Believe it or not, electric cars have been around for a very long time. In the early 1900s, there were more electric cars than there were gasoline powered cars. Back in the early 1920s when vehicles were becoming more popular, gasoline was very expensive. It also was hard to start a gasoline engine, you had to turn and turn and turn a crank in front of the car to get it to start. There was no key to start the car like we have today.

Gasoline vehicles were also noisy and put out lots of smoke. The cars either had no mufflers, or the mufflers did not do a good job. So, electric vehicles were a big hit. At one time there were 50,000 of them on the roads and streets of the United States.

But electric cars soon faded away like the horse drawn carriage. New ways to make gasoline cheaply were being discovered. A new invention called an electric starter was made. It started an electric car with a key instead of a crank. A gasoline car could go much farther than an electric one. So, gasoline powered vehicles soon became the main method of transporting people.

Now that there is a push for cleaner green cars, electricity is once again being looked to as a way to help reduce greenhouse gases released into the air by gasoline and electric cars could be one of the answers to this problem.

Electric cars do not burn gasoline in an engine. They use electricity stored on the car in batteries. Sometimes, 12 or 24 batteries, or more, are needed to power the car. Just like a remote controlled, model electric car, electric cars have an electric motor that turns the wheels and a battery to run that motor.

To charge an electric cars batteries, the car is usually plugged in at night. Some electric cars can plug right into a regular electrical wall outlet. Others need a larger outlet, like the kind that a stove or electric clothes dryer plug into. Electricity, is then stored in the batteries of the car.

The batteries can be lead acid batteries, like the batteries you find in our flashlight or in regular gasoline cars. Or they can be ni cad nickel cadmium like the kind that run portable video recorders or a portable video game player only much larger. Better batteries that hold more energy and last longer are being developed. In 2001, by the time todays fifth graders are ready to drive, electric cars should be able to travel 150 to 200 miles before recharging.

Car manufacturers and scientists are constantly coming up with new ways to fuel our vehicles in a cleaner, more environmentally friendly way. The production of the electric car is an exciting one that is being embraced by more and more people every year.

Sunstroke is a very dangerous condition which can be fatal or, at best, can cause permanent damage. This happens when the body’s thermostat fails to work because of overheating. This condition is not just one that occurs from exposure to too much sun but can be caused by extreme heat in any environment, including workplace environments such as steelworks. Although this condition is called sunstroke, it is more apt to call it heatstroke as the real cause is not the sun’s rays but the intense heat produced by the sun.

Dehydration and salt deficiency can cause heat exhaustion. Take time to acclimatise to high temperatures and make sure you get sufficient liquids. Wear loose clothing and a broad-brimmed hat. Do not do anything too physically demanding.

Getting too much sun or being careless around an outside grill can result in summer burns. For minor first degree burns caused by brief contact with a hot object, water or steam, and sunburn, cool the skin by first holding it under running water, then apply a cold pack to numb the pain. If blistering occurs (second or third degree burns) seek medical help.

Drink plenty of cool water to keep yourself hydrated and reduce your body?s core temperature. (Warm water won?t do this, and cold water might be a shock to sensitive systems.) Drink regularly, every hour, even if you don?t feel thirsty. Avoid soft drinks and alcoholic drinks that are actually diuretic and rob your body of the water it desperately needs.

Heat stroke is generally considered when the body core temperature exceeds 40 deg C, and represents a failure of the body?s temperature regulation mechanisms. The person will have experienced the signs of heat exhaustion and may then show signs of decreased sweating, feeling faint or dizzy, mental irritation (confusion, altered consciousness, irrational behavior), and finally collapse.

For every person that has migraines, the results of one person’s symptoms may vary from the next person’s symptoms. Therefore not everyone is doing the same thing in the prevention of migraines. And in some cases as in the topic sunglasses and migraines, some people may have less sensitivity to light as may the next person have more of a sensitivity to noise or with the next person sound.

Heat Rash also can appear as large, reddened areas of skin. Babies and children are also more likely to be affected than adults because of their underdeveloped sweat glands, in which case the rash is commonly found in the nappy area and in the skin folds or on the neck. Heat Rash can also occur in cooler climates when sweating is a problem.

The most important step in preventing heat illness is to hydrate before, during, and after physical activity. Dehydration is common in all heat illnesses. Mild dehydration (2%) can decrease athletic performance as well as decrease the body’s ability to regulate temperature. Thirst in not a good indicator of dehydration, because it is activated when the body is already 2-3% dehydrated. You should drink 8-12 ounces of fluid before exercise, and every 20 minutes during exercise.