Who says Pepsi bottles are useless: Why not a solar hot water heater?
This Chinese farmer is getting hot shower water from this roof of Pepsi bottles and plastic tubing. This version of the story was seen on Ananova (sent in by reader Arnaud Betremieux). The account says “I invented this for my mother. I wanted her to shower comfortably,” says Ma Yanjun, of Qiqiao village,
We can run a sterling engine by the solar energy. All we need a parabolic dish for focusing sunlight to the Sterling Engine.You can see the video for an example. Click here to see the video.
These Solar Panels are being used to power up street lights. It can produce a power between 40W-280W.Made of Monocrystalline Silicon material, these panels are easily available.
Rain, hail and snow are the means by which water is returned to the earth. If this did not happen then the survival of life would not be possible. What becomes of the rain When it has fallen? Some of it falls into the sea and becomes apart of it again. In this way it helps to replace the water that is always taken up into the air as water vapour.
Rain which falls on to the soil of flat areas sinks into it. It fills the small spaces between the grains of soil to a depth of several meters. This is the water that plants use. The roots and the tiny hair on them take up this water and pass it to the stem of the plant. It moves upwards to the leaves where it is used by the plant in its food-making process. The water in the stem and leaves helps to make them stiff too. The underground water makes an enormous water store that never completely dries up. Water that is used by plants, or is taken up into the air as water vapor (both from the surface of the soil and from the leaves of plants) is replaced by more rain.
Rain falls on hills and mountains as well as on flat ground. When this happens, the water begins to run down the hills in little rivulets. These rivulets join up and make a small, fast-running stream. Others join it on its way down until a river is formed. At places, where the ground slopes steeply, the river flows very quickly and tears a deep channel for it self. Later, as the ground becomes less steep, the river makes its channel wider but not so deep. It runs a little more slowly, too. When it reaches low ground, it runs much more slowly and its channel becomes full of twists and turns. In the end, the river reaches the sea and falls in it.
Sometimes rivers run over rocks made of limestone. These rivers may plunge down deep holes in the rocks and flow under the ground instead of on the surface. As it flows towards the sea, the water very slowly dissolves the limestone and makes tunnels and caves under the surface.
The Muslims follow the Hijri Calendar. The first month is Muharram, which beings on the sighting of the moon. However, there comes a difference of ten days each year the moon completes its revolution round the earth contrary to the solar year.
The Hindus celebrate the season, and their festivals are connected with seasons of the year like spring, harvest time or the beginning of the rains.
The Christian Calendar (English Calendar) always starts on the 1st of January and ends on the 31st of December each year.
Although the Chinese follow the English Calendar as do all other people in the world. But according to the old Chinese traditions they have a cycle of twelve years, which is followed in the Chinese society only.
Each year is given the name of one of these animals: rat, ox, tiger, hare, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, chicken, dog and tortoise. This cycle is completed in twelve years and then starts again. For example, if 1988 was the dragon year, the next year, that is, 1989 would be the snake year and so on.
Each Chinese month starts on the day of the new moon so that the full moon comes on the fifteenth day of the month. There are 29 or 30 days in each lunar month. They also have 12 months in a year and the new year always starts between January, the twenty first, and February, the twentieth.
Before New Year's Day, some traditional Chinese families clean out their houses very carefully. The female family members make many kinds of cakes and other sweet dishes. Everyday buys new clothes for the family feast on the New Year's Day. The Chinese people believe and hope that the sweet sticky juice cake will keep their kitchens stored with a lot of bread, rice and other food cereals.
The religious Chinese go to the temples to burn incense and other fragrant sticks and make offerings to their gods. Inside the house, bright red banners are stuck on the walls, saying, "May the rice jars be filled to the top with rice!"
Red is a favourite colour with the Chinese. They believe that red colour is for life, strength and valour.
On the New Year's Eve, there is a big family dinner. All the family members are invited to this dinner, and are supposed to be present there for the great meal, even if they have to travel many miles to reach the home of their parents. The Chinese do gather to have the meal their older genration.
Old quarrels and petty disputes are forgotten. Everybody tries to be the first one to forget quarrels and welcome the angry ones. Soon, all differences are settled and forgotten. The Chinese believe that all debts must be paid on the last day of the year. After the dinner, the children keep awake to welcome the New Year. Some people think that the parents will live longer if their children keep awake to greet the New Year. The lights switched on the New Year's Eve remain on for three to four days as good omen.
The New Year celebrations last for fifteen days from the new moon to the full moon. On the first day, the children and unmarried people go to visit their elders, and greet them with wishes for a happy, prosperous life. Often they give a cup of tea to their elders and receive red packets containing money.
The first meal on the New Year must not contain any meat. After the meal is over, people go to the temples to pray for peace, good health and give thanks for the happiness of the past year. Parents do not scold their children on the first day of the New Year, and avoid quarrels so that the New Year will be a happy one.
The Chinese people believe that the whole year will be as good or as bad as the New Year's Day and the harsh or rude words on this day will bring a bad year for them.
The house must not be swept out on this day, otherwise all the good luck will be swept away.
On the second day of the year there is a lot of fun and friends' visiting. Shops are opened on the second or forth day but remain closed on the third day and people stay at home. They think that opening of shops on third day will bring bad luck.
There is a great feast on the seventh day. The Chinese believe that man came into the world on the seventh day, so this is a birthday for everybody. People serve raw fish with vinegar and spices on the seventh day.
On the fifteenth day or the day of the full moon fire crackers are lit to frighten away evil spirits. In the evening young girls throw oranges into the sea or river. As they do this they say a silent prayer that will help them to find a good husband. The young men throw dried carrots into the river and pray that they find a good wife. The full moon shines on the land of the Chinese where the celebrations com to an end at mid night.
What Happens To The Rain
In our everyday life, water, air and land matter a lot. We drink water, breathe air and walk on land. We can tell whether the water we drink has a peculiar taste, is colorless or it has an odor which is unpleasant. The air we breathe has dust and smoke. The land we walk on is dirty and spoiled. All this is due to the fact that we are facing serious problems of pollution.
There are many types of pollution; water pollution, air pollution, land pollution and noise pollution. The fast growing population, increased number of factories and industries, and a large number of smoking vehicles are the main causes of pollution.
Water pollution takes place when it gets mixed with unclean and filthy matter due to poor drainage and sanitation system. Very often filthy water containing human and animal waste, and poisonous chemicals is mixed with drinking water. This dirty water is absorbed by land and reaches the underground storage of water. It is then supplied to public by the tube wells as drinking water. This dirty water also pollutes the nearby lakes, canals and rivers. Thus nature's main sources of ground and surface water are also affected.
Land pollution takes place when people dispose of their waste on the land. The improper disposal of the waste material results in a number of problems. When it rains, the rain water seeps through the soil. The waste dissolves and carries with it harmful materials which pollute the soil.
Air pollution is the most dangerous type of pollution and also very difficult to control. It is spread all over. Its effects on human health are wide ranging and very dangerous.
Noise pollution is also causing problems in the densely populated areas. Excessive use of vehicle horns and loud music beyond a safe level damages the ear drum. Environmental Protection Department is taking measure to control pollution. We, as citizens, most feel and take upon ourselves the responsibility to keep our environment clean which is also a religious obligation.
We most grow trees and protect the existing plants and trees. It is observed that most of the people clean their own places, houses and buildings, but throw garbage in the street or on the roads. It is the duty of each one of us to put the trash in the dust bins and keep our atmosphere clean.
