Does seltzer water help plants grow?

In 1980, Canfield's natural seltzer launched a campaign to promote its product as being great for watering house plants. It printed on its labels: "We recommend our natural seltzer for house plants."

Could there have been any truth to this claim? Is seltzer water actually good for plants? Well, the only vaguely scientific study I can find addressing this claim (after, admittedly, only a brief search) was a student project conducted at the University of Colorado Boulder in 2002. The student researchers concluded, "Plants given carbonated water not only grew faster but also developed a healthier shade of green in comparison to plants given tap water."

So, maybe Canfield's was onto something. However, if you're thinking of treating your plants to some seltzer water, I imagine you'd want to use water at room temperature, not refrigerated. Cold water might shock their systems.

Marysville Journal-Tribune - June 9, 1980

Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer - May 19, 1980

Posted By: Alex - Thu Jul 19, 2018 - Comments (12)
Category: Nature, Science, Environmentalism and Ecology, Experiments, 1980s

Windmill Car

Ecowarriors love 1) electric cars and 2) wind turbines. A stroke of genius to combine the two!

Original article here.

Posted By: Paul - Sun May 24, 2015 - Comments (2)
Category: Environmentalism and Ecology, 1940s, Cars

Windup Razors

Once upon a time, in a simpler age when electricity was expensive or balky, windup razors were popular in Europe and Russia.




In the Space Age, you could even buy the NASA-approved version!

But except for vintage models (a mere $100.00), purely mechanical razors seem to have vanished from the marketplace. Although in this era of environmentalism, it seems they should fulfill a certain demand.




The closest such product I can find cheats by using electricity--though it is hand-cranked!

Posted By: Paul - Wed Oct 09, 2013 - Comments (10)
Category: Inventions, Technology, Environmentalism and Ecology, Facial Hair