A vast and largely untapped lithium reserve may be hiding beneath one of North America’s oldest landscapes, the Appalachian Mountains, offering a surprising twist in the global race for clean energy materials. According to new findings from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), as much as 2.5 million tons of lithium could be buried across the region, stretching from the Carolinas up through New England.
Energy equities are responding unevenly to the evolving landscape. Companies with direct exposure to UAE production growth and infrastructure are benefiting from increased activity expectations, while global oil majors face a more mixed outlook.
All air conditioners release water. That's Physics. Cities like Los Angeles pour billions of water down the drain every year. And while home owners who are savvy to water reuse are finding ways to use AC water in the garden (here are 5 ways to use air con water at home), or in art studios (it's basically free distilled water), cities could save water in meaningful ways by using creative ideas. These are solutions you can send to urban planners and those running smart city accelerator programs. Pick one of them and you might win the grant!
As tensions rise in one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, the ripple effects go far beyond oil—touching food systems, climate pressures, and regional stability
Current goals are to treat neurological disease like Parkinson’s and restore autonomy to people with severe physical limitations by controlling exoskeletons and prosthetics. There’s also huge potential to improve cognitive abilities such as memory, attention, and languages.
A vast and largely untapped lithium reserve may be hiding beneath one of North America’s oldest landscapes, the Appalachian Mountains, offering a surprising twist in the global race for clean energy materials. According to new findings from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), as much as 2.5 million tons of lithium could be buried across the region, stretching from the Carolinas up through New England.
Energy equities are responding unevenly to the evolving landscape. Companies with direct exposure to UAE production growth and infrastructure are benefiting from increased activity expectations, while global oil majors face a more mixed outlook.
All air conditioners release water. That's Physics. Cities like Los Angeles pour billions of water down the drain every year. And while home owners who are savvy to water reuse are finding ways to use AC water in the garden (here are 5 ways to use air con water at home), or in art studios (it's basically free distilled water), cities could save water in meaningful ways by using creative ideas. These are solutions you can send to urban planners and those running smart city accelerator programs. Pick one of them and you might win the grant!
As tensions rise in one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, the ripple effects go far beyond oil—touching food systems, climate pressures, and regional stability
Current goals are to treat neurological disease like Parkinson’s and restore autonomy to people with severe physical limitations by controlling exoskeletons and prosthetics. There’s also huge potential to improve cognitive abilities such as memory, attention, and languages.
A vast and largely untapped lithium reserve may be hiding beneath one of North America’s oldest landscapes, the Appalachian Mountains, offering a surprising twist in the global race for clean energy materials. According to new findings from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), as much as 2.5 million tons of lithium could be buried across the region, stretching from the Carolinas up through New England.
Energy equities are responding unevenly to the evolving landscape. Companies with direct exposure to UAE production growth and infrastructure are benefiting from increased activity expectations, while global oil majors face a more mixed outlook.
All air conditioners release water. That's Physics. Cities like Los Angeles pour billions of water down the drain every year. And while home owners who are savvy to water reuse are finding ways to use AC water in the garden (here are 5 ways to use air con water at home), or in art studios (it's basically free distilled water), cities could save water in meaningful ways by using creative ideas. These are solutions you can send to urban planners and those running smart city accelerator programs. Pick one of them and you might win the grant!
As tensions rise in one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, the ripple effects go far beyond oil—touching food systems, climate pressures, and regional stability
Current goals are to treat neurological disease like Parkinson’s and restore autonomy to people with severe physical limitations by controlling exoskeletons and prosthetics. There’s also huge potential to improve cognitive abilities such as memory, attention, and languages.
A vast and largely untapped lithium reserve may be hiding beneath one of North America’s oldest landscapes, the Appalachian Mountains, offering a surprising twist in the global race for clean energy materials. According to new findings from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), as much as 2.5 million tons of lithium could be buried across the region, stretching from the Carolinas up through New England.
Energy equities are responding unevenly to the evolving landscape. Companies with direct exposure to UAE production growth and infrastructure are benefiting from increased activity expectations, while global oil majors face a more mixed outlook.
All air conditioners release water. That's Physics. Cities like Los Angeles pour billions of water down the drain every year. And while home owners who are savvy to water reuse are finding ways to use AC water in the garden (here are 5 ways to use air con water at home), or in art studios (it's basically free distilled water), cities could save water in meaningful ways by using creative ideas. These are solutions you can send to urban planners and those running smart city accelerator programs. Pick one of them and you might win the grant!
As tensions rise in one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, the ripple effects go far beyond oil—touching food systems, climate pressures, and regional stability
Current goals are to treat neurological disease like Parkinson’s and restore autonomy to people with severe physical limitations by controlling exoskeletons and prosthetics. There’s also huge potential to improve cognitive abilities such as memory, attention, and languages.
A vast and largely untapped lithium reserve may be hiding beneath one of North America’s oldest landscapes, the Appalachian Mountains, offering a surprising twist in the global race for clean energy materials. According to new findings from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), as much as 2.5 million tons of lithium could be buried across the region, stretching from the Carolinas up through New England.
Energy equities are responding unevenly to the evolving landscape. Companies with direct exposure to UAE production growth and infrastructure are benefiting from increased activity expectations, while global oil majors face a more mixed outlook.
All air conditioners release water. That's Physics. Cities like Los Angeles pour billions of water down the drain every year. And while home owners who are savvy to water reuse are finding ways to use AC water in the garden (here are 5 ways to use air con water at home), or in art studios (it's basically free distilled water), cities could save water in meaningful ways by using creative ideas. These are solutions you can send to urban planners and those running smart city accelerator programs. Pick one of them and you might win the grant!
As tensions rise in one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, the ripple effects go far beyond oil—touching food systems, climate pressures, and regional stability
Current goals are to treat neurological disease like Parkinson’s and restore autonomy to people with severe physical limitations by controlling exoskeletons and prosthetics. There’s also huge potential to improve cognitive abilities such as memory, attention, and languages.
A vast and largely untapped lithium reserve may be hiding beneath one of North America’s oldest landscapes, the Appalachian Mountains, offering a surprising twist in the global race for clean energy materials. According to new findings from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), as much as 2.5 million tons of lithium could be buried across the region, stretching from the Carolinas up through New England.
Energy equities are responding unevenly to the evolving landscape. Companies with direct exposure to UAE production growth and infrastructure are benefiting from increased activity expectations, while global oil majors face a more mixed outlook.
All air conditioners release water. That's Physics. Cities like Los Angeles pour billions of water down the drain every year. And while home owners who are savvy to water reuse are finding ways to use AC water in the garden (here are 5 ways to use air con water at home), or in art studios (it's basically free distilled water), cities could save water in meaningful ways by using creative ideas. These are solutions you can send to urban planners and those running smart city accelerator programs. Pick one of them and you might win the grant!
As tensions rise in one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, the ripple effects go far beyond oil—touching food systems, climate pressures, and regional stability
Current goals are to treat neurological disease like Parkinson’s and restore autonomy to people with severe physical limitations by controlling exoskeletons and prosthetics. There’s also huge potential to improve cognitive abilities such as memory, attention, and languages.
A vast and largely untapped lithium reserve may be hiding beneath one of North America’s oldest landscapes, the Appalachian Mountains, offering a surprising twist in the global race for clean energy materials. According to new findings from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), as much as 2.5 million tons of lithium could be buried across the region, stretching from the Carolinas up through New England.
Energy equities are responding unevenly to the evolving landscape. Companies with direct exposure to UAE production growth and infrastructure are benefiting from increased activity expectations, while global oil majors face a more mixed outlook.
All air conditioners release water. That's Physics. Cities like Los Angeles pour billions of water down the drain every year. And while home owners who are savvy to water reuse are finding ways to use AC water in the garden (here are 5 ways to use air con water at home), or in art studios (it's basically free distilled water), cities could save water in meaningful ways by using creative ideas. These are solutions you can send to urban planners and those running smart city accelerator programs. Pick one of them and you might win the grant!
As tensions rise in one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, the ripple effects go far beyond oil—touching food systems, climate pressures, and regional stability
Current goals are to treat neurological disease like Parkinson’s and restore autonomy to people with severe physical limitations by controlling exoskeletons and prosthetics. There’s also huge potential to improve cognitive abilities such as memory, attention, and languages.
A vast and largely untapped lithium reserve may be hiding beneath one of North America’s oldest landscapes, the Appalachian Mountains, offering a surprising twist in the global race for clean energy materials. According to new findings from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), as much as 2.5 million tons of lithium could be buried across the region, stretching from the Carolinas up through New England.
Energy equities are responding unevenly to the evolving landscape. Companies with direct exposure to UAE production growth and infrastructure are benefiting from increased activity expectations, while global oil majors face a more mixed outlook.
All air conditioners release water. That's Physics. Cities like Los Angeles pour billions of water down the drain every year. And while home owners who are savvy to water reuse are finding ways to use AC water in the garden (here are 5 ways to use air con water at home), or in art studios (it's basically free distilled water), cities could save water in meaningful ways by using creative ideas. These are solutions you can send to urban planners and those running smart city accelerator programs. Pick one of them and you might win the grant!
As tensions rise in one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, the ripple effects go far beyond oil—touching food systems, climate pressures, and regional stability
Current goals are to treat neurological disease like Parkinson’s and restore autonomy to people with severe physical limitations by controlling exoskeletons and prosthetics. There’s also huge potential to improve cognitive abilities such as memory, attention, and languages.
Forest bathing is a kind of therapy called for in some cultures like Japan. It can help you communicate better with people.
Every human being has a unique communication style using which he/she communicates and interacts with other people. Whether it is in real life or online, the way a person interacts, communicates, and expresses himself tells so much about his communication style and personality.
Basically, there are four communication styles; Passive, Aggressive, Passive-Aggressive, and Assertive. Every person has one of these four communication styles and a communication style reflects so much about an individual’s personality.
Let’s have a look at the characteristics of each communication style and what each communication style tells about the people of that communication style.
1. Passive Communication
First, off the list, we have Passive Communication. People who are known to have a passive communication style or use passive communication while interacting with people are known to act indifferent. As the name suggests, passive communicators have a hard time expressing their feelings or needs & usually fail to do so, which gives others the chance to express themselves freely.
Usually, people mistake a passive communicator’s lack of outward communication for the feeling of pride and it often leads to misunderstanding, where the other person gets angry because of the way a passive communicator speaks. While you can’t have a full-fledged, full-of-expression conversation with a passive communicator, such communicators are usually the best option to speak to in case conflicts arise because such people will avoid being confronted or deferring to others.
Passive Communicators are not only poor with words but their body behavior is also poor. They are often afraid to make contact, their body posture is usually poor when talking to others and they have the inability to say no or reject someone. While a conversation with a passive communicator isn’t the most fruitful, such people are easy to get along with since they usually have the inability to say No and they follow others and the statement “go with the flow”.
2. Aggressive Communication
When you will see an aggressive communicator then you will recognize him/her instantly. You will hear it, you will see it, and even feel it when you encounter aggressive communication. Aggressive Communication style is easily recognized and aggressive communicators usually speak in a loud, demanding, low-pitched voice, maintain eye contact, and try to dominate/control others through their actions which involve blaming, critiquing, and attacking others.
Aggressive communicators are aggressive when they communicate with others and they do so as to assert their dominance over others and make them listen. They are known to issue orders and usually talk in an aggressive tone, which most people find rude and they fail to listen to others. However, one of the traits of aggressive communicators is that they are considered leaders and captains since they have the ability to assert dominance and lead their team.
3. Passive-Aggressive Communication
Passive-Aggressive Communicators, appear to be passive on the surface and they lack the ability to express themselves properly in front of others but within, they feel powerless and build up resentment which leads to them acting in a different way.
Most of the passive-aggressive communicators, instead of confronting any person about an issue, all they do is mutter to themselves and build up the anger and frustration within. They have difficulties acknowledging their anger and their body & facial expressions contradict and don’t correlate with how they feel. Even if there is a problem, they would rather deny it rather than confront it.
They are usually considered silent speakers. They usually communicate with someone through their body language and when they have an issue with someone then instead of trying to resolve that issue in person, they would give them silent treatment which includes spreading rumors behind someone’s back, backbiting, and sabotaging their efforts behind their backs. They appear to be cooperative but the inside anger and resentment leads to doing the complete opposite silently.
4. Assertive Communication
Assertive communicators are known to be the most effective communicators because the assertive communication style usually features an open style of communication. Assertive communicators are known to express their own needs, desires, and feelings but at the same time, they also consider the needs of others and work for the benefit of the parties involved.
Assertive communicators usually try to make a balanced situation where it is a win-win for both sides. One of the best things about assertive communicators is that they usually don’t blame others. They are also good listeners and they respect the opinions of others. Assertive Communicators are confident about their own beliefs and opinions but they don’t degrade or insult someone’s opinions, although they may strongly disagree but they don’t degrade or insult someone.
Another key trait is that they are problem-solving and compromising. As compared to aggressive communicators, who will try to do everything for their benefit, assertive communicators are known to compromise in difficult situations to help others.
5G or the fifth generation of wireless is the latest wave of wireless technology that will surpass the current 4G Technology that is being used all over the globe. The first generation of wireless technology called 1G brought cell phones, 2G or second-generation text messaging, 3G or third generation brought Internet access and 4G brought speed.
5G or fifth-generation wireless technology aims to bring the increased speed of data transfer, more responsiveness, and greater device connectivity simultaneously. This is what smart cities and the Metaverse hopes to build on.
The difference between 5G and 5GHz
Some people confuse the 5G Network with the 5 GHz frequency of the Wi-Fi Routers. 5G Networks is for cellular networks and is the latest generation of wireless technology while 5GHz frequency is an option that is available on most of the Wi-Fi routers nowadays and is accessible through the default gateway address of the routers.
It should be clear that 5G is the fifth generation of wireless technology for broadband cellular networks while the 5 GHz frequency band is an option that is available on Wi-Fi routers and provides a faster data transfer speed with negligible interference.
5G Wireless Technology is meant to provide ultra-high data speaks, in Gbps with ultra-low latency or ping, more reliability, massive network capacity, increased availability, and a uniform experience to more users. 5G will revolutionize the way how everything works in the digital industry.
With that being said, let’s have a look at some of the impacts of 5G on the environment and how it affects the environment:
5G Energy Consumption
A concern that most people have regarding 5G is its energy consumption, how much energy will be consumed by 5G. In the current day, US Telecoms use about 31 million Megawatt-hours of electricity each year that is roughly equal to the energy consumed by about 2.6 million US households every year.
Since the 5G network requires more power-hungry base stations in order to provide maximum coverage, it is expected to consume up to three times more power than is currently consumed by 4G and LTE Networks. This is a huge problem in countries that are dependent on the consumption of heavy fossil fuels for electricity generation. Although, some service providers have committed to the energy-efficient deployment of 5G networks by depending on renewable energy sources to decrease the consumption of heavy fossil fuels.
Is 5G Radioactive?
There is a common myth over the internet that 5G is radioactive and there is also a widely-circulated photo in which a worker was wearing a hazardous material suit and it said that the worker was on a 5G tower, however, that was all false. It has been proven that 5G cell towers don’t emit strong radiation. The frequency of 5G lies in the radio frequency spectrum which is not powerful enough to cause risk in humans and the cell towers also don’t emit strong enough radiations that can cause problems in humans.
Does 5G Cause Cancer?
There is another common misconception that 5G causes cancer in humans, which is a huge lie. It has been found that human skin deflects almost half of the power emitted by the 5G frequency waves. 5G uses the frequency waves in the radio frequency spectrum and these waves probably don’t have enough energy to break down human DNA molecules or induce mutations in them.
5G’s Impact on Insects
5G’s Radio Frequencies are known to have an impact on insects since insects rely on high-frequency waves for many things such as communication, detection of food, detection of predators, etc. Insects don’t have the same level of resistance to high frequencies as most vertebrates have and as a result, these high-frequency radio waves can have an impact on insects because more energy at higher frequencies and could lead to disruption in insect behavior, physiology, and morphology as time passes by due to an increase in the body temperature of insects because of more absorbed energy. Such trials need to be run on insects on a widespread level to find all the effects.
A sustainable slow boat cruise down the Nile or a visit to the Siwa Oasis. Everyone should have a visit to Egypt planned for their future, but what are the visa requirements?
Electronic visa systems have been growing in popularity for a number of years now, as governments around the world seek to find a way to facilitate the process of streamlining application processes to encourage foreign travelers to visit their country.
This trend has only intensified in the last year or so, as authorities have seen the introduction of an e-Visa as a way to reduce in-person embassy visits and therefore reduce the risk of COVID-19 inherent with large concentrations of people in an indoor space.
An Egypt e visa has been available since December 2017, but the Egyptian government has now expanded the list of nationalities eligible for the online visa program. Egypt now allows passport holders from up to 75 different countries to obtain their visa through the electronic system.
Ghada Shalaby, the Egyptian Deputy Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, noted that the expansion of the program comes almost exactly a year since Egypt began allowing tourist arrivals to enter the country following the relaxation of coronavirus travel restrictions. She also expressed her hope that the move will help to significantly boost tourist arrivals from the newly eligible countries and help the recovery of the Egyptian tourism economy.
Passport Holders Now Eligible for the Egypt e-Visa
While over 40 nationalities have been able to obtain a visa for Egypt online since 2017, including all citizens of the European Union, the expansion of eligible countries means that nationals of several new territories can now submit an electronic application online. These include passport holders of several GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) counties such as the United Arab Emirates, as well as nationals of India.
The full list of territories for which the Egyptian e-Visa is now available is as follows:
Albania
Argentina
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahrain
Belarus
Belgium
Bolivia
Brazil
Bulgaria
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Ecuador
Estonia
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
India
Japan
South Korea
Kuwait
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malaysia
Malta
Mexico
Moldova
Monaco
Montenegro
Netherlands
New Zealand
North Macedonia
Norway
Oman
Paraguay
Peru
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russia
San Marino
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
Vatican City
Venezuela
An approved e-Visa for Egypt may be issued as either a single entry or multiple entry visa and is valid for a total of 90 days from the date of approval. It allows a stay of 30 days with each entry to Egypt and is valid for purposes of tourism and leisure.
If a traveler from any of these countries wishes to visit Egypt for longer consecutive stays, or for purposes other than tourism, they will not be able to use the electronic system to obtain a visa. Instead, they will need to apply for a visa through the traditional method, by visiting the nearest Egyptian embassy or consulate in person.
Benefits of the e-Visa for Egypt
The electronic visa for Egypt has several benefits for both the Egyptian government and travelers, as well as the environment, including:
Promotes sustainability as removes the need to print out and present supporting documents in paper form as part of the visa application process.
Reduces carbon emissions as eliminates the need for eligible citizens to travel to an Egyptian diplomatic mission to submit their application in person.
Allows expedited entry to the country at border entry checkpoints, as removes the need to wait in long immigration lines to submit a visa on arrival application
Reduces and streamlines the workload of embassy officials assigned to visa processing duties.
Additionally, as an approved e-Visa for Egypt is electronically linked to the same passport used to complete an online application, it is not mandatory to print out a paper copy to show on arrival. Nevertheless, it is still advisable to carry a hard copy of the visa on a mobile device to present to immigration officials, in the rare case of any problems with the digital system.
A Visa for Egypt is Not Always Necessary
The electronic visa program is ideal for visa-required travelers wishing to visit the majority of Egypt. However, in some cases, certain nationalities do not need to have an approved visa in advance to visit certain tourist-orientated resorts in the Red Sea region, specifically those on the Sinai Peninsula.
A large majority of nationalities, including all EU nationals and citizens of the United States, are able to obtain a Sinai visa on arrival if they are only traveling to Dahab, Nuweiba, Sharm el-Sheikh, or Taba resorts. This free permission stamp is valid for a single entry-stay of up to 15 days.
Additionally, visa-required nationalities do not need a visa to enter and transit through any part of Egypt if they do not spend more than 48 hours in the country before transiting to an onward destination. This is dependent on the traveler having a confirmed ticket for onward travel and does not apply to passport holders from Afghanistan, Lebanon, Palestine, or the Philippines.
You’ve worked hard to build your business, and you put all the hours in, so why should you be out of pocket? With pen and paper used for payroll, it can take hours and be inaccurate! In this day and age, you can’t afford to have avoidable mistakes. Digital time-clock apps are always correct, reduce time and save you money in the long run.
Time clock apps put an end to the exhausting manual processes. Each day while you are sitting planning schedules, figuring out how many hours are required, you could be automating the entire task. Employers lose an astonishing $373m to buddy punching and time theft. Employees can abuse your system by clocking in too early or clocking out too late. Workers tend to forget to clock out when on a break.
Businesses are looking to save money, and the answer could be staring them in the face. Hence, many companies are moving into the digital era to get rid of these issues. Switching to a time clock app will help you be more productive, efficient and provide a better company vibe. If you are still unsure, keep reading for the benefits of using the best time clock app.
Here Are the 6 Benefits of Using Time Clock Apps
Curbs time theft. Statistics from the U.S Chamber of Commerce estimated that 75% of employees steal a minimum of one time. With manual time-clocking, an employee easily steals five minutes here and there, and you wouldn’t even notice. Automated time removes theft as employees sign in when they get to work and sign out when they leave. Time clocks add another element as they have built-in GPS, meaning no more buddy punching. With GPS, employees only clock in and out if they are in the exact location set by you. Therefore, if a worker wanted to steal time, they would have to explain how an automated app is possible. Doing so is virtually impossible!
Increased productivity. Manually figuring out payroll can be complicated, especially when you have to work out each employee’s attendance. With a time clock app, employees view their schedule, letting them know their time is valued. If employees sense that their needs are taken care of, they focus on their role instead of feeling cheated.
Spend less time sorting. Any sort of paperwork is never fun and is very time-consuming. You have to ensure you have stock of pens, paper, printer ink, and the list goes on. Digitizing lets you get back to work, not spend time searching for loose papers, and not worry about re-stocking unnecessary items.
Grow your business. Not going digital-only really works short term. If you want to grow your business and hire more employees, that same system becomes challenging to complete. As you employ more staff, it will take you more time to work out the hours completed. In addition, if there are queries over their hours, you won’t remember who did what. Growing your business also requires you to keep within budget. You could be overpaying your staff and losing valuable money that you could re-invest. Rather than waiting for that to become your reality, digitize today and see the change.
Share progress reports. A time clock app helps you present data in a professional manner. You are able to present the breakdown of hours to clients or staff. In addition, this also assists you in deciding where you want to spend and grow areas of your business. Furthermore, you know how long each task takes to complete.
Abide by the law. Accurate timekeeping is very important and protects you from possible lawsuits. With more and more people working remotely, time tracking is essential. You can keep on top of your finances and be aware of where your employees are at all times. Time clock apps help you show that you track time and pay according to the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Digitizing and using a time clock app, you will notice that you are much more efficient. Once you don’t have to worry about keeping track of hours, you can complete tasks that had been waiting on the back burner. Clocking in and out is not meant to take hours, and you won’t worry about justifying employee’s salaries. Managers also have a better understanding of how employees use their time.
Summer’s in full play and it’s high time for students to plan their vacation. There are lots of options suitable for anyone — extreme lovers, party-goers, gourmets, and culture buffs. Below is a list of fascinating summer vacation destinations to fit every taste.
What to Consider Before a Trip
Before choosing a location, each student needs to consider the following:
The budget they can allocate for the vacation;
The weather that will be suitable for the type of rest they plan to have;
The accommodation that will be convenient with regard to their desired activities;
The food to ensure they’ll be able either to cook or to buy the food they want.
Another important thing to do before setting out for a vacay is to finish all their assignments as this enables students to fully enjoy their rest. Students often need to write papers for different purposes and they’re always pressed for time. To get a high score, their works should be well-written and proofread.
8 Destinations for Students’ Summer Vacation
So, now it’s time to look at 8 amazing locations for a perfect student’s vacay.
For desperate party-goers:
Ibiza, Spain.
The first thing that comes to mind when you hear that word is exclusive club music, dancing on the beach, and making new friends. It’s a hotspot place for those who expect plenty of nightlife with vibrant parties.
The top most famous nightclubs in Ibiza are:
Amnesia
Eden
El Divino
Es Paradis
Mei Ibiza
Oceanbeat Ibiza
Pacha
Privilege
Spac
Mykonos, Greece.
This Greek island never sleeps. Experts call it a worthy alternative to Ibiza. In multiple cafes and restaurants, the loudest parties take place, where you can meet famous DJs, actors, musicians, athletes, and other cover men.
Without a doubt, a Great attraction of this Greek island is the beaches. In Mykonos, there are lots of them. There are both some wild ones and some ultra-modern ones. Here’s a list of Mykonos beaches worth visiting:
Super Paradise
Platis Gialos
Paranga
Elia
Agios Sostis
To have fun at all-night parties, students can visit one of the most popular clubs such as:
Void
Cavo Paradiso
Paradise Club
For true culture lovers:
Budapest, Hungary.
An incredible location for students willing to explore the cultural and historical spots. Besides, the Hungarian city is located within touching distance from great European capitals, which allows to widen the trip geography.
Majestic and pompous Budapest can please those who want to see ancient Europe and learn more about its history, as well as those who are willing to go beyond the limits of excursions. To know both sides of Budapest, tourists are welcome to visit the following locations:
The Parliament of Budapest
Buda Castle
Fisherman’s Bastion
Széchenyi Chain Bridge
St. Stephen’s Basilica
Müpa Budapest
Rome, Italy.
A commonly known adage says, “All roads lead to Rome”. It’s an amazing, romantic place especially if it’s visited with a beloved one. There are dozens of places for sightseeing. By choosing Rome, students will definitely remember this trip forever.
Rome has a lot to offer to fans of ancient culture and modern art. Among the most popular tourist destination there are:
The Colosseum
The Pantheon
Piazza Navona
The Trevi Fountain
Villa Borghese gardens
Roman Forum
St. Peter’s Basilica
For real gourmets:
Tuscany, Italy.
This is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Italy. The delightful landscapes dazzle visitors, and the local cuisine is a true paradise for gourmets.
Tuscan cuisine can be described by three words: humble, simple, unique! It’s enough to try a slice of Tuscan bread dipped in olive oil, and you’ll understand it all at once! Tuscan cuisine offers a wide variety of meat, fish, and vegetable dishes accompanied by excellent local wines.
Once in Tuscany, tourists should try the following dishes:
Cacciucco
Bistecca alla Fiorentina
Pappa al pomodoro
Ribollita
Ginestrata
Gnudi toscani
Baccalà alla Livornese
Provence, France.
Provencal cuisine is justly called the “cuisine of the sun”. And indeed, filled with aromas of the south and of spicy herbs, fresh fish, an abundance of vegetables, fruits and juicy olives, it reminds of a warm summer.
Provencal food cannot be confused with any other cuisine. It differs from classic French cuisine in its relative simplicity and proximity to home cooking. But it still has many peculiarities and secrets.
The most prominent Provencal dishes are:
Bouillabaisse
Daube
Tapenade
Ratatouille
Aïoli
Tarte Tropézienne
For extreme lovers:
Kathmandu, Nepal.
Kathmandu is a Mecca for extreme lovers. Here, one can try such striking and challenging activities as trekking, paragliding, rafting, bungee jumping, canyoning, etc. And the beauty of nature only adds to the pleasant experience of this wonderful place.
After feeling a surge of adrenaline during extreme activities, it’s time to have fun at other places such as:
Boudhanath Stupa
Swayambhunath Temple
Pashupatinath Temple
Kopan Monastery
Thamel
Garden of Dreams
Kailashnath Mahadev
Budhanilkantha
Pullahari Monastery
Ayia Napa, Cyprus.
Ayia Napa is one of the most popular resorts in Cyprus. Many lovers of water sports and outdoor activities come to this location from all over the globe annually. Fans of outdoor activities can dive, surf, ride a catamaran, jet-ski, yacht, or go fishing here.
The main attraction of the resort is the old monastery built by the Venetians in the 16th century on the site of an ancient Christian church. However, there are other popular locations to visit:
Thalassa Museum
Cape Greco
Sculpture Park
Love Bridge
Sea Caves
Konnos Bay
Wrapping up
Being equipped with a list of the best destinations for summer vacation, now it’s easier to make a choice. The only thing left is to plan the dream trip and bring the most audacious plans and desires to life.
Brick restoration in home design that lasts forever. That’s eco!
Design elements are always changing over the course of time. If you look back ten or twenty years ago at how we built and decorated your homes, you may cringe at our choices. What was in style then definitely is not in style now.
However, there are some design elements that stay classic and stand the test of time. Bricks are one of these elements. They have been used for thousands of years – just look at ancient ruins in Europe and South America! And still, they are used today in some of the most modern and unique homes.
With some updates and modernization, you can achieve a chic and beautiful home by using this classic design element.
How to Incorporate Brick in Your Home
There are numerous ways to incorporate brick as a design element in your home. One of the most recent trends is an exposed brick wall in the home. Whether it’s in a hallway, the kitchen, or a bedroom, there is something so chic and unique about exposed brick.
This timeless design element not only brings warmth and texture to interiors but can also create a sense of natural charm. No matter what style you choose, raw or polished, it can complement a variety of decor styles. Similarly, installing brick veneer on an exterior wall gives a similar visual appeal, blending natural beauty with long-lasting quality. The combination of the rugged brick with modern furnishings can make any room feel both inviting and stylish. Design choices like this work well both in contemporary and traditional settings.
You can add brick to walkways leading up to your home, the exterior of your home, and even the chimney that sits on your roof. The options are endless!
Color Changes Everything
When you think of bricks, you probably picture a rusted red color. While this look is classic, this isn’t your only option!
You can change the color of your brick depending on the design you’re trying to achieve. With just a simple coat of paint or change of material, you can have blue-ish gray, white, black, and even tan-colored bricks to add to your home’s design.
Right now, white bricks are trending, especially in kitchens. It gives a clean and modern look to virtually any room and should be taken advantage of.
It’s All in the Detail
Just because you’ve decided to incorporate bricks into your home doesn’t mean you have to stick to the classic design of staggered bricks. Get creative with the details using smaller or uniquely sized bricks.
Use them in arches, around windows, to create round fire pits, and whatever else you’re inspired to create to make your home more comfortable and stylish.
A modern take on this classic design element requires attention to the details of the layout, placement, and their location.
Get a Professional Opinion
Bricks aren’t the easiest design element to work with, especially if you want to do it yourself. It’s best to get the opinion and helping hand of a professional brick mason to help you achieve a modern design with this classic structure.
Not sure where to look? Brickworks Property Restoration is the most professional and skilled brick masons available. With careful consultations and excellent customer service, you’ll have everything you need to have a stylish and modern home using the forever classic brick design element.
Let’s say you have a startup that aims to change the world for growing more food, saving water, solving health problems. You need to raise money – but how?
These financing rounds work in the following way: a specific individual, government organization or company invests a certain amount. Suppose the business reaches (or exceeds) a particular milestone, the lending party deposits another predetermined amount of financing. This is also a frequent strategy for some later-stage investors.
Typically you will go out to friends and family once you have a great presentation that perhaps you created after looking at great pitch decks on the internet from other startups.
Get a Lawyer
If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to hire an attorney to draft the agreements with any friends or family members who are willing to help, even if simple loans are the option you’re going for. Some lawyers in Silicon Valley or in Tel Aviv will barter their help in exchange for options in your company. Look around for accelerators and tech hubs that sometime offer free legal help as part of a startup package you might win, earn or become a part of.
It’s vital to employ someone who has experience working with many startups because it’s all too usual for a well-intentioned (but inexperienced) attorney to cause problems down the line if the initial structure and setup aren’t done correctly. If your clean tech solution is software, find someone who deals with IP in software.
Also, while it is feasible to find attorneys that work for stock in startups (as we mentioned above), it is not always encouraged, because having a neutral party is critical for crucial advising work (although it may be appropriate for more duties like contracts and terms/conditions agreements).
A deferral arrangement is more frequent, allowing you to pay off your balance once you’ve raised a significant amount of money. However, this is a straightforward way to build up payables. Beware of mounting legal expenses, and frequently talk with your attorney about budget expectations before work begins.
An IP attorney is different than one who works with intellectual property and patents. You will need both kinds if you have created an innovative solution.
Be Specific About What You Will Do With the Money
While having a complete pitch deck, executive summary, and financial model to present with your friends and family isn’t necessary at this time, the more you have in place, the better. If you think about it, an investor should know what they’re getting themselves into and that the item they’re investing in will have market value in the future and potential to generate a profit. An Excel chart with forecasts 3 years ahead will be expected.
As you raise later rounds, you’ll need to get into the habit of having updated paperwork for your investors, but for now, focus on a precise plan for what you want to accomplish in terms of your product, marketing, sales, and team growth.
Attorney Discussions:
Convertible Note Options if Friends or Family Want Stock in Your Startup
Convertible notes are a simple financial instrument with the ability to convert into stock later, comparable to a regular loan (term, interest, etc.). Convertible noteholders are issued shares according to the arrangement’s terms when a funding round establishes a startup valuation. This is often done at the Series A level.
Your attorney will likely advise you that it’s generally a good idea to propose going this route if your friends or family are throwing money in, and the standards of an accredited investor.
Be Cautious with Your Cap Table
One of the most typical early-stage errors is having too many full-fledged co-founders (those who plan to work full-time for the startup) and giving away too much stock. You should review all of this with your startup attorney, but in general, you want two or three people to control the great majority of your startup’s stock. You also want to vest the options over 1, 2 and 3 years. Founders quit and move on. You don’t want their shares of the company tied up if they aren’t all in. Build an all-in clause.
If you’re bringing on partners for equity splits, be wary of giving away too much to what are essentially service providers who act as early co-founders.
What is a Cap Table?
A capitalization table, sometimes called a cap table, is a spreadsheet or table that displays a company’s stock capitalization. Startups and early-stage companies most typically use a capitalization table, but any company can use it. The capitalization table, in general, is a detailed analysis of a company’s shareholders’ equity.
In the early phases of a startup, cap tables are generated initially, before other company documentation. Cap tables become more complicated after a few financing rounds and layout of the owners of stock and shares.
After Series A, a good rule of thumb is that the founders should hold at least 50% of the startup. From there, you can navigate your way back and forth.
The following are features of a suitable cap table:
The CEO/Founder owns the majority share of the startup.
As much as possible is owned by the founders.
There is now an ESOP (employee stock ownership program) in place.
There haven’t been any previous rounds where investors, including family and friends, bought more than 30% of the startup.
Outside investors should own less than 50% of a company.
There are no investors on the cap table with a poor reputation or who could cause a future conflict.
There are no advisors, or other investors awarded a disproportionately large number of shares.
The majority of rounds are between 10% and 25%, but it isn’t good if you’ve given up 50% or more in a single round.
Founders and potential investors, including friends and family, might try a recap with existing investors, threatening that there won’t be any additional rounds if there isn’t a recap.
Your Friends and Family Money can be Part of Your Success
We can safely say that most startups fail between the original concept and the first few weeks after the product launches due to a lack of customer/user engagement and investor/team motivation to persevere.
On the other hand, founders have an excellent opportunity to boost their chances of developing a successful company with the appropriate combination of a strong team, original service providers, and friends and family money invested wisely.
A new Tel Aviv University on bats study found that, like humans, bats living in Tel Aviv enjoy the wide variety and abundance of food that the city trees have to offer, in contrast to rural bats living in the country, who are content eating only one type of food. The study was led by research student Katya Egert-Berg (below) and Prof. Yossi Yovel.
The researchers explain that despite the intensification of urbanization processes, which tend to lead animals to leave the city, there are animals that are able to thrive in an urban domain. One such example is the fruit bat. These bats, like humans, live in a variety of environments, including the city and the countryside; there are even some that forage in the city and then go home to roost in the country.
Prof. Yovel: “How animals cope with urbanization is one of the most central and important questions in ecological research today. Understanding the ways in which animals adapt to urban areas can help us in our conservation efforts. The urban environment is characterized by much fragmentation, and we currently have little understanding of how animals, especially small animals, like the bats, move and fly in such areas.”
The urban environment is fundamentally different from the rural environment in terms of the diversity and accessibility of food. Although the city has a larger variety of trees per area, there are many challenges that bats have to face, such as buildings and humans.
In rural areas, on the other hand, most of the trees are concentrated in orchards without barriers, but have less diversity – the trees are mostly of one type. Because of the fundamental environmental differences between the city and the country with regards to the distribution and variety of fruit trees, the nature of the bats’ movement when foraging in these areas differs as well.
In this new study, the researchers compared the nature of the movement of rural bats and city bats as they foraged for food. They used tiny GPS devices to track the bats, to see if the way they moved while searching for food was affected by their living environment, or the environment in which they were foraging.
They found that fruit bats foraging in the city are much more exploratory, enjoy the abundance of the urban environment, visit a variety of fruit trees every night, and feed from a wide a variety of trees. In contrast, the rural bats focus on only one or two fruit trees each night. Moreover, the researchers found that among the rural bats who roost in the countryside, there were many who left their rural homes every night in search of food in the city, and then flew back to the country after their meal. During their stay in the city, such bats share the same flight patterns as those of the bats that live in the city around the clock.
Minolta DSC
The study’s findings led the researchers to assess that even bats that live in rural environments their entire lives will be able to orient themselves in an urban, industrialized environment. They explain that there are animal species that are flexible – for them, the ability to adapt to a new and unfamiliar environment such as an urban settlement is an acquired skill. Such species, of which the fruit bats are an example, will in many cases be able to adapt to life in urban areas.
Dogs on a boulevard cafe in Tel Aviv, on Rothschild Boulevard
It was talked about in 2008 and we reported on it –– that dog inspectors in Tel Aviv were going to track you down by your dog’s poop if you don’t stoop and scoop. Finally the great idea to clean up the city is taking effect. The city will start a bylaw that will make dog owners submit a sample of their pet’s poop when renewing a dog licence in Tel Aviv and Jaffa.
According to the new bylaw, city inspectors will be able to test samples of uncollected dog waste and match it with DNA samples on the municipal database. The relevant dog owner will receive a fine in the post, and even be liable for the sampling and test costs.
We have two dogs (that we adopted from Ramallah where dogs run free and are shot, then thrown in a garbage bin) could we get away with just sending in one sample and poop for the price of one or could they know? Could I enact an evil plot and just send in a sample of my neighbor’s fouling dog? What about the rights of an animal? Can he be sequenced without his consent? I had a dream last night, kid you not, that every animal on the planet was given the same rights as human beings, by us human beings.
One dog for every 10 people
I am sure others will have some better ideas too. The ratio between Tel Aviv-Yafo residents and dogs is among the highest worldwide, with over 40,000 households looking after a four-legged friend – or one dog owner for every 11 residents.
Recognized among the world’s most dog-friendly cities, Tel Aviv offers free dog waste bags in public areas, has established dozens of dog parks throughout the city, and hands out fines to the minority of dog owners who fail to pick up waste in public areas.
According to municipal data, approximately 1000 tons of dog waste is not picked up by dog owners on a monthly basis. We could argue that that amount is just in the neighborhood of Florentine, the foulest smelling neighborhood in the city. Feral cats urinating and defecating everywhere and lack of public toilets make it the stinkiest place in Israel.
A deck made from pallets. Source: unknown. You can also just use pallets for the frame.
We know that the wood industry is causing deforestation, harm to animals and people and climate change. That affects us all. A new UN project to track illegal timber is now set up, but play your part by making “smart wood” choices when building a new deck this summer, or winter if you are in temperate climates.
Look for the FSC label
Order wood through a trusted source and look for the FSC label that the wood was harvested sustainably. FSC labels are used on products to identify that the product has been verified to come from an FSC-certified source. FSC labels can be found on millions of products around the world: from toilet roll to your favourite book, that milk carton in your fridge, and other food products. I have friends who were part of the founding initiatives of the FSC in Canada. Read about its history here. Lumber can be treated with chemicals that are considered harmful to your health like arsenic and copper so not all “natural” wood is really good for you.
Work with Trusted Builders
Hiring experienced professionals ensures that your deck is built sustainably and safely. A knowledgeable contractor will help you source eco-friendly materials, minimize waste, and use construction methods that reduce environmental impact. When selecting a builder, look for companies with a commitment to sustainability and transparent sourcing practices. If you’re in Illinois, consider reaching out to deck builders Naperville who specialize in environmentally friendly designs and materials. They can also guide you on maintaining your deck to extend its lifespan, reducing the need for replacements. Choosing the right builder not only enhances durability but also ensures your deck complements the surrounding environment.
Reclaim old wood
Consider using vintage wood if it’s hardwood. The video below shows how you can build a new deck with old wood.
Upcycle pallets
If you don’t mind that it won’t last long, build a deck from pallets. You can also just use them for the frame and add a layer of higher quality wood.
Composite wood
Consider composite wood. It can also be used for decks. But never used it on raised beds for gardens, as it contains plastics and chemicals that can leach into your food. Composite wood typically offers between 15 to 20 years life span, lasting way more than wood. Invented in the late 1980s, wood-plastic composite decking (also called “composite wood decking”) is made of wood fibers encased in plastic. Composite decking is readily available at big box home improvement stores like The Home Depot and Lowe’s, as well as local lumberyards throughout the US.
As more builders and homeowners learn of wood decking problems, many are turning to high-performance composite decking.
• Resistant to severe weather.
• Very minimal maintenance cost.
• Thanks to its plastic feature, it is highly mould resistant, irrespective of how exposed to moisture it is.
• It is lightweight and has a lock style, making boards easy to figure out for a successful DIY installation
If you go for “wood” find wood that is harvested local to you. If the wood you buy is forested in Canada, sent to China for treatment and then sold to you in Texas it is not sustainable wood. Find local, just like strawberries.
Avoid treated wood for your health and for the fish:
Chromium copper arsenate, or CCA, according to the Environmental Working Group, was once widely used as a preservative and insecticide in pressure-treated wood. In 2001, tests by the group and the Healthy Building Network showed that wood treated with CCA could expose people to dangerous levels of arsenic, spurring the Environmental Protection Agency to force its removal from the market.
Copper-based chemicals replaced the arsenic preservative, but some of them are also hazardous. For example, alkaline copper quaternary and copper azole are extremely toxic to aquatic life and should never be used in areas where runoff can be carried to surface waters, marshes or coastal areas. Borate-based wood preservatives are also common, but they can leach out of wet wood, leaving the wood vulnerable to decay.
Don’t build a deck
People everywhere are noticing the benefits of grounding. How about just planting yourself in the grass or wild weeds and avoid the deck altogether. More sustainable long lasting options could be ceramic tiles, like the ones used in Mexico and Costa Rica although these tend to break during the freeze and melt in really cold climates.
The FSC, while easily forged, is a stamp to know if the wood you harvested is legal.
Up to 30% of the wood sold in markets globally is harvested illegally, according to international agreements. This deforestation causes habitat loss and extinction (read about how your bank is burning the Amazon) and a new UN initiative wants to track the bad guys, or rather tell you about the source of your wood, through a new app.
The cost of wood has tripled in the last year offering new channels for illegal wood to be harvested and sold on the black market. China, Canada, Germany and the USA are the top exporters of wood, globally.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations launched a new online portal providing information on forest-related laws around the world in order to help promote legal forest management, timber production and trade, and contribute to efforts to make forest resource use sustainable.
The first such portal of its kind: TimberLex provides information on legislation relating to forest management, timber production and trade from 46 timber consumer, processing and producer countries.
Illegal logging and related trade are estimated to account for up to 30% of the global timber trade – or up to $100 billion annually – and impairs poverty alleviation, food security and climate change mitigation while undermining efforts to manage forests sustainably.
In an effort to address this issue, major wood-consuming countries are increasingly imposing requirements for timber imports to document their legal status.
“One of the challenges to promoting legality and transparency in the timber trade is knowing what regulations are in place that may impact actions along the value chain, as each country’s legal system is of course, unique,” stated Daphne Hewitt, Manager of the UN’s European Union Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade Programme.
“It can be very challenging for timber producers, exporters, importers and regulators in timber exporting and importing countries to find reliable information on national legal requirements around timber legality,” she added.
Legislation from major timber producing and consuming countries
“The unique selling point of the portal is the user-friendly nature which allows easy access to national legislation in three languages,” said Blaise Kuemlangan, Chief of the Development Law Service of the UN’s FAO Legal Office.
The TimberLex portal points users to specific measures and verbatim citations within legal texts and allows easy and direct comparison between legal frameworks. Country profiles catalogue legislation around four clusters encompassing the different stages of the timber value chain considered critical to the legality of timber: land tenure and forest management; timber harvesting activities; processing, transport and trade; and taxes and fees.
The portal aims to enable more effective law enforcement and contribute to improving forest governance, curbing illegal deforestation and associated forest degradation, and promoting global production and trade in legal timber.
The database is aimed at legislators, policymakers, forestry departments and law enforcement officers, private sector producers, processors and traders, civil society and non-government organizations.
Reading about this and watching my cousin build a new deck at his nature retreat Kingfisher Bay in Ontario, got us talking about the price of lumber, composite decks and dock renovations.
How to make your deck sustainable
Look for FSC Label
A deck made from pallets. Source: unknown. You can also just use pallets for the frame.
Order wood through a trusted source and look for the FSC label that the wood was harvested sustainably. FSC labels are used on products to identify that the product has been verified to come from an FSC-certified source. FSC labels can be found on millions of products around the world: from toilet roll to your favourite book, that milk carton in your fridge, and other food products. I have friends who were part of the founding initiatives of the FSC in Canada.
Read about its history here. Lumber can be treated with chemicals that are considered harmful to your health like arsenic and copper so not all “natural” wood is really good for you.
Consider using vintage wood if it’s hardwood. The video below shows how you can build a new deck with old wood.
Pallets can be used to make a deck
Consider composite wood. It can also be used for decks. But never used it on raised beds for gardens, as it contains plastics and chemicals that can leach into your food. Composite wood typically offers between 15 to 20 years life span, lasting way more than wood. Invented in the late 1980s, wood-plastic composite decking (also called “composite wood decking”) is made of wood fibers encased in plastic. Composite decking is readily available at big box home improvement stores like The Home Depot and Lowe’s, as well as local lumberyards throughout the US.
As more builders and homeowners learn of wood decking problems, many are turning to high-performance composite decking.
• Resistant to severe weather.
• Very minimal maintenance cost.
• Thanks to its plastic feature, it is highly mould resistant, irrespective of how exposed to moisture it is.
• It is lightweight and has a lock style, making boards easy to figure out for a successful DIY installation
5. If you go for “wood” find wood that is harvested local to you. If the wood you buy is forested in Canada, sent to China for treatment and then sold to you in Texas it is not sustainable wood. Find local, just like strawberries.
Avoid treated wood for your health and for the fish:
Chromium copper arsenate, or CCA, according to the Environmental Working Group, was once widely used as a preservative and insecticide in pressure-treated wood. In 2001, tests by the group and the Healthy Building Network showed that wood treated with CCA could expose people to dangerous levels of arsenic, spurring the Environmental Protection Agency to force its removal from the market.
Copper-based chemicals replaced the arsenic preservative, but some of them are also hazardous. For example, alkaline copper quaternary and copper azole are extremely toxic to aquatic life and should never be used in areas where runoff can be carried to surface waters, marshes or coastal areas. Borate-based wood preservatives are also common, but they can leach out of wet wood, leaving the wood vulnerable to decay.
Noticing birds under your solar panels is horrible for all involved, and sometimes, it can be difficult to spot before the infestation is large. Unfortunately, when you notice a bird issue, it’s probably now a significant infestation, and the risk of diseases and damage will have multiplied. So we spoke to an expert to help put together the best tips to prevent birds and stop issues under your solar panels.
#1 – Clean from top to bottom
The first step to prevent the chance of pests ever taking a fancy to your solar panels is to make sure they are as clean as possible. Problems tend to thrive in environments that are dirty and have food lying around in the garden. Start by keeping your garden spotless, as this will limit the food source for birds. Then, make sure to work your way around other areas where food may be available such as the bushes and bins. Professional cleaning products have strong anti-bacterial properties, which will make surfaces unsuitable for birds to live off. Cleaning is one-stop for many in the challenge of stopping birds visiting your solar investment; you also need to follow other steps mentioned throughout this article.
#2 – Choose a professional company
The second tip we would recommend would be to contact a professional pest control company to get rid of the birds. If cleaning your garden has not helped, a professional will understand how to remove the creatures with the best possible impact. London’s top pest control company, integrumservices.co.uk, suggest that performing bird control by yourself is extremely dangerous. You take the risk of falling, or if you have allergies, then you may become seriously ill due to build up of nesting material and poo. A professional will control the population living at your home and have access to some techniques that are not available to the public.
#3 – Secure all ingress points
birds are known to gain access to a solar panels by entering through entry holes, or as professionals call it, ingress points. This opening allows birds to access solar panels, and the most common places that they tend to be located include cracks and crevices around the side of the panels. Check all of these areas for potential holes that pigeons, seagulls, jackdraws and other birds may gain access to. Smaller birds don’t need big holes to be able to gain access.
#4 – Natural pest control methods
You may have heard of some old wives tales, such as using strong-smelling oils, vinegar and herbs. Many of these natural pest control methods can be effective if used in the right situation and with the correct bird. For example, using coffee grounds in areas outside your home where you may locate birds. Most birds hate the smell of coffee, so it can put them off from visiting again.
Ultimately, when it comes to using natural remedies, you will have to try a few different options before finding one that might work effectively. However, if you already have a substantial infestation, there is a good chance that no natural method will work, and you will have to refer back to tip #2 to find a professional to complete the removal.
#5 – Take your trash out often
One of the most common issues that cause birds to infest your home is the build-up of food sources. If rubbish builds up in your garden, it’ll likely produce a strong smell, and it will attract birds, and with bird problems comes diseases. So make sure to take your rubbish out often and make sure it is completely sealed. Leaving outside rubbish storage open allows for a food source for birds meaning they will use your garden as a place to feed.
If possible, we would recommend storing waste away from your home and taking it to a recycling plant if you can, which will result in stopping any birds from being attracted to your property in the first place
#6 – Buy bird scarers
Bird scarers are often an afterthought when it comes to treating solar panel infestations. However, birds can be scared of these bird scarers. Often, bird scarers can work very well, so check out amazon or ebay and get yourself a couple. Again, this method is not guaranteed and the only true way to remove birds from under solar panels is to use a professional proofing company.
A new device developed in Tel Aviv inspires hope among people who have lost their sense of touch in the nerves of a limb following amputation or injury.
The device is a tiny sensor that is implanted in the nerve of the injured limb, for example in the finger, and is connected directly to a healthy nerve. Each time the limb touches an object, the sensor is activated and conducts an electric current to the functioning nerve, which recreates the feeling of touch. The researchers at Tel Aviv University, where it was developed, emphasizes that this is a tested and safe technology that is suited to the human body and could be implanted anywhere inside the body.
The technology was developed by Ben M. Maoz, Iftach Shlomy, Shay Divald, and Yael Leichtmann-Bardoogo and Dr. Amir Arami from the Sackler School of Medicine and the Microsurgery Unit in the Department of Hand Surgery at Sheba Medical Center. The study was published in the journal ACS Nano.
“It should be understood that this loss of sensation can result from a very wide range of injuries, from minor wounds – like someone chopping a salad and accidentally cutting himself with the knife – to very serious injuries,” says Maoz.
“Even if the wound can be healed and the injured nerve can be sutured, in many cases the sense of touch remains damaged. We decided to tackle this challenge together, and find a solution that will restore tactile sensation to those who have lost it.”
In recent years, the field of neural prostheses has made promising developments to improve the lives of those who have lost sensation in their limbs by implanting sensors in place of the damaged nerves.
But the existing technology has a number of significant drawbacks, such as complex manufacturing and use, as well as the need for an external power source, such as a battery. The new approach uses a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) to engineer and test on animal models a tiny sensor that restores tactile sensation via an electric current that comes directly from a healthy nerve and doesn’t require a complex implantation process or charging.
The researchers developed a sensor that can be implanted on a damaged nerve under the tip of the finger; the sensor connects to another nerve that functions properly and restores some of the tactile sensation to the finger. This unique development does not require an external power source such as electricity or batteries. The researchers explain that the sensor actually works on frictional force: whenever the device senses friction, it charges itself.
How does the nerve stimulation work?
The device consists of two tiny plates less than half a centimeter by half a centimeter in size. When these plates come into contact with each other, they release an electric charge that is transmitted to the undamaged nerve. When the injured finger touches something, the touch releases tension corresponding to the pressure applied to the device – weak tension for a weak touch and strong tension for a strong touch – just like in a normal sense of touch.
The researchers explain that the device can be implanted anywhere in the body where tactile sensation needs to be restored, and that it actually bypasses the damaged sensory organs. The device is made from biocompatible material that is safe for use in the human body, it does not require maintenance, the implantation is simple, and the device itself is not externally visible.
According to Dr. Maoz, after testing the new sensor in the lab (with more than half a million finger taps using the device), the researchers implanted it in the feet of the animal models.
The animals walked normally, without having experienced any damage to their motor nerves, and the tests showed that the sensor allowed them to respond to sensory stimuli. “We tested our device on animal models, and the results were very encouraging,” he says.
“Next, we want to test the implant on larger models, and at a later stage implant our sensors in the fingers of people who have lost the ability to sense touch. Restoring this ability can significantly improve people’s functioning and quality of life, and more importantly, protect them from danger. People lacking tactile sensation cannot feel if their finger is being crushed, burned or frozen.”
Trammell S. Crow, a Dallas-based businessman and father of four, is focusing his efforts on impact investing, and media that focuses on saving the planet through EarthX.
Smart investment firms know the writing is on the wall: Companies that make the environment count as part of their business model will outperform traditional businesses. It might take a couple of more years but putting sustainability practices first pays off. Recently, investors and bankers have learned that those same traditional businesses that have been profitable for decades may now be a liability as global awareness attunes to human, animal and planet rights.
Whistleblowers are waiting around any corner to derail steady stocks and bonds. How can your family office, bank, venture capital firm or bank steer clear of obstacles and invest in companies that put sustainability first and make planet and people count? Started in Dallas and now global, Trammell S. Crow founded EarthX and through it hosts an annual E-Capital Summit, tying investors and businesses together –- aligning them with the right frame of mind for future-forward business and environmental accountability.
Startups are invited too. Those that have attended the events over the last five years have gone on to raise about $500M in investment capital. It’s like Techcrunch for companies that care about the planet.
This year EarthX hosted its 5th summit. The event brought together policy makers from the White House, The Department of Energy, banks, family offices and traditional companies –– offering case studies and frameworks on how to build businesses that create a sustainability impact from the bottom up –– or from the top down.
“Our vision is to demonstrate to industry leaders from the investment, business, and deal making systems that sustainability and profitability are not mutually exclusive but actually go hand-in-hand.” says Vikram Agrawal, Director of EarthXCapital, the impact investment arm of EarthX.
Vikram Agrawal, EarthX
Some of the topics cover finance innovation in sustainability infrastructure. Few traditional businesses may not realize that the entire solar energy business, for instance, is built on feed-in tariffs and building solar infrastructure for your company can be a new stream of income. Are you managing a family fund and want to create climate-forward investments for your portfolio that are risk averse? Are you running an NGO, green energy business or leading government and city policies on investment in infrastructure? We’ve tapped into one of America’s leading minds on impact investing. Take 5 minutes and dive into what Vikram Agrawal says on how green financing can spur rapid environmental turnaround.
Vikram’s EarthX Capital is run by EarthX, America’s largest environmental expo, conference, film festival, and virtual TV channel, and is a member of IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature. EarthX was founded in 2011 as Earth Day Dallas by environmentalist and businessman Trammell S. Crow.
Samuel Rigu, EarthX Climate Tech Prize 2021 winner and CEO and founder of Safi Organics. Safi has developed a process to manufacture fertiliser using a thermochemical treatment of crop residues such as rice husks; Wang’uru, Kenya.
Green Prophet to Vikram Agrawal: Tell us a little about your background?
Vikram: I am a mission-driven, operationally-focused investment and management professional with an ethos that everyone deserves an opportunity to be successful, however they define success. I have nearly 15 years of experience across several industry sectors in the United States and the emerging markets (Latin America & the Caribbean and emerging Europe, Middle East, & Africa).
I started my career in investment banking and international finance focused on the emerging markets but, over the past seven years, I have been focused on US private equity, having worked with both companies in need of a strategic or operational turnaround as well as those in full-on growth mode.
While developing several investment theses related to sustainability and resiliency, I met Trammell S. Crow, a well-respected Texan environmentalist, businessman, and philanthropist. Trammell founded EarthX, an international environmental nonprofit organization based in Dallas, Texas that is dedicated to educating and inspiring people and organizations to take action towards a more sustainable future.
Trammell and I decided to partner together where I would have a dual mandate. I am launching a private investment firm focused on sustainability & resilience-related companies. In addition, I am helping lead the EarthxCapital team which has a mission to develop an investment, business, innovation, and deal-making ecosystem focused on leading and catalyzing impact and action.
My passion for sustainability, conservation, and resiliency started when I was young. It fully blossomed nearly twenty years ago when I had the opportunity to work on sustainability initiatives in rural India. I witnessed how solar energy installations, water conservation, and better agricultural practices could drastically improve people’s lives and provide them with critical resources that I took for granted growing up here in the United States.
Since then, I have realized that sustainability is not only important for the earth, for environmental justice, and for tackling broader social challenges –– including creating millions of much-needed jobs. I realize that sustainability is critical for business and investments by driving profitability, enhancing value, and driving risk-adjusted returns.
Why do we need such an event, and why now?
In April 2021, we hosted the 5th annual invitation-only E-Capital Summit. EarthxCapital’s signature event of the year seeks to convene, inspire, and catalyze action from hundreds of global investment firms, early to late-stage innovators, established global companies, industry leaders, policymakers, incubators & accelerators, dealmakers, and researchers. Our objective is to have substantial, positive impacts on investments, businesses, people and our planet.
In a highly polarized society that is dominated by misinformation, we take great pride in convening a diverse group of individuals and organizations representing a diverse group of perspectives in the middle of America: Dallas, Texas. We actively seek all perspectives and civil (and well-informed) discourse from all parties, regardless of the industry or profession you represent or whether you are a Democrat or Republican, climate change believer or denier, pure capitalist or philanthropist. We urgently need to have more inclusive debates with opposing views where we learn to collaborate and value each other’s diverse perspectives to better develop solutions.
What we all need to realize is that a majority of us share similar values and goals and that it will take a holistic solution from the investment, business, policy, research, civic, and non-profit communities partnering together to solve short-term and long-term challenges. At the end of the day, we all want clean water & air, a resilient economy and supply chains, jobs for millions of Americans, power & energy, and a better future for generations to come.
However, being sustainable is trending and sexy today. Don’t get me wrong: this is great but it could also lead to “greenwashing” and have negative implications if investors lose capital, like they did a decade ago in the last cleantech bubble, especially if the public markets’ “ESG play” falters.
Many traditional investors and businesses are wary of this but will continue to do what they can to “check the box” if large investors and consumers demand this. Therefore, to truly have sustainable sustainability, it’s critical to show how sustainability and profitability are not mutually exclusive, but in fact go hand-in-hand. It’s our mission to show how sustainability can improve a company’s profitability, improve resiliency, and create a greater Strategic Value Proposition thereby enhancing value and increasing risk-adjusted returns.
How is the investment climate different under Biden?
Even prior to President Biden being sworn in as President, there was significant interest in sustainability investing. The International Finance Corporation, a World Bank Group, estimates that in 2020, ~$2.1 trillion AUM of a total of $10 trillion AUM was focused on impact investing in private markets.
However, President Biden is providing guardrails for sustainability investing through his fiscal policy and regulatory agenda. For example, billions of dollars in the infrastructure bill will support many cleantech and sustainability-related initiatives including EV infrastructure, energy/power grid resilience, and water infrastructure. Unfortunately, investors will be wary of such changes (especially if they are done via Executive Order or without bipartisan support), as they could be easily undone by a new Administration.
It remains unclear what the Biden Administration’s impact will be on sustainability investing but I’d bet most people would say that it will have a very positive short-term and long-term effect.
How has Covid changed anything in Impact investing?
First off, please allow me to offer my condolences and thoughts with the millions of people around the world who were impacted by COVID-19 and the global pandemic, which continues to ravage on. Unfortunately, millions of people around the world lost their lives and an even greater number of people will be impacted for years to come due to various economic, social, and health – physical and mental – challenges. We will need to develop innovative solutions to overcome those challenges.
To answer your question, impact investing can mean different things depending on who you ask. For the purpose of our discussion today, I’ll be focusing on environmental sustainability related issues given the focus of EarthX; however, that doesn’t diminish the importance of many other critical topics and challenges that are being addressed by a variety of impact investors including Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; inequality and justice; health and wellness; access to education, and many more.
The pandemic highlighted the importance of resilience but also magnified the global inequalities and challenges faced by many daily, many of which are addressed by the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). From a COVID-19 prevention and treatment perspective, millions of people do not have access to clean drinking water – or even water to wash your hands – nor do they have access to proper nutrition (giving your body and its immune system to fight a virus).
These are only a few examples of the many investment opportunities that comprise the $2.5 trillion annual financing gap needed to achieve the SDGs. Many investors have responded by focusing their investment and philanthropic endeavors in underserved communities and look to be creative in finding opportunities to address these challenges. Given Covid-19, there may be greater emphasis, which is very much needed, on topics and investment theses related to environmental justice and health and wellness.
Can you give us three trends to look out for in the coming year?
Tension between greenwashing and defining what sustainability means
It seems like every week we hear an announcement from a major financial institution or corporate leader on their massive investment or pledge towards a new ESG or sustainability-focused strategy.
As an environmentalist, I’m excited to see the news every week but am wary if such announcements will convince traditional investors and businesses to execute long-lasting strategies. For example, I see this challenge with carbon offsets. First, I’d argue that carbon or GHG footprint reductions by operational or business plan improvements are in fact better than carbon offsets from unrelated sources.
Footprint reductions are permanent solutions and can hopefully be good for business profitability, which also leaves more offsets for other essential businesses unable to change operationally or a stronger foundation to rebuild the environment. Second, as Bloomberg has reported before, there aren’t enough trees (or land) in the world to support these continued statements. Therefore, to preserve credibility we must address true measures to address sustainability, but what does “sustainability” actually mean?
I always joke that if you ask five different people what sustainability means, you get ten different answers. However, as major institutional investors and public/private asset managers continue to employ and pledge trillions dollars of assets towards “sustainability” investment strategies, it will be important to define what constitutes sustainability.
As a pragmatist, and as a newly adopted Texan, I am excited to highlight how traditional energy companies are making oil and gas operations more sustainable. Oil and gas is critical to our economy, employs millions of Americans, and is a valuable resource for multiple end-products. While still holding the industry accountable for its actions, we should bring them to the table and celebrate their efforts, not shun them.
However, I’m sure many of your readers and many of my friends are raising their eyebrows as I put sustainability and oil and gas in the same sentence. So I ask, is making oil and gas a more environmentally-friendly sustainability strategy? I think so but others may disagree.
Developing measurable metrics
In addition, it will be important to identify standardized specific and quantifiable metrics, both of which have inhibited acceptance among traditional investors. The Biden Administration has already started to broach this issue and I’d expect some critical discussion in the coming months.
For example, the Wall Street Journal has done great coverage on this subject especially looking at companies deemed to be ESG top-performers and how various rating agencies ranked these companies differently on their sustainability scorecard due to differing metrics. Investors and businesses prefer standardization and certainty. It’s hard to plan if the goal line keeps moving.
Resilience
Resilience is the new buzz word and will be one of the most important topics for discussion across industry verticals globally. As with sustainability, resilience will become a dominant discussion topic especially as individuals and businesses grapple with increasing disruptions related to everyday activities.
A recent conversation with a major US city’s Chief Resilience Officer reminded me how resilience encompasses a broad range of issues. However, my current focus is on environmental and severe adverse weather resilience. COVID-19 and the recent February winter storms highlighted how ill-prepared our mission-critical industries are to shocks to the system.
As we begin to recover from COVID-19, I expect this to be a topic at more dining room tables, in more boardrooms, and in the halls of Washington, DC.
What kinds of businesses are most at risk if they don’t start to think “impact”?
Not to sound cliché, but every single business will be at risk. However, it will not be a one-size fits all strategy. For example, climate change and severe adverse weather events will have an impact on critical infrastructure assets, global supply chains, and the built environment. Not only will key industries like power, water, and food/ag be impacted (thereby challenging millions of Americans and billions of humans around the world), severe adverse weathers will affect all industries.
Mother Nature doesn’t know the difference between Blue and Red states. According to the NOAA, over the past 40 years, the United States has had more than 250 severe adverse weather events that have caused more than a billion dollars of damage (inflation adjusted) totaling more than $1.7 trillion… important to note that this doesn’t even include the hundreds of other “smaller” severe adverse weather events that happen each year across the country. This has a direct financial impact on insurance companies and businesses seeking access to insurance and capital.
From a finance perspective, it feels like every week you hear of another international financial institution that proclaims their intention to limit their exposure to fossil fuels, thereby increasing the cost of capital for companies with high exposure to such resources. With increased costs of capital, the energy industry will face reduced returns and capital expenditures thereby increasing the cost of traditional energy.
This, interestingly enough, could make alternative fuels and sustainable forms of energy more attractive from a cost competitiveness basis thereby giving them sufficient time to mature and increasing long-term competitiveness as compared (think of the drop in cost per unit of energy from solar and wind technology given increased adoption over the past two decades).
Can you give us an example of innovation in sustainability investing? I brought up the idea of solar and feed-in tariffs, can you give another?
I’ve learned that one of the greatest challenges for sustainability investing is the lack of patient capital for truly innovative enterprises. Unlike other innovations or industries, many clean technology and sustainability-related solutions take time to develop, commercialize, and eventually drive a return.
In addition, unfortunately, political gridlock has also inhibited private and public capital inflows for solving less sexy sustainability-related issues like infrastructure. Therefore, as I have learned of different forms of “innovation” in sustainability investing I’ve been impressed by many organizations that are looking to solve those problems. However, two firms – both past E-Capital panelists – with innovative financing models have come to mind:
Prime Coalition is a 501(c)(3) public charity that partners with mission-aligned investors to support extraordinary companies that combat climate change, have a high likelihood of achieving commercial success, and would otherwise have a difficult time raising adequate financial support to scale. Prime has leveraged catalytic capital, including grants and program-related investments, to drive much needed investment in innovative companies from patient and risk-tolerant capital providers. Most importantly, they don’t look to sacrifice returns while supporting industry game-changers.
Quantified Ventures is leading outcomes-based financing solutions across the country, solutions very much needed to solve our country’s environmental and aging infrastructure crisis. The firm is credited with structuring the first ever Environmental Impact Bond in the United States for DC Water, which helped them solve several challenges. DC Water was able to implement green infrastructure through an approach that shared performance risk with investors by linking their returns to the project’s success. I expect an increase of these forms of investment/financial structures throughout the country.
If you had unlimited capital, where would you put it first? 3 ideas — you have access to a magic genie
I think this is a better question for folks who are much smarter and more experienced than me (and with a lot more capital)! However, based on my experience, the following examples could be some of the greatest opportunities (in addition to the themes I’ve mentioned previously like resilience which I’ve been thinking about for several years now):
Sustainable Solutions for traditional industry
Although we like to focus on easily marketable and identifiable sustainability initiatives (like replacing plastic straws), true fundamental changes to consumer or business behavior will be needed to move the needle.
For example, investing in corporate sustainability and resilience is great for business and investments by improving profitability, strengthening business resilience, creating a greater Strategic Value Proposition, and enhancing value for all stakeholders thereby increasing risk-adjusted returns.
Inflation adjusted, the US economy has grown ~2% over the past 20 years and ~3% since World War II, however no investor or business would deem that as a high ROI for an individual investment. Therefore, if top-line growth is focused to be so low, then significant measures need to be taken to improve gross margins and operating margins, thereby improving net profit margins.
These initiatives (like the Circular Economy) can be good for business but also great for people and the environment, especially when they concern efficient use of materials and critical resources like energy and water. McKinsey & Company has done several studies that support how sustainability and profitability can go hand-in-hand. If I had unlimited capital I’d be targeting these areas as the opportunities are endless and can help sway traditional businesses and investors to implement simple measures.
Supply chains for leading innovators
Everyone likes to highlight the business and financial success of industry-leading sustainability innovators like Tesla, Chargepoint, AppHarvest, NextEra Energy, and point to them as the best sustainability-focused investment opportunities. That could be true, but I think you also need to focus on the incredibly diverse set of companies that are needed to support these large enterprises and their supply chains.
If we expect growth in any of the sustainability-focused end markets, capital (and patience) will be needed for those businesses that are supporting sustainability innovation and completely new industries.
EV Infrastructure and energy storage
Regarding an industry-specific opportunity, I believe that Mobility, in particular EVs, is one of the hottest sectors for the public and private investment markets. Now, before I start greenwashing you, let’s be reminded that EV cars only represent ~2% of the US car market today. However, this is a significant increase from the past decade where some reports put market share at less than 0.2%!
Earlier this year, California announced that all new car sales will need to be electric by 2035. As published in the journal Nature Climate Change, University of Toronto researchers found that 90% of US cars would need to be electric by 2050 to meet stated climate goals.
However, according to a Deloitte consumer auto study, the greatest concern for 54% of Americans was the perceived shorter driving range and lack of EV charging infrastructure. If investment professionals, policy makers and the auto industry hope to capitalize on the tremendous environmental, business, and investment opportunity, this issue must be addressed. We need greater EV infrastructure to support the increase in EV unless you think Green Hydrogen is a more realistic proposition.
COVID-19 has had some terrible and tragic consequences, killing millions of people worldwide. The tiny virus has had an enormous impact on the way we live, revolutionizing how we develop vaccines, for example. Another revolution has come about with the way that we work. The “new normal” of working from home was forced upon us thanks to the pandemic, but many remote workers want to continue working from home to some degree, even when it’s safe to work back in the office.
Remote Work – Is it a Good Thing?
Pre-pandemic commutes to work across the world were getting longer each year. Long commutes are rarely seen as a positive thing- two-fifths of those surveyed considering the commute the worst part of the day. A significant cause of stress, a long commute means less time at home, less exercise and fast or faster, processed food. Some studies have even found that commutes that last longer than one hour are correlated with a higher risk of divorce by as much as 40%.
With more than 25 million pre-pandemic Americans commuting over 90 minutes every day, the data do not add up too well. Remote working and a hybrid approach to work, combing remote and office-based work, is likely to result in much higher satisfaction for workers who, in the main, are keen to continue working from home to some degree.
Remote Work & The Environment
Remote working does cut carbon emissions, but it can significantly increase individual utility bills and carbon emissions generated at home. However, according to this Ted Talk presented by Jackson Carpenter, it is possible to drastically cut your carbon footprint by signing up to a renewable energy supplier.
By signing up to an alternative energy supplier, one that uses renewable energy as the energy source, you can cut your carbon footprint today by 15%. In addition, if your AC unit runs on electricity and your heating runs on electric you can reduce your carbon footprint by an additional 17%
Using biodiesel for other heating appliances and converting your car to use alcohol or biodiesel can cut your carbon footprint by an additional 28% – for those days, you are working from the office or taking the kids to soccer practice.
Creating a Green Home Office
Using a renewable energy supplier is a great idea, but if you want to make renewable energy a step further and learn some new skills at the same time, creating a solar-powered home office might be a project to consider.
Always remember to get a qualified installer to check your work during and after installation. Consulting a professional can also be a great idea before you buy any solar equipment. If you are self-employed, you can run a business from your garden shed, especially if you are willing to outsource phone answering duties and maybe even a virtual office address.
If you don’t have an outbuilding, then a shed can make a brilliant home office. For example, a Tuff Shed or summerhouse can be easily converted into a home office, with a few additional pieces of furniture. If you don’t have a spare room, outbuilding or shed, you can always build one. Another viable alternative is to convert a large van into an office and attach the solar panels to the van’s roof.
In addition to a building with a roof sturdy enough to take the weight of several solar panels, you will need:
– Solar Panels (4 x 100w)
– Mounting Brackets
– Charge Controller
– Battery
– Inverter
– Fuse block
You will also need the necessary cables to connect relevant parts and sections of equipment together, for example, the solar panel to the charge controller. You can buy solar panel kits that have all of the essential equipment. For example, the 400 watts solar panel kit from Renogy comes with four solar panels (100w each), wires, a charge controller, a blue tooth connector, mounting brackets and screws.
It is usually recommended to install solar panels on the side of the building that faces south to maximize exposure to the sun. Of course, if you are using a van, it doesn’t matter too much!
Step by Step Solar Panel Power
Disclaimer – always get your work supervised and checked by a professional electrician or solar power installer.
Before you start, ensure that you know the dimensions of the solar panels and the roof on the shed or outbuilding – to make sure that they fit! You may also wish to mark on the roof exactly where the solar panels are to be placed.
You may also need to drill some holes so that the leads/wires from the solar panels can be fed through from the roof, into the building or the van. You may also need some kind of mount, for example, a wooden board attached to the inside of the shed’s wall, to place the charge controller.
The batteries can also be relatively large, so finding a safe and sturdy way to mount and store the batteries is important if you are using them.
We recommend not attaching the main cables to the solar panel until the rest of the kit is set up and in place.
Mount the charge controller & batteries safely inside the building
Screw the mounting brackets onto the panels, ensuring they are tight
Place the solar panels on the roof.
Connect the wires to connect all of the panels
Use a drill to screw the solar panel’s brackets to the roof (typically 3-inch screws)
Without attaching them, feed the wires into the building or van – you may need to drill a hole.
Attach the wires to the charge controller – red wire to the positive inlets, black to the negative*
Tighten the wires into place with a screwdriver
On the charge controller outlets, attach the red and black wires to the positive and negative outlets, respectively.
Attach the wires coming out from the outlets on the charge controller to the terminals on the battery. The battery will have a negative inlet that will have a negative symbol, or it will be black. The positive terminal will be red or have a positive symbol (+).
If you wish to test everything – attach the relevant wires to the solar panels and inspect the lights on the charge controller to ensure power is coming into it.
To attach the invertor, we now need to remove one of the solar panel cables to remove the power source and then remove the wires from the battery (more info here)
Separate from the battery – attach the wires for the invertor to the invertor. Always connect the wires to the inverter first before attaching them to the battery. You can add a fuse to the positive cable if you wish.
Attach the negative wire from the inverter to the negative terminal on the battery and the positive wire (usually red) from the inverter to the positive terminal on the battery. They may be a spark when you attach the positive.
If you are screwing holes into the top of a van, be sure to use the necessary sealant to ensure that water does not leak into the van. Here is a step-by-step video detailing how to add solar panels specifically to the top of a van.
*Be sure to double-check that this is the case; some solar panel kits may use a different system or identification for positive and negative.
And that’s it! Again, we emphasize the need or at least the recommendation that you use a qualified electrician or installer to guide and sign off your work. Here is an excellent step-by-step video that also takes you through the process.
5G or the fifth generation of wireless is the latest wave of wireless technology that will surpass the current 4G Technology that is being used all over the globe. The first generation of wireless technology called 1G brought cell phones, 2G or second-generation text messaging, 3G or third generation brought Internet access and 4G brought speed. 
Summer’s in full play and it’s high time for students to plan their vacation. There are lots of options suitable for anyone — extreme lovers, party-goers, gourmets, and culture buffs. Below is a list of fascinating summer vacation destinations to fit every taste.
The researchers explain that despite the intensification of urbanization processes, which tend to lead animals to leave the city, there are animals that are able to thrive in an urban domain. One such example is the fruit bat. These bats, like humans, live in a variety of environments, including the city and the countryside; there are even some that forage in the city and then go home to roost in the country.
