DIY solar food dehydrator

(Mother Earth News) More and more people are recognizing the importance of food quality in their daily lives. The freshest, ripest, tastiest and most nutritious food comes from our own gardens or local farmers. But because these high quality fruits and vegetables are seasonal, you have access to them for only a few weeks or months each year.

What do you plan to eat the rest of the year? Will you rely on industrial foods grown by strangers from all over the world and shipped thousands of miles? With increasing interest in healthy eating, sustainable local food supplies and self-reliance, many people are discovering the benefits of a solar food dehydrator.

The dark underbelly of sustainable development: Agenda 21

Sustainable development has been the catchphrase of the environmental movement for over 20 years and rarely are underlying motives questioned. After all, a majority of people want a healthy future, free of pollutants and global warming where the earth is protected for ourselves and subsequent generations. There is a catch, however. The underpinnings of sustainable development are rooted in Agenda 21, a body of regulations inspired by the United Nations (UN) "Earth Summit" conference in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. At first glance, the agenda looks beneficial and harmless—except for the fact that it sets forth a policy which strips individuals of freedom and controls private land unconstitutionally.

The birth of sustainable development

The United Nations conference on environment and development, often referred to as the "Earth Summit," was held in 1992 to advance sustainable development throughout the world. Agenda 21 was born out of the summit as an international standard of policy. On the surface, the agenda appears favorable—helping to save humans, wildlife and the environment from destruction through building guidelines and proper management of natural resources. But dig a bit deeper and it will soon become apparent Agenda 21 is yet another vehicle of control.

Common dehydration linked with cancer, diabetes, stroke and depression—Learn how water therapy can keep you happy and healthy

Even though we may think that we're well hydrated on any given day, the truth of the matter is that most of us aren't. The wide-spread consumption of dehydrating caffeinated beverages, such as coffee, soda and tea, make it easy to become imbalanced. By the time we have the telltale signs of thirst or a dry mouth, it's already too late. On the surface, this may not appear to be much of a problem, but the reality is that chronic dehydration, even if mild, leads to numerous health disorders - some quite serious like cancer, stroke and fatal coronary heart disease. Research has also shown that, when the body is dehydrated, fatigue sets in, while anger and mood disorders run rampant.