Tag Archives: cherry-tomatoes

Linguine with Gulf Shrimp, Crab, and Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 pound small fresh gulf shrimp, peeled and deveined, divided 2 teaspoons minced garlic ½ cup white wine ½ cup heavy whipping cream Juice of 1 lemon Click here for more ingredients and directions 

Here is the original post:
Linguine with Gulf Shrimp, Crab, and Cherry Tomatoes

Nuclear, Solar, and Ze Germans

I recently did some researching into nuclear power. I often had debates with colleagues at my former job about the most environmentally friendly source of energy. I should note that I used to work for an oil and gas engineer training company and that most of the colleagues I discussed this with were high-level petroleum engineers of one sort or another. The most common answer I heard was that nuclear was our best option for environmentally clean energy, but it’s not safe. That is true to an extent. There are currently 104 nuclear reactors in the U.S. It would require 410 to become fossil-fuel independent. These facilities could also create synthetic fuel for vehicles. More efficient nuclear plants can actually recycle carbon with carbon filters and create a hydrogen compound that can be used as fuel for vehicles. It could save 2.8 billion tons of carbon from being released into the atmosphere each year. However; There is no safe way to dispose of nuclear waste. Having that many nuclear facilities creates a lot of targets for terrorist attacks and a lot of potential for catastrophic mistakes. It opens the door for other countries to build nuclear reactors. Safer forms of alternative energy are being developed. Which brings me to the next point: Solar Power. With new technology growing rapidly in the field of solar power, putting our efforts there seems to be the best option. The sun produces more energy than we could ever use, and it’s clean, free, and renewable. A friend of mine recently sent me this article on Germany’s plan to be energy independent by 2050. The plan includes various forms of solar, wind, and hydroelectric power. I would like to see the Obama administration create a plan like this with definitive steps and dates for when we can be energy independent. I’d also like to see fossil fuels and nuclear power left out of it.

More here:
Nuclear, Solar, and Ze Germans

Patio Garden

I took a break from writing to enjoy the two weeks away from school before I start back into summer school. I am taking a class on journalism and blogging, which I hope will help me improve this blog. I also look forward to the Fall semester when I take a class on Sustainable Community Building. I am very excited about that class, and expect to fill this blog with the knowledge I gain from it. In the meantime, I wanted to post some photos of my little patio garden, which I was worried about at first, but has taken off since the weather warmed up. So far we have harvested four cherry tomatoes, and there are two little strawberries that call to me at night. I can’t wait for the watermelon to grow. So far it’s just a very large vine though. I love watermelon. Here is the first harvest of the summer: Jason’s Flower Garden: Not the most professional picture, but here’s the whole garden: flowers, strawberries, chili peppers, watermelon, cherry tomatoes, rosemary, garlic, and potatoes. Callie and Russia enjoy sitting by the patio garden:

Continued here:
Patio Garden

Plant a Tree for Love

I thought this was an interesting initiative in Indonesia. To help repopulate the local forests that have been the victims of deforestation, couples must plant 10 trees in order to get married, and 50 trees in order to get a divorce. Not only is it beneficial in reducing CO2 in the country, but it also helps avoid the monoculture problem that many deforested areas have. Couples are planting trees that they want to see around their neighborhoods instead of what grows the fastest and can be cultivated the quickest. Maybe we should look into that over here in the states, instead of charging for marriage licenses.

See original here:
Plant a Tree for Love

Walt Whitman on Nature

“After you have exhausted what there is in business, politics, conviviality, and so on – have found that none of these finally satisfy, or permanently wear – what remains? Nature remains. ” Walt Whitman

Read this article:
Walt Whitman on Nature