posted by admin on Apr 20

Would you like to own a pocketful of notes that were worth nothing?

Well, there are plenty of people around the world who are happy to do just that! The idea isn’t to not pay for goods and services – it is to not pay for something they are already paying for.

Still none the wiser?

Well, if you were collecting your drivers licence – would you want to pay the clerk extra for just giving it to you? Would you want to pay a passport agent to simply ‘check’ you through customs?

But they want a note from you for the privilege – so what are you going to do?

They know that what they are asking for is illegal – but they are making an easy buck. So now do you see why people are carrying zero currency notes?

photo credit: marksdk

Zero Gain:
Imagine the embarrassment of that official when you wave a giant Zero note in front of them for everyone to see – rather than folding it neatly in half and sliding it across the counter. Officials can go to jail for requesting ‘tips’ like this.

The organisation behind the most notable of these notes (the Zero Rupee) are 5th Pillar – an organisation against corruption in a democratic society. But India is not alone in the fight against corrupt officials; Argentina, Belize and even the United States are using similar notes to try to win support – and make accepting bribes totally unacceptable.

The notes are designed to look just like an existing note from whichever country – but with the Zero wording and figure as well as comments which refer to the fact that they are against ‘bribes’.

Obviously – these notes will not always be appropriate to use – particularly if you are a lone traveller and in a particularly remote area – but for everyday residents, these can make a huge difference.

You are more than welcome to make a donation to the organisation – even if you are not using the notes yourself – as they are distributing them free of charge to ordinary people!

They might be worth nothing to use – but they cost money to design, create and distibute. See the 5th Pillar website for more details.

And if you get your hands on one while travelling – don’t stick it in a box as a souvenir – keep them in circulation, doing what they were designed to do!

posted by admin on Mar 30

Ever heard of a cockerpoo, a puggle, a jackabee or a maltipom?

No, neither should you ever – the world has gone mad for doggie fashion!

Breeds of dog were origingally created because there was a need in the community for that particulat set of skills, for example; a dog that is waterproof, a dog that can fit down rabbit holes, a dog that can chase prey or a dog that will fit on your lap.

Nowadays though, it seems as though the trend in ‘getting what you want’ had enetered the world of dogs.

Not only are they made to fit a purses or prams, but now they are made to not be the original dogs anymore! People want new breeds – and they want them now!

The only problem is that dog breeds aren’t created overnight, there has to be a series of inbreeding involved and years of purifying afterwards – however not so with these designer breeds.

photo credit: Jorge Quinteros

These new ‘breeds’ are not anywhere near to being real breeds – and unfortunately never will be (well not for another 50 years or so with correct breeding).

Designer Breeds?
You see, these dogs are simply cross breeds; the definition of which is a dog from 2 known parents. So a pug father and a beagle mother will give you a puggle (50% pug and 50% beagle or thereabouts). They are unique.

The problem of course is that if you breed these dogs again with their original breeds (either a pug or a beagle) – they won’t be puggles anymore. They would be pugs with a hint of beagle, or beagles with a hint of pug!

photo credit: findingtheobvious

You could of course try breeding them with other puggles – but this is where the haphazard breeding will begin.

Just as when you breed any 2 dogs of any breed, they will inherit more than 50% of 1 parent and less of the other – but when they are known breeds the differences aren’t really noticable. I mean if you breed 2 german shepherds the young will all look just like german shepherds.

However if you mate a puggle which was 75% pug with another puggle which was also 75% pug – then your puggle puppies will be a bit more pug than puggle. Now imagine every other puggle owner doing the same and you can imagine a whole world filled with mongrels – defined as a dog of mixed parentage.

They will either be more beagle or more pug – and no doubt someone down the line will have added in a hint of poodle (which seems to be the common designer breed) and a snip of bichon (another designer favorite) and you won’t know what on earth the puppies are supposed to be.

The End Result:
So, should we be able to just mix everything up like this? Or is it making a mockery of the hundreds of years of professional breeding to find the perfect dog for problem A.

Some might say that we dont need dogs for ‘hunting’ or ‘chasing’ anymore so those breeds don’t serve a purpose!

But then others would say that without all those different breeds for hunting and chasing – there wouldn’t be the parent breeds of these designer dogs to choose from. I mean if breeds are obsolete in todays climate then you won’t be able to find yourself a cute breed to cross with another breed in the first place!

Some would say that pedigree dogs are so imbred that they have diseases that are man-made and can’t be cured – and others would reply that only bad breeders pass on those traits.

I think that we like certain dog ‘breeds’ because they show certain qualities or a have a certain appearance -but if all the dolly-dimwits who think that dogs are for carrying around and dressing up in ‘outfits’ started breeding these dogs – then I dread to think what domesticated dogs will look like in 30 years time!

Good breeders and vets already have enough trouble making sure that dogs are born healthy and happy these days – let alone clearing up after a few thousand amateurs have a go!

photo credit: akarmy

posted by admin on Mar 9

Here are some more great eco inventions that make things easy!

I have said in previous articles that eco inventions should be the same – if not better at doing something than existing (and not so green) alternatives.

We shouldn’t expect people to go out of their way to achieve something green – it should be given naturally – and without losing quality or offering less.

So, in that vein, here are a handful of eco ideas that I think can make your life not only greener – but easier too!

The Hundred Dollar Laptop:
This invention caused a stir when it was launched back in 2005 – the XO – but it had since been improved and improved again – now the XOXO.

It can now be charged by many means including solar; it uses only a fraction of the energy of a normal laptop; has black and white mode for use in bright sunshine; instant connection to the network and touch-screen keyboards!

Folding Bikes:
Rather than the rather bulky folding bikes that have been around in the past – the Strida 3 folds up into a wheeled walking stick! This way, you can easily cycle when the conditions are right/safe/dry, but fold up your wheels when things get too busy/congested/wet!

Easy to carry on and off of public transport too – and you can leave it in your hallway when you get home without hitting you shins on the pedals!

Whole House Switch:
There is a lot of talk about making sure that nothing electrical is left on stand-by and switching this and that off all the time – but it’s not easy keeping on top of everything the family use in the morning before heading off to work yourself. So in comes the One Switch.

One single switch that will switch off all your non-essential electricals by your front door. No need to run around your bedrooms and offices looking for red lights to eliminate – just one click and your electricity use is virtually set to zero!

E-Wash:
Washing with nuts instead of detergent! This slim-fit washing machine is designed specifically to work with soap nuts rather than detergents and conditioners etc – making it a great eco-friendly alternative to most large washers and driers.

It holds the same load but fits into a smaller space – leaving more room in the home for other things – plus you can get by with as little as 1kg of soap nuts washing your clothes for a whole year! Double bargain!

Can you think of any more?

posted by admin on Feb 22

How about something unusual to give as a gift – 60,000 years of their history!

A simple and painless swab on the inside of a mouth is all it takes to find out where you ancesters came from soon after they started on the journey of a lifetime!

So instead of buying the lastest DS game for your nephew, or the newest version of the iPad for your godson – why not let them see something far more interesting and unusual: their family’s past!

Genographic Studies.
It is currently believed that all humans alive today were originally from the exact same place in Africa.

It is also believed that around 60,000 years ago, these early humans decided to move to new pastures, and set off on what turned out to be the journey of mankind.

They may have originally been just looking for better food or water supplies not far from their family, but the journey didn’t stop, and humans spread across virtually the whole globe – changing as they went.

Some set up permanent homes in river mouths or forests and others kept travelling, until we get to today – with many thousands of different cultures, languages and individual traits and preferences alive on almost every continent.

So which path did your family take?

Take The Test!
It is now very easy and relatively cheap to get a detailed history of your past. Where your ancesters have been – or still are – and which branches of your family gave you most of your personal genes today.

Whether you think you know your past – you are from an isolated community – or you have absolutely no idea what your past will hold – you can all take part in this unique not-for-profit and internationally shared research project.

Your initial test is totally separate from the International Study and so you can receive your results and keep them to yourself forever – you are not obliged to share anything about yourself.

However, if you do want to be a part of the larger project – any data you give will be treated anonymously and securely as with any other personal details.

Obviously, offering your results to the wider science community may well have benefits to us all in terms of understanding human evolution, migration, settlement and cultural distinctions.

And it could also give you a chance to learn about other cultures and communities around the world – for example, if you find out your ancestors came through Turkey or Asia etc, you may be inclined to read more about those areas – maybe even inspiring you to travel……. and to learn!

More information about the project can be found on the National Geographic Site in many different languages and answering a myriad of related questions – go to their link: Genome Study to find out more……

photo credit: Alex E. Proimos

posted by admin on Jan 28

It’s not just genetically modified foods that are being manipulated!

The argument for and against GM foods, as they are known, is a raging one. The ‘Againsts’ are asking “why should scientists tamper with nature” (by adding bits of fish proteins to tomatoes for example) – but then the ‘Fors’ are saying “why should scientists not try to ‘invent’ food that is more nutritious, disease resistant and with a longer shelf life?”

However – there is now a new way to manipulate processed food without necessarily modifying the original ingredients: nano particles.

NanoTechnology:
These ‘nano’ particles are inbetween the atomic level and molecular level and nanoparticles of known substances act differently to their ‘normal’ counterparts – for example; nano particles of gold have a different melting point to a slab of gold.

These particles can be used to change the properties of other particles and can therefore be very useful for solidifying, or liquifying certain solutions etc.

There is much debate about the implications of using nanoparticles in the future – as with medicine, biomaterials and foods – due to the fact that nanoparticles can pass through cell walls with ease – including into the brain. As a result there is much debate as to their uses and regulation – particularly as they have unproven effects on the body.

Nano Foods:
So, would it then surprise you to find out that there are already food products and toiletries on the market containing nanoparticles – whether you knew it or not!

Nanoparticles – like nano-silver – can be great in the product they are made for, improving its qualities many times over – but it’s what happens after these particles leave the product that they become a hazard.

photo credit: Akira Ohgaki

As always, when eaten in the form of a highly nutritious and long-lasting product – it eventually has to come out of that product – as we all know ‘what comes out doesn’t look at all like what went in’. So where do these nanoparticles go as they don’t usually break down very easily?

The first answer is that they don’t go anywhere. They may move themselves across the digestive wall, travel around your body and settle somewhere forever. Whether they are in a ‘good place’ or a ‘bad place’ isn’t necessarily the worst thing to worry about – it’s what they do when they get there – and how much you eat that can cause the problem.

The second scenario is that you excrete them and they head off into the sewers and landfill. Now usually, nanoparticles are added to food to prevent bacterial growth and decay – so they aren’t going to degrade easily alongside other waste. And what if they stop the other waste from degrading too?

Just as excessive polystyrene is great for protecting products – but a nightmare to dispose of; nanofoods may well be the greatest answer to food preservation and improved nutrition. However, if their consumption causes health issues and their disposal causes pollution and disruption – then are the initial benefits worth while?

People Say:
Unfortunately, consumer trends are what can influence whether a product is successful or not – so by keeping your ingredients ‘under the radar’ you can just about put anything in them.

In the same way that companies use various other words to describe palm oil other than actually saying ‘our product contains palm oil’ – they are still selling crates and crates of their products – even though consumers ‘hate to see the rainforests being burnt down’.

However, in Europe, GM foods hit the headlines and now hardly any companies at all can sell GM foods anywhere. People spoke their mind and they stuck to their guns. However, people in other countries weren’t so bothered by it all and so regularly buy genetically modified foods.

So why not eat nano foods too? Is the risk that great?

Lets be honest: we know that smoking can lead to all sorts of long-term illnesses and even death – but millions of people world-wide still smoke.

Fancy a packet of nano-peanuts with that!