Keep the inside of refrigerators fresh and deodorized with odor-munching, mold inhibiting zeolite, a naturally occurring, highly absorbent mineral found in lava rock. Available in granules or chunks, zeolite neutralizes migrating odors and is said to curb staleness and freezer burn. And pure zeolite is rechargeable! Once it has soaked up funky odors and moisture for about a year, it can be laid out in direct sunlight for a day to dry and be ready to work again. Before long, you’ll find other homes for zeolite’s deodorizing power, such as closets, cars, and garbage cans...
Dark chocolate is chock-full of the same flavonoids that make deep-colored fruits and vegetables so rich in antioxidants. It's still a high-fat indulgence, but those flavonoids have been shown to lower blood pressure and cholesterol and protect against heart disease. Sadly, the way most cocoa beans are harvested is a human rights scandal more likely to make your heart sink and your blood pressure rise. Much of the world's cocoa comes from plantations in West Africa, particularly the Ivory Coast, where children, many under the age of ten, are forced to harvest the pesticide-laden crops...
Let’s face it, the car is among our more recyclable products; even so, human ingenuity is doing a bit more for the cause. Armando Ramirez, for instance, pondered the issue and decided to recycle auto parts into a rather fantastic (and heavy at 20 pounds) chess set, available from novica.com. The chess set turns spark plugs into bishops and gears into castles. Horses' manes are made from galvanized wire; bases from ignition parts...
Sports optics have made great strides since the 1990s, and the absolute proof is the Monarch ATB 8 x 42 binocular from Japanese optics giant Nikon. Its combination of superb optics; top-quality lens coatings; lightweight, ergonomic design; rugged construction; and affordability may make it the best binocular ever for birders looking for excellent value and top performance. The Monarch ATB 8 x 42 (that's 8x - magnification with 42 mm objective lenses) sports a lightweight, roof-prism design and weighs in at just over 21 ounces. Its field of view is 330 feet at 1,000 yards...
In greenspeak, it's called rainwater harvesting. In plainer language, it's simply a strategy for collecting rainwater so that it may be used for watering plants and other purposes. The components in a small-scale rainwater harvesting system are pretty basic. Your building needs gutters and downspouts to collect rainwater, rain barrels to store it, and some sort of screen or bypass valve to filter out leaves, twigs, and other debris. Companies like Rain Harvest Systems sell all these components...
