This section is devoted to the information that will be useful in the creation of a Kin's Domains.
How absence of a loving father can wreck a child's life: New study shows relationship with both parents is crucial
- Finding was part of large-scale analysis of research about the power of parental rejection
- Researchers say it should help reduce the incidence of 'mother blaming' for trouble children
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by Fiona Macrae
A father's love is as important to a child's emotional development as a mother's, a large-scale study has confirmed.
Examining the cases of more than 10,000 sons and daughters revealed how a cold or distant father can damage a child's life, sometimes for decades to come.
The review of 36 studies from around the world concluded that his love is at least as important to youngsters as that of their mothers.
Researcher Professor Ronald Rohner said that fatherly love is key to development and hopes his findings will motivate more men to become involved in caring for their offspring.
'In the US, Great Britain and Europe, we have assumed for the past 300 years that all children need for normal healthy development is a loving relationship with their mother,' he said.
'And that dads are there as support for the mother and to support the family financially but are not required for the healthy development of the children.
'But that belief is fundamentally wrong. We have to start getting away from that idea and realise the dad's influence is as great, and sometimes greater, than the mother's.'
His conclusions came after he examined data from studies in which children and adults were asked how loving their parents were.
Questions included if they were made to feel wanted or needed, if their parents went out of their way to hurt their feelings and if they felt loved.
Those taking part also answered questions about their personality. These ranged from 'I think about fighting or being mean' to 'I think the world is a good, happy place'.
Tallying the results showed that those rejected in childhood felt more anxious and insecure as well as hostile and aggressive.
Many of the problems carried over into adulthood, reported the study published in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Review.
Crucially, a father's love was often just as important as a mother's. In some cases, it was even more so. One reason for this may be that rejection is more painful when it comes from the parent the child regards as more powerful or respected.
Professor Rohner, of the University of Connecticut, US, said rejection in childhood has the most 'strong and consistent effect on personality and development'.
He added: 'Children and adults everywhere – regardless of race, culture, and gender – tend to respond in exactly the same way when they perceived themselves to be rejected.'
Professor Rohner said that children who feel unloved tend to become anxious and insecure, and this can make them needy. Anger and resentment can lead to them closing themselves off emotionally in an attempt to protect themselves from further hurt.
This may make it hard for them to form relationships. They can suffer from low self-esteem and find it difficult to handle stressful situations.
Professor Rohner added that research shows the same parts of the brain are activated when people feel rejected as when they suffer physical pain.
He added: 'Unlike physical pain, however, people can psychologically relive the emotional pain of rejection over and over for years.'
His research shows a father's input is particularly important for behaviour and can influence if a child later drinks to excess, takes drugs or suffers mental health problems.
Norman Wells, of the Family Education Trust, said: 'This study underlines the importance of intact and stable families where both the father and the mother are committed to bringing up their children together.
'Successive governments have failed to recognise the fact that men and women are different and that they parent differently.'
He criticised ministers for 'pretending that one parent is as good as two, or that two parents of the same sex are as good as two natural parents of the opposite sex'.
This week, the Coalition announced penalties for mothers who fail to allow former partners to maintain a proper relationship with their children, including jail. A right to 'shared parenting' following family breakdown will also be enshrined in law.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/
Family Relationships: Bonding Activities for Dads and Kids
We all know how important it is for dads to bond with their kids, but it doesn't always come as naturally as those cheesy after-school specials suggest. If you're stuck for ideas on ways to get close, try out these easy and fun ways for dads to bond with the kids.
Get Up Early
Get up with the kids, make breakfast and spend time together before heading to work and school. Skipping the snooze button will make everyone's day.
Coach
So what if you're a football fanatic and your son's a volleyball star? This is his chance to shine and your opportunity to support. Offer to coach the team or volunteer in some way and then share a victory dance with your kid.
Eat Dinner Together
We've all heard those countless studies that show that eating together increases communication within a family. Well, they're right. Grab that carving fork and make dinners with the kids a priority.
Help With Homework
Don't let your old geometry phobia keep you from lending a hand with homework. Helping kids with their assignments not only provides a great time to bond, it keeps you involved in their academic progress—a total win-win.
Get Fit Together
Can't afford a personal trainer? Enlist your kids! Make a commitment to exercising together a few times a week. It'll give you great face time and will help keep everyone in shape.
Become a Gamer
You've been waiting for an official license to play video games with your kid, and here it is. If this is an activity your child enjoys, join in and soak up some of that time he'd be spending engrossed in the screen.
Read
Of course you should read to your little ones—it's the parenting law. But even older kids love to be read to. If your kid is way too old for story hour, try reading the same book he is for a lively book club discussion.
Make a Meal
Give Chef Mom the night off and pick one night a week that you and the kids whip up dinner together. No, ordering pizza doesn't count.
Share a Hobby or Interest
Help your child enjoy her interests, whether it's playing princess or playing a game of hoops. Then share your own favorite hobby with her—you might find she loves it just because you do. (No seriously, a lot of 3-year-olds love golf!)
http://www.parentsconnect.com/
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"Quality Time" - A Short Film About Fathers and Sons
Health Basics - What's really behind the ingredient 'Natural Flavors?'
by S. D. Wells
What does the term "natural flavors" really mean? Could it be that the term "natural flavors" includes genetically modified, pesticide-laden food? There are also plenty of "food products" on the shelves that read "all natural" on the label, but they still contain large amounts of synthetic, laboratory-concocted food agents, many of which cause diseases and disorders. So how much more confusing can it get to simply shop for food that doesn't kill you slowly?
Exactly who makes the rules about terms put on labels? You better hope it doesn't all fall in the hands of the FDA, the same organization responsible for allowing genetically modified food to exist and be sold completely undercover ever since its inception. And does natural flavoring include the migraine headache monster monosodium glutamate? Also, can "natural flavoring" include bugs that are ground up to turn your food into some "happy" colors that help you celebrate some birthday or big event? One final question: could "natural flavoring" mean the food contains meat, even though it's a vegetarian or vegan product?
Maybe "natural flavoring" means it's not natural at all, instead, some food scientists were paid millions to create un-natural, immune system "crippling" foods, drinks, candies and medicine, just to make some extra money off of your sickness. There's a point where conspiracy theory bleeds over into the real world of unnatural food and medicine, where paranoia of cancer scams and epidemics spill over into actual statistics (United States), the ones which include every other man and every third women in the most "powerful country in the world."
MSG, Aspartame and bugs in your food are all considered "natural flavors" and "natural colors"
Do you know what autolyzed yeast extract really is? It's MSG. Do you know what hydrolyzed soy protein (also MSG) does to your body? Have you thought about eating some beetles lately, or do you only do that when you have cupcakes, popsicles, birthday cake and cough medicine?
Has your doctor discussed with you the fact that your ingestion of artificial sweeteners may be the main cause of your muscle aches, headaches, irritable bowels and even fibromyalgia? Do allopathic doctors, surgeons and oncologists in America have to take even one single class in college on nutrition? No, they don't. What about continuing education to keep up with the latest food toxins? Nope!
Who regulates whether or not something qualifies as a "natural flavor?" Who does inspections at factories and laboratories, or is that left up to the manufacturer, much like the way it's up to vaccine manufacturers to report adverse effects? When the police themselves are crooks, there's no "policing" of the crimes they are committing. In fact, the whole differentiation of GMO & artificial from Natural & Organic has become a murky mess. The line of distinction between foods labeled "all natural" and cancer causing food is not only blurred, it barely exists.
First of all, regulations for the word "natural" only apply to flavors; anywhere else you find it on food packaging means absolutely nothing regarding quality. Secondly, the FDA definition of "natural flavors" and "natural flavoring" allows for the substance to be extracted from plant or animal "matter." So when you buy something that's organic, vegetarian, or vegan, and it has "natural flavoring," you could be eating a pig, cow, turkey, chicken, or lamb which was shot up with growth hormones, fed GMO pesticide-laden corn and grain - probably mixed with other animals of it's same breed, then shot up with antibiotics due to infections and diseases from living in confined quarters on slats covered in feces.
Your enemy wears a friendly mask
Gary Reineccius, a professor in the Department of Food Science & Nutrition at the University of Minnesota has a tricky explanation for all you researchers. He convinces you to think more about the practical difference between "natural flavoring" and artificial flavoring, which is an angle that might make you think he's looking out for your best interest, but then he contends that the "flavorist" creating any artificial flavoring could never achieve the same "desired flavor," and therefore, if a consumer "purchases an apple beverage that contains an artificial flavor, he/she will ingest the same primary chemicals that he/she would take in if he/she had chosen a naturally flavored apple beverage. What a complete farce!
Of course, this makes no sense at all, but it's one of those resources out there to throw consumers off track who have the energy and the "gumption" to look up the difference online. Mr. Reineccius, the illustrious professor, goes on to tell you more lies. Next he informs you that, "Artificial flavorings are simpler in composition and potentially safer because only safety-tested components are utilized." Really, so where are all the great results from the GMO tests they've run on humans?
MSG is the grim reaper of food additives
Monosodium Glutamate is a neurotoxin that can be legally hidden from you and/or be labeled "natural flavors" in the ingredients list. MSG is not a natural flavor - in fact, it can cause brain lesions, neuro-endocrine disorders, and neurodegenerative disease in humans, but you won't hear any doctors of Western Medicine mentioning that at your next extreme migraine emergency visit. There are more than 25 names for MSG, so sometimes you find it spread out a little, just in case the manufacturer gets "checked out" by anyone other than the FDA.
The FDA does not require that any source of MSG be identified. This means that the FDA code does not require that "constituents" of an ingredient be disclosed to the consumer. Yet in hundreds of studies around the world, scientists are creating obese mice using MSG because it triples the amount of insulin the pancreas creates, causing rats (and perhaps humans) to become obese. This is what the FDA calls natural. There's even a name for the fat rodents that eat this "Natural Flavor" additive: they're called "MSG-Treated Rats."
Not only is MSG scientifically proven to cause obesity, it is an addictive substance. Since its introduction into the American food supply 50 years ago, MSG has been added in larger and larger doses to processed meals, soups, chips, and fast foods. The FDA has set no limits on how much of it can be added to food.
Nutrition scientists have been closely following the health modifying and life extension benefits of calorie restriction (CR) for decades, as reducing caloric intake by 25 to 40 percent each day is shown to dramatically improve quality of life and add years to lifespan in virtually every animal and mammal species. Not only is CR an important element to control overweight and obesity, but the practice is also shown to positively influence the expression of longevity genes known as SIRT, an evolved method of ensuring reproductive abilities among species.
Publishing in the journal Aging Cell, researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown that people who restrict their caloric intake in an effort to live longer have hearts that function more like those in people who are 20 years younger. As heart disease is the leading cause of death in western cultures, this is a finding of critical importance. Would you be willing to cut calories by 400 to 600 each day to dramatically lower your risk of dying from heart disease or a heart attack?
Calorie restriction practices dramatically improve heart health to extend lifespan
People consuming a high-calorie ad libitum (unrestricted) diet typically follow a very predictive curve where the heart's ability to adapt to physical activity, stress, sleep and other factors that influence the rate at which the heart pumps blood slowly declines, ultimately leading to heart failure and cardiovascular disease. People who have significantly restricted their caloric intake for an average of seven years do not exhibit the same rate of decline and maintain heart function similar to those twenty years younger.
Researchers studied 22 CR participants by connecting them to portable heart monitors and comparing them to a second group that did not follow a CR regimen. With an average age just over 51, the CR group ate nutritionally-optimized healthy diets but consumed 30 percent fewer calories than normal. The study team found heart rates were significantly lower in the CR group, while their heart rate variability was significantly higher. The findings were consistent with a group aged in their early thirties.
Lead study author, Dr. Luigi Fontana noted "We looked at normal levels of heart rate variability among people at different ages, and we found that those who practice CR have hearts that look and function like they are years younger." Dr. Fontana concluded "heart rate variability is better in people who practice CR and that means more than just their cardiovascular systems are flexible... the better ratio suggests improved health in general." To practice calorie restriction, begin by cutting 10 to 15 percent of calories daily, and slowly work to reduce calorie intake by as much as 25 percent to optimize heart health and extend natural lifespan.
http://www.naturalnews.com/
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Tweaking tastes and creating cravings
Choosing Real Food Without Artificial Ingredients
by Gina Rau
I've heard that healthy food is expensive, that it takes too long to make with those 20+ ingredient recipes, and that it's just not worth all that effort. We haven't always eaten real, organic food so I understand these feelings and beliefs. I know where they come from.
But then our life changed when our child had a seizure-like reaction to artificial food coloring. No parent expects that, at least we certainly didn't. After that happened we jumped head first into a sea of nutrition information to figure this all out. My husband and I wanted to understand why we couldn't trust the food companies we both grew up with and what could possibly make our child respond this way.
Boy, did we get an education. We learned that so much had changed over just a few decades. Our food supply is now flooded with artificial ingredients that haven't necessarily been proven to be healthy for us.
And especially children like ours.
When something has this kind of impact to your child, you do whatever it takes. Pull out all the stops. And we did. We removed all artificial ingredients from our lives.
I'll admit that it wasn't easy. You have no idea how many places that artificial food dyes hides out until you go to remove them: candy, chips, sports drinks, ice cream. But the most surprising culprits are those marketed as healthy foods like yogurt, cheese, fruit snacks, pickles and even oranges from Florida. And don't forget toothpaste, vitamins and medicines.
It's everywhere. Everywhere, but our home and my children's diet.
Thankfully we've found replacements for almost everything, even popular candies, so it doesn't feel like we're depriving our children of treats. As part of our research, I read Robyn O'Brien's book, The Unhealthy Truth, where she revealed that the problem of artificial food coloring in almost everything at the market isn't an issue in many European countries. It sounds crazy, but,US food manufacturers have different formulas for other countries that do not include artificial food dyes.
You read that right. People in other countries can buy M&M, macaroni & cheese, and Skittles without artificial food dyes.
It doesn't seem fair. It doesn't feel right. But there is a growing number of parents who passionately believe that our kids deserve healthier choices. We're making progress, slowly but surely, by not buying food with artificial ingredients. That's our best way to let the food manufacturers know how we feel. And it's getting easier to do by shopping at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods and other stores committed to real food without artificial ingredients.
Just like riding a bike or playing the piano becomes easier with practice, so does removing artificial ingredients in your diet. We didn't necessarily choose this lifestyle – it chose us – but I'm thankful for the education it's provided so that I can feed my children healthier food and advocate for improvements to our food supply.
http://www.feedourfamilies.com/
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Before his death, father of ADHD admitted it was a fictitious disease
by Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
If you or someone you know has a child that has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), chances are the child is actually just fine. At least this is what the "father" of ADHD, Leon Eisenberg, would presumably say if he were still alive. On his death bed, this psychiatrist and autism pioneer admitted that ADHD is essentially a "fictitious disease," which means that millions of young children today are being needlessly prescribed severe mind-altering drugs that will set them up for a life of drug addiction and failure.
As explained by The Sons of Liberty host Bradlee Dean, who also writes for The D.C. Clothesline, ADHD was merely a theory developed by Eisenberg. It was never actually proven to exist as a verifiable disease, despite the fact that Eisenberg and many others profited handsomely from its widespread diagnosis. And modern psychiatry continues to profit as well, helping also to fill the coffers of the pharmaceutical industry by getting children addicted early to dangerous psychostimulant drugs like Ritalin (methylphenidate) and Adderall (amphetamine, dextroamphetamine mixed salts).
"ADHD is fraud intended to justify starting children on a life of drug addiction," said Dr. Edward C. Hamlyn, a founding member of the Royal College of General Practitioners, back in 1998 about the phony condition. Adding to this sentiment, psychiatrists Peter Breggin and Sami Timimi, both of whom oppose pathologizing the symptoms of ADHD, say that ADHD is more of a social construct than it is an objective "disorder."
Psychiatric profession all about generating obscene profits for Big Pharma
The purpose all along for pathologizing ADHD symptoms, of course, was to generate more profits for the drug industry. According to the citizen watchdog group Citizens Commission on Human Rights International (CCHRI), roughly 20 million American children today are taking dangerous, but expensive, psychiatric drugs for made-up behavioral conditions like ADHD. And another one million or so children have been blatantly and admittedly misdiagnosed with phony behavioral conditions for which psychiatric medications are being prescribed.
"Remember, there are two ways drug companies can make money: Invent new drugs, and invent new diseases already invented drugs can treat," writes Dr. Jay Parkinson, M.D., M.P.H., about the fake disease-creation industry. "In the past decade or so, Big Pharma has created no less than 10 new novel drugs per year," he adds, noting that many of the people who have been told they suffer from ADHD actually suffer from "the consequence of bad design," meaning a conventional social and educational system that is unable and unwilling to recognize unique individuality.
This is definitely true for Jacob Barnett, the 14-year-old autistic genius whose mother was told that her son would probably never read or write. Today, Jacob is already working on his Master's Degree in quantum physics while most of his peers are still in junior high. He is also currently developing his own original theory in astrophysics, according to recent reports.
"The psychiatric/pharmaceutical industry spends billions of dollars a year to convince the public, legislators and the press that psychiatric disorders such as Bi-Polar Disorder, Depression, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, etc. are medical diseases on par with verifiable medical conditions such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease," explains CCHRI. "Yet unlike real medical disease, there are no scientific tests to verify the medical existence of any psychiatric disorder."
http://www.naturalnews.com/
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Watch video: The Scam of Psychiatry, ADHD, Bipolar, Chemical Imbalance;
Sungazing: Discover the bright rewards of this ancient practice
by Carolanne Wright
Reserved for the elite priests and shamans of ancient sun worshiping civilizations, sungazing was considered a powerful tool for spiritual and physical transformation. Today, the practice has been revived and embraced once again - gaining popularity with those who seek heightened vibrancy and joyful states of being. Proponents also believe sungazing reduces hunger and helps to maintain a slim body.
How to feast on sunlight
The fundamental sungazing protocol is quite simple. During sunrise or sunset, stand barefoot on the earth and gaze at the sun for 10 seconds. Each day, look 10 seconds longer until you build up to 44 minutes - about 10 months' worth of daily practice. Remain relaxed and calm, do not squint or strain. Once you have reached the 44 minute mark, the program is complete, further sungazing isn't necessary - although many continue the practice throughout their lives.
Physical, mental and emotional merits
Scientific research supports the advantages of sungazing. According to Dr. Edward F. Group III of the Global Healing Center, a few perks of the practice include:
ENHANCED PRODUCTION OF MELATONIN AND SEROTONIN - Research has found when direct sunlight enters the eyes, it moves through the retinal hypothalamic tract and continues into the brain. The pineal gland is then stimulated to secrete both melatonin and serotonin, two hormones that regulate sleep/wake cycles and positive states of mind, respectively. Melatonin is also a potent antioxidant which slows the ill effects of aging.
INCREASED PINEAL GLAND SIZE - Bombarded by fluoride, toxins and electromagnetic pollution, the pineal gland shrinks and calcifies as we age - compromising melatonin and serotonin production. Sungazing has been shown to enlarge the gland. Brain scans of a long-term, 70-year-old practitioner revealed a pineal gland three times the size of an average man.
MORE ENERGY - Sungazers report heightened vitality. Dr. Group believes this is due to the release of melatonin and serotonin.
Sungazing also curbs the appetite and aids in weight reduction. When we don't receive enough sunlight, vitamin D levels drop which leads to weight gain. Cravings for carbohydrates and sugar also increase due to low serotonin, triggering false hunger signals.
The benefits of the practice are substantial, but it isn't for everyone. As Dr. Group points out:
"Sungazing is an interesting practice that touches the spiritual and psychological realms, which are very personal things. Everyone is wired a little differently ... If you choose to partake, do your own research, be careful, be cautious, and document your experience."
http://www.naturalnews.com/
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About Yellow Jackets and the Benefits of Wasps in the Garden
by Barbara Pleasant
The Yellow Jacket Wasp (Vespidae)
Yellow jacket wasps make irritating company at summer picnics, but they are extremely welcome visitors in the garden. These bright yellow-and-black striped wasps are slick and slender compared with honeybees, and are more likely to be found hunting among foliage than visiting flowers during the first half of summer. The food demands of growing yellow jacket colonies are so great that it has been estimated that more than 2 pounds of insects may be removed from a 2,000-square-foot garden by yellow jackets.
The benefits of yellow jackets come at a cost, because yellow jackets become dangerously aggressive when their nest is threatened. Nests are easiest to locate on warm summer mornings or evenings by carefully scanning the landscape for insects shooting up out of the ground. After you have located yellow jacket nests, decide whether they will stay or go. To neutralize a nest without using pesticides, cover the entry hole with a large translucent bowl or other cover, held in place with a brick. Be sure to approach yellow jacket nests at night, when the yellow jackets are at rest. Use flags or other markers to mark the locations of nests in acceptable places. Yellow jackets typically build new nests each year. Sometimes new yellow jacket nests appear in midsummer after old ones are damaged by foxes or other predators.
What Do Yellow Jackets Eat?
Yellow jackets wasps feed their young liquefied insects, with caterpillars, flies and spiders comprising the largest food groups in the yellow jacket diet during most of the summer. In late summer, yellow jackets start looking for flower nectar and other sources of sugar, which are necessary nutrients for the next season's queens. Meanwhile, fewer young are being raised in the nests, which leaves many individuals with little to do. At this point yellow jackets become an obnoxious presence outdoors, whether they are trying to steal your sandwich or swarming over apple cores in your compost.
How to Attract Yellow Jacket Wasps to Your Garden
Simply allowing selected nests to remain in place is all you must do to receive free pest control service from yellow jackets. Coexisting peacefully with yellow jackets is another issue, especially if you grow tree fruits. Yellow jackets eagerly feed on fallen apples, pears and other fruits, so wear a light glove when cleaning up the orchard. Bury fruit waste beneath 2 inches of soil, or establish a fruit waste compost pile far from your house, where the yellow jackets can eat their fill.
You can use passive traps made from soda bottles to trap yellow jackets lurking on your deck or patio starting in early fall, should they be a problem. Most of these individuals will die of natural causes before the beginning of winter, so you have little to lose by trapping them.
http://www.motherearthnews.com/
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The value of the paper wasp in permaculture
Wasps in the garden and how to get rid of them
It's summer and of course, some wasps found a new home in my garden tool shed. I'm not actually hostile towards these insects, since they are a natural pest control, but since I need to access that shed occasionally and don't want to get stung while doing so, they need to go.
So the discussion started in the family, on what would be the best method to accomplish this. The safest choice would of course be calling the pest exterminator, but thats a bit expensive. I'd certainly do it for a large nest, but for small, fist-sized ones, there should be a do it yourself way for removing them.
Poison is the classic gardeners solution, but besides being poisonous and therefore potentially unhealthy, it's also a hassle to pick the right brand for the right price. I mean, just try to get a decent purchase advice at the store. Chances are, you either end up with a generic and relatively harmless insect spray, which assumes, that it's ok, if the bug dies some time in the next half an hour after being sprayed, or "Killex - Death in a can".
I really don't feel like experimenting with several products. What I actually want, is a cheap, and environmental safe way to get rid of the wasps without getting stung.
My solution? Say hello to biology 101: Wasps don't survive in winter. What makes winter in summer? Right, Ice-spray! Using cold does not only not leave any toxic residue behind, it's also natural enough to not raise an alarm of an attack inside the nest.
As an additional benefit, ice-spray is also rather cheap with about 3€ per can and a versatile household item, so left overs are less likely to go to waste.
The stuff can be bought at most hardware or electronics stores. Medical suppliers usually also carry it for treating athletic injuries, though I would recommend buying at a hardware store. Ice-spray for medical purposes is usually more expensive and less cooling.
Ok, let's talk procedure then. Simply waltzing up to the nest, armed with a can of ice-spray is probably not the best course of action. Proper safety gear and a battle plan is still a must. Make sure to have the following available:
- One can of ice-spray, the colder, the better. Preferably use one with a pipe extension on the nozzle, so you can keep some distance and pierce the outer wall of the nest.
- Safety goggles, working gloves, thick clothes and a scarf to protect yourself.
- A flashlight and a shovel or dustpan.
- An escape way and a friend/family member as backup, in case something goes horribly wrong.
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The best time to destroy the wasp nest is either in the early morning before sunrise or the late evening after sunset, when it is dark and naturally cool. Wasps do not fly at that time of the day. If you startle one anyway, use the flashlight to lure it away from the nest (remember: insects are attracted by light). Put it down on the ground and use the shovel to kill it at a safe distance. Never kill one in the direct vicinity of the nest. A smashed wasp will release pheromones, which act as alarm signals.
Apply the ice-spray generously to the nest surface first, to cool it down. Then either pierce through the wall (wasp nests are like paper), if your can has a pipe extension or spray through the entrance hole at the bottom. Chances are, that the nest will fall apart being treated like this. If not, help along with the shovel. Once it falls to the ground, use the shovel to properly smash it. The ice-spray alone will likely only immobilize the insects, but not necessarily kill them.
Seems like the ants were delighted about the remains. Now, how do I get rid of the ants?!
http://www.onyxbits.de/
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Green Walls May Cut Pollution in Cities
Living Wall
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Photograph by Bertrand Garbel, Hemis.fr/Getty Images |
A living wall bursts with vegetation at Paris's Musée du Quai Branly—a type of green wall that's catching on in some big cities.
These vegetated surfaces don't just look pretty. They have other benefits as well, including cooling city blocks, reducing loud noises, and improving a building's energy efficiency.
What's more, a recent modeling study shows that green walls can potentially reduce large amounts of air pollution in what's called a "street canyon," or the corridor between tall buildings.
For the study, Thomas Pugh, a biogeochemist at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany, and his colleagues created a computer model of a green wall with generic vegetation in a Western European city. Then they recorded chemical reactions based on a variety of factors, such as wind speed and building placement.
The simulation revealed a clear pattern: A green wall in a street canyon trapped or absorbed large amounts of nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter—both pollutants harmful to people, said Pugh.
Compared with reducing emissions from cars, little attention has been focused on how to trap or take up more of the pollutants, added Pugh, whose study was published last year in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.
That's why the green-wall study is "putting forward an alternative solution that might allow [governments] to improve air quality in these problem hot spots," he said.
by Christine Dell'Amore
Vertical Garden
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Photograph from UIG/View Pictures/Getty Images |
"Vertical gardens," as they're sometimes called, can visually enhance an otherwise forgotten space, noted Paul Erlichman of the Toronto-based group Green Roofs for Healthy Cities.
"Walls are the more underutilized spaces in our urban areas," he added.
There are three types of green walls: Living walls, green facades, and retaining living walls, he said.
In green facades, vines and climbing plants or cascading ground covers grow into supporting structures, according to the Green Roofs for Healthy Cities website.
Living walls are composed of pre-vegetated panels, modules, planted blankets, or bags that are affixed to a structural wall or free-standing frame. Finally, retaining living walls are engineered living structures designed to stabilize a slope.
Going Green
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Photograph by Sandra Raccanello, Grand Tour/Corbis |
In Madrid, plants turn a wall in the Paseo del Prada bright green.
Green walls are particularly useful in reducing pollution in street canyons, which are "a particular kind of oddity in that they tend to trap air within them, while over the city as a whole the air circulates freely," Thomas Pugh noted.
Because a green wall's vegetation is working with a much smaller volume of air in a street canyon, he added, it's more effective at absorbing or trapping the pollutants than if it was tackling a whole mass of air above the city.
However, Pugh cautioned, "we need more research to understand just how effective green walls can really be in real locations."
Colorful Tableau
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Photograph by Franck Guiziou, Hemis.fr/Getty Images |
A green wall creates a colorful tableau in Copenhagen's Kongens Nytorv (Royal Square).
The European Union sets standards for air pollution and imposes fines if levels within a country exceed those levels, noted study leader Thomas Pugh.
London and some cities in Western European countries in particular have had trouble keeping air pollution in check—making green walls a possible solution.
Against the Wall
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Photograph by Carol Sharp, Eye Ubiquitous/Corbis |
The ability of green walls, such as this one at the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris, to cool street canyons is especially key in the summertime, Thomas Pugh noted.
"If you have a surface covered in plants," he said, "when the sun's heat hits them, instead of just warming up they send a lot of energy back into the atmosphere as water vapor. Whereas a concrete wall would heat up and send [the heat] back into the canyon."
Green Gold
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Photograph by L. Wheatley, Garden Picture Library/Getty Images |
A vertical garden (pictured) won the gold medal in the 2011 Chelsea Flower Show in London.
Each year Green Roofs for Healthy Cities issues the Green Roof & Wall Awards of Excellence. The 2013 winners will be announced in October at CitiesAlive: 11th Annual Green Roof and Wall Conference in San Francisco.
According to the organization's website, green walls may improve your mood as well as your health.
"Studies have shown that visual access to natural settings leads to increased job satisfaction and productivity ... and post-operative recovery rates in medical facilities," the website says.
How Green Walls Work
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Illustration by Jason Treat, National Geographic. Source: Patrick Blanc |
Many living wall systems also have built-in irrigation systems in which water is harvested at the bottom of the wall and recirculated back to the top, as seen above.
The types of plants on green walls differ, but can include grasses, vines, and other climbing plants—all of which must have strong root structures, Green Roofs for Healthy Cities' Paul Erlichman said.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/
Green Wall Benefits
Green Wall systems combine great design scope with a number of ecological and performance benefits:
Improves aesthetics
A well designed and maintained Green Wall can significantly enhance a building's appearance - whether it's to add a new aesthetic dimension, disguise a car park, refresh a tired façade or add colour and texture to a complete wall or section.
Regulate temperature and reduce carbon footprint
A green wall used on appropriate elevations can reduce energy costs by both providing an additional layer of insulation in the winter (keeping heat in) and acting as a screen to the sun in the summer (keeping the building cool).
Protect building façades
Green wall systems can help to protect a building's façade and extend its life, acting as an effective shield to heavy rain and hail and helping to protect from the damaging effects of UV light.
Provide wildlife habitats
With a strong base from the trellis and appropriate planting, a green wall can provide an ideal habitat for wildlife. In many cases, it can also provide an alternative habitat for any wildlife displaced during construction, with the option of integrating bird houses within the structure.
Improve air quality
A green wall in an urban area can help improve local air quality, both by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, and by trapping dust and other pollutants.
Deter graffiti
In areas where graffiti is a potential problem, green walls can act as an effective deterrent, making the application of graffiti to the building structure almost impossible.
Reduce noise
By adding a layer of insulation (both thermal and acoustic) green walls absorb sound - making a positive impact for both the building's occupants and the local environment.
Green Wall Applications
Green Wall technology may be used for a wide variety of projects - both new build and refurbishment for a variety of building types.
From small garden projects to large industrial and commercial developments, the benefits of Green Wall systems are being realised across the public and private sectors.
With carbon reduction targets a key focus for many public sector organisations (particularly schools and hospitals), Green Walls can play a contributory role, significantly helping to reduce a building's carbon footprint.
In schools the systems can also deliver educational benefits, encouraging pupils to engage with the problems of carbon reduction and climate change and with broader ecological and environmental issues. Specific systems can be designed to suit a range of plant types, and as a habitat for different wildlife.
Green Wall systems require very few small fixings and therefore the impact on, or potential for damage to a building's façade is minimal. Similarly, the system is set away from the wall so, with the correct plant choice, plants will not damage the façade and systems may be used with confidence on existing buildings, even those that may be listed.
Recent developments in vertical faming techniques also demonstrate the potential and versatility of Green Wall systems. Using large urban structures to grow crops on their facades, buildings would become 'farmscapes' - effectively with green walls providing a sub-structure to support the growth of crops such as fruit and vegetables.
http://www.green-walls.co.uk/
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