Top Reasons to Get Addiction Treatment

Health

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February 10, 2022

woman looking at pills in a mirror — People can be addicted to reading COVID of climate news or be addicted to their cell phone. But some addictions can take your life. Even the most planet-aware people can be at risk.

Recovering from addiction is a chaotic process. After all, the long-term damage done to the body in various forms takes much more time than you would expect. Now that the number of drug and alcohol addicts is increasing at a staggering rate, health professionals are worried about people. However, it is fair enough to applaud the massive improvement in technology and health practices, like at cbi detox in Tucson — it is much easier to seek refuge from addiction in the future and get rid of it for life.

While many are reluctant to embrace this problem in the beginning, the situation around them will take a turn for the worse at some point in time, which will eventually force them to walk out of their cocoon and acknowledge this problem. So if you’ve been running away for quite some time, wait right there! We’ve got your back and will sift you through the top reasons for seeking addiction treatment:

Mend Damaged Relationships

Addiction takes a big toll on relationships, such as broken trust, anger, resentment, or guilt. If left unchecked, these issues will transition into much larger problems in the future. Since the victim isn’t functioning in their consciousness all the time, repairing damaged relationships becomes the need of the hour. So repairing damaged relationships is essential because it is an organic consequence of the addiction treatment. But, also vital for the person who is undergoing it.

While one might not be affected, their friends and family must have had several sleepless nights due to the victim. The modern treatment facilities, through the use of therapeutic approaches, are helpful in bridging the gap between family members and their loved ones.

Mental Health

Mental health is on the front row to get affected as a result of any sort of abuse. Be it substance or alcohol, mental health is usually at the receiving end of the damage. Bear in mind constant use of alcohol and drugs makes your emotions go haywire. Not only does a person lose consciousness but starts to feel isolated due to ostracization from society. As a result, the victim starts relying on drugs and alcohol to feel relaxed. This results In their mental health getting deteriorating instantly.

However, once the mind is free from everything, it becomes easier to socialize with the people around. The treatment centers provide family treatment programs wherein every member of the family is told about dealing with the victim in the house.

Luckily, finding a trusted alcohol rehab in Denver center can make a significant difference in the recovery journey. These facilities are equipped to support both the individual and their family throughout the healing process.

Become Physically More Active

Thanks to the luxury rehab treatment centers, it is much easier for the victims to undergo relentless physical training programs to stay fit. Bear in mind not being physically resilient will make a victim more vulnerable to catching some of the worst diseases out there. Now that COVID 19 is all over the place, staying physically active is important.

When looking for the best we recommend you to go through the client reviews and never skip the testimonial section. Once the victim starts to witness results in their physical performance, it will be much easier for them to smile and get back to the normal pace of life.

Cultivate Confidence

Addiction takes a big toll on your physical and emotional health. So if you don’t focus on getting treated on time, it will be hard to uplift your confidence again. Thanks to addiction treatments, the wellness experts help you in interacting with the people around you and cultivating your confidence. Not to forget, confidence makes an individual stand out, and failing to be vocal about your thoughts will never make you visible to a large crowd.

Confidence is highly important in life, both personally and professionally. However, due to addiction and being socially cut off from society, it can become a tough cookie for you to achieve. So now is the best time for an individual to consider a top-notch treatment so that they can feel good about themselves.

Develop Your True Identity

Most victims lose their identity and become lost in their world. Such people have a very hard time interacting with their friends and family members, let alone interacting with a local. However, addiction treatment centers are created such that an individual can work on their true identity to become a better version of themselves.

The treatment centers focus on working on the self-esteem and self-actualization of an individual so that they can get back to the normal pace of life. Unless an individual doesn’t have a true identity of their own, it will be hard to cement a strong reputation of themselves in the minds of the people around them. So when an individual has an identity of their own, it will be much easier to achieve happiness.

Ways To Improve Corporate Work Environment

Business

Bhok Thompson

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February 10, 2022

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Ways To Improve Corporate Work Environment

woman in glass at the office — Your company might be building solar panels but is the environment a healthy one for corporate culture?

One of the main issues in a workplace is effective communication. Employees fail to convey their troubles to a higher authority, resulting in irregular working hours and overdue tasks. Employers also remain unaffected by the situation and consistently burden their employees with a workload without accounting for their concerns and demands.

As an employer, your first thought must be to unburden every single soul working under your command so that they have the time to focus on their core potentials and maximize productivity outcomes. You can take the initiative to get a phone answering service for your corporate, so your employees don’t have to worry about taking customer orders and spending hours alleviating customer concerns.

In addition, here are a few things you can do.

Be Cooperative As Owner

One of the first few things you need to initiate as the owner of a corporation is to invest in strategies that promote your self-growth. Your employees will trust and follow your embodiment of valuing workplace regulations and punctuality.

Every time you want your employees to undertake a certain behavior or promote an aspect of the workplace culture, you must launch it yourself and set a structure for the rest of your staff to follow.

Research and studies show that employees rarely take anything seriously if their employer or manager doesn’t. Taking the initiative or promoting something enforces you to establish it through personal pursuit as a corporate or team manager owner.

That way, you’ll earn the respect of your employees, and they’ll strict follow all directions to preserve the discipline of the workplace. Thus, you’ll improve the corporate environment with minimal effort.

Invest In Communication-Boosting Strategies

If you fear that your employees are having trouble with communications, you can devise strategies to help them communicate. Every once in a while, your coworkers and lower-paid staff require leisure to focus on the other crucial aspects of their life. Keeping a pin-drop silence around your workplace under your observation will do more harm than good to your corporate.

For instance, invest business finances into hosting events and celebrations for your employees and make it on the house. It’s a great initiative for giving your employees time to know each other and share a few features of their personal stories.

It will also make your employees feel more welcomed to the workplace and boost the morale of the incoming candidates. Caring for your employees is the primary step of improving the workplace environment.

Upgrading their communication tech can drastically improve workflow and keep teams better connected throughout the day. Office managers often look for iPhone rentals that allow staff to stay synced without requiring a huge upfront investment. These devices support seamless communication, quick access to work tools and professional consistency across departments. Offering modern tech also shows employees that their productivity and comfort are valued.

Remark Employee Work

Always make time for feedback when it comes to employee efforts and achievements. If you feel that any one of your employees is not giving his 100 percent, then you can have a friendly chat to discover if they’re facing any hurdles in the workplace or need some time off to focus on their personal growth.

Celebrating each independent and team effort in a workplace will endorse your employees to focus on the best outcome and hard work for better delivery in the future. Always use the tact of positive reinforcement if some member of your corporate fails to achieve the desired goal.

Boost employee morale and self-esteem by rewarding their work and proven efforts. Host events and acknowledge their achievements publically. You can use social media platforms to congratulate your employees on their job for a public announcement.

Promote Team Efforts In The Workplace

Also, encourage your employees to work in a team. Two or a group of people can perform better at a task than a single person. If your staff member has difficulty working on an assignment, encourage him to consult his coworkers and yourself for better delivery and preferable outcomes.

It will endorse teamwork in the corporate workplace. Your employees will begin to communicate and form teams to handle the task efficiently. Request your employees to treat each coworker like family. It will help you improve the work environment.

Allow Flexible Work Timings

Flexible work timings are a much-needed feature in every workplace. Employees look for flexible work timings in a corporate before applying to take their personal lives into account. If your business manages a heavier workload than other industries, you must allow your employees the requested time off.

If you don’t show compassion towards your employees and pressure them into complete deadlines, it will neither be fruitful to you nor your corporate. Thus, be compassionate and allow your employee to enjoy their time off word if required.

Value the Difference Of Opinion

Never undermine an individual’s opinion in the workplace based on preferences or favoritism. Encourage and teach your employees to respect each given opinion by doing so yourself. Don’t lash out at your coworkers if they have a difference of opinion and allow them to show criticism because that’s more preferable than an employee neglecting work because they hold something against the rules or your values.

Indigikitchen shows the young and indigenous their food roots

Food

Karin Kloosterman

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February 10, 2022

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Indigikitchen shows the young and indigenous their food roots

First Nations and Indiginous People of America are returning to their roots, with food.

Mariah Gladstone’s childhood laid the perfect foundations for the work she does these days, breathing new life into Indigenous Peoples’ food traditions through her online cooking show Indigikitchen. With her approach to sustainable diets, making use of pulses and other ancestral foods, Mariah became a Champion for the World Food Forum, a youth-led initiative launched by FAO and a global network of partners, to empower young people to transform agrifood systems for a better food future.

On the Blackfeet Reservation where Mariah was raised, in the wind-whipped ruggedness of the northwestern state of Montana, her dad and grandpa carved out a vegetable garden for her: “I was raised with a lot of fresh foods that came from the earth, and I had an understanding of seeds growing into food. That’s something that I feel really privileged to have grown up with.”

Meanwhile her mom gave her free a rein in the kitchen. “When I was very young, I started coming up with recipes in my head. My mom let me experiment with them. Even from when I was five or six years old, she’d make me document my entire recipe. I continued to do that.”

Mariah quickly began to realise as she was growing up that not everyone in the community around her was so fortunate. Her heritage is a mix of Blackfeet and Cherokee, two of the largest Indigenous Nations in the United States. From a health perspective alone, medical researchers and Indigenous advocacy groups say Native American populations suffer some of the highest rates of type 2 diabetes on the continent.

Pulses and ancestral foods for food sovereignty

Attending a conference on food sovereignty helped raise Mariah’s awareness, as did her degree in Environmental Engineering from Columbia University and a Master’s from the State University of New York. “There has been really intentional work to disconnect native people from our traditional food systems,” professes Mariah. Being deprived of most of their buffalo herds and the ensuing mass starvation among her father’s Blackfeet people back in the 1880’s remains a vivid, collective memory in her isolated community.

The consequences have continued to play out as “a lot of people’s parents, grandparents or great grandparents grew up on rations or other forms of subsidized foods. A lot of folks, if I mention beans, think of squishy green beans that come in a can.”

For Mariah, on the other hand, the foods of her Indigenous ancestors are rich in creative possibilities. “One of my favourite ways of eating white beans actually has been to overcook them until they’re really soft and blend them with maple sugar and some eggs and actually create a coffee cake out of them. A really healthy delicious protein-rich coffee cake, but you have no idea it’s made of beans.”

mariah gladstone, coffee cake made from beans — *A coffee cake made from beans.*

Reaching out with her cooking videos through social media platforms to her fellow-millennials comes instinctively to Mariah. She keeps her videos short for easy viewing on cell phones or in case of poor internet connectivity.

She’s also found that on social media platforms, “it is not just youth that are present, it is their parents and their grandparents … I see people tagging their family members, and saying, ‘Grandma, can we make this this weekend?’”

There’s plenty of interactivity too, as people send her back recipes which they’ve tried and modified. “Not only am I seeing young people really excited about it, but they’re getting their family members and other people involved, creating not just delicious meals, but also restoring knowledge on an intergenerational level.”

Celebrating the Three Sisters

Indigenous Peoples in large parts of North America traditionally intercropped corn, squash and beans, known as the “Three Sisters”. We learned about it through the book Braiding Sweetgrass. As well as enhancing soil health with the nitrogen-fixing bacteria in their roots, crops such as beans are “important to the well-functioning of our ecosystems, not just our nutritional health, but also the ways in which we act as caretakers for the land around us.”

But how much recognition is there among the wider public of the wisdom of Indigenous Peoples’ food systems? In Montana, a movement started in the 1980’s and 1990’s whereby a network of farms replaced chemical-fertilized grain crops with organic lentils. Pulse crops are known to be important for soil health and biodiversity. “I think that it’s a great example of non-Indigenous Peoples recognizing the importance of caretaking the land as farmers.”

At best, though, it’s a mixed picture. It can be “interesting to see science catching up to traditional knowledge and see peer-reviewed studies demonstrating things we have already known. On the one hand it’s cool to have validation from a peer reviewed study, but also annoying because until you have validation from a peer-reviewed study it is not taken seriously.”

Indigenous Peoples’ traditional knowledge is methodologically sound and informed by systematic observations, experiences, trials and practice. Therefore, it is a good source of expertise to inform food policies that require an in-depth understanding of local ecosystems, biodiversity and cultures.

For Indigenous Youth, the overarching concern, says Mariah, is ensuring the land can continue to generate food in the future. “I think that today’s young people obviously want to ensure that our communities are fed, but we’re really looking to ensure that sustainability is incorporated at every level,” she says.

16 Remodeling Tips to Follow When Renovating Your Home

Faisal O'Keefe

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February 8, 2022

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16 Remodeling Tips to Follow When Renovating Your Home

eco renovation couple with goggles — *You want to renovate green and you want to do it sustainably and cheaply. Here are some tips.*

Renovating your home is a great way to improve your quality of life. As this process requires a big investment, plan every little thing to avoid any mistakes. Keep reading to find sixteen actionable tips that can help you renovate your home the right way.

Focus on efficiency

You should not let the home renovation plan take months to complete. Getting more comfort is the reason behind the renovation, and it’s not good if home renovation becomes uncomfortable for you.

Get the home renovation work completed by overcoming the challenges you face. Hire a reliable home renovation service that can renovate your home without wasting your time, money, and effort.

Choose comfort over looks

Home renovation is not all about changing the looks of your home. Your primary motive behind home renovation should be making your home comfier. Start your home renovation plan with your bedroom.

Buy a new memory foam mattress for your bedroom if your current mattress is almost 10 years old. Avoid buying any items for your bedroom that look stylish but don’t provide comfort.

Proper budgeting

Home renovation can cost you a lot of money if you don’t plan things accordingly. Start your home renovation plan after creating a proper budget.

You can estimate the costs of the home renovation yourself, however, you should hire a contractor to estimate the costs. You should delay your home renovation plan if you don’t have enough money to get started.

Set a timeframe

A simple home renovation plan takes about 7 to 10 months. But it might take more than 15 months if you remodel your home completely. After analyzing how much free time you have, you must start your home renovation plan.

Create a proper schedule for renovation and stick to it. Hire a trusted home renovation service that can get work done on time.

Do proper research

You will have to spend a ton of time researching if you choose the DIY home renovation route. However, you still have to research if you hire a home renovation service.

Don’t make any hasty decisions unless you know enough about home renovation. You can do online research to gather the right information necessary for the successful completion of home renovation.

Limits of DIY approach

A DIY home renovation plan has its disadvantages. It’s easier to make small changes to your home on your own. However, if you want to remodel your home completely, you won’t renovate it without making any mistakes.

Make a list of what changes you want in your home. Hire a home renovation service if you can’t do things yourself.

Choose the right services

Don’t hire any home renovation service that’s near your home. Hiring an incompetent home renovation service will result in a waste of your time and effort.

Do proper research before choosing a home renovation service. Check online reviews of different services to verify their reliability. Choose an agency that can complete renovation on time. You should compare the quotes of different agencies to pick the most affordable.

Store your tools carefully

Construction tools scattered throughout your home can cause injury. You have to place all your tools at a specific place. If you go down the DIY renovation route, place your tools carefully after completing the renovation task.

The renovation agency you hire might leave their tools at your home. Keep pets and kids away from those tools.

Stay safe during renovation

You can easily get injured during the home renovation if you are not careful. Stay alert during the home renovation to avoid any unnecessary injuries. Keep your kids away from renovation tools and materials. If you don’t stay in your home during renovation hours, you should send your dog to a pet boarding service to ensure their safety.

Use proper tech tools

Tech tools can help you plan home construction the right way. You can create a 3D model of how your home will look after renovation. Using social media can help you link up with good home renovation services. Budgeting tools can help you create a proper budget for home renovation. Spend some time researching tools that can make the renovation process easier for you.

Get approval for renovation

Improper renovation might result in personal injury or property loss in the future. It’s important to get approval from local authorities before renovating your home. Getting approval ensures that renovation work done in your home doesn’t violate any safety standards. Contact the office of local authorities to get approval before you start on home renovation.

Proper schedule for cleanup

Set some time aside in the daily renovation schedule to get rid of the renovation mess. Choose the right tools for cleanup and don’t ignore your daily renovation routine. If you don’t have time to clean up your home, you can ask the renovation service you hire to clean your home.

Plan according to weather conditions

Improper weather conditions can ruin your home renovation project. Check the short-term and long-term weather forecast so you don’t waste your time and money on renovation. Ask your contractor if they can continue the renovation project during harsh weather. However, if there are chances of snowfall or heavy rain, it’s better to postpone renovation.

Focus on recommendations

It can become difficult for you to gather information about home renovation all by yourself. Ask for recommendations from your friends and family about home renovation. Their experience can help you make the right decisions about renovation and help you save money.

Don’t forget about recycling

Dumping the material left after home renovation is not the right option. Most of the materials that are removed from your home during renovation can be recycled. Take a look at all the appliances and fixtures present in your home. Look for a recycling facility in your area and check if they can visit your home to take things that can be recycled.

Buy products at affordable prices

You can save your renovation costs if you buy products at affordable prices. Don’t rely on the nearest shop to buy all the items you need for renovation. Compare prices of different stores online to cut your costs. Look for specific discounts and sales online.

Get the Edge Over the Competition at Business Job Interviews

Lifestyle

Bhok Thompson

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February 8, 2022

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Get the Edge Over the Competition at Business Job Interviews

eco resort indonesia — *Learn how to get a green job of your dreams in paradise. Working at a resort or working for a company that changes the world.*

The world of business has become very competitive over recent years. Not only do businesses face stiff competition from one another, but those applying for jobs in business also face a lot of competition from others. If you are keen to break into the world of business and advance your career, you need to ensure you take steps that will improve your chances of success. This includes doing everything you can to ensure your job interview goes well.

No matter what sort of position you are going for in the world of business, it is important that you have a solid resume so that you can secure a job interview. You can use resume builder tools online to help you to achieve the perfect results with a comprehensive and professional resume that is sure to impress. Once you have managed to secure a job interview, you then need to make sure you prepare properly so that you can gain an edge on competitors who have also been called in for interviews. In this article, we will provide some tips to help.

What You Should Do

There are a few key things that you should do in order to get the edge over competitors at your business job interview. Some of the steps that you can take are:

Know Your Stuff

One thing you need to demonstrate when you go into the job interview is that you really know your stuff and that you have taken the time to do your research. This is something that many people fail to do before they attend an interview, and it can make all the difference. Taking the time to learn more about the company and its history, the job position itself, and other relevant information can go a long way toward impressing the interviewers. It will also make you feel more confident when you go into the interview and when you are asked certain questions.

Be Confident

Another thing you should do in order to stay ahead of the competition is to ensure you are confident in the interview. This is not always easy, as we all get nervous in situations like this. However, by making sure you prepare for the interview properly, you can increase your confidence levels, and this will make a big difference in terms of how you come across to the interviewers. This is another way in which you can stay ahead of your competitors.

Research Etiquette

One of the additional things that you should do is to take the time to research interview etiquette, as this can aid your performance in the interview as well as how you come across to those making vital decisions. You can go online to learn more about interview etiquette, and this can cover everything from how to introduce yourself to what to wear and more. Maybe wear upcycled clothing or the latest sustainable fashion from Stella McCartney – and dress to eco-impress.

These are some of the things that can help you to get the edge over the competition at job interviews.

An Effective Approach to CompTIA A+ Certification Exams

Lifestyle

Bhok Thompson

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February 3, 2022

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An Effective Approach to CompTIA A+ Certification Exams

If you aim to become a professional in the IT sector but lack the academic credentials, you stand before a great opportunity to earn yourself an industry-standard certification offered by the IT association CompTIA. The CompTIA A+ certification is an entry-level qualification in the IT industry.

The Importance of CompTIA Certification:

CompTIA equips you with the knowledge to become an entry-level IT Technician. It exposes you to essential areas like information security, network administration, computer repair, software systems, operating systems troubleshooting of mobile devices—all of the above with no prerequisites for taking the certification.

It is one of the best choices you can make when starting a career in IT. CompTIA training will enable you with the right technical skills and problem-solving ability that will make you a valued professional. Better career options, increased salary, validation of your skills, and most importantly, you can also become a freelancer and work with multiple clients.

solar energy factories — The year 2022 onwards will be the decade of action for renewable energy.

CompTIA Courses Certification Groups

These are the four main groups into which CompTIA A+ certifications are categorized:

Core Certifications:

The core certifications are more focused on establishing the more foundational skills that any IT professional is expected to possess. You have four choices to pick from core certifications:

IT Fundamentals+: A pre-career fundamental insight focused on how IT structure functions
CompTIA A+: A certification more suited for learning system connectivity and user helpdesk support skills
CompTIA Network+: A rudimentary certification for device connections and with end-to-end systems that fill in your knowledge of a Network Support Specialist
CompTIA Security+ Certification: A certification that is an essential understructure in developing one’s expertise in cybersecurity

Infrastructure Certifications:

These certifications are for Network+ program enthusiasts. You will want to replenish your knowledge base in IT infrastructure with these three certifications:

CompTIA Server+ – This is for administration and server support.
CompTIA Cloud+ – Certification that teaches deployment of network storage resources, virtual system administration, and hybrid clouds
CompTIA Linux+ – This certification focuses exclusively on Linux operating systems, their management, and administration.

Cybersecurity Certifications:

Contributing to the expansion of the cybersecurity branch, CompTIA A+ courses offer the following:

CASP+ (CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner) – Design and implementation of security solutions.
CompTIA CySA+ (CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst) – To become an IT security behavioral analyst.
CompTIA PenTest+ (CompTIA Penetration Testing) – For those who aspire to learn system intrusion and vulnerability testing.

Further Professional Certifications:

These certifications are unique and don’t necessarily subscribe to any of the groups listed earlier.

CompTIA Cloud Essentials – A in-depth focus on developing your knowledge of cloud computing and understanding the switch from in-house to cloud storage.
CompTIA Project+ – Basic essentials of project management (From the inception of a project to planning and completion, with efficient management of time and budget, etc.)
CompTIA CTT+ – This program will lay before you all the foundational aspects of becoming a computer technology instructor.

The Exams For CompTIA A+

The exams for CompTIA A+ are divided into two parts:

CompTIA A+ 220-901: This includes outlying hardware networking, troubleshooting of mobile devices hardware, and network connectivity issues. It also includes virtualization and cloud computing, comparing cloud concepts and setting up client-side virtualization.
CompTIA A+ 220-902: Configuration and installation of operating systems including IOS, Windows, Linux, and Android.

The duration is often 90 minutes and contains 90 multiple-choice questions. The languages include English, Japanese, German and modern Spanish.

How Much Does the CompTIA A+ Certifications Cost?

An easy question to which there are many answers; it mostly depends on the choices you wish to pursue. For example, a single CompTIA Security+ exam cost is $370.

You could be eligible for discounts that can lower the price, and you can package your voucher with extra learning and training that can change the overall sum.

An Ideal Way To Study For CompTIA Exam:

Practicing will improve your knowledge greatly. Creating a workstation of your own to work on the new concepts that you have learned through CompTIA training courses will almost certainly guarantee success in clearing the course exams.
Joining online forums and other course sites that offer guidance for free will help acquire diverse approaches with new insights to existing problems.
Using online practice exams will assist significantly in acclimating oneself to the exam environment and work settings.

Conclusion

CompTIA is a non-profit organization providing a wide range of certifications to various IT professionals. After completing these certification courses, getting an IT job is not promised, but companies do notice the candidate’s dedication and willingness to learn and work hard in the IT industry.

With the A+, you can expect to work as an IT specialist, IT manager, Support technician, Help desk analyst, etc. If you aspire to learn more and claim expertise in cybersecurity or network support, the CompTIA A+ provides an ideal start and will pave your career path in IT as smoothly as possible!

5 Activities for Preschoolers That Promote Sustainability

Lifestyle

Bhok Thompson

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January 29, 2022

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5 Activities for Preschoolers That Promote Sustainability

blond boy tel aviv, dancing with bubbles, tie-dye shirt — Pre-schoolers love bubbles. They also love making their own tie-dyed T-shirts. Here are some more ideas.

It’s more important than ever to introduce habits of sustainability and environmentally friendly actions in the next generation. We’ve already come too far to let another generation ignore the issues we’ve created in the environment.

But how do you introduce sustainability habits to your young children? You disguise it as playtime activities. Below are five activities you can do with your preschooler that will instill eco-friendly behaviors in them that they’ll hopefully hold on to while they grow up.

Plant Flowers

The miracle of watching something grow will be absolutely magical for your preschooler to experience. After planting a seed, watering it when needed, and keeping it in sunlight, your preschooler will witness the seed soon grows into a flower or plant.

If you have the space for a garden, it can become a weekly activity for your preschooler as you dig in the dirt to plant seeds and pull out the weeds. This teaches them about growing their own plants and harvesting their own food.

Use Recycled Items for Crafts

Let the creativity soar during your arts and crafts activities when you use recycled items. Glass jars or aluminum cans can soon become decorated pencil holders. Tissue boxes can transform into your child’s favorite animal.

This activity will promote the idea of reusing items we already have rather than throwing them away in a landfill. It also strengthens your child’s creativity as they figure out how to make an ordinary object into something extraordinary.

Sort Recycled Materials

If your community recycles certain materials separately, make an activity of sorting the recycling with your preschooler. Use different bins to put plastic, paper, and glass. This will teach your child the types of material that can be recycled, as well as encourage sensory learning by touching the different materials.

Start a Worm Farm

Kids love playing with tiny little critters and watching them move around. It’s no different with worms. You can start a worm farm by beginning a compost with your leftover meal scraps. Simply add the worms to the compost and let them turn it into a fertilizer. You can then use this in your garden and when you plant new seeds and flowers.

This promotes the idea of creating things at home rather than purchasing them to fulfill sustainable activities as well.

Read Books About the Environment

There are plenty of children’s books out there on the topic of being environmentally friendly and practicing sustainability. When you’re practicing at-home learning routines, such as the Frog Street pre-k home program, make sure to add these books to your reading time.

Not only will your preschooler love the stories and illustrations included in these books, but they will learn about the environment and the actions they can take to be kinder towards it. Hopefully, these lessons and morals stay ingrained in them as they grow older and start making their own decisions.

Can the NFL become green?

Karin Kloosterman

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January 26, 2022

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sustainable NFL — *Making sports sustainable from the “green” up is important in football, golf, hockey and soccer.*

We all know that we need to lead a more sustainable way of life if we are to help keep climate change in check. However, it’s easy to forget that going to watch our favourite teams in action every week creates a carbon footprint.

Sports leagues across the world are recognising their role in promoting and supporting the sustainability message as they seek to reduce their impact on the environment. Greener stadiums, supporter education and community initiatives are some of the ways they have sought to redress their carbon footprint. Great examples of this are:

Johan Cruyff Arena

In Holland, the Johan Cruyff Arena is home to Ajax Football Club and a climate neutral stadium. It is powered by 4,200 solar panels and a wind turbine while excess energy is stored using 148 Nissan Leaf car batteries. Rainwater is re-used to water the field, and grass cuttings are fed to local sheep and turned into cheese.

The New Lawn Stadium

The first carbon neutral football club and the greenest on the planet, is Forest Green Rovers who play in England. A pitch irrigated with rainwater, a mower powered by solar panels on the stadium roof and a kit made from bamboo are just a few of their many initiatives. A new stadium will soon be built made entirely from wood that promises to further enhance the clubs sustainability and biodiversity.

Green NFL Stadiums

When it comes to low carbon footprint stadiums, the NFL also leads the way with several sites boasting impressive green credentials. The New York Giants Metlife Stadium, Philadelphia Eagles Lincoln Financial Field and The Baltimore Ravens M&T Bank Stadium are some of the most energy efficient and sustainable in the league.

Perhaps the most impressive of all however, is the Mercedes Benz stadium in Atlanta, which is the first professional sports venue in the US to achieve LEED Platinum Certification. Unique features that target energy reduction, renewable energy, stormwater management, and water efficiency were all incorporated into the stadium design.

Can the NFL do more to reduce its carbon footprint?

While greener NFL stadiums are welcome, game days inevitably create a large amount of pollution and waste. Fans driving to the stadium, energy and water usage, plus food and packaging waste all have an impact on the environment.

While supporters at this year’s Super Bowl cheer on the Packers, Bucks, Chiefs or whoever else your Super Bowl bet is on, they can also celebrate the greenest Super Bowl ever. The SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, thanks to NFL Green, will be the greenest professional sports event in America.

What is NFL Green?

Created back in 1993, NFL Green is the league’s environmental program which aims to not only mitigate the environmental impact of the NFL, but create a green legacy in each community that hosts Super Bowl, Pro Bowl, and NFL Draft.

These hands-on projects create a lasting difference in each host community, long after the event is finished. Examples of these schemes include:

Food Recovery

The Super Bowl generates huge quantities of food and beverages, much of which is not consumed. Partnering with local food banks and event managers, NFL Green ensures unserved food and beverages are donated to help feed those in need.

Recycling and Waste Management

Waste diversion programs are designed to increase recycling and composting of all appropriate waste and reduce the amount sent to landfill.

Community Greening

NFL Green has incorporated community greening projects into the management of Super Bowl, Pro Bowl, and the Draft by working closely with local community organizations and parks and recreation departments. Projects include tree planting, restoring habitat, engaging in reforestation projects and creating community gardens and green spaces for kids to play.

A more sustainable future

There is still much to be done when it comes to reducing the carbon footprint of the NFL, but there is no doubt that teams are pulling in the right direction.

The Philadelphia Eagles, thanks to a concerted recycling effort, send only 1% of match day waste to landfill, everything else is recycled or repurposed.

Atalanta’s Mercedes Benz stadium is located near a public transport hub, has electric recharging points, pedestrian walkways and even a bike valet program to encourage alternate ways to arrive at the game.

Soldier Fields, home to the Chicago Bears, has increased its recycling and composting and serves more locally grown food, donating unused foods to homeless shelters.

The Levi’s Stadium, home of the 49ers, has a solar array that produces enough power over the year to offset its use during the season. The green roof technology used also increases insulation and decreases heating and cooling costs.

Sustainable stadiums are not the sole answer however, the most vital part of a greener NFL requires spectators to buy into the vision and do their bit come game day. But as green technology and education improves, the environmental impact of the NFL will continue to fall, creating a more sustainable long-term future for football and sport in general.

Tips for HRs to approach training and development effectively, sustainably

Business

Bhok Thompson

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January 26, 2022

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Tips for HRs to approach training and development effectively, sustainably

eco and sustainable human resources, man floating in offoce — *Don’t think that because you are building a sustainable company that your first 50 employees will be eco angels. You need to know how to find the people that fit.*

An organization can only be as successful as the motivation and level of relevant skills of its employees. The corporate world is ever-changing as new technologies and processes make their way to the market very rapidly. An organization that wants to keep moving forward takes all necessary steps to keep its employees up-to-date with these latest developments.

Upskilling and reskilling are perhaps one of the most crucial parts of ensuring the continued profitability of an organization. Productivity, output, and revenue are the direct functions of the familiarity and adeptness of employees at their jobs.

Digital transformation and other changes in the work environment, as necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic, have made the job of HR professionals a bit challenging. To understand it better, you must know that HR departments in any organization are responsible for employee training and development.

floating wind farm, how they work, KOWL scotland — *Offshore wind farms need skilled engineers and project managers and finance people. It’s not a business for hippies.*

HR managers need to take all necessary measures to improve the outcomes of learning and development in their organizations. It’s their responsibility to equip employees with all the necessary skills to get them ready to face new challenges head-on.

In this article, we will discuss some tips for HR managers to approach training and development more effectively.

Start by conducting an analysis to ascertain the skill gap

Before defining the goals of the training strategy of your organization, you need to identify and pinpoint the gaps in the required skills of your employees. Different departments within an organization need to individually conduct a skill gap analysis to ascertain the areas of focus.

Once you have identified the areas and skills that need to be developed more and the completely lacking ones, you can incorporate them into a comprehensive training program. An unmitigated skill gap can lead to your company’s productivity taking a severe hit, and it can push you to fall behind the competition.

Plan out and design contextual learning modules for individual roles

Once you have identified the areas where skill training would be required for each member of a team, you can work towards designing and implementing contextual learning and development programs for each one of them, based on their learning requirements and job roles.

Ensure that you incorporate interactive elements such as images, videos, graphics, gamification, and others to make the learning content engaging enough for the learners. You must use in-app experiences on LMS apps such as the Paylocity app to incorporate the learning elements in the workflow of the employees to simplify the learning process.

Invest in the right software for training and development

Employee training in the digital world, especially after remote work continued for more than a year, has become a task to be handled by capable software solutions. Any company that wants to emphasize their learning and development missions need to ensure that they are investing in the right software for all of their training needs.

Software solutions allow HR managers to design, create, and implement training programs within an organization. These tools also serve as feedback mechanisms and open communication channels between employees and the training managers. Therefore, you must identify software that suits all your needs and is capable enough.

Always measure the effectiveness of the training strategy

When all’s said and done, any training program is only deemed effective based on the measure of its performance in real life. You must measure the effectiveness of your learning and development programs based on some key performance indicators such as how much skill gap has been filled, assessment score, improvement in productivity of employees and teams, rate of the training progression, course completion rates, and more.

Improve the interactiveness of the training modules

User engagement is the deciding factor behind the efficacy of the learning and developments strategy of any organization. For this reason, it’s crucial to ensure that the training modules are interactive enough. You may improve the interactiveness of a learning module by adding multimedia elements in different parts of it, as discussed above. Multimedia elements make the learner more interested in the course material and help them retain the knowledge longer.

Conclusion

Now you are aware of how your organization’s HR department should approach learning and development to make it more palatable for employees and a resounding success for the whole organization.

Oman’s first solar energy power plant launches with $417 M USD investment

Energy

Karin Kloosterman

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January 24, 2022

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Oman’s first solar energy power plant launches with $417 M USD investment

Gulf nations unite to build the first solar energy power plant in Oman: The Ibri II is a 500MW photovoltaic solar power project located in the Ad-Dhahirah region of Oman. The size of it will power about 50,000 homes.

Now completed, it is the first utility-scale renewable energy facility in the Sultanate of Oman. Until now, Oman’s primary source of energy was natural gas, with a small percentage of diesel fuel in the mix.

Oman solar energy

The Ibri power plant is built, owned and operated by the Shams Ad-Dhahira Generating Company, a special purpose vehicle incorporated by ACWA Power of Saudi Arabia, (50%), the Gulf Investment Corporation (40%), and the Kuwait-based Alternative Energy Projects (10%).

“As a company that is driving the transition globally, we are extremely proud to play a key role in supporting the Sultanate of Oman’s ambitious Vision 2040 energy transition goals,” says Mohammad Abunayyan, ACWA Power Chairman, pictured below. “Since our market entry into Oman in 2011, we have brought in significant foreign direct investment, because we believe strongly in its vision and future.”

ACWA Power from Saudi Arabia develops, invests in and operates power plants and desalination water plants in 12 countries. ACWA Power’s portfolio, with an investment value in excess of USD 67.1 billion, can generate 42.6 GW of power and produce 6.4 million m3 /day of desalinated water.

Gulf Investment Corporation based in Kuwait is a supranational financial institution owned equally by the 6 Gulf Cooperation Council states. GIC has paid-up capital of US$ 2.1 billion, and may be characterised as being part-sovereign wealth fund, part-private equity house and part-investment bank.

According to this report, The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region plays a vital role in shaping the global energy markets because of its substantial amount of hydrocarbons resources. Although the GCC has abundant hydrocarbon resources, countries in the region have also shown their commitment and intent to become the global leaders in alternate energy. All the countries in the Middle East have also set targets for the deployment of renewable energy at the federal or local level.

The Ibri II solar power plant is backed by a 15-year power purchase agreement with the Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP). Ultimately solar power plants get built with incentives: investors put down the money and then are promised high feed-in tariff rates for a fixed time, usually the life of the solar panels – about 15 or 20 years.

(You don’t need to be a big company to go solar. See our DIY solar guide here).

Financing of $417M USD was finalised in March, 2020 and the solar plant was just made operational. When it reaches its peak production capacity the Omani solar power plant will power 50,000 Omani households while offsetting approximately 340,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions a year.

Located in a 10 square mileundeveloped area within the Ibri Wilayat Province of the Ad-Dhahirah Governorate of Oman, the power plant is about approximately 200 miles away from the city of Muscat and about 80 miles from the UAE border.

Solar Units Built by China

Powerchina Huadong Engineering Corporation (HDEC), a subsidiary of Powerchina, is the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor for the project.

China-based Jollywood supplied the solar modules, while Sungrow is supplying the inverters. The First National Operation and Maintenance Company, a subsidiary of ACWA Power, will be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the Ibri II solar farm. Yahya Engineering and 5 Capitals Environmental & Management Consultancy were engaged in conducting the environmental and social impact assessment.

The over all aim of the plant and ones to come is to reduce Oman’s dependence on fossil fuels.

Oman declares that 11% of its electricity will be from renewables by 2023, and 30% will be renewably sourced by 2030. Even though it is one of the countries with the highest solar densities (potential to go solar) in the region, it has only started thinking about going solar because the state is gifted with natural resources such as natural gas.

If you have a proposal, bilateral agreements and solar tenders will need to be run through the Oman Power and Water Procurement Company to succeed.

Gulf Country Fuel Sources and Opportunities

fuel sources gulf countries, middle east

According to PV Magazine the Middle East is seeing strong growth in solar this year: “The Middle East, and the Gulf in particular, has been home to record low solar tariffs in recent years,” says the report.

“Major projects are being awarded via tenders, with prices gradually closing in on a remarkable $1 USD ct/kWh. Of course, this is no coincidence due to the region’s favorable solar conditions: availability of cheap and sunny desert land, low labor costs, cheap project financing, supportive tax regimes, large projects benefitting from economies of scale, well designed tender structures, and decreasing PV component prices.”

Neom desert location — *Location for proposed Neom City, on the Red Sea.*

I’d add that Saudi Arabia is also a leader in these developments, swooping into new areas like Oman for instance, but also into the development of alternative fuel sources and storage, like hydrogen. I’m a fan of their exploration and confidence in new energy sources (they have fat wallets and can take risks) and less a fan of their newly in-development city called Neom, purported to be a sustainability city made from dreams.

Plenty of Europeans are swooping in wooed by Saudi money and offering elaborate solutions to Saudi Arabia that might better come from local and indigenous sources. Read the book Lo-Tek for a primer on what those solutions might look like.

Image of FSO Safer slowly sinking off the Yemen coast

Also with an oil tanker about to explode on the coast of Yemen any dreams of an ecological paradise in Neom will soon turn into a nightmare when everything is coated in bitumen. The tanker held by Houthi rebels is in the crossfire between escalating conflicts in the region that will make the Exxon Valdez explosion look like child’s play.

Jeff Bezos’ Altos Labs to Defeat Death

Health
Tech

Karin Kloosterman

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January 24, 2022

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Creed Bratton Upload, head explding — Creed Bratton’s head about to explode in the Amazon Prime series, Upload. When watching it I imagined that this is the ultimate dream for a Silicon Valley tech guy turned billionaire: a forever afterlife.

When you are one of the world’s richest people, and obsessed with the seemingly endlessness of technology, travelling to Mars or defeating death seems like a reasonable pursuit. Jeff Bezos the founder of Amazon (the online buy everything store), announced recently that he is forming a company – Altos Labs – to reverse ageing and has hired scientists from the field of stem cell research, to reprogram human cells to stop ageing. Defeating death?

Some $3 billion USD is earmarked as seed funding.

Will it work and will Jeff live long enough to open an Amazon hub on Mars? Upload, an Amazon Prime TV series, gives a wink to the idea already, where the rich and lucky can “upload” a version of their consciousness to a fancy Ralph Lauren Polo club afterlife. The goal of the company building this afterlife is eventually to upload the download of your consciousness to a new body built from you.

In the real life Altos Labs says it will unravel the deep biology of cellular rejuvenation programming to restore cell health and resilience to reverse disease, injury, and the disabilities that can occur throughout life.

The company launches with a community of leading scientists, clinicians, and leaders from both academia and industry working together towards this common mission. It’s not a new mission. Stem cell research has being ongoing for decades.

Stem cell research in the United States has been starting and stopping, and can still be a contentious issue when Christian values collide with the idea of research using fetal stem cells. Federal Funding was halted and research set back during the Bush Administration.

Meanwhile in other countries like Israel where the Jewish faith believes that life starts at 40 days in utero, some of the ethical questions of stem cell research, often done with fetal stem cell tissues (but not always) is not an issue. To get a lead on what they missed it makes sense that the Altos team has also partnered with Japanese researchers, as Japan is known for fast-tracking stem cell research and has a Nobel prize winner from the field already.

China very well may have cloned human beings by now but due to its inability to reign in scientists and adhere to international guidelines working with China would be difficult.

Confucian, Taoist, and Buddhist teachings have substantially affected the societal and ethical framework and norms of China. In contrast to Western religious beliefs, none of these teachings consider a human embryo sacred from the moment of conception.

According to this article in Stem Cell the majority of Chinese people do not regard the embryo as a human being. This is exemplified by the prevalence of artificial termination of pregnancy in China: the country registers approximately 13 million medical terminations annually, compared with 20 million births.

Altos Science Superteam

According to Altos the executive team will be composed of Hal Barron, MD (CEO), Rick Klausner, MD (Chief Scientist and Founder), Hans Bishop (President and Founder), and Ann Lee-Karlon, PhD (Chief Operating Officer).

Hal Barron is currently President of R&D and Chief Scientific Officer at GlaxoSmithKline, a large pharmaceutical company and will join Altos as CEO and Board co-chair this summer, 2022.

Klausner was former director of the National Cancer Institute and entrepreneur, Bishop was former CEO of GRAIL and Juno Therapeutics, and Lee-Karlon was former Senior Vice President at Genentech.

Altos will be based in the US in the San Francisco Bay Area, San Diego, and in the UK in Cambridge. The company will also have significant collaborations in Japan.

“I am deeply honored to have been offered this once in a lifetime opportunity to lead such a unique company with a transformative mission to reverse disease,” said Hal Barron in a press statement. “It’s clear from work by Shinya Yamanaka, and many others since his initial discoveries, that cells have the ability to rejuvenate, resetting their epigenetic clocks and erasing damage from a myriad of stressors.

“These insights, combined with major advances in a number of transformative technologies, inspired Altos to reimagine medical treatments where reversing disease for patients of any age is possible.”

Altos is designed to integrate the best features of academia and industry — from academia the freedom to pursue the most challenging problems in biology, and from industry the focus on a shared mission, ability to foster deep collaborations, and the passion and commitment to transform science into medicines.

“Altos seeks to decipher the pathways of cellular rejuvenation programming to create a completely new approach to medicine, one based on the emerging concepts of cellular health,” said Klausner. “Remarkable work over the last few years beginning to quantify cellular health and the mechanisms behind that, coupled with the ability to effectively and safely reprogram cells and tissues via rejuvenation pathways, opens this new vista into the medicine of the future.”

5 tips for making the sustainable bus option more practical

Bhok Thompson

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January 20, 2022

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5 tips for making the sustainable bus option more practical

They take wide turns in city streets and clog them as you are trying to make a left turn in your car. You think to yourself about how much traffic piles of city buses cause when in fact, you are the traffic.

Buses can be the bane of your existence if you need to travel to uncertain destinations but if you are commuting regularly or have time to plan a trip taking the bus can be the most safe and sustainable option. But taking the bus is a headache because of inconvenient schedules and reliability. Having an app live Moveit can help you time your local buses and other apps run by private companies that schedule the buses can make the wait for boarding more pleasant.

Here are 5 other tips for making your bus journey more pleasant:

Plan your last mile: taking the train to cities like Jerusalem from Tel Aviv or taking buses from New York to Boston can be a way to relax and avoid all the expensive covid testing procedures that may be required for even short flights or train rides. The bus, when you count the getting to the airport, security screening, waiting times, boarding times and risk of flight cancel, might actually be the faster and cheaper way to get between American and European cities. But consider the last mile. How do you plan to get from the bus stop to your destination? Taking another bus might be too confusing or challenging. Maybe plan to take a taxi or an Uber? Or have a friend or family member lined up to pick you up from the bus. If you paick light, unfold your electric scooter, put your backpack on your back and off you go! Maybe one day soon your bus will be electric or will be powered by Electrode.
Avoid diuretic drinks like tea, coffee and alcohol before the bus ride so you won’t be in the uncomfortable position of having to demand an unplanned convenience stop. Do bring bottled water, in your own reusable waters, and some warm herbal tea in the winter.
Plan snacks that are healthy and which keep well without refrigeration. Choose snacks that don’t make crumbs or annoying noises when you eat them. Another mindful consideration when riding the bus, making it more pleasant for you and those who share the space is bringing snacks that have no odor. Some things like boiled eggs or a tuna sandwich can be difficult for people who are sensitive to odors.
On that note, also avoid perfume of any kind. Have you been there on a public bus when a woman sits down across from you with perfume so strong it makes you want to vomit? The movement and swaying of the bus can amplify the sensitivities to smells for others. Be mindful so you can expect the same thoughtfulness in return. If an odor near you offends you or makes you feel queasy, because it contains synthetics, try to choose another seat.
Bring plenty of activities that don’t require your phone. Staring at a small screen in a closed space will eventually make you feel uncomfortable. Avoid the carsick feeling by bringing larger print materials to read or choose an audio book or podcast in advance that stays close to your ears only. Download backups in case your wireless service changes or becomes unreliable on the journey

How a Nitrogen Gas Generator is Environmentally Friendly

Lifestyle

Bhok Thompson

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January 19, 2022

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How a Nitrogen Gas Generator is Environmentally Friendly

nitrogen gas generator — *Does your business rely on a sustainable source of natural gas? Generate your own, using solar power*

If your company is reliant on a continual source of nitrogen gas to sustain its core functions, then you should consider integrating nitrogen gas generators into your operations. Nitrogen gas generators are dependable and affordable.

The technological advances of nitrogen generation have made it an indispensable resource for many industries worldwide. The use of Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) high-tech equipment successfully separates nitrogen molecules from other gases and then stores the nitrogen in a tank as a sustainable on-site supply that is instantly accessible. Nitrogen gas generators are cost-conscious and environmentally friendly.

Investing in a nitrogen generator for in-house nitrogen production reduces your business’s carbon footprint and directly feeds back into your bottom line. Additionally, one of the benefits of on-site nitrogen generation is that it removes the risk associated with depending on an outside, independent seller for their operations.

Here we will discuss some of the benefits of nitrogen generators both for the environment and for businesses that require nitrogen gas for energy and production.

Significant Reduction in Energy Consumption

A primary concern regarding climate change is the impact manufacturing has on the environment. Efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions simultaneously limit the negative impact that industrial processes can have on the environment. When it comes to businesses, making more environmentally conscious choices invests in a sustainable future.

Producing, transporting, and distributing nitrogen gas bottles requires a high demand for resources that increase the generation of greenhouse gases. For example, manufacturers first chill the nitrogen gas to -320 degrees Fahrenheit, which uses large amounts of electricity and energy. Through this process, greenhouse gases are emitted into the atmosphere.

To deliver the nitrogen bottles to your facility, they are then transported by truck or rail. This results in the release of more greenhouse gases and adds to the cost of your purchase. However, using the green technology available to efficiently generate your own supply of nitrogen gas reduces your carbon footprint and saves your company money.

No More Depending on Delivery Trucks

When you choose to use a nitrogen generator, this eliminates the hassle of scheduling and coordinating deliveries. While cutting down your responsibilities will save your business time, this is not the most important benefit of nitrogen generation. Producing your own nitrogen on-site also lowers your production costs, shortens timelines, and significantly reduces the amount of harmful gases released into the atmosphere from delivery trucks.

If your business wants to eliminate (or significantly reduce) its dependency on delivery drivers, save money, and make more environmentally friendly choices, then consider introducing nitrogen generators to your business.

Reduce the Production of Waste Materials

The harsh reality of nitrogen production is that not all nitrogen cylinders can be reused. They naturally deteriorate with use and will likely end up in a landfill. A major benefit of moving away from dependency on nitrogen cylinders is that this eliminates the amount of waste your business produces. These containers can also experience leaks and lose up to 10% of the contained nitrogen before they can be used. Generating nitrogen on-site at your facility enables you to retain 100% of your nitrogen gas supply and eliminate waste materials that often end up in landfills.

Eliminate Chemical Preservatives in Food Packaging

The use of chemical preservatives can often lead to dangerous chemical hazards in the production process. However, using nitrogen gas to replace the oxygen inside food packaging can effectively eliminate the need to use chemical preservatives. Nitrogen gas is proven to be a clean alternative to reducing the presence of moisture in food packaging, thereby stabilizing and extending the shelf life of the packaging.

ban plastic bags — *Another option is to avoid plastic bags altogether.*

Switch to Nitrogen Gas Generators

If your business is ready to make the switch to cleaner, environmentally friendly methods of nitrogen use and production, consider a nitrogen generator.

All the ways to make your traveling eco-friendly in 2022

Travel

Bhok Thompson

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January 18, 2022

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All the ways to make your traveling eco-friendly in 2022

We all know that traveling isn’t the most environmentally-friendly activity. But, hey, this planet is still too beautiful to ignore. As a result, eco-friendly travel should always be a top priority for us. We want to preserve the planet’s beauty for future generations to enjoy.

What exactly is sustainable travel?

Sustainable traveling, also referred to as eco-friendly traveling, is more than just another travel trend; we are working to reduce our carbon footprint at home and on the road, as well as broadening our understanding of what it means to travel.

Following are the ways to travel sustainability:

Select the locations and destinations that are sustainable.

Once it comes to travel, the closer you are to home, the lesser your carbon impact. People are preparing to travel further afield when the world reopens. Consider how much importance a country places on sustainability when determining where to move.

Consider taking alternatives like bus or train.

If it is extremely important to fly, use a reputable provider to offset your carbon footprint. You can even cancel your carbon footprint for bus and train travel!

Countless organizations provide carbon offset programs for travelers. You should, however, investigate which specific projects are supported and whether these projects are sustainable. It’s pointless to plant a tree if it’s cut down a few years later.

Make sure to travel slowly and cover longer distances.

Traveling over longer distances, you are more likely to choose more environmentally friendly modes of transportation to get around your destination. A bus or a rail trip may take longer than a domestic flight, but it is more environmentally friendly and, if you have the time, provides a far more engaging travel experience. By staying overnight, visitors may visit famous sights before or after day-trippers, reducing their own tourist footprint.

Spending money at local restaurants and motels also ensures that income stays in the local community rather than going to major hotel chains or out-of-town travel agencies.

Try bringing your own water bottle.

It’s time to say goodbye to plastic waste, which is extremely simple to reduce. One of our favorite eco-friendly travel tips is to invest in a reusable water bottle to avoid contributing to even more plastic waste.

Plastic waste may not be a problem in countries such as Germany and Switzerland, but developing countries such as Cambodia and Vietnam are suffering from uncontrollable plastic garbage in oceans, waterways, and on beaches. You’ve heard about how plastic trash is endangering marine life in the oceans. As a result, it is critical to discontinue the use of single-use plastics such as water bottles, cutlery, bags, and other non-biodegradable products. If you are going to have a RV traveling, you can also choose Waterdrop gravity water filter.

Carry a reusable water bottle instead of buying a throwaway one every few hours to prevent polluting the environment. To decrease plastic waste, consider bringing your own toiletries, reusable shopping bags, and so on.

Consider purchasing from small local stores.

Various nations rely greatly on the tourist industry. As a result, they suffer much more during the epidemic. If you want to show your support for the locals on your next vacation, buy and eat locally rather than at a large supermarket or an international fast food business. Seasonal, regional, and organically grown foods not only support the local economy, but also bring visitors closer to the local food culture than shopping centers and food courts. Purchasing locally not only provides people with economic opportunities but also reduces a product’s negative environmental impact. Shipping products outside of the country of origin pollutes the air and water, so try to support local businesses and buy handmade items whenever possible.

man hipster beard deli europe — *The Slow Movement encourages us to eat slow, buy local.*

Discover a few languages in order to communicate with the locals.

Attempting to learn the local language of the destination you’re visiting not only demonstrates respect for the culture but will also make it much easier for you to get around and interact with locals.

You might even meet a few new people who will later become your friends! Another advantage of learning a foreign language is that it promotes better listening and memory skills.

two australian women, one in a hat — *Don’t let language stop you from saying hi!*

Spending more time to get to know the locals will also open many more travel opportunities, for example, accommodation-wise. It’s better to stay at someone’s house rather than a hotel. In addition to saving your money, you might also get valuable advice on where to go and what places to visit first. Just remember about your safety, put yourself first and think twice before spending the night with someone you just met. If possible, look them up online to check whether they are being authentic about who they are. You can also use Nuwber for such purposes.

Wildlife is extremely important, you must respect it.

Since you’re going somewhere where you’ve never seen wildlife before, be respectful by not getting too close, refraining from feeding wild animals, and speaking quietly around them. Respect is one of the most important sustainable travel tips.

Each species serves a purpose in the ecosystem and helps us maintain a healthy ecological balance. However, as more and more animals become endangered, please remember to respect wildlife and learn about what else you can do about this while traveling.

Most Sustainable travel Destinations for 2022

As traveling is becoming more accessible than ever before, it is our collective obligation as travelers to travel wisely. Traveling is a highly personal experience, yet it may have far-reaching consequences for others and the world around us.

Which is why, throughout time, there has been an upward trend toward more ethical, sustainable travel—there is an obvious demand for it. We’d like to walk you through some of the favorite places that go above and beyond to deliver eco-friendly, ethical, or sustainable experiences for visitors.

The destinations:

Botswana

Vietnam

Norway

Costa Rica

New Zealand

Conclusion

Obeying variety, minimizing effect, avoiding excessive consumption or waste of water, and paying attention to how spaces exist at a destination to ensure visitors do not disrupt local life are all important aspects of eco-traveling.

Accepting your social responsibilities as a traveler entails being aware of social and cultural concerns wherever you travel, as well as knowing that your presence in a location has an influence on the environment and the people you encounter. Accepting that duty entails making an attempt to have a positive effect everywhere you go in the world.

The plants our ancient ancestors ate

Ancient
Food

Karin Kloosterman

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January 17, 2022

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baobabs, Madagascar, were a primary leafy green food for people centuries ago — *Beautiful alley of baobabs during sunrise in Morondava, Madagascar.*

Finding bones at an archeology site reveals the kind of animals our human ancestors would eat. But plants? Remains in the kitchens and pots of our ancients and their plant matter is much more elusive because plant remains disintegrate over time.

But scientists from the University of Bristol and Goethe University have uncovered the first insights into the origins of plant-based cuisine, locked inside pottery fragments dating back some 3,500 years ago from West Africa.

West African cuisine has long been known for its distinct ingredients and flavours, often enhanced by the addition of a large and diverse range of plant foods. But where did those plants come from? Are they from the past or are they a modern adaptation to our tastes?

A traditional meal in West Africa comprises a starchy staple cooked in a pot, served with a sauce prepared from vegetables, fish or meat, often accompanied by pulses.

These starchy staples include root crops such as yams, cassava, sorghum, pearl millet and maize. In the northern Sahel and savanna zones, pearl millet is mainly prepared as porridge, while in the southern forest zone, a pounded mash from tuber crops such as yam, called fufu, is the major starch-rich element.

Traditional cuisine couldn’t be traced back into time, until now

Indigenous vegetables, eaten at almost every West African meal, include eggplant, pumpkin and watermelon, okra (used as a thickener for soups and stews), as well as a staggering variety of both farmed and foraged green leafy vegetables, little known or used outside of the African continent.

These include leaves from the amaranth, roselle and baobab tree. However, investigating the origin of vegetables and leafy greens is difficult as they do not generally survive over archaeological timescales.

The science team carried out chemical analysis of more than 450 prehistoric potsherds from the Central Nigerian Nok culture to investigate what foods they were cooking in their pots. The Nok people are known for their remarkable large-scale terracotta figurines and early iron production in West Africa, around the first millennium BC.

Acidic soils at Nok archaeological sites meant that organic remains such as animal bones and plant remains did not survive very well so what Nok people were eating was somewhat of a mystery.

Looking at the far remains from plants, or the lipid bioprofile

“Charred plant remains like seeds and nutshells preserved in the archaeological sediments reflect only one part of what people consumed in the past,” stated Professor Katharina Neumann from Goethe University, who directed archaeobotanical research on the Nok Project: “We hoped that chemical analyses would provide additional insights into food preparation.”

The team’s results tie in well with ancient plant remains from the site which mainly comprise pearl millet but also cowpea and African peach.

Whilst there are few unique lipid biomarkers for leafy plants and cereals and, as such, specific plants consumed by the Nok people, or processed for medicinal purposes, cannot be identified, the results suggest that much of Nok plant consumption included leafy vegetables or ‘greens’, mirroring that of groups living in West Africa today, where these play a significant role in people’s diet.

It seems likely that Nok people consumed ‘greens’ or leaves from plants such as jute mallow, African eggplant, okra, cowpea and bombax, widely used today. These provide cheap but quality nutrition and add taste and flavour to the otherwise monotonous starch-based staples consumed and can be kept dried and stored for use throughout the year, affording a buffer in periods of food shortage.

One of the most important leaf-providing species is the baobab, which, together with species such as okra (Abelmoschus esculentus), false sesame, jute mallow and black sesame are today cooked in soups with a little potash (potassium carbonate) to give a high mucilage content or what is known as a ‘slimy’ consistency.

This soup is common in high yam producing areas, likely because pounded yam is known to be complemented by sauces of ‘slimy’ consistency as are other local cereal and tuber dishes.

Evidence for the use of leafy plants can also be found in ethnographic accounts. One of the earliest known mentions of baobab was by Al Bakri in Ghana, writing in 1068, in his great work ‘Kitāb al-Masālik wa-al-Mamālik’ (Book of Highways and of Kingdoms).

Jute mallow is mentioned by the Arab historian al-Umarī (1300 – 1349) and later, in the 19th century, Nachtigal, the German explorer, notes that it is used to prepare sauces to add to farinaceous foods in Chad and Mali. Nachtigal also writes of sauces made from leaves of herbs or trees, mentioning baobab leaves, added with fresh or dried meat, to porridges.

The possible preparation of tubers such as yam, in Nok pots also suggests a long history of use, in good agreement with evidence which suggests a domestication of yams in West Africa at around 2500 BC.

In summary, our results demonstrate that prehistoric plant processing and consumption in West Africa involved much more than the cooking of starchy food, the scientists report:

“It has allowed us to go beyond the identification of meals thought to consist mainly of meat and starchy plants. We can now confirm, based on the highly diverse range of lipid profiles presented here, the preparation of ancient meals combining vegetables, pulses, USOs and, possibly, herbs/spices,” the added.

Care about Aftrica? Read about the Great Green Wall progress.

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Here are 5 other tips for making your bus journey more pleasant:

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What exactly is sustainable travel?

Following are the ways to travel sustainability:

Select the locations and destinations that are sustainable.

Consider taking alternatives like bus or train.

Make sure to travel slowly and cover longer distances.

Try bringing your own water bottle.

Consider purchasing from small local stores.

Discover a few languages in order to communicate with the locals.

Wildlife is extremely important, you must respect it.

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Conclusion

Traditional cuisine couldn’t be traced back into time, until now

Looking at the far remains from plants, or the lipid bioprofile

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