Wind Power as a Viable Solution to Meeting Alternative Energy

Wind Power as a Viable Solution to Meeting Alternative Energy Needs Although it is much less expensive to initially get hooked into the local electric company's grid than it is to set up and hook into wind turbines, in the long run one saves money by utilizing the wind for one's energy needswhile also becoming more independent. Not receiving an electric bill while enjoying the advantages of the modern electrically-driven lifestyle is a wondrous feeling. Electric bills and fuel bills are rising steadilybut the cost of wind turbine energy is zero, and the cost of installing and hooking up a turbine is steadily coming down as demand rises and more commercial success is realized by various companies producing the turbines and researching technologies to make them ever more efficient. In addition, people are moving away from the traditional electric grids and the fossil fuels for personal reasons including desire for greater independence, the desire to live remotely or rurally without having to go primitive, political concerns such as fears of terrorist strikes on oil fields or power grids, or concerns about the environment. Again, this motivation to get away from the traditional energy sources is the same one that causes people to seek the power of the wind for their energy, giving more business opportunities to profit from wind turbine production and maintenance, which drives their costs down for the consumers. In nearly thirty states at the time of this writing, homeowners who remain on the grid but who still choose to use wind energy (or other alternative forms) are eligible for rebates or tax breaks from the state governments that end up paying for as much as 50% of their total green energy systems' costs. In addition, there are 35 states at the time of this writing where these homeowners are allowed to sell their excess energy back to the power company under what are called net metering laws. The rates that they are being paid by the local power companies for this energy are standard retail ratesin other words, the homeowners are actually profiting from their own energy production. Some federal lawmakers are pushing to get the federal government to mandate these tax breaks and other wind power incentives in all 50 states. Japan and Germany already have national incentive programs in place. However, A lot of this is handled regionally by state law. There wouldn't really be a role for the federal government, the Energy Department's Craig Stevens says. And as might be imagined, there are power companies who feel that it's unfair that they should have to pay retail rates to private individuals. We should [only have to] pay you the wholesale rate for ... your electricity, according to Bruce Bowen, Pacific Gas & Electric's director of regulatory policy. However, the companies seem to be more worried about losing short term profits than about the benefits, especially in the long run, of the increased use of wind turbines or wind farms. Head of the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies of California V. John White points out, It's quality power that strengthens the grid.

Why You Can't "Spot Reduce"

People have problem areas. Even people, who have achieved their ideal body weight, will still have problem areas. It could be the love handles, the flabby arms, the sagging skin or the hips. Then you will find the market offering all sorts of products, from creams and applications to get rid of the fats to gadgets and machines to tone the arms, thighs or the abs. However, there is one reality check you have to make. You cannot spot reduce. The attempt to do so is not going to work and it will not be for your good. Why Cant I Spot Reduce? The market misinforms the public of the benefits that can be expected from their so-called revolutionary products when in fact there really are no revolutionary results to look forward to. 1. Healthy Diet Is Important Diet is an important element to get rid of the undesirable body fats. The foods that you eat have calories and cholesterols that get stored in your body, probably amassing on those problem areas of yours. The diet is the main culprit for presence of fats. So no matter how much you depend on those gadgets in the market, it will remain defenseless if you keep indulging in sweets, fatty foods or junk foods. 2. Spot Reduction Is a Mere Myth It is not healthy to believe what those people say about the productivity of spot reduction efforts. The products you see on the market require nothing but merely attach or apply them on the problem areas. What about your other body parts? What about the other requirements of the body? In any healthy endeavors, you must be on the top of your physiology. You should know what it takes to achieve a goal. For example, if you want six-packs in your stomach, you have to know what it takes to get them. Some people out there would claim that if you want to improve the look of your stomach, you simply have to concentrate on abdominal exercises or use the gadgets that will do the exercise for you. Again, you cannot spot reduce. You cannot achieve the goal with simply doing that one abdominal exercise. The fat can not just come off on its own by just using a gadget. Genetics has to do with it. Diet has to do with it. Lifestyle has to do with it. The truth is, before you can even aim for the six-packs on the stomach, you will have to take away the fats first. So doing 500 crunches a day will only exhaust you but it will not get rid of those fats. Your body will not burn the fats stored in that spot you are targeting. Actual workouts can actually address this. With this, the fats are burned one at a time, and not just in one area. It has a more integrated system of reducing the fats in the body. Then you will also have to gain body mass. At this point, the only way you can only get rid of the fats and get some body mass is to have a healthy diet and do cardio exercises. Only after surpassing the diet and cardio requirements can you focus on the abdominal exercises. This is the only proper time to really focus on working out for the six-packs. 3. There Are No Shortcuts Miracle diets, pills and potions are mere shortcuts that will lead you to a dead end. If a healthy body is aimed, you have to work for it. You have to earn it. We truly are living in a fast world with the advancement of technology, but your body still is very much natural. Thus you will still have to be grounded to what is naturally required by the body, healthy diet, regular exercise and considerable amount of time to develop that desirable state. 4. Health and Fitness Require Commitment Your dedication to the health of your body is a lifelong commitment. Even if you achieved a good body now, it will not remain so forever if you abuse on your diet and lifestyle. It needs to be loved and taken care of, regularly. That is why if you will depend on the spot reduction claims, it will really bring you nowhere. You can only hope, but you cannot expect. So if you aim for the healthy body; get an exercise program for your self and make some changes in your diet. Give your self a holistic development. Improve not only the body, but your outlook in life as well. Do It the Proper Way With all these points raised, the bottom line is to simply get healthy the proper way. The saying still holds true. No pain, no gain. So do not be a victim of the misleading information and empty promises thrown upon you. Simply know the proper options. Take the matter into your own hands and enjoy the benefits of a healthy body.

Why Muscles Get Sore

As people age, they begin to complain more of pains in their muscles and joints. They seem to stiffen up with age, and such commonplace activities as bending over for the morning paper can make them wince. Such pain can grip so fiercely that they are sure it begins deep in their bones. But the real cause of stiffness and soreness lies not in the joints or bones, according to research at the Johns Hopkins Medical School, but in the muscles and connective tissues that move the joints. The frictional resistance generated by the two rubbing surfaces of bones in the joints is negligible, even in joints damaged by arthritis. Flexibility is the medical term used to describe the range of a joints motion from full movement in one direction to full movement in the other. The greater the range of movement, the more flexible the joint. If you bend forward at the hips and touch your toes with your fingertips, you have good flexibility, or range of motion of the hip joints. But can you bend over easily with a minimal expenditure of energy and force? The exertion required to flex a joint is just as important as its range of possible motion. Different factors limit the flexibility and ease of movement in different joints and muscles. In the elbow and knee, the bony structure itself sets a definite limit. In other joints, such as the ankle, hip, and back, the soft tissuemuscle and connective tissuelimit the motion range. The problem of inflexible joints and muscles is similar to the difficulty of opening and closing a gate because of a rarely used and rusty hinge that has become balky. Hence, if people do not regularly move their muscles and joints through their full ranges of motion, they lose some of their potential. That is why when these people will try to move a joint after a long period of inactivity, they feel pain, and that discourages further use What happens next is that the muscles become shortened with prolonged disuse and produces spasms and cramps that can be irritating and extremely painful. The immobilization of muscles, as researchers have demonstrated with laboratory animals, brings about biochemical changes in the tissue. However, other factors trigger sore muscles. Here are some of them: 1. Too much exercise Have you always believed on the saying, No pain, no gain? If you do, then, it is not so surprising if you have already experienced sore muscles. The problem with most people is that they exercise too much thinking that it is the fastest and the surest way to lose weight. Until they ache, they tend to ignore their muscles and connective tissue, even though they are what quite literally holds the body together. 2. Aging and inactivity Connective tissue binds muscle to bone by tendons, binds bone to bone by ligaments, and covers and unites muscles with sheaths called fasciae. With age, the tendons, ligaments, and fasciae become less extensible. The tendons, with their densely packed fibers, are the most difficult to stretch. The easiest are the fasciae. But if they are not stretched to improve joint mobility, the fasciae shorten, placing undue pressure on the nerve pathways in the muscle fasciae. Many aches and pains are the result of nerve impulses traveling along these pressured pathways. 3. Immobility Sore muscles or muscle pain can be excruciating, owing to the bodys reaction to a cramp or ache. In this reaction, called the splinting reflex, the body automatically immobilizes a sore muscle by making it contract. Thus, a sore muscle can set off a vicious cycle pain. First, an unused muscle becomes sore from exercise or being held in an unusual position. The body then responds with the splinting reflex, shortening the connective tissue around the muscle. This cause more pain, and eventually the whole area is aching. One of the most common sites for this problem is the lower back. 4. Spasm theory In the physiology laboratory at the University of Southern California, some people have set out to learn more about this cycle of pain. Using some device, they measured electrical activity in the muscles. The researchers knew that normal, well-relaxed muscles produce no electrical activity, whereas, muscles that are not fully relaxed show considerable activity. In one experiment, the researchers measured these electrical signals in the muscles of persons with athletic injuries, first with the muscle immobilized, and then, after the muscle had been stretched. In almost every case, exercises that stretched or lengthened the muscle diminished electrical activity and relieved pain, either totally or partially. These experiments led to the spasm theory, an explanation of the development and persistence of muscle pain in the absence of any obvious cause, such as traumatic injury. According to this theory, a muscle that is overworked or used in a strange position becomes fatigued and as a result, sore muscles. Hence, it is extremely important to know the limitations and capacity of the muscles in order to avoid sore muscles. This goes to show that there is no truth in the saying, No pain, no gain. What matters most is on how people stay fit by exercising regularly at a normal range than once rarely but on a rigid routine.