414 — Practical Sustenance

On April 12 the Ellsworth (Maine) American reported that an Ellsworth housewife, Brandy Bridges, dropped and shattered a fluorescent tube-bulb on the carpeted floor in her daughter’s bedroom. Aware that compact fluorescent light bulbs [CFLs) are potentially hazardous, Bridges called the local Home Depot store to ask for advise. Home Depot told her that the … Read more

Fewer than one percent of architects in the latest survey of the American Institute of Architects (500 of 58,000 members) listed affordable housing as a primary interest. It takes vision, innovation, and dedication to reconcile good environmental practices with cost-consciousness. Knitting person-centered and earth-conscious values together with affordability and universal access is not unattainable or … Read more

The UK government is forecasting that aviation could account for around 21 per cent of Britain’s total carbon emissions by 2050. As demand for air travel soars so will the carbon ‘wing-print.’ Thankfully, the aviation industry is starkly aware of its responsibilities and major players in the East of England are piloting initiatives designed to … Read more

Current irrigation practices are based on supply-side public water principles. Irrigation systems are designed by engineers to supply water to irrigate fields at a scheduled frequency to support plant growth. By disregarding the demand of the crops this model often over-irrigates and frequently causes water logging and groundwater contamination. The principle of the demand-side crop … Read more

Scientists at Oklahoma State University, the Punjab Agricultural University, and Texas A&M have investigated the use of alternative cropping systems to reduce irrigation water use and improve environmental conditions in a study funded by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). A simulation model was used (CropMan) to assess the biological structures, processes and economic practicality … Read more

Water may seem to be the most abundant resource available on Earth. But the reality is that 97 percent of all water is saltwater, 2 percent is held in snow and icebergs and only 1 percent is freshwater. More and more demands are being placed on this 1 percent of the world’s water that is … Read more

The water shortage is becoming an increasingly worrying crisis. As the situation grows ever more acute, it is feared that water will once again become a cause of disputes and that there could even be wars over water resources. Even before the State of Israel was founded, its leaders realized that in order to ensure … Read more