of diabetes. Seek medical advice if you believe the use of garlic could help your condition.
- Garlic is a great source of vitamin B6 which is needed for a healthy immune system and the efficient growth of new cells. Vitamin B6 can also assist with mood swings and improve your cheery disposition!
So, there you have it – 5 fabulous ways to improve your health and general well-being all packed into a clove or two. I wouldn’t try garlic steeped in water though, perhaps leave that one out.
by Fern Shaw | Sep 8, 2014 | Water
So you know too:
The Ice Bucket Challenge, sometimes called the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, is an activity involving dumping a bucket of ice water on someone’s head to promote awareness of the disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and encourage donations to research. It went viral throughout social media during July-August 2014. In the US, people participate for the ALS Association, and in the UK, people participate for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.
The challenge dares nominated participants to be filmed having a bucket of ice water poured on their heads and challenging others to do the same. A common stipulation is that nominated people have 24 hours to comply or forfeit by way of a charitable financial donation.
Goodness, has this ice bucket challenge set the cat amongst the pigeons, or rather, the catcalls and fur flying amongst the cats! Social media moaning and celebrity silly – Matt Damon used ice (natch) but took water out of his toilets to complete the challenge. Hmm. Some people are whinging because they feel that those participating in the challenge are being insensitive with all the water wastage going on – calling them attention seeking wannabe’s – some are commenting that one bucket of water is more than certain families see in 2 weeks or so.
Do I have an opinion? Of course I do! I wouldn’t be me otherwise. But here’s the thing – for once – I’m keeping my opinion to myself. Suffice to say, ALS or Motor Neurone Disease is certainly receiving a lot of attention. And in a world jam packed full of information overload – isn’t that perhaps a good thing?
by Fern Shaw | Sep 2, 2014 | Water, water cooler
Seeing as I’ve done more intensive online research for blogging this week than a mole trying to tunnel through concrete, I’m taking my foot off the proverbial accelerator pedal and doing a gentle segue into a few fun water facts:
- Human blood is 83% water. Now I better understand Dracul and his ilk – the oke’s just dehydrated, man!
- Over 90% of the world’s supply of fresh water is located in Antarctica. Ernest Shackleton and those that followed were definitely onto something.
- Since life began, we have had the same amount of water on the planet. To the best of human understanding, life can only exist with water. Now you know.
- The water from your tap could contain molecules that dinosaurs drank. Ew.
- More than half (63%) our daily water consumption at home originates from the bathroom and the toilet. Grey water rules!
- Water regulates the Earth’s temperature. Mine too! I overheat badly, so I can really relate.
- Water is the only mineral that is found naturally on Earth in three forms; liquid, gas, solid. Gas – *snigger*
- If the entire adult population of England and Wales remembered to turn off the tap when they were brushing their teeth, we could save 180 mega litres a day – enough to supply nearly 500,000 homes and fill 180 Olympic swimming pools! (One Olympic sized pool is 1 million litres / 1Ml). More brushing, less tap on and more tap off, people!
- Each Briton uses about 150 litres of tap water a day, but if you include the amount of water embedded within products, our water consumption increases to about 3400 litres a day.
At the rate this consumption is going on, I think I’m going to be bringing my blankie to work and draping myself around the water cooler for the foreseeable future.
by Fern Shaw | Sep 2, 2014 | Water
This is not, as one might deduce from the heading, a blog about an elephant and a free-standing water fountain, but rather about steps that you can take when you’re convinced that you’re about to have a meltdown rivalling that of Chernobyl.
- Close your eyes (preferably not when you’re driving your lorry). Gently let the world disappear, and go within to regain your equilibrium. This makes sense as when one thinks of how much information one is exposed to every waking minute of the day – mobiles; TV’s; iPad’s, iPhone’s, iPod’s; Kindles – it can only be a blessed relief to switch off that constant input for a little while – and not just while one is sleeping, as that’s a whole different kettle of fish. Consciously closing one’s eyes and drifting off can calm ones frayed nerves immensely.
- Go outside. This can be easier said than done, as we don’t all have the luxury of a village green, Common or park near us, but you can try to find a safe(ish) open area with a bit of grass or a bench where you’re not jammed in cheek to jowl with other people.
- Breathe deeply. Breathing is the foundation of sanity, because it is the way we provide our brain and every other vital organ in our body with the oxygen needed for us to survive. Breathing also eliminates toxins from our systems. One of the simplest ways to calm the nerves is to stay still (sitting or standing) and breath in through the nose, mouth closed, deep into the stomach, and exhale, again, through the nose, mouth closed. Repeat 3 x.
- Find some water. Whether it’s a local pond or a gentle babbling brook, being close to running water is very calming. On the rainy or snowy days that you can’t really venture outside, take a shower and imagine (albeit briefly) that you’re on some tropical island underneath a waterfall – and [insert name of favourite fantasy companion here] is preparing your meal nearby
- Drink water. When you’re overwrought, keep drinking it – a big glass of it once an hour. Walk beside some water, look at it, and listen to it. Get into some if you can, for a bath or a swim. Hot baths and hot springs are popular for good reasons.
adamlane
