It is a deeply ironic tragedy, but sometimes people in the most polluted areas know very little about what is going on in the groundwater. I grew up in a farming community, but none of us knew about water pollution until it was too late. It wasn’t one of those places that you hear about, the cities where half the population is born with serious birth defects and most kids don’t live past the age of five. The effects were subtle and they took a long time to notice. That is why it took us so long to do anything about the water pollution.

I am sure that some of the big farms on the edge of town knew something about water runoff pollution. After all, they were the main culprits and they were the ones using huge amounts of artificial fertilizers and pesticides. By the time we found out about it, our kids had been exposed to it for years. A water quality laboratory came into town one day, tested the groundwater and found out that our aquifer was hopelessly contaminated. There was arsenic, lead, trace sewage, various pesticides and countless other environmental pollutants. If you have never been in the position of knowing that your water is polluted, you can not imagine what it is like. Water pollution problems are really devastating. Suddenly, you can’t even trust the water you drink or the food you eat. It really shakes your confidence in your own safety.

Most of the people in town had to pay for expensive water filtration, that wasn’t enough. Water pollution from fertilizers can be easily filtered out, but trace element pollution is a lot more difficult. Although we knew our water quality was better, no one was saying exactly how much better. Was it safe to drink, or would it still cause our children to develop developmental disabilities and learning problems?

Rather than sit back and watch the government do nothing, we got involved in clean water activism. We may be  a very rural town, somewhat isolated from the rest of the world, but we are not passive people. We care deeply about our community and we wanted to see it protected from the effects of environmental pollution. Although it took awhile, we made sure that the big polluters paid for cleanup of the aquifers. These days, we don’t have to worry about water pollution anymore. We’ve made sure that you can’t get away with polluting our water!

A natural mosquito repellent can be the one of the most important things that you can take along with you any time that you are outdoors in the summer months. There is good news for anyone searching for different options in this protection from insects. You can find a natural mosquito repellent and use it in conjunction with some preventative measures to maximize your protection.

Dark clothing in the hot season isn’t really comfortable and it isn’t really smart when dealing with insects, either. If you choose to use a natural mosquito repellent, do so in conjunction with light colored clothing. This will make you less of a target for insect bites.

You also might want to forgo the fabric softener that has fragrance. While this may seem really subtle, insects are really attracted to the scents. A good natural insect repellent used as a preventative measure is scent-free fabric softener. Your clothes will reap all of the benefits of your regular fabric softener without the attractive scent.

Perfumes and colognes are insect magnets. This is especially true for the floral fragrances. Avoid fruity fragrances as well. This may seem like a no brainer, but we really put on more fragrance than we realize.  Fragrances can be a significant part of your skin lotion. You might find fruity or floral scents in your sun block or other sunscreen products. Don’t forget your hair products, too. There is a lot of fragrance in these items as well. Trying a series of products that offer scent free options is a great natural mosquito repellent.

Ever hear the phrase, “Cold hands, warm heart”? Well, there is something to this when it comes to natural mosquito repellent. It seems that the little buggers go after those of us with warm hearts. If your extremities are cooler, the insects will be drawn to dine. Warm up your paws before hitting the road to avoid attracting mosquitoes.

Now that we have some idea of preventative measures that can be taken as a natural mosquito repellent we can discuss some topical options. These include oils found in nature like citronella, castor and peppermint among a handful. The great thing about using plant oils as a natural mosquito repellent is that many of these fragrances are as lovely as perfume.

As the world heats up, people are starting to rethink their priorities. I have worked air conditioning jobs for about ten years now, doing everything from selling air conditioner units to installing them, fixing them and designing them.  I have definitely seen a shift in the consumer attitude. Back in the day, central air conditioning used to be a must have for anyone with the money to afford it. It was a great luxury to be able to cool your house to 60 degrees during the hottest weeks of the summer.

On the other hand, portable air conditioners such as window air conditioner units were a tough sell. You could sell them to students and people who lived in one room apartments, but anyone with more space than that would probably want central air. It is funny, as the temperature starts to rise, people are starting to buy less and less powerful air conditioner units. Nowadays, most people simply buy a window air conditioner unit for any room they are likely to spend a lot of time in. They will cool off the living room while they are there, then turn on a little bit of ac in the bedroom at night.

It seems like there are a couple reasons for this change. A lot of people see it as evidence that people are starting to understand how much damage our energy over use is starting to do and they have a point. Cooling the whole house when you are only using a small part of it is quite wasteful. Beyond that, people are trying to save money. The economy is in bad shape, and fuel prices are going up and up. This has made a lot of people nervous about rising electric costs. They buy smaller air conditioner units so that, when the big spike in electricity costs hits, they will still be able to afford to cool their houses.

This change in the industry has not been drastic or universal, but it is definitely a trend that has people interested. It seems like some of the central air heating and cooling shops are getting nervous and offering lower rates than ever so.  If you want to set up your house, this is a better time than ever to do it. Still, you might want to rethink your priorities too. The world is changing quickly.

There are many things that bring my mother peace and some a of these things are her hummingbird feeders. She has a few of them hanging in various places in her yard, and she can spend quite a bit of time watching the hummingbirds coming in for a quick drink. There are only a couple different hummingbirds in her area, and she and my grandfather often joke that they are fighting over the same birds. They are quite fun to watch and I have even been able to take pictures of them while they were feeding.

My grandfather has his hummingbird feeders hanging near his plants, and he and my grandmother often sit and watch them out the big picture window they have. My mom does not have this luxury, so she has put one of her hummingbird feeders right next to her kitchen window. This is the best place because she spends a lot of her time in her kitchen. She can see them when they fly up for a drink and she can then watch them without spooking them. I’m not sure if they can see her or not, but she can walk right up to the window and they don’t budge. They didn’t spook when I took photos either.

The funniest part about the hummingbird feeders has to do with one of my mom’s cats. She has a large, orange cat named Otis who you might confuse with Garfield. He is a huge loveable guy, but still has his natural hunting instincts. Otis sits on her sink and watches the hummingbird feeder for hours on end. He has his ears back most of the time and his tail is twitching. The funny part is that even though he is right there through the glass, the hummingbirds come anyway and they don’t seem to think a thing of him. Perhaps they are not even aware that he is there.

If you want to have bird feeders in your yard, but you aren’t sure what you want, you might want to consider having hummingbird feeders instead. They are different from other feeders because they fill up with a sweet liquid rather than bird seed. Hummingbirds usually swoop in, take a quick drink and then fly off, but I have seen some hover around the feeders for quite a long time. We don’t know where they nest or where they go when they fly away, but we can always count on seeing them almost every day.

Lightning can be a source of wonder and fear among any group of individuals. Once shrouded in mystery, the magnificent displays of nature’s power have been the center of awe and amazement for many, especially for those of us interested in the phenomenon of ball lightning. The major difference between traditional lightning and the latter is it’s form. The former moves quickly from one point in space to another, while the latter forms a sphere that hangs in the air for a relatively prolonged period of time.

The lighted orbs have been the subject of interest for storm enthusiasts and scientists alike. Nicola Tesla tried to explain ball lightning in 1904 and others have followed suit. The phenomenon remains an enigma among the scientific as well as the regular population. Some scientists believe that lightning can be reproduced in a lab, while others contend that it can not, simply by it’s nature. Fundamental differences like this could attribute to the confusion about the occurrence.

Part of the mystery lies in the rare incidence of ball lightning. Very few people have witnessed it and the ones who have seem to have very different experiences. Eye witness accounts vary greatly from report to report, making the strange occurrence puzzling to those who try to research the subject. Most encounters happen during thunderstorms. Many eye witness accounts claim that they have seen ball lightning without the presence of storms. Some describe ball lighting as oval in shape, showing three dimensions, while others maintain that it is circular in shape. It has also been described by some as being transparent while others argue that it appears solid in form.

Color is another object of debate when it comes to the lightning. It has been described as red by some and yellow by others, both of which are vastly different from the other. The orbs are also said to carry a fire or spark in some cases. The sparks carry a white to blue hue normally associated with traditional lightning that we commonly see.

Another thing that baffles sky watchers about the phenomenon is how the occurrence ends. Some assert that the orbs explode in the air. Others argue that it is absorbed into the ground or other element. Still others maintain that ball lightning simply vanishes into the sky. The only consistent contention is that ball lightning hovers for an extended period of time.

Shopping malls, drugstores and boutiques always seem to have the latest and greatest perfumes prominently displayed in or near their cosmetics sections or counters. And chances are, customers will be bombarded with a medley of conflicting scents and aromas. While this might be appealing to some, there are many people who are allergic to most perfumes and who tend to have an adverse reaction when exposed to them.

My sister and I are both very allergic to most perfumes and colognes. Our adverse reactions range from mild irritation in the throat to raging headaches and feelings of extreme nausea. We’ve noticed that in many public areas and places of work, signs are posted indicating that these are scent-free zones. These policies are difficult to enforce. Just ask anyone who suffers from adverse reactions to perfumes and colognes.

It’s really strange. With scented oils from natural sources, my sister and I seem to be okay. Products from the Body Shop seem to be okay, other than the scent of dewberry which seems to heavily perfumes. But any of the natural scents like satsuma, vanilla, mango or strawberry, seem to cause no adverse reaction in either of us.

The worst scents of all are the cheaper perfumes, especially those seemingly favored by older ladies. These heavily scented perfumes completely choke us up and render us virtually breathless and not in a good way. What causes these reactions is really a mystery. We figure it must be the chemical components found in less expensive perfumes, since the more naturally sources scents are much more agreeable.

There’s really not a lot we can do about this allergic reaction. People in society can’t be expected to give up their signature scents for the sake of the few allergy sufferers. At the same time, those who manufacture these scents could switch to more natural sources. This of course would cost them extra money though.  So it’s highly unlikely that they would give up their more economical man made scents for the sake of the few who suffer because of these chemical components.

All we can do is avoid purchasing scents and colognes that we haven’t tested first. We can avoid heavily perfumed laundry detergents and hair products and opt for more naturally sourced perfumes and scents in the hopes to keep our adverse allergic reactions to a minimum.  I definitely feel bad for people whose reactions are not limited to minor inconvenience and who can actually stop breathing if exposed to their allergic triggers. Thankfully, much research and development has been done in the creation of anti-histamines to control allergic reactions, so the problem is manageable at the very least.

Many people take gardening very seriously. Though I am not one of those people, I do have a genuine appreciation for a beautifully landscaped yard. One of the most attractive designs I have seen in today’s gardening designs is the waterfall feature that many avid gardeners add to their landscapes.

Part of what makes the waterfall feature so appealing is the tranquil sounds that emanate from the scene. I have the urge to lie back and close my eyes and just listen to the soft sounds of the water as it cascades through the fountain. It is one of the most relaxing sounds on earth and I could spend a whole afternoon unwinding to the natural music. I am even thinking about making a recording of the sound to play when I need to relax.

The beautiful sounds that are produced by the water appeals to one’s senses, but the sense of sight is necessary for the entire scene to be truly appreciated. The waterfall feature can create a magnificent scene for anyone’s garden. The movement of the water creates a visual flow that extends the beauty of the plants and flowers gracing the garden. A waterfall feature pulls everything together, immersing the viewer in magical sights and sounds.

Some may choose to install a pond in their garden, but this does not have the same effect as the waterfall feature. The stagnant water in the pond clouds quickly and the scene becomes entangled with insects and algae. Even though insects and algae are natural, they are not always welcome in gardens, especially if some of the visitors tend to get bitten frequently.

This is not to suggest that ponds should be banned from all gardens. Simply adding a waterfall feature to a pond will keep the water from becoming stagnant and it will keep the unwanted visitors like insects and algae from congregating there. The waterfall feature helps to keep the pond clear by filtering the water through pumps which can be turned on and off.

One word of caution when it comes to water gardens, make sure to keep small children a safe distance away from the attractive scene. My sister’s magnificent waterfall feature in her backyard is a magnet for a toddler. My niece and my daughter are drawn to the cascading water and the beautiful flowers surrounding the garden.

Adding a nice fence around the garden is a good idea for parents who have small children. This added detail is one that will increase the garden’s beauty while giving parents the peace of mind in knowing that everyone can enjoy the waterfall feature from a safe distance.

When you think of pest control, you are probably imagining hunting down that annoying housefly and swatting it with the nearest available weapon.  Actually, pest control refers to a whole lot more.  The sign that shows a dead cockroach on that truck you see with all the sprayers is not telling the full truth.  This industry is about pest control or management not eradication.  The idea behind pest control is to keep the numbers of the little critters to a comfortable few.  If that is not possible, the job is to at least to keep them away from us.

The current structure of pest control is much more complex when taken with the modern idea of manageable numbers or distribution management.  And it is not about coming up with a stronger pesticide or finding a way to apply it directly to their home base.  Managing the numbers is still a throw back to pest elimination through whatever means necessary, but now much more emphasis is put on eliminating them without eliminating us.  This is accomplished through such exotic methods as implementing bug ‘birth control’ and getting bigger, friendlier creepy crawlies to take out the less desirables.  There is also the idea that you are somehow to blame and we should not take it out on our fellow planetary inhabitants.  Take ants for instance.  We all know there are always going to be more of them than there are of us.

Taking them down one at a time with a hammer as they crawl across the floor heading towards your food supply is not going to work.  So, we need to employ professional pest managers.  These people no longer come out smelling like vile chemicals, but with something resembling organizational charts.  You cannot eliminate the ants.  You need to keep them out of your house.  If you cannot do that, steer them away from the kitchen.  If they breach that line of defense, protect the cookie jar at all costs.  If all else fails, consider changing from chocolate chip to a recipe that is less attractive to ants.

They call this “redefining and redesigning management systems that meet the demands of preventative management”.  Now that is real 21st century pest control.  But if you have ever had the local ant colony seeking a drier place to set up shop when three days of rain has turned their outside environment soggy, you know this kind of management might not be successful.  Your kitchen cabinets are fortresses that can always be breeched.  The experts are not going to desert you.  They will lead you through the design and management of systems that meet real needs.

This approach requires clarification of priorities, values, resource conservation and increased production.  In other words, if you can’t beat them, join them.  How bad can a cookie taste with a couple of ants anyway?  Besides, whacking a poor defenseless any with a hammer is barbarian.  Some us using prefer the ‘big toe’.

Honda is a great car company. There cars are as known for their reliability as Plymouths are for their terrible transmissions. Now there is a Honda for the environmentally conscious or just fuel thrifty, one that will save you money on gas even if it costs a little bit more to purchase. This car is the 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid.

This almost brand new 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid already has a good record. It was in 2005, voted the best car of the year by car and driver and that was far from the only award it received. A 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid is a new type of car developed only in the past couple years. How it works is that it has a small internal combustion gas engine in the front, smaller than other cars. This engine builds up electricity to power electric motors. These motors can accelerate the car more efficiently than can a normal car powered by only a gas engine. This is because normally to accelerate it takes a lot of gas but on a 2006 Honda Hybrid, the gas engine doesn’t have to run the hard when accelerating. The electric motors power the car off the energy already stored up by the engine when braking or at idle and as a result substantially less gas is used.

Some 2006 Honda Civic Hybrids can get as much as 40 or 50 miles per gallon, or even more. This is more than twice the mileage of many cars on the roads today! And with the rising prices of gasoline, although you have to pay a pretty penny or two for a new Honda hybrid, it quickly saves you so much money.

For someone like me, this is the ideal car. As a traveling salesman, I can easily rack up hundreds of miles a week on my car and sometimes more.  Traveling between California and Oregon, I have to drive through mountains which, for a normal car does just awful things for your mileage. But on my 2006 Honda Hybrid, it’s nothing. The electric engines handle the acceleration and deceleration with a barely noticeable increase in mileage. What they have to expend on the uphill, they easily make up on the downhill part of the trip.

I love my 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid car. It’s much better than the gas guzzle I used to have. It was a 1973 Cadillac which, I know, is a much more stylish car, but you reach a point in your life where style isn’t the only important thing. Now, I’m trying to save some money and this 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid performs so much better on the road besides.

Say all you want about the value of natural herbal remedies, in my case they have done nothing. I have a doctor who is completely fascinated by herbal medicine. When I came complaining of chronic stress and severe anxiety attacks, he pointed me towards some natural remedies for anxiety.  He started me off on some herbal pills, gave me meditations to do, and prescribed diet, exercise, and a good nights sleep.

Needless to say, none of it worked. Natural remedies for anxiety might be alright on paper, but in practice a lot of us need stronger stuff. I could not get the anxiety under control. I tried doing meditation for anxiety, but it only made things worse. Every second that I would have to sit still, trying to concentrate on my inner light, I would instead incessantly worry about all of the things troubling me.   I would stress out about my job, my family life and the fact that I was growing older. The natural remedies for anxiety seemed to only make things worse in the long run. They weren’t any help at all.

Even the herbal natural remedies for anxiety did not do very well. A common natural remedy for anxiety is Kava Kava. I started taking this and it worked, but I would have to take about three times the recommended dose. My doctor said that this was bad for me, and that in the long run it would make the anxiety worse. Nonetheless, I didn’t know what to do. All of the natural remedies for anxiety, you see, were so weak that they would only work in huge doses.

By the time he actually gave me some Xanax, which really helps, I had tried basically every natural remedy for anxiety that there was. I had tried apple cider vinegar remedies, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, natural herbal remedies, meditation, yoga – you name it and I tried it. May be the natural remedies for anxiety work for some people, but they sure don’t work for me. Once I get some Xanax, antidepressants and psychiatric help, I was back in business again. I have always said that if God wanted us to use natural remedies for anxiety, he would not have invented medical tranquilizers. It looks like my experience has definitely proven me right. I think my doctor has learned his lesson, but next time I see him I’m going to make sure. No natural remedies is my rule from now on!