More on saving water, from the N.Y. Times: In its medical literature, the Food and Drug Administration states that hot water comfortable enough for washing hands is not hot enough to kill bacteria, but is more effective than cold water because it removes oils from the hand that can harbor bacteria. But in a 2005 report in the …
Continue reading “Don’t wash your hands with hot water – use cold water to save energy and water”
A great technology for water conservation is available called the point-of-use tankless water heater. These small box-like devices can be installed underneath the sink in a kitchen or bathroom. They offer a simple way to avoid running cold water for minutes while you wait for hot water. For showers, the EPA says the average output …
Continue reading “Stop wasting water in the shower! – Install a point-of-use tankless water heater”
A few years back, I read an article on surf legend, Gerry Lopez, and they asked him, “How are you able to stay in the water everyday?” His answer was simple, Yoga. When my first water injury hit I decided to try out his advice. He was dead-on. Engaging in a regular practice of Yoga …
Continue reading “Stay in the water everyday – Yoga for Surfers”
There is a new trend in the NFL, slimming down those plump players. After years of super-sizing lineman with each team stocking a dozen 300 pound players, speed and agility is starting to get wins. The stars in the NFL last year were at much healthier weights in the mid-200 pound range. Players with a …
Continue reading “NFL moves toward slimmer players, former players explore healthy eating”
A group of environmentalists have petitioned the federal government to put West Coast Great White Sharks as an endangered species. From an L.A. Times article: The northeastern Pacific Ocean population of great whites is genetically distinct and in danger of extinction, according to the petition. Researchers have estimated that there are about 340 individuals in …
Continue reading “West Coast Great White Sharks are endangered – population around 340”
A seamount is a mountain rising from the ocean seafloor that does not reach to the water’s surface (sea level), and thus is not an island. – Wikipedia They are also centers of marine life, as you can see in the photos below. From the article, Mountains in the Sea, by National Geographic. Hundreds …
Continue reading “Exploring the mountains under the ocean, in photos.”
The term ‘carbon sink’ is becoming more common as we all gain the scientific education needed to deal with climate change and global warming. According to Wikipedia, carbon sinks can be both natural and artificial. Both involve the process of absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which is called carbon sequestration. The main natural carbon …
Continue reading “Our carbon sinks are absorbing twice as much carbon dioxide as they used to”
Did you have a chance to see the white water sports at the Olympics, like kayaking and canoeing? If so, you probably noticed that the entire venue was artificial. The Lee Valley White Water Centre in the north of London was created out of a vast expanse of flat land. The designers, including a firm …
An article from The Atlantic focuses on the value of trees: I was approached by someone from an initiative called San Diego County Trees…(a project) extolling the benefits of urban trees. I just spent time on the website, where the coolest feature is an interactive map of the whole county showing very specific tree locations and information, …
Surfer magazine has posted 16 amazingly large overhead shots of the U.S. Open of Surfing and the Orange County coastline. Here is one of them, mightily shrunk: See the rest – Above the Open – an oddly serene look at the U.S. Open