Are Plants Our Blood Brothers and Sisters?
Are Plants Our Blood Brothers and Sisters?
Well, almost. Scientists have found that chlorophyll molecules of green plants are amazingly similar to hemoglobin, the main component of our blood. Both are composed of a ring of carbon and nitrogen atoms surrounding a single atom. Their difference lies in the central atom, which is magnesium (Mg) in chlorophyll and iron (Fe) in hemoglobin. [Source: Green Nature, Human Nature: The Meaning of Plants in Our Lives by Charles A. Lewis][Note: To listen to the 2-minute podcast version of this article Subscribe to my podcast feed (so you can open the attachment below) or simply listen here to the mp3 audio file. ]
Meanwhile, let's continue... As we begin a new year, let's be grateful to the Quiet Ones. I'm not talking about pets or well-behaved kids. I'm talking about plants: red roses, book pages, your morning coffee, the cotton in your T-shirt, and the miracle behind aspirin.
Aging Wine In a Pyramid: You Be the Judge...Cheers!
During holidays and special events, sales of alcohol tend to peak. For Stephen Cipes, to peak is an everyday thing. The Canadian winemaker ages his wine inside a pyramid, a 4-story replica of the Great Pyramid he built at his Summerhill Pyramid Winery in British Columbia. Cipes says the pyramid clarifies liquids like wine, bringing out their finest qualities. (The photo at right, taken at night with a special digital camera, shows the pyramid's energy)Whether you re a believer or not, Summerhill s organic wines have won many prestigious awards, including a gold medal for sparkling wine in France and recognition for the best ice wine in the world.
Listen to this fascinating interview: Subscribe to my podcast feed (so you can open the attachment below) or simply listen here to the mp3 audio file.
Support for Insustrial Hemp Takes Root in Congress
When Sex and the City's Sarah Jessica Parker sported an outfit made from hemp, many people took note. Yes, sales of hemp products is booming, increasing by 50 percent per year. Industrial hemp is finding its way into food, clothing, paper, and cosmetics. The increased demand is great news for farmers, if they're not from the United States. It's legal to import hemp seeds and fiber into the U.S., but it's illegal for U.S. farmers to grow industrial hemp. But this may be changing. Support for industrial hemp is taking root in Congress...
To listen to the 2-minute audio article, subscribe to my podcast feed (so you can open the attachment below) or simply listen here to the mp3 audio file. [NOTE: Information for this article originated from USA Today (November. 22, 2005) and Organic Producer magazine.]
For eight years, starting in the late 1970s, I worked aboard research ships and tugboats, first as an able-bodied seaman and then as a merchant marine officer.