Barbecue Smoker Recipe Man asked:


It’s interesting to note that before Henry Ford made the BBQ grill popular by link selling it to his cars with the vision of day trips and pic-nics, charcoal was nothing but a waste product left over from the recovery of acetic acid and methanol. In the early 1900’s after more efficient and less expensive methods were developed for synthesizing acetic acid and methanol, charcoal production declined only to be revitalized by the development of the briquette for recreational cooking.

Converted to mass production by Ford in the 1920’s charcoal briquettes are made of two primary ingredients, one of which is basically traditional lump wood charcoal referred to a char. It is added to give the briquette its wood smoke aroma and also because it’s easy to ignite. The other not surprisingly is coal or anthracite which is added to produce a high temperature and long lasting fire.

Ash whitening agent is added to let the chef know when the BBQ is ready to cook on (and still people burn their food by not being sufficiently patient!) The final ingredients are a starch binding agent and an accelerant.

The first steps in the manufacturing of briquettes are to prepare both the char and the coal and this is done by different methods of controlled burning that drive off the moisture and volatile components. Once complete the finished products are pulverized ready for blending.

To make the briquette, the char and the coal is mixed in the correct proportions with the starch binder and fed into a blender where it is thoroughly mixed. Despite having been desiccated, the mix still has significant water content and this is necessary to help form the briquettes.

The briquettes are formed and dropped on a conveyor where they pass through a further drying process but being heated up from 40°C to 135°C for approximately four hours. During this process the moisture content of the briquette will reduce from about 35% to 5% and at the end they will either be stored or pass directly through to an on line bagging machine.

It depends on the final product specification but it’s at the bagging stage that organic solvent may be added (using an atomizer) just before bagging and this produces instant light briquettes. Usually these are put into smaller paper bags so that the barbecue enthusiast can simply pick up an individually wrapped pack and light the paper without having to remove the briquettes from the bag.

Because of the use of fossil fuel in the manufacture of briquettes and the various heat drying processes involved it’s arguable that lump wood charcoal is more environmentally friendly however two points have to be borne in mind.

The first is that the drying process drives off volatile gases and these gases can be used to fuel the driers themselves. Whether this is completely sustainable I would doubt however the modern briquette manufacturers do take the environment seriously and now manufacture their char from wood shavings and sawdust i.e. the waste products of the lumber industry.

So whether your choice is lump wood or briquettes not only can you claim to be a traditionalist, you can also be content in the knowledge that you’re more environmentally friendly than your gas grilling neighbor. Well at least you’ll know your facts and can argue the point!



DOROTHEA

Joshua Keen asked:


If you’re interested in “greening up” your home renovation, here are some tips that can give you ideas. Environmentally friendly options are making it easy to improve your property without taking a heavy toll from the environment. Not only will you benefit your natural environment, you’ll also benefit your community.

If you’re selling your home and want an interesting way to attract buyers, promoting your home as environmentally friendly can help bring in offers. People are more environmentally aware these days, and anything that is seen as a “better choice” is popular. It stands to reason that if you go the ecological route, you might snag more offers.

- Shop Local for Tools and Supplies

Buy from local stores. If you can, patronize local manufacturers of furniture and other household items. Why pay for something that took a lot of fuel to transport when you can buy it locally? You’ll contribute to your community and help sustain the businesses of local people.

- Repair Instead of Replacement

Repairing and repainting will waste less material than buying a completely new item in many cases. Replace if you have to, but look at repair first. Most of the time, it’s cheaper, too.

- Buy Energy-Efficient Replacements

If you have to replace anything in your renovations, go for Energy Star qualified products. The website energystar.gov will show you a large number of appliances and equipment that are energy-efficient.

- Buy Recycled and Low-VOC Paint

If you’re repainting, check out the many options in environmentally-friendly and recycled paint available today. It used to be that paint was only available new, but now there are companies recycling unused paint and cans. Look for low amounts of Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in your paint, primer, adhesive,

- Lay Sustainable Floors

Putting down new flooring? Consider bamboo or another sustainable material. Be aware that not all homes are suitable for all types of materials and choose your floor accordingly. Make sure that any prospective buyers are aware of any special care the floor needs. Reclaimed wood is another option.

- Erect Sustainable Fencing

Bamboo fences can last up to 20 years and have an attractive look to them. Willow fencing lasts about 10 years and can be purchased in rolls that accommodate curves in a yard easily. Reclaimed wood is another option that will provide you with attractive fencing that lasts for years. There are also new options in recycled fencing available.

- Clean Green

Use “green” cleaning supplies. Many of them, like orange oil cleaners, leave a pleasant scent in the home. Baking soda is a great scrubbing powder that doesn’t give off noxious fumes. Don’t use room sprays; they don’t smell as great as the companies that make them tell you they do. Bake bread or burn a SMALL amount of essential oil to infuse the air with a pleasing smell.

- Think light

Install energy efficient lights and consider solar panels and strategically placed windows that allow you to make the most of the sun’s natural light.

These are just a few ideas to help get you started. Visit your local green store or environmental action group to get more ideas for your green home renovation.



ELISEO

ariel h asked:


I have really BIG school project…I have to have about 15 pictures anything about going green and i have to put it on a poster (the kind that close up) layout ideas would be great to)) ANY SUGGESTIONS REALLY!!!

P.S. The main project is just me and if i put other people in it they’ll only be in the pictures part so i only have about maybe 3 people because i don’t have a car (i’m 16)

ERASMO

Obama’s ‘Dream’ asked:


Scream keep your damn religion out of my life????

And yes deniers, it is nothing but a new age religion of tree and earth worship. Paganism repackaged.

Then you relax and unwind as you cut down a few trees, fire up the old burn barrel and my favorite of all, use a few quarts of old motor oil to control the weeds around the drive way?

EDDIE

Sue Chef asked:


I have a couple of big ones, and lots of small, about an inch. This happened to me last year in Colorado, we have such a short growing season. My vines get large and beautiful with lots of tomatoes and then it freezes. Is there anything I can do this year or different next year? Please help, thanks.

HELENE

Derek Rogers asked:


We’re all a lot more concerned about the state of the environment and our effect on it than we used to be. Construction is one of the areas that has a huge impact on the world around us. By choosing more environmentally friendly, sustainable products and installation methods, we can decrease the damage we do to the environment.

Here are a few environmentally friendly flooring options you might choose over more conventional products:

Bamboo

This rapidly growing woody grass can be harvested every three to five years and requires minimal fertilizers and pesticides. That means that correctly grown, bamboo flooring is extremely good for the environment. However, it’s worth noting that some producers are not using the best methods - know where your bamboo is coming from and how it’s grown before you buy.

Installing bamboo floors gives you a flooring material that’s extremely durable and very easy to maintain. Bamboo’s unique look and feel complement many different decorating schemes are are extremely attractive. Heat treated bamboo is available in darker colours, but be aware that the darker the bamboo is, the less strength remains.

Marmoleum

This product is made from wood flour (usually from waste wood), linseed oil, jute, limestone and pine rosin. It’s easy to produce, anti-static, very clean and Once this material has lived out its life, it biodegrades easily. This floor is an excellent type for those with allergies, as it offers no place for dust mites to hide. There are many colours and designs available and this material wears well.

Sustainably Produced Carpet Tiles

Carpet is usually thought of as a very environmentally unfriendly flooring material, since the vast majority of it is produced from petroleum and is not biodegradable or recyclable. Carpet tiles produced with an eye towards the health of the environment are an exception. The tile format allows only damaged areas to need replacing, rather than the whole carpet and manufacturers like Heuga which attempt to reduce waste, eliminate toxins and use renewable energy can produce more environmentally friendly carpet products.

Sustainable Wood Flooring

Hardwood and laminate floorings are another area where you might not think environmentally friendly practices are possible. However, hardwood floors are long lasting and products produced using responsible practices, including replanting and careful harvesting, can be quite environmentally friendly. Look for floors that use non-toxic finishes and adhesives if they’re a Loc-type floor and sustainably produced and harvested wood.

Another less common ecologically friendly type of wood flooring is reclaimed wood. This comes from buildings and other areas that would have been torn down and the materials wasted. Some reclaimed wood even comes from the bottom of lakes, much of this wood is of very high quality, but it often requires significant processing before use, making reclaimed wood flooring expensive in many cases.

Natural Plant Fiber Flooring

Mats and carpeting made from fibers like sisal, coir (coconut fiber) and jute are also much more environmentally friendly than ordinary carpeting or petroleum derived fiber mats. They provide a rustic look to your home, are easy to care for and their durable surface means a long life too.



JULIET

Brian Mcquirk asked:


Growing Popularity

That wood flooring is gaining popularity is well known. When home owners see just how beautiful and inexpensive a natural wood floor is they are keen to get it installed in their own home. Hardwood flooring is the first choice for most when they are looking at installing a wooden floor in their home, Oak and Cherry because of the variety of colors and shades are two popular choices, sometimes a more exotic hardwood like Bamboo is the hardwood of choice. But one environmentally friendly choice is also available and that is cork. Cork has been around for centuries and used for floors for a very long time and for a number of reasons,among those reasons is the fact that it is a very long lasting product and that it comes from a renewable resource.

Source

Cork is harvested from the bark of cork trees, which are a variety of Oak The cork is gathered through stripping off the bark on the outside of the trunk,this regenerates in about six years ready for harvesting again. This means that rather than cutting down a tree just once for material,cork farms can strip the bark away again and again; there are still trees being used in bark harvesting that are around 200 years old! For for those of us who care about the environment, this makes cork flooring an ideal material, since it comes from a renewable resource. Even for those who have not considered the source of the material, cork flooring is a wonderful alternative for hardwood floors.

Durability

Often when we think of cork, we think of the soft material used in cork boards but in reality Cork is one of the strongest materials used. Not only is it scuff resistant, it is elastic and hard to damage under normal circumstances, but it also resists water penetration, unlike other hardwood floors, so it is ideal for bathrooms and kitchens, for this reason too, it is used as stoppers in wine bottles.

Because of the hard wearing qualities of Cork, there are flooring installations that have lasted for over 100 years. It is also one of the floorings of choice used in the United States Library of Congress. Cork has excellent insulating properties, so good in fact that it can help reduce heating or cooling costs. This makes it a very good flooring material for basement floors for example. Cork flooring is a good sound insulator too, a fact well known in the building industry for years and useful for home owners in reducing noise transfer from floor to floor.

Aesthetics

Cork flooring has a mottled appearance that we are all familiar with and which makes it different from all of the other wood floors. It comes in a variety of patterns and colors that you can select from to match your own particular decorating style. Because of it’s elastic nature Cork flooring is comfortable and quiet to walk on. - ideal for apartment dwellers.

Health Concerns.

Cork flooring is much more than just an environmentally friendly material,it is a naturally hypo-allergenic substance which does not support the growth of mold or mildew , it does not produce toxins or shed any fibres and it is antistatic. All of these properties are good news for those people who suffer from allergies



ARLEN

Chris Plumb asked:


It is a fact that the success of recycling is of utmost importance to our society and to make it really work, everyone needs to participate and do their bit. With kerbside recycling schemes being rolled-out across the UK, we are all becoming more aware of the need to partake in the three ‘R’s: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

When buying new living room furniture, whether it is cheap or expensive, the wood needs to come from somewhere and more likely than not it has to be shipped. Which not only increases our carbon footprint through transportation and declining trees to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen but also contributes to environmental problems caused by the effects of deforestation.

So then what do we do with the old furniture? We throw it out of course!

Mountains of waste are being dumped in landfills every year. Though we are all pretty well educated in the processes of recycling small items like aluminium, glass, and paper, how many of us realise just how easy it is to recycle larger items – like a sofa or armchair.

Of course not everyone is wholly concerned with environmental issues, cost can also be a contributing factor.

Many of us would like to change our homes the same way we change our seasonal wardrobes, but few of us can actually afford to. A recent survey (Carried out by Koan Ltd) to cast light on people’s interior tastes revealed that 60% of people could only afford to redecorate their homes every 2-5 years, even though the same percentage said that their tastes actually changed from year to year.

Luckily now, not only is there a more affordable, stylish and easy solution to instantly change the look of your home, but there is an environmentally friendly one too, enabling you to ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’. Rather than spending a fortune on this season’s fleetingly fashionable designs, or putting up with a shameful suite, you can give your piece of furniture a stunning new look using a unique service: Made-to-Measure Furniture Covers.

What also came out in the survey was peoples perceptions of loose covers. Many still think that ill-fitting floral stretchy fabric only your Gran used to own is all you can achieve. Made to Measure Loose Covers have come along way since the mid-fifties, there are now many modern and contemporary designs in beautiful chenille and cotton fabrics to update any style of interior decor.

There are even now covers for leather furniture that can mimic the new leather and luxury chenille combination designs coming from all the major furniture retailers, so your tired leather furniture can be transformed into the cutting edge looks of today.



ALDEN

Jason asked:


Oil may be the main fuel that rules the industry but alternative fuels are gaining in popularity as it is environmentally friendly. In essence, there are fossil fuels which comprise coal, natural gas and oil and alternative fuels. Fossil fuels are the fossilized remains of ancient animals and plants and currently power 95% of the world energy usage.

The alternatives to fossil fuels are natural gas, propane, electricity, biodiesel, ethanol, methanol, hydrogen in addition to P-Series fuels and they are just not only appropriate for our environment but for the economy as well.

Alternative fuels are gaining in popularity, in particular for vehicles mainly because fossil fuels resources are finite as well as putting less dependent on current energy source and they contribute to less environmental damaging emissions that result in global warming.

The fuels of the future such as biofuels are derived from plants and they are more easily replenish and environmental friendly than petrol chemicals. Ethanol and biodiesel may provide a cleaner options but they need as much energy and land to make it viable. Biodiesels diminish the dependent on foreign oil as it can be planted domestically but the challenge is to grow the crops to meet the demand and that might be asking too much. It also has its skeptics as producing the crops required more energy than they can generate.

Hydrogen, in fact is a very clean fuel but the obstacle is the cost. Burning fossil fuels add to global warming but the by-product of hydrogen is only oxygen and water. That do not damage our health and the environment but you need fossil fuels to harness it, unless we can utilize solar, wind and other to generate it.

Natural gas may be cleaner than gasoline but it is finite and does not generate carbon dioxide. Wind energy is one of the oldest and the most developed of all the alternative fuels and there are plenty of potential to harness it. Hydroelectric energy may be a well developed alternative fuel source but not as receptive as harnessing it can have destructive effect on local environment and habitation. Solar energy fuel the dawn of the human race as all other energy sources emerge from it. Nuclear energy is a good substitute but it is too unstable when fall into the wrong hands.

Irrespective of what alternative energy sources we consider, it has to be cost effective and time will tell which will emerge as the most viable. At present we are still very reliant on fossilized fuels and the likely solution in the near future is to prudently make full use of all other alternative fuels in addition to reduce our reliance on fossilized fuels. All things considered, the best option is to conserve by reducing consumption.



WENDI

julie asked:


Im going to get a new passport in dezember, but it wont have the stamp. is that a problem?

HELENA