Full Question:
What is the environmental impact that technological changes have had on the manufacture of furniture. eg. manufactured board verses the use of sold timber?

One can be the use of cleaner technologies. For example, powder coating MDF kitchen cabinets, instead of using spray paint over solid wood panels. The MDF boards are made of pine, a species that grows very fast and it’s harvesting doesn’t damage the tropical forest, and powder coating is environment friendly.

Many small retail businesses have only 10 or 20 people per day through the doors. Many of their websites were built to bring more people in the door or to sell their products online. Most of these websites do not even come up in a search with the Hometown in the search. The oportunity to sell your SEM services is huge. I can tell within five minutes of looking at a website whether or not I can be of service to this company. It is so quick to tell if the website is even halfway optimised or not. Many very expensive websites have been built that are not web optimized at all. SEM Business Blueprint is a very interesting program. Selling Search Engine Marketing services to local businesses. This an outstanding very low overhead businesses to start.

The Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., one of the successful Japanese automakers in the global arena, is increasingly proving its potentials. The maker of the VQ engines, which was included in the Ward’s 10 Best Engines for 12 straight years, is delving into another remarkable commitment. This time, it is strengthening its commitment to help save the environment through its Nissan Green Program 2010.

The Nissan Green Program 2010 is the automaker’s vision of its commitments to all aspects of environmental management. The program is aimed at responding to immediate challenges and creating the foundation for a long-term, sustainable business model.

Nissan is among the top three Asian automakers of the Big Three in the United States. And to compete more closely to Detroit’s Big Three, Nissan is also focusing on the reduction of CO2 emissions. The automaker has embraced a multi-pronged philosophy of product development. Nissan’s philosophy covers the formulation and production of auto technologies and product lines to promote clean environment.

The automaker is meticulously planning in order to have the right auto technologies at the right time and market. The technologies will be used to help sustain cleaner environment with lesser harmful emissions.

At this year’s New York Auto Show, the automaker introduced an engine that incorporates the variable valve event and lift (VEL) system. The system is capable of limiting CO2 emissions by around ten percent. The VEL system is as efficient as the refined Nissan oxygen sensor. According to Nissan, the first vehicle to offer this technology in North America will be an Infiniti.

Many small retail businesses have only 10 or 20 people per day through the doors. Many of their websites were built to bring more people in the door or to sell their products online. Most of these websites do not even come up in a search with the Hometown in the search. The oportunity to sell your SEM services is huge. I can tell within five minutes of looking at a website whether or not I can be of service to this company. It is so quick to tell if the website is even halfway optimised or not. Many very expensive websites have been built that are not web optimized at all. SEM Business Blueprint is a very interesting program. Selling Search Engine Marketing services to local businesses. This an outstanding very low overhead businesses to start.

Nissan has also developed clean diesel engines for North America to achieve the United States Tier2 BIN5 emissions standards. It will also unleash clean diesel vehicles in the United States from the 2010 fiscal year. By far, the automaker’s current gasoline engines are designed to run on a blend of up to ten percent bio-ethanol (E10). In 2005, Nissan has introduced the Titan FFV (E85). And this year, the automaker will be offering the Armada FFV (E85) in the US. The automaker plans to expand the E85 lineup to other Nissan and Infiniti vehicles in the post-Nissan Value-Up period.

In regard hybrids, Nissan launched the 2007 Altima Hybrid in February. The Altima Hybrid is Nissan’s first entry in the hybrid electric vehicle market. With more muscle per gallon than its rivals, it is the first hybrid to “drive like a Nissan.” It also features responsive handling, smooth acceleration, and seamless delivery of power under varying driving conditions. The automaker is planning to introduce a vehicle powered by a Nissan-developed hybrid system in the U.S. by 2010.

Nissan is accelerating development of plug-in hybrid technologies that can utilize grid power to recharge batteries in addition to the onboard charging system. Aside from hybrids, the automaker is also concentrating on the manufacture of vehicles that run on fuel cell and electricity.

RyanThomas
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/nissan-north-america-releases-environmental-update-130798.html

What kind of environmental; stress does fish that lives in coral reefs faces?

Lack of plants and caves for cover. As well as constantly doing water changes weekly to biweekly, for good water quality.

Many small Retail businesses have only 10 or 20 people per day through the doors. Many of their websites were built to bring more people in the door or to sell their products online. Most of these websites do not even come up in a search with the hometown in the search. The oportunity to sell your SEM services is huge. I can tell within five minutes of looking at a website whether or not I can be of service to this company. It is so quick to tell if the website is even halfway optimised or not. Many very expensive websites have been built that are not web optimized at all. SEM Business Blueprint is a very interesting program. Selling Search Engine Marketing services to local businesses. This an outstanding very low overhead businesses to start.

When you think of air conditioning, do you ever wonder who made it, the history behind it, maybe different applications involved or even environmental concerns? Well, if so, then you have come to the right place. We will not only go over each of these but you will find that a Sub-Heading for ease of use marks each section.

The Air Conditioner was first introduced in 1820 by Michael Faraday a British Scientist and Inventor. He discovered that by compressing liquefied ammonia you could cause the rooms are temperature to cool down. Dr. John Gorrie who used this technology to make ice for his patients later followed this up. Once the Doctor had proven that using the ice helped his patients he then received a grant to do more studies. However this was not meant to be and it was another 50 years before the first air condition was made in 1902.

An air conditioner is a machine designed to create cool air using a refrigeration system.

THE HISTORY OF THE AIR CONDITIONER

The Air Conditioner or its uses and methods can be traced back to Medieval Persia, where they used large open pools to hold water while using wind towers using tunnel like pipes to catch the wind and push it into another direction. This caused the collected water to evaporate and cool the buildings during the hot seasons.

While the modern air conditioner was first introduced in 1902 for factories, the first home and car air conditioner was not brought in until 1950.

First is the Comfort Application, which is designed to keep indoors comfortable for both mankind and our animals. There are different types of this application and are used in such places as Residential Homes and Buildings, Commercial Properties, Schools and other Institutions. This application is also used for personal Aircraft, Ships, Spacecraft, Trains, and Vehicles.

Many small retail businesses have only 10 or 20 people per day through the doors. Many of their websites were built to bring more people in the door or to sell their products online. Most of these websites do not even come up in a search with the hometown in the search. The oportunity to sell your SEM services is huge. I can tell within five minutes of looking at a website whether or not I can be of service to this company. It is so quick to tell if the website is even halfway optimised or not. Many very expensive websites have been built that are not web optimized at all. SEM Business Blueprint is a very interesting program. Selling Search Engine Marketing services to local businesses. This an outstanding very low overhead businesses to start.

Then we have the Process Application, which is geared for the place it is located such as Operating Rooms, Static Clean or Data Rooms, Breeding Facilities, Airplanes, Factories, Testing Facilities, Greenhouses, Mines, Kitchens, and Nuclear Plants. Each of these areas has to maintain a center degree and this application provides that safely.

Many people forget that we have to be careful of what we do and how we use such conveniences as the Air Conditioner, but as the Earths health slowly declines and we have more and more health related issues in today’s society we have to take care. When you don’t take care of your air conditioner properly you set the stage for the outbreak of Microorganisms that contribute to anything from the common everyday cold to pneumonia, or even asthma. Which if you have ever had an allergy reaction or worse an asthmatic attack then you know how life threatening this can be.

Not to mention the fact an air conditioner, if maintained properly, can save on your heating and electric bill, as well as cut down on the electricity that, in turn, cuts down on the emissions from both the AC unit and your local power plant.

Derek Both
http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/air-conditioning-and-the-environmental-impact-123438.html

Ever heard of the famous Professor Wangari Maathai? She is a Nobel Peace Price Laureate, the Member of Parliament for Tetu Constituency, the founder and leader of the Green Belt Movement. With so many attributes to her name, she is the so down to earth Lady that you may not pick up from the large crowds she pulls campaigning for the conservation of the environment both Globally and in Kenya, where she was born and Brought up.

Like in many many other countries in the world, Kenya has had its share of deforestation through illegal logging, land degradation by use rudiment ally farming practices and burning of fossil fuels leading to the Global warming threat, where the world is expected to warm up by over 2 degrees centigrade over the next 100 years. It expected that increased temperature changes could lead to drastic and erratic weather changes with some parts of the world becoming either too hot or too cold. This is going to affect Food production to an ever growing population especially in the less developed African countries making human survival harder than in any other period in the history of mankind.

Professor Wangari Maathai has has taken the leading role in organizing communities and Non-Governmental organizations into condeming land grabbing, degazettement of forest land and illegal logging, through her Green Belt movement. Many youth groups and women organizations have taken the cue from her and started indigenous tree nurseries all over Kenya. These initiatives are going to change the face of Kenya, making your dreams of that coveted Safari even more interesting, imagine all the bare countryside coming to life with lush green indigenous trees that save our soils from the from raging rain waters running into the rivers that feed our National animal conservatories.

As a tourist in Kenya, you could get involved. Lets call it an environmental Safari. You could help plant a tree or two. Let us exchange views. What is your country doing to conserve the environment? What lessons can Kenyans learn from from your country’s’ conservation efforts? Do you have an alternative to fuel wood that 90% of Kenyans use? What will Kenya do with the menace of plastic waste management? The list is endless, but the options are there with you and the whole lot of us will appreciate.

Kenyans are a very hospitable people. They wil not mind to host you as a tourist as you travel to other coveted tourist destinations scattered all over the country. Talk of budget travel and you have it, it cannot come cheaper. There are many diverse tribes in Kenya and you are sure to be treated to the many traditional cuisine that are prepared in the countryside. You will also be treated to the many cultural events, unique to each cultural group.

Lucy
http://www.articlesbase.com/exotic-locations-articles/travelling-for-safari-in-kenya-the-environmental-friendly-way-123349.html

In this age of increasing concern for the Health of the planet it is more important than ever to look at ways of minimising the long term impact of buildings upon the environment and to investigate new methods of sustainable construction.

A new kind of building technology is emerging as an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional building methods. This technology produces structures which are highly efficient in terms of the amount of material used in their construction, require no permanent foundations, can be relocated easily, and can recycled.

The buildings in question are in fact a new generation of inflatable buildings. These are no ordinary inflatables however. They are designed using the latest CAD technology and structural analysis software and are constructed from modern, fire retardant, composite textiles which are cut and joined using techniques developed form aerospace manufacturing. This enables the buildings to operate at higher pressures than conventional inflatable structures producing much stiffer, stronger structures.

It’s important at this point to make a distinction between air-supported buildings and inflatable buildings. A traditional air-supported building is one which is comprised of a single layer membrane attached to the ground around its perimeter. Air is blown under the membrane to lift it off the ground and form the shape of the building.

An inflatable building on the other hand, uses two layers of membrane connected together typically using spars made from the same material. The cavity formed between the layers is pressurised with air producing a rigid structural element which allows large span structures to be achieved.

The structures, pioneered by Tectoniks Limited in the UK, are extremely weight efficient and are highly portable yet they have the strength of metal-framed portable buildings and can be made into virtually any shape.

So what makes them so environmentally friendly? Well, firstly, the majority of a finished inflatable building is made from fresh air. Analysis of a finished structure shows that the amount of textile used represents only 0.5% of the volume of the structure. For example, one square metre of a 500mm thick inflatable wall has a volume of 0.5 cubic metres but the quantity of fabric used in its construction is only 0.0025 cubic metres. An inflatable building must surely be the most efficient of all building types in terms of the amount of raw materials used compared to the volume of the finished structure.

Since the textiles are supplied in roll form, the materials required for an entire building can be transported in a single medium-sized van thereby minimising the effect of transporting raw materials upon the environment.

Thanks to initiatives such as the TexyloopTM service pioneered by Ferrari Textiles, the scrap material produced during the manufacture of inflatable buildings can be collected, recycled and made into new composite textiles.

The inflatable buildings produced by Tectoniks Ltd. have a long life expectancy but when they do eventually reach the end of their service they can also be recycled using services such as Texyloop.

Another environmental benefit of inflatable buildings is that they do not require permanent foundations. Conventional buildings usually require concrete foundations which are permanent and cannot be moved. An inflatable building would typically be anchored using spiral anchors which are literally screwed into the ground. If a building needs to be relocated, the anchors are unscrewed and used again. The flooring used in the buildings is modular and can be laid on top of the ground. It can also be re-used if the building is moved.

Once an inflatable building has been moved, there is no lasting impact upon the site where it used to be.

Another important consideration when assessing the environmental impact of a building is the energy used throughout its life. Because Tectoniks structures are of a welded construction (as opposed to stitched), they are virtually air tight. Conventional stitched inflatables require high power electric blowers which run constantly. Tectoniks structures require much smaller blowers which are connected to a control system which only activates them when the pressure in the structure falls below a certain level. The blowers then run for a few seconds to top up the pressure.

The low power requirement for these structures means that it is entirely possible to use solar power to provide the electricity required for their operation.

Inflatable buildings also have a natural level of insulation provided by the air contained within the walls. Tectoniks have also pioneered methods for adding additional insulation within the inflatable walls. The insulation material is flexible and is packed up with the building when deflated.

If the environmental impact of a new building is a major concern, then the benefits of using Tectoniks inflatable structures are well worth consideration. For more information visit Tectoniks.com

David Kelsall
http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/the-environmental-benefits-of-inflatable-buildings-73868.html

The American College of Rheumatology has revealed the impact of Environmental factors like humidity and heat on Gout affected organisms. Patients suffering from Gout attacks must know how these actions on their disease in order to be able to prevent further acute Gout attacks.

Gout or hyperuricemia is caused by the accumulation of uric acid crystals in the body’s joints as a result of an increased seric level of the uric acid. This acid is the waste substance in the breakdown of purines found in beer, fish, mushrooms and beans. The local symptoms of Gout are redness and swelling of the affected joint, pain, heat and starkness. Gout may also produce general symptoms like fever, chills, tachycardia and general sickness.

Dehydration caused by heat and humidity are known to be triggers of the Gout acute and recurrent attacks. Most common Gout debuts at the top of the big toe.

A scientific study was made on a number of 200 subjects with at least one Gout attack in the medical history of the past year. Patients were asked to complete an on-line

Questionnaire on a specialty web-site and refer to the risk factors they have submitted to two days before the Gout attack. The same questions needed to be answered by the patients over a two day control period. The physicians supervising the test collected information the local temperature, barometric pressure, humidity and precipitations in the area where every subscribed patient lives.

The clime data of the hazard and control period were compared taking into consideration also possible alcohol consumption, diuretic use or high purine intake for every patient.

High temperature and high rates of humidity proved to increase the risk of recurrent Gout attacks. The hyperuricemia acute attacks doubled when the medium temperature increased from 0-53 degree Fahrenheit to 87-105 degrees. An assembling rate of reoccurrence was found to be generated by an increased of the air humidity. Atmospheric pressure and precipitations proved to have no actual influence on the Gout attacks.

After the demonstration of the impact the two weather factors have on the recurrent attacks, physicians advised their patients to ingest high amounts f water during warm and humid periods, to stimulate the elimination of uric acid through the kidneys.

The main causes of Gout have proven to be genetic, obesity, hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidemia. A strong influence seemed to have the environment factors heat and humidity. About 1 in 100 persons develop Gout; 6-7% of elder men are affected by it and the number of women suffering from Gout increases after menopause.

For more resources regarding Gout or even gout treatments please visit this web page http://www.gout-info-center.com/gout-treatments.htm

Groshan Fabiola
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/the-impact-of-environmental-factors-on-gout-100814.html

There are no “good old days” of farming. From when people first started to herd animals and scratch the ground to plant seeds, farming has been an environmentally destructive force. We have heard a lot in recent years about the destruction of the rainforest in South America and the Red Woods in California. Every state has some form of agriculture. Every ecosystem in the United States has been impacted by agricultural activities. The rainforest and the Redwoods are more glamorous than the Prairie Lands of Illinois or Iowa.

In decades past, organic farming or sustainable agriculture were discredited among farmers as being a movement to return to 18th century farming practices. Chemical and fertilizer companies used these images to impress farmers that if you wanted to use any alternative to “modern” farming practices you would probably be spending a lot of time looking at the wrong end of a horse. But, 18th or 19th or even early 20th century farming practices were just as destructive as today’s practices.

So, how are we supposed to feed ourselves? We do it through agriculture. Anyone who thinks I am suggesting we quit farming and go back to hunting and gathering is jumping to conclusions. The problem with agriculture has always been the way it has been done. From slash and burn to no-till industrial chemical agriculture, through centuries of human attempts at raising a crop, the impact on the surrounding area was of little consideration.

In the 1970’s American farmers were encouraged to take out all their fence rows and plant every available inch to maximize their profits. This attitude was fostered to not really benefit farmers but rather to benefit companies that farmers sell their products to. So what, if you gained ten acres more on a thousand acre farm. The benefit was not that great because the price of corn was low.

Along with taking out the fence rows farmers plowed their pastures, took out timber, and otherwise degraded their properties in search of profits. Or, maybe it was not just profits but a desire to participate in the otherwise booming consumer economy at a level similar to laborers or other people who actually worked for a living. The effect of their activities was increased erosion, destruction of wildlife habitat, loss of biodiversity, and increased run off of chemicals.

Agriculture by nature is a disruptive activity. But, how much agriculture do we need? How much of the millions of bushels of grain actually go to feeding people? Is feeding the grain to livestock and then eating the livestock really worth the amount of resources and environmental destruction that is the result of this practice? A trip to a grocery store reveals aisle after aisle of things people can eat. But so much of it is so processed the actual Food value is depleted and some of it is such a toxic mix of chemicals and additives it is not worth the energy used to produce it.

The best days of Human Agricultural activity are still in the future. Until the full impact of agricultural practices on the environment are reflected in the final cost of the product on the shelf, agriculture will continue to be a wasteful destructive force.

Michael Dappert
http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/agriculture-our-biggest-environmental-disaster-133993.html

There are many people in this country losing sleep due to external and internal noise in their environment. One of the big misconceptions of people who wake due to noise, is they believe that it is only the loud noise coming from outside such as traffic, railroads, or airplanes that are the reasons for their sleeplessness.

But you could be waking from noise you didn’t even consider, that could be coming from inside your Home. This is particularly true for people who consider themselves light sleepers. The slightest noise has these people sitting up, wide-awake, from a sound sleep. One thing to understand is, your hearing is always active and your brain is still processing the noise even when asleep. This is why even the slightest noise wakes certain people.

The main effects of this type of sleep interruption are: problems falling asleep, frequent awakenings, and variances in the stages of sleep. Most importantly it will prevent you from getting  a truly deep sleep for a proper period of time that is healthy.

There are five stages of sleep, rapid eye movement or (REM Sleep) is the fifth stage of sleep. Once you have reached this level you have gone through all the stages of sleep, and will have gotten the most restful night you can get. When you are awakened often, you will not reach all the different stages of sleep.

You will feel the affects the next day through symptoms such as increased tiredness, fatigue, even depression. If you let it go on, you can start to suffer long-term effects that could be detrimental to both your psychological and physical health.

One thing to be careful of, when you start losing sleep for any reason, is the use of over the counter drugs or medication prescribed by a doctor. The constant waking due to the noise disturbance will push people to try drugs to help them sleep through the noise.

This is only replacing one problem with another. There is no telling what the long-term effects can be from any of these drugs on an individual never mind the possibility of addiction. Some people will turn to ear protection devices such as earplugs or headphones to block out the noise.

These things can work for some but, can be uncomfortable and not practical for others. One suggestion for over coming the constant waking is to replace one noise with another. By this I mean things like audiotapes that play soothing sounds such as ocean waves, waterfalls, or rain. This allows you to mask the noise that is waking you with a sound that will help you sleep.

The main reason people wake is because of single distinct noise that goes above a certain decibel on the backdrop of a quite night. This event causes the person to wake, but if that noise is masked with a constant sound that they are used to and can sleep to, then the likely hood of you waking is minimized if not eliminated.

Fortunately there have been a lot of studies on how environmental noise affects our lives. Unfortunately there are so many variables to this problem, the experts cannot agree on the solutions. So although there have been plenty of studies, there are no clear-cut answers.

One reason is, some people will get use to whatever noise is waking them, while for others, this is not the case. This is just one variable out of dozens. Because of this, experts can’t agree on an essential direction of treatment. One thing is for sure; a deep sleep is essential to good health. So if you are losing sleep for any reason you should be examining the problem and seeking professional help.

Lewis Malburne
http://www.articlesbase.com/sleep-articles/environmental-noise-and-sleep-disturbance-704953.html

It is hard to imagine how modern society would cope without using plastic cards in everyday life. Most adults these days use a plastic card at least once a day, whether it is a membership card for the gym, payment with a credit card, a loyalty card in retails shops – the list goes on. Technological advances in plastic cards have not only meant that the uses of them have become broader, but have also brought environmental benefits as customers can now re-use their plastic cards instead of throwing them away.

O2 is a leading provider of mobile services and have taken advantage of the benefits of using plastic cards with their customers. O2 offer communications solutions to customers and corporates in the UK and Ireland. They also have integrated fixed / mobile businesses in Germany, the Czech Republic (Telefónica O2 Czech Republic) and the Isle of Man (Manx Telecom). In addition, O2 has established the Tesco Mobile and Tchibo Mobilfunk joint venture businesses in the UK and Germany respectively. O2 also owns Airwave O2, which supplies secure digital communications to the emergency services and other public safety organisations.

PCC has been a supplier of top-up cards to O2 for many years. John Ashcroft, PCC’s strategic client director, explains “The pre-paid client base has been an important part of O2’s growth in the UK mobile market. The top-up card has been a key media driving the pre-paid revenues for O2″.

Initially, board based scratch-cards were used as the key media to top-up mobile phones. The cards were individually printed with a code, which was then covered by a scratch panel. Each card was then individually wrapped, with cards either flow-wrapped in links, or wrapped in collated packs. PCC produced many millions of these cards for O2 during this period, and continue to do so for other mobile operators around the world.

As the British mobile market evolved, the use of scratch cards reached an all-time high. It was then that O2 took the decision to start using reusable plastic cards, in an effort to reduce costs and benefit the environment.

Michael Williamson of O2 explains “The board scratch cards were thrown away after each use. The evolution of technology allowed O2 to introduce plastic e top-up cards, which are kept by the customer and reused each time a phone top-up is initiated. As well as facilitating cost reduction for the business, the plastic card means that O2 has a constant brand presence in the customer’s wallet”.

Each plastic top-up card is personalised with a unique number, which in turn is linked to a mobile phone when used for the first time. Variants of the cards have been distributed with new mobile phones, through retail outlets and post offices and individually to clients throughout the UK. PCC has produced over 100 million of these cards, which have been a huge success for O2.

“The card has become a vital part of the top-up process, providing the direct link between the customer and the network” said John Ashcroft. “Product quality is key – each card directly represents O2 in the eyes of their customers. There is no compromise where quality and accuracy is concerned”.

PCC continues to be a key card partner for O2. Michael Williamson continues “PCC continues to offers the product and service levels that a household name like O2 requires. “

http://www.pcc.uk.net

Thea Monk
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/technological-advances-and-Environmental-benefits-of-plastic-cards-271284.html