What is the purpose of termites?…

Those incredibly destructive little creatures have the potential to benefit
humans in the production of biofuels. Or more precisely, the bacteria in
their stomachs. Termites process the wood they ingest in a series of stomachs,
each with a distinct set of bacteria.  Those bugs within bugs release enzymes
that break down cellulose, the sugar chains in wood, into acetate, a fatty
acid that provides the termite’s energy. Scientists with the Joint Genome
Institute at the U.S. Department of Energy, hope to develop a process to
harness the power of these bacteria on an industrial scale to break cellulose
down into ethanol and provide biofuel without using food crops as a source. (more…)

Planet Green and ABC News have joined forces

There’s a new program on Planet Green called Focus Earth. It airs every
Saturday at 6PM ET (5 CT). Focus Earth is an eco-newscast hosted by Bob
Woodruff, produced by ABC News and supported by it’s vast team of reporters
around the world.

You might remember Bob Woodruff, he was the co-anchor of ABC’s “World News
Tonight” for only a month when he received a devastating head injury from (more…)

Reusable bags reduce the amount of crude oil and natural gas used to
make plastic bags. They also reduce the amount of waste in landfills and
God forbid, our waterways and oceans.

Properly installed insulation can cut your energy bill up to 50%.

Green jeans! Denim insulation is made from recycled blue jeans and/or the
‘off cuts’ during production. Plus, it won’t harm you, unlike the floating
glass particles that fiberglass insulation creates. It also diverts over 200 (more…)

Studio 804 arrives at the defunct Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant, 285 miles from
Greensburg, to dismantle one of the abandoned buildings and reuse the structural
wood and materials for the skin of the new Arts Center. They stage the new building
construction in a warehouse in Lawrence.

January 9,2008, Stacy Barnes, President of the Arts Center Board, holds the first
meeting of the board, now renamed the 5.4.7 Arts Center, the date of the tornado.
Her mother and father have purchased some land for the Arts Center and will donate
it at the appropriate time. She tells the board that Studio 804 has offered to (more…)

As promised, your tankless water heater info.

There is a wide selection depending on your needs.

Point of Use (also called Single Use), models are all electric.

Whole House models are either electric or gas (indoor or outdoor). There are
factors that need to be taken into consideration while making your choice.
Such as the electrical capacity of your house for the electric models or the
ability to properly vent the indoor gas models. (more…)

This article came to my attention today. I have no idea on the factual
nature of it. But, it was enough for me to stand up and shout, I DON’T
THINK SO! Anyway, before you finish reading this post, you need to click
on the site below, read the article, then come back.

Death of Free Internet is Imminent - Canada will become Test Case (more…)

You’ve probably experienced the bouncing sensation when a car passes, as you
walk in a multistoried parking structure. Or the phenomenon of the floor
vibrating beneath your feet on the upper levels of a crowded mall during the
holidays. A mini earthquake from thousands of feet traversing the walkways.
Structures are designed to accommodate this motion, which structural engineers
call “dynamic load”. (more…)

The chief advantages of tankless water heaters are a continuous flow of hot
water and energy savings. Tankless water heaters heat water directly without
the use of a storage tank. Therefore, they avoid the standby heat losses
associated with storage water heaters. When a hot water tap is turned on,
cold water travels through a pipe into the unit. In an electric tankless
water heater an electric element heats the water. In a gas-fired tankless
water heater a gas burner heats the water. As a result, tankless water
heaters deliver a constant supply of hot water.

Adults generally prefer shower temperatures of 105–120 °F (40–49 °C),
requiring the incoming cold water temperature to be raised about 55 °F
(30 °C) or more, if the hot water is later mixed with cold water. (more…)

U.S. landfills are hitting capacity and closing at a rate of one per day.

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When styrofoam (polystyrene), is heated (like in landfills), or comes in
contact with certain chemicals it breaks down and releases acetone (the
active ingredient in nail polish remover), which is dangerous to our planet
and our bodies. (more…)