My grandfather was a New York City fireman. When I was little I had many birthday parties at the firehouse. My friends and I would meet all of the guys, we’d get to wear the helmets and pour into the giant rubber boots and, of course, get to sit in the fire truck, which was …
The other day I was walking down a grocery store aisle when I saw a plastic product bag on the floor. Working in a safety conscience industry as I do, I immediately picked it up and put it out of harm’s way. We daily encounter dangers that to many may seem menial, but to those …
As you slip that comfy clean sock over your foot, you probably don’t even think about who even came up with such an ingenious idea. The concept of a sock did not appear in writing prior to the 8th century, but they have existed for some time. Long ago, socks were worn by people as …
Have you ever thought about where all that water on the street goes? Unfortunately, most people don’t. For years, toxins have ended up in our drains and waterways, both intentionally and accidentally. To halt this, the Clean Water Act was established in 1972. Now in 2010, the regulations have broadened and many are more defined …
Have you ever accused someone of “spilling the beans?” The ancient Greeks had many secret societies. A voting method that was common in those times was for members to put a white or black bean into a jar. White meant yes, black meant no. The number of white and black votes were to be secret, …
When I was in fifth grade, one of our extra credit projects was learning the above word. For a ten year old, anyone really, learning to pronounce and spell this word was quite the task. It was by far the longest word any of us had heard. In fact, it’s still the longest word in …
What is Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokoniosis? Read More »
Good question. Ducks have a spot on their rump called the preen gland. From this gland, an oily substance is produced and the bird will roll his head around on it. The bird then rubs the body feathers to spread the oil evenly. Doing this keeps the feathers bright and supple, and creates a …
Is it a peacock? A Face? Maybe a tie-dye shirt? If you’ve ever seen oil and water mix, you’ve probably seen an oil sheen similar to this one. Have you ever wondered what causes it? Oil on top of water will settle as a thin layer. The thickness of the layer will, due to an …
Due to its porous texture, clay is widely used in the sorbent industry from major to minor leaks and spills. Clay is able to be coated by liquids and swept up afterward, making for easy spill cleanup. So what’s the big deal? Clay’s sorbent ability is inadequate for tough spills. It leaves part of the …
Spill Safety: Non-Toxic XSORB Outperforms Clay Absorbents! Read More »
As the crisis in the Gulf continues to highlight the devastating environmental effects of offshore drilling on the ocean, we must be equally aware of our own impact on our oceans and waterways. Where else does pollution come from? An article in The USA Today compares land-based spills, to natural seepage, to the Deepwater Horizon …
Storm Drain Pollution: Spills Come From More than Just Drilling Read More »
