High Nature: Amazing Mountain Wildlife
June 30, 2009 by admin · View Comments
(images via claude74, itsnature, gravitydude99)
Mountains are some of the most inhospitable places on earth. Thin air, lack of vegetation and harsh weather highlight that fact. But some creatures have adapted to mountain life. For them, negotiating rocky terrain, breathing thin air, and finding food in such a scarce environment is second nature.
Snow Leopard
(image via newagecrap)
Snow Leopards are at home in South and Central Asia. They are an especially stocky cat, weighing up to 120 pounds. Despite their ferocity (snow leopards have been known to kill animals three-times their size), they are endangered, with the worldwide population estimated around 10,000.
Indian Rhino and Yak
(images via Wonker and thomaswanhoff)
The Indian Rhinoceros is one of the most unusual mountain creatures. They thrive in the foothills of the Himalaya Mountains in Northeastern India and Nepal. They can weight more than 3 tons, easily the largest mountain animal on earth.
The yak is a woolly, strong creature that has made life possible to humans in the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau for centuries. They have larger hearts and lungs than their other bovine cousins and can survive at up to 18,000 feet above sea-level.
Mountain Goat
(image via mikefats)
There are actually several species that are often tagged as Mountain Goats. The shaggy, sure-footed Rocky Mountain Goat is frequently sighted in Colorado and Wyoming. Other species are equally sure-footed and able to survive by eating whatever the mountains have to offer.
Himalayan Griffon, Andean Condor, and Tibetan Snowcock
(images via reurinkjan, Ester Inbar and Otto Plantema)
The Himalayan Griffon Vulture is a scavenger that can often be seen soaring over the mountains of South Asia. With a wingspan that approaches 10 feet, this is one of the largest birds to be found at high altitudes.
The Andean Condor is the Griffon’s Western Hemisphere cousin. It has a similar size. This South American species can live up to 50 years.
The Tibetan Snowcock is not as large as the two scavengers above, but it is arguably as tough, carving out an existence high on the Tibetan Plateau.
Alpine Marmot
(images via leo-seta)
Alpine Marmots are the largest relative of the squirrel. They have an ideal set of skills for life in Central Europe’s mountains. They are able to dig through hard, rocky ground with ease and can escape harsh conditions by hibernating (sometimes up to nine months per year).
Vicuna and Llama
(images via Rico Hubner and eschipul)
The rare Vicuna is a cousin of South America’s most famous domesticated animal, the llama. It thrives in the same high-altitude conditions, but is considerably harder to find. At one point, there were only about 10,000 left in the wild. Protection has brought the number back to more than 100,000.
The Llama has become of necessity of life for people living in the high Andes. These relatives of the camel have are used for labor, for their thick wool, and even for food.
Alpine Ibex
(image via Earth explorer)
This species of goat is easily recognized by its long, curving horns (which can be more than three feet long). Despite the menacing appearance this gives them, the horns are mainly used for protection against predators. Like most other goats, the ibex is strictly a herbivore, surviving on sometimes scarce mountain foliage.
Water-holding Cabbage
(image via Esculapio)
This unique plant species is one of the many unique ones that grow high on Mount Kilimanjaro. The flowering tops make it seem top-heavy and completely alien.
Bharal and Deer Mice
(images via reurinkjan and kwantlen park)
The Bharal is yet another goat-like animal that thrives in sparse, rocky terrain. Its sure footing and ability to ingest anything that is vaguely edible make it an ideal mountain dweller. Bharal are a major food source for another animal on this list, Snow Leopards.
Deer Mice are found high on many of the world’s mountains. These creatures can adapt easily to a number of environments, including the extreme cold of the Andes Mountains.
Josh
Embracing a bad day, it’s not easy but there’s always a way.
June 28, 2009 by admin · View Comments
Many of us “fear fear itself.” So when we’re having a bad day, we seem to perpetuate it by resisting it or worrying that we won’t be able to change it. We all like control; its important for us to know that if something is going wrong, we can fix it. But some days, unfortunately, bad can’t be fixed.
Or is it unfortunate? Are bad days really that bad?
The way you handle a trying time is a spiritual calibrator, monitoring your inner mettle. If you melt down because your car breaks down or a cashier treats you rudely, than chances are, you have some work to do.
So the next time you wake up and the day ahead of you seems dark and your mood seems darker, take a deep breath and treat yourself kindly. Watch yourself from a distance when a trigger comes your way. Don’t try to force a good mood. That will only frustrate. Allow your bad mood and your bad day to go its own unmerry way.
Often, when we allow a bad state of mind to just be, we realize that we’re in pain and need to face up to that, whether that means a good cry or a scream or writing in your journal or talking to a friend.
Resistance can actually exacerbate a bad mood and a bad day. Life is often beyond our control. And certainly a bad day can bring up our constant need to “fix it.” But what if its just not fixable? Can you live with that? Better yet, can you embrace what is uncontrollable in your life?
Can you let go and let a bad day lead the way?
Beth
Check out these crop circles, real or faux they’re magic on show!
June 25, 2009 by admin · View Comments
Crop circles are large patterns that appear in fields of wheat, rye, barley and similar crops. The patterns can be intricate geometric, circular or abstract and are usually formed when the stems of the crop are broken at ground level or at node points and flattened to the ground in the same direction.
While some crop circles can be explained, others remain a mystery. The crop circles that cannot be proven to be man-made often exhibit peculiar characteristics that are difficult or impossible to duplicate.
The First Crop Circles: Work of the Devil
(images via: the telegraph, ufocasebook, wikipedia)
The earliest recorded account of a crop circle was in the 17th century. A woodcut image portrays a devil cutting circles in a field with a scythe. The accompanying pamphlet explained that the farmer was furious with the price the mower was charging for his work and said he would rather have “the devil himself” do the mowing. As the story goes, that night the crop lit up as if it were on fire. In the morning there was a crop circle, courtesy of Satan.
Crop Circles Blamed on UFOs
(images via: exhibitionoftheuniverse, usgs, thinkquest)
As time went on, people started seeing lights in the sky that they could not explain. Finally Satan was cleared of the crop circle mischief and the blame was placed squarely on aliens and their spaceships. To this day, crop circles are often associated with UFO sightings. In 1966, in Tully, Queensland, Australia, a farmer said he saw a flying saucer rise 30 to 40 feet up from a swamp. When the craft was gone, the spot where it had landed had reeds woven clockwise on top of the water.
The video above purports to be raw footage of UFOs creating crop circles. The camera is shaky right up until the action begins and it lines up perfectly to film a focused clips of flying saucers zapping fields. Judge the authenticity for yourself. UFO hoaxes are incredibly common.
Many of those who believe flying saucers created crop circles also believe that the patterns in the fields are actually messages from an intelligent life form – perhaps a warning about the environment and the fate of the planet we call home.
The Phenomenon Spreads
(images via: current, retrovision)
In the 1970s many crop circles popped up across the English countryside. By the 1980s the phenomenon became more widely publicized and crop circles appeared around the world.
Early crop circles were generally simple circular patterns. However, as time passed the designs became more intricate and symetrical and some even have 3-D effects from a bird’s eye view.
Man-Made and Crop Circle Hoaxes
(images via: uberview, thecontaminated, shawnrandall)
In 1991 two men announced they were responsible for crop circles and that the idea had been a prank they thought up in a pub back in 1976. Doug Bower and Dave Chorley demonstrated how they used only four-foot planks, rope, hats and wire to create flattened crop circles.
John Lundberg founded Circlemakers.org in 1995 and his group has proven that “authentic” crop circles can, in fact, be faked. Matt Ridley, another crop circle maker, has written about simple techniques used to create crop circles that fool even the “experts.” Instructions on how to create crop circles are widely available online and crop circle competitions are regularly held in the UK.
Advertisers have also gotten in on the crop circle action. Now crops that are regularly seen from the air are valuable ad space and custom-color crop designs cover the fields.
Too Complex to Be Man-Made?
(images via: ufo-reports, exhibitionoftheuniverse, kentheberling, spiritualcentre, xari, )
Despite plenty of evidence and confessions of crop circle makers, some people still believe they are an unexplained phenomenon. The argument is often made that the designs are too complex and perfectly executed to be man-made.
Crop Circle Research
(images via: bltresearch)
The Discovery Channel commissioned five aeronautics and astronautics students from MIT in 2002 and asked them to create crop circles. Crop circle researcher Nancy Talbott consulted with the Discovery team and advised that there are three common identifiers that set “real” crop circles apart from man-made or faked ones.
According to Talbott, unexplained crop circles feature elongated apical plant stem nodes, expulsion cavities in the plant stems and the presence of 10–50 micrometre diameter magnetized iron spheres in the soils, distributed linearly. The team failed to create a crop circle that met these three requirements.
Recent Crop Circles
(images via: ufo-reports)
In 2009, there have been many new crop circles reported across Europe. One of the most notable was a 600ft jellyfish that stretched across a barley field in Oxfordshire. It was one of the largest and most unusual crop circle designs seen to date. Is this a message from another galaxy, a warning to protect our planet – or simply a reminder from other residents of earth? You decide.
Gerri L Elder
Blind Man Climbs Appalachian Trail
June 24, 2009 by admin · View Comments
The Appalachian Trail isn’t an easy expedition, even for serious hikers and climbers. But Trevor Thomas truly defied the odds:
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Cracked ribs made it hard to breathe. A chipped bone in his hip ached as he walked. And 60-mph winds stabbed at him like icy needles.
Trevor Thomas walks in McAlpine Creek Park in Charlotte, N. C., where he trained to hike the Appalachian Trail. Strangers on the trail helped him complete the journey.
But at that moment, Trevor Thomas of Charlotte, N.C., could not imagine feeling better.
He was a third-of-a-mile from the rocky summit of Mount Katahdin, a granite giant that climbs skyward out of Maine’s 100 miles of wilderness.
The peak marked the end of a 2,175-mile journey, the completion of a through-hike on the Appalachian Trail. And for the first time in six months, Thomas knew for sure he was going to make it.
“Just keep moving,” he said to himself. “Whatever you do, don’t stop.”
Hiking the entire Appalachian Trail is an accomplishment few people can claim. This year about 1,600 have tried and about 460 have finished.
Only one of them — Thomas — was blind.
Those who attempt such a feat face months of aches and pains, extremes in weather, intense physical challenges and long periods of loneliness.
For Thomas, stricken by a rare eye disease in 2004, the challenge offered something valuable — a chance to restore faith in himself.
But along the way it did more than that. It restored his faith in others. Many hikers lead the way and then “switched off” in the lead. It was the help of many and the dogged perseverance of Thomas that made him the first blind man to have completed this intense journey. Read more about the details here.
Source: Timesleader.com
Beth
Animals help us in many hidden ways and lessen the difficulties of our days : )
June 23, 2009 by admin · View Comments
(images via charliejb, eldiablosledge, and tambako the jaguar)
Animals have been domesticated and put to work for centuries. Some, like certain species of dog, have been bred with a specific task in mind. However, there are other species that retain some or all of their wildness while still performing tasks that benefit humans. These creatures – pest killers, food producers and cleaners – are simply being themselves. The benefit that people reap is no more than a happy side effect of these natural habits.
Barn Owls: Deadly Rodent Hunters
(images via Stevie-B, Seabamirum, and Richard.Fisher)
Some farms in Europe and North America have installed nesting areas in their barns for these nocturnal predators. That is because they are prolific hunters of rodents. It is a mutually beneficial relationship, the birds eat their fill and live in safety while the farm’s pest population is kept under control.
Spiders: Snagging Pests
(image via Benimoto)
Though they are often tagged as the most ugly and menacing creatures in the bug world, spiders actually catch and eat more harmful insects. Mosquitoes, termites and bees find their way into webs more often than they end up on the business end of a fly-swatter.
Bats, Cormorants, and Dragonflies
(images via mikebaird, Jessicajil, and _PaulS_)
Bats and dragon flies are two more animals whose diets consist of mosquitoes. Certain species of bats can consume hundreds of the disease-carrying insects per night. Though dragonflies are not as prolific, they can help control a mosquito population, especially during summer months.
In the past, cormorants have been used by fisherman to catch fish on China’s Lijiang River. Though the practice is less popular now, some birds can still be seen catching fish with great skill.
Striped Hyena: Canine Garbage Disposal
(image via Just chaos)
Unlike its more predatory kin, the spotted hyena, this subspecies does not often kill its own meat. Rather, it feasts on the decaying flesh of animals that have already been killed or died naturally. This helps prevent the spread of disease and disease carrying insects.
Coconut-Picking Monkeys
(image via apes_abroad)
Monkeys in Thailand and Malaysia are used to help farmers collect coconuts. The domesticated macaques are at home in the trees and can pick 10 times more coconuts than a human laborer – sometimes more than 1,000 per day.
King Snake: Farmer’s Slithering Helper
(images via tkksummers and Just chaos)
The King Snake is a constrictor, but its colorfully patterned body sometimes leads people to mistake it for a poisonous species. Because it is immune to many types of venom, this serpent is a natural predator of poisonous snakes. It also consumes rodents and other pests that sometimes harm farmers’ crops. In addition, King Snakes are quite sociable and make good pets when domesticated.
Civet Cat and Earthworm:
(images via denn, benketaro, and pfly)
Sometimes, animals can be helpful by simply digesting. Earthworms are a welcome species in many organic gardens because the help aerate the soil and their waste is beneficial as a fertilizer.
Luwak coffee is considered a delicacy. The beans for this coffee are fermented in the digestive system of the civet cat. The beans are collected from the cat’s waste and sold for high prices.
Falcons and Passenger Pigeon
(images via Stevie-B and Ryan Somma)
Falconry is a traditional method of hunting that is not often used today, except as a sport. These naturally swift, sharp-eyed predators have been trained to take their kill back to their owner.
Another traditionally used bird is the passenger pigeon. Before the advent of more advanced communication devices, pigeons were used to send messages over long distances. Like falconry, this is mainly a hobby today.
Bacteria that Eat Garbage
(image via Next Nature)
Certain species of microscopic bacteria have been used in garbage dumps, compost sites and sewage treatment plants because of their ability to consume these types of waste and change them from harmful to harmless (or at least less harmful). Scientists are even studying ways that the bacteria’s waste can be used for energy.
Elephants: Muscle and Meat
(images via TheLizardQueen, belgianchocolate, and exfordy)
Elephants have been trained to do heavy lifting in Southeast and South Asia, as well as in some places in Africa. These creatures are the largest domesticated animal on earth. Unfortunately their wild kin are often being hunted in poorer parts of Africa, not for their ivory, but for their meat.
Algae: Oil Producer of the Future
(image via ArthurJohnPicton)
Algae cells have been found to produce extremely high amounts of oil. These tiny organisms may hold the key to a renewable energy revolution. Scientists and energy companies are studying this type of energy as a viable alternative to gas and diesel.
Josh
8 Ingeniously Creative Green Product Designs
June 20, 2009 by admin · View Comments
Getting people to change their ways isn’t an easy thing to do, and while the green-living initiative has been gaining speed, it’s been at a painfully slow pace. It’s this reason that designers the world over have been working, mostly as unpaid side-projects, to bring the consumer populace reasons to go green. Breaking the hum-drum paradigms of the past is difficult work, but many new and potentially effective ideas are born each day now. These examples are of some of the newest, most adventurous, mostly practical green product designs floating around studios or stores today.
Green for Greenery
(images via Ji-Hye Park, Ashley Marsh Croft, Daniel Schipper)
Since even small efforts can pay off, the Flower Clock is a great spirit-lifting way to boost the green atmosphere of your home or office. No batteries are wasted, as it uses a solar charge. The Droplet lawnmower is an idea for getting more people to go electric on their lawn care; innovative design makes it appealing to the eye as well as the pocketbook. The Folding Greenhouse could vanquish any excuses that once stood against micro-gardening, since it’s lightweight, small, and infinitely reusable as it’s made of only plastic.
Clever Metering
(images via Adam Kereliuk, Katrine Knudsen)
There are all kinds of new methods in the works for getting people to actively monitor their utilities usage nowadays, and for good reason. Unfortunately, many of them are too complicated for most people to commit their time to learning. That’s where products like the Personal Water Meter come into play; installed in water fixtures such as sinks and showers, it gives an accurate reading for water usage in real time. The Flower Pod doubles as home decor while it reflects power consumption, the digital flower wilting with waste and vibrant with conservative efforts.
Row, Row, Row Your…Car?
(images via Da Feng)
Marketing to the ever-growing fitness demographic, the GYM concept car takes roadtripping to a new level by allowing the driver to charge its power-cells by working out. There is no tedium to this, as equipment is built into the cockpit-like cabin to emulate a rowing machine, stepping machine, curling weights, pull-up emulator, and a bench-press. The car itself uses carbon-fiber and green materials, and the battery is wall-chargeable.
Paper, Plastic or Stylish?
(images via Yanko Design)
While this very simple issue is often overlooked, it’s really quite serious. Countless millions of people go grocery shopping every day, and they all use bags. Nearly all of those bags, whether they be paper or plastic, wind up in the garbage, and despite best efforts only a small fraction of those make it to recycling centers or get otherwise reused. The Flip & Tumble Loopt bag aims to help alleviate that issue. It’s a washable, reusable, heavy-duty plastic bag that’s been made to last, and stylishly at that. Many grocery stores in urban areas are beginning to offer discounts for shoppers who bring their own bags, efforts like that would go well hand-in-hand with a product like this.
Soylent Feeders
(images via Nadine Jarvis)
Sometimes a good shock is in order, at least that’s what designer Nadine Jarvis thinks when she goes to build a greener bird-feeder. The concept is shocking at first glance, but after it sinks in, it’s really quite beautiful that these feeders are made from people. Bird seed is mixed with human ashes into the dew-drop form surrounding a wooden perch that will remain once the seed is all eaten. That perch would have an inscription memorializing the person whose ashes helped feed the local birds. Strange, yes. Strangely poetic, also yes. It’s definitely zero waste.
Matthew Rogers
Sing for the Sake of it
June 18, 2009 by admin · View Comments
“I can’t sing.”
It’s a common refrain, sung over and over again. Many people were told early on that they couldn’t sing. Singing is a very delicate process; it doesn’t take much to scare someone into permanent submission. One naysayer who cupped their ears in front of you and suddenly you “can’t sing” for life.
But singing is highly expressive and therapeutic. And believe it or not, most people can sing! It’s a shame most of us convince ourselves otherwise. And so what if you can’t sing? Should that stop you from singing? Heck, no.
Singing reduces stress and increases healthy breathing and emotional expression. Singing taps into a deep, age-old power available to all of us. When we find our voice, we find ourselves. Don’t fear your singing, embrace it. It only improves with practice, so trying singing a bit everyday. If you sing in the morning, you’ll notice it naturally wakes you up. Plus your speaking voice will sound cleaner and more grounded.
Today, sing like you mean it. Sing in front of others and throw caution to the wind! Or, if you’re too shy, sing in your car or shower. Sing loudly, passionately. Sing from your heart. You’ll feel more “in tune” afterward.
by Beth Mann
Beth
Protected: Hear Me Now
June 14, 2009 by admin · Enter your password to view comments
Christopher Swain - Focus on an Eco Hero
June 14, 2009 by admin · View Comments
Christopher Swain is a busy man, making a big difference.
When he’s not logging swim hours in the Atlantic Ocean, Earthkeeper Hero Christopher Swain takes to dry land to educate the public about pollution and the need for cleaner waterways.
In Philadelphia last week, Christopher staged an Ethical Electronics Recycling Event where more than 11,000 pounds of discarded and outdated consumer electronics (commonly known as “e-waste”) were collected for recycling and, when possible, reuse.
What’s the link between your old computer and the clean ocean Christopher Swain is advocating for? In his own words:
If these devices get tipped into a landfill or dumped on the ground in Asia or Africa, they vomit their toxic contents–mercury, lead, arsenic, barium, hexavalent chromium, and other nasty compounds–into the environment. This pollutes nearby lands and waterways, and eventually, the ocean.
Dead dolphins and porpoises have been found with high levels of manmade toxics like brominated fire retardants in their blubber. Have dolphins been fighting fires? Maybe. But a more likely explanation is that they have eaten fish from oceans contaminated with the same chemical powders that grace the insides of our cell phones and laptops.
It’s time we think about electronics and what we do with them when they’ve become quickly outdated. Do you really need a new cell phone or laptop or iPod? What do you do with your old e-gadgets? How big does your television really need to be? Wake up and smell the gadgetry…and what its doing to the world around you.
Source: Earthkeepers (great site - please check!)
Beth
Positivity and your Diet
June 14, 2009 by admin · View Comments
We all inherently know that our diet is connected to our moods and general outlook on life. Yet many of continue to indulge in foods that continue to make us feel depleted. Why? Often foods are a source of comfort, at least temporarily. Sure a hot fudge sundae lifts the spirits at that moment.
But what about food that makes you feel good for more than a half hour?
According to CBS, here’s a few food items that can produce relaxation:
Oatmeal: The carbs in oatmeal trigger the release of serotonin, a hormone that relaxes you.
Avocado: The monosaturated fats in avocados help keep the receptors in your brain sensitive to serotonin. As a bonus, these same fats will help lower blood pressure over time, another key to feeling relaxed!
Milk: Whey protein has been shown to decrease anxiety and frustration. Although all dairy products have whey protein, milk will give you the biggest shot of it right away.
And here’s some food that energizes:
GET ENERGIZED
Water: This is probably the most important thing you can consume to give you energy. Water is essential to all body functions, especially the conversion of food into energy.
Pineapple: This fruit is rich in manganese and thiamin, which help metabolize carbs, and as we know, carbs are used for energy.Almonds: These little guys are like energy pellets, rich in magnesium, which again helps make the conversion of energy in your body more efficient.
Sliced Pineapple for Energy
Beth
