The Firefly Chronicles

There just might be hundreds of them. Maybe thousands. They hover, bob, and weave above the grass. They are not faery folk. They are fireflies. They effortlessly fly, their wings buzzing. But, the fluttering goes unseen in the dark, set against a ball of light that emanates from them. As children, we oogle them endlessly. Maybe it is the longing to dance among them. It may possibly be the desire to fly through the trees and explore the world around us. It could be the fascination with the glow. I used to watch them from the front porch of my house when I was younger. Even though I live in the city now, I can close my eyes and still see them across the street, in the late summer, hovering over the corn.

The firefly is an enchanting crepuscular beetle, which means that they are mostly active during the twilight. There are more than 2000 species that live in both temperate and tropical climates. Popular spots to find them are in places their little ones can easily find food, such as marshes or wet, wooded areas. Firefly larvae eat a range of goodies, including earthworms, snails, and slugs. As they get older, these radiant adults tend to sip on plant nectar. They use flashing patterns to communicate and to find a mate.

Also called “glow worms” or “lightning bugs”, they produce a green, red, or orange light with no ultraviolet or infrared rays. This is a “cold light” with no heat byproduct. The lower abdomen of a firefly contains special light-emitting organs. Luciferase, an enzyme, is a catalyst for oxidation when combined with adenosine triphosphate and Luciferins, a light-emitting pigment. 90 to 100% of the energy that a firefly gives off is transmitted as light. This contrasts with a incandescent light bulb, which emits only 30% of its energy as light.

If you have ever been duped, listen up. These femme fatales have cracked the code of some unsuspecting males. The females of some species of fireflies mimic the mating flashes of other species. When a male responds to the call, the female pounces and eats him. They even steal defensive chemicals from their prey, because they do not produce very much of it themselves. These aggressive gals are called photuris mimics.

To increase firefly activity on your property, let us put these tricks up your sleeve, so that you do not get duped yourself. Reduce or completely eliminate the amount of chemicals that you put on your lawn. Reduce any extra lighting in the area. Since fireflies use light signals to find a mate, you may not see as many buzzing about when the moon is full and the sky is clear. Provide fireflies a place to rest during the day with low, over-hanging trees, tall grasses, etc.

http://hymfiles.biosci.ohio-state.edu/projects/FFiles/frfact.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefly

http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/Entomology/courses/en507/papers_1997/stous.html

Energy prices finally started dropping in fall 2006, but the average U.S. household will still pay nearly $5,000 in this year to power its home and vehicles— a substantial amount from any budget. That figure is 32 percent higher than just two years ago.

Energy efficiency is like an “insurance policy” against roller coaster energy prices. No matter the price of the energy we use – whether it’s wind, solar, biofuels, nuclear, gas, or electricity – we can all have greater control over our energy bills and the shape of our world by using it wisely. All it takes to help us do that is “small steps” — developing energy-efficient habits or using energy-efficient products and technologies. It’s simple. The powerful combination of smart energy practices and energy efficiency simultaneously reduce:

• energy bills
• pollution
• greenhouse gas emissions

And increase:

• comfort
• energy security
• economic security

Here are 6 easy ways to cut down on wasting energy.

Install a programmable thermostat to lower my home heating and cooling costs.

Seal air leaks with insulating foam sealant and weather-stripping to lower my home heating and cooling bills by up to 10 percent.

Replace four 75-watt incandescent light bulbs with comparable 23-watt compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) to save $190 over the life of the bulbs.

Adhere to the speed limit and avoid aggressive driving to improve gas mileage and save money.

Turn off my computer and other electronics during long periods of nonuse to prevent costly “energy leaks” and improve the longevity of the equipment.

Replace at least one older, less energy-efficient appliance, home electronic, lighting equipment, home office equipment, window, door, skylight, or heating or cooling equipment with an ENERGY STAR-labeled product to lower my related energy bill by up to 30 percent.

For more information on the Six Degree Challenge, visit sixdegreechallenge.com

While we are on the subject of nature…weather…and balance…I would like to talk about global warming for just a bit. Humans have been on this planet for quite some time. Millions of years…in fact. Our recorded history only goes back about 4 thousand years or so. Our recorded temperatures actually only venture back about 100 years. And our accurate recorded temperature…well…who really knows how much of the last 100 years was accurate.

To measure the climate of the last few hundred thousand…or even million years…we use samples of ice taken from glaciers at the poles. However…as a result of not being able to obtain accurate temperature observations from cavemen…we can only rely on what we derive from evidence frozen in water.

And here it comes…are we so sure that we understand the cycles of the earth? How do we know that the slight warming (which now is about a whole degree) of the earth and the minor melting of the poles is not just a periodic part of the cycle? I mean…we do not have a complete…comprehensive understanding of the weather patterns that are happening today…let alone a complete understanding of specific climatic patterns over the earth’s entire history. What if the earth warms for a little bit every million years then cools a little bit…minimally affecting the existing life?

Also…our planet has gone through many ice ages and warming stages. Who says that when we began thinking about these things that we were at the top of the warming stage? Since we have only begun recording temperatures 100 years ago…what makes this period the warmest? And just because the earth’s average temperature is increasing…it doesn’t necessarily mean that humans are causing it. We can only observe trends in this area and CORRELATE them…or theorize that they are related. To prove CAUSATION…we would have to understand 100 percent of the factors in the earth’s weather and climate. Then…we would have to be able to conduct tests that eliminate EVERYTHING else except the human factor. We do NOT know all of the factors in the cycles of weather and climate. If we did…your local weatherman would be telling you definitely at 5pm tomorrow…it would be 78 and sunny. He can only tell you that he PREDICTS based on all of the information he can gather…that it will be 78, hopefully sunny, and the computer modules tell him that there is a 20 percent chance of rain.

However…I would like to point out that I am a naturalist. I do not think that humanity can go on imprinting like we do upon the earth. There are better alternatives to the current fossil fuels and other amenities we use that have an incredibly smaller impact. We do need to recognize our pollutants and contaminants and move in the direction of eradicating them.

That said…I do understand that governments regulate the industries that are affecting the planet the most. And to persuade the government to get involved…lots of people have to put pressure on them. No apparent problem…no pressure…no change. Also…research groups that do not scream CRISIS will not get funded as much as those who do. If there is not a crisis…why study it?

I am NOT saying that global warming does not exist. And…I am NOT saying that we shouldn’t try to be more conscientious when it comes to nature. Humans always have the habit of seeing what they want to see…and believing what they tell themselves is the truth. Once upon a time…it was scientific fact that the world was flat and that the earth was the center of the universe. I AM saying that you need to find out the facts and think for yourself.

I drove home Friday through the tropical depression that was formerly known as Ernesto. It was extremely rainy and windy. The roads were slippery…and even though it was only 1 in the afternoon…the sky was dark and gloomy. There was so much water falling from the swirling mass of clouds above me that it was collecting in the trees. A section of leaves was so saturated…a good amount of water fell on my car all at once. It smacked my windshield so hard…I closed my eyes…frightened. I thought for sure that it had cracked it. It took me several minutes of looking over the glass to fully believe that I had passed through unscathed. I know that many were in danger of flood and wind damage…and that my wet drive home was in no way comparable.

Yesterday…the skies were gorgeous…having cleared up nicely. The storm was off to reek havoc in Pennsylvania and western New York State. Fair weather clouds flowed beneath the bright blue banner. I sat outside and ate my lunch…appreciating that fall is near. As I was looking out over the Potomac River…I remembered a principle of nature that I thought of long ago. These events…no matter how insignificant or terrible…serve to send the earth back into a state of balance. Sure…the planet is always going in and out of this state of balance. Ebbing and flowing. It is when it fluxes so far away from the happy medium that more catastrophic events unfold.
The average pressure at sea level is just under 30 inches. It goes higher and lower all of the time. However…if it raises to be too high for a long period of time…the high pressure can cause dry lands. When it sinks lower…we see incredible storms and even tornados.

The weather where I am at now did just that. We had been under high pressure for so long…our grasses were fading and some of our smaller streams were waning to nothing. I feel confident in telling you…that even without venturing into my backyard…that the stream near my house will be full of life once again.

Lightning is also a means of balancing nature. The friction of frozen water droplets in the clouds causes positive and negative particles to separate. Typically the ground ends up being positively charge and the clouds negatively charged. When you see a flash of lightning…it is an extreme transfer of energy…with the result being a balance of charges. Of course…during storms…there’s usually lots of lightning…because again…it is an ebb and flow. Ice particles continue to move up and down in the atmosphere…rubbing up against each other…the friction separating positive and negative particles…creating a charged environment…and returning to the state of balance through lightning.

El Nino is the periodic warming of a specific area of the Atlantic Ocean…near the coast of Africa. Last year…when we had a record number of hurricanes…the water was warmer than usual. 2 or 3 degrees…I believe. Heat is energy. More heat means extra energy. The excess hurricanes last year served to expel this excess energy. To return nature to a state of balance.

Geological phenomena are also included in the major earth events that return the earth to a state of balance. Pressure and heat build up under the earth’s crust. A volcanic eruption relieves this pressure and built-up heat. When the joints in the earth’s crust…or faults…build up enough pressure…they release it in the form of earthquakes. The more pressure built up…the bigger the quake. Then…a state of balance for the time being. It is similar to your joints after you’ve been sitting down for awhile. Sometimes…you just have to shake it out…right? Feels good…doesn’t it.

Now…I am not saying that Dorothy should have been doing a pagan dance about the tornado that sent her house to Oz. It is apart of the cycle of life and the natural movements of the living earth. And…as I recall…she did get some cool ruby slippers out of the deal.

Most people in the U.S. get electrical power through nuclear or fossil fuels. Not only are fossil fuels, non-renewable sources of energy, they also pollute the planet. Nuclear power produces nuclear waste, which is also hazardous and hard to dispose of. Other cleaner, and renewable fuel sources include water, wind, and solar power.

While building a windmill in your backyard may be back-breaking and infeasible, tapping into existing wind power providers is not. Renewable Choice Energy is a company that provides wind power credits to those households and businesses that cannot directly access wind power. It works like this: imagine that the U.S. is a big grid of horizontal and vertical lines. Most of this grid is dedicated to fossil fuel energy. A little part is dedicated to clean, renewable resources, such as water, wind, and solar power. For $5 a month, which is an individual plan, Renewable Energy will take away 250 kwh of fossil fuel energy on the grid and replace it with wind power energy.

This says several things. You are telling the energy providers that you want wind power. You are also telling them that you do not want unclean fuel sources. The purpose of doing this is so that we take away bad fuel sources and replace them with good ones, even if we cannot get them directly. The more demand for wind power, the more they will need to supply, and the more bad fuels we take away. We help the earth.

I found out about wind power credits, because I shop at Whole Foods a lot. There was a small sign on the cash register talking about wind credits. They were out of pamphlets, so I did a web search. I found out through Renewable Choice Energy’s website, as well as a few newspaper articles I ran into, that Whole Foods bought enough wind credits to run all of their stores. A whole food chain run off of wind credits. I was enchanted.

For 5 or 10 bucks a month you can get an individual or family plan. Whole Foods is also giving out 20 and 50 dollar gift cards when you sign up. I got mine in the mail a few weeks ago. Go to renewablechoice.com for more information about how you can get wind credits and help better the earth. Renewablechoice.com