VERTICAL FARMING - Vertical farming involves growing produce indoors where farmers can control the light, temperature, amount of water given to plants and even the carbon dioxide levels. In addition to giving more control to farmers, vertical farming also allows the produce to travel fewer miles to reach the store. There are other advantages to vertical farming in addition to helping people eat local. There is potential for the practice to greatly increase food production and expand sustainable agriculture operations, an important factor in a world where the population is increasing rapidly (between 9 and 10 billion people by 2050). Experts disagree on how much carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere through agriculture, but some estimate as much as 25% of global emissions, according to the California Aggie. Others, such as the American Farm Bureau Federation, put that number at 9%. Whatever the case, transportation also is a key factor in global emissions. And a large percentage of that comes from transporting food, sometimes many thousands of miles, from farms to grocery stores. Vertical farming can cut down on food miles, a way of measuring the amount of energy used in transporting food from one location to another. The idea of vertical farming is quickly taking hold with farmers. Generally, vertical farming calls for raising plants on stacked shelves within an indoor facility, often old warehouses.

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Vertical Farming

What Is Vertical Farming?

by Matthew Speer

Vertical farming involves growing produce indoors where farmers can control the light, temperature, amount of water given to plants and even the carbon dioxide levels.

In addition to giving more control to farmers, vertical farming also allows the produce to travel fewer miles to reach the store.

There are other advantages to vertical farming in addition to helping people eat local. 

There is potential for the practice to greatly increase food production and expand sustainable agriculture operations, an important factor in a world where the population is increasing rapidly (between 9 and 10 billion people by 2050).

People Move to Cities

Every week, 3 million people move into a city somewhere in the world, according to the United Nations.

The organization expects two-thirds of the world’s population to live in cities in the next 15 to 30 years.

In America, about 82% of all citizens live in either a medium or large city (or smaller cities on the edge of large metropolitan areas).

As noted by the California Aggie, getting food to tens of millions of people living in cities is one of the problems perplexing urban planners.

Vertical farming, which allows produce to be grown indoors, could provide at least a partial solution.

Environmental Impact of Agriculture

Experts disagree on how much carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere through agriculture, but some estimate as much as 25% of global emissions, according to the California Aggie. Others, such as the American Farm Bureau Federation, put that number at 9%.

Whatever the case, transportation also is a key factor in global emissions.

And a large percentage of that comes from transporting food, sometimes many thousands of miles, from farms to grocery stores.

Vertical farming can cut down on food miles, a way of measuring the amount of energy used in transporting food from one location to another.

Innovation for Sustainable Agriculture

The idea of vertical farming is quickly taking hold with farmers.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has held workshops on the issue, with farmers, scientists, and engineers sharing methods for vertical farming.

Generally, vertical farming calls for raising plants on stacked shelves within an indoor facility, often old warehouses.

Theoretically, they can be built anywhere. Special LED lights give the plants nutrients. Under these conditions, the plants grow faster and with less water.

While the idea is still in its early stages, many in the agriculture industry are interested in the potential, according to the BBC.

As one expert said, “Basically, inside the (vertical farming) system, every day is a summer day without a cloud in the sky,”

For those interested in population and environmental issues, vertical farming is an important issue to keep an eye on.

Matthew Speer is a Marketing and Advertising Executive that has worked with companies like AOL and U.S. News University Connection. He also has a passion for sustainability and keeping the Earth a beautiful place for our future generations which is why he helped create iSustainableEarth.com. Inspired by his own family and taking strides to go green he strives to live a sustainable lifestyle through research and action.

A Little About iSustainableEarth.com

Founded in October 2011, iSustainableEarth.com delivers useful and innovative information on Sustainable Living and all things “Green” to people just like you.   Our aim is to inform our readers of the latest trends, conservation tips and the steps anyone can take to make the most out of what precious resources we have.  We are committed to providing real solutions for real people helping everyone embrace a sustainable lifestyle.

Learn about iSustainableEarthFor some, sustainable living is just the way it is, skills passed down from family or learned through life experience.  For us, it all started with two leaky toilets and an outrageous water bill.  We learned that something so small can have a devastating effect on the environment and more personally, our wallets.  There had to be a better way and our drive to improve our habits showed us that while going green is easy to say, there was no one place we could go for help.  That is why we started iSustainableEarth.com, bringing together the top resources and minds to make sustainable

 http://www.isustainableearth.com/sustainable-living/what-is-vertical-farming

POOPING ON AN AIRPLANE - Pooping on an Airplane Can Be Dangerous, Research Says - According to a new study, airplane bathrooms contain a lot of antibiotic-resistant microbes. There's no other option to use the bathroom on an airplane when you need to use it, what are you going to do, pee your pants? Maybe it's better to do it. According to recent research published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, scientists tested airplane sewage from five different German airports. The sewage tested turned out to contain many different antibiotic-resistant microbes, which is much more than the number of microbes in the sewages of nearby wastewater plants and hospitals, which were also tested.Microbiologist Stefanie Hess of Technische Universität Dresden in Germany told Science News, "This study clearly shows that the antibiotic-resistance problem is a global problem, and a global effort is necessary to tackle this severe threat for human and animal health." Around 90 percent of the 187 E. coli were tested, and according to the study, they were resistant to at least one antibiotic. This is actually a serious problem since infections that can be caused by antibiotic-resistant microbes can be difficult to treat and deadly. At the same time, the number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria was around 45 to 60 percent in the samples from the waste treatment facilities.

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 Pooping on an Airplane

Pooping on an Airplane Can Be Dangerous, Research Says

According to a new study, airplane bathrooms contain a lot of antibiotic-resistant microbes

By Nursah Ergü

Interesting Engineering

There's no other option to use the bathroom on an airplane when you need to use it, what are you going to do, pee your pants?

Maybe it's better to do it.

According to recent research published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, scientists tested airplane sewage from five different German airports.

The sewage tested turned out to contain many different antibiotic-resistant microbes, which is much more than the number of microbes in the sewages of nearby wastewater plants and hospitals, which were also tested.

Microbiologist Stefanie Hess of Technische Universität Dresden in Germany told Science News, "This study clearly shows that the antibiotic-resistance problem is a global problem, and a global effort is necessary to tackle this severe threat for human and animal health."

Around 90 percent of the 187 E. coli were tested, and according to the study, they were resistant to at least one antibiotic.

This is actually a serious problem since infections that can be caused by antibiotic-resistant microbes can be difficult to treat and deadly.

At the same time, the number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria was around 45 to 60 percent in the samples from the waste treatment facilities.

According to a research done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2019, more than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur every year in the U.S.A. and it causes the death of more than 35,000 people.

Some infections such as strep throat, pneumonia, gonorrhea, and foodborne illnesses can get worse and they can be more difficult to treat due to antibiotic resistance.

Microbes become resistant to antibiotics and treatments because of small changes in their DNA and they can transfer this resistance to the other microbes they encounter.

According to the scientists of the research, airplane sewage should be managed and treated more carefully by public health officials.

Founded on the core mission of connecting likeminded engineers around the globe, Interesting Engineering is now a leading community with more than 15 million+ minds. Every day we share a new idea, a new thought, an upcoming technology OR an engineering breakthrough that will change the way you think about technology and engineering in today’s world and in the near future. Whether it’s a device that can charge your mobile in seconds or it’s the latest model of Boeing that has launched moments ago, we will bring everything up on your screen to view, to share and to grant you the power to comment. We believe that sharing information is the only way that can enrich and empower humans on this earth and we follow this as our core mission and responsibility. If you have got something that could entice the world, then Interesting Engineering is a perfect platform to show off your work to the outside world.

https://interestingengineering.com/pooping-on-an-airplane-can-be-dangerous-research-says

MOTHBALLS CAN BE POISONOUS - Mothballs are pesticides. They can be poisonous if swallowed or if large amounts of fumes are inhaled. Once they're out of the box, mothballs look like candy to children. If you're unpacking your winter clothes now, the mothballs are loose and the box is not around. But if you look at a box of mothballs, it is clear that mothballs are pesticides. There is a lot of required information about how and when to use them, what to do if someone swallows them, and how to dispose of them properly. This information is required by law, because mothballs ARE pesticides. An active ingredient in some mothballs is naphthalene. If swallowed, naphthalene can damage red blood cells, causing kidney damage and many other problems. It can affect how blood carries oxygen to the heart, brain, and other organs. It can also cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, seizures and coma. Breathing in the fumes over a period of time can cause poisoning, too. Children have been poisoned by wearing wool clothing stored with naphthalene mothballs, although this is rare. The active ingredient in other mothballs is paradichlorobenzene. This is less toxic, but the mothballs and fumes can still be irritating or even poisonous. Whether you are getting your winter clothes ready for upcoming cold weather or storing boxes of mothballs, there are some safety tips to prevent family members and pets from being poisoned.

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Mothballs Can Be Poisonous

Poison Control

The Bottom Line

Mothballs are pesticides. They can be poisonous if swallowed or if large amounts of fumes are inhaled.

The Full Story

Once they're out of the box, mothballs look like candy to children.

If you're unpacking your winter clothes now, the mothballs are loose and the box is not around.

But if you look at a box of mothballs, it is clear that mothballs are pesticides.

There is a lot of required information about how and when to use them, what to do if someone swallows them, and how to dispose of them properly.

This information is required by law, because mothballs ARE pesticides.

An active ingredient in some mothballs is naphthalene.

If swallowed, naphthalene can damage red blood cells, causing kidney damage and many other problems.

It can affect how blood carries oxygen to the heart, brain, and other organs.

It can also cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, seizures and coma.

Breathing in the fumes over a period of time can cause poisoning, too.

Children have been poisoned by wearing wool clothing stored with naphthalene mothballs, although this is rare.

The active ingredient in other mothballs is paradichlorobenzene. This is less toxic, but the mothballs and fumes can still be irritating or even poisonous.

Whether you are getting your winter clothes ready for upcoming cold weather or storing boxes of mothballs, there are some safety tips to prevent family members and pets from being poisoned.

·      Be sure that loose mothballs and boxes of mothballs are kept where children cannot find them.

·      Follow all label directions carefully. These products are legal to use on and around clothing. They are NOT legal to use loose in the attic, in the eaves, or on the ground outside in an attempt to repel animals.

·      Wash clothing and bedding that has been stored in mothballs before wearing or using it. (Some authorities believe that it's hard to wash naphthalene out of fabrics.)

·      Dispose of mothballs with other household hazardous waste. (Hazardous waste collection sites differ by county.)

·      If you think that anyone has swallowed mothballs, get guidance from Poison Control right away. Use the webPOISONCONTROL^® online tool or call 1-800-222-1222 any time of the day. Both options will tell you exactly what to do.

Rose Ann Gould Soloway, RN, BSN, MSEd, DABAT emerita
Clinical Toxicologist

Prevention Tips

If you choose to use mothballs:

Follow label directions carefully.

Keep mothballs out of reach of children and pets.

This Really Happened

Case 1: A 19-month-old healthy boy swallowed some mothballs containing paradichlorobenzene.

The child was brought to the emergency room, where he was given activated charcoal.

He seemed fine and his physical examination was normal. Three days later, his family took him back to the emergency room.

His skin was yellow and he was fussy. His heart rate was very fast and his hemoglobin (reflecting red blood cells) was very low.

The mothballs had caused his red blood cells to rupture. He was given a transfusion of packed red blood cells and admitted to the hospital.

His hemoglobin level rose and the child recovered without additional problems.

Reference: Sillery JJ, Lichenstein R, Barruets F Jr., Teshome G. Hemolytic anemia induced by ingestion of paradichlorobenzene mothballs. Pediatr Emer Care. 2009;25: 252-254.

Case 2: A 6-month-old 20-pound dog swallowed an unknown quantity of naphthalene mothballs that someone had spread all across a lawn.

The time of the ingestion was unknown. The veterinarian consulted Poison Control when the dog was brought in lethargic, anemic, vomiting blood, and bleeding into his abdomen.

Poison Control discussed the use of methylene blue (an antidote that can treat an abnormal form of hemoglobin that cannot carry oxygen properly, which may result from ingestion of naphthalene), if the veterinarian could test for this abnormal hemoglobin, as well as blood transfusions and intravenous fluids.

The dog however was too sick and had to be euthanized.

 

https://www.poison.org/articles/2008-oct/taking-your-woolies-out-of-mothballs

CAR HEADRESTS AS EMERGENCY ESCAPE TOOLS - Car headrests were designed for resting heads. Any other use is incidental to their intended purpose. Car headrests can be used as tools to break vehicle windows in emergencies. Car headrests were not designed to serve this function. In April 2016, a message circulated on Facebook that car seat headrests were deliberately designed to be detachable and sturdy so that they could be used to break car windows in emergencies. This “survival tip” has been around for several years and has been featured in a number of survival blogs, but it gained widespread popularity when it was featured on a Japanese game show. While it is possible to break a car window with a removable headrest, this is an incidental application of that object rather than a deliberate one. The primary intended function of the modern car headrest was to prevent whiplash in case of accident: When Benjamin Katz filed a patent for an automobile headrest in 1921, he noted that the device could stabilize the head when it was subjected to the “jolts and irregular movements” inherent in driving an automobile. The car headrest has since gone through many changes, but these primarily focus on safety, comfort, and manufacturing, not emergency uses. Regulations from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regarding head restraints also focus on reducing or preventing whiplash, not breaking windows.

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Car Headrests As Emergency Escape Tools

Were Car Headrests Designed as Emergency Escape Tools?

Car headrests were designed for resting heads. Any other use is incidental to their intended purpose.

DAN EVON

Claim

Car headrests were deliberately designed to be removed so that they can be used to smash windows during emergencies.

What's True

Car headrests can be used as tools to break vehicle windows in emergencies.

What's False

Car headrests were not designed to serve this function.

Origin

In April 2016, a message circulated on Facebook affirming that car seat headrests were deliberately designed to be detachable and sturdy so that they could be used to break car windows in emergencies:

This “survival tip” has been around for several years and has been featured in a number of survival blogs, but it gained widespread popularity in 2012 when it was featured on a Japanese game show:

https://youtu.be/tZTa8Nh0VlE

While it is possible to break a car window with a removable headrest, this is an incidental application of that object rather than a deliberate one.

The primary intended function of the modern car headrest was to prevent whiplash in case of accident: When Benjamin Katz filed a patent for an automobile headrest in 1921, he noted that the device could stabilize the head when it was subjected to the “jolts and irregular movements” inherent in driving an automobile.

The car headrest has since gone through many changes, but these primarily focus on safety, comfort, and manufacturing, not emergency uses.

Regulations from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regarding head restraints also focus on reducing or preventing whiplash, not breaking windows. 

A NHTSA and Department of Transportation ruling in 2004 revisited the standards, specifically addressing “Maximum Gap Allowance and Removability“:

Nissan asserted that there are potential production difficulties arising from front head restraint non-removability.

Installing a large seat fitted with a head restraint into a small vehicle, Nissan asserted, might be an arduous task.

Honda wanted all restraints to be removable by hand, out of concern that non-removable head restraints would limit seat design flexibility.

Honda believed that a non-removability prohibition would prevent it from offering the “fully flat seat” option in its CRV model vehicle.

DaimlerChrysler concurred with making front seat head restraints more difficult to remove than rear seat restraints because of their safety benefits and the absence of a need to remove them for visibility and functionality reasons.

DaimlerChrysler also agreed that there should be some means to remove front head restraints for purposes such as seat cover installation.

However, DaimlerChrysler wanted the word “tool” to be interpreted as including the mechanism in their current vehicles requiring two hands to operate.

A majority of industry commenters wanted NHTSA to allow removability of rear head restraints in the final rule.

Ford believed that removability of rear head restraints would allow occupants to fold seats to increase space and would reduce possible incompatibility with child restraints.

Ford stated that while many vehicles are currently designed with head restraints that are removable by hand, Ford does not know of any data regarding misuse or improper adjustment of head restraints caused by hand removability.

DaimlerChrysler believed that NHTSA should permit rear seat head restraint removability to facilitate increased vehicle utility and rearward visibility.

Agency response to comments on head restraint removability: After considering comments, NHTSA decided to allow removability of head restraints solely by hand.

However, for both front and rear optional head restraints, removal must be by means of a deliberate action that is distinct from any act necessary for adjustment.

That is, the “action” required for removal must be distinct from that required for adjustment.

For example, the head restraint may be removed by depressing a special button or operating a lever located somewhere on the head restraint or the seat back.

However, the action involved in adjusting head restraints must be different.

This insures that head restraints are not accidentally removed when being adjusted. The new removability requirement uses language very similar to that in ECE 17, Paragraph 5.13.

We are establishing the new head restraint requirements to ensure that vehicle occupants receive better protection from whiplash and related injuries.

To achieve this purpose, the agency wants to take reasonable steps to increase the likelihood that a head restraint is available when needed.

If head restraints were too easily removable, chances are greater that they will be removed.

That, in turn, increases the chances that the restraints might not be reinstalled correctly, if at all.

By prohibiting removability without the use of deliberate action distinct from any act necessary for adjustment, the likelihood of inadvertent head restraint removal will be reduced, thus increasing the chances that vehicle occupants will receive the benefits of properly positioned head restraints.

The ability to break windows in case of emergency was not mentioned anywhere in this discussion, and the major industry concerns appeared to be visibility and whiplash prevention.

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 202 does not require automakers to manufacture head restraints specifically so that they can be used to break windows in emergencies.

While some can potentially be used that way, they are not designed with that specific purpose in mind.

BY DAN EVON

When misinformation obscures the truth and readers don’t know what to trust, Snopes.com’s fact checking and original, investigative reporting lights the way to evidence-based and contextualized analysis. We always document our sources so readers are empowered to do independent research and make up their own minds.

Snopes got its start in 1994, investigating urban legends, hoaxes, and folklore. Founder David Mikkelson, later joined by his wife, was publishing online before most people were connected to the internet. As demand for reliable fact checks grew, so did Snopes. Now it’s the oldest and largest fact-checking site online, widely regarded by journalists, folklorists, and readers as an invaluable research companion.

Snopes.com is an independent publication owned by Snopes Media Group. Explore our FAQ to learn more about us, or consider becoming a Snopes member. If you have any questions, please let us know.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/car-headrests-emergency-escape/

MAKING PORTLAND CEMENT - Cement is typically made from limestone and clay or shale and sand. These raw materials are extracted from the quarry, crushed to a very fine powder and then blended in the correct proportions. These blended raw materials are called the “raw feed” or “kiln feed” and is heated in a rotary kiln where it reaches a temperature of about 1400c t0 1500c. The rotary kiln is a tube up to 200 meters long and perhaps 6 meters in diameter, with a long flame at one end. The raw feed enters the kiln at the cool and end gradually passes down to the hot end, then falls out of the kiln and the cool downs. The material formed in the kiln is described as “clinker” and is composed of rounded nodules between 1 mm and 25 mm across. After cooling, the clinker may be stroked temporarily in a clinker store, or it may pass directly to the cement mill. The cement mill grinds the clinker to fine powder. A small amount of gypsum – a form of calcium sulfate is normally ground up with the clinker. The gypsum controls the setting properties of the cement when water is added. Basic chemical reaction are: evaporating all moisture, calcining the limestone to produced free calcium oxide with the minor materials. This results in a fine black, nodular product known as “clinker” which has the diverse hydraulic properties.

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Portland Cement

How to Make Portland Cement: The Full Manufacturing Process

by shahe

Portland cement is the most common type of cement.

In particular, “Ordinary Portland cement” is the normal, grey cement with which most people are familiar.

Material made by heating a mixture of limestone and clay in a kiln at about 1400 to 1600 degrees (2550 to 2990 F), then grinding to a fine powder with small addition of gypsum.

How to Make Portland Cement

Raw materials for modern cement making:

Limestones

argillaceous shales

Chalks

schists

Shells

clays

calcareous nodules

other iron-bearing aluminum-silicates.

Raw Materials Preparation

Cement is typically made from limestone and clay or shale and sand. These raw materials are extracted from the quarry, crushed to a very fine powder and then blended in the correct proportions.

Summary of Manufacturing process

Cement is typically made from limestone and clay or shale. These raw materials are extracted from the quarry to a very fine powder in correct proportions.

These blended raw materials are called the “raw feed” or “kiln feed” and is heated in a rotary kiln where it reaches a temperature of about 1400 c t0 1500 c.

In its simplest from, the rotary kiln is a tube up to 200 meters long and perhaps 6 meters in diameter, with a long flame at one end.

The raw feed enters the kiln at the cool and end gradually passes down to the hot end, then falls out of the kiln and the cool downs.

The material formed in the kiln is described as “clinker” and is typically composed of rounded nodules between 1 mm and 25 mm across.

After cooling, the clinker may be stroked temporarily in a clinker store, or it may pass directly to the cement mill.

The cement mill grinds the clinker to fine powder.

A small amount of gypsum – a form of calcium sulfate is normally ground up with the clinker.

The gypsum controls the setting properties of the cement when water is added.

Cement manufacturing process in details

Raw materials: The main raw materials used in the cement manufacturing process are limestone, sands, shale, clay and iron ore.

The main material is usually mined on site on site while the other minor materials may be mined other on site nearby quarries.

Another source of raw materials industrialist by-products.

Raw Material preparation: Mining of limestone requires the use of drilling and blasting techniques.

The blasting techniques use the latest technology to insure vibration, dust, and noise emissions are kept at a minimum.

Blasting produces materials in a wide range of size from approximately 1.5 meters in diameter. Through a series of the crushes and screens, the limestone is reduced to a size less than 100 mm and stored until required.

Depending on size, the minor materials may or may not be crushed before being stored in separated areas until required.

Raw Grinding

Wet process: in the wet process, each raw material is proportioned to meet a desire chemical composition and feed to a rotating ball mill with water.

The raw materials are ground to a size where the majority of the materials are less than 75 microns. Materials exciting the mill are called “slurry” and have flow ability character.

 Following the homogenization process, the slurry is stored in tanks until required.

Dry process: In the dry process, each raw material is proportioned to meet a desired chemical composition and fed to either a rotating ball mill or vertical roller mill.

The raw materials are dried with waste process gases and ground to size where the majority of the materials are less then 75 microns. 

The dry materials exciting either type of mill is called “kiln feed”.

Pyroprocessing

Whether the process is wet or dry, the same chemical reaction take place.

Basic chemical reaction are: evaporating all moisture, calcining the limestone to produced free calcium oxide with the minor materials.

This results in a fine black, nodular product known as “clinker” which has the diverse hydraulic properties.

Wet process

In the wet process, the slurry is fed to a rotary kiln, which can be from 3.0 m to 5.0 m in diameter and from 120.0 m to 165.0 m in length.

The rotary kiln is made of steel and lined with special refractory materials to protect it from the high posses temperature.

Posses temperature can reach as high as 1450 C during the clinker making process.

Dry Process

In the dry process, kiln feed is to a preheat tower, which can be as high as 150.0 meters.

Materials from the preheated tower is discharged to a rotary kiln with can have the same diameter as a wet posses kiln but the length is much shorter at approximately 45.0 m.

The preheated tower and rotary kiln are made of steel and lined with special refractory materials to protect it from the high process temperature.

Regardless of the process, the rotary kiln is fired with an intense flame, produced by burning coal, cock, oil, gas, or waste fuels.

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