Glen Brammell Journal

One question that has been lingering for years is whether or not we can find a replacement for the standard 60 watt bulb. Finding a way to light our world more efficiently is a key to saving our environment while lowering power consumption.

One breakthrough seems to be the LED bulb. A new bulb produced by Osram Sylvania is due out in 2011. The bulb will be carried by Lowes stores around the country. The Led bulb is five times more efficient than the old bulbs. I hope these bulbs work as expected and we can use them to make our world a better place.

One thing I know for sure is that our earth provides everything we need to live. One thing that has always amazed me is the rain. It is important in so many ways to so many things. It provides water for every plant and creature no matter how big or small. The problem with rain is that you can’t always depend on it to come when you need it. That’s why it’s good to store water when it comes.

I first heard about the idea from a neighbor of mine. We were talking about our water bills and ways to reduce them. He was using rain water barrels to capture the rain water that fell. He would then use it to water his plants. The idea is called rain harvesting and it really works. It saves money in the long run and helps keep our earth green.

After our talk, I started looking into the possibility of getting some rain barrels for myself. I went on the internet and found there are many types of rain barrels for sale. I found some that would look nice at our house and got them immediately. Now I have extra water when the rain decides not to come. The whole thing has worked out great and I couldn’t be happier.

The British government has stepped up to the plate and is working to help the world’s environment. They recently completed the largest offshore wind farm and it is operational. The site is in the North Sea about seven miles off the Southeast coast of England. The wind farm was constructed by a Swedish energy company.

The new site contains about one hundred turbines. They can produce about 5 gigawatts of electricity a year. That’s the equivalent of more than 200,000 homes. The savings to the environment are immeasurable. I think this is a great step for the British government and I hope they continue down this path.

For many years, miners have known that North Carolina contains emeralds in the ground below it. Recently, a 65 carat emerald was found on a farm. The stone rivals the ones found in the crown jewels of the Russian empress Catherine the Great. The stone is being marketed as the Carolina Emperor.

The stone was found in the community of Hiddenite that has for many years been a producer of the stones. Most of the stones are not gem-quality, but sometimes excellent specimens have been found. Plans to sell the emerald are in the works and its owners hope to make a healthy profit. I say good for them!!

In the aftermath of the giant oil spill disaster, there appears to be some good news. Today, 22 oiled sea turtles were released back into the wild. On the coast of Cedar Key Florida, the turtles were given a second chance to survive. They were captured and cleaned before their return to their natural waters.

While the turtles seem to be doing well, there are still questions as to their long term health. That will be a difficult question to answer as it is nearly impossible to monitor the turtles after their release. All we can do is hope they will be ok.