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Sunday, June 1, 2008

Positive Effects of Carbon Dioxide for Plant Growth

Many articles have been written about the negative effects of carbon dioxide. Sick Building Syndrome, loss of concentration due to high levels of carbon dioxide, asphyxiation in breweries or wine cellars, all these things spring to mind when we hear the magic phrase carbon dioxide. Yet, perhaps today when Venus passes across the face of the Sun, we should remember that our original atmosphere consisted of nitrogen and carbon dioxide. Free oxygen is something that is not really chemically possible. Yet we have it as a result of plant life busily photosynthesising and converting carbon dioxide into oxygen during daylight hours. This is the original use of solar energy!

Plants require carbon dioxide to grow and why not help them by increasing the level of carbon dioxide? Normally, this is something that is undesirable, since carbon dioxide is the original greenhouse gas, as our neighbouring planet Venus can testify. But in a controlled, genuine greenhouse environment, there is no real reason why the level of carbon dioxide should not be enhanced in some way.

Indeed, tests have shown that increasing the level of carbon dioxide in a greenhouse to 550 ppm will accelerate plant growth by 30 - 40 %. The natural level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is around 450 ppm, having increased from about 250 ppm in the last ice-age, so this slight increase may not appear significant at first sight. The point of the matter is that the level of carbon dioxide in the average greenhouse with the ventilation system closed will drop sharply due to uptake by the plants and will lie around 150 - 200 ppm if nothing is done about it. In summer the ventilation system will be open and the fresh air circulation will augment the level to a useful degree. But what about those long, cold, dark northern winters? Most commercial greenhouses will have lighting and heating systems to encourage plant growth, but you still cannot open the ventilation and allow the cold outside air into your heated greenhouse without losing all the early crops. The only real solution is to augment the natural level of carbon dioxide in some way. Where it is used, the general rule of thumb is to augment by about 1000 ppm when the sun is shining (or all the lights are on!) and keep the level around 400 ppm during times of darkness. This will require monitoring, since there are so many variable factors involved and a simple control unit using an infrared sensor will be able to keep the concentration of gas constant at all times.

Rate of consumption varies with crop, light intensity, temperature, stage of crop development and nutrient level. An average consumption level is estimated to be between 0.12 - 0.24 kg/hr/100 m2 of greenhouse floor area. The higher rate reflects the typical usage for sunny days and a fully-grown crop. This equates to roughly 150 litres of carbon dioxide per hour.

There are many processes that naturally and unavoidably produce carbon dioxide: Fermentation and combustion are two classic examples. In temperate zones it is necessary to heat a greenhouse (glasshouse is just another word for the same thing), and this heating will almost always involve the burning of fossil fuels, producing carbon dioxide. This leads to the natural urge to re-circulate the exhaust gas from the heating system into the greenhouse and so achieve a double advantage for the plants. This will require careful monitoring of the flue gas to ensure that there are at the most only traces of carbon monoxide being passed into the greenhouse. This is not only bad for the plants but also potentially lethal to the people working there! Such technology is available with gas monitors that will measure the carbon monoxide concentration continuously and have analogue outputs that can be used to regulate the burners or operate a trip to switch the unit off should problems occur. The combination of breweries with greenhouse systems is also serious business in some areas. Generally, these methods are to be approved and should really be worthy of government support. Not only are they producing crops, they are removing a pollutant that would otherwise be vented into the atmosphere.

Monitoring of the added carbon dioxide is essential, however, since high concnetrations of carbon dioxide can lead to dizziness or even unconciousness of the personnel. Some plants will require higher levels of nutrients to compensate for some of the changes that occur. Particularly tomatoes and violets are sensitive to increased levels of carbon dioxide, hence the need for constant monitoring of the ambient concentration.

Simon Fowler studied Mechanical Enineering at City University in London, UK and now works in Vienna, Austria for madur electronics, a manufacturer of infrared sensors. http://www.madur.com/

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How Dogs Can Teach Us To Be Better Humans!

For those of you who are cable subscribers, you might be familiar with a show entitled Animal Planet. It features all things fin, foul, mammal, and reptile. One of the featured programs on the network is Animal Precinct. This is the mammalian version of the program Cops. Cameramen ride with law enforcement officials who are responsible for enforcing animal cruelty laws.

And, like cops, they have the power to arrest and detain people who do not meet the requirements for the proper care and feeding of the animals in their charge. Punishment can range anywhere from fines to a number of years behind bars. Some examples of mans inhumanity to animals featured the officers breaking up a Pitbull fighting ring.

A man in New York who let his Rot Weiller starve to death. Further acts of repulsive human behavior involved an individual who beat a German Shepard to death with a tree stump. The program, at times, is hard to watch. I find myself welling up with emotion every time they find another starving and abused animal.

I dont think that I could compose myself in the calm and professional manner that the officers display when they confront an offender. I do not suffer fools lightly when it comes to the abuse of animals. The only pleasure I can derive from the program can be summed up with one word - hope! Most of the creature features responded to medical attention, or, were adopted out to people who could give them the love and care that they deserve.

Take the case of a Cocker Spaniel, given the name Maggie by one of the officers. Maggie was found tied to a pole in a borough of New York City in the middle of winter. Upon closer inspection it was discovered that her left eye had swollen to the size of a golf ball.

When they got her to the veterinarian, they found that the eye could not be saved and had to be removed. Adding insult to injury, she also had cancerous tumors in her stomach. You would think that with only one eye, and having major surgery, that Maggie would not be an ideal candidate for adoption. But, this is a story with a much happier ending then you think. A woman from Manhattan adopted the dog, not only for her, but as a companion for another dog that she also owned.

She mentioned that Maggie, renamed Honey, was very friendly and affectionate despite her ordeal.It made me think of a Rudyard Kipling quote..

"There is no faith which has never yet been broken, except that of a truly faithful dog." Rudyard Kipling..

Honeys plight also served as an epiphany of sorts. Even though this dog had been through the worst, she still looked for approval and affection from their human counterparts. I also realized how these innocent creatures should remind us of a simple biblical lesson. Forgive those who have trespassed against us.

As human beings, we should have an infinite capacity to grant absolution. I realize that some of us have experienced trauma in our lives that has rendered our ability to forgive permanently broken. However, most of us will never experience such trauma, or endure the type of physical cruelty that some animals go through on a daily basis.

Yet, a simple misunderstanding among friends or family, can render us incommunicado with them for months, and sometimes, even years. Our pride can prevent us from bestowing a simple apology. Our jealously can make us sick with envoy over someone elses good fortune. Our human frailties are endless.

I think of my own dog, and how unpretentious she is in her day to day life. She holds no grudge,does not care how much money I have, or the car I drive. She is always happy to go for walk, andis never embarrassed to be seen with me! If only we could be so free and forgiving. Our pride and prejudices go by the way side, we could improve our relationships with people, and forgive the imperfections of others.

We all could learn a lot from a truly faithful dog..

Robert C. Potter is a wholesale and retail surplus product specialist. He is the author of http://www.productsforresale.com The Ultimate Guide To Products for Resale! Over 600 Wholesale & Surplus Supply Sources For Ebay Auction Sellers, E-Commerce Websites, Flea Market Vendors, and Retail Store Owners! You can find his 230 page ebook at: http://www.productsforresale.com

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Children And Snakes

If you've ever been to your local pet store then no doubt you've seen a snake or two for sale. Usually they are unhealthy, overly expensive, and not well cared for. Which would make most of us walk away without a second glance, but kids are different. They see a snake and they want the snake. I speak from experience having at one time been "that" kid. Since then I've learned a great deal about snakes in general, especially relating to keeping them as pets.

One common denominator of children and snakes is that they rarely do well together. At least not if you leave the snake in the care of the child. Snakes (and most other reptiles) are entirely unlike any other animal. Their care requirements are exacting, and there's very little margin of error when dealing with them. This isn't to say that children can't have snakes as pets. In fact I highly encourage it, but there are some realities you should consider.

1) You as the parent or guardian will likely become the primary caretaker of the snake. Which isn't at all bad, but let's face it. Kids are impulsive and the snake they just have to have or "I'll die!!!" probably will be yesterdays news before today is done. Not literally, but you get the idea. Just be aware that when most kids promise to always take care of it... well consider that just like when they promise to eat their vegetables, or do their homework. Their intentions are great but then the reality sets in.

2) Snakes are expensive. The initial purchase for something like a Ball Python will be relatively cheap (around $40-$100) but then you have everything else.

a) Tank - These can easily run over $150.00 but if you're willing to spend some time learning you can build your own from a plastic Tub for about $8.00

b) Essentials - These are the things you must have for the snake to prosper:

- Heating Pads: Under the tank heater will cost about $20-$35.00 depending on size and where you get it. There is also FlexWatt heat tape which is a little less expensive, but more labor intensive.

- Hides: Just a place for the snake to "hide" from everything. You can buy them at the pet store for a few dollars each or take an old butter tub, cut a hole in the side the snake can fit through and use that. Not a huge expense but the little things add up.

- Thermometer/Hygrometer combo: You want a digital one of these with probes. Those will run you around $12 to $15 for an Accu-rite from Wal-Mart. The cheap stick on the side of the tank types do NOT work. Remember I said before their husbandry requirements are exact? This is an example. To low heat can lead to respiratory infection, poor eating, and stress. To low humidty can lead to poor and incomplete sheds. So you will need to invest in a good thermometer/hygrometer setup.

- Water bowl: Needs to be large enough the snake won't tip it over. If you buy at the pet store it'll cost you more than it is worth. Around $15.00 (give or take)

- Substrate: A bag of cypress mulch will cost about $10 to $20. A better option is to use old newspapers for the substrate. I never pay for it because I get old newspapers from restaurants. Avoid glossy and colored prints as these can be toxic to the snake.

- Thermostat: Here we come back to the reality of how exacting conditions must be for snakes. The temperatures need to be maintained at very precise levels. That is where a thermostat comes in. To be clear these aren't the $20.00 wall mount units you get from Wal-Mart. These are specially made for reptiles and they allow you to control your under the tank heaters. Expect to pay upwards of $100.00 for one of these.

- Electricity: Obviously keeping a heating pad running 24/7 which you will have to do will increase your electric bill to some extent.

- Food: They need to eat. Expect to spend about $8 to $25 per month on food per snake. A lot will depend on how large the snake is as to what it should be eating. Don't forget to calculate travel into the food expense.

So now that snake that cost $40.00 is costing signficantly more. Before you even get out the door you're looking at another $200.00 in supplies alone. Not to mention the ongoing cost of upkeep on a daily basis. We didn't even consider what would happen if trip to the vet became necessary. Vets that specialize in reptiles have one thing in common with doctors who specialize in heart issues. They both charge significantly more than "regular" vets because of their specialization.

3) Kids are rough. You can't leave a child and a snake alone. Some people will tell you it is to protect the kid, but in 99.999999% of all cases the reason is to protect the snake from the kid.

4) Kids are quick. Snakes don't like quick. They feel threatened by it. They'll try to get away and barring that lash out at things they feel threatened by. Having experienced my share of snake bites over the years I can tell you that getting bit by a snake is something most adults will never forget. Imagine a kid getting bit because the snake felt like it had to defend itself.

All of this is not to discourage you from getting a snake for your kid. In fact I highly encourage you doing just that as they make wonderful pets. You as the parent/guardian just need to be aware that snakes are unlike any common pet most people have and they take dedication and responsibility that MOST children simply do not have.

You can learn more about snakes at my blog, http://www.pet-snakes.com

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7th Grade Student Science Fair Project Idea

This is a science project to test if fluoride actually protects your teeth from harsh beverages we eat and drink daily. Instead of using our pearly whites will will test this theory on egg shells. This is an easy science project for your 7th grade student or middle school kid. An 8th grader or high school kid may also want to do this experiment as well. You can make it as in depth as you need to or as easy as possible.

You will need these supplies

10 glasses
10 eggs
Soda
Vinegar
Fluoride from a local dentist
Lemon juice
Coffee
milk
Paper towels
Graph paper

Experiment instructions:

Divide the glasses and eggs in half. Place one in front of each cup. Place 5 of them on side of a table or counter top and the other half on the other end to keep them separated. Pour soda in a glass at each end so that you will have two containers with soda in them, one in each group. Now place vinegar in two cups the same as the soda. Put coffee in the similar way and then lemon juice and finally put milk in the last two. You should have 5 glasses on each side that have different liquids contained inside of them and they are the same as the cups on the opposite end of the counter.

Now take the fluoride and wipe it on 5 eggs. Let them sit for about 1 hour.

Place the group with no fluoride into their glasses and after the 1 hour place that bunch into their cups. You may want to do this in the evening because you will want to let these sit overnight.

In the morning place a paper towel in front of each glass. Using a spoon remove each egg carefully and place on the napkin in front of the cup.

Using your graph paper make notes from your visual observations. Now carefully pick up the paper towels and pipe any excess residue from each egg separately. Notice the shell exterior of each and make notes.

Did any particular liquid change the structure of the shell? Did more than one beverage change the outside hardness and how?

Compare the fluoride eggs to those with no protection. Was there a difference in those coated versus those without?

This is where your research needs to come into play. If you notice effects of the shell, structure, or strength decide what could be in these substances to cause this. For the high school student your need to research the acidic values of each liquid you used to determine its ph and acidic strength. If this is for 7th grade or a middle school science project just showing that eggs protected with fluoride were protected may be satisfactory enough or to state that one substance is strong enough to eat up the shell. Was the fluoride effective in protecting the outer coating?

Hope you find this 7th grade science project useful and get a good grade. Remember it is what you put in it.

Want to find more great 7th grade science projects or science project ideas visit http://scienceprojects.fetching.us

Lesa Bolt is a contributor to http:scienceprojects.fetching.us

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