Piezoelectrics – Is It Stealing?

This is an interesting energy-capturing idea.

clipped from www.ecogeek.org EcoGeek – Clean Technology of the most bountiful manmade kinetic energy out there – the movement of cars, trains and planes over roads, rails and runways. The idea is simple – stick a piezoelectric generator under the road. Innowattech claims that 1 km of piezoelectric highway could generate 500 kilowatts (that’s 0.8 MW per mile, for those of you keeping score at home).

What to do when Santa Goofs!

Some great ideas here for dealing with the stuff you really don’t want…

In Canada, in addition to freecycle, there’s FullCircles – http://www.fullcircles.org .

clipped from www.fool.co.uk What To Do When Santa Slips Up! If you think you’ll end up with a pile of presents you really don’t want this Christmas, don’t worry! Help is at hand…

Giving: It’s good for your health!

Who’da thought. Giving has health benefits.

clipped from www.muchmormagazine.com More proof that giving is good for your health Submitted by The Editor on Thursday, 11 December 2008No Comment Tags:gifts, Health, Holidays, Lifestyle, wellbeing “Several studies over the years have found links between altruistic behavior and improved physical and psychological health,” says Dr. Ann Vincent, an internal medicine physician at Mayo Clinic who researches the mind-body connection. “In general, I think altruism makes people feel better about themselves, which often translates into improved physical health. Other benefits that have been attributed to positive emotions include: enhanced creativity and ability to cope with stress and broadened cognition. In essence, thinking positively about ourselves is good for our physical and mental health.”

Ottawa: More venues for free “stuff”

First there was Freecycle, then FullCircles… now there’s Twitter and Facebook!

Check it out.
Eric Snyder
Ottawa.FullCircles.org
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clipped from ca.groups.yahoo.com ADMIN: More venues for free “stuff” A couple of weeks ago, we told you about the FCOttawa Twitter page�, �� �http://twitter.com/FCOttawa Now we’ve stumbled onto a Facebook application called: FACEBOOK FREE MARKET.  It’s yet another way that people are using to give away their surplus stuff. Here’s a direct link to the Ottawa FREE MARKET http://is.gd/cnrD

GPI – Genuine Progress Indicator

GDP isn’t the ONLY way to measure our well-being. In the long run, quality of life will matter more than “growth”.

clipped from www.naturallifemagazine.com It’s Not Necessarily About Growth: Alternative Economic Indicators Measure the Quality of Life by Wendy Priesnitz Traditionally, a country’s economic health and well-being is measured by something called the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or its cousin, the Gross National Product (GNP). The media eagerly reports the number on a monthly basis and its rise or fall is used as an indicator of how well things are progressing or not. A recession, for instance, is defined as two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth. But it’s really just a measure of national spending with no distinctions between transactions that add to well-being and those that diminish it. As long as money changes hands, the GDP increases. Redefining Progress created the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) as an alternative to the GDP. The GPI enables policymakers to measure how well their citizens are doing, based on economic, health, social and environmental factors.

Living La Vida Cluttered

Please Share!

Please share your best practices for DeCluttering your life! All comments big and small are very welcomed!

clipped from lifelearningtoday.com Living La Vida Cluttered What’s Slowing You Down? It’s all your stuff! Do you realize that your stuff owns you, not the other way around? Well I’ve been realizing this lesson once again as I pack for a small move. Every piece of stuff that you own weighs you down a little bit, and when you add it all together it can weigh you down a lot, not just physically, but mentally too. Clear the clutter and you clear your mind! De-Cluttering Tips

Freecycle: More pleas for basics

Perhaps this trend is quite predictable during sagging economic times!

clipped from www.journalgazette.net Freecycle site seeing more pleas for basics In the past few months, though, as the economy has waned, things have started to boom on the local Freecycle site. Users put up a record number of posts in August, then broke that record in September, and set yet another record in November. As the economy has sagged, and as the number of posts has increased, people on the lookout for freebies have started asking for more and more, and the sob stories from people wanting things have become more and more elaborate. It’s keeping the moderators – as they are called, people who work for nothing monitoring the various posts, enforcing the local rules – plenty busy. Moderators have had to start sending out periodic messages to registered users, reiterating the local rules: no offers to give away pets, no asking for pets, don’t post Christmas wish lists and eliminate the sob stories. So the sad tales have been banned, along with the offers of pet kittens and requests for gift cards.

A “greener” office

clipped from www.eweek.com 10 Steps to a Greener Office Shutting off the lights, powering down PCs and monitors, using coffee mugs instead of Styrofoam cups, encouraging use of mass transit, and other simple, common-sense steps can reduce consumption and contribute to a greener environment, making your company and your employees more eco-friendly. This video looks at ways businesses can spur green behavior on – and off – premises. Watch Video