GUIDELINES FOR VOLCANO SAFETY

It is best for people that live near a volcano to make plans for an eruption. Learn the alert levels issued by your local emergency management office and know what they mean. Listen for emergency updates and instructions, making note of information about hazards you may encounter. Prepare for a possible evacuation. Make additional preparations to shelter in place.

A volcanic eruption can alter the landscape in ways that are difficult to imagine. Near the site, there can be loss of life, and destruction of structures and property. The resulting ash cloud can cause airports to shut down and turn daylight to darkness. Earthquakes, flash floods, wildfires, thunderstorms and tsunamis can all occur as the result of a volcanic eruption.

Memorize the recommended evacuation routes. Maps marked with this route should be kept in each car and another in your home. Select maps with detailed geographical markings of the area surrounding your location. In the United States, hazard zone maps can be secured from the U.S. Geological Survey that will show probable lava flow paths and give time estimates on travel to certain locations along with their relative safety.

Prepare a getaway kit. Include safety goggles and dust masks or bandannas to protect your eyes and lungs from falling ash. Include long sleeved shirts, long pants and sturdy footwear. Keep a well-stocked first aid kit, blankets and warm clothing in a convenient location. With this, keep a battery-powered radio and fresh batteries so that you can still monitor alerts if your power goes out.

Unless you need to evacuate, stay indoors. Bring pets inside and move livestock into shelters. Close all vents, doors and windows for protection from ash and burning cinders. Put damp towels under doorways. Cover downspouts, machinery, electronic devices and computers to protect them from ash that can disable and clog machinery and pipes.

Listen for creaking noises from your roof. Ash will fall silently and can cause the roof to collapse under its weight. Remember to wear a mask and goggles if you go outside to clear ash off of the roof and gutters. Remove your clothing before re-entering the house rather than bring ash inside where it can irritate the airways of everyone indoors.

Keep at least three days worth of water and food in your home. An eruption can contaminate water supplies and you may have to rely upon what you have stored. If you hear that an eruption is imminent, fill all sinks, tubs and containers with water. Rely upon your stored water until your regular source is deemed safe.

If you must drive, use your headlights, proceed slowly at about 35 mph and watch your gauges for signs of an overheating engine. Ash can clog your radiator and other moving parts of an engine. Ash will also make roads slippery. When parked, cover your vehicle with a tarp and place it under a shelter to protect it from the falling ash.

If you must evacuate, turn electricity and gas off at the mains before you leave. Head for higher ground and try to stay upwind so that ash and gases are blown away from you. Volcanoes’ greatest dangers (lava flows, mudflows, poison gases and flooding) all move towards low-lying areas. An elevated area gives you greater protection than any attempt to outdistance the danger.

Afterwards, don’t return home until authorities say it’s safe to re-enter the area. Seek medical treatment for any injuries. The wait for medical treatment will be shorter for those farther away from the disaster site. When cleaning up property after an eruption, dampen the ash before sweeping or shoveling the buildup. This keeps the slippery substance from getting tossed back into the air.

Remember, in the event of an eruption, you may have only moments to react. Being prepared to move quickly and decisively can mean the difference between life and death.

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This 4 minute video shows the extent of the destruction
caused by the eruption of Mount St. Helens.

This 17 second video shows Mount St. Helens
erupting in slow motion.

The entire side of the mountain slides to one side.

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HERBS AS INCENSE

In the past, certain herbs such as sage and rosemary were burned to cleanse sick rooms. Cedar is a fragrant wood known to have antiviral, antifungal, expectorant, and lymphatic cleansing properties. Pine, Spruce and Fir needles contain shikimic acid, the main ingredient in Tamiflu, which is used to fight the bird flu. Frankincense is also a known to be very effective incense in the treatment of respiratory ailments. Mullein and Eucalyptus leaves are also beneficial herbs that can be used in this manner.

By slowly burning herbs, the essential oils are released into the smoke and carried into the lungs of those that inhale it. If a person is suffering from bronchial inflammation, the beneficial properties of the herb are applied directly to the inflamed tissue.

I know of one woman that had been dealing with such a strong cytokine response during a bout with the flu that she was choking, vomiting and struggling for air. Her husband closed the damper on their wood stove and tossed some Cedar into the fire, filling the house with smoke. Immediately, the cytokine storm stopped. Within 20 minutes, there was no mucus and she felt as though she hadn’t had the flu at all. They have repeated this remedy with the same result on other family members, airing the house afterwards.

American Indian tribes regularly used Cedar to smoke and cleanse their homes. In rustic conditions, smoke can be used to cleanse a person, clothing, bedding or shelter of vermin, molds, etc. Cedar smoke was one of the ways that priests were instructed to cleanse a house where there had been a plague (cf. end of chapter 14 of Leviticus).

HOW TO BURN HERBS AS INCENSE
Using tongs, place a hot coal or ember from a hard wood fire onto a heatproof dish. Place the herbs onto the hot coal and allow the herbs to smolder. Inhale the resulting smoke. The goal is to encourage the plant material to produce smoke, not to ignite into an open flame. This can be accomplished by only using hot coals (rather than fire) and/or by binding the plant material into a tight bundle.

Tightly bundled herbs are called smudge sticks. Some branches, twigs or leaves are supple enough to form into tight braids. Dried leaves can be secured with twine and unbleached paper. To use a smudge stick, hold one end of it to a flame until it ignites. Then the flame is gently blown out leaving the plant material to smolder and smoke. Smudge sticks are handy as it is easy to direct the smoke and they will tend to burn for a longer period of time.

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CAUTION
Do not inhale the smoke of any herb or plant material to which you have known allergies. This article is for information purposes only. Readers that incorporate these methods do so at their own risk and should utilize safety precautions. None of this information is a substitute for professional health care.

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SUSTAINING LIFE IN A CAVE

Norman’s Ranch and Sportswear Store can be found in a little town called Havre, Montana. Norman’s is a thriving enterprise, but that’s not all there is to see in Havre. Beyond the rail museum and other highlights you will find ‘Beneath the Streets.’ Today, this is a novel stop on a tour, but at one time it was a bustling business zone. One hundred years ago, cowboys and ranch workers would find their way here to be relieved of their pay by gambling, drinking, visiting the opium den and keeping company with enterprising females.

Havre might have been one of the early pioneers of below-ground businesses but it wasn’t the last town to try it. Craighead Caverns is part of a massive system of caves in a place called Sweetwater, Tennessee. About 70 years ago, Fort Oglethorpe utilized horses. The manure from those horses was used as fertilizer for a mushroom farm begun in a large cavern. Those mushroom beds were located near a dance floor that became a nightclub called the Cavern Tavern.

Caves aren’t normally sought after as permanent shelter, but it’s not really a bizarre idea. This has been tried previously. The real sticking point is to try and conceive of how entire groups of people could be housed AND find a viable source of clean food, air and water within a cave for great lengths of time.

When studied, however, this may not be such a strange idea.

About 40 years ago, Soviet scientists were testing several types of algae to determine their nutrient content. Techniques perfected during that research are being used today to create nutritional supplements. Because it is necessary to secure a large climate-controlled growing environment, some manufacturers are utilizing caves. Systems are being marketed today which grow fish and vegetables using limited resources. This is accomplished by using water filtered from the fish container to feed nutrients to the plants which are grown in trays with peat moss and pea gravel. Along with automated feeding, both the fish and the plants receive artificial sunlight via solar powered growing lights. As you may have already surmised, it is possible to utilize this technology to create a livable environment inside a cave.

However, the idea that both humans and animals could live for extended periods inside of a cave without returning to the surface for supplies is not the only surprising revelation.

Rural Tennessee has produced a writer that has used these pieces of information to create a suspense-filled story in her newest book, The Vision. Near a labyrinth of caves reside Debi Pearl and her husband, Mike. Together, they serve as administrators of No Greater Joy Ministries. ~ There, they also oversee No Greater Joy Ministries. While Debi Pearl is well known for her writing, this is her first work of fiction. Debi’s newest work, The Vision is not unlike the caves of Tennessee; taking the reader around surprising twists and turns that raise questions about whether these things might actually occur.

The first in a series, The Vision delivers on its promise to both entertain and inform. Get your copy of The Vision by Debi Pearl today.

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THE VISION by Debi Pearl -- A Fictional Tale with Realistic Elements

>>================<<>>================<<

Debi Pearl has written a new book, The Vision (ISBN: 978-0-9819737-0-8). The main characters of The Vision find themselves embroiled in controversy over their mission while their community faces unrest, politics swirl and the environment becomes increasingly hostile.

Throughout the book, Yellowstone threatens to erupt. Readers may suppose that the writer has used her creative license overmuch. However, Yellowstone is classified as a super-volcano, and geologists predict that this super-volcano could erupt.

A massive caldera is the site of Yellowstone National Park. Calderas are bowl shaped geographical areas that cap stores of molten rock. Yellowstone's caldera is shaken by quakes centered three miles beneath its surface.

Both Yellowstone's size and dormancy gain it notice as a super volcano.

"A super-eruption is the world's biggest bang. It's a volcanic explosion big enough to dwarf all others and with a reach great enough to affect everyone on the planet," is the description given by Bill McGuire of the Benfield Greig Hazard Research Center with a professorship at London's University.




The force of such an eruption would require a thousand atomic explosions each second to equal it. The world's largest city, Tokyo, could fit inside Yellowstone's caldera because it's so massive.

Geologists estimate that every six to seven hundred thousand years there is a volcanic eruption at this location. They go on to estimate that it was 640,000 years ago when the last major eruption occurred. Give or take a few thousand years, this means that Yellowstone may be overdue to erupt.

In the event of a volcanic eruption at Yellowstone, predictions are that there would be a 90% loss of life (animal and human) within a 600 mile radius of the blast. Ash spewed into the air would become deadly when inhaled by survivors across the United States. Farm animals would also experience massive casualties, interrupting food supplies.

Travelers would be stranded as transportation stopped. Short term, airplanes would be prevented from flying while rail and other motorized conveyance would be stopped as well.

A great volume of the explosion would be projected into the air where, cooling, it would turn into bits of sharp, jagged rocks and glass. A grayish or black haze would immediately darken the sky because of the matter suspended in the air. A noticeable sulfuric odor, thunder and lightning would assail the senses.

With thunder rolling, the immediate disaster area would become blanketed in a muffled quiet. The first 12-60 hours would be characterized by a heavy ash fall. Structural damage to buildings would come about because of the weight of firmly packed ash. A foot's depth of ash would weigh enough to collapse a roof.

Rain would fall out of season as a result of the particles in the air. Water mixed with ash would coat everything with slime. Mudslides would soon follow the rain. Contaminates would be found in water supplies. Air filters on automobiles would become clogged, and roads would become too slippery to navigate. Electric companies would also encounter engine failures, resulting in uncertain availability of electricity.

Clouds of residual ash could be worked back into the air by human activity for weeks or even years after the ash had settled. To prevent breathing in ash particles, it would be necessary to don facial masks. Survivors would have to contend with limited clean air, resulting in widespread health concerns. Worldwide, there would be crop failures and loss of vegetation.

A hazy light would characterize the daytime as diffused light tried to penetrate the suspended particles in the atmosphere. Within days of the volcanic blast, the skies over Europe would be reddened. Two to three weeks later, Yellowstone's sulfuric acid cloud would blanket the earth. The upper atmosphere would be infused with sulfur creating a planetary climatic cooling effect as great as 10 degrees. Six to ten years could pass before normal temperatures started returning.

Scientists predict that because of temperature changes south of the equator, there will be failure of the monsoon season. Asia would experience monumental food shortages as a result of this reduced rainfall.

Weeks or even years prior to an eruption, Yellowstone National Park service scientists predict that there will be measurable warning signs. Hank Heasler, Yellowstone park geologist, stated that, "If the park were poised for a major eruption, the signs wouldn't be subtle."

Debi Pearl has authored a fictitious volume in The Vision. Nevertheless, there is an uncomfortable realness in regard to Yellowstone's super volcano.

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RULE OF 3'S TO SURVIVE

The number 3 can be the key to your survival in an emergency. When you must prioritize your needs quickly, it helps to know what is most urgent. Knowing the rules of 3 can give you the information you need to make smart decisions.

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http://www.free-camping-recipes.com/wilderness-survival.html

"It seems pretty obvious what your priorities should be in a wilderness survival situation once it is spelled out like this. However a lot of beginners think that finding food is the first thing they should do. So they spend all of their energy trying to find some berries, and before they know it the sun is setting. It's getting cold. Clouds are rolling in, and it starts raining. They still have no food, and now they don't have any shelter. That is not a situation we would want to be in. How 'bout you?"

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YOU CAN ONLY SURVIVE . . .

3 SECONDS without hope

Most individuals freeze in an emergency. In the immediate confusion and chaos, the human brain tries to draw upon some familiar experience for a plan of action. Finding none, we become immobile. You have three seconds to decide that you have hope and move forward. Statistics show that in a plane crash, you have 90 seconds to exit the wreckage. Three seconds without hope can make the difference between whether or not you have time to clear the area.

Survival depends upon your ability to shake yourself out of the stupor of disbelief and hopelessness.

Walter B. Cannon studied the case histories of sudden, unexplained deaths from around the world. In 1942, he published his theory that the brain unleashes stress hormones that can cause fatal heart arrhythmias in individuals that have given up all hope of escape -- they are literally scared to death. Use fear to spur yourself towards life-saving action. Determine to grasp onto hope and make a plan to live.

3 MINUTES without air

Few people can hold their breath for 3 minutes. In circumstances where oxygen is limited, your next priority is to get to a place where you can breathe.

3 HOURS without shelter (in extreme conditions)

Once you have breathable air, your next priority is to find (or construct) shelter. Those who take off on prolonged hikes may find themselves going in circles and/or racing the setting sun to construct safe sleeping quarters. In extreme conditions, you can live for a couple of days without water and weeks without food, but you cannot survive without shelter. You could suffer from hypothermia at 50 degrees, especially if the wind is blowing and you are wet. In warm climates, you will need shelter from the sun. Protect yourself from the elements.

3 DAYS without water

The next challenge is to find clean water. This may mean collecting rainwater or finding a water source shared by plants and animals. Avoid activity that leads to lots of sweating and heavy breathing. This causes your body to lose water more quickly. Conserve what water your body has by working at a nice steady pace. Whatever your course of action, your body will need water soon.

3 WEEKS without food

Some of us will survive even longer without it, but food will become an urgent concern for survival after a couple of weeks. With plenty of water, some can even survive longer than three weeks, but you will want to locate a source of nourishment while you still have the strength to do so.

3 MONTHS without companionship or love

This is actually part of the first rule of 3. In order to continue in a prolonged survival circumstance, most people need to have a sense of purpose and belonging. Knowing that someone is there for you and caring what happens to you can help you continue doing what is necessary for survival when the days and weeks seem to drag. Strong faith will make all of the difference for these survivors.

This video offers important information on adaptability and a survival mentality by David Wendell.



FOR FURTHER READING:
The Survivors Club by Ben Sherwood (ISBN-10: 0446580244)
http://www.free-camping-recipes.com/wilderness-survival.html
http://www.mountainsurvival.com/

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Cooling Your Living Space

Help keep your living environment cooler using evaporative cooling techniques.

SLEEPING PORCH
Before the advent of air conditioning in hot climates, rural homes were often built with wide porches (porticos or decks). During the sweltering summer months, these porches were used for sleeping quarters. Screens attempted to keep biting bugs away. Hanging wet sheets over the screens and running a fan helped keep the relative temperature on the sleeping porch cooler than the surrounding hot air.

SWAMP COOLER
In less humid regions, a contraption known as a swamp cooler is used to cool homes. Mounted in a window, this machine draws air from the outside over wet pads and transfers the cooled air into the home. While this cooler may not reduce the temperature as modern air conditioning units, it does provide relief from the ambient heat.

MAKE YOUR OWN AIR CONDITIONER
In many areas, air conditioners are considered necessities. A broken air conditioner can be expensive to repair and even more expensive to replace. If you are looking for a way to avoid the expense of running your air conditioner, get by until you can have yours replaced, or if you are just looking for a way to cool the house without making a major purchase . . . THIS is the project for you!

You will need:
* A Styrofoam Cooler With Lid
* A Fan
* 1/4 inch Copper Tubing
* 2 Lengths of 1/4 inch Vinyl Tubing
* Zipties
* An Aquarium Water Pump
* Water
* Scissors

Click the video link below for instructions on how to create your own air conditioner (a GREAT educational experiment for the kids).

BUILD IT YOURSELF AIR CONDITIONER VIDEO:

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This blog presents ideas and information designed to enrich the life of the reader. These articles are NO substitute for personalized professional care. The opinions and ideas expressed are fallible and that of the author. Readers are encouraged to be well-informed and draw their own conclusions.

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Activated Charcoal Around the House

Learn to use Activated Charcoal to increase your harvest, neutralize offending odors, filter your water and air.

Garden Soil Improvement:
If you use compost and organic fertilizers to enrich your soil, using charcoal in your garden can help retain valuable nutrients. Amazingly, everything you need to make the charcoal is already in your garden. Once harvest is over and the plants have dried or gone to seed, dig a shallow trench in your garden bed and pile garden brush into the trench.

When you set fire to the brush, watch the smoke. Initially, the smoke will be white. As resins and sugars begin to burn, the smoke will yellow. When the smoke thins and changes to a grayish blue, cover the burning debris with about an inch of soil, cutting off oxygen, and leave it until the coals cool.

Once cool, you will have charcoal. Incorporating this charcoal into organically enriched soil gives microorganisms a friendly environment. Charcoal will slow the loss of nutrients and help the soil retain its richness. [http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/Make-Biochar-To-Improve-Your-Soil.aspx]
Photo courtesy of http://joshkearns.blogspot.com/2007/03/diy-water-treatment-part-iii.html.





Water Filtration:

There are two steps to making water safe to drink. The first step is to filter the water. The second step is to disinfect the water. Charcoal is a valuable ingredient in water filtration.

To make a simple charcoal water filter, select a clean container with a hole in the bottom. Place a single thickness, clean cotton cloth in the bottom of the container and then add a layer of fine gravel (or coarse sand). On top of this, alternate layers of charcoal and sand until the bucket is 2/3 full. Place a larger piece of thin cloth over the top of the container and secure it as a strainer to keep large particles out of your filter when water is poured through it. Illustration courtesy of http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/test/speakersnotes/ITP/912/examples_spsci.html.

Select another wide-mouthed clean container. Fit it with a lid that has a hole matching the one on the bottom of your filter. Set your homemade filter on the lid of your bottom container, which will hold the filtered water. Pour water into the filter and wait for it to drip into the lower container. The resulting water is filtered, but bacteria may still be present. You will need to disinfect your filtered water by boiling, adding chlorine, using the sun, or some other method. If boiling is used, the water should be boiled for ten minutes.

A variation of this method can be utilized for household filtration using a disinfected watertight drum. Washed gravel is placed on the bottom, followed by a layer of fine cloth and alternating layers of clean sand and charcoal topped with another layer of fine cloth. Water is poured through an opening in the lid of the barrel and collected after it passes through all of the layers. An old dinner plate can be placed on top of the sand just below the opening in the lid to stop erosion. An example of such a drum is shown. See this site for more detailed instructions:
http://www.hesperian.info/assets/EHB/06_Chapter6.pdf
Illustration courtesy of http://tilz.tearfund.org/Publications/Footsteps+31-40/Footsteps+34/Letters.htm.

NOTE: To produce activated charcoal in quantities for such uses, you would likely need to employ the use of an in-ground oven or kiln similar to the one shown at the beginning of this article.

Filtering dirty water will remove debris, but it won't make contaminated water safe.

Don't use water if:

• The water has a chemical smell or foam deposits
• There are dead plants and animals in or near it
• The water looks stagnant. Bulrushes are a sign of this - those are the tall plants with the thick brown sausage-shaped heads
• Lots of algae is growing in the water
  

http://notesonsurvival.info/node/136

Air Filtration
Home air filters can be made using a shallow cardboard box, small fan, thin (breathable) cloth, activated charcoal and duct tape. The shape of the fan is cut into one of the flat sides of the box. The box is secured to the fan with duct tape so that it blows AWAY FROM the box. The other side of the box is also cut open and a fine cloth taped over the opening from inside the box. This must be a fine enough mesh to hold the charcoal inside. You may also want to use some of the screening material to place over the fan (on the inside of the box). This will keep powder out of the fan's housing and machinery. Fill the box with charcoal powder/bits. When the fan is turned on, it will move air through the charcoal in the box.

Filtered Face Mask
A quick fix if you are wishing to avoid odors, smoke etc. is to use a bra cup and insert Activated Charcoal into the lining. This can be used as a face mask.

Deodorizer
Charcoal sprinkled liberally around pets, barns, etc. can help tame odors. Place Activated charcoal powder into an old sock that is tied shut. Place the sock inside shoes overnight or in a closet, drawer, box, etc. of items to keep help trap bacteria that may make things smelly.

MAKE YOUR OWN BATTERY
You will need:

• Aluminum foil
• Activated Charcoal
• salt, water, a bowl
• paper towel
• two clip leads
• a DC motor, masking tape
• optional, an electric meter capable of measuring 1 volt and 1 amp.

For pictures and instructions: http://www.exo.net/~pauld/activities/AlAirBattery/alairbattery.html

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This blog presents ideas and information designed to enrich the life of the reader. These articles are NO substitute for personalized professional care. The opinions and ideas expressed are fallible and that of the author. Readers are encouraged to be well-informed and draw their own conclusions.

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Why Keep Activated Charcoal?

The average person thinks of charcoal briquettes manufactured for use in barbecue grills when asked if charcoal is in the home. Those briquettes have chemical additives that help them hold their shape and burn evenly. . . NOT something useful for filtration, purification or medicinal purposes!

In contrast, Activated Charcoal is used widely in hospitals, clinics rural and urban settings. Because of it's versatility and availability, charcoal is an invaluable substance to have on hand for daily remedies and for disaster preparedness. [http://www.charcoalremedies.com/why_charcoal]

For more than 3,000 years Activated Charcoal has been used without adverse side effects.

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Whether you are living within easy access
of the technological advances of North America,
or hiking the trails of some developing country,
charcoal is just as modern as it was four thousand years ago,
just as universal, just as versatile, and just as powerful.
In a world being poisoned by its own near-sighted wisdom,
God the Creator has provided man with a microscopic black hole
big enough to swallow much of what ails us.
(~John Dinsley)
[http://www.charcoalremedies.com/science]

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How is this black powder used? When taken by mouth, Activated Charcoal can keep poisons from being digested and help them pass through the body without being absorbed. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Activated_carbon] Topically, a poultice of this powder can help relieve skin irritations, infections, abscesses and gangrene. It is a deodorant and purifier of water, air and food. [http://www.charcoalremedies.com/why_charcoal]

What is Activated Charcoal and how does it work?

Activated Charcoal is made from coal. Coal is made by removing water and other impurities from organic matter (usually wood) by slow heating without oxygen. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charcoal] One method of producing Activated Charcoal is by heating charcoal in the absence of oxygen to temperatures of at least 482 degrees Fahrenheit (250 degrees Celsius). [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Activated_charcoal]

When viewed under a microscope, the surface of Activated Charcoal is seen to contain many tiny pockets. If laid out flat, the surface area of 1 teaspoon of this powder would equal that of a football field.[http://www.charcoalremedies.com/science] Those tiny pockets have the ability to trap toxins and poisons through adsorption. To adsorb something means that materials will stick to the surface of the activated charcoal and form a film. Because so many substances bond with activated charcoal, a few pellets or grains can go a long way. [http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-activated-charcoal.htm]

How to Make Charcoal
While most local pharmacies carry Activated Charcoal, it is also possible to make your own.

Click play to view video featuring Dr. Agatha Thrash speaking about recommended home remedies with activated charcoal. Learn how to make activated charcoal. Available free for personal use, recorded and distributed by owners of vegemedia.net with permission from producer 3ABN TV. 30 minutes.

You will need:

• Discarded grill lid or other heat-resistant cover
• Long-handled shovel
• Fire pit
• Cloth bag (an old pillow case will do)
• Hammer
• Old Junk Blender (one you won't be using in the kitchen again)
• Untreated hardwood, well seasoned and dry*
  * Old pallets work well for this application. They are very dry and unpainted. Businesses that deal in large shipments are often glad to be rid of them.
  

Break up your wood into pieces small enough to fit into your fire pit. Get your fire going well. When the coals are hot, use your shovel to flatten the mound of coals for more even burning. Cover them with the old top from a grill, or some other air-tight metal dome. Use your shovel to pile dirt around the bottom, creating an air-tight seal. Let the coals sit in their own heat. This will burn away any impurities and increase the porousness of the resulting coal. When the coals have cooled, remove them and place them into a cloth bag. Use the flat side of your hammer to pound the coals into peanut-sized chunks. Using your blender (outdoors!) grate these chunks into a fine powder, 2 cups at a time. This method can produce about 1 gallon of charcoal at a time. [http://www.buyactivatedcharcoal.com/making_charcoal]

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This blog presents ideas and information designed to enrich the life of the reader. These articles are NO substitute for personalized professional care. The opinions and ideas expressed are fallible and that of the author. Readers are encouraged to be well-informed and draw their own conclusions.

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