Environmentally-Friendly “Earth Homes”
by Lady Camelot
What are “Earth Homes?” Earth homes are houses that are basically constructed from the earth. Some earth homes are built from adobe, mud, straw or even underground as an earth-sheltered home. Environmentally friendly, earth homes are easy to warm and cool and extremely energy efficient.
Adobe Earth homes are houses constructed from bricks comprised of tightly compacted earth, clay and straw. Adobe earth homes can be naturally waterproofed by using fermented cactus juice!
Earth sheltered earth homes are houses the are constructed underground - or at least mostly beneath the ground surface. Surrounding soil is a superp and nautral insulation which makes these homes cheap to heat and cool. Usually installed in a well-drained hillside, earth sheltered homes have a skylight window that can fill the home with natural sunlight. Although costs may run a bit higher than conventional home construction, earth sheltered homes are a good, long-term investment as lowered maintenance and energy savings make up the difference.
Straw Bale earth homes are making a comeback as well. Straw bale earth homes are obviously constructed of straw and grass, are energy efficient, and can cut material building costs by as much as fifty percent.
Earth homes, such as Cob Houses are built from clay-type lumps of soil, sand and straw. Similar to the adobe homes, except cob earth homes do not use bricks or blocks. Cob homes have walls that are sculpted into smooth forms. Again, very energy efficient, cob homes are well-suited for the very cold climates and deserts.
Rammed earth homes may have over 18-inch, thick walls that are made from a comcination of dirt, sand, cement and water. Energy conservative, rammed earth homes have the appearance of bungalow-style charm and help keep the house warm in winter and cool in the summer. Additionally, rammed earth homes may last hundreds of years.
Why build an earth home? Earth homes conserve energy, and in most cases are easier to maintain and can endure for years to come. An excellent site to visit on earth homes: www.hobbithomes.ca This particular site even has a recipe for building your own “cob” earth home, and other projects as well.
As we embark on a strange, new age and global warming continuously on the rise, doesn’t it make sense to construct your new custom home as an earth home?
© LadyCamelot 2004 Public Relations’ Director for www.HolisticJunction.com - Your Pathway to Discovery
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About the Author
Lady Camelot serves as the Public Relations’ Director for HolisticJunction.com and is the published author of “Windows to the Soul.” She has had several poems published in esteemed anthologies, is a freelance writer, artist and more recently has had her literature inducted into the Ellis Island Library in tribute to the events of 911.
So consider getting air conditioner filters or furnace filters that do not generate any ozone. Prescription Checklist: Change or clean your furnace and air conditioner filters once a month or according to the filter manufacturer’s instructions. Increased dust could be a sign that it is time to change a dirty furnace or air conditioner filter or vacuum cleaner bag. my furnace air conditioner filter seems to contain an inordinate amount of dust despite regul… my furnace air conditioner filter seems … my furnace air conditioner filter seems to contain an inordinate amount of dust despite regular replacement. High-efficiency electrostatic air filters should be used in air conditioner and furnace systems. You also need to check the filter when running the central air conditioner, because air circulates through the furnace and the filter. Finally, these filters are called furnace filters, or air conditioner filters, because they are designed to filter the air going to the equipment. Furnace and air conditioner filter ratings, reviews and comparisons.
Change the air conditioner’s filters regularly Dirty filters restrict air flow, reduce efficiency and worst case, can cause the evaporator to ice up. Dirty filters reduce the efficiency of the air conditioner. The most important maintenance task that will ensure the efficiency of your air conditioner is to replace or clean filters monthly. A dirty air filter reduces airflow and operating efficiency and, in some cases, can damage a room air conditioner. The most important maintenance task that will ensure the efficiency of your air conditioner is to routinely replace or clean its filters. To ensure the efficiency of your air conditioner, routinely replace or clean the filters.
Install dimmer switches where incandescent lighting is used. Replace air conditioner filters for maximum airflow and efficiency. The most important maintenance task to help ensure the efficiency of your air conditioner is to routinely replace or clean its filters. When filters get plugged with dirt, airflow through the ducts is reduced and your air conditioner’s performance and efficiency suffer.
It is best to clean your air conditioner filter at least once a month. Check your air conditioner filter at least once a month and keep it clean. Check, clean or replace the filter in your air conditioner at least once a month. Replace air conditioner filters every month. Check air conditioner filters at least once a month during the summer and clean or replace them as needed. It’s also important to maintain room air conditioners by changing the filter once a month.
Clean all air filters, air conditioner filters, and duct filters at each change of season. In the winter set your thermostat to 68 degrees Clean or replace air conditioner filters monthly during the cooling season. If you have a central air conditioner, regularly clean a re-usable filter or change the filter at the beginning of the cooling season. The most important maintenance task that will ensure the efficiency of your air conditioner is to replace or clean filters monthly. The most important maintenance task that will ensure the efficiency of your air conditioner is to routinely replace or clean its filters. The most important maintenance task to help ensure the efficiency of your air conditioner is to routinely replace or clean its filters.
Increased dust could be a sign that it is time to change a dirty furnace or air conditioner filter or vacuum cleaner bag. my furnace air conditioner filter seems to contain an inordinate amount of dust despite regul… my furnace air conditioner filter seems to contain an inordinate amount of dust despite regular replacement. Pop off the front of your window air conditioner to remove and clean the cooling air filter. Unlike other brands, this portable air conditioner includes a carbon filter to help remove odors. Inspect and clean the air conditioner/heat pump filters immediately to remove any imminent hazard. Also, make sure the filter is clean.Don’t short cycle the cooling systemAir conditioners have a cooling system identical to a refrigerator’s.
Replace air conditioner filters Dirty filters restrict airflow and can cause the system to run longer, increasing energy use. Replace your air conditioner or heat pump air filter. Unlike some inert particles, which may be trapped in your furnace/air conditioner filter, bacteria and fungi are living organisms. Unlike some inert particles which may be trapped in your furnace/air conditioner filter, bacteria and fungi are living organisms. Designer of air pollution control and analysis equipment including precipitators, fabric filters, scrubbers and gas conditioners. Finally, these filters are called furnace filters, or air conditioner filters, because they are designed to filter the air going to the equipment. Slide-out filter: Every unit air conditioner has a filter that must be cleaned. An extremely blocked filter can cause your outdoor air conditioner unit to shut down due to lack of proper airflow.
The airconditioner filter can be said to be a two filter in one due to the symmetry about the central grid. Our products include closed-loop air conditioners, hazardous duty air conditioners, filtered fan systems & heat exchangers. Check air conditioner filters at least once a month during the summer and clean or replace them as needed. Be sure to clean and replace your air conditioner filter every two weeks during the summer. To maintain your air conditioner, clean the air filter every few weeks. It’s also important to maintain room air conditioners by changing the filter once a month. Changing air conditioner filters monthly will help you save too. Clean air conditioner filters regularly, keep the front and back of air conditioners unobstructed. When filters get plugged with dirt, airflow through the ducts is reduced and your air conditioner’s performance and efficiency suffer.
Older model air conditioners use a foam filter that can be replaced when it collects too much dirt. Change the air conditioner’s filters regularly Dirty filters restrict air flow, reduce efficiency and worst case, can cause the evaporator to ice up. Dirty filters reduce the efficiency of the air conditioner. At present, in some cases a filter for removing harmful substances is always attached to the return opening of the circulating air conditioner. Ensure that the air conditioner’s filter is changed on a regular basis, optimally every 30 days. Cleaning a dirty air conditioner filter can save 5 percent of the energy used.
http://www.air-compressor-part.com/air-conditioner-filter/
Suwat Munpan is the webmaster of the Prescription Checklist Air
Conditioner Filter Change Or Clean - Quickly and Easily! www.air-compressor-part.com/air-conditioner-filter/
As people search for alternatives to fossil fuel energy, solar
energy emerges as one of the cleanest and most practical sources
of electricity. Solar panels can be installed on rooftops or any
area that receives a lot of sunshine. The solar panels consist
of a photovoltaic system that converts the energy of the sun
into electricity.
Photovoltaic systems have existed since the 1950s but only in
recent years has the technology matured to the point of making
it a viable alternative to power utilities. Indeed, most solar
systems do not replace the utility company, instead they work in
conjunction with it to produce extra electricity that can be fed
back into the grid.
One of the main problems with solar power is storing it for use
during non-daylight hours. Batteries can be used but they are
expensive and have a limited life span. As an alternative,
excess solar electricity can be fed back to the power utility
company for a credit, and then power can be drawn when needed.
In a sense, the utility company becomes the storage device.
Most municipalities have legislation requiring power utility
companies to accept electricity produced by solar panels or wind
turbines. This system benefits everyone - there is less
dependency on fossil fuel power plants and electricity costs are
reduced for owners of photovoltaic systems.
Photovoltaic cells produce electricity by using specially
treated materials such as silicon that convert light into power.
They can be of almost any size and are suitable for providing
electricity for small items such as calculators or watches right
up to complete industrial complexes. Because they can be wired
together, an array of solar cells can produce enough electricity
for residential or commercial needs.
The main requirement, of course, is sunlight. This makes solar
power most practical for southern areas such as California and
Arizona. But it can also be used in more northerly areas as a
backup power system. As the technology advances, photovoltaic
cells are able to produce usable amounts of electricity even in
low light conditions.
Looking for a great weekend outing for the family? Come see the wildflowers in Texas in the spring. The highway medians and hillsides are full of color – bright red, yellow and blue, pink and cream – but you better look out because cars are always pulling off the side of the highway to ogle and take photographs.
It’s a tradition to get in your car in the spring and go look at the wildflowers. Nearly everyone in Texas has a photo of their kids in the bluebonnets.
BLUEBONNETS
Typically, in my photo album there’s a photo of me in the bluebonnets taken by my grandmother, a photo of my sons in the bluebonnets, taken by me, and a photo of my granddaughter in the bluebonnets taken by my daughter-in-law.
Bluebonnets, the state flower of Texas grow all over the Texas Hill Country, from San Antonio up to Dallas and for two weekends in April people come from all around for what has become one of central Texas’ major events.
“Don’t be surprised,” says an article in the Austin Statesman “to see 30 to 40 cars pulled off the road at some spots, with children squatting in neck-high fields of lupinus, better known as bluebonnets, smiling for the family camera.”
In fact it’s such an event, there are some hotlines you can call that track sightings of wildflowers that will tell you the best places. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center ( http://www.wildflower.org ) is one – 512-832-4037, and another resource is Texas Department of Transportation – 1-800-452-9292 - which provides tourism information and also the option to hear reports on wildflower sightings throughout the state.
WIDLSEED FARMS
When you come, plan your trip to include WildSeed Farms (http://www.wildseedfarms.com ), the largest working wildflower seed farm in the U. S.
I discovered the farm as I was on my way to visit LYNDON B. JOHNSON STATE PARK and HISTORIC SITE, which is between Fredericksburg and Johnson City. I was driving along the highway, and all of a sudden cars were swerving, stopping, pulling over, and heading back. There on my left were the beautiful gardens full of brilliant color, and I joined in, pulling over and heading back.
Equidistant from Junction, San Antonio and Austin, Texas, and seven miles east of Fredericksburg, WildSeed Farm is on highway 290 and open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For a map go here - http://www.wildseedfarms.com/farm_map.html . They will hold their Wildflower Celebration April 4th through April 17th, which should the peak of the season.
While there, visit The Meadows, including a butterfly house, display gardens and education walking trails. The kids (and you) can learn more about a real working farm, and then visit the market Center building complex with its retail center, BrewBonnet Biergarten (beer, wine or soft drinks, ice cream, German tacos and snacks), Garten Haus (houseplants) and the Blumen Haus (fresh cut flowers).
There’s plenty of room for the kids to run around, and when else can they see a working wildflower seed farm?
For more information call 1-800-848-0078 or visit them on the web. Do be aware that I’m sorry to say their photographs do not do justice to what you will see in person if you hit the Texas highways in April.
This part of Texas is filled with quaint shops and historical places, excellent food, and a welcome attitude toward tourists. There are innumerable attractions to visit in the area, but I’ll mention one if you’re especially interested in flowers.
ANTIQUE ROSE EMPORIUM
Be sure and visit the Antique Rose Emporium ( http://www.antiqueroseemporium.com ) in San Antonio, 7561 Evers Road, 210-651-4565, open daily. Tour the grounds and the beautiful displays garden and pick up some hardy antique roses for your own garden.
On the spring calender for them are the following. Fore more information call Robbi at 210-651-4565:
April 23, An Herb Affair, 1-4 p.m. The Comal Master Gardeners will give demonstrations, recipes, samples and ideas.
April 30, Children’s Day in the Garden, 1-4 p.m. This time the Bexar County Master Gardeners are incharge with hands-on fun and educational activities with garden and outdoor themes for the little ones.
While in the area, in San Antonio you’ll find the ALAMO, SEAWORLD, FIESTA TEXAS, MISSION TRAIL, and the RIVERWALK.
AUSTIN AREA
Over in Austin, the state capital, you’ll find 42 more acres of wildflowers at LADY BIRD JOHNSON WILDFLOWER RANCH (http://www.wildflower.org/ ) and the beautiful UMLAUF SCULTURE GARDEN & MUSEUM (http://www.umlaufsculpture.org/ ), one of my favorites for a quiet afternoon.
Umlauf, whose works are featured in the Smithsonian Institutition and N. Y.’s Metropolitan Museum, taught art at UT and donated his home, studio and many works to the city of Austin which created the museum. Look among the statues for the face of his former UT student, Farah Fawcett. An exceptionally peaceful and beautiful sculpture garden!
While there, visit BARTON SPRINGS ( http://www.tec.org/bartonsprings/5Ws.html ) a 1,000 foot long natural limestone pool fed by several underground springs, situated in ZILKER PARK (http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/zilker ) and ride the Zilker Eagle train, and enjoy the huge playscape and 400 acres of sports fields and woodlands.
Then for more scenery, take the HILL COUNTRY FLYER, a steam locomotive SP 786 manned by volunteers. There are 1-hour trips through Austin, a 33-mile ride from Cedar Park (north of Austin) to Burnet through the Hill Country and special event rides, such as murder-mystery excursions. Call 512-477-8468 for more information.
Also for the kids, there are zoos in both San Antonio and Austin.
If you choose the Dallas area, give photographer Kelly Dunn of JustImagineInc a call ( http://www.justimagineinc.com ). Book your bluebonnet photography session early. She’s very popular.
BAT EGRESS
And last, but not least, to make this a memorable excursion for the kids, there’s the BAT EGRESS. This is something you won’t see all the time. Every evening from March until early November, 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats emerge from their roosts under the Congress Avenue Bridge in downtown Austin on their nightly forage for food. Go here for directions - http://www.batcon.org/discover/congress.html .
There’s plenty of parking, restaurants nearby, a souvenir stand (yes, t-shirts!) but no public restrooms or concessions.
They usually fly out at dusk and yes, there’s a hotline. Call 512-416-5700 (category 3636) for the latest flight times.
Here is a picture of the people waiting - http://www.batcon.org/discover/cab14-sm.jpg , and here go the bats - http://www.batcon.org/discover/cab08-sm.jpg .
Trust me, you have never seen anything like it, and it is guaranteed to render all age groups speechless. It’s very silent. It is also VERY creepy. (And remember, you can look but you better not touch.)
Y’all come now, y’hear?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
©Susan Dunn, MA, Life & EQ Coach, http://www.susandunn.cc. She offers individual coaching, Internet courses and ebooks for your personal and professional development and helps people develop their emotional intelligence. She trains and certifies EQ coaches. Mailto:sdunn@susandunn.cc for FREE ezine and more information. Ms. Dunn is the author of “How to Develop Your Child’s EQ,” www.webstrategies.cc/ebooklibrary.html
Strategies you can use to sell your home faster.
Yes, you want to sell your home and you want to sell it fast. It may be a seller’s market and every other home in your neighbourhood is selling and you think it’s going to be a cakewalk selling your home. You put your house up for sale, people come, a few offers pour in, negotiations take place and then something happens that the deal falls through. This happens more than not when it comes to selling homes. The critical stage is when someone’s given you an offer and when the negotiation starts. First thing, when you get an offer, which in your opinion is ridiculously low don’t just reject it outright. In most cases, the buyer’s just testing the waters to see the best he can get. Always give a counter-offer however disparate your figure may be with the buyer’s offer. Once that’s done, you want to make sure the deal doesn’t fall through. There are many ways in which you can close the deal fast and ensure that both you and the buyer are satisfied. What you can do is negotiate with some other items. Here below are a few examples:
- Include a few items or appliances along with the price like your alarm system, dishwasher, dressing table, etc. This may also be a way to rid yourself of the items you were in any case not intent on using for yourself.
- Offer a decorating allowance. This may be particularly applicable if the buyer likes everything but the way you’ve done up your home.
- Offer pre-sale inspection and home warranty. A comprehensive home inspection combined with a home warranty reassures buyers that the property is in good condition and that certain repairs will be covered by insurance.
- Offer a lease option where the buyer may rent the property with an option to buy later on. A percentage of the rent may be set aside as the buyer’s down payment.
- Offer to pay for some of the closing costs such as the prepaid interest charges or the first year’s property taxes.
Feel free to be a little innovative with your negotiation and you may just find yourself with a deal faster than you thought.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sameer S Panjwani is the CEO and Founder of ChoiceOfHomes.com - Real estate listings of homes for sale and rent.
The most beautiful dyes for Easter eggs come from foodstuff you probably already have in your kitchen.
I have been delighted with the results of the colors I have tried and my friends have been thrilled to receive them as springtime gifts. The colors are very unusual — gentle, earthy, soft, and very vibrant, without being harsh like the artificial dyes — and when I tell people the colors come from plant dyes, they always want to know the origin of each color.
To color these eggs, you boil the eggs with the dyestuff, rather than boiling the eggs separately and they dying them.
Here are the general directions:
- Put raw, white-shelled, organically-raised eggs in a
single layer in a pan. Cover with cold water. - Add a little more than a teaspoon of white vinegar.
- Add the natural dyestuff for the color you want your eggs
to be. (The more eggs you are dying at a time, the more dye
you will need to use, and the more dye you use, the darker
the color will be.) - Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15
minutes. - Quickly check the eggs for color by removing them from
the dye liquid with a slotted spoon.
If the color is as desired, pour off the hot dye liquid and rinse the eggs immediately in cold water to stop the eggs from cooking. Continue to change the water until it stays cool in the pot because the eggs are no longer releasing heat. Drain and allow eggs to cool in the refrigerator.
If you wish a deeper color, strain the hot dye liquid into a container, then rinse the eggs immediately in cold water to stop them from cooking. Continue to change the water until it stays cool in the pot because the eggs are no longer releasing heat. Drain the last of the cold water, then cover the eggs with the strained dye liquid. Add more water if necessary so that the eggs are completely covered. Put into the refrigerator immediately and keep eggs in the refrigerator until the desired shade is achieved. Overnight is good. Longer than about twelve hours some of the colors just get muddier instead of deeper, and the lighter shades are more vibrant.
Try these foods to dye your eggs:
Red - Pink — lots of red onion skins, cranberry juice, or frozen raspberries.
Orange — Yellow onion skins
Brown — Red beet skins or grape juice (produces a beautiful sparkling tan), coffee.
Yellow — Saffron, tumeric or cumin, orange or lemon peels, or celery seed.
Green — spinach, or carrot tops and peels from Yellow Delicious apples for a yellow-green.
Blue — Red cabbage leaves make the most incredible robin’s-egg blue.
Deep Purple — Red wine makes a beautiful burgundy color
Tips for successful results:
- Use filtered or distilled water. Chlorine and other chemicals will work against the dye, making it less intense. Buy distilled water or use your own filtered water.
- For deeper colors, use more dyestuff or let the eggs soak longer.
- For even coverage, cook eggs in a pot large enough to hold enough water and dyestuff to completely cover the eggs, even after some of the liquid has evaporated during the 15 minute of boiling.
- Again, for even coverage, if you continue to soak the eggs in the refrigerator after cooking, make sure the eggs are completely covered with the dye liquid.
- Blot the eggs dry or allow them to air dry, as for some colors the dye will rub off while still wet. On the other hand, if you wish to make a white pattern on the egg, you can rub off some of the dye for some colors immediately after cooking.
- Make sure eggs of different colors are completely dry before piling them up in a bowl together, as wet dye from one egg can transfer to another.
Read more about natural dyes for Easter eggs at http://www.debraslist.com/food/aboutcoloringeggs.html.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hailed as “The Queen of Green” by the New York Times,
Debra Lynn Dadd has been a consumer advocate for products
and lifestyle choices that are better for health and the
environment since 1982. Visit her website for 100s of links to 1000s of nontoxic, natural and earthwise products, and to sign up for her free email newsletters. http://www.dld123.com
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THE EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION Studies have shown that adults in
the nation’s most polluted cities - even cities that meet EPA
air quality standards - are 15% to 17% more likely to die
prematurely than those in cities with the cleanest air (Source:
Dockery, et al., Harvard School of Public Health, 1995).
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE KIDS? It is recognized that because of their
physiology, children are at greater risk than adults are from
both short- and long-term illness from breathing noxious air.
a.. Children consume more oxygen than adults to maintain body
warmth. An infant consumes three times as much air per pound of
body weight as an adult - that means three times more pollutant
per pound of body weight! b.. Children are more likely to
breathe faster through their mouths. Breathing through the nose
filters out as much as 90% of some pollutants before they reach
the lung. c.. Children, especially those under 10, are more
sensitive to damage because their lungs are still developing.
THE RESULTS: a.. Children receive more concentrated doses of
pollutants that they are less equipped to handle than adults
are. Computer models show that children can receive three to
four times as many pollution deposits as adults. b.. In the
short term, high levels of air pollution have been linked to
higher incidence of respiratory tract infections, such as colds
and croup, and asthma - which jumped 58% among six to eleven
year olds in the 1970s. Children living in particle smog hot
spots suffer more chronic bronchitis and school absences due to
chest colds and pneumonia. c.. Research into the long-term
effects of kids’ growing up under brown skies is underway and
still incomplete, but what we do know is not good. Children may
be suffering from air pollution long before the damage is
obvious. A University of Southern California Study released in
1990 compared children from Houston and Southern California. the
results: children in California’s South Coast Air Basin suffered
a 10% to 15% loss in lung function compared with Houston
children. In essence, these kids’ lungs are aging prematurely,
and they are running out of lung. When these kids get to be 20
to 25, the natural trend is for lung capacity and flexibility to
go down. A lower lung capacity when the downward curve begins
suggests deleterious effects on health in later years.
Check out AirSource 3000 the most comprehensive air purifier on
the market today. No filters to change. www.TheWellnessHut.com
Allergies, Asthma and City Trees
Thomas Leo Ogren
Some urban tree species cause an inordinate amount of asthma and allergy problems, while other tree species cause little or no health problems. A large part of the problem is that the arborists and landscape professionals, who plant these trees, often don’t know the difference.
The type of trees (and shrubs) used in modern city landscapes has changed dramatically in the past three decades. In the past, the majority of street trees used were perfect-flowered, insect-pollinated trees, such as the once so common American elm tree.
Today though, many of the most widely used city trees are wind-pollinated species. Most of these species are unisexually flowered (dioecious and/or monoecious) and further compounding the problem, thousands of popular cultivars sold today are touted to be “seedless,” “low-maintenance,” “pod-free” or “litter-free.”
These fruitless, seedless trees are male plants, all male, and male trees produce prodigious amounts of allergenic pollen. Female trees produce NO pollen what so ever.
In dioecious-flowered trees such as most ash, willow and poplars, it is easy to propagate male only trees because they are separate-sexed. Monoecious trees, which in Nature always have both sexes (male and female flowers) on the same tree, also usually produce abundant pollen. It is possible to have all-male trees from the monoecious species. On many species the sexes will be born on separate branches, such as on a Honey Locust tree. If you take cuttings, or budwood, only from the branches with male flowers, then, you’ll get an all-male tree. Lots of monoecious Acer spp. cultivars are male-only plants. In a somewhat different way, there are also numerous monoecious species where only the top or only the bottom will have either male or female flowers. For example, the bottom half of a mature Italian Cypress for example is all-male. Female
wood is found only at the top of the plant. Thus, scion wood taken from the bottom usually produces “seedless” plants.
The terms “dioecious,” and “monoecious,” are botanical terms, not horticultural terms. We could perhaps say that a manipulated, asexually propagated all-male cultivar, taken from a monoecious species, is now “dioecious,” but this is not quite correct. A proper dioecious tree is one that in Nature is separate-sexed. These modern engineered trees are never found in Nature.
Interestingly, the first reference in print I ever found to this single sexing-out with monoecious street trees, was in a USDA booklet, from 1982, called “Genetic Improvement of Urban Street Trees.”
How Bad Is Allergy Now?
In 1959 the official rate of allergy in the U.S. was between 2 to 5% of the public. By 1999 the official rate of allergy had increased to an incredible 38% of Americans. Asthma, which was once considered rare, is now the number one chronic childhood disease in the US.
Where are Allergies and Asthma the Worst?
The most common allergen of all is pollen and since there are so many more plants growing in the country than in the city, it would make sense then that there is more allergy and asthma in the countryside. Right? No, wrong! Allergies and asthma are far worse in the city than they are in the country.
Several things contribute to this:
1.Pavement makes a poor pollen trap. Pollen in the city often lands on pavement where wind can cause it to become airborne again. In naturally vegetated areas where there is much more vegetation, pollen often lands on and becomes stuck in grasses, shrubs and vines or in trees.
2.Cities have more air pollution, which weakens the immune system and lung function.
3.Stress, which is generally higher in cities, can contribute to both asthma and allergy development.
4.Increased carbon dioxide levels within cities causes pollen-forming plants to produce more pollen with each bloom cycle, and also often causes urban plants to bloom more often.
5.Pollen loads are actually far greater in cities because there is a sexual imbalance within the plant community. In the city there is a preponderance of male trees and shrubs, while in the rural areas there is almost always a complete balance of plant sexuality. The excess of male plants in the city results in an excess of pollen.
6.The very lack of female plant materials in the urban environment also is a prime factor in the epidemic of allergy and asthma. Female flowers carry an electrical negative (-) charge (the trees are grounded with their roots) and airborne pollen holds a positive (+) charge. The tree and the pollen are mutually attractive; thus a female plant becomes a very effective pollen trap for pollen of its own species. But with almost no female trees and shrubs in modern landscapes, most of the pollen remains airborne.
How to Improve Health and Air Quality through Tree Selection
Landscaping to reduce allergies, especially pollen allergies, is an idea that is coming into its own. In the past few years several books have been written on the subject and interest is growing rapidly.
With the addition of OPALS™, (Ogren Plant-Allergy Scale) arborists now have a means to design allergy-free plantings. This scale ranks all landscape plant materials on a simple 1 to 10 allergy basis. Trees that produce zero pollen, e.g., female cultivars, usually rank the best – number one. Trees that have abundant, highly allergenic pollen, especially those with very long bloom periods, are usually ranked the worst – in the 9-10 range. There are many trees and shrubs, however, that fall somewhere in between. Using a list of over 100 factors, OPALS™ numerically ranks each species and then further ranks the individual cultivars. There are often dramatic allergy differences even between two species in the same genus.
How Are Plants Allergy-Ranked?
OPALS™ was developed based on the following considerations: “What do plants that are well known to cause allergies have in common?” and “What do plants that are well known NOT to cause allergies have in common?” With these two questions it was possible to build two opposing sets of medical-botanical-allergy criteria. One set is positive and one set is negative. Examples of negative criteria: tiny flowers, excerted stamens, small (less than 25 microns in diameter) sized pollen grains, extended bloom period. Examples of positive criteria: complete flowered, sticky, heavy pollen grains, presence of nectaries, brief bloom period.
There are now over a hundred criteria used to develop OPALS™ rankings. Individual landscapers, city arborists, the USDA and the American Lung Association have already use the scale to make better landscaping decisions.
Based on the plant-allergy scale it is now possible to state, for example, that Acer rubrum – ‘Red Sunset’ maple, is ranked number one and causes no allergies. By comparison, ‘Autumn Spire,’ a male cultivar of red maple does cause allergies and is ranked number nine. Most Pine trees will rank at numbers 4 to 5 and will cause some allergy. Platanus species (sycamore) rank number eight, and cause quite a bit of allergy. A male Canary Island Palm, Phoenix canariensis, which is considered one of the worst at a ranking of 10, will produce an abundance of pollen that will cause severe allergic reactions to many living nearby.
Pollen dispersal rates have been measured since 1972 (Gilbert Raynor, NY meteorologist) and although many pollen grains travel far in the air, research shows that most often 99% of a tree’s pollen falls out and sticks within fifty feet of the tree. This means that the closer one is to the pollinating tree the greater the exposure. Thus, the job for arborists is to plant trees that will not expose everyone near them to allergenic pollen.
So, How Do You Tell the Boys from the Girls?
It isn’t always that obvious by looking at a tree (especially a young tree) as to whether or not it is a pollen-free female or a pollen-producing male. But since so many city trees are now asexually produced cultivars, the sex is predetermined. In the book Allergy-Free Gardening, which is the result of 15 years of research on this subject, several thousand trees were individually sexed and allergy-ranked. In some cities, pollen control ordinances are already on the books, although most of these could be improved an updated. Albuquerque, New Mexico is particular interesting, since it has attempted to curb allergies by prohibiting the sale and planting of any male cultivars.
As the public grows more knowledgeable about allergy-free landscapes, municipal arborists and landscape specialists will want to be ahead of the curve. They will want to show their clients that they are well-informed on the subject. In the future, instead of planting high allergy-trees, they will need to plan and plant ‘healthy’ urban landscapes.
References:
1.Lewis, Walter H., Airborne and Allergenic Pollen of North America, John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland, 1976.
2.Jacobson, Arthur Lee, North American Landscape Trees, Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, California, 1996.
3.Koch, Christopher Von, Allergy, Die Woche, pg. 27, July 7, 2000, Hamburg, Germany.
4.Dworschak, Manfred, Der Spiegel, Feind am StraBenrad, Pp. 174, 175, Nr. 29, 2000.
5.Ogren, Thomas Leo, Turn Back the Pollen Clock, New Scientist, London, Pp. 46, 47, June 3rd, 2000.
About the Author
Thomas Ogren is the author of Allergy-Free Gardening, Ten Speed Press. Tom does consulting work on plants and allergies for the USDA, county asthma coalitions, and the Canadian and American Lung Associations. He has appeared on HGTV and The Discovery Channel. His book, Safe Sex in the Garden, was published in 2003. In 2004 Time Warner Books published his latest book: What the Experts May NOT Tell You About: Growing the Perfect Lawn. His website: www.allergyfree-gardening.com
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