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Author: Richard

Coffee Plants and the Environment

Coffee Plants and the Environment

How do Coffee Plants Impact the Environment?

Coffee is a morning (sometimes afternoon and even evening) beverage that a very large portion of the world enjoys every day. However, many people do not realize that the coffee trade (and indeed the cup they drink) have a significant impact on the environment. Another little known fact is that coffee is the second most traded commodity after oil in the world. This booming trade generates billions of dollars in global revenue, and has some serious economic and political implications.

Fair trade coffee for instance was created to help ease the environmental impact, but how much is it really helping?

To understand how this booming trade effects the planet, we must first look at how it is grown.

According to the WNY Tree Services of Buffalo blog, coffee is typically cultivated in tropical climates with plenty of elevation. Places like Colombia (one of the worlds most prolific coffee exporters) make great locations for growing.

Growing Techniques

Originally, coffee was grown using what is known as a “sun cultivation” technique. This involves producing the beans in plantations and barren spots in the forest, where plenty of sun can get to the crops. Due to the rapid increase in worldwide demand for coffee however, farmers soon began resorting to more harmful techniques to grow.

Deforestation quickly became the popular cultivation method, and has resulted in a massive loss of nearly 2.5 million acres of forest in Central America alone. Deforestation of course can cripple the ecosystem in the areas it takes place and, according to this Weebly page, is a serious threat to the planet today. If left unchecked, deforestation could cause the extinction of entire species and throw off the planets entire ecosystem.

Waste & Pollutants Created by Coffee Manufacturing

Another bi-product of coffee manufacturing is pollution. Contaminants from facilities used to process coffee beans are allowed to run unchecked into natural waterways, causing health issues for everything that lives in them. This in turn passes the pollutants to predators who feed on the creatures that live in the water, and can spread throughout entire indigenous populations.

Other waste (including air pollution and soil contamination) are also common in the coffee industry and, in many cases, entire spreads of land become infertile from aggressive farming techniques.

What can you do?

Raising awareness of the agricultural dangers of coffee production is a must if anything is going to change. Given the amount of money generated each year by the industry, it is highly unlikely that anything will be done without serious public effort. It is recommended to check out eco-friendly coffee alternative and also charities that aim at providing aid to the environment.

What Makes a Good Gaming Chair?

What Makes a Good Gaming Chair?

What Makes a Good Gaming Chair?

In any situation where you spend a long time sitting down, comfort is going to be an issue. It’s the same whether you are at work or in front of the television – a good, comfortable chair is a must! This is why gaming chairs – built specifically for people who spend a long time playing games online – are fast becoming very popular items of furniture, for a comfortable and well-designed chair can be the difference not only between a good session of a game, but also feeling fresh and healthy when you finish.

Learn More About What Makes a Good Gaming Chair

So, how do you choose a gaming chair, and what is the best gaming chair for you? There are many different types and designs to choose from, so we took a look at all the options for you, in order that you can decide on the right style and model for you. Let’s have a closer look at what gaming chairs are all about.

Why a Gaming Chair?

For the full-on, all-singing and all-dancing experience, a chair that is designed to do the job is a must, and not just because of comfort issues. You can get gaming chairs with a whole host of brilliant features, and in range of alternative designs. Here’s the main ones for you, and some other stuff you should look for:

Rocker Chair

Among the most popular of all gaming chairs are rocker chairs; these do not have conventional legs, but are shaped to sit on the floor and to rock back and forth. This can result in a much more immersive experience – especially in games where movement is natural – and these chairs are supremely comfortable, too. You can often find them with built in stereo speakers, wireless connections and more, so you can enjoy your gaming to the full.

Racer Chair

For the racing game, nothing beats an authentic-style racer chair, often complete with steering wheel and sometimes other controls. These come in many shapes and sizes, and are superb for enhancing the feel of any racing game, as well as playing against others. One of the biggest names in the game is DxRacer. They model their chairs after actual race car chairs. If you are interested in checking them out, you can read more here: dxracerreviews.com – comparisons.

Pedestal Chair

Similar to the rocker, except this one comes with a stand with a pedestal support, so that the movement is slightly higher than in the rocker. These also come with full movement and a full choice of excellent features, so make for a great choice if you want the full experience.

PC Chair

The most popular of all gaming chairs, the PC chair is a typical office chair taken to another level, and complete with all the features and systems that gamer needs in order to make the experience complete. Some of these are highly sophisticated, very stylish and superbly comfortable, so you should look long and hard at the many available models.

Contrary to popular belief, gaming chairs are not a gimmick; they are an essential part of the package for anyone who wants to enjoy their gaming to the full, and if you look carefully at the types we have identified, you will find there is one that suits your needs and budget.

Getting Started With Espresso In The Morning

Getting Started With Espresso In The Morning

So, confession time. I haven’t been keeping up at all with posting on this blog. I’ve been incredibly busy with school, and have been working on my YouTube channel. I thought I would come back to this blog (as I am trying to get back to it more) and decided to write a post about how I keep myself motivated and going through long days. The secret? Caffeine! Well, that is at least part of my solution.

Routine Step 1: Espresso

Espresso is the first step to my morning routine, and it is the thing that wakes me up and gives me the kickstart to get going. Right now I have a fantastic Gaggia espresso machine, but am thinking of upgrading to something like the Breville “The Infuser” sometime soon. The great thing about the Gaggia is that I need to tamp my own espresso beans, which I actually enjoy doing. This is a process that is common in most semi-automatic espresso machines (the mid-tier price range), and some people like it, some don’t. Anyway, some people may call me a stickler, but espresso needs to taste a certain way. I went to France once and had an authentic European espresso, and the difference when compared to espresso in America is astounding. In fact, I import all of my beans from Europe, but even still the taste isn’t quite the same. Maybe it is something in the water? If you are interested in learning more about the difference between American and European espresso, click here.

Routine Step 2: Lots of Sleep

The key to maintaining physical and mental strength is to ensure you are getting at least 8 hours of sleep. Studies show you need at least 8 hours to run at full mental capacity during the day, which is essential if you plan on working consistently throughout the entire day. Sleep also helps your skin stay young and healthy, which is obviously a plus.

Routine Step 3: Lots of Water

Water has been proven to wake you up better than coffee, and is a crucial part to your day. Water is very beneficial and effects a number of your bodily functions, including productivity, concentration, and critical thinking abilities. There are numerous studies about this as well, and every one has concluded that if you want to be alert and productive, you need to drink a lot of water.

These steps may see simple, but they have helped me build up my YouTube channel, get through school, and still maintain a healthy complexion throughout!

Sources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
http://www.yourbestespressoreviews.com

Hello Beautiful World!

Hello Beautiful World!

Hello everyone! My name is Richard and I will be your author of this soon to be splendid blog! I write as a pass time in college about my every day experiences, thoughts, and other nonsense that many may find to be a bit boring.

I have had an interesting life (I would like to think) and this blog will allow me to channel my inner magic out through the interweb and connect with as many like minded people as possible. The whole purpose of this is to make some new friends, share some experiences, and connect with you beautiful people!

A couple rules I will have though are 1) no hateful comments (I may even take comments away because I keep getting random messages about shoes and other nonsense) 2) always be open minded! 3)always be you! and that’s it!

Obviously I don’t want to kick anyone out of our soon to be fabulous community, so please try to abide by the rules I mentioned above and we should be able to have a grand old time!

Now that the boring stuff is out of the way, you can learn a little more about me below or on the about page!

I grew up in White Plains, New York and lived there until I was 20. It was ok, but some of the people were kind of pretentious and very “Stepford”. When I moved out, I brought my little dog MiMi (of course), and a suitcase of my best outfits. Where did I end up? Good old Los Angeles where I had dreams of becoming an actor, model, or otherwise famous sensation.

The stories you will get to read here are from my adventure starting from when I got to LA. They are real, sometimes gritty, sometimes funny, and sometimes will make you cry.

I hope you enjoy them and the blog.
PS. Here is my inspiration!

Enjoy!

Richard