Archive for October, 2008

Organic Gardening

Saturday, October 25th, 2008

What is Mean by Organic Matter?

Organic matter is decaying plant and animal waste. Organic matter is used as a soil amandemen. Organic gardeners are used to the idea that household items lead double lives in the garden. Lemon juice, vinegar, salt and sugar are all used against weeds or insects, old sheets protect plants from frost.

What is Organic Gardening – The Basics for Gardening Organically?

What does it mean to have an organic garden? Does organic gardening mean you have to put up with insects eating your plants or unattractive flower beds?

The short answer is that organic gardening means not using synthetic products, including pesticides and fertilizers. Ideally, organic gardening replenishes the resources as it makes use of them. Like feeding depleted soil with composted plants, or planting legumes to add nitrogen to an area that had been planted with heavy feeder.

Why Organic?
Organic gardening is gaining popularity as people realize the many benefits to themselves, the environment and other living creatures. Growing organically simply means not using synthetic or chemical fertilizers, insecticides or pesticides. Instead, organic gardeners stick to fertilizers made from animal or vegetable by-products and get creative when dealing with unwanted pests — often utilizing beneficial garden insects or plants that deter the unwelcome visitors.

Not only does gardening organically cause less harm than conventional-type gardening, it actually has many benefits.
• Organically grown food has been shown to help defend against cancer with its higher essential vitamins and nutrients.
• By eating organically grown food, you ingest fewer chemicals.
• Organic gardening feeds the soil rather than depletes it.
• Most organic gardeners use compost, which reduces the amount of waste going to landfills.

This guide to organic gardening will help you to plan, start and maintain your organic garden. Organic gardening focuses on the health and feeding of the soil, not the plant. By growing and alternating a wide variety of plants, the organic gardener can create a mini “eco-system” that will maintain a healthy balance.

“Organic Gardening” provides information on creating and maintaining a healthy, natural garden that is free of harmful chemicals.

Organic Gardening Ideas

Organic gardening is the exact same as regular gardening except that organic gardening does not use chemicals that may have an adverse affect on your health. Organic gardening starts with the soil. Gardeners must add organic matter to the soil regularly in order to keep the soil productive. One thing that makes even gardeners that are very serious about organic gardening reach for pesticides is insects on their plants. The best way to defend plants against insects is to take preventative measures. A variety of plant types is a good idea to keep pests of a particular plant type from taking out the entire garden.

Other ideas are sticky traps, barriers, and plant collars. To avoid plant disease in organic gardening, choose disease resistant plants and plant them in their prime conditions. Weeds can be an annoying and frustrating part of organic gardening. Organic gardening may take a little more time and care than regular gardening, but after gardeners get the hang of it and figure out all the quirks of their garden, it is definitely worth the extra time. Few pursuits are as rewarding as growing your own organic garden. Organic gardening produces healthy, more diverse ecosystems which are better able to resist significant pest damage…naturally!

Tequila

Thursday, October 9th, 2008

Mexico’s Tequila is spirit of Mexico , in Mexico, tequila is drunk straight, without salt and lime. Equal-sized shots of tequila and sangrita are sipped alternately, without salt or lime.

Drinking tequila in this way is often erroneously called a Tequila Slammer, but this is a mixed tequila and carbonated drink.In Germany and some other countries, tequila oro (gold) is often consumed with cinnamon.

The Issue

Mexicans have long identified Tequila as more than just the national drink, but a unique symbol of their culture and environment. As the reach of global trade has extended and Tequila is now consumed around the world, Mexico has vigorously sought protection for its cherished spirit in international trade agreements. In bilateral and multilateral negotiations, including those leading to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Mexican trade officials have demanded Tequila be protected as a “geographically indicated product” under intellectual property rights law. They have argued that Tequila is a unique cultural product that can only be called by that name if fermented from the blue agave plant indigenous to a specific climactic region of Mexico.

Description

Tequila and Mexico share an inextricable history. Tequila is Mexico’s undisputed national drink. The origin of the name Tequila is more shrouded in mystery.Premium Tequilas are those whose fermented sugars derive from 100% blue agave. When Tequila was consumed predominantly in Mexico, regulating the liquor’s production was relatively straightforward. Consequently, liquor distillers outside Mexico have been lured by such demand to produce knock-off brands of Tequila. The Mexico has sought such protection for Tequila and its cousin Mezcal in all international trade agreements beginning with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) ratified in 1994.

Under the section, “National Treatment and Market Access for Goods, Distinctive Products,” Mexico gained the following provision: “Canada and the United States shall recognize Tequila and Mezcal as distinctive products of Mexico. Accordingly, Canada and the United States shall not permit the sale of any product as Tequila or Mezcal, unless it has been manufactured in Mexico in accordance with the laws and regulations of Mexico governing the manufacture of Tequila and Mezcal.”

Related Cases

For that Mexico had to rely on its membership in the World Trade Organization .Tequila is therefore not specifically recognized. In May, 1997 Mexico and the E.U. signed a bilateral trade agreement in which Europe recognized Tequila and Mezcal as “denominations of origin.”, at the time of the signing the Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT) estimated that some 3.5 million liters of “pseudo-tequilas” were sold annually in Europe. Among the issues stalling talks is China’s hesitance to accept Tequila as a geographically indicated product. While several articles compiled by Expeditors, an online database covering trade issues suggest Tequila is the driving force behind the stalemate, Free Republic cites additional points of contention between China and Mexico, summarized as “toys, textiles, and tequila.”

Environment Clusters

Environmental Problem Type: General Habitat Loss

The proliferation of a global market for Tequila has triggered environmental consequences as well.The Tequila industry’s desperation to find enough agave to meet demand has produced two results with potential implications for the habitat. On the part of the Tequila producers this is not only theft but fraud, as the Oaxacan agave is used in place of blue agave but the product is still labeled Tequila.

Name, Type, and Diversity of Species

The best tequilas are all derived from 100 percent pure agave. Other tequilas, which are known as mixtos, mix agave-derived tequila with sugars. The most famous of the tequila drinks is, of course, the margarita. Margaritas can be served one of three ways.The best quality tequila cocktails are made from 100 percent blue agave tequila.The only alcoholic beverages in the world that are allowed to call themselves tequilas are the Mexican tequilas.The better the quality of tequila, the simpler the cocktail can be. In fact, really good blue agave tequila tastes best served over ice with just a squeeze of lemon or lime. The sensation is fun and it gives the juice and tequila in the drink a nice lift.