Hey If You’re In The U.S. And Use Food Stamps Or Know Somebody Who Does I Found This Online Cookbook

Kenya Installs the First Solar Plant That Transforms Ocean Water Into Drinking Water, and It Could Be the Solution to the Global Lack of Water

Kenya installs the first solar plant that transforms ocean water into drinking water, and it could be the solution to the global lack of water:

FTA: “Kenya installs the first solar plant that transforms ocean water into drinking water, and it could be the solution to the global lack of water

The Earth is a watery place. In fact, 71 percent of our planet is covered in water [1]. Despite this, one in nine people do not have access to safe drinking water – that’s around 785 million people [2].

The trouble is, 96.5 percent of all Earth’s water is found in the oceans in the form of saline water, and is not drinkable for humans. That only leaves us with rivers, lakes, and groundwater to satisfy our water needs [1].

According to the World Economic Forum, the global water crisis ranks as the number four risk in terms of impact on society [3]. Let’s face it – humans need water to survive.

If you’re reading this from Canada or the United States, you may not understand this crisis on a personal level. After all, you can turn on a tap and have safe drinking water instantly start flowing from the faucet. This, however, is not the case for billions of people living on other continents. One NGO (Non-Government Organization) is trying to change that.

GivePower 

Give Power’s mission is to install solar energy technologies that will bring essential services to developing communities in need [4]. Their most recent break-through project installed a solar-powered desalination system to bring clean, healthy water to the people in Kiunga, a rural village in Kenya [4].

With this technology, the salty ocean water will now be a viable source of water for the people living in this village. The system is capable of producing about 70 thousand litres or drinkable water every day, which is enough for up to 35 thousand people [4].”

GivePower

Do note that they are not yet rated on Charity Navigator

You know what line gets me every time I watch MAD MAX FURY ROAD? 

“Do not, my friends, become addicted to water. It will take hold of you, and you will resent its absence.”

Think about that. “Addicted to water.” It makes it sound like water is an extra luxury that people don’t need but are greedy for, something they should be able to go without, and if they are desperate for it, it’s their own fault, and not the fault of the man who has all of it, and withholds it.

Think about how the people in power tell us not to be greedy for the things we need, like healthcare, like a living wage, like the right to be free of fear and violence in our own communities. The people in power tell us not to be greedy for these things, when they themselves already enjoy them freely, and withhold them from us.

Don’t trust the narrative that tells us we’re being greedy by asking for things that we need.

Don’t trust the asshole sitting on a grassy hilltop with his hand on the spigot telling us not to be greedy for water.

I’m trying to write a personal diary about my gardening activities.

oh godddd

Solarpunk Activities for the Socially Anxious

 - Read up on the philosophical background(s) of solarpunk. I’ve got a bibliography page if you are looking for more. - Figure out which plants that are indigenous or endangered in your area. Read about their history (and if you can make seed bombs.) - Enjoy Alan Watts lecture on nature - Make a herb drying rack by using string and push pins. You can eat, burn or drink tea from the herbs. - Consider growing food from your scraps - Watch a Ted Talk on Conservation - Draw nature, real or imaginary. Take time to map out fantasy lands. (Think about it as an environmental vision board) - Consider if composting might be right for you - If you have houseplants, learn how to propagate them (or even just take the time to learn more about them…their history, and how best to care for them). If you do want to learn how to propagate, I suggest starting with succulents. They are hardy, fun, and fairly cheap. -Learn how to Talk to Trees with Charis Melina Brown - A National Geographic explainer on how trees talk to each other. - Listen to this amazing, free, nature meditation with Jessica Snow

WE ARE ALL GONNA FUCKING DIE

Blue Pixie’s Parasol (Mycena Interrupta) or subspecies.

Mycena interrupta, commonly known as the pixie’s parasol, is a species of mushroom. It has a Gondwanan distribution pattern, being found in Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia  and Chile. In Australia it is found in Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales, and South Australia, and in Queensland where its distribution is limited to Lamington National Park. Description The caps of Mycena interrupta range from 0.8 to 2 cm, and they are a brilliant cyan blue colour. They are globose when emergent and then become a broad convex as they mature, with the centre of the cap slightly depressed. The caps are often sticky and appear slimy looking, particularly in moist weather.

What are your favorite online planty boy shops?

I did a post about generally all places I’d found to buy plants online which folks made some very lovely additions to. Some of those in my original post I wouldn’t necessarily recommend because there are way cheaper/better places to shop, but that was more of a “here’s what’s out there and is most popular” type post that I really need to do an updated version of someday. But anyway here are some of the places I’ve ordered from that I had a good experience with or seen people order from that I would really like to attempt to order from.

Glasshouse Works - this place has a huge selection and some very old stock plants and does not…. necessarily keep up with current trends and price markups so you can find some cool stuff here for relatively low prices (and low resolution lol). Also, their “collections” are very cool and cost effective. I have ordered twice from them, once in the spring and once in the fall and was very happy with my orders. They also regularly throw in a free “extra” if one fits in your box which is my favorite.

Steve’s Leaves - this place is a wee bit pricier than I’d like but in the end, I think it’s worth it because they ship big and healthy plants. they have a huge stock of begonias and tradescantia and peperomia, if you’re into that and their catalog changes frequently. they do a weekly email special which is fun! I’ve only ordered once from them (got my West Texas Blizzard begonia) but I see loads of people consistently having good experiences with them.

Etsy - I don’t really have a favorite specific shop but etsy is a great place to find a lot of different plants, especially cuttings. definitely look into the reviews of the shop before purchasing though.

Logee’s - tbh this place barely makes it on my list of favorites, just because I have only ordered there once and they tend to be… overpriced and overhyped for the plant you get/what they stock. but they also have a cool catalog and frequent email specials that are lots of fun to look through. I ordered my Begonia maculata wightii from them last year and have been pleased with it, though it was definitely overpriced for a plant so easy to propagate.

Arid Lands Greenhouse -disclaimer here that I have placed an order but not received it yet because I asked them to hold if they felt the weather was bad (which it has been), but they have an absolutely huge catalog of less frequently offered succulents and seem very much geared toward serious hobbyists rather than gimmicks and are very knowledgable. they’re located in arizona and grow a lot of their stuff from seed. 

The People’s Plants - is one I am including here only because this is the website where I recently preordered my Thai Constellation Monstera. This is I think their second or third preorder run and I have seen several people very happy with the plants they received, so I feel comfortable linking them. They have some other cool tropicals in and out of stock from time to time it seems but I don’t know how they compare to other shops.

NSE Tropicals - is one I enjoy seeing instagram updates from but probably wouldn’t order from just because giant aroids aren’t my thing. They have some really awesome beautiful stock plants (almost nothing is in stock currently because winter).

Taylor Greenhouses - this one is similar to Glasshouse Works where it’s owned by some older folks who can barely run a web page. But does have some cool plants (especially begonias) hidden in there and free shipping on orders over $85. I’ve watched a few unboxing videos from folks and not been overly impressed by the size of the plants for the price but still a cool place to poke around.

Josh’s Frogs - I’ve never ordered plants from here (maybe ordered water plants I can’t remember) but if you’re looking for terrarium/vivarium plants and supplies, they’re a great website. They sometimes have some pretty cool plants for cheap, though they’re vivarium sized so pretty small.

PA Orchid Exchange - I have not looked too deeply into this one and haven’t seen any unboxing videos but they’re the newest plant place that’s caught me eye, especially if you’re after some Trendy Boys for what looks like relatively affordable prices?

Road diet bridges a barrier, boosts safety

A breakthrough design on La Jolla Boulevard in San Diego cuts crashes by 90 percent and gives local business a shot in the arm.

“The project was designed to transform a wide, automobile-oriented thoroughfare to a pedestrian-friendly, neighborhood center.

Travel lanes were reduced from five to two while adding five modern roundabouts, improved sidewalks, medians, landscaping, and increased angle parking. Traffic calming measures were installed on less busy side and parallel streets to avoid potential traffic diversion.“

Here’s the before and after:

“Pedestrians once had 70 feet of pavement to cross at intersections. With the roundabouts, they now cross 12–14 feet of pavement at a time with refuge islands in the middle”

“due to the 15 mph design speed of the roundabouts and traffic calming, many bicyclists feel comfortable riding with traffic on La Jolla Boulevard“

“The traffic count remained approximately the same (23,000 vehicles per day before, 22,000 after), but walking, bicycling, transit use, on-street parking and retail sales all climbed to much higher levels, the city reports. Retail sales rose 30 percent and noise levels dropped 77 percent. Because traffic moves slower, businesses report higher visibility.

As a result of the roundabouts and traffic calming, speeds were reduced from 40–45 mph to 19 mph, according to city transportation engineers. “The once busy boulevard has been transformed into a slow-paced street with roundabouts, landscaped street dividers and diagonal parking,” notes the LaJolla Light

Traffic crashes fell by 90 percent. The project has helped revitalize La Jolla Boulevard, acting as a catalyst to several new mixed-use developments, a 139-unit condominium development, and a major drugstore.

“Motorists,” Burden reported in The San Diego Union- Tribune in February 2017, “understandably dreaded this change before it was made. But they found that instead of waiting 24 seconds for a pedestrian to cross 70 feet of road, they now only wait 3–4 seconds, or don’t have to wait at all. Businesses that feared the loss of customers arriving in cars actually improved their trade. … Today motorists are getting to their destinations in less time, because they aren’t stopping.”“

(I’ve added bold for emphasis; the above sections are taken from different parts of the article, click through the link for the whole thing)

This goes to show that designing for a better pedestrian experience is not only safer, but also good for the local economy.