I found something that I think is compl;etely inspirational that I would like to share with you. I am not a religeous type but it is nevertheless a prayer and it goes like this: "I invoke the grace of Reverence so that I might be one with all life and that my life might serve the whole. I ask that this grace alert me to all that I do that keeps me seperated from my vital life force, so that I might make wiser choices. I ask that this grace alert me to when I am compromising my intuitive guidence because I don't like what I am hearing. I ask for the courage to hear what I must hear and to act on the guidence given to me"

Solving the Energy Crisis with the SUN

WASHINGTON — The sun's abundant energy, if harvested in space, could provide a cost-effective way to meet global power needs in as little as 30 years with seed money from governments, according to a study by an international scientific group.

Orbiting power plants capable of collecting solar energy and beaming it to Earth appear "technically feasible" within a decade or two based on technologies now in the laboratory, a study group of the Paris-headquartered International Academy of Astronautics said.
Such a project may be able to achieve economic viability in 30 years or less, it said, without laying out a road map or proposing a specific architecture.
Related story: How serious is space solar power?
"It is clear that solar power delivered from space could play a tremendously important role in meeting the global need for energy during the 21st century," according to the study led by John Mankins, a 25-year NASA veteran and the U.S. space agency's former head of concepts.
The academy is headed by Madhavan Nair, former chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization. The study was billed as the first broadly based international assessment of potential paths to collecting solar energy in space and delivering it to markets on Earth via wireless power transmission.
The study said government pump-priming likely would be needed to get the concept, known as space solar power, to market. Private-sector funding is unlikely to proceed alone because of the "economic uncertainties" of the development and demonstration phases and the time lags, the study said.

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Both governments and the private sector should fund research to pin down the economic viability of the concept, the study said, amid concerns about humankind's continuing reliance on finite fossil fuels that contribute to global pollution.
The study did not estimate a potential overall price tag for completing the project.
Space solar power is a potential long-term energy solution for Earth with "essentially zero" terrestrial environmental impact, according to the National Space Society, an advocacy group set to hold a news conference in Washington on Monday to publicize the academy's 248-page final report.
A copy of the study was obtained by Reuters ahead of its release.
Turn sunlight into electricity
The idea is to put first one, then a few, and later scores of solar-powered satellites in geosynchronous orbit over the equator. Each as wide as several kilometers across (one kilometer equals 0.6 miles), the spacecraft would collect sunlight up to 24 hours a day, compared with half that, at most, for surface panels now used to turn sunlight into electricity.
The power would be converted to electricity on-board and sent to wherever it is needed on Earth by a large microwave-transmitting antenna or by lasers, then fed into a power grid.
Skeptics deem the concept a nonstarter, at least until the cost of putting a commercial power plant into orbit drops by a factor of 10 or more. Other hurdles include space debris, a lack of focused market studies and high development costs.
The study, conducted from 2008 to 2010 then subjected to peer review, found that the commercial case had substantially improved during the past decade, partly as a result of government incentives for nonpolluting "green" energy systems.
A pilot project to demonstrate the technology even as big as the 400-tonne International Space Station could go ahead using low-cost expendable launch vehicles being developed for other space markets, Mankins said in a telephone interview.
A moderate-scale demonstration would cost tens of billions of dollars less than previously projected as a result of not needing costly, reusable launch vehicles early on, said Mankins, president of Artemis Innovation Management Solutions LLC, a California consultancy.
"This was a really important finding," Mankins said, referring to a relatively modestly priced pilot project.
'It's a start'
His company has been awarded a NASA contract of a little less than $100,000 to pursue space-based solar power options — small "but at least it's a start," Mankins said.

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Ultimately, tens of billions of dollars would be needed to develop and deploy a sufficiently low-cost fleet of reusable, earth-to-orbit vehicles to launch full-scale commercial solar power satellites, the study group estimated.
The group said the necessary research and development work should be undertaken by countries and organizations in concert, including space agencies, companies, universities and nongovernmental organizations.
International interest in the concept has grown during the past decade, spurred in part by fears that in coming decades global production of petroleum and possibly other fossil fuels will peak and start to decline.
Adding to a quest for new energy sources are projected jumps in worldwide per capita demand for energy to fuel economic development and concern over the accumulation in Earth's atmosphere of fossil fuel-derived greenhouse gases.
The idea of harnessing solar power in space has been studied off and on for 40 years, including by the U.S. Energy Department and NASA.
U.S. and Indian business, policy and national security analysts in September called for a joint U.S.-Indian feasibility study on a cooperative program to develop space-based solar power with a goal of fielding a commercially viable capability within two decades.
The study group, co-sponsored by the Council on Foreign Relations think tank and Aspen Institute India, included former U.S. Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair and Naresh Chandra, a former Indian ambassador to the United States.
Colonel Michael Smith, the U.S. Air Force's chief futurist as director of the Center for Strategy and Technology at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama, said the idea has the potential to send safe, clean electrical energy worldwide "if we can make it work."
"Isn't that what government and industry should be working to do?" he said in a telephone interview.
Jeff Peacock, who heads satellite-builder Boeing Co's ground-based solar cell product line, said in theory it could double the amount of solar power collected, compared with the Earth-bound technology equivalent.

Easy Ways to Live Greener

An eco-friendly lifestyle doesn't need to be difficult or expensive. Try these tips and tricks (plus over 65 more) from throughout Good Housekeeping's 125 years to create a home that'll make you — and the earth — proud.

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Green Around the Clock

This April 22 marks the 40th anniversary of the first Earth Day, started to boost awareness about the environment — and to ensure that pro-planet types would no longer be ignored by legislators. But you don't have to be lobbying Congress to make a difference. Do your part by practicing these six habits each day
In the Morning

• Brew "certified" coffee. A USDA Certified Organic label means it was grown using sustainable standards.
• Green "to go." Not brewing at home? Take a travel cup to your favorite java joint; they may fill it at a discount.

At Work

• Double up. Configure your office printer or copy machine so it prints on both sides of the page.
• Put it to sleep. If you'll be away from your computer for more than 20 minutes, change it to "sleep" mode.

Running Errands

• BYOB. Bags, that is. It's good for your wallet, too: Some retailers, such as CVS, now pay you for every disposable bag you don't take ($1 on a special CVS card for every four trips on which you BYO).

Before Bed

• Truly turn off electronics. Plug your devices — the TV and DVD player, or the computer and printer — into a UL-certified power strip; switch the whole group off for the evening to prevent phantom electrical draw.

Start 'Em Young

• Game off? Yep, get the kids to turn off video games (both the TV and the console) after they're done playing, and you'll win back about $100 per year.
• Pitch in. Live in one of the 11 states with bottle bills? Have your kids collect aluminum cans and plastic bottles to redeem for cash to spend on a treat.
• Don't tap out. Teach children to turn off the water while brushing their teeth. Leaving the tap running during the recommended two minutes of brushing can waste up to five gallons of water a day.
• Book it. Dr. Seuss's 1971 book, The Lorax, stars a creature who "speaks for the trees" against those who'd cut them down. Talk about the message with your tykes (book and matching plush doll, $5 each, Kohl's).

Green My Ride

In January 1994, GH lamented that American cars were only required to average 27.5 miles per gallon, noting, "If the U.S. required American automakers to produce cars averaging 45 miles per gallon of gas (the Honda Civic VX already averages 55 mpg)... the country would save 3.1 million barrels of oil a day." So how are we doing? U.S. cars are required to average 35.5 miles per gallon — by 2016. In the meantime, use these three tricks to up your mpg.

1. Slow down. Driving 10 mph above 60 is like adding nearly 50 cents to the price of a gallon of gas, since higher speed equals more guzzling.
2. Get pumped. Once a month, check the pressure of each of the tires against the guidelines listed in your car's manual; add air if needed. Doing this can improve mileage by about 3 percent.
3. Air out. Replace filters regularly. A new oxygen sensor alone can improve mileage by as much as 15 percent.

Read more: Go Green Tips - Ways to Go Green - Good Housekeeping

The Difference between Fitness and Strength

January 28, 2012 · Published in Fitness and Strength by swilling ·
There is a very big difference between fitness and strength and therefore a very big difference between training for those. It is, however, possible to train in such a way that you achieve both objectives. For example, sports training from football (American) to boxing the combination of achieving both strength as well as fitness from your training can be a big advantage in making you more successful at your sport.
The two are mutually exclusive from each other, though, as fitness has a very specific objective in that it allows your cardiovascular system to cope with more stress to your body from an endurance point of view and not strength. In Sports medicine there is a specific measurement called the VO2 Max which measures the maximum amount of oxygen that your lungs can use when you are training and it is a good indication of your fitness level for any aerobic activity. Aerobic activity too could be anything from walking to skipping or rowing a boat and therefore is usually sports specific. Research has shown that although there is an overlap between these specific aerobic activities there is very little overlap with sports activities.
What that means is that if you are a very fit cyclist who can cycle 100 miles without getting your heart-rate up more that fifty percent of its maximum, that does not mean that you will be able to run a 100 miles with the same result and you would have to train very specifically in order to achieve that kind of fitness. Which is what makes triathlons such a challenging sport as being strong and fit in one discipline does not make it any easier to be strong and fit in the next. It will need as much dedication and practice to achieve that kind of fitness in the one discipline as it took for you to achieve in the next.
However, the same is not true for strength training as there is more “carry-over” from strength training as there is from specific aerobic training. What that means is that if you train at the gym to be strong you will generally increase your explosive strength as the larger a muscle is the more quickly it can contract, which means that your ability to explode or quickly respond is going to be directly proportional to the amount of muscle you are carrying on your body. Obviously this kind of equation does not take into account any body-fat that you may or may not have and is worked out very simply from the amount of neuromuscular pathways that you have created to a specific muscle-group by training.
However there are some exercises that will increase your strength without working a specific muscle group, but rather will be working many muscle-groups at the same time. For example Squats and Dead-lift which will be working mainly the back and legs will have an overall affect on your body as it will no doubt have an enormous affect on the strength of your abdominal cavity and therefore your explosive strength.
The following is a brief list of the kind of exercises that will improve your overall aerobic capacity as well as a list of exercises that will increase your strength or your explosive ability or your ability to respond with speed. Obviously the amount of sets and repeats that you select when doing these exercises will depend completely on what your objective is when training, which is without a doubt the most important point when starting any exercise program.
• aerobic capacity
• strength training
• skipping
• dead-lift
• running
• bench-press
• cycling
• military press

10 Ways to Go Green and Save Green

How can we live lightly on the Earth and save money at the same time? Staff members at the Worldwatch Institute, a global environmental organization, share ideas on how to GO GREEN and SAVE GREEN at home and at work. To learn more about Worldwatch's efforts to create am environmentally sustainable society that meets human needs, sign up here for weekly e-mail updates.
Climate change is in the news. It seems like everyone's "going green." We're glad you want to take action, too. Luckily, many of the steps we can take to stop climate change can make our lives better. Our grandchildren-and their children-will thank us for living more sustainably. Let's start now.
We've partnered with the Million Car Carbon Campaign to help you find ways to save energy and reduce your carbon footprint. This campaign is uniting conscious consumers around the world to prevent the emissions-equivalent of 1 million cars from entering the atmosphere each year.
Keep reading for 10 simple things you can do today to help reduce your environmental impact, save money, and live a happier, healthier life. For more advice, purchase State of the World 2010 - Transforming Cultures: From Consumerism to Sustainability, a report from 60 renowned researchers and practitioners on how to reorient cultures toward sustainability.

1. Save energy to save money.
   
   
   Purchase State of the World 2010:
   Transforming Cultures to learn more
   about the shift from consumerism
   to sustainability
   • Set your thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter and a few degrees higher in the summer to save on heating and cooling costs.
   • Install compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) when your older incandescent bulbs burn out.
   • Unplug appliances when you're not using them. Or, use a "smart" power strip that senses when appliances are off and cuts "phantom" or "vampire" energy use.
   • Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible. As much as 85 percent of the energy used to machine-wash clothes goes to heating the water.
   • Use a drying rack or clothesline to save the energy otherwise used during machine drying.
2. Save water to save money.
   
   • Take shorter showers to reduce water use. This will lower your water and heating bills too.
   • Install a low-flow showerhead. They don't cost much, and the water and energy savings can quickly pay back your investment.
   • Make sure you have a faucet aerator on each faucet. These inexpensive appliances conserve heat and water, while keeping water pressure high.
   • Plant drought-tolerant native plants in your garden. Many plants need minimal watering. Find out which occur naturally in your area.
3. Less gas = more money (and better health!).
   
   
   Purchase State of the World 2009:
   Into a Warming World to learn more
   about overcomig global climate change
   • Walk or bike to work. This saves on gas and parking costs while improving your cardiovascular health and reducing your risk of obesity.
   • Consider telecommuting if you live far from your work. Or move closer. Even if this means paying more rent, it could save you money in the long term.
   • Lobby your local government to increase spending on sidewalks and bike lanes. With little cost, these improvements can pay huge dividends in bettering your health and reducing traffic.
4. Eat smart.
   
   • If you eat meat, add one meatless meal a week. Meat costs a lot at the store-and it's even more expensive when you consider the related environmental and health costs.
   • Buy locally raised, humane, and organic meat, eggs, and dairy whenever you can. Purchasing from local farmers keeps money in the local economy.
   • Watch videos about why local food and sustainable seafood are so great.
   • Whatever your diet, eat low on the food chain [pdf]. This is especially true for seafood.
5. Skip the bottled water.
   
   
   Purchase State of the World 2011:
   Innovations that Nourish the Planet
   to learn more about eating sustainably.
   • Use a water filter to purify tap water instead of buying bottled water. Not only is bottled water expensive, but it generates large amounts of container waste.
   • Bring a reusable water bottle, preferably aluminum rather than plastic, with you when traveling or at work.
   • Check out this short article for the latest on bottled water trends.
6. Think before you buy.
   
   
    
   • Go online to find new or gently used secondhand products. Whether you've just moved or are looking to redecorate, consider a service like craigslist or FreeSharing to track down furniture, appliances, and other items cheaply or for free.
   • Check out garage sales, thrift stores, and consignment shops for clothing and other everyday items.
   • When making purchases, make sure you know what's "Good Stuff" and what isn't.
   • Watch a video about what happens when you buy things. Your purchases have a real impact, for better or worse.
7. Borrow instead of buying.
   
   • Borrow from libraries instead of buying personal books and movies. This saves money, not to mention the ink and paper that goes into printing new books.
   • Share power tools and other appliances. Get to know your neighbors while cutting down on the number of things cluttering your closet or garage.
8. Buy smart.
   
   
   Great for classrooms:
   Climate Change
   Reference Guide
   • Buy in bulk. Purchasing food from bulk bins can save money and packaging.
   • Wear clothes that don't need to be dry-cleaned. This saves money and cuts down on toxic chemical use.
   • Invest in high-quality, long-lasting products. You might pay more now, but you'll be happy when you don't have to replace items as frequently (and this means less waste!).
9. Keep electronics out of the trash.
   
   • Keep your cell phones, computers, and other electronics as long as possible.
   • Donate or recycle them responsibly when the time comes. E-waste contains mercury and other toxics and is a growing environmental problem.
   • Recycle your cell phone.
   • Ask your local government to set up an electronics recycling and hazardous waste collection event.
10. Make your own cleaning supplies.
    
    Join the Million Car Carbon Campaign by purchasing your Earth-Aid kit today.
    • The big secret: you can make very effective, non-toxic cleaning products whenever you need them. All you need are a few simple ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, lemon, and soap.
    • Making your own cleaning products saves money, time, and packaging-not to mention your indoor air quality.
11. Bonus Item!
    
    • Stay informed about going green. Sign up for our weekly newsletter or subscribe to World Watch, our award-winning magazine.
    • Want more? Check out Going Green: 12 Simple Steps for 2012.  

Thanks to members of SustainUS, the U.S. youth network for sustainable development, for contributing their ideas on how to go green and save green at home and at work.

You may also be interested in: 

State of the World 2012: Moving Toward Sustainable Prosperity

Worldwatch Report #186: Creating Sustainable Prosperity in the United States

Vital Signs 2012:  The Trends that are Shaping our Future