The Majestic Siberian Tiger

The largest cat in the world is the Siberian tiger, also called Amur tiger due to the region in Russian Far East where it is found, the Amur-Ussuri region. As it happens with several animals, the Siberian tiger is included in the list of endangered species. In the 40's, this beautiful animal was in the brink of extinction: less than 50 tigers remained in the Boreal forests.

Many scientists say the current population, which is about 350 to 400 animals in the wild, is holding stable. But still, it is a small group that could be wiped out in a relatively small period of time if not protected. In relation to other subspecies of tigers, the Siberian tiger has an advantage: since the climate is quite harsh, there is a small human density, and, therefore, less human influence. In the past, there were 8 subspecies of tigers, but 3 became extinct in the 20th century. They were the Caspian, the Javanese, and the Balinese subspecies. The five others that still hold on are the Siberian, Bengal, Sumatran, Indochinese, and South China tigers. All of them are endangered, but the situation of the Siberian tiger is worse.

The natural habitat of these tigers is not actually Siberia, but the Russian Far East. There are small populations in North China and North Korea. They need a lot of space to roam and are solitary creatures. Their main preys are elks, wild boars, and deer. The Siberian tiger has great night vision, and its life expectancy is 10 to 15 years in the wild. Its natural habitat is the Boreal forest, also called taiga.

Taiga is a biome characterized by coniferous forests, which consist mainly of evergreen species such as larch, spruce, fir, and pine. It covers a great portion of Russia, especially Siberia. This biome has also got broad-leaf deciduous trees such as birch, willow, aspen, etc. Its fauna includes bears, lynxes, owls, eagles, small rodents, deer, wild pig, a considerable number of birds, among others. In the Russian Far East, we can also find a myriad of beautiful waterfalls. Because of spurs of the Manchurian Mountain Range stretching from China into Russia, there are many amazing waterfall formations. In the region of Primorye, we can find the enchanting Bolshoi Amginsky Waterfall, which in the winter is transformed into a gigantic icicle. Many crystal clear waterfalls are formed in the mountains of Primorye.

It is in this idyllic place that lives the Siberian tiger. And although regional logging is extensive, it does not represent a big threat right now because selective cutting is norm instead of clear cutting. Currently, a more serious problem is poaching, which is the Siberian tiger's most common cause of death. Numbers show we have a reason to be optimistic about the recuperation of the Siberian tiger's population, but let's not be too optimistic and forget that, even though it has increased in numbers, it still is a small population.

Benefits Of The Dyson Vacuum

There are many benefits to the Dyson vacuum cleaner. Unfortunately, it took a long time for people to realize these benefits. This came from the fact that Dyson was originally created by a small company, and most people were suspicious of it. Now, however, it has a very strong following, because the benefits of it have been realized. In the beginning, the creator of the Dyson vacuum was simply tired of the fact that the vacuum cleaners that he was using from other companies did not have the suction that he wanted. They started out strong, but they lost suction once the bag started to fill up. This rendered them ineffective to some degree, and made them work harder to do less. This was a common problem for all vacuum brands, as they all shared the same design.

Because of the inherent problems with other vacuums and one man�s feeling that things should not be that way, the Dyson brand was created. The Dyson vacuum never loses suction due to its patented cyclonic action. In addition, it is bagless, so there are no bags to purchase and replace. Having a simple reservoir to empty and not needing to worry about whether the vacuum will have power or suction problems makes the brand much more popular with people who have fast paced lives and do not want to spend a lot of time on their vacuuming. These people were among the first to give Dyson a try, and they remain committed to that particular brand of vacuum because they have found that it works well for them. There are many diehard Dyson fans, and the popularity of the brand is still continuing to grow.

Naturally, not everyone who buys a Dyson vacuum will love it. Everyone is different, with specific needs that may or may not be met by a particular cleaning device. In other words, a person or a company cannot please everyone all the time, no matter what is done to try to facilitate this. Since this is the case, an individual who buys this brand of cleaner usually makes that purchase because he or she has researched the brand. Sometimes, it has come as a recommendation from someone else who has already bought a Dyson cleaner. If this is the case, the person considering buying can sometimes even try it out through a friend or family member before a decision is final.

A person who locates a Dyson vacuum cleaner and decides to buy it will usually know about the brand, and will make his or her purchase carefully. Since this is not the least expensive brand on the market, most people who are committed to buying one will be sure that they know what they want. They are actively involved in the choices that they make for their cleaning equipment and for the health and well being of their families. Much of this will help them to choose not only the vacuum brand that works the best but the one, like Dyson, which has added filtration and can keep the air in the home cleaner and more breathable

Why Use Solar Power

Perhaps you are happy with the status quo of today. Perhaps you feel all is fine and you don't feel the need to change a system that's worked for over a century. If you do, consider a few of these benefits to solar power and you may just recognize its potential in a somewhat more responsible, yet selfish, light.

I don't care about the environment?

Perhaps everything in the world is fine with your life. The last thing you care about are trees, fresh air and clean water. Heck, the water shows up every time you turn on a faucet, the heat comes on when it's cold, the light switch brings you light. What's there to worry about? Consider that this is just the problem. If you don’t care for the environment, the faucet may not bring you clean water, the heat may not go on and the car certainly will not start. If the environment is kept clean and left to do what it was intended to do, everything will continue to work fine. But get in its way and everything you thought was fine won’t be for long.

One way to accomplish the goal of keeping all the comforts of home working properly is by using other sources of power generation like the sun, not generating nasty things that get in the way of the environment doing its job. Current sources of power come from dead things like old forests gone millennium ago. Environmentally responsible power, heat and transport come from living or energized things like water and oxygen molecules. Sun can be turned into electricity and used to power your car, heat your home and generate your light. But to make the process work, you need to be able to see the sun, which means caring for the environment and not getting in its way.

Cost savings

One of the best things about caring for the suns ability to do its job is that it saves you money in the long run. Once solar systems are purchased and installed, they cost little if anything to operate. In most instances, the government will even help to pay for the upfront costs of installing the system through tax incentives. Additionally, power companies in most regions are required to pay you for energy that you have generated and not used. Yes, you read correctly, the power company will pay you!

Profitable

In most instances, 70% of the northern hemisphere can generate enough solar power to run and heat their homes with existing solar systems. This means that whatever is left over goes back to the power grid if you so choose. Just think of your power meter running backwards. The extra power you need for that cloudy day is stored in ever more efficient batteries. Most current users indicate that the use of solar systems only takes a little thought in power management.

Off the grid

Depending upon how you feel about the topic, one of the better reasons to use solar power is that you can take yourself off the "grid" so to speak. Many people don’t enjoy being a part of the social collective that is interconnectivity. Going solar takes you away from this one aspect of community and puts you closer to self reliance.

Versatile

Even though the solar power generation systems of today have come a long way to providing power, heat and a host of other services there is a long way to go. This is not to indicate, however, that solar power is not currently versatile in form and function. Solar panels can currently be formed into thin sheets to for car top electric powered cars. They can cover suburban rooftops and not be noticed, unlike those 1970’s units. Costs are also coming down almost as fast as the flat screen TV’s of today. Flat screens that solar power can power up through the use of a process called photovoltaic’s.

Personal responsibility

Past the cost savings and environmental benefits that solar power brings you should consider using it because you are part of a larger social order that will procreate. The human species has not been around for all that long and is doing its best to end its run in one way or another. If you would like to give your children ’s children a better shot at continuing the human species run on this planet solar power is one small contribution that you can make all by your little self.

Environmental Technologies and their benefits

With the globe becoming increasingly pollution-prone, all of us face the threat of a dark future devoid of the present beauties of the world. Globally, there is an alarming increase in environmental pollution. Considering the depletion of useful natural resources and the pollution of the environment, the predictions about the end of the Earth no more seem to be wild fantasies. In such a bleak scenario, only environment-friendly technologies can save us from environmental disasters.

Global Warming!!! Global Warming!!! Global Warming!!! Global Warming!!! Global Warming is one of the most adverse threats the Earth is facing today. It is taking its toll on the world through a whole lot of pollutants. It is high time we heed this alarming fact and take measures to battle the impending hazards.

Environmental Technologies are the only way to curb pollution and create a hazard-free environment. The main concept behind environmental technologies is to convert environmental beneficial material into value added products and services. The purpose of implementing environmental friendly technology is to minimise environmental pollution.

Some of the beneficial factors are:

1. Minimum materials as input

2. High energy conservation.

3. Least pollution.4. Minimum waste disposal.

5. Numerous valuable by-products are recovered.

Environmental Technology is the cleanest and most resource efficient technology. Corporations can gain competitive advantage using these technologies. Many companies utilise environmental technologies to produce common consumer products. Leading players like NTIC produces Polymer Energy with the help of environmental technology for economical and environmental gain. It is an alternative and effective method to recycle and dispose plastic wastes. The Polymer Energy system effectively converts plastics into crude oil with the use of catalytic pyrolysis. Every single ton of plastic waste is converted into 775 litres of crude oil.

Approximately 230 million tons of garbage is generated which is converted into Nature-Tec environmental friendly plastic. Bio-based or bio-degradable plastics are produced using environmental technology. These plastics are fully degradable and prevent the soil from getting polluted. Some of the useful applications of these plastics are carry-out bags, packaging films, trash bags. They can also be used as extrusion coat papers which are used in coated paper cups, trays and others.

NTIC is an extremely environment-friendly and eco-conscious organisation which has completely understood the concept of environmental technology. It is constantly striving to utilise environmental technology to its fullest extent and offer value-added products to consumers. NTIC stands in offering an environment-beneficial clean technology to the public.

Valentines Day gifts with the planet in mind

Here are a few distinctive gift ideas that make a positive ecological impact:

Give Organic Flowers

Conventionally grown flowers are often dangerous to the environment and the workers involved with growing them. An option to giving cut flowers is seeking out locally grown live houseplants. There are plenty of flowering varieties available, and they are beautiful, year-round gifts, which add vibrancy to homes and offices. One of the advantages to purchasing plants grown close to where you live is that you are not contributing to the resource use and greenhouse gas emissions of air shipping, which is common with imported flowers.

Give Natural perfumes and fragrances

Many perfume fragrances are synthetic and often made from toxic petrochemicals derived from crude oil. There are more earth friendly alternatives and it is easy to make your own natural perfume too.

Give cards that use recyclable paper, send e-mail cards, or make your own.- Choose a locally made card, rather than one that has been mass-produced and traveled a long way to reach you.

- Choose a card with little or no glitter

- these are easier to recycle.- Make your own card

- you might get extra points for effort.

- Go traditional and write your own love note.- Send an e-card (save the trees!).

Give Organic Wine and Spa Set

Picture this: Your loved one walks into the bathroom — and it has been transformed into a spa. A lavender-scented hot bath has been drawn. Wine and chocolates are waiting in a tray by the tub. Moreover, you are waiting to give a massage with natural oils. Sound good? This case has all the organic goodies you will need — just add candles. Only problem: You will have to clean the tub. Now, that is love.



Fair Trade chocolate is sweeter

Everybody loves chocolate. It tastes excellent; it makes you feel good; and it is hard to imagine Valentine’s Day without its sweetness. However, all is not well in the chocolate industry. Like coffee, chocolate is produced in some of the most economically disadvantaged regions of the world. Cocoa bean farmers find themselves under tremendous price pressure from buying cartels. The result is institutionalized poverty and an alarming reliance on abusive child labor. It all filters down to the candy aisle at your favorite grocery store. The solution for responsible consumers is Fair Trade cocoa and chocolate. Fair Trade certification guarantees that cocoa farmers receive a guaranteed “floor price” of at least 80 U.S. cents for non-organic cocoa, and a premium for produce meeting organic standards. This is often well above the market price, and the upcharge is passed to consumers. In return, the cocoa producers warrant a variety of progressive labor and environmental practices. It works out for everyone.



Use your imagination Romance is about spontaneity, inventiveness, and the personal touch. We have given you five specific suggestions for greening your Valentine, but there must be dozens more.

Cleaning Improves Air Quality

Air duct cleaning is the term commonly applied to the work performed by professional HVAC cleaning contractors. It’s a service that is necessary in order to provide clean air throughout commercial buildings and homes.In business environments air duct cleaning is an important way to insure the comfort of employees for better work performance. It is important to clean air ducts occasionally to insure the safety and security of employees in the work place. Especially in cases where there is a need to remove harmful fumes.Many believe air duct cleaning is as important as having clean running water. Buildings that don't have proper working air ducts tend to be very muggy and seem very damp. Air duct cleaning is one task that when performed, can help keep the indoor air safe and clean for residents to breathe.Home owners are beginning to realize air duct cleaning is an important part of home maintenance and is essential to keeping their indoor air healthy.Home owners should be aware that the air duct cleaning industry is not a federally regulated industry so it is very easy for people to get into business using substandard equipment, and inexperienced laborers and/or subcontractors. Most state and local authorities place no requirements on licensing or certifications.Air duct cleaning can prevent health issues that relate to air quality and is becoming one of the ways people with health issues work to improve their overall indoor air quality and quality of life. Many people simply feel a proper air duct cleaning is well worth it, and a part of normal household maintenance.If ducts are clogged with excessive amounts of dust and debris these pollutants are actually released into the home and of course breathed by the occupants.You should consider having the air ducts in your home cleaned if there is substantial visible mold growth inside hard surfaces. If you have insulated air ducts and the insulation gets wet or moldy it cannot be effectively cleaned and should be removed and replaced.If you do decide to have your air ducts cleaned, take the same consumer precautions you normally would in assessing the service provider's competence and reliability.

Bean Bags Not Just For Kids Anymore

Originally created by an Italian designer and first called a "Sacco", bean bag chairs became quite popular then mass-produced. They can now be found in every color under the rainbow, and in many different designs. Everything from pet beanbag beds, to leather and denim. They can even be found in fur and suede fabrics.Bean bag chairs are a popular form of furniture made of fabric and filled with small chunks of Styrofoam or PVC pellets. Bean bag chairs are the best when it comes to pricing and great seating. They’re also great choices for comfort and convenience.Although they’ve been around many, many years now they still remain one of the world’s greatest mysteries. Bean bag chairs are known to bean bag enthusiasts by many names, such as "Physics Bag" or "Oversized Sac".Among their many attributes the one that is most appealing is that they can be moved around and relocated to suit the user so easily. They are the only furniture other than plastic patio chairs that can be so easily relocated.Though bean bag chairs are the perfect alternative for kids, they’re certainly not just for kids. Bean bag chairs are great for kids’ rooms, parties, college dorms, first apartments, or just as quick and easy extra seating wherever it is necessary.They’re not all made the same but are generally very lightweight, ridiculously easy to move and perfect for the home or college dorm, whether you’re listening to music, watching TV or playing video games.There are even sports themed bean bag chairs that are just the thing for the sport lover. If you are creating a sports themed room for your child or just want to jazz up your kids’ play room, these sports bags may be just the item you need for the final touch.Kid's bean bag chairs are great for lounging in for a favorite movie, great to climb on and they form to your child so they are their very own comfy chair. Therapeutic bean bag chairs are sometimes even used by therapists in working with children who have sensory-integration problems.

The origin of Diamonds and the world locations

We know today, that the diamond is generated naturally deep inside the earth under extreme pressure at temperatures above 1,000 degrees Celsius. Such conditions only exist hundreds of kilometer deep in the interior of the earth.
Diamonds are differentiated between various types, Ia, Ib, IIa, and IIb. Although this information is important to the diamond cutter, it is of no value to the buyer. Diamond's superior optical properties and hardness has earned this mineral the highest respect in both industry and jewelry. It has a long tradition of invincibility and hence the Greek name, adamas. Today, 75-80% of the world's natural diamonds are used for industrial purposes and only 20 to 25% for gemstones. It is the chemical and physical properties of this mineral that give it the superior cutting ability for industrial use. Diamond coatings have improved on diamond's industrial applications in cutting and in aiding the performance of semiconductors. It is the optical properties of this mineral that give it the superior beauty and durability to be used as a gemstone. The rarity of this gemstone is related to the petrogenesis of the igneous rock in which the diamond is recovered. Diamond may even be found in meteorites. It is an important economic resource, responsible for developing nations and creating war. Faceting diamond, in order to maximize its optical properties, depends upon knowledge of geometry. Diamond is the perfect mineral to focus on considering its notoriety and the fact that diamond studies cross disciplines, such as mineralogy, geology, astronomy, material science, mathematics, anthropology, art, history, and economics.Diamonds, whether they are for industrial use or for jewelery such as diamond rings or necklace come from different areas around the world.They can be found in North America (mainly North Canada) and South America, but also in Eastern and South Africa, India, Russia and East Asia as well as Australia.Even though diamonds are mined at many different parts of the earth's surface, the impurities in them will be very similar. In fact it has been found that is virtually impossible to distinguish between rough diamonds from conflict zones and those mined legitimately in countries such as Botswana, the biggest rough diamond producer in the world.

Outdoor Education Camp

Outdoor education is a special program offered to kids, teens and adults in adventure camps. Outdoor education comprises of organized learning of things which takes place out of the environment. This is a special program which is considered to be important for the people, especially students because it teaches more outdoor stuffs, so that kids or teens are enabled to compete towards the competitive environment. Here all sorts of extra curricular activities will be provided in different courses as per the capacity of students participating.

More demand exists for availing the services provided by outdoor camps in essential manner required. This campaign is especially for the people and it is designed for them to meet their requirements in organized manner. All sorts of games, adventures and outdoor activities like fishing hunting, social awareness, mutual understanding between people, developing leadership skill and more are offered.

These types of programs are offered by well qualified, professional and experienced trainers who possess knowledge in the field. It enhances the students to play the challenging roles in schools, colleges and outside the campus in competent way. In outdoor education program, special classes will be conducted with accommodation, food and security. More number of institutions shows their interest in offering the service to the people around the world. The prices charged for providing the service differs accordingly as per the sort of institutions offering the program as well as the type of program provided.

Team building activities, leadership skill, awareness of science and its specialty are coached in different tracks, so that students with respective capacity can able to learn the course basically. Some of the activities coached by trainers are fishy facts, soil studies, archaeology, energy dilemma, aerodynamics, solar system and still more in science camp, while in leadership camp team building activities goal setting, ethical leadership, peer pressure, rock wall, ropes courses and development of mutual relationship between people.

Students will come to know that participation always matters and also it gains more knowledge related to indoor and outdoor activities. It will be based upon the requirement of the student and the program chosen. It will be offered in most of the seasons, but especially in summer seasons special programs will be offered by adventure outdoor schools. It develops creative knowledge of teens, kids, adults and separate classes or centers are conducted with full accommodation and food to enable students to join the program.

Holistic Assessment of the Human-Elephant Conflict

On average, 800-1000 elephants die every year around the world due to intense human-elephant conflict. Any conservation strategy that has the potential to succeed must include efforts to bridge the gap between people and the wildlife with which they share their land, and through the participation and cooperation of the rural people whose lives it will invariably affect. This is clearly illustrated by third world farmers epitomised by those living in the Luangwa Valley in Zambia who have a particularly hard time trying to grow crops in the dry season. In addition to a lack of water, they have to deal with marauding animals that are looking for food. Elephants, hippo and buffalo routinely raid crops, trampling them in the process and ruining the harvest. This has forced farmers to abandon dry season farming and resort to illegal game hunting to provide food for their families.

Electric fences and other barriers to prevent movement of elephants onto arable land are increasingly important conservation tools in Africa, as elephant populations become isolated by areas of increasing human settlement. In attempts to reduce this many different types of elephant barriers have been built over the last 30 years. Of the deterrent strategies explored, only electrical fencing reduced elephant damage at the community level to satisfactory proportions

Constant high voltages (in excess of 6000volts) in electric fences will deter most elephants but low voltage, a frequent manifestation of poor maintenance, may merely irritate a determined elephant that may then destroy a section of the fence. Because each electric fence energizer powers several kilometres of fencing, disruption of the power supply at one point inactivates a long section of fence. If power is not restored promptly the adverse conditioning associated with the barrier is lost, and long sections of the conflict boundary quickly become porous to elephants.

Illustrating this, a fences were installed in the Omay Wildlife area, Northern Zimbabwe around 3 ha irrigation blocks producing green crops at the height of the dry season. These were severely tested by Elephants throughout the growing period but none entered. At the end of the crop the fields were abandoned and maintenance ceased, consequently Elephant and other animals breached the fence and severely damaged it. In each case, the fences reduced the number of raids by wildlife, and crop production increased. Families had vegetables to eat during the dry season, and as food production became more secure there was a striking reduction in illegal game poaching. At the same time, subsistence farmers were able to spend time on other income generating activities like poultry rearing, beekeeping and carpentry.

With the increasing intensity of the conflict, the traditional methods of controlling elephant attacks may no longer be effective in most situations. Establishing a physical barrier - electric fencing - is considered as the most effective solution and during the last decade a substantial amount of money has been invested in this approach. Ad hoc decisions and improper planning which ignore the needs of stakeholders in the conflict should be avoided and all participants, human and wildlife, must be considered to achieve a holistic solution to a conflict situation. For example, in establishing the location of the fences, the elephants’ breeding behaviour and migratory pattern should be considered in addition to the requirements of the local population.

The underlying assumption of fencing around parks is that wild elephants should live in designated areas (i.e. park areas). However, given their huge food and water requirements, (approx. 150 kg per day. Elephants eat 17 hours per day) migratory behaviour, long life spans, it is inevitable that free-ranging elephants raid crop fields. This indicates that the establishment of electric fencing should be linked with a comprehensive land use planning exercise where elephant habitats (i.e. park areas) should be grouped and interconnected via elephant corridors. The habitat should then be enriched and fenced. Therefore, electric fencing should not be seen as a medium-term solution but as an integral part of a long-term holistic solution package.

Keeping Your Home Warm – Reduce the Cost to the Environment

In this day and age there are lots of environmentally friendly products and sustainable heat sources, solar power, wind power etc. Whilst we all know that these are fantastic was to help reduce the damage we are doing environmentally, not everyone wants to install solar panels or change boilers in fact any extra expense.

There is a way that everyone can help reduce the impact on the environment whilst still keeping warm. And the best part of all is that the more you do to make your home energy efficient the less your heating bills will be. Therefore helping to save the environment helps to save you money.

Small changes in your home can have a big impact. Turning down room thermostats, not leaving appliances on standby and just simply closing doors all makes a huge difference.Doors and windows can loose up to 60% of household heat. Tuck your curtains behind your radiator to make the heat stay in the room rather than straight out the window. As mentioned earlier, keep doors closed. Many doors will have a gap at the bottom, heat can pour out through the gap and drafts push into the room. If you do not have a draft excluder then rolled up towels will do just as well.

Starting from the top of the house the biggest difference can be made by insulating your loft. One of the most important things you can do to save energy in your home is to install or improve your insulation which keeps the heat inside your home.

The recommended level of insulation in the loft is 270mm and this could save you over £100 on heating costs and about one tonne of co2 (carbon dioxide). There are two traditional types of loft insulation; loose fill or fibreglass and mineral fibre on a roll.

Change to low-energy light bulbs. These are now much cheaper to purchase than they used to be and whilst they will help to save on your energy bills they will also last far longer than a conventional bulb. They are now even available for different socket types and in a range of styles. Why not replace them one by one to make the change less of an expense. Remember to turn the lights off when you leave the room.

If you have a hot water cylinder, make sure it has a cylinder jacket and that this is fitted properly. This could save over 70% of the heat lost. There really is no need to have this cylinder kept full of hot water all day – set the timer for when the hot water will be needed. Reducing the water temperature is another simple change you could make.

Insulating accessible and exposed hot water pipes will help towards keeping bills down.

Think about when you need the central heating on – set a timer accordingly.

Thermostatic radiator valves can be fitted to a radiator and these actually turn the radiator off when the room reaches a desired and preset temperature. These are fantastic for rooms that tend to overheat whilst the rest of the house is cooler.

There may be rooms in your house that do not need to he heated – turn the radiators off.

There are now many energy efficient central heating boilers available. If you do not want to replace your boiler you could clean the system. Keeping your existing heating system running efficiently will also help to save on your bills. Make sure you understand your system and treat it accordingly. If you are unsure seek professional help.

Underfloor heating is about 30% cheaper to run than traditional central heating, and whilst this may not be an option for your whole house is may be an idea for your kitchen or an added luxury in your bathroom.

If you have a chimney in your home a small door (register plate) can be fitted to close the chimney when the fire is not in use.

Making sure your home is energy efficient is not something to be taken lightly. The cost of heating our homes is spiralling. By being energy efficient is very good for the environment but it is also good for you by keeping the cost of heating you home to a minimum.