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5 Natural Air-Conditioning Designs Inspired by Nature

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Nationalgeographic.com, By: Brian Clark Howard, 07/03/2013

Fire passes over a termite mound.

Designers are turning to biomimicry to develop better cooling technologies. With heat waves gripping much of the planet, electricity grid operators are sweating even more than their customers. Air-conditioning uses a tremendous amount of energy, but a new group of designers think they can solve that problem by mimicking Mother Nature's craftiness.

 

Janine Benyus, a biologist, innovation consultant, and author of the book Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature, told National Geographic that copying the way plants and animals solve natural problems can provide many benefits, from environmental sustainability to economic efficiency.

 

For more on this story visit www.news.nationalgeographic.com

The Russians Prove Small Scale Organic CAN Feed the World

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Naturalsociety, By: Christina Sarich, 05/29/2013


nature hands 263x164 The Russians Prove Small Scale Organic CAN Feed the World

 

If you’ve already been through an economic collapse, you might know a thing or two about how to feed your family with little money. More importantly, you might know how to do it without pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and GMO seed. On a total of about 20 million acres managed by over 35 million Russian families, Russians are carrying on an old-world technique, which we Americans might learn from. They are growing their own organic crops - and it’s working.

 

For more on this story visit www.naturalsociety.com

 

 

Centuries-old frozen plants revived

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BBCNews, By: BBC, 05/27/2013

Samples of 400-year-old plants known as bryophytes have flourished under laboratory conditions. Researchers say this back-from-the-dead trick has implications for how ecosystems recover from the planet's cyclic long periods of ice coverage. The findings appear in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. They come from a group from the University of Alberta, who were exploring an area around the Teardrop Glacier, high in the Canadian Arctic.

 

The glaciers in the region have been receding at rates that have sharply accelerated since 2004, at about 3-4m per year. That is exposing land that has not seen light of day since the so-called Little Ice Age, a widespread climatic cooling that ran roughly from AD 1550 to AD 1850.

 

To view more pictures visit www.bbc.co.uk/news.com

 

Dandelion Benefits: Wild Edibles that Heal

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Naturalsociety, By: Elizabeth Renter, 05/22/2013


dandelion1 263x164 Dandelion Benefits: Wild Edibles that Heal

Dandelion is likely the most abundant and most identifiable edible flower in the country. For those people who seek to keep a lush, “weed”-less yard, dandelions are a thorn in their side. They are tough plants and though they aren’t native to the United States, they’ve certainly made themselves at home. But whether growing up through cracks in the sidewalk or all over your lawn, dandelions offer some healthful and tasty benefits. Read on to learn about dandelion benefits and how this over-looked edible can help you.

 

For more on this story visit www.naturalsociety.com

Stomach Ache Remedies – 5 Natural Solutions for Upset Stomach

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Naturalsociety, By: Christina Sarich, 05/24/2013


stomach ache 263x164 Stomach Ache Remedies   5 Natural Solutions for Upset Stomach

It should come as no surprise that in times without pink Pepto Bismol or fizzy Alka Seltzer, there indeed were natural stomach ache remedies, whether the cause be from poor digestion, lack of proper digestive enzymes, or eating a questionable meal.

 

There can be many underlying reasons for a belly ache, including a hiatal hernia and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), but don’t worry – there are natural remedies for these discomforts. Here are 5 natural stomach ache remedies to replace your pharmaceutical solutions.

 

For more on this story visit www.naturalsociety.com

The Impressive Health Benefits of the Oldest Trees on Earth: Access 253 Million Years of Mother Nature’s Wisdom

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Thehealersjournal, By: Admin, 05/21/2013

Ginkgo biloba is a “living fossil” as was stated by Charles Darwin (1959).  It is the oldest living tree species in the world.  The Ginkgo species dates all the way back to the Permian Period some 286 to 248 million years ago.  Ginkgos began increasing in number a great deal in the middle of the Jurassic Period through the Cretaceous Period approximately 213million to 66.4 million years ago. During this era of the first flowering plants and the height of the Dinosaurs, fossils revealed several different Ginkgo species.  These species were common and outspread in Asia, Europe, and America.  This era along with its incredible kingdom of plants and animals ended with complete extinction. 

 

Scientists had thought that Ginkgo, along with the rest of the prehistoric plants and animals, had too ceased to exist.  It was not until 1691 that Englebert Kaempfer (1651-1692), a German Physician and Botanist, made a most amazing discovery in China.  Ginkgo had somehow survived the devastating Ice Age, although it was not quite the same as its ancient ancestors.  Due to environmental changes, the ancient Ginkgo had evolved. Today, Ginkgo biloba is the only surviving member of the Ginkgo family.  This survival is said to be owed to its remarkable adaptability, resistance to disease, and to Buddhist monks who cultivated and preserved the trees on sacred grounds.

Discover the seven most nutrient-dense foods on earth

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Naturalnews, By: PF Louis, 05/21/2013

The superfood tag is awarded to nutrient-dense foods, which pack more nutrients or antioxidants per bite than most other foods. Superfoods are food, not just nutritional extracts, minerals, or vitamins sold as supplements to food, such as B complex capsules, etc.

 

One may survive on a couple of superfoods, but as meals they aren't very fulfilling. Nevertheless, as foods, the body accepts them more easily than most extracted supplements. So eat good food with added superfoods as well.

 

For more on this story visit www.naturalnews.com

Tree hugging is now scientifically validated!

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Tree Hugging Now Scientifically Validated

 

 

Die hard conservatives love to disparage liberals as tree huggers, but it has been recently scientifically validated that hugging trees is actually good for you. Research has shown that you don't even have to touch a tree to get better, you just need to be within its vicinity has a beneficial effect.

 

In a recently published book, Blinded by Science, the author Matthew Silverstone, proves scientifically that trees do in fact improve many health issues such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), concentration levels, reaction times, depression and other forms of mental illness. He even points to research indicating a tree's ability to alleviate headaches in humans seeking relief by communing with trees.

 

The author points to a number of studies that have shown that children show significant psychological and physiological improvement in terms of their health and well being when they interact with plants and trees. Specifically, the research indicates that children function better cognitively and emotionally in green environments and have more creative play in green areas. Also, he quotes a major public health report that investigated the association between green spaces and mental health concluded that "access to nature can significantly contribute to our mental capital and wellbeing".

 

Nanocrystals Used to Grow Intricate "Garden" In Harvard Lab

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Natureworldnews, By: James A. Foley, 05/18/2013

 

These false-color SEM images reveal microscopic flower structures created by manipulating a chemical gradient to control crystalline self-assembly.

 

In a tiny garden in Boston petals fan out on tiny flower stems. Curved and delicate, row and rows of complex flower shapes form a feast for the eyes, spiraling like the tubes of a French horn and twisting round like finely blown glass.

 

Except the scene is not exactly in a garden; it's in a laboratory. And it's not exactly flowers; it's crystals being grown into flower-like shapes. And you can't exactly see it unless you have an electron microscope, because the garden is only microns in size, the nanoscopic crystal "garden" was grown at a Harvard lab. The nanogarden shows great promise for scientists trying to better understand how complex shapes like those seen in flowers evolved in nature.

 

Weekly Tarot Reading ~ Monday, March 4 – Sunday, March 10

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Keep in mind that energy is not static. The descriptions of the day could flow from one day, to the next. Themes could even continue throughout the week, especially when there are opposing or reinforcing cards. I’ve done my best to note these.

 

 

We start out the week with the energies of the suit of pentacles, which governs practicality, security and material concerns.

 

Monday March 04.

Nine of Pentacles

We begin the week with a reminder our hard work will pay off soon. This is a “time-out” card. We’ve been working hard lately, tending our garden. As was mentioned a week ago the seeds are sprouting. We may need to stop and assess what we are doing, but we can clearly see the fruits of our labor paying off. This reminder is important to carry with us into Tuesday.

Tuesday March 05.

Five of Pentacles

Tuesday may feel the complete opposite of Monday. We may fall on hard times, or feel lacking in some area today – knowledge, experience, material items, health – anything really. What we felt assured of yesterday, may not be clear at all today. The figures on the card seem to be outside of a church – a gentle reminder that our spiritual work and practice is important to remember and stick with throughout troubled times.

For the end of the week, we are in the energies of the suit of swords – for the most part. Swords govern intellect, thought and reason.

Wednesday March 06.

King of Swords

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