<?xml version="1.0"?>
<rss version="2.0"  xmlns:gf="http://www.glam.com/schemas/feedext">
  <channel>
    <title><![CDATA[Glam Media Network Blog Posts for - Healthy Planet]]></title>
    <link>http://www.glam.com/</link>
    <description><![CDATA[Current Glam Media Network Blog Entries for - Healthy Planet]]></description>
    <language>en-us</language>
    <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 22:02:38 PDT</pubDate>
    <generator>Glam Media Publishing Engine</generator>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Pan-Fried Mahi-Mahi Steaks]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/pan-fried-mahi-mahi-steaks/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[I call this pan-fried mahi-mahi dish with wild rice and sauteed spinach a &#8220;Before The 4th of July&#8221; meal. Meaning, before we binge on hotdogs, burgers, steaks, etc, I decided to cook seafood for tonight&#8217;s dinner. 
The last time I cooked mahi-mahi, I gave in to my Husband&#8217;s request of baking the fish. This time around, I decided to just pan-fry the mahi-mahi steaks. I marinated it in a simple olive oil based marinade first of course. 
Pan-Fried Mahi-Mahi (Image  Dexie Wharton)
INGREDIENTS :
2 mahi-mahi steaks
1/4 cup olive oil
juice of 1 wedge of lime
sprinkle of garlic powder
sprinkle of ginger powder
sprinkle of dried parsley
sprinkle of red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
butter for pan-frying
Combine the olive oil, garlic powder, ginger powder, lime juice, dried parsley, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Which everything together. Pour over the mahi-mahi steaks. Coat each sides of the fish. Marinate for 10-15 minutes or so. 
Melt butter in non-stick pan. Fry the fish, skin side first. About 8-10 minutes on each sides. 
Serve the fish with Uncle Ben&#8217;s Wile Rice and sauteed spinach. 
Post from: Blisstree
Pan-Fried Mahi-Mahi Steaks]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:26:50</pubDate>
      <gf:blogName><![CDATA[]]></gf:blogName>
      <gf:blogUrl></gf:blogUrl>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Independence Day Printables]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/independence-day-printables/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[While you are in the kitchen whipping up your world famous potato salad, you don&#8217;t want the kids anywhere near the pool, so you need some quick and easy projects to entertain them while you are putting the finishing touches on your family&#8217;s Independence Day meal. What about some July 4th coloring sheets or some fun worksheets? Here are some of my favorites:
Photo: SXC
Printables4Kids.com has a cute Happy Birthday USA coloring sheet and a variety of related worksheets.
DLTK-Kids.com has a whole stack of Independence Day printables, including Bingo sheets. (By the way, there were a couple of pop up ads.)
Kaboose has a variety of coloring sheets , including an American Eagle sheet that is sure to appeal to older children.
For older children, you may want to check out Kids Holiday Crafts . The 4th of July craft projects look like they&#8217;ll keep kids well entertained for a few minutes!
Post from: Blisstree
Independence Day Printables]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:21:25</pubDate>
      <gf:blogName><![CDATA[]]></gf:blogName>
      <gf:blogUrl></gf:blogUrl>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[How to be perfectly green - just like me!]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/how-to-be-perfectly-green-just-like-me/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[So, does the title above sound like a phrase from a Dr. Seuss book or what?! That&#8217;s about all it&#8217;s good for though. If you were looking to be perfectly green for real, you&#8217;ve come to the wrong place. What I&#8217;m here to tell you is that no one is perfectly green. Not the authors of the green living books you read, not the folks handing out green advice at popular green hot spots like Treehugger or Grist (although I love them both), and most certainly not me.

I mention this because every so often I&#8217;ll run into what I call an Green-Nazi. In Humboldt it happened a lot. In Portland it happens less, but it still happens. Green Nazis think they&#8217;re greener than everyone else and criticize you on lots of lame little things. You use a reusable water bottle, live in a small house, use reusable grocery bags, and make all homemade cleaners - it still isn&#8217;t enough for the Green Nazis, they&#8217;ll just whine about the fact that they found one piece of plastic in your fridge or a clothing item in your closet made from conventional cotton. If you have kids it can be even worse because the crunchier than you parents descend in and attack.
To be fair, Green Nazis types are good in a way because they do remind you of what you could be doing to be greener. But on the far bigger cons side, these folks use shame and guilt to make you feel like you should be greener, not education and support. Personally, I hate that these folks turn some people off to green living and make other green-happy people look bad. Lastly, as noted above, the Green Nazis are just plain wrong; they aren&#8217;t perfect. It&#8217;s totally impossible; well, maybe not totally, but in today&#8217;s society, being perfectly green and leaving zero footprints would be a huge feat.
If you&#8217;ve run into folks like this, or if green living is frustrating you because you&#8217;ve made mistakes, take heart and keep on trucking. To make you feel better I&#8217;ve made a list of ten anti-green things I did this week.

I left the coffee pot on overnight: This mistake surprised me because I&#8217;m normally really good about turning stuff off, and even unplugging items when not in use. When I noticed the coffee pot had been left on for about 24 hours, my first thought was HOW not eco-friendly. The second - um, I could have burned the house down (see how my priorities are screwy).
I used toxic Raid to terminate a spider and trust me I will again.
I bought non-organic apples: I HATE doing this. Apples are one of the dirty dozen but the organic apples at the store this week looked like someone ran them down with a semi, so I bought conventional.
I bought non-organic, non-fair trade coffee along with the apples. The organic was too expensive this week where I was.
I bought my son a Lunchable. One, not organic. Two, so much excess packaging it&#8217;s crazy.
I forgot to refill the water bottle in my fridge so I let the water run before filling my glass when I should have just gotten ice.
I drove to the store for just two items. Could I have lived without them - yeah probably.
I threw a toilet paper tube in the trash. I suck with toilet paper tubes.
I ran one load of wash that could have been fuller had I tried.
I bought a toxic car air freshener. Stupid because duh, I know how to make homemade and or non-toxic ones.

Do I feel guilty? Actually yeah somewhat. I usually realize when I make green mistakes and it eats at me a bit. Some mistakes bug me more than others, especially when they affect my son (like the non-organic apples). BUT I don&#8217;t let the mistakes get me too down. I&#8217;m pretty good about green living overall and more importantly I try. If you make mistakes, but try, you can&#8217;t really let yourself get too down about it, or you&#8217;ll get so frustrated that you&#8217;ll give up. Giving up is the worst green choice you can make. Small steps are better than no steps. Tell yourself that the next time you feel bad about a choice you make, avoid the Green Nazis, and trust me, it&#8217;ll all be fine.
Do you ever feel green guilt? How come?
[image via stock.xchng] 

Post from: Blisstree
How to be perfectly green - just like me!]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:06:50</pubDate>
      <gf:blogName><![CDATA[]]></gf:blogName>
      <gf:blogUrl></gf:blogUrl>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Cheating At Work - Cops Caught Kissing]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/cheating-at-work-cops-caught-kissing/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Have you heard about the police chef in Ohio who was caught on video &#8220;canoodling&#8221; with another officer, while in a police cruiser and on the job? And there was a prisoner in the back seat. From what I saw of the video, they don&#8217;t really do much, just kissing, cuddling, but both officers are married. He&#8217;s 57 and she&#8217;s 30.
On the day that the video was taken, June 2, the two officers weredriving back from Cincinnati, where they picked up a burglary suspect, to their town of Perry Township, 50 miles away. In the video, the female officer is seen checking to make sure that the suspect in the back seat was asleep. The dashboard camera&#8217;s red light, that signals that it is active and on, was tampered with, so the officers did not know that they were being taped. An anonymous tip brought the tape to attention.
Have you ever been involved with a co-worker? Either while single or in a relationship? Have you been tempted?
When I was very young (19) I was engaged and my boyfriend wasaway atboot camp. While he was gone, I went down to Southern California to live with my dad for a few months. I worked in a restaurant there and a guy that I worked with seemed to find my engagement a challenge. He worked me day after day, in an attempt to get me to cheat on my fiance, but I never did. One time, after a particularly bad argument with the fiance (we argued a lot an he is now married to someone else - I believe happily and for a long time 18+ years), I thought, hey why not, maybe I should do it just this once. I did not follow through with it, I did not cheat at that time.
People spend a lot of time at work and they form connections with the folks they spend that time with. Sometimes these connections are a distraction and a way to escape the stress or even boredom of Real Life. In the case of my restaurant boy, I was lonely and young, away from my friends at that time, and this boy was very cute. It was tempting, but cheating sucks and I have rarely even come close to doing it.
I&#8217;d like to say that I&#8217;ve never done it, but that would not be completely honest and I&#8217;ve made a habit of being honest withyou readers. Idid make a fewmistakes in the past (way, way, way in the past), but they were not with someone at work (which does mean that it was alright). These days, nothing could be farther from my mind. The boyfriend that I have is all that I can handle.
Being in a committed relationship is like a job in that you have to work at it every day. You have to remind yourself what you are there for and reaffirm your commitment. You have to be a good co-worker or you run the risk of a bad performance review or possible termination - I&#8217;m talking divorce or breakup here, not death.
&#8220;Canoodling.&#8221; Isn&#8217;t that a silly word?
Image credit: Sxc.hu 
Post from: Blisstree
Cheating At Work - Cops Caught Kissing]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:57:31</pubDate>
      <gf:blogName><![CDATA[]]></gf:blogName>
      <gf:blogUrl></gf:blogUrl>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Chicken Parm Pasta Salad]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/chicken-parm-pasta-salad/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[We&#8217;re going to a picnic tomorrow, and one of the things we have to do is bring a &#8220;dish to pass.&#8221;  Since it&#8217;s summer and I know we&#8217;ll be having burgers and brats, I wanted a starch to go along with the rest of our meal, but also something that would be substantial in and of itself.  When I need a recipe like that, I usually pick a pasta salad.

While I normally don&#8217;t like creamy, cold pasta salads, this one from Betty Crocker is delish!  It doesn&#8217;t have that heavy mayo taste, and also isn&#8217;t drenched in salad dressing.  The cooked chicken give it some depth, and the croutons and Parmesan topping make it really unique.  Also very easy to make.
Image:  sxc.hu.
Post from: Blisstree
Chicken Parm Pasta Salad]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:26:44</pubDate>
      <gf:blogName><![CDATA[]]></gf:blogName>
      <gf:blogUrl></gf:blogUrl>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[4th of July from the Garden Recipes]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/4th-of-july-from-the-garden-recipes/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[If you&#8217;re looking for ways to use up your garden bounty this 4th of July check out this round-up of garden fresh, 4th of July minded recipes.

Fresh 4th of July Veggies:
Fourth of July Roasted Tomato Salsa Recipe
Orzo Super Salad
Southwestern Style Potato Salad
Crispy apple coleslaw
Mushrooms, tofu, red onions, lemons (and more) grilled kabobs
Corn on the cob three ways - be brave and just click one - make whichever one you land on&#8230;

Corn on the cob
Corn on the cob
Corn on the cob

Juicy &amp; Fruity:
Savory Apple Onion Tart - not too juicy, I know, but I defaulted the apples into the fruit category over the onions. 

Watermelon stars
4th of July fruit kabobs
Grilled Pears with Currants

Spicy Fish Tacos with Pear Mango Salsa
Watermelon and Tomato Salad
Got fruit trees? Try Grilled Summer Fruit
4th of July Treats:
Ice pops are the best starting point for 4th of July garden treats. For one thing, they&#8217;re icy cold goodness during a hot day, and secondly, you can seriously use almost ANYTHING from the garden to make these. I&#8217;m talking carrots, herbs, tomatoes, berries, and so much more. You can even make plain old ice water pops with tiny edible flowers embedded for some beautiful and refreshingly easy pops. See 32 Unique Homemade Popsicle Recipes &amp; Ideas to get started.
Red, white, and blue summer berry trifle
Lemonade Mousse

Caramel Apple Pie
Ecstatic Organic Rose Vanilla Ice Cream

Little Extras: 
Dilled Cucumbers
Edible flowers galore - put them on cakes, in salads, and more!
Blueberry-Lime Habenero Sauce
Organic herbal sun tea
[image via stock.xchng]
Post from: Blisstree
4th of July from the Garden Recipes]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:26:02</pubDate>
      <gf:blogName><![CDATA[]]></gf:blogName>
      <gf:blogUrl></gf:blogUrl>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Health Risks of Speed Eating]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/health-risks-of-speed-eating/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[You may think it&#8217;s fun to watch speed eaters cobble down hotdogs this weekend, but the &#8220;sport&#8221; of competitive eating has some considerable health risks.  While the percent of the speed eating population is not large enough to warrant a scientific study, several former speed eaters are dealing with obesity, clogged arteries, and other gastrointestinal problems.

One competitive eater even found that after a while, his stomach would not register being &#8220;full&#8221; when he ate normally.  This condition, called peristalsis, means that the stomach is not contracting.  Despite the health risks, however, many speed eaters look back on their &#8220;reign&#8221; fondly.  

Image: sxc.hu.
Post from: Blisstree
Health Risks of Speed Eating]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:27:31</pubDate>
      <gf:blogName><![CDATA[]]></gf:blogName>
      <gf:blogUrl></gf:blogUrl>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Which Type of Sunscreen?]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/which-type-of-sunscreen/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[As the sun gets hotter these days, protecting yourself from its grueling rays should be a top priority.  Do you use sunscreen?  Do you know the best type of sunscreen to use?  You should use the highest possible sunscreen number you can.

One source says that you &#8220;get 99 percent sunburn protection with SPF 90, versus 96 percent with SPF 30.&#8221; While a few extra points might not seem like much, they can add up over the years.  Use the highest you possibly can.
Image:  sxc.hu.
Post from: Blisstree
Which Type of Sunscreen?]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:14:25</pubDate>
      <gf:blogName><![CDATA[]]></gf:blogName>
      <gf:blogUrl></gf:blogUrl>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Classic 4th of July Berry Cakes]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/classic-4th-of-july-berry-cakes/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[One of my favorite thing about celebrating holidays is the creativity that starts to flow when it comes to cooking, baking and food in general!

For me, one of the best parts about the 4th of July, aside from the fireworks and an excuse to spend the whole day outside with family and friends, are the fun desserts that people are inspired to create and make.
I&#8217;ve always loved the now-classic 4th of July berry cake. I made one years ago for a get-together and have wanted to try again, but I&#8217;m afraid it would go bad before my family had a chance to devour it, and I hate the thought of any of it going to waste!
Anyway, with some strawberries, blueberries and whipped cream, the cake couldn&#8217;t be any easier, and variations of the cake are plentiful! You can easily convert any of the ideas below into cupcakes, and check out the ideas for patriotic cookies, too!
 Flag Cake from scratch
 Easy American Flag Cake
 4th of July Jello cake with red and blue Jello
 4th of July cupcakes from Martha Stewart
 For a cool spin on the standard cake, try a 4th of July ice cream cake
 Red, white and blue flag cake using a box cake mix with pudding
 Step-by-step pictures and instructions for a Flag Cake made using just frosting
 Red, White and Blue cupcakes with colored cake batter and frosting
 American Flag Cookies
 4th of July cookie cutters &#8212; choose from fireworks, a grill, and even an Uncle Sam silhouette!
[image: flickr]
Post from: Blisstree
Classic 4th of July Berry Cakes]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:26:22</pubDate>
      <gf:blogName><![CDATA[]]></gf:blogName>
      <gf:blogUrl></gf:blogUrl>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[The Cutest Dog on Facebook Contest]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/the-cutest-dog-on-facebook-contest/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Bil-Jac Foods, the producer of super premium dog foods and treats based in Medina, Ohio, has just launched its first Facebook photo contest! Now through the end of July, Bil-Jac Facebook fans will have the chance to view and vote on the 12 finalists of the Cutest Dog on Facebook contest. 

Bil-Jac has been collecting hundreds of entry photos for the contest since May via Facebook and Twitter, which were then carefully pared down to 12 finalists by Bil-Jac.
The winner of the photo contest will win a one-month-for-a-year supply of dog food from Bil-Jac and three online coaching sessions from celebrity dog trainer Joel Silverman. The runner-up will win a six-month supply of dog food and the third place winner will receive one month&#8217;s supply.
To participate in the contest, simply visit Bil-Jac&#8217;s Facebook fan page and click on the Photo Contest bookmark. You can then vote for your favorite picture once per day until July 31.
[image used with permission from bil-jac.com]
Post from: Blisstree
The Cutest Dog on Facebook Contest]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:43:01</pubDate>
      <gf:blogName><![CDATA[]]></gf:blogName>
      <gf:blogUrl></gf:blogUrl>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[10 Things to do Before Your Road Trip]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/10-things-to-do-before-your-road-trip/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[We are about to embark on our cross-country road trip. I love road trips. They allow you to see so much of the country that a flight simply misses. Since Ive probably done more long-distance road tripping than the average person, I thought Id post my to-do list to get ready for the big trip.


Service your car. Thats a no-brainer. Were taking the Touareg in Monday for the 75,000-mile service. But Im also taking it later in the week to NTB to get two new tires and a rotation. It would really suck to be in the middle of west Texas in 116-degree temperatures and have the car stall out on us for some reason.
Buy a Road Atlas. I hate Walmart, but they sell this awesome, large-sized, spiral-bound road atlas. Sure, use your GPS, but nothing replaces a road atlas. Plus, its great educational entertainment for the kids. Truman and I like to play the where do you want to go? game. He I dying to go to go to South Dakota, for some reason. Doesnt it stay cold there year-round?
Stock up on the necessaries. I always bring a big box of wet wipes, roll of paper towels and a trash bag. If you have to ask why, you obviously dont have young children.
A cooler stocked with drinks. Why waste your money at convenience stores when you can have your own cold drink conveniently in the car?
Snacks. Again, why waste your money at convenience stores. I also like to pack fruit, like oranges and grapes, but not bananas because I cannot walk past a banana without it bruising.
Wine  and a cock screw. Nothing is worse than stopping overnight in a town thats dry or has a poor wine selection. (Yes, I am a wine snob.) Put the wine in the cooler unless youre driving in cool weather.
Games, toys, DVDs and books. We use road trips as a good opportunity to buy DVDs and game books our son has not yet seen so hell look forward to seeing them. If you buy them early, hid then until time for the trip.
Check out your devices. Nothing is worse than starting on a road trip and finding out the power cord has a short or the iPod dock is missing a piece.
Make a list. Im a list-maker, so I start mine early. This is for the things you will be miserable if you forget, like the iPhone charger, laptop computer, that book youve been meaning to finish, etc.
Book the house sitter, or make your pet/home care plans. We are spoiled. We have a house sitter named Joe who is an ex-marine and a personal trainer at the gym down the road. He brings his to dogs, Brutus the Rottweiller and Thor the Doberman. (Or is it Thor the Rottweiller and Brutus the Doberman?) I stock the fridge for Joe, and throw in a few extra steaks for the dogs, so its like a mini-vacation for all three of them.

Road Trip Photo, Flickr, jamiejohndavies
Post from: Blisstree
10 Things to do Before Your Road Trip]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:23:05</pubDate>
      <gf:blogName><![CDATA[]]></gf:blogName>
      <gf:blogUrl></gf:blogUrl>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Celebrating Fourth of July Bonding]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/celebrating-fourth-of-july-bonding/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[You may not be a big American history buff, but you can still appreciate the wonderful cultural tradition that is the Fourth of July. Holidays like this are a great time for meaningful bonding with friends and family.
I love American holidays for their celebration of families and traditions. National holidays provide a day off so hopefully there can be that one special day when fathers and mothers get to spend time with their children, and friends and family can travel across long distances to see each other for a special weekend.
If you have are having a Fourth of July celebration, make a special effort to include friends who may not have anyone else to celebrate with. The summer is finally here and we should all just relax for a day and embrace the happiness that surrounds a social atmosphere.
I think Fourth of July traditions have a lot to do with open-mindedness and everyone coming together to appreciate the country that we share.
Image: Flickr Jesse Michael Nix
Post from: Blisstree
Celebrating Fourth of July Bonding]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:00:51</pubDate>
      <gf:blogName><![CDATA[]]></gf:blogName>
      <gf:blogUrl></gf:blogUrl>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Airline Customers Continue to be Dissatisfied]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/airline-customers-continue-to-be-dissatisfied/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Travelers continue to find dissatisfaction with the airline industry, according to J.D. Power &amp; Associates, making this the third consecutive year. No surprise that new fees (the result of ala carte ticket pricing), baggage problems, and personnel reductions are not making anyone happy. Is it all the economy? Youll have to decide.
Heres how the airlines faired.
 Alaska and Continental scored one and two among traditional carriers, and Jet Blue and Southwest and WestJet a close second among the low cost carriers. Alaska scored highest for its inflight crew, Continental for its inflight service, JetBlue for its aircraft, and Southwest for its costs and fees.
At the other end of the list, United and US Airways were at the bottom for traditional carriers, and Frontier and AirTran for low cost carriers.
Do your flying experience parallel these results? Who do you think ranks at the top and why?
Photo credit: SXC
Post from: Blisstree
Airline Customers Continue to be Dissatisfied]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 03:15:00</pubDate>
      <gf:blogName><![CDATA[]]></gf:blogName>
      <gf:blogUrl></gf:blogUrl>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Eco Gadgets: Manual-solar hybrid lawnmower, a green way to keep your lawn tidy]]></title>
      <link>http://www.ecofriend.org/entry/eco-gadgets-manual-solar-hybrid-lawnmower-a-green-way-to-keep-your-lawn-tidy/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[
	Eco Factor: Concept lawnmower powered by solar energy.
	Researchers estimate that a typical gasoline-powered lawnmower running for half an hour provides the same amount of emissions as a car driving 200km. This enormous emission and the noise produced by conventional lawnmowers have always made eco-conscious manufacturers figure out a way to make these machines clean. While manual reel mowers can also bring a touch of green to your mowing job, but the effort it requires makes most people leave the lawn untouched.
	
	
	Industrial designer Frank Deveson has designed an innovative lawnmower that helps keep your lawn tidy, without making much noise and no emissions at all. The lawnmower is actually based on a normal reel mower with an electric backup. The design boosts manual effort with the use of high-power batteries through use of a torque sensing system that triggers the batteries on, only when the mower is pushed. On top of this, the batteries are charged with a photovoltaic panel that is mounted on top of the mower.
	Thanks: [Frank Deveson]
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 03:05:09</pubDate>
      <gf:blogName><![CDATA[Eco Friend]]></gf:blogName>
      <gf:blogUrl>http://www.ecofriend.org</gf:blogUrl>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Want More Fireworks?  Embroider Them!]]></title>
      <link>http://www.blisstree.com/articles/want-more-fireworks-embroider-them/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Jenny, from Sublime Stitching, has created a free Fourth of July gift for you all!
She has created a totally free fireworks embroidery pattern, and then uploaded it to Flickr, so everyone can download it and use the pattern for some holiday fun  

There lots of different options for embroidery patterns. Why not embellish a favorite t-shirt? Just place a layer of tear-away interfacing behind it and stitch away. Did you know that you can embroider on paper? Transfer the pattern and have fun. How about enlarging the pattern and making a patriotic tote bag?
image: Stock.xchg 
Post from: Blisstree
Want More Fireworks?  Embroider Them!]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 03:00:03</pubDate>
      <gf:blogName><![CDATA[]]></gf:blogName>
      <gf:blogUrl></gf:blogUrl>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Eco Tech: Hydrogen fuel from urine to power cars tomorrow]]></title>
      <link>http://www.ecofriend.org/entry/eco-tech-hydrogen-fuel-from-urine-to-power-cars-tomorrow/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[
	Eco Factor: Urine broken down into hydrogen using electrolysis.
	With the dearth of low-emission fuels and the high cost of renewable energy generating system such as photovoltaic cells have tempted automobile manufacturers to look towards sources which are present in abundance. Being the most abundant in the universe, hydrogen has always fantasized car manufacturers as a green fuel which doesnt bring any performance issues along as well. However, conventional process used to generate hydrogen from water and finally transporting it, arent as ecofriendly as the fuel itself is.
	
	Researchers at the Ohio University are trying to solve the riddle by generating hydrogen from a cheap and readily available waste  urine. These researchers believe that electrolyzing urine for hydrogen is easy as compared to generating hydrogen from water as in urine hydrogen molecules arent as tightly held as in water. The system breaks down urea at a voltage of just 0.37V which is significantly less than the 1.23 volts required to split water.
	The researcher was initially conducted on synthetic urine made of dissolved urea, but later the group realized that the process was just as efficient when tried on human urine. The researchers believe that the technology can be scaled-up to generate hydrogen while cleaning up the effluent from sewage plants. The only downside is that urea gets converted into ammonia by bacteria very quickly, which could limit the usefulness of the technique.
	Via: RSC
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 02:51:54</pubDate>
      <gf:blogName><![CDATA[Eco Friend]]></gf:blogName>
      <gf:blogUrl>http://www.ecofriend.org</gf:blogUrl>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Eco Tech: Greener fireworks brun nitrogen and lots of money]]></title>
      <link>http://www.ecofriend.org/entry/eco-tech-greener-fireworks-brun-nitrogen-and-lots-of-money/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[
	Eco Factor: Nitrogen-fueled fireworks produce less smoke and lesser toxins.
	Be it Diwali in India or the Fourth of July celebrations in U.S., people love to watch fireworks illuminating the night sky in different colors. However, these fireworks produce a lot of smoke and considering that people are simply in love with them all over the world, the amount of toxins and smoke poses a serious threat to both humans and the environment. 
	
	In order to achieve a colorful sky, fireworks manufactures stuff their products with different types of explosives and materials that make them burn longer and produce bright colors, where Antimoy and barium and the main culprits, which end up polluting the neighborhood with toxins and smoke. 
	Scientists at DMD Systems are working on a newer generation of greener fireworks, which are fueled by nitrogen and produce less smoke and toxins. Unfortunately these fireworks wont be available for either Diwali or the Fourth of July celebrations, as theyd be too expensive to burn for a few seconds of colorful illumination.
	Via: Popsci/Discovery
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:23:37</pubDate>
      <gf:blogName><![CDATA[Eco Friend]]></gf:blogName>
      <gf:blogUrl>http://www.ecofriend.org</gf:blogUrl>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Eco Gadgets: Energizer debuts new range of Energi To Go, includes solar charger]]></title>
      <link>http://www.ecofriend.org/entry/eco-gadgets-energizer-debuts-new-range-of-energi-to-go-includes-solar-charger/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[
	Eco Factor: Solar-powered mobile electronics charger. 
	Mobile electronics usually come in small packages, but their number present in the world poses a consistent load on the grid which above all is not present when you are in an emergency. Energizer has been regular in showcasing chargers for those who remain on the move, and the company is making news again with 10 new Energi To Go products. 
	
	The company will being selling these products this month, which includes something for everyone. The line includes large 18,000mAh devices that can charge three gadgets in one go and a smallish 600mAh device to give a boost to your cellphone when youre away. The best of the lot is the solar-powered charger that can harness energy from the wall socket too. According to the specification the range starts from $19.99 and ends at $199.99.
	Via: GearLog
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:01:48</pubDate>
      <gf:blogName><![CDATA[Eco Friend]]></gf:blogName>
      <gf:blogUrl>http://www.ecofriend.org</gf:blogUrl>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Eco Architecture: Largest eco-village in UK to sport 195 green homes]]></title>
      <link>http://www.ecofriend.org/entry/eco-architecture-largest-eco-village-in-uk-to-sport-195-green-homes/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[
	Eco Factor: Sustainable housing project will be the largest in the UK.
	Aspiring to be the largest eco-village in the United Kingdom, the Hanham Hall Development will consist of over 190 homes built to house people with a green mind. The development will include an onsite biomass CHP plant, which will generate heat and power for the village. The village will also feature reed beds, shops for farmers to sell their produce, bicycle storage and an ecofriendly drainage system as well.
	
	
	The project is slated to be completed by 2016, with the first home coming up next year. Falling under the governments Carbon Challenge Programme, the complex will be designed in a green way to its core. The development will be free of VOCs to ensure healthier living.  SIPS Panels will be used at the main structural element throughout the complex with other energy-efficient systems also finding a place for themselves. Waste materials will be recycled onsite to ensure the complexs zero-emission aesthetics.
	
	Via: Inhabitat
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:40:33</pubDate>
      <gf:blogName><![CDATA[Eco Friend]]></gf:blogName>
      <gf:blogUrl>http://www.ecofriend.org</gf:blogUrl>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Eco Tech: Fiat eco:Drive makes a relation between you and your car for fuel savings]]></title>
      <link>http://www.ecofriend.org/entry/eco-tech-fiat-ecodrive-makes-a-relation-between-you-and-your-car-for-fuel-savings/</link>
      <description><![CDATA[
	Eco Factor: USB drive gathers your driving performance and makes suggestions on how to make fuel last longer.
	In a world where automobile manufactures all over the world are promising hybrids and electric cars, Fiat is working on a technology that lets you know your driving performance and makes suggestions on how to improve your cars mileage. The system is based on the use of a USB drive and software. While driving your performance is monitored by the cars software and stored in the USB drive, which can be connected to a computer for the analysis. 
	
	
	The device also makes certain suggestions to improve mileage by making some changes in your driving habits. The system was awarded by the organizers of the Cannes Cyber Lions. While Fiat is tightlipped about the technical details of the software, the company does promise a change in cars performance and efficiency with the eco:Drive.
	Via: AutoBlogGreen
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:23:58</pubDate>
      <gf:blogName><![CDATA[Eco Friend]]></gf:blogName>
      <gf:blogUrl>http://www.ecofriend.org</gf:blogUrl>
    </item>
  </channel>
</rss>
