Take action on global climate change, Earth Hour begins...

Join hundreds of millions of people all over the world and make a commitment to take action on global climate change today.

How?

By turning out your lights and participating in events... like Earth Hour  >

Earth Hour starts Saturday, Mach 25, 2017 at 8:30 PM local time (that would be your local time).
The immediate action that can be taken this year is join the movement and participate by turning off your lights for one hour, starting at 8:30 PM, local time.

Their web site has loads of good information: research information, actions to take (large and small) find them on Facebook for live action, where to find events, how to plan an event for next year, and the impact of Earth Hour every year (this is the 10th anniversary of Earth Hour).

Interested in getting involved in other events? In making a positive impact on our home?

World Health Day is April 7. The health of our environments also affects human health and diseases.
Earth Day is April 22! Contact your local city/ county offices, extension offices, or colleges/ universities to find local events. We'll post more here shortly, including projects you can do.
International Dark Sky Week is the last week in April. It's always the week of April's new moon!
Arbor Day, April 28. Plant a tree, help a group plant trees in

Stay tuned...Quest^X will have more information on these and other events... and actions you can take to leave a positive footprint on the earth. 










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Ten YEARS, One HOUR, this Saturday ... Earth Hour

...for One Hour, each year, hundreds of millions of people switch off their electricity to show and share their commitment to fighting global climate change.

this is...
         Earth Hour

Earth Hour:
         Earth Hour - 10th Anniversary
         Saturday, March 25
         8:30 PM local time (to you)

To participate "live" in the 10th annual Earth Hour and find out how to take action (if you're looking for ideas), go to the Earth Hour website or facebook page.
...and stay tuned here! :)

Water, water, everywhere...

Water, it's everywhere we are.
Why?
Because *we* are 55-70% water.

Everything on earth needs water to survive, clean/ healthy water.
Some things have interesting ways of obtaining it, but *everything* requires water.
And the earth itself needs water.
Water is kinda like the blood of the planet, it carries nutrients and waste products through the system and it ties the entire body of the earth together.

We'll discuss loads more about water in other posts, but for *today*, plan something special... enjoy a glass of water and consider what would happen to our own health and that of the earth without clean/ healthy water.

...and here's a link to the U.N. site for World Water Day... there is loads of info there and ideas for planning and/or participating in events!

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So... what is this equinox thing?

Earth at Equinox

Twice a year the earth experiences equinoxes, that point in the earth's rotation around the sun when the axis of the earth (see the "poles" marking Earth's axis in the diagram to the left) is tilted neither *toward* nor *away from* the sun. The axial tilt of the earth is what causes the seasonal changes.

 This occurs in March (~ March 20) and September (~ Sept. 22) each year.





The March equinox is the beginning of the spring season in the northern hemisphere as the tilt of Earth is angled toward the sun (longer days in North America, Europe, and Asia) and the fall season in the southern hemisphere as Earth's tilt angles the southern hemisphere away from the sun (shorter days in most of South America, the southern half of Africa, and Australia); the September equinox is when the sun's rays, due to Earth's axial tilt, will start to fall more strongly on the southern than the northern hemisphere, spring in the southern hemisphere starts and fall in the northern hemisphere.


Due to the effect of light refraction (basically the bending of light around *edges*) and the way that sunrise and sunset are calculated (the visible edge of the sun on the horizon rather than the center of the sun crossing the horizon), day and night lengths are close to, but not to, equal on the equinoxes in the northern  and southern hemispheres. 


Here's what both of the equinoxes (left) and both of the solstices (right) look like from space:

...the next post should be much easier, on *both* of us (writer AND reader, lol)... writing when sick is ridiculous! ;)

IT'S WORLD WETLANDS DAY (oh...am i shouting? ; )

I'm just really excited about World Wetlands Day!

World Wetlands Day celebrates the value of wetlands for humanity (and, really, ALL of the planet). Each year a new theme is chosen to raise awareness about the critical importance of wetland areas; the theme for 2017 is "Wetlands for Disaster Risk Reduction" ("to raise awareness and to highlight the vital roles of healthy wetlands in reducing the impacts of extreme events such as floods, droughts and cyclones on communities, and in helping to build resilience").


World Wetlands Day is celebrated (or starts) on this day because the Ramsar Convention was signed on this day (Feb.2) in 1971, in Ramsar, Iran.


Interested in participating this year but hearing about this too late to create or attend an event? Well, check our QuestX Calendar for other events (including Earth Day which is coming up soon) OR you could participate in the the Wetlands Youth Photo Contest (youth 18 - 25, see poster below)... or/and you can get an early start on next year's World Wetlands Day!

http://www.worldwetlandsday.org/documents/10184/162407/WWD17_photo_poster_Engl_HD2_+Desktop.pdf/3ae72cc3-a9dc-4d00-8bf4-397b95c58924

Here is a list of the countries/parties that have joined the Ramsar Convention, date joined, number of sites, and total area conserved. There are over 2,200 sites listed and over 530,000,000 (that's MILLION!) acres included:

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Country	Entry date	Ramsar sites	AREA-acres
Albania	Feb-96	4	242,610
Algeria	Mar-84	50	7,390,950
Andorra	Nov-12	3	17,000
Antigua and Barbuda	Oct-05	1	8,900
Argentina	Sep-92	22	13,900,680
Armenia	Nov-93	3	1,219,490
Australia	Dec-75	65	20,559,560
Austria	Apr-83	23	308,800
Azerbaijan	Sep-01	2	246,000
Bahamas	Jun-97	1	81,000
Bahrain	Feb-98	2	16,800
Bangladesh	Sep-92	2	1,510,000
Barbados	Apr-06	1	82
Belarus	Aug-91	20	1,692,029.20
Belgium	Jul-86	9	116,001.30
Belize	Aug-98	2	58,300
Benin	May-00	4	2,914,250
Bhutan	Sep-12	2	630
Bolivia (Plurinational State of)	Oct-90	11	36,676,380
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Mar-92	3	140,300
Botswana	Apr-97	1	13,683,000
Brazil	Sep-93	12	17,855,060
Bulgaria	Jan-76	11	123,337.10
Burkina Faso	Oct-90	15	1,612,370
Burundi	Oct-02	4	194,010
Cambodia	Oct-99	4	187,660
Cameroon	Jul-06	7	2,043,700
Canada	May-81	37	32,338,120
Cape Verde	Nov-05	4	1,320
Central African Republic	Apr-06	2	930,000
Chad	Oct-90	6	30,653,590
Chile	Nov-81	13	893,930
China	Jul-92	49	10,162,019.90
Colombia	Oct-98	6	1,751,196.10
Comoros	Jun-95	3	39,600
Congo	Oct-98	13	33,998,589.20
Costa Rica	Apr-92	12	1,407,860
Côte d'Ivoire	Jun-96	6	314,670
Croatia	Jun-91	5	233,160
Cuba	Aug-01	6	2,936,630
Cyprus	Nov-01	1	2,740
Czech Republic	Jan-93	14	148,770
Democratic Republic of Congo	May-96	3	18,373,830
Denmark	Jan-78	43	5,721,440
Djibouti	Mar-03	1	7,400
Dominican Republic	Sep-02	4	333,831.00
Ecuador	Jan-91	18	708,330
Egypt	Sep-88	4	1,026,800
El Salvador	May-99	7	512,460
Equatorial Guinea	Oct-03	3	340,000
Estonia	Jul-94	17	753,120
Fiji	Aug-06	1	1,520
Finland	Dec-75	49	1,975,650
France	Dec-86	44	8,815,199.00
Gabon	Apr-87	9	6,964,590
Gambia	Jan-97	3	77,210
Georgia	Jun-97	2	85,200
Germany	Jun-76	34	2,145,430
Ghana	Jun-88	6	435,237.80
Greece	Dec-75	10	404,020
Grenada	Sep-12	1	1,280
Guatemala	Oct-90	7	1,553,280
Guinea	Mar-93	16	15,870,000
Guinea-Bissau	May-90	4	2,939,647.60
Honduras	Oct-93	9	667,740
Hungary	Aug-79	29	634,930
Iceland	Apr-78	6	317,940
India	Feb-82	26	1,702,880
Indonesia	Aug-92	7	3,392,700
Iran (Islamic Republic of)	Dec-75	24	3,673,070
Iraq	Feb-08	4	1,329,000
Ireland	Mar-85	45	165,550
Israel	Mar-97	2	900
Italy	Apr-77	52	148,810
Jamaica	Feb-98	4	93,520
Japan	Oct-80	50	365,720
Jordan	May-77	1	18,220
Kazakhstan	May-07	10	8,108,510
Kenya	Oct-90	6	655,940
Kiribati	Aug-13	1	2,550
Kuwait	Sep-15	1	125,900
Kyrgyzstan	Mar-03	3	1,678,850
Lao People's Democratic Republic	Oct-10	2	36,500
Latvia	Nov-95	6	371,440
Lebanon	Aug-99	4	2,660
Lesotho	Nov-04	1	1,070
Liberia	Nov-03	5	236,920
Libya	Aug-00	2	210
Liechtenstein	Dec-91	1	250
Lithuania	Dec-93	7	162,050
Luxembourg	Aug-98	2	42,530
Madagascar	Jan-99	10	3,330,063
Malawi	Mar-97	1	555,000
Malaysia	Mar-95	6	331,510
Mali	Sep-87	4	10,389,900
Malta	Jan-89	2	40
Marshall Islands	Nov-04	2	173,270
Mauritania	Feb-83	4	3,066,000
Mauritius	Sep-01	3	990
Mexico	Nov-86	142	21,358,750.10
Monaco	Dec-97	1	57
Mongolia	Apr-98	11	3,557,200
Montenegro	Jun-96	2	49,800
Morocco	Oct-80	24	672,200
Mozambique	Dec-04	2	11,205,910
Myanmar	Mar-05	2	143,922.50
Namibia	Dec-95	5	1,671,830
Nepal	Apr-88	10	149,650
Netherlands	Sep-80	54	2,233,168
New Zealand	Dec-76	6	137,170
Nicaragua	Nov-97	9	1,005,350
Niger	Aug-87	12	10,669,690
Nigeria	Feb-01	11	2,660,650
Norway	Dec-75	63	2,198,010
Oman	Aug-13	1	264
Pakistan	Nov-76	19	3,320,170
Palau	Feb-03	1	1,200
Panama	Nov-90	5	454,650
Papua New Guinea	Jul-93	2	1,470,090
Paraguay	Oct-95	6	1,942,200
Peru	Mar-92	13	16,763,730
Philippines	Nov-94	6	381,550
Poland	Mar-78	13	358,490
Portugal	Mar-81	31	327,380
Republic of Korea	Jul-97	21	46,020
Republic of Moldova	Oct-00	3	234,020
Romania	Sep-91	19	2,857,650
Russian Federation	Feb-77	35	25,510,580
	(ratified as Soviet Union)
Rwanda	Apr-06	1	0
Saint Lucia	Jun-02	2	210
Samoa	Feb-05	1	1,200
Sao Tome and Principe	Dec-06	1	57
Senegal	Nov-77	5	247,090
Serbia	Apr-92	10	157,950
	(ratified as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)
Seychelles	Mar-05	3	108,790
Sierra Leone	Apr-00	1	730,000
Slovakia	Jan-93	14	100,560
Slovenia	Jun-91	3	20,270
South Africa	Dec-75	22	1,373,110
South Sudan	Oct-13	1	14,000,000
Spain	Sep-82	74	749,000
Sri Lanka	Oct-90	6	489,690
Sudan	May-05	3	6,152,000
Suriname	Nov-85	1	30,000
Swaziland	Jun-13	3	0
Sweden	Dec-75	66	1,610,340
Switzerland	May-76	11	36,290
Syrian Arab Republic	Jul-98	1	25,000
Tajikistan	Nov-01	5	234,000
Thailand	Sep-98	14	987,710
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia	Sep-91	2	53,410
Togo	Nov-95	4	2,991,000
Trinidad and Tobago	Apr-93	3	39,340
Tunisia	Mar-81	41	2,076,580
Turkey	Nov-94	14	455,880
Turkmenistan	Jul-09	1	660,080
Uganda	Jul-88	12	1,122,610
Ukraine	Dec-91	33	1,840,070
United Arab Emirates	Dec-07	5	50,110
United Kingdom	May-76	170	3,160,290
United Republic of Tanzania	Aug-00	4	12,030,140
United States of America	Dec-86	38	4,598,040.00
Uruguay	Sep-84	3	1,076,980
Uzbekistan	Feb-02	2	1,380,000
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)	Nov-88	5	651,460
Viet Nam	Jan-89	8	291,120
Yemen	Feb-08	1	1,400
Zambia	Dec-91	8	9,960,000
Zimbabwe	May-13	7	577,718.40

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EarthDay 2016

Today and this weekend at Quest we are celebrating EarthDay. Go get on google and look up your local EarthDay events, or if you can't find any events listed that way check out your local wildlife, forestry, county extension. or parks services! Many of them have events planned for this weekend!
Or celebrate on your own, enjoying and appreciating our earth.

Still looking for something to do, check these out:

Forrest Fenn, one man's story of luring people to experience the treasure that is nature ...and he's put his money (or some of it at least ; )   )  where his heart is!

Today we are also releasing the 1st documentary module on the scientific method, "So...what is science?"!
Watch for the video upload on on YouTube site on EarthDay! (and we'll post it)

Color Me Page - EarthDay 2016!

Welcome to EarthDay 2016!

A day we set aside each year to explore our relationship with this planet Earth.

Just sneaking it *really early* to share this coloring page that QuestX created especially to celebrate EarthDay 2016:

 We look forward to you sharing your colored pages here, on G+, or on facebook!
(if you do, please let us know!)

Today at QuestX - the Rules of ZombieLand apply

Today we found  that the rules of ZombieLand apply at unexpected times...

like when printing t-shirts.

Today was screen printing guerilla warfare 101. We haven't screen printed t-shirts in, well, let's just say *a while* (ok, transparency, a VERY long while). We picked up a fresh screen printing kit. And some of the instructions were even given a glance... we felt ready.

We didn't realize we were actually in training for the next zombi-pocalypse, which rules applied?

1. Cardio - best to be ready because there was a lot of running around at the last minute grabbing things because "wow! we need that".
2. The Double Tap - regardless of any and all directions it really is best to double swipe the screen with the squeegee during the inking process. Regardless. Do it!
3. Beware of Bathrooms - what can i say? Screening ink? (you figure it out)
4. Wear Seat Belts - ok, this one doesn't really apply, except driving back and forth to the store to get the items hidden in the directions (rather than in the materials list), best to follow the law and not get slowed down.
5. No Attachments -just plain bad advise with this one!
6. The “Skillet” -or whatever other *iron* implement you want to apply.
7. Travel Light - wish I'd paid attention to this one ; )
8. Get a Kick Ass Partner - check! A good partner is definitely a big advantage!
9. With your Bare Hands - definitely easier, except at the one stage that got really messy and a bit toxic...
10. Don’t Swing Low - huh?
11. Use Your Foot - well, unh, no, this one doesn't really apply either.
12. Bounty Paper Towels - YES! ...the quicker picker upper... or any brand of your choice.
13. Shake it Off - every time i had to dry the screen, a gentle shake.
14. Always carry a change of underwear - i'll leave this one up to you.
15. Bowling Ball - helpful in that same way as Rocket needing that man's leg.
16. Opportunity Knocks - yep, now respond.
17. Don’t be a hero (later crossed out to be a hero) - yeah, be it.
18. Limber Up - before and after.
19. Break it Up - Don't. Don't try to do it all at once, you'll ruin the back  ; ) .
20. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, unless it’s a sprint, then sprint - self explanatory. And, btw, these weeks? These are sprints.
21. When in doubt Know your way out - yes. Screen print a bunch of t-shirts and you'll see how this one applies.
22. Zipplock - apparently this rule wasn't memorable for me...
23. Use your thumbs - well, yeah...
24. Shoot First - and last.
25. A little sun screen never hurt anybody - not true. BUT! When screen printing out-of-doors (like we were today) it is exceptional advice!
26. Incoming!
27. Double-Knot your Shoes - very helpful. Very.
28. The Buddy System - already covered in "get a kick ass partner".
29. Pack your stain stick - again i saw hunh?!?
30. Check the back seat - because that is where you left most of what you can't find.
31. Enjoy the little things - and the big things. Actually? Just enjoy all the things!
32. Swiss army Knife - well, duh. Or any decent knife. Always.

I'll talk about screen printing technique and procedure another time ... today was about prepping for Quest's next documentary short release on Earth Day!!! (perspectives on science!)

(the front design is top-secret 'til then!)

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