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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Simple Eco-Houses on the Upswing

A new Ukrainian homebuilding startup called Passivdom uses a 3-D printing robot to produce parts for tiny houses. The machine can print the walls, roof and floor of the company’s 380-square-foot model in about eight hours. The windows, doors and self-contained plumbing, sewage and self-electrical systems are then added by a human worker. Solar energy is stored in a battery.  Filtered water collects from humidity in the air. Prices start at $64,000 per house (Passivedom).

M.A.DI., in Italy, produces prefabricated A-frame houses in five sizes that can be set up anywhere. The basic model is rated an energy class B, but can be upgraded with an option of adding solar panels to make the structures energy-independent.

Homes made by Lifehaus blend low-cost, off-grid appeal with holistic living and luxurious details. The Lebanon company is pioneering energy-neutral dwellings made from locally sourced and recycled materials. Green home dwellers will also be able to generate electricity and grow their own food

Global Briefs
Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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