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Scientists from the Alaska Volcano Observatory has warned that an eruption of Mount Redoubt in the south-central area of Alaska is imminent! Residents in the area are advised to prepare themselves with dust masks and goggles to protect their eyes and respiratory system from a shower of ash and dust.

There are threat levels that are placed on volcanoes, green, yellow, orange and red, to determine the eruption probability. 10,197 foot Mount Redoubt was moved from green to yellow back in November of 2008 when geologists noticed changed emissions and some melting near the summit. Sunday, January 25, 2009 the threat level was moved to orange when noticeable earthquake activity was noted below the volcano itself.

Alaskan volcanoes are much different than what you would normally expect, as most of them shoot ash approximately 40,000 feet high, but most do not produce a lava flow. The ash that comes from volcanoes is very abrasive, not the kind of ash that you would find at the bottom of a fire pit, inhaling it can cause serious respiratory conditions. The same type of preparations used during a snowstorm should be taken for Alaskan’s at this time! Stock up on food, flashlights, batteries and limit driving. You never know when she might blow!

Be Safe!
~Wind

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Carbon Label showing grams of carbon dioxide emitting during the life of the product

Last Week, PepsiCo and Carbon Trust, and independent company set up by the UK government to reduce carbon emissions in businesses and develop low carbon technology, began a partnership to certify the carbon emissions of several of the PepsiCo products!

PepsiCo is one of the largest food and beverage corporations in the world! Products such as Frito-Lay, Pepsi-Cola, Gatorade, Tropicana Juices and Quaker Foods are only a few of PepsiCo’s primary businesses. Tropicana is now the first brand in North America to be certified by Carbon Trust, by calculating the carbon footprint of one 64 ounce container of Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice, which by the way, measures out to be 1.7 kilograms.

Each product that we buy and everything that we do creates a carbon impact; in order for us to reduce that impact we needed to establish a measurement system that would work globally! That world-wide measurement system is based on the Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 2050 guidelines. These guidelines require companies, such as Carbon Trust, to map out the life cycle of the product, in the case with Tropicana, this would include growing, squeezing, getting the product on the shelves and the final ridding yourself of the product. They then look at the consumption of energy that is involved with each of these stages and converts it into a carbon dioxide equivalent. Then by adding the carbon dioxide emissions from each stage of life together they can then estimate the total of the products footprint! By giving this information to the businesses, it enables them to take the steps necessary to reduce the over-all carbon footprint of the product.

Products certified by Carbon Trust will have a carbon count on the outside of the packaging to inform consumers of the carbon footprint that the product leaves behind! This means that consumers will not only be counting fat and calories from the products that they buy, but carbon grams as well!

~Wind

You don’t really get to take the manatee home with you, to keep in your bathtub! But to adopt an animal in someone’s name does make for a great gift!

There are several companies out there that provide this service. World Wildlife Fund gives you the option to adopt more than 90 different species, from Meerkats to Great White Sharks. All monies received, go towards relieving the threats on each species, whether it be poaching or loss of habitat! There are different choices of adoption kits that you can purchase that range from $25 to $100. With each adoption kit you receive an adoption certificate and a photo of the animal that you adopted! With the more expensive kits you can receive gift bags and plush toys, as well!

Adopting from the Save The Manatee Club, provides a photo of your manatee, a biography, an adoption certificate, and newsletters for a year with updates on your new family member.

So, for Valentine’s Day why not give the gift of life?

~Wind

I’m not sure about you, but if you are anything like me, there is nothing like fresh salsa and tortilla chips for a mid-day snack!

Fresh salsa made straight from your garden, is absolutely delicious and simple to make!

Here’s a quick and simple recipe for my favorite afternoon snack:

2 cloves of garlic chopped fine
1 small red onion
2 tsp of lime juice
2 tbls of fresh cilantro
2 cups of chopped tomatoes
1/8 cup of water
salt and pepper to taste

If you want to go all the way; buy some corn tortillas, cut into triangles and fry them up in some safflower oil, and you have fresh chips as well!

~Wind

The Whitebark Pine Tree has been petitioned to be placed as an endangered species under the Federal Endangered Species Act by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) last month.

The Whitebark Pine Tree is a pine that only grows at higher elevations and provides many key factors to our ecosystem. This tree produces a nut that provides the grizzly bears, the red squirrels and the Clark’s Nutcracker with a staple food that is rich in calories. During the winter months, the pine creates natural snow fences, in spring, it provides shelter for the snow from the powerful sun creating a slow and even melt and in summer it helps to maintain the water flow from the summer rains.

Unfortunately, this necessary forest inhabitant is becoming endangered by the global warming process, threatening it with evasive diseases such as blister rust and insects such as the Mountain Pine Beetle. This beetle infests and attacks trees that are already vulnerable due to other altercating factors. The Mountain Pine Beetle typically spends the winter months, in the late larvae stage, under the pine bark protected from the bitter cold months, only to emerge in spring and consume its host. Although, as a direct result of global warming the winter months are cut short enabling the beetle to produce more beetles and rise to higher elevations than ever before.

According the NRDC the Whitebark Pine could be the first “broadly dispersed tree” that would be protected by the Endangered Species Act. The loss of this tree could result in leaving large gaps in some of this continents’ most iconic landscapes and eliminate a vital food source for some of our most vital wildlife.

At the moment these Whitebark Pine forests have decreased by nearly 50% with the remaining 50% already infected with blister rust or infested with Mountain Pine Beetles and on the brink of extinction!

To bring this even closer to home, the nut produced by the Whitebark Pine that is feasted on by grizzly bears, is scarce. This scarcity will force the bears that are looking to pack on a few pounds before winter, further down the mountains in search of food, which will in turn bring these beautiful creatures in closer contact with humans. Which as we all know, if the grizzlies come in contact more with humans this could indeed create more grizzly attacks which would bring more grizzlies to their death.

I’ll keep you posted with the results of the petition; with any luck at all we can take the steps necessary to save these most important members of our environment!

~Wind

I don’t know about you, but I’m an avid book reader and collector! I have many more books than I have read! I’ll see a book that I must have, read a few chapters than I see something shiney, end up putting my new book on the shelf and there it will sit…until one day, I find another ‘must have’ book and the cycle begins again!

One way to stop the book hoarding madness is to categorize your books by fiction, non-fiction, reference, ‘books I’ve read’ and ‘books I haven’t read’. Start with your reference books and treat them in the same manner that you would if you were cleaning out your closet! Determine whether or not you have looked back for information through each book over the last year, if not, put in the ‘it has to go’ pile.

Next move over to your fiction and non-fiction books, if you are like me, there are probably plenty of books that you are keeping that you have already read thoroughly. Now ask yourself, why? Why am I keeping them? Do I plan on reading them again? Keeping books on your shelf “just in case” you want to read them again, is an excellent way to watch your collection multiply!

Now for the tricky part, this is the part that takes self-contol (which is always the hardest part for me). Take the books that you haven’t read and determine which ones are books you’ll never read and which books that you just haven’t gotten to yet. The books that you’ll never read, put in the ‘it has to go’ pile! The books that you haven’t gotten to yet, dedicate yourself to reading a certain amount of books before you buy another new book! Say to yourself “I, Wind, will not purchase another book until I read five of my existing books!” It’s kind of a reward system for yourself! Once you read you’re five books, take a trip to the book store and treat yourself, but only with ONE book! Once you’ve finished your five books and purchased your new one, be sure to get rid of the other five, or you’ll find yourself doing this again next year!

Deciding what to do with your ‘it’s gotta go’ pile is easy. You can donate them to a used book store, a thrift store, the hospital or give them to a friend. However, the point of shrinking your book collection is to make you happier, if the thought of getting rid of any of your books makes you unhappy, just accept the fact that you are indeed a hoarder of books, get out the duster, clean your shelves with a smile and curl up with a good book and cup of hot cocoa!

Off to dust my shelves…

~Wind

There are so many natural cooking tips to make your life easier in the kitchen! Below are 10 tips that answer some of the most basic, yet complex questions in the kitchen!

1. Getting that stinky smell off your hands after cutting onions seems impossible. Rub your hands on a stainless steel spoon or fresh coffee beans. I love the smell of coffee!

2. Add a pinch of salt to a pot of boiling eggs to keep them from cracking.

3. Ever add too much salt to a pot of soup? Add a peeled potato to absorb the excess salt!

4. Burnt gravy? Pour the gravy into a clean pan and continue to cook, add a little bit of sugar and taste…keep adding the sugar, a little at a time, until the burnt taste is gone, but don’t over-sugar!

5. How about a pot of rice? Lay a piece of white bread over the top of the rice for 5-10 mins, this should remove the burnt flavor, just be careful not to scrap the burnt rice from the bottom of the pan when you serve it!

6. Before you begin chopping up spicy peppers, rub a little bit of vegetable oil on your hands, this will prevent your hands from absorbing the pepper oils.

7. Not sure how fresh your eggs are? Add them to a pot of water. If your eggs stay on the bottom of the pot, they’re fresh. If only one end starts to rise, it should be eaten quickly and if the egg rises to the top, get rid of it!

8. Bananas release a type of gas that will cause fruits to ripen quickly. After purchasing a bunch of bananas separate them and store each banana in a different place, it will preserve the life of the banana.

9. Use left over water after boiling pasta, potatoes or eggs to water your plants. Your plants will thrive off the nutrients!

10. Here’s an easy way to skim the fat off the top of a casserole…drop an ice cube in the meal it will attract the fat and make it easier to scoop out!

Some of these tips you may already be aware of and if you have more to add, feel free!

~Wind

Photo Credit: Chemistry Land

The price of regular household cleaners are skyrocketing, why not take a little bit of time and make your own! Most of the ingredients used in household cleaners are already located in your kitchen and all it would take is a little bit of know how to save yourself some money. I buy any items that you need in bulk and make all my cleaners during the first of the month.

Grocery List

vinegar
Borax
dish detergent
essential oils (optional)
baking soda
washing soda
lemon
olive oil

The most common cleaners are:

All purpose cleaner - (mix right in a spray bottle)

2 tbls vinegar
1 tsp Borax
Hot water
few drops of a mild dish detergent
10 drops of essential oil (optional)

In a spray bottle add vinegar, borax and hot water, swish around until the borax dissolves - Add the dish detergent and essential oils like lavendar, orange or lemon.

Glass Cleaner

1/2 tsp dish detergent
3 tbls vinegar
2 cups water

Put all ingredients together into a spray bottle and shake

Carpet Freshner

1 cup baking soda
1/2 cup lavendar flowers (Crush to release their scent)

Mix flowers with baking soda and sprinkle on carpet - let sit for 30 minutes before vacuumming.

Hard Scrubbing cleanser (like Comet)

Very simple - just use baking soda and dampen a little bit - scrub with a soft cloth

Soft Scrubbing Cleanser

Add baking soda in a bowl with liquid dish detergent until you have a smooth paste.

Furniture Polish

1 lemon (juiced)
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp water

Mix the lemon with oil and water - apply a thin coat on your wood surface and let sit for five minutes - use a soft cloth to buff to a shine!

Floor Cleaner

1 Cup vinegar
1/4 cup washing soda (not to be confused with baking soda or washing powder)
1 tbls dish detergent
2 gallons hot water

Combine all ingredients and stir well to dissolve washing soda - mop as usual

Laundry Detergent

1/3 to 1/2 bar of Fels Naptha or ivory soap, grated (this is a laundry bar that can be found in the laundry soap section of the grocery store)
1/2 cup Borax
1/2 cup Washing Soda
4 quarts water

This can take a little bit of extra time but makes 3 gallons of laundry detergent. Use an old pot ( that holds about 6 quarts and use this pot for laundry making only! A wooden spoon, an old cheese grater, a funnel and some plastic containers - I use three plastic gallon milk jugs - washed out. Place 6 cups of hot water in your pot and turn the heat on medium - grate your bar of Naptha or Ivory Soap into the water. Stir until the soap is dissolved. Add Borax and Washing soda. Stir until it is thickened. Add more warm water until it is almost to the top of the pot stir a little longer and turn off the heat. When the mixture has cooled, pour even amounts into each of your three milk jugs (this is where the funnel comes in handy!). Mix well and let sit for a few hours until cool. This will get thick, so continue to add water as needed until it is a nice liquid consistency. It may tend to separate, so keep stirring as needed. Use 1/2 cup per laundry detergent per load. Add a few drops of essential oil if you like. Since this laundry soap is low sudsing, you can use cold water for most of your laundry and cut your utility bill drastically.

With a little extra time and a change of habits you can cut your cleaning supplies bill and have a ‘clean green home’!

~Wind

Photo Credit: Cumberlandcd

So often I haved watched people rant and rave on the ideal that you have to use the best quality oil or gas in their vehicles, how it’s important to use the best quality paint on their homes, how using the cheaper brand is usually the worst idea EVER and in the same breath they will run over to McDonalds and grab a bite to eat!

Watching what we eat may cost a bit more and may take a little bit more time, but it is our bodies and our lives that we are talking about! Instead of devoting so much energy on which windshield wiper fluid that we put into our silly vehicles, we should be devoting our energy into what we put into our bodies!

In the hustle and bustle of the face paced world that we live in, I understand that it is much easier to run in and grab something quick to eat, however, taking a little extra time now and eating right may add that little extra time at the end of our lifespan. On the occasions that we choose to add fresh vegetables and fruits into our diets we need to be cautious, just because it isn’t frozen or fast food does not mean that it’s healthy.

Reality is, that some of these foods are only guised as healthy. The average dioxin levels in farmed salmon, for instance, is 11 times higher than that of wild salmon, due to the feed the farm raised fish is given. A single Bell Pepper has shown over 64 different pesticides in one sample and with Strawberries, in an effort to increase the sweetness of the fruits, it has been documented that some growers will add an artificial sweetner to the water used to irrigate the plants.

And then there is chicken! Oh the debates about chicken! According to a study that was done by the Institue for Agriculture and Trade Policy and the Sierra Club they found multiple antibiotic resistant bacteria in conventional chickens, this could result in drug resistant infections in humans. Just because the chicken is free range does not mean it’s drug free!

The use of the genetically engineered drug Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) is used heavily in the cattle industry in the U.S. This drug is used to enhance the production of the cow’s own hormones to ‘build them bigger, stronger, faster’. This hormone does not break down in humans and has been traced to higher risks of certain cancers.

If you are not already growing your own organic produce, it is always best to buy it from local farmers as the pesticide levels in commercially grown produce can reach ridiculous heights.

Listed above are only a few of the problems with commercially marketed food today. It only takes a little extra time and money to eat right but our lives depend on it!

~ Wind

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I’m sitting at home and watching the inaugural celebrations on CNN. As the morning goes on, I am becoming more and more hopeful for our future! A future that sparks a change that is so desperately needed for this Country!

Swearing in a leader that can actually speak for America and nearly all of those he speaks for, agrees with him. How many times have you watched our leaders of the past speak and you want to throw a shoe at him? I’m excited to finally to have a leader that when he speaks, I nod and cheer!

Here’s for a brighter future for our children, our environment and our economy!

Yes we CAN!