Three Years In The Making

Our three year anniversary is here. Boy, has it gone fast. Here are a few pictures that capture these three great years we've had.

.

Here's to many more years together!!!

Green Algae

I have felt green for some time, I mean going green as in saving the trees, zero paper, stopping pollution, etc. Each time I am out in nature, I gain more appreciation for each tree, but fast forward 20 years from now. Do you think more trees will be saved from more people going green? Do you think more trees could be kept around to absorb the toxic pollution that is spread from the use of cars fueled by gasoline? We need our trees, and I have always been a huge advocate of saving our trees and our environment. What do you all think about green algae instead of gasoline? For the past few years, I have been following Josh Tickell's quest of saving energy, stopping pollution, and saving American's money. According to Good Morning American report, "Tickell just finished a 10-day drive from Los Angeles to New York City in his Algaeus. On the trip, the car averaged 147 miles per gallon in the city, where it runs on electricity alone. On the highway, where it works as a hybrid, it averaged 52 miles per gallon. Most amazing of all, Tickell stopped only six times for fill-ups. So how does the Algaeus get such extraordinary mileage? Essentially, the Algaeus is a tricked-out version of the already fuel-efficient Prius. Tickell added a nickel metal hydride battery and a plug to the hybrid car. Instead of gasoline, the car's engine runs on algae fuel. He currently fuels his prius with green algae and says, "The set-up is so effective that the Algaeus can run on approximately 25 gallons from coast to coast." Pause. Why isn't green algae available for everyone currently? According to a report from Good Morning America, It is "Developed by the green startup company Sapphire Energy, algae fuel is produced on a farm in the deserts of New Mexico. Proponents of algae fuel claim that it has the potential to be a new source of 100 percent carbon neutral energy that won't require changing the country's current energy infrastructure. That's because algae has the same chemical composition as gasoline and is, therefore, compatible with existing gasoline technology, from refineries to car engines. Unlike an oil rig, an algae farm can be located almost anywhere, and does not require converting farmland or nature preserves. Right now, algae fuel isn't available to consumers, but its makers hope to make it available commercially within the next five years. If you want to see green fuel become a reality, Tickell has a few suggestions. He recommends calling your representatives and urging them to create incentives for algae fuel, or holding a town hall meeting in your area to help spread the word about the technology." Imagine how much pollution could be reduced by fueling with green algae instead of gasoline. What are your thoughts on this?

Plastics To Avoid

Over the weekend, I educated myself about all unsafe plastics that you you may use in your kitchen. On the bottom of every plastic item is a number usually in the center of a triangle or circle. Check for these numbers, 3, 6, and 7. If you see these numbers on the bottom of your plastic kitchenware, baby/children's toys, baby bottles, and anything else that is plastic, throw them away. Most of these items are not made anymore due to FDA guidelines in recent years. Safe plastic items have numbers of, 1, 2, 4, 5. However, even most plastic water bottles with these numbers are bio-degradable and not meant to be used more then once. If you have purchased plastic items in the past few years, don't worry about the unsafe numbers are much, as more research has been done on BPA leached from plastics and harsh chemical consumption through plastics. More and more plastics are being designed to be safe nowadays, which really eases most peoples minds. But I still recommend you check the numbers on your plastics. Over the weekend, I found about 10 items in my kitchen with number 7 on the bottom, in which I threw away. Here are some other tips I recommend. 1. Never microwave anything in plastic, and don't use any plastic wrap in the microwave. There just isn't enough research done to know if this is safe or not yet. 2. Never re-use a plastic water bottle that is designed for a one time use. 3. Check the number on the plastic your are purchasing. I do know some people who drink out of glass water bottles since even stainless steal bottles have concerns about leaching nickel through the bottle. If you are interested in glass water bottles, you can check on amazon.com for some well made, safe, heavy duty glass water bottles. They are a little more pricey, but I recommend you read the reviews before purchasing any of them.