Image obtained from Orthogonal web site

The startup of Ithaca, Orthogonal, is developing materials that will enable organic electronic components using the same type of equipment used to manufacture silicon electronic components, allowing the construction of more complex organic compounds also.

The company has made four prototype devices using new photolithography chemical compounds compatible with organic materials.

In the company’s website we can also find a flash resource that explains the OLEDs operation that may be useful as an educational resource.

Organic is all about the way that various agricultural products are grown (or raised) and processed. By farming organically, the health of the ecosystem is maintained. Toxins in fertilizers and pesticides are bypassed because these products are not used in organic farming. The focus is on the environment:

Organic materials are becoming very common because people no longer want to question what kinds of chemicals might be in the food that they are using or the products they are bringing into their homes. When it comes to organic skin care, the notion is the same. The trend in organic skin care comes from people wanting to live chemical free lives. Organic skin care began at its base by the promotion of products that were not tested on animals.

The word organic means that the products or foods are produced or grown without the use of artificial ingredients of any kind – fertilizers, insecticides, hormones, etc. This can be true of skin products as well as fruits, vegetables, or meat. These products don’t put anything artificial on your skin, just as organic foods don’t put anything artificial into your body. The label will tell you by percentage how organic they are.

Organic skin care involves using organic products. The word organic is used to describe food that is grown without synthetic pesticides, insecticides or any other artificial chemical. Thus, using organic skin care products can help you take best care of your skin and that to without harming your skin. In simple words, organic helps you gain fresh and glowing skin the natural way.

Natural cleansers, organic moisturizers and toners, face packs and skin creams, spot remedies, organic scrubs, organic and chemical free washes and soaps, organic and herbal shampoos and cosmetics such as foundations and powders, organic lipsticks and blushers, shimmer creams and even organic lip balms are some of the most famous and widely used natural organic skin care products. These products ensure a clear complexion of the skin at all times in addition to reducing wrinkles and keeping the face clean and clear.

Just because a skin care product is organic, does not mean that is has to be expensive. In fact, there are even some organic skin care products that can be made at home. For example, baking soda used in the shower is great, and you can also use it for black heads. If your skin is oily, try using tomato on it, but check it on your arm first to make sure that you’re not allergic to the tomato juice.

Another great thing to do instead of using store bought deodorant is to mix half vinegar and half water to put under your arms. Vinegar also works well when you have athlete’s foot.

In raising animals organically, a diet of certified organic food is used; this means that, in addition to the absence of the above mentioned synthetics, there are no hormones ingested by organically raised animals. Prevention of disease is a by product of the animals healthy living, so antibiotics are also not passed on to us through ingestion. Through this well nourished, free to roam life, it has been found that animals raised for things like milk and eggs tend to live much longer than their non organic counterparts.

Read About Haircuts Also Read About How to Get Rid of Oily Skin and Skin Problems and Acne Tips

A Guide to Going Green: Tips to Get Past Your Guilt
Friday, September 04, 2009
by Kelly Konrad

It’s the Tao of Kermit: It isn’t easy being green. Maybe you see the signs—”eco-friendly,” “organic” and “all-natural” and get overwhelmed by the choices. Or, maybe you already do a lot to go green but feel like it’s never enough.

Get over yourself already.

“I like to think of ‘green’ on a continuum,” says Cecelia Ungari, education and outreach director at Healthy Green Goods (702 Main St., Evanston, 847-864-9098). “Instead of thinking of ‘green’ as a fixed object, approach it on a step-by-step basis. There’s always going to be something greener to do.”

So, what can you do to shake what Ungari calls “green paralysis?”

First, take stock of what you already do that is environmentally friendly.
For example, maybe you don’t drive a hybrid. That SUV sends shudders down your spine when you think of the miles per gallon. Still, if you carpool, that’s 2 or 3 other cars NOT on the road, so give yourself a pat on the back! Or, maybe you don’t do a bang-up job recycling every single piece of paper that comes into your house. But you’re paying bills online! You’re saving paper, so relax a little.

“People should celebrate the fact they’re being very green,” Ungari says.

Start with the things you like to do.

If you love to garden, perhaps you can learn more about organic gardening. If you love to cook, explore ways to make your food more environmentally friendly. If you’re a clothes hound, consider throwing a clothing swap party. (Don’t forget the organic wine and locally produced cheeses!)

Remember that “going green” is, well, ongoing.

“A common mistake is trying to do everything all at once,” says Ungari. “Small steps, purposefully taken, can lead us further along the sustainable continuum.”

Don’t give up.

It’s easy to slide back into old habits such as driving to the store a block away because it’s drizzling or buying herbs rather than picking them from your garden because it’s easier than watering. The occasional backslide doesn’t mean you’re bad.

Need some ideas? Try incorporating one of these each week:

* Commit to switching at least one of your cleaning products to a homemade or all-natural version every week until you’re a completely green cleaner. Healthy Green Goods (702 Main St., Evanston, 847-864-9098) is a great place to start!

* Make 1 meal a week from locally sourced food.

* Dine at a restaurant that sources locally.

* Choose a green gift—such as scarves or T-shirts made from organic materials.

* Cut your shower time in half a few days a week.

* Skip the drive to the gym and use LogYourRun.com to trace a route in your neighborhood.

* Spend the extra $5 for a few reusable grocery bag—every store has them—and store them in the trunk of your car so you have them for grocery runs.

* Change up the Girls’ Night Out with a clothing swap!

Many plants like good drainage without losing the water in soil too fast. This is especially important for plants that are harvested early. The ideal situation is when the minerals are surrounded by a thin layer of water and there is air between the organic materials. The roots will circle the minerals and they will be able to absorb the necessary nutrients and will be able to breathe.

The point of drainage is the removal of water and adding limestone and organic materials will make the clay become lumps and improve drainage. It can also be improved by ventilating or plowing the soil, depending on climate factors. If plowing is done in dry air, the clay will not stick to the machine and soil will easily be seperated to a sand like quality, easing the flow of water. Adding sand or pebbles might also improve the drainage of soil, but this will require a great amount of both. As it is expensive, that method can only be considered for small fields.

What you need:

Composing materials (plant residues, animal manure)

Compost fungus activator, CFA (Trichoderma harzanium)

1 kilogram CFA per 100 kilogram composting materials

1.5 meters bamboo (with pierced internodes)

Sieve (2.5 centimeters in diameter, opening size)

Plastic bags for packaging

What you will do:

1. Identify a sloping, shaded site for composting.  Create a ditch around the site to avoid waterlogged condition.
2. Set up the organic materials in layers.  Pile the plant residue (such as rice straw or sawdust) and animal (chicken or goat) manure at a ratio of 3:1.  Spread the CFA on the pile.  Repeat the layers until the pile reaches a height of 1` meter.  Install the bamboo breather at the center of the pile.
3. Water the pile to enhance the growth of Trichoderma and lower the temperature during decomposition.  Cover the pile with sack (or plastic).
4. After two weeks, turn the pile to even up the decomposition.  The materials on top should be place at the bottom and vice versa.  Successive turning is done every week afterwards.
5. After two to three months, whe the pile has finally become black or brown in color and the original materials are no longer recognizable, the compost is ready for harvesting.
6. Sun-dry the compost for two days to kill the pathogenic microorganisms and to lower the moisture content.  After drying, pass the compost through the sieve to remove extraneous materials.
7. Pack the compost in plastic bags.

Source:  Carl B. Monterey. 

Photo courtesy: ggpht

If you’re looking for plush made from organic materials, take a look at Kids Preferred new line that includes Peter Rabbit.

I found this site through Melissa Loves and I can’t stop looking at it… Organic sculptural things stir something inside of me. They immediately make me want to hold them and rub them against my cheeks… Hopefully that’s not as weird as it sounds.

1. Tatara Zukuri bowl by Yosinori Yamamoto – I love Robin’s eggs. I always have. My father had this Encyclopaedia set when I was a kid and I always looked at the birds eggs pictures. Those books smelled amazing…

2. Pierres Graphiques by Yoran Morvant- I love rock. I love lamp. I love desk.

3. Black Faced Bird by Helen Beard- Again with the precious birds…

4. White Mug with Hollow Handle by Taka Suzuki- I desperately want to hold this.

5. I Deserve This by Dustin Yager- Dustin Yager is a new favorite artist of mine.

6. Faggot X Small by Dustin Yager

- For Dustin to use the expression “Faggot Faggot Fucking Faggot” is an act of self depreciation, and is concealed by the pleasing composition of the cup. The contradiction within this piece is something we can all understand: so often we present ourselves the way we think people want to see us, and keep our true selves in secret. A cup also alludes to nourishment, healing, rejuvenation, and coming to terms with oneself.

My friend Russel is coming into town tomorrow night from Texas… He’s a New York virgin! I’m so excited to show him around. I would totally give him that last mug… well, because he is one. Russel is the most magical being I have ever met… I can’t wait to cuddle with him! And if you’re about to get all PC on me save it. Words only have power when you give it to them.

~Kiki

A safe environment is the primary concern of all parents. A child’s immune system is not as strong as an adult’s and this is why extra care should be taken while organizing your child’s room as well as your entire house. The easiest way to do this is by using only organic materials while furnishing your house. From non toxic paint to solar powered appliances, there is an entire range of household and lifestyle products that you can easily find at any green store. At Home Naturally is an online green store that has all this plus plenty more and a quick look into their web catalogue will give you a better idea of how much you can transform your lifestyle with a few organic additions to your home.

Their eco bedroom for children includes a stunning collection of organic baby bedding, baby mattresses, crib fittings and crib skirts, organic sheets and bedding. They also have a darling collection of organic apparel for children that is comfortable and available in various colors. They also have a collection of cotton apparel for women that includes tops, sweaters and jackets. It is easy to live a green lifestyle when you can get all you might need just a mouse click away.

At Home Naturally only offers the safest and most organic products for your home and family. All their products are chemical free, environment friendly as well as free trade made. This means that while you make your life better, you are also making the world a better place.

by Sarah at ProgressiveKid

(Read Part I of this two-part series on our national wastewater problem.)

In Part I we examined the contents of our wastewater and how the most common wastewater treatment systems work. Now we will examine how well the systems work at keeping those problematic wastewater contents from being released into the environment.

The State of Our Infrastructure

In the American Society for Civil Engineers’ 2005 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, wastewater management in the United States was given a grade of D- (down from a D in 2001). Here is a summary:

Aging wastewater management systems discharge billions of gallons of untreated sewage into U.S. surface waters each year. The EPA estimates that the nation must invest $390 billion over the next 20 years to replace existing systems and build new ones to meet increasing demands. Yet, in 2005, Congress cut funding for wastewater management for the first time in eight years. The Bush administration has proposed a further 33% reduction, to $730 million, for FY06.

The Pharmaceutical Problem

Just this March the Associated Press released the results of its investigation on pharmaceuticals in the nation’s drinking water. The A.P. reported that the drinking water of at least 41 million Americans was found to contain, among other things, antibiotics, anticonvulsants, mood stabilizers, and sex hormones. The reason for this, of course, is that Americans dump their unused rugs down the drain.

Sources of Water Contamination

The Natural Resources Defense Council 2007 report Testing the Waters offers a comprehensive examination of all of the sources of water contamination across the country. Included in the report are the following statistics:

• The EPA estimates that more than 10 trillion gallons of untreated stormwater make their way into our surface waters each year.
• Combined sewer systems (CSSs), which carry raw sewage from residences and industrial sites and stormwater runoff from streets, discharge 850 billion gallons of raw sewage every year during overflows.
• Although an EPA policy that aims to reduce these overflows has been in effect since 1994, nearly all combined sewer systems continue to overflow when it rains. As of 2004, only 59 percent of communities with CSSs had submitted their plans for controlling them.
• Sanitary sewer systems (SSSs) carry only raw sewage from residences and businesses. The EPA has estimated that between 23,000 and 75,000 overflows of these systems occur annually, discharging a total of 3 to 10 billion gallons of sewage per year. In January 2001, the EPA proposed SSS regulations that would have required improvements to the systems. The Bush administration failed to act on these recommendations.
• The American Housing Survey of 2001 reported that 6 percent of septic systems fail annually, resulting in improper treatment of 66 billion to 144 billion gallons of sewage.

Your Dreams Down the Drain

Peer down into the depths of one of your drains. You are looking at your future. Whatever goes down that drain is going to come back at you sooner or later in some way.

Some of what you flush gets broken down by bacteria. Some of it gets eliminated with chemicals. But a lot of it doesn’t.

Up to 70 percent of wastewater treated by primary treatment systems gets released. Nitrogen, phosphates, pathogens, and organic materials are washed away by flooding and heavy rain, washed away by underwater springs, absorbed into groundwater, or carried to bodies of water like lakes and oceans where they kill aquatic life. And, even though bacteria are helping us break down all of this waste, they are depleting the oxygen in our bodies of water.

We watch as our inconveniences wash away, but they don’t wash away far enough. In the world of climate change, one that combines increased rain and flooding with water shortages, what you flush is going to affect me and what I use in my washing machine is going to affect you. What each of us sees going down the drain is not only what we don’t want but potentially also a great deal of what we do.

Image by Chris Darling, 2005, Creative Commons license

©2008 ProgressiveKid