Adorable Dinosaur Nightlight Uses Algae To Glow In The Dark!

Is your little one afraid of the dark? Or are they just crazy about anything dinosaur-related? This adorable dinosaur-shaped nightlight from California-based company Yonder Biology might be the perfect friend to get them used to sleeping alone. Made from polyethylene plastic, the dinosaur-shaped container houses dinoflagellate algae. This is just one of many types of algae with bio-luminescent properties, which is a fancy way of saying it glows in the dark. Because the algae is a living organism, Dino Pets actually depend on their owners to survive. Daily sunlight is a must, and special dino food is added once every 1-3 months to keep the algae happy. The Dino Pet is currently gathering funding on Kickstarter. Keep reading to find out how you can nab one! READ MORE >> via INHABITAT http://inhabitat.feedsportal.com/c/34923/f/648037/s/300b2e1d/sc/38/l/0Linhabitat0N0Cadorable0Edinosaur0Enightlight0Euses0Ealgae0Eto0Eglow0Ein0Ethe0Edark0C/story01.htm

Dinner

I haven't had a burger in months. As we walked past Burgerville on the way to the hotel my taste buds began to salivate. What joy when a brief Internet search revealed Burgerville's sustainability mission. Local grass fed meat. Take a look at their receipt. Wish all restaurants printed receipts like this.

Next food destination? I must find out where the pedestrian with her pink Voodoo Donuts' box has been.

Malawi to roll out "fertilizer trees" project

*Fertilizer trees should increase productivity of maize crops in Malawi

Deogratias Mmana
23 March 2007
Source: SciDev.Net

[BLANTYRE] Malawi will this year implement a 'fertilizer trees' project to reduce the amount of fertilizer needed by smallholder farmers.
Fertilizer trees are varieties of shrubs that capture nitrogen from the air and transfer it to the soil, a process known as nitrogen fixing. This restores nutrients and increases crop productivity — with potential to double or triple harvests.
The trees can be interplanted with crops for 1-3 years before being cut and left to decompose, providing fuel and more fertilizer.
Policymakers and agricultural scientists drew up plans for implementing the programme at a conference last month (13-16 February).
The project will target 200,000 farmers, representing ten per cent of the agricultural sector, and will start in August, according to Festus Akinnifesi, Malawi's senior tree scientist and country representative of the South African Development Community (SADC) and World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF).
Akinnifesi says the farmers will receive free tree seeds, an information kit and training on the system and associated crop husbandry.

According to Jeffrey Sachs, director of the UN Millennium Project, fertilizer trees are among the most promising means for achieving the Millennium Development Goal of halving global hunger by 2015.
There are four fertilizer tree systems, all of which are based on improved fallowing ― allowing soil to recover nutrients. Malawi will adopt all four systems depending on the type of land.
The first system is sequential planting of nitrogen-fixing trees such as Sesbania sesban and Tephrosia vogelli with maize, shortening the amount of time land needs to lie fallow. In the second, Gliricidia sepium is planted along with maize and coppiced ― heavily pruned ― during maize growth to prevent competition.
The third involves planting nitrogen-fixing trees a few weeks after maize to reduce competition between the plants. In the fourth, leaves of trees are used as fertilizer for vegetable crop production in the wetlands and maize production in the uplands.

More than 300,000 farmers are currently using fertilizer trees in five SADC countries — Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

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Related SciDev.Net articles: Think small for water management, say scientists 'Waste membrane' could help crops conserve water 'Gene deleting' tool could lead to safer GM crops Related links: World Agroforestry Centre South African Development Community Photo Credit: FAO

HELP the campaign for GMO labeling on food products

World Food Day: October 16, 2011

Help the campaign reach 1 million!

We need as many people as possible in the streets on October 16 with a goal of enlisting 1,000,000 people into the campaign for mandatory labels on genetically engineered foods. Join us by getting involved in a local Millions Against Monsanto World Food Day event.

Healthy Apps

iFit: 50 Coolest Fitness and Health Apps for the iPhone

For many individuals and staying in shape and getting healthy can be a bit of a challenge. The iPhone can help make it a little easier, however, with a wide range of apps that can help you track and stay informed about your health. From nutrition facts that let you know just how many calories are in that Big Mac to instructional fitness videos, there are numerous ways you can turn your iPhone into more than just a phone and let it help you keep yourself in tip top shape. Here are a few great applications that can let you integrate your iPhone into you or your patient’s health and fitness program.

Tracking

Keep yourself motivated and on track with these fitness programs that monitor your progress to a happier, healthier you.

1. iPhit Fitness Tracking: This program allows users to combine their Nike + iPod sensor kit with their iPhone to keep track of their walking or running progress.
2. MyNetDiary: Get access to this Web-based diet and exercise program right through your iPhone. You’ll be able to quickly jot down what you had for dinner or how long you worked out, even when you’re on the go.
3. Gyminee: Sign up for this fitness tracking site and use the iPhone-optimized version to keep track of your workouts and your daily nutrition.
4. iPhodometer: This Nike + alternative allows users to keep track of how many calories they are burning as they walk or run.
5. WeightDate: This application makes it easy to see how your weight is changing over time, whether it’s going up or down. The program also provides an average to let you see how you’re moving towards your goal over the long term.
6. Limeade: Limeade aims to help users get healthy by giving them an assessment and helping them to develop personalized fitness goals. Best of all, the site has a version optimized just for use with the iPhone.
7. SparkPeople: Create diet plans that concentrate on nutrition and focus on fitness training through SparkPeople on your iPhone.
8. FitReach: This program allows you to view your gym training for the day, track your diet and manage your weight goals, all from the iPhone interface.