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The art of growing plants without soil (hydroponic growth) is now so advanced that it can help humans to survive for long periods in previously inhospitable environments such as Antarctica.

Traditional plant growth relies on plants absorbing minerals and nutrients from the soil. plants do not actually need to be placed in soil to obtain the nutrients they need. In fact the soil is simply there to support them. There are many areas on Earth which do not have the necessary soils to support plant growth, preventing humans from living there.

Over recent years, this restriction has been combated by growing plants hydroponically. Hydroponics uses nutrient solutions applied directly to the roots instead of soil, in order to allow the plants to grow in unlikely places.

One of the earliest hydroponic success stories happened on Wake island in the Pacific ocean. The island was first discovered in 1568 by lvaro de Mendaa de Nevra, who noted that it was a low, barren island. Later, when the island was surveyed in 1840 by the US Commodore Charles Wilkes, it was officially recorded as having no fresh water.

In the 1930s, Pan American Airlines began using the island as a refuelling stop between America and China. The airline constructed a village for its workers; the first time the island had been inhabited by humans. Because of the distances involved, it would have been expensive and impractical to import fresh food to the island, so the islanders relied on hydroponic methods for growing food instead for many years.

Hydroponic techniques are not as new or miraculous as some people may think; they have been developed over many centuries. However, perfecting the nutrient solutions which are used will really affect the success of hydroponic crops in remote or harsh conditions.

Perhaps the harshest environment of all is Antarctica. At the McMurdo station on Ross island, a community of nearly 1000 people survive by relying on hydroponic techniques to grow food.

These techniques allow people at this icy station to enjoy fresh lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, fruit and herbs for use in cooking, throughout the year.

The Antarctic environment is unusual because it enjoys four months of continuous sunlight, followed by four months of darkness, not to mention high winds and extremes of temperature.

To survive this harsh climate, seeds are planted in a hydroponic mix of perlite and vermiculite and placed in a totally enclosed, insulated greenhouse at the station. Nutrient solutions are fed to the plants to ensure healthy growth and other environmental factors are dealt with by using hydroponic techniques. For example, artificial lighting is used to simulate a more normal day to night pattern in which the plants will grow best. The air is kept warm and humid by fans and hydroponic ventilation equipment, and at night an electric furnace is used to generate more heat. This gives the fresh fruit and vegetables ideal growing conditions to allow them to flourish.

Hydroponic techniques are now so advanced that we really are able to grow food anywhere on Earth, regardless of the external environment or the availability of light.

Growing food hydroponically is a fascinating process, making commercial sense for many growers who are now able to produce on a large scale without an enormous land investment.

In fact, the same techniques which keep people alive in Antarctica can be practiced in your own home using a hydroponic kit available online from Great Stuff Hydroponics. Kits and equipment for commercial growers are also available online, along with information downloads and expert advice.

Find out more about Great Stuff Hydroponics at http://www.hydroponics-hydroponics.com

About Great Stuff Hydroponics

Great Stuff Hydroponics is based in Middlesborough (UK) and supplies a vast array of hydroponic equipment for all your hydroponic plant cultivation needs. The Great Stuff Hydroponics showroom is open Monday to Friday 9am-5pm and Saturday10am-2pm. sales can also be placed online at http://www.hydroponics-hydroponics.com

Please direct all media queries, requests for press information and editorial details, to Rebecca Appleton. Tel: 0208 123 5178 or email: press@topposition.co.uk

When addressing the ball, most PGA tour players bend forward approximately 36 degrees. The average golfer will usually set up with either too much or too little forward bend causing them to lift the upper body at the top of the swing and at impact. This almost always results in inconsistent shotmaking and bloated golf scores. Here are a few golf ball striking tips to keep those scores down.

proper Shoulder Tilt
proper shoulder tilt plays a huge role in golf ball striking and the overall golf swing. It's major impact is on weight transfer during the swing. The average golfer will set up with level shoulders and no shoulder tilt. This will cause them to lean towards the target with their shoulders.

Most professional golfers will tilt their shoulders slight to the right when addressing the ball. This will help to position their body behind the ball at the right spot for an effective weight shift during the swing. Pay attention to your shoulder from the top of your swing, to ball impact. You want your spine to move farther to the right on your downswing. Ensuring your shoulders are tilted properly is one of the most important golf ball striking tips you can learn.

Increase Side Bend
When you are in the middle of your swing at your club is at the top, you want to try and increase your side bend. In order to increase your side bend, you want to tilt your upper torso slightly to the right by 10 degrees or more. It helps me to feel like I am moving the top of my spine away from the target than the bottom in the middle of your backswing.

As you start to bring your club down to strike the ball, you want to slowly move the top of your spine farther away from your target. Try and bend your spine about 20 degrees. This will position your right shoulder just under your left shoulder as you swing your club to strike the ball. This will help to ensure that your club is on the right path through your downswing, and helps to maximize clubhead speed. Practice the last two golf ball striking tips, and your golf game will really benefit.

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pelican Crushproof Protective Packages - Even a Dinosaur can sit on it!

pelican products are the name for protective packaging and covering that keeps your delicate equipment intact and safe. It is used for cameras, computers, laptops, guns and rifles, flashlights, other sensitive instruments, and any product you consider precious. They are fabricated in an attractive design and the robust cases are made from the finest alloys or similar raw materials. Most of these protective cases are standardized though one can also order for tailor made items that are exclusive to your needs. pelican can thus cater to all your needs of safeguarding those items that you hold dear to heart and wish to cherish for time immemorial!

pelican Guarantees a Lifetime of Protection!

Any manufactured product in this competitive world needs guarantees that stand apart in terms of durability and usage. So is the case with the pelican products, that are known to be the world's toughest protective packages. Its unique product design based on the product it packages assures maximum utility that can be thought synonymous with a live Pelican's large beak that holds so much - and so safely! You can also consider the pelican protective cases as a kind of "time Vault" that shall outlive mankind itself! The quip runs like this - "Pelican protects everything you can think of other than "shark bite" or "bear attack" or "children under 5"! Quite ingenious, don't you think?

A package Protects What You Buy - Like an Insurance Policy!

There is an old saying in the field of packaging - a package sells what it protects - and pelican cases are probably one of the best manifestation of protection combined with a pleasing presentation! They are exquisitely fabricated in designs and colors that enhance the storage or transportation of the products. It is surely like a precious and well integrated insurance policy that will keep your favorite appliance, toys, computer peripherals, sporting arms protected against all odds - well, almost!

Probably there is no end to where and what pelican cases can be used for!

With time and excellent innovations, pelican protective cases have carved out a niche in the markets around the world. Its popularity has evolved many snippets about the usage of pelican protective cases in "near fantasy" usage instances very similar to another odd story about the popularity of a certain tough SUV that had service stations in the most remote areas of the worldeven in a small town under the Mount Everest! The pelican could just be as popular as the most sought after movie star in Hollywood!

Known as the "Sunshine State", florida is a popular tourist destination, thanks in large part to its subtropical climate and its beautiful beaches.

Here are 10 must-see attractions when visiting florida:

1. Busch Gardens Africa (in Tampa): A 335-acre theme park with an African theme. The park is home to many animal exhibits as well as exciting thrill and family rides.

2. Cypress Gardens (in Winter Haven): Originally a botanical garden, and known for its water ski shows, Cypress Gardens is today a modern theme park.

3. Daytona usa (in Daytona Beach): Daytona Beach is well-known as the home of the famous Daytona 500 race. It is also home to Daytona usa, a motorsports attraction which incorporates an IMAX theater, a racing simulator and other racing and motorsports exhibits.

4. Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum (in Key West): The famous house at 907 Whitehead street where Ernest Hemingway lived and wrote many of his classics. The area is still today home to the six-toed polydactyl cats descended from those of Hemingway's days.

5. Gatorland (in Orlando): A 110-acre alligator theme park and wildlife preserve.

6. Kennedy space Center (near Cape Canaveral): The Kennedy space Center has served as America's spaceport for the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle programs. The center is home to a wonderful Visitor Complex with many exhibits, two IMAX theaters and offers bus tours around the complex.

7. Monkey jungle (in Miami): Monkey jungle is a 30 acre reserve that is home to about 400 primates of 30 species. Visitors walk through cage tunnels while the monkeys run free outside.

8. Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens (in Delray Beach): A center for Japanese arts and culture. It incorporates two museums as well as Japanese Gardens, and is also home to various Japanese festivals held at various times throughout each year.

9. Salvador Dali Museum (in St. Petersburg): A museum dedicated to the life and work of the famous surrealist artist. The museum is home to 7 masterwork paintings by Dali.

10. walt Disney World resort (in lake buena Vista just outside Orlando): walt Disney World is a massive complex of several theme and water parks, including the famous magic Kingdom.

You can find out about all these attractions, and more at: http://www.vacation2usa.com/p1_state_florida_attractions.php

Or discover all 50 states, 800 towns & cities, and over 1,000 attractions! For more information about travel and vacations in the US, please visit: http://www.vacation2usa.com/

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