Green Living Utopia

How To Install A Wood Burner

Kerri Liesel — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:48:39 +0000

It is possible to save a great deal of money on utility bills by simply installing a wood stove. Not only that, but wood burning is known to be more environmentally friendly than burning fossil fuels. Traditional oil, gas and coal cannot be replaced once burned but tree can be endlessly replaced by planting new ones. So let’s look at how to actually install one of these beasts.

Before you proceed be aware that a wood burning stove is little different to a small furnace so check with your household insurer that they are happy for you to install one. Usually they are ok with the idea if you can show evidence that the installation was done by a certified professional – A DIY installation is more likely to result in a house fire.

The next step is to calculate the size of wood burner you should install. This is part science and part experience and you would be best advised to speak to a professional. Ask them to pay you a visit so they can see what your requirements are and what the situation is so they can help you choose the right burner.

At this point it is worth pointing out that the flue is as important to the installation as the burner itself. You cannot use any old flue with a wood burning stove; it has to incorporate material specifically for wood burning exhausts. An approach many adopt is to fit a flue liner inside an existing chimney, but if you don’t have a suitable chimney then you will need to factor in fitting a standalone flue.

Following installation of the burner itself you should tidy around and be certain to clear any flammable items from proximity to the burner. You should find that the manufacturer stipulates what kind of clearance to maintain around the stove. Also take steps to ensure that small children and animals are kept away from the stove to avoid the risk of serious burns.

After you start to actually use your wood stove you will need to schedule cleaning and maintenance. This is not dissimilar to the process for cleaning a regular chimney. The reasons you need to remove creosote and other deposits from the stove and flue are twofold. One, an accumulation of creosote will eventually rot the flue pipe and impair the burner. Two, when not in use during the summer, the creosote will start to smell quite unpleasantly.

To ensure long and trouble free use of you wood burner you should arrange a full sweep and clean at the least every year. By all means also make use of proprietary cleaning products called chimney cleaning logs that don’t do everything the makers claim for them but which can help control deposits to some extent.

To conclude, your best course of action when installing a wood burner is to get professional help on board from the outset. A professionally installed wood stove is both environmentally friendly and a big money saver too.

Check out these additional articles to find out much more about installing a log burner and how much it costs to install a wood burning stove.

Save on Energy Costs With Certain Treatments for Windows

Adam Champagne — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:12:08 +0000

In economic times like these, everyone wants to save as much as they can money, right? It may seem hard to believe, but the way you select your window treatments can affect how much your energy bills are each month. Most types of window treatments provide some sort of insulation, but there are some that are more effective than others. Today, we’re going to go through the 3 major types of window treatments and how effective they can be when it comes to insulating.

Curtains/Draperies – It really depends on the material that you use when it comes to energy efficient drapes, but they tend to be less effective at preventing heat loss as their pleats and folds allow the heat to escape through convection. When drawn, most draperies can reduce heat loss by 10%. But, if you hang them as close to window as possible, install a cornice on top, seal the drapery on both sides and overlap it in the center, it can be reduced by 25%. If you’re going for a more elegant look, draperies are definitely the way to go. Out of the three types, they are the least energy efficient, but it’s still better than having no covering on the window at all.

Blinds – This type of window treatment is ideal if you live in an area where it is warm most of the year and heat gain is your primary insulation concern. The reason they are less helpful with preventing heat loss is because of the numerous openings between the slats. But, because you can adjust these slats to control light and ventilation, blinds are ideal for preventing heat gain. When blinds are completely lowered and closed on a sunlight window, the heat gain can be reduced by up to 45%. When it comes to the look of the treatments, blinds are less chic looking than draperies. But if you’re going for a more minimalist, modern look that’ll help keep your house cool, blinds are where it’s at.

Shades – Cellular or honeycomb shades are by far the most effective at preventing heat loss when they are installed the right way. The “right way” being as close to the glass as possible with the sides of the shade held close to the wall. Doing this creates a sealed air space and makes it very difficult for the heat to escape. For maximum efficiency, shades should be raised on the side of the house that receives the most sunlight during the day and then lowered at night.

In the end, it all comes down to what your home’s specific insulation needs are. If you’re not as concerned with heat loss or gain as you are with giving your home an elegant look, go with draperies or curtains. But, if blinds or shades will fit into your décor plans, definitely consider them for making your home more energy efficient.

Moving Day In Costa Rica

Frank Scott — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:28:17 +0000

Conducting photo tours in Costa Rica can be quite an experience because I never know what my group and I will encounter. Here is an entertaining event that occurred while we were traveling to one of our locations.

One of the destinations for my group in Costa Rica Photo Tours is the beautiful, pristine Osa Peninsula along the southern Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, a place that National Geographic says is “the most biologically diverse place” on the planet. In order to reach this location by vehicle we drive through the tiny village of Ojochal, which is very near my home.

Let me tell you about a unique way to move that some rural Costa Ricans still use. One day, when my photography group was passing through the village, we noticed a most unusual way of moving. But, to help you better appreciate what we saw, let me provide you with some background on the man who was moving.

The fellow who was moving was one of my neighbours, Senor Wilson (real Spanish name, don’t you think?), who has brought my wife and me flowering plants since we moved in. It was really funny the first day that he stood at the top of the driveway with plants in hand. He was so polite that he would not come down to the house without our invitation even though he was there to give us a present.

After a sort of “conversation”, he in Spanish and my wife and I mostly in English, I realized that he wanted to give us the plants. We were new in the community and this was a welcoming from the neighbours who live at least a hour walk up the mountain. Yep, walk. No car. Senor Wilson walked an hour just to deliver a gift. Now, that is neighborly!

With the passage of time, Senor Wilson has given me flowering plants many times. Often he stands there waiting to see where I will plant it. I would probably do the same thing if I lugged it down a mountain for an hour. However, there are so many things to do that planting this gift is never one of my priorities. Certainly, I never thought that I would be tested on my ability to choose a location and plant something when I moved to Costa Rica from Canada.

One day Wilson arrived at the house with another plant, accompanied by his two sons who were going swimming in the river beside our house. He gave me the new plant and then asked where I had planted the others that he had brought.

Well, they were still in the pots (these pots are not the plastic pots that we are familiar with but old aluminum kettles with drainage holes made by stabbing the bottom with a machete), would you believe it? Wilson saw this and decided that he not only would bring the plants but he would plant them in our little garden. That tells you all you need to know about this good man.

Back to moving day. As my photography tour group and I were driving a dusty Ojochal road, we saw a man walking his horse. It was Wilson. We stopped the van and I saw that the horse was carrying two huge white bags filled with what seemed to be clothes and household items. There was also a broom wedged between one of the bags with its blue bristle extending between the horse’s ears. For the life of me, it looked as if the horse had a bristle blue tiara on! Poor horse, not very macho!

Wilson was holding the horse’s bridle in one hand and a birdcage in the other. A sight to behold. A man, a horse, a crown, and a birdcage. Moving day!

I started the conversation as usual with “Hola, que tal?” “How are you?” And then I asked if he was moving (only kidding). But, sure enough, the horse was neighbor Wilson’s version of a moving van. I believe it is called a grass-eating 4 X 4.

He explained that he and his wife (who is a tiny little thing that looks about 14) were going to house-sit one of the B&Bs whose owner went back to Germany for the rainy season. He also said that it would be easier for his wife and 3 kids to live there because it was closer to the pueblo as the B&B is almost in the pueblo where the children would go to school.

I thought that it was rather interesting that he was carrying the birdcage. I would have thought that on one of the previous trips down to their new digs one of the children would have wanted to carry the cage.

I guess carrying flowering plants and birdcages come under the same heading. Wilson explained that the bird was young (parrot or parakeet, can’t really tell) and that it was very talkative. As if to show off, the feathered pet suddenly started chattering. Unfortunately, I had not yet mastered Spanish well enough to understand bird Spanish so I could not figure out what he was saying. But, it did not matter to the bird.

There was a great deal of excitement and clicking of cameras as the group was taking pictures of the family, the chattering bird, and the embarrassed regal horse since the chance of seeing something like this again, ever, was quite remote. Welcome to moving day in the mountains of southern Costa Rica! Local colour is always the surprise on my photo tours.

Frank Scott writes from sunny Costa Rica where he is a professional Costa Rica Photographer offering unique photography tours. Some of his work can be seen in Costa Rica Vacations, a very popular travel guide to this unique country.

Fiery Arenal Volcano: A Costa Rica Photography Delight

Frank Scott — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:20:11 +0000

With luggage and camera gear packed in the van by 8 in the morning my new friends and I on my photography tour are off to our first destination, promising to be an outstanding adventure. The excitement is high with everyone getting to know each other and talking cameras and pictures on this their first day.

We are on our way to Arenal, an active volcano in Costa Rica, but there are a few stops along the way. First, we stop in Sarchi, famous for its tropical furniture, where magnificent, brightly decorated ox carts are made in an eighty plus year old water powered factory. From there, we drive to the little mountain town of Zarcero where the focal point is the old wooden church with its much-photographed double row of topiaries leading to its entrance. You can fill your camera’s memory card just at these two places with the colours and patterns in Sarchi and the fantastic shapes of the topiaries in Zarcero.

Along the way, the potholes in the roads are many. Our Tico driver, Luis, knows this and so drives extremely cautiously to avoid them. However, it seems like everyone else on two or four wheels pass us. Those passing us seem to believe that they are Formula One contenders and in Costa Rica there is even a bus driver who is known to have passengers find God while on his bus.

After Sarchi and Zarcero we stop for lunch in La Fortuna and are now just a few miles from the lodge in Arenal. Upon leaving the main highway for the lodge we find ourselves traveling in, out, and around potholes. The rainy season ended about the beginning of December so many roads are still in very poor condition. Our road is unique because it was built out of crushed lava.

Rounding a curve we see a clearing beside a tropical river and there is the perfect cone shape of Arenal Volcano! Those who have never seen a volcano are stunned at the sight.

We see that the peak of the cone is shrouded in puffy little white clouds against a cerulean sky. The sight is picture perfect and we stop and everyone quickly descends from the van in the process of attaching cameras to tripods. Some of us wade into the tropical river to capture the incredible image from a different perspective and others are shooting from the riverbank.

Of course being this close to an active volcano could be very dangerous but Arenal is quite predictable, a low risk. The lodge is only one and a half kilometers to the base of the volcano and two kilometers to the top of the cone and needless to say, any activity attracts your attention.

While unpacking and getting settled in, Arenal speaks. It is a great roar, smoke and gas billowing many hundreds of feet into the sky and the sound of the rocks tumbling down the slopes. After the eruption, the Mantled Howler monkeys are extremely vocal but we do not know if they are protesting the roar of the eruption or just answering back.

We all sit in the lodge dining room enjoying our dinner as the volcano erupts again. I had told everyone that there are photo opportunities in Costa Rica but no one imagined anything like this could happen, certainly not while you are eating dinner. And this was only the first day of the photo tour!

Most of us do not get much sleep for the first two nights. Instead, we find some comfortable chairs in the common area outside our rooms and attach cable releases to our cameras and put them on a tripod. From past experiences I decide to use an 80-200mm lens set at 80mm and an aperture of f8, the camera shutter set at “B” for time exposure.

The activity of the small flare-ups at the cone and the lava flowing down the opposite side makes me think that a time exposure of more than 20 minutes could produce an ugly yellow blob of light and if there are no eruptions after this time I will close the shutter and start another exposure. In using a cable release the exposures are perfectly sharp and Arenal cooperates by putting on quite a display while we are there.

What a magnificent first day of the tour in Costa Rica. Eight more days of photography to go and everyone is anxiously looking forward to what exciting adventure tomorrow will bring.

Canadian Frank Scott lives in sunny Costa Rica where he is a professional Costa Rica Photographer offering unique photography tours. Some of his work can be seen in Costa Rica Vacations, a very popular travel guide to this unique country.

How To Build A Wind Generator In 6 Simple Steps

Kevin Hughes — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:02:59 +0000

You live your life every day fully dependent on energy, mainly gas and electricity. But with the constantly rising costs of these energy sources, you might be wondering how you can cut back on these expenses and make your life a little easier. You likely already know about renewable energy and that it is being used around the world. But how do you take advantage of this without spending a fortune? You might want to consider building a windmill, but do you know how to build a wind generator?

That is a good question. Here are some simple steps to help guide you:

- First you need to know where you are going to put it. You need an area with at least a 300 to 400 foot radius of open space and a 30 to 40 foot vertical clearance. There are two types of towers you can choose from, a tilt-up or a freestanding design. Tilt-ups are more widely used in residential areas because they are easier to maintain, since you don’t need to climb them to clean them. However, since free standing towers are taller, they help maximize the output of your wind turbine.

- Next up on your list are the materials you are going to use. You can start with a high voltage, low current DC motor that runs at low rpm’s. This is the heart of the unit that will convert the wind into electrical current.

- Then comes the blades of the wind generator, which can be carved from plastic, wood, sheet metal or you could also use PVC pipes. Note that the longer the blades are, the wider its swept area covered, meaning the more power it can extract from the wind.

- The next step would be about fixing the hub, that which connects the blades onto the motor. One easy way would be to look for a scrap steel disc with which you can drill holes into and attach to a shaft that would connect the blades.

- After this, the tail and the pivot are now to be put together to keep the apparatus turned to the wind. This can be done by using a square tubing, pipe nipple, flange for the pivot and a scrap metal sheet for the tail.

- After setting up your wind generator, one more important step must be covered and that is the battery. Batteries are essential basically because it is where the converted energy is stored. Keep the batteries close to the generator as much as possible to monitor the charging, and look for highly efficient batteries, which are low in maintenance.

Batteries to be used are those for power system applications are called “deep cycle,” which are rated in amp-hours and have indication of its charge-discharge cycles.

In knowing how to build a wind generator it’s best to remember that placing a diode between the battery and the generator is good in order to prevent the energy from being wasted and flowing directly onto the generator itself. Adding a secondary load is helpful as a depot for excess energy produced.

Need help with DIY home windmill power? I know how you feel. Discover which do it yourself guides are simplist to follow and give you the most bang for your buck. Click here now: Earth4Energy Review

Hybrid Car Myths

Colin Jones — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:37:43 +0000

If you are considering a hybrid vehicle, you may be hearing quite a bit of “gossip”. Some people think the hybrid car is the best thing since sliced bread. Some people say it will just pass. Yet other people again say they think they can save a lot of money, but you’re not sure it’s really worth it. What’s the truth, and how do you separate myth from fact with all of the stuff that is being thrown at you? Below, you can read and consider the usual hybrid car myths.

Hybrid cars are just the same as electric cars: This is not true because hybrid vehicles are fuel-powered most of the time. But they have what are called ‘battery assists’. The assist is powered by a nickel-metal hydride battery pack that is rechargeable.

You are guaranteed to save money with a hybrid vehicle: If you are doing city motoring, you may economize on fuel and you may not. The same goes for long-distance driving. There are so just many different factors involved. It has been said that if everyone bought a hybrid car, the gas consumption would drop by just 10%. That’s not a very big decline, now is it?

A hybrid vehicle’s battery can run out: A hybrid car battery should not run out while you are actually driving it. The engine in a hybrid vehicle does not idle when stopped (at a red traffic light for example). What does it do then? Well, it recharges its battery. So, there’s no need to worry about a hybrid vehicle stopping for that reason.

A hybrid car’s rechargeable battery only lasts for two years: A hybrid car definitely would not be worth buying if this was true. A hybrid car’s rechargeable batteries usually come with an eight-year guaranty.

If I run out of gas, I can continue driving on the hybrid vehicle battery: Keep in mind that, a hybrid’s battery is an assist. That means that hybrid cars still run on fuel. After you run out of fuel, the battery could keep the car running for a short while. However, the vehicle will stop running pretty soon.

Hybrid cars will soon put normal car sellers out of business: I’m sure that this won’t happen anytime soon. The reason for the delay has to do with the how much hybrids cost. Many people just can’t afford one. Also, people just aren’t certain whether they will really save money on a hybrid car. Therefore, they are loathe to join the rush of people who want to buy a hybrid vehicle.

Hybrid cars will only save you about $88 per annum: I did see something on the news the other day, but it may not be true. If there’s something you really want and there’s a lot of gossip surrounding it, you simply have got to do some research yourself. There are many different types of hybrid vehicle, and many different manufacturers make them. This means that there may be much more involved than we have time to discuss here. A hybrid car may be of use to you, and it may not, but at the end of the day, is up to you.

So, don’t worry too much about what people say. Do your own research and make up your own mind. Use the Internet to get information. The manufacturer’s advertising is also useful, if you stick to reading the facts and gloss over the hype. Check that what the literature claims is also in the guarantee.

If you are interested in the working parts of New Hybrid Vehicles, please visit our website at http://new-hybrid-vehicles.com

Green DIY Energy Information For The Consumer

Zach Angelo — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:07:26 +0000

Green DIY Energy is increasing in popularity among consumers. Green energy is considered to be natural, renewable and non-polluting. The main types of green energy are solar and wind-powered. These power sources save money and help to fight global warming by reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

Green energy saves homeowners a lot of money by reducing monthly energy bills. State and federal government also provide rebates and tax incentives for using these types of power. DIY kits for solar panel or wind turbine installation can save the homeowner even more money by not having to pay for professional installation.

Homeowners should carefully choose their Green DIY Energy kit. Instructions can be intimidating for people without much home improvement experience. However, many kits are very good, and provide detailed installation explanation. Do it yourself installation further increases energy savings.

Solar DIY kits are easiest to use when they are for a specific purpose. Most good kits have all necessary parts, thorough instructions and clear diagrams. They also provide an alternative plan during darkness or cloudy days, when it is difficult to generate enough power. Modular kits are most valuable. As energy needs increase, another kit can be purchased and easily connected to the originally installed solar energy source.

The main type of Green DIY power is produced by solar panels. These are large panels that have many smaller plates that collect light from the sun and change it into energy. One thing to consider in deciding to purchase a solar panel DIY kit, is the amount of sunlight in the area. Solar panels work on the amount of available light, not heat. During winter, with shorter days and frequent overcast skies, solar panels will not collect as much energy. However when there is a lot of sunshine, extra power generated by solar goes back to the grid and runs the electrical meter backward. This saves the homeowner money.

Wind power is another popular form of green energy. Wind turbines change the wind’s kinetic energy to power compatible with a home’s electrical system. It is also connected to the power grid, and on days when an excess of wind power is produced, it is sold back to the electrical utility.

Green DIY energy is rapidly becoming more popular. A huge amount of resources exists, in the form of general information to DIY kits. Homeowners should carefully select the right DIY kit for them, however most are relatively simple. Not only does this green energy help to combat global warming by helping to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, consumers can experience substantial savings off their energy bills.

You can build your solar panels this weekend! Get the full video tutorials through the Green DIY Energy Review. Get rid of your electricity bills with the Green DIY Energy guide.

What To Know About Green DIY Energy

Zach Angelo — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:44:50 +0000

With the rising cost of energy, green DIY energy is becoming more popular today than ever. By using wind turbines and solar panels, more persons are providing for all or part of their home energy production on their own home site.

Most persons producing their own power, either solar or wind will require a bank of batteries for energy storage. Batteries help to stabilize the power that is being generated and protect the electronics in the home from power spikes caused by wind gusts or clouds moving out to allow more sunshine to hit the solar cells.

In areas where there is unobstructed sunshine for many days of the year, solar energy can be the answer. Copper solar panels that are coated in red copper oxide produce electrical charges that are added together to produce the power you need for your home.

In hilly areas that have prevailing winds, wind turbines power generators that are used to charge the battery bank. The turbines work best when elevated approximately 100 feet in the air in order to avoid any interference from buildings or trees.

If you live near enough to public power lines that you are able to connect or are already connected, you can use your DIY power to supplement the power needs for your home. Today, many power companies provide reverse electric meters so that any excess power you produce can be sold back to the power company to lower your power bill. This can also provide a more steady power source on overcast days for solar producers or still days for wind producers of electricity. Connecting to the grid lowers the chances that you will need a back up fossil fuel generator.

Persons that choose to live completely off the gird will want to make preparation for the days that their power system does not produce enough electricity for their needs. While the systems do have the storage of the battery system, after a few days of not producing, you may have used all your stored energy. In addition, draining the batteries too low will shorten their life. A back up generator may be necessary.

Persons choosing alternate energy need to be aware of the advantages of choosing power saving appliances. This allows for the installation of fewer solar cells and cuts the cost of a DIY system. In addition, the power saving appliances will lower the installation costs.

If you want to save the planet and lower your energy bills, consider green DIY energy for home power.

Ready to start your solar panel project with Green DIY Energy and start saving money? Then you need to get the full scoop at the Green DIY Energy review and decide for yourself. You can have your energy system up and running this weekend!

Gardening For Your Greener Livelihood

Philip Youngwood — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:01:19 +0000

In the past few decades we have become more and more reliant on supermarkets for all our fruit and vegetable needs. These days, it is becoming increasingly popular to grow your own fruit and veg at home or on a little plot of land nearby. Not only can this help you save money, it’s also great for the environment and can be a rewarding experience.

The benefits don’t stop there. Think about all the exercise and fresh air you’ll be getting in the great outdoors, tending to your patch; as well as all the knowledge about nature you’ll be gaining. Whichever reason grabs you the most, you’ll need some space to start growing. The main options available are your home, your garden or on a plot of land.

In the home Just because you don’t have a garden or allotment does not mean that you can’t grow your own produce. Why not start with a herb garden on your windowsill? At the most basic level all you’ll need is a yoghurt pot, some earth and of course some seeds. Alternatively, how about a window box? If you choose this option you could try growing some lettuces and tomatoes.

In the garden If you are willing to dedicate part of your garden to your new green fingers – and green lifestyle – you could have barrels of fruit and vegetables at your disposal. A small patch is a perfect place to grow potatoes and green beans, but if you don’t want to sacrifice your flowers and other plants, try planting in-between them. Just make sure you put pegs in the ground so you remember where to find them!

Need more space? If garden or home-growing aren’t suitable options, you could think about getting a small plot of land or allotment. Your local council might have a community garden scheme or else some allotments that you can stake a claim on. Alternatively, Landshare is a scheme that matches up vacant land with growers, and the National Trust offers up parts of its land for allotment space.

Other ways in which you can help the environment include keeping water, gas and electricity wastage to a minimum. This may also help you net a cheap gas or other utility bill too. Remember to take bags out with you when you go shopping to reduce the number of plastic bags that get sent to landfill sites. Recycling is also a fantastic way to reduce your impact on the planet.

Philip Youngwoodwrites on number of energy related topics including how to get cheap gas bills.

The Mysterious World Of Rainforest Animals

George Wolf — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:03:04 +0000

The rainforests are dense forests that are located in areas that receive the highest rainfalls throughout the year. The rainforests are also home to more than 50% of the animals and plants available in our world. Because of the dense foliage, sunlight often does not penetrate to the ground level, leaving the forest floors pretty clear and walk able.

The rainforests developed on earth mainly due to what scientists call the monsoon trough, a weather pattern of winds converging to form a heavy rain band over certain locations. The rainforests can get up to 78mm of rain in the rainy season.

But of course not all rainforests animals can be easily spotted. Take for instance the rainforest chameleon. It can blend with any color in the rain forest making it almost impossible to spot. And then you have the red eyed tree frog, which looks like a devil in a green suit. All you can see of it through the leaves is the red eye.

Similarly the rainforests in the temperate regions are called temperate rainforests. These can be found in North America, Europe, East Asia, South America (Chile), Australia and New Zealand.

Rainforest animals tend to be quite colorful, sometimes using them as protective shield against bigger predators. Many have camouflage print on them to put other animals off track, like butterflies with eyes like decoration on their wings. Some of the rainforest animals prefer to blend in with the backdrop to hunt as well, like the stick insect. This insect can change its color from that off dry twig to that of a new leaf, blending in with the backdrop and suddenly pouncing on its prey.

Below this layer comes the actual canopy of the rainforests formed by densely populated trees that grow up to 45 meters high. This layer is the richest in terms of flora and fauna, with exotic orchids like plants, insects and small animals etc. Because of height and density this layer has only been explored marginally by scientists.

Even though the rainforests are full of carnivorous predators, a large number of rainforest animals are actually herbivores. Above them are the insects and arachnids that prey on each other mostly. Also size need not necessarily determine the food chain in a rainforests. Giant poisonous tarantulas are known to bring birds down and small poisonous frogs can kill bigger snakes.

Among the rainforest animals, birds and snakes have a balanced relationship i.e. both prey on the other kind. That leaves the bigger predators like tigers, anacondas, crocodiles. Generally if a rainforest is thriving, these predators can be found in large numbers as they will have plenty food to sustain themselves. But if the population of these predators starts falling then it becomes a clear indication that the rainforest is dwindling.

With only two seasons to boast – wet and dry – the rainforests are evergreen and do not wither away naturally without human disturbance or change in weather, both of which are becoming more and more rampant in recent years. Excessive deforestation has caused the rainforests to dwindle from occupying 15% of the earth to 7% at the present. Along with the rainforests, we are losing hundreds of plants with medicinal properties, animal and insects that play a major part in earth’s ecological balance. With the threat of global warming looming ahead, the fate of the world’s rainforests is now doubtful.

Click here to know more about rainforests and their amazing world.