Build your solar panel or wind turbine in a weekend...

I popped over and visited a site today that claims How To Build Solar Panels -with "Do It Yourself Kits". Pretty good?

There is an online course on how to build your own Solar Power Systems. You can reportedly build an SPS for your house and allegedly cut your home energy costs by 50% or more. Thats got to be fantastic. The writer claims to have saved round about US$170.00 per month(69%)on his own electric bill.

There are several new step-by-step manuals that will walk you through the process quickly. He claims you don't have to be an engineer or even too handy to get your first solar panel or wind turbine up and working in a weekend. Interested? You'd better go to the site and find out for yourself. Happy solar hunting!

Build Solar Panels

The Scavenging gardeners site...

Now let me tell you about the gang down at the "Scavengers" site, the ones who wrote the "Scavengers Manifesto". You haven't heard of them, I heard you say? Well, lets do something about it and bring you up to speed.

They emailed me with a tip for the "Green Planet":

They have taken a vow to grow at least half their food in the garden that costs nothing to create and maintain.

They have recently posted on how to go about it! Gardening is just not a cheap way to grow food as we all once did - it costs more to set up than atrip down to the supermarket it has been constantly claimed. Really?

So how do they intend to go about it? Scavenge they reckon. And maximise your growing area too.

One little tip is not to buy new gear to garden with, and to look around for your seeds. Scavenge!

Get your seeds from garage sales, out of your salads, buy expired seeds, seed sales at discount sales, last years plants.

Look there are so many, too many for me to discuss, so get yourself off to the "Scavenging site".

Go gardening

The ozone hole could be holding back an Antarctic thaw...

The ozone hole could be holding back an Antarctic thaw, according to British research on the subject.

Ozone depletion is described as two distinct, but seperate observations: A slow steady decline of about 4% per decade in the total volume of ozone in the Earth's stratosphere since the late 1970's, and a much larger seasonal decrease in stratospheric ozone over the Earth's polar regions - the Ozone hole!

The ozone hole has been blamed for decades for causing increased skin cancers in the Southern Pacific areas encompassing Australia and New Zealand.

The ozone hole could actually be saving the Antarctic from thawing - holding back the effects of greenhouse gases in the Antarctic. The hole is reportedly causing more storms and extreme winds around the South Pole and in the process actually cooling down much of the Antarctic area.

This leaves a dilemma for humans - repair the ozone hole, or leave it for nature to do the job over the next fifty years. However scientists claim there could be a loss of up to one third of the sea ice in the Antarctic area.

Reference: John Turner, "Geophysical Research Letters".

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THE GREEN PLANET BLOG - Our World and Environment...: Cuddly little possum now one of New Zealand's worst pests..

THE GREEN PLANET BLOG - Our World and Environment...: Cuddly little possum now one of New Zealand's worst pests..

Cuddly little possum now one of New Zealand's worst pests..

First published at Qassia:

POSSUMS which were originally introduced into New Zealand from Australia in the 1800's for the fur trade, now number over 70 million. The bushtail possum is described as an introduced marsupial, and considered a cuddly little animal by Australians back in their native land. This so-called "cuddly little animal" is one of New Zealand's worst pests, along with the wild rabbit introduced in the 1800's as well, in both economical and ecological terms. They are detested by farmers because the possum spreads TB to cattle, and possibly other stock as well. They are also responsible for the destruction of many hectares of bush in New Zealand.

About $110 million annually is spent by the "Environmental Risk Management Authority" trying to control this noxious species by the use of poisons which includes the controversial and risky 1080, which many groups consider extremely dangerous; eradication has long been forgotten as a reality in relation to the POSSUM in New Zealand. A recommendation has recently been made for more research into alternative methods of POSSUM control.

As a consequence of a breakthrough in searching for a possum contraceptive, there could be a cut in the usage of 1080 poison. A new hormone disruption treatment has been trialled by injecting captive possum at the Wellington Zoo which has made some possums infertile for up to two years.

Now the challenge is to replicate this success in the wild and introduce the method to possums by the use of traps. "Field trials are hoped for and could be under way by 2013," as stated by Professer Doug Eckery of Victoria University in Wellington, recently.

The new research is being carried out by the Victoria University School of Biological Sciences,and focuses on the formation of ovaries, the regulation of hormones,and the growth of eggs.A hormone in the brain of possums is a key regulator of fertility.

This project fitted in nicely with the general aim of protecting native flora and New Zealand wildlife.

Flora growing at an increased rate because of carbon dioxide release into the atmosphere...

Scientists claim trees and plants are growing bigger and faster in response to the billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere in recent decades.

This increased growth was found in a variety of flora, ranging from tropical rain forests to British sugar beet crops. It means they are soaking up at least some of CO2, that would otherwise be accelerating the rate of climate change, and suggests the potential for higher crop yields in the future.

Some researchers believe this phenomenon could be buying humanity some extra time in which it can try and reverse the growth of greenhouse gas emissions. Few doubt it will be more than just a temporary reprieve for humanity.

Professor Martin Parry, head of plant science at Rothamstead Research, Britain's leading crop research institute, reportedly said "there is no doubt that the enrichment of the air with CO2, is increasing plant growth in many areas".

But plants won't be able to keep up with the increase in time, only just a fraction of it. Then our problems will really begin, unless...

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