$2 Million Raised at Green Auction

Earth Day’s 40th anniversary saw the Christie’s salesroom sporting a green carpet instead of the traditional red carpet, packed with celebrities, art collectors and environmentalists. The ‘Green Auction’ was an interesting one, and raked in a massive $2 million; with all proceeds going to an environmental charity.

Some of the items on auction included a Girard-Perragaux white gold and diamond encrusted watch, a Damien Hirst painting, a chance to play a game of golf with Bill Clinton and 18 other items. Stars like Chevy Chase and Salma Hayek were among the spirited bidders, while some preferred to remain anonymous. Chase was also the emcee at the auction.

The live auction was part of a collective event named ‘A Bid to Save the Earth’ which also included an online auction and other fund-raising activities. The proceeds from all these events will be split amongst environmental organizations such as Central Park Conservancy, Natural Resources Defence Council, Conservation International and Oceana.

A Central Park tour and lunch with actress Candice Bergen was one of the items up for auction while a six-person trip to Botswana, which would be guided by Nat Geo’s Chief Editor, reached $150,000. The golf date with Clinton was won for a $80,000.

Other celebrities at the Green Auction included Ted Danson, Sam Waterston, Matt Lauer and Brian Williams.

The online silent auction racked up around $500,000 with Christie’s saying it could top the $1 million mark when it closes on May 6th.

Robot Plant Powered By Polluted Water

Gilberto Esparza, a Mexican artist has developed ‘Planta Nomada’, which can also be called ‘Nomadic Plant’ – it is an amalgamation of a machine and a plant which holds micro organisms and plants from the Lerma Santiago River in Mexico which is heavily polluted and then converts these elements into electrical energy.

Esparza’s creation, a fabulously ‘green’ robot is driven by a microbial fuel cell. The self sufficient robot uses its multiple legs to move towards water when it needs to be recharged. The robot ‘walks’ towards the water, and using a tube, sucks in the water, and then turns it into electricity. The plants the robot already has are also nourished by the water taken in. One expert, while commending the newly developed robot said that its locomotive system was still a bit doubtful, as it could quite likely fall into the river while trying to replenish its supply of polluted water.

The Nomadic Plant is referred to by LABoral as “a metaphor for the alienated human condition and the impact its activity has on nature. The work is ongoing experimentation hoping to instigate critical reflections on the ambiguity of the force wielded by technology.”

While Esparza’s creation leans more towards art, his ‘Nomadic Plant’ robot makes you think: the fact that a self sufficient robot, cleans up as it goes, using up polluted water in order to up its energy levels, while also giving life to the vegetation on it. This could even be a good enough pointer for the future in terms of fine-tuning plant life in order to survive and live off polluted environments.

New ‘Smart’ Roof Reads the Thermometer, Saves Energy in Hot and Cold Climates

You can either have a roof that helps to cut air conditioning costs during the summer, such as a ‘cool roof’; or you could get one that helps warm up the house during the winter. Whichever one you choose, you can only have it one way.

Recently, scientists spoke of a new development – a ‘smart’ roof which is coated with used cooking oil disposed at fast food restaurants. What is even better: the ‘smart’ roof can also read a thermometer, making it switch roles. This way, the roof either reflects the sunlight or absorbs it, depending on the climate.

The new development was outlined in San Francisco at the 239th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society.

Ben Wen, Ph.D., leader of the research project and also the vice-president of United Environment & Energy LLC in Horseheads, N.Y said this new development was one of the most practical and innovative coatings for roofs. He spoke of how the new roof coating would help save electricity and fuel, thus leading to lesser emissions from roofing products which are petroleum based. He also highlighted the top recycling factor as well.

Previous to this new development, scientists proved that ‘white roofs’ were great ways to beat the heat, proving to be a good reflector and a great mechanism to cool down buildings, especially during the scorching summer heat. This however, does have its minus points, especially during winter.
The ‘intelligent’ roof coating could cool down the roof temperature on hot days by as much as 50-80%, and heat it up on cold days up to 80%. Scientists say that even though this could mean just a few degrees in temperature, it could have a huge effect on the electricity bill.

Drug treatment Methods

There comes a point in every addict’s life when the best course of action is to find a drug addiction program. With the focus of every drug rehab program being a successful recovery, it is imperative that one finds a program that is tailored to his or her needs, and is an accredited program that has found success on a case by case basis with the emphasis being on the level of care that is provided.

Several drug rehab centers have been taking of patients who are afflicted by drug addiction in helping them to cope with their addiction not only while in care at their facility but also when they get back out into the real world through the method of cognitive therapy.

Apart from this method of drug treatment, replacement therapy which employs the use of pharmaceuticals that replace the drug that the person is addicted to is also an effective strategy as well which can curb cravings and reduce withdrawal affects as well. Moreover, it is important to continuously monitor and support the addict’s progress through the process of recovery from his habit of drug addiction.

Finally, one must realize that the process to recovery is a long one, and one must be patient with the addict as he learns to cope with a new life without drugs as he makes a fresh start in life. So it is imperative that you take action immediately and schedule an appointment with staff available.

Men’s suits for the businessman

When one thinks of business suits, one normally associated them with big brand names such as Armani and so on and so forth that are trendsetters when it comes to fashion regardless of whether it is for men and women. The fact remains that they also burn a hole in your pocket and even though some people don’t paying big bucks for expensive men’s suits, it still leaves a lot to be desired for those who aren’t necessarily well-financed.

However, there are several online stores at which you can find suits and clothes that keep up with the latest trends related to almost anything in formal and casual wear, and what is heartening to know is that they are not that expensive either.

For the business man, the single breasted and three buttoned wool suit is a popular choice. Whether you are self-employed or work for a multinational corporation, how you present yourself (both with your work and your choice of clothes) often works out to your advantage. And that advantage normally translates into more money for the company and which obviously works out for you as well.

All you have to do is shop online, and you can find clothes in a host of colors, styles and types of material that will suit your requirements down to the last detail. Take your time to pick them, constantly look for discounts and clarify any doubts if you do have any before you spend your money.

Waste at Home – Part 1 – Reduce

Taking action against waste at home is one of the best things you can do to help the environment. Each household is capable of producing almost a ton of waste each year, and sometimes even more. So you can see how this adds up and creates a problem for the nation as well as the world. Here are some steps you can take to reduce the amount of waste produced.

Avoid buying it if you really don’t need it.

Buy long lasting products, it may cost you a bit more but its longevity will help you and the environment.
Opt for toys that do not require batteries. If you really need batteries then switch to rechargeable ones or find toys that contain rechargeable battery packs.

Just because it is broken, do not throw it away. Get it fixed or fix it yourself. If it is an electrical item please seek help when fixing it.

Try to buy foods that require little or no packaging. For example, buy apples or oranges as opposed to getting a packet of potato chips. Buying bulk
packs of food will also help as the packaging will be less overall. For example, buying large packets of cookies is a good idea as opposed to small ones.

Shift to reusable bottles ad containers for your drinks and food.

Try to avoid disposable items. For example, use a standard camera instead of a disposable one. Another example is using metal crockery and cutlery
whenever possible and stop using tissues and go back to washable handkerchiefs.