Indonesia ranked 4th Most Beautiful Country in the World

by:  ardianta inyoman  

The wonderful beauty of the Indonesian archipelago once again received worldwide recognition as Indonesia was named the fourth most beautiful country in the world through the survey conducted on Twitter and Pinterest by United Kingdom’s leading leisure travel company website, First Choice.

Topped only by Latvia, Mexico, and Turkey, Indonesia managed to outrank other countries in the top ten which include United Kingdom, Italy, New Zealand, Brazil, India, and Canada. Other popular vacation countries such as Swiss, France, Spain, and Japan did not even make it to the top ten. The survey was officially closed at midnight GMT on Friday, 18 May 2012.

As an archipelagic country, the splendors of Indonesia are as many as its countless islands. From the tropical white sandy beaches of Bali and Lombok, the underwater paradises in Raja ampat, Bunaken, and Wakatobi, to the majestic summits of Mount Tambora and the Carstensz Pyramid, the natural landscapes of Indonesia are the physical definition of beauty. The magnificent Borobudur Temple, the imposing Prambanan Temple, and the fascinating traditions of Toraja, are just to name a few of the fascinating heritage features that make Indonesian culture equally fascinating. The combination of these natural and cultural wonders are the reasons behind the high votes, thus placing Indonesia in the top part of the list.     

First Choice released an interactive infographic on the previous month asking people around the globe to share which country they think is the most beautiful. This project has inspired thousands of people to discuss the question on Twitter and hundreds more to create Pinterest boards of the countries, landscapes, people and cultures that inspire them. The response was so phenomenal that the committee decided to extend voting for an extra week.

Pinterest submissions were judged by TravelMail/Daily Mail Online editor, Sarah Gordon, First Choice travel expert and Communications Director, Fiona Jennings, and travel photographer Stuart Dunn. Dunn won the Travel Photographer of the Year 2011 award in the “One Shot – Wild Moments” category. The best Pinterest submission was awarded with a Nikon 3100 camera, and one lucky Twitter entry will be picked at random to win an iPhone 4S.

To check out the complete list, you can visit: http://blog.firstchoice.co.uk/conflict-of-pinterest-infographic/

Source: detik.com , firstchoice.co.uk , INDONESIA.TRAVEL

photo courtesy : blog.firstchoice.co.uk

Going Green Is So Much Simpler Than Most People Think

 by: Collin Rojas.

An increasing number of people are now wanting to do their part to save the planet due to the worsening problems caused by global warming. Unfortunately, numerous people assume that going green is costly and time consuming. Read on to discover several immediate things you can do to get on on the path to living green.

Recycling is the top way to start. A lot of people continue to place glass and aluminum items in their normal garbage even though recycling is not that hard to do today. In the US, it's not hard to locate a trash service that offers glass and aluminum recycling choices. Many people still continue to discard these items even though recycling bins are not hard to find. It merely takes a few minutes to wash off the cans and bottles before placing them into the recycle bin.

Newspapers are another item that overburden our landfills. Virtually all people will merely take their daily paper and toss it in the garbage when they are done with it. But, there are many other uses that you can get out of your newsprint other than poring over it it. Did you know that you can keep your windows clean using newspapers? If you're tired of seeing small white fragments and streaks on your windowpanes after you clean them with paper towels and cleaner, try to use old newspapers instead. Several community groups run regular paper drives. Merely compilepile all of your old newspapers, put them in a stack, and see if the paper drive organizers will come to your location and pick them up.

One more thing that could help you to start to live green is to begin walking a bit more. Lots of people routinely drive short distances merely to buy one thing at their local corner market. If you just walk to the store, not only could it take less time, because you won't have to locate a parking spot, but you will be saving money on gas and helping to save planet Earth by not burning those fuels.

If you wish to save even more on gas, take the chance to car pool when you can and only mow your lawn two times a month instead of weekly. A gorgeous lawn is good to have but skipping an additional week before you mow again shouldn't significantly affect it. Using a manual push mower like those more normally used many, many years ago will help to save the environment even more. Numerous hardware shops still carry this type of mower.

When people make up their mind to try green living, it's easy to make a few lifestyle modifications that will benefit our environment. Likewise, you can find lots of info all over the Internet on other ways to start living green, you only have to look for it.

Global warming due to green house gases

by : REKHA REDDY

Global warming is defined as the rise in temperature of the earth's atmosphere. It's said that by the time a baby born today is 80 years old, the world will be 6 and a half degrees warmer than it is now. Warming of the climate system is explicit, and scientists are more than 90% certain that most of it is caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases produced by human activities such as deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels.

Carbon dioxide and other air pollution that collects in the atmosphere like a thickening blanket, trapping the sun's heat, cause the planet to warm up. Coal-burning power plants are the largest U.S. source of carbon dioxide pollution -- they produce 2.5 billion tons every year. Automobiles, the second largest source, create nearly 1.5 billion tons of CO2 annually.

Global warming doesn't create hurricanes, but it does make them stronger and more dangerous. Because the ocean is getting warmer, tropical storms can pick up more energy and become more powerful. So global warming could turn, say, a category 3 storm into a much more dangerous category 4 storm. In fact, scientists have found that the destructive potential of hurricanes has greatly increased along with ocean temperature over the past 35 years.

We can cut global warming pollution by reducing pollution from vehicles and power plants. Right away, we should put existing technologies for building cleaner cars and more modern electricity generators into common use. We can increase our reliance on renewable energy sources such as wind, sun and geothermal. And we can manufacture more efficient appliances and conserve energy.

4 Steps to Choose the Best Solar Panel Installation System

When it comes to choosing Solar Panel Installation systems, you have to consider many factors like the capacity required, the cost and the efficiency of the system. Installing a PV panel system for your home is a costly affair, so you must take your time. When you are performing Solar Panel Installation in your home, it is up to you to ensure that the panels meet the standards in your country. If you want to get the solar credits to offset the huge price of installation, the panels need to be certified as per international standards. Your installer must be able to provide the appropriate proof. Even the inverters that are connected to the grid need to be approved before being connected to the grid. They need to comply with minimum standards and in some countries like Australia they should have the latest Certificate of Suitability. This is especially important because there can be some low-quality imported solar PV panels in the industry. 1. Capacity Required An average home would consume around 18 kWh of electricity in a day and this rate is growing with time. And, this average consumption can vary from one place to another in the same country. A 1 kW Solar Panel Installation system would produce around 4 kWh of electricity in a day, depending upon your area. This accounts for almost 20% of the electricity consumed by an average household in a day. So, the larger the PV panel system that you install, the more electricity you would be producing. For example, a 1.5 kW PV system would produce around 2,500 kWh of power every year. This comes to around a third of the electricity consumption of an average household. 2. Warranty The warranty offered on Solar Panel Installation systems from manufacturers range from 5 years to 25 years. However, you should install a system that has a warranty period of minimum 25 years. Otherwise, you cannot trust the manufacturer. 3. Efficiency Every manufacturer and supplier uses energy efficiency as a selling point for their Solar Panel Installation systems. However, the fact is that it wouldn’t tell you how the PV panels would perform. However, the more important thing you must consider is the amount of energy that the system would be producing in a year against the money that you spend. 4. Cost A 1 kWh system would cost you around $10,000 before you claim the rebates and incentives. However, after claiming all the rebates and incentives you can expect to pay something between $6,000 and $7,000. This would significantly depend upon the area were you live. However, there are also some manufacturers that are offering Solar Panel Installation systems for as low as $3,000 after deduction of the government aid.

Do you want to take advantage of Solar Panel Installation in your home? Choosing the panels would become easier if you visit this link. Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

How to Save Money on your Solar energy System?

The initial cost of installing Solar energy systems is high. But, the system in itself can payback for itself if shop around for best prices, apply for tax incentives and rebates from the government and store the additional energy produced.

According to one report, the usage of Solar energy has increased by more than 20% in the US since the year 1995. With the current available technology, solar power systems are expense to install but they pay back in the long-term. There are many tax incentives and rebates offered by governments that can significantly reduce the initial cost of installation. With the help of these incentives and the development in more economical solar power systems, Solar energy can prove to be an efficient way to minimize a home’s monthly expenses. Ways to Reduce the Cost 1. Shop Around Request quotes from several companies that specialize in installing solar panels. When you compare the prices from different companies you get the right information to negotiate with them and get the best possible price. In most cases, the residential power requirements can be met with the fundamental thermal panels. When you are having a large area of idle space, you can consider installation of larger systems to generate additional energy to be stored. There are some utility companies that can pay you for the Solar energy produced and sold to them. You can also install the panels yourself if you have some technical experience. 2. Tax Incentives Perform your research with regard to the tax incentives offered by your local, state and federal governments. In some countries, you can get as high as 30% tax credit from the federal government on the overall cost of the Solar energy systems that you have installed in your home. In addition, even the local and state governments can be paying rebates for installing solar power systems in homes. For example, the Illinois Association of Solar Energy is a state body offering reimbursement against solar credits gather by home users. 3. Storage of Energy Once you have saved on the installation of Solar energy systems and also received solar credits and tax incentives from the governments, another way to save money is to install a storage system for collecting all the surplus power. A battery back-up can be installed for this purpose, and it can keep powering your home when the weather is cloudy or there is no sunshine. Such a storage system can help you to reduce your energy bill or even eliminate it completely. If you live in a sunny area, this can be an optional choice but in areas with long winters, storing energy can certainly save you lots of money.

In addition to the methods mentioned above, there are several other ways to make Solar Energy systems more economical. Visit this link to find out how you can get back the cost of installation and reduce your annual energy bills. Article Source: http://www.articlebiz.com/article/1051568096-1-how-to-save-money-on-your-solar-energy-system/