A Thanksgiving Activity To Do Instead Of Black Friday
Are you looking for a meaningful way to spend time with your family over the Thanksgiving holiday, instead of diving into the chaos of Black Friday shopping? How about creating lasting memories by heading outdoors and selecting your own Christmas tree?
Through Recreation.gov, you can easily obtain a permit to cut your own Christmas tree from a national forest. Imagine packing up the family, stepping into nature, and enjoying the beautiful scenery as you hunt for the perfect tree. This experience not only brings your family together but also supports sustainable forest management practices.
By participating in this program, you help contribute to the health of our national forests. The permits are part of a larger effort to encourage responsible land stewardship, ensuring that our forests remain thriving ecosystems for future generations. Removing select trees helps reduce overgrowth, making the forests less susceptible to wildfires and promoting healthier habitats for wildlife.
It’s a heartwarming tradition that combines fun with a love for nature and a commitment to sustainability, making it a unique way to unplug and reconnect with what truly matters.
If you’re interested in changing it up this year, visit Recreation.gov for more details on how to get your tree permit and discover the participating forests near you. Trade in doorbusters for the great outdoors this year – your family adventure awaits!
IIT Guwahati’s Innovation to Promote Greener Infrastructure Solutions
The Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati has developed an eco-friendly geopolymer made of industrial waste. It offers a sustainable alternative to conventional construction materials that create tons of toxic or non-biodegradable waste. The innovation seeks to promote greener infrastructure solutions and address crucial challenges in waste management.
Led by Professor Anil K. Mishra, the research team developed the geopolymer using industrial byproducts like fly ash, ground-granulated blast furnace slag, and water treatment sludge. Water treatment sludge, for instance, has high volume and environmental risks like heavy metal trickling into groundwater.
IIT Guwahati’s innovation matches cement strength and reduces carbon emissions. Prof Mishra explained that the geopolymerisation process transforms aluminum and silicon, from waste materials into a 3-dimensional alumino-silicate structure. This creates an energy-efficient, low-carbon alternative to cement.
The geopolymer passed UCS and CBR tests, confirming it meets and exceeds strength standards for road subgrades.
Washington Left Without Power as Oregon and California Brace for Heavy Rains and Snow
A storm system has knocked down power for over 600,000 Washington residents and left 2 women dead; one of the victims being struck in her home, and the other passing away in a homeless encampment. Thelatter succumbed to injuries from falling trees as the bomb cyclone hammered the Pacific Northwest.
According to Puget Sound Energy CEO Mary Kipp, a storm of that magnitude hasn’t been witnessed since 2012. Northern California prepares for snow, heavy rains, and potential floods as a powerful atmospheric river from the Pacific hoovered above the Northwest early in the week.
Forecasts show that the region will expect heavy snow that could limit or shut down traveling in Oregon near California’s border. The National Weather Service said that some parts of Washington experienced wind gusts of up to 77 mph, comparing it to 74 mph for hurricane winds.
Drivers are cautioned to stay off the roads because of possible strong winds that could trigger widespread power outages.
Slovakia’s First Hydrogen-Powered Truck
Metrans has begun testing the first hydrogen-powered truck in Slovakia. This project is a collaboration between Mobility & Innovation Production s.r.o (MIP) and Metrans. This announcement was made at the Slovakia Ring.
At the event, the Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) subsidiary signed the letter of intent to introduce the truck to its fleet. This move aims at achieving climate-neutral container transportation.
The hydrogen-powered truck is built on the Ford F-Max platform. Powering the truck is a 117 kW REFIRE fuel cell mated to a TM4 Sumo motor by Dana. The motor is a direct-drive electric powertrain system and coupled with a 48-kg hydrogen tank, the truck can provide a range of at least 600 kilometers.
Japanese Manicurist Strikes Gold with Plastic Waste
According to IUCN, approximately 22 million tons of plastic waste is trashed in the environment annually, but Naomi Arimoto from Japan has found a way to recycle some of it: she uses plastic waste in her nail art.
Arimoto, a professional manicurist, carefully sieves sand from a beach near her home in Tokyo for tiny plastic pieces. She rinses them, sorts them by color, divides them into smaller pieces, puts them into a metal ring, where she melts them into a colorful disk that is used to create decorative tips that her clients can’t seem to get enough of.
The idea was born from her exploits in community cleanups along the coast. Previously a social worker, Arimoto opened her nail salon due to a spinal condition that robbed her of her career.
