Top TEN Ways- We CAN Save the Earth

In our last discussion we came face-to-face to the facts that how we pollute the earth. Today we’ll ponder over some viable options that can be adopted by us in our everyday lives that will in some way or the other save the earth from the coming destruction. Our small deeds are definitely invisible in this enormous world of 6 billion people, but it’ll pay. It is rightfully said “we have not inherited the earth from our forefathers, but we have borrowed it from our children”. Come to think of this line, there are many interpretations for this. Each of them is pointing to only fact. The earth is dying and we are the cause.

The earth is living organism. If we chase the world earth around the world, we’ll see that our ancestors have always respected it. Sometimes in the form of mother, mother land, a living organism, a goddess of countless resources, a beautiful lady and now by our efforts, an ailing patient. The vital signs of earth like her heartbeat (the natural hymns), her blood pressure (the sea level and oceans), her breathing rate (the air and atmosphere), they all are in dire state.

Our efforts though will not cease the damage that is being done every second, but drops itself make and lake, a sea, an ocean. Let’s see what can be done immediately for our mother-

1. The industries cannot be closed down. We have to find some other ways in which the pollution emitted by them be decreased and possibly the smoke thrown in air be filtered and the poisonous gases be transformed into useful material.
2. The scientists should get to work. They have to find other options of using those gases, which emit no pollution and are eco friendly. They have to find ways to dump gases or store them in a proper way.
3. Trees: They are one of the greatest recyclers of nature. Their most awesome feature is that they use carbon di oxide, one of the major greenhouse gases, to produce oxygen, a very desperately needed gas. All these make plants the most fantastic creation of god and nature.
4. Go Green: Plants exhibit green color for many known and unknown reason. Green is the color of vitality, beauty and growth. It is a healthy color and promotes good energy in every atom if earth. Go for green organic vegetables, green fields, and green houses and green everywhere.
5. Animals: Please convert into a healthy non-veg eater. Those who are craving for a shark fin or a tiger paw should understand that their desire for such animals is destroying the natural food chain and altering the courses of nature. Go for chicken that is reared exclusively for eating.
6. The Electricity Bill: you thought that the heavy electricity bill is only paying you revenge? The wastage of useful energy like electricity will not play havoc to your bank balance but also the earth balance. All the coal burnt and other resources used for generating electricity are leaving the earth hollow day after day. The intensity of wastage and the enormity of resource usage cannot be understood unless seen with one’s own eyes. Save electricity. A unit saved is saving the earth a day.
7. Some components like CFCs (Chloro Floro Carbons) deplete the ozone (O₃) layer of earth. The oxygen in this state is very unstable and it quickly reacts with such compounds depleting this essential cover. We need to curb their usage and have to research upon other substitutes that are eco friendly.
8. Use of eco-friendly fuel, which can be renewed like solar energy and wind energy, has to be made commercial as soon as possible. The use of resources like coal and natural oil is depleting the mineral reserves of earth and the natural orientation and strength of earth is weakening. We need to have efficient new energy resources which do not suck earth’s soul.
9. Recycle: the key to saving earth without having to compromise completely on the modern day lifestyle is recycling. Recycling paper, plastic, fuel, waste and other things save you from running out of energy resources. Sustainable development is an issue of hot debate for today’s generation and recycling forms an integral part of it.
10. Peace: the world needs to be at peace. The countries and states need to join hands. The leaders of all the communities have to work together in order to save the whole world. The earth is not a planet with different landmasses but it is a global village where we all have different roles to play and have different contributions to the being of earth.

The world is at unrest. It needs to curb its anger and stop blaming each other. It’s time that we should join ourselves through different methods and areas and start working for it together because the earth is our home. We have only one known home. We cannot go anywhere else. If we can’t save our own home from destruction, we have no right to be here. It’s now or never.

Top 10 Ways: How We Pollute Earth

1. Industries: The on start of industrial revolution was just the starting of atmospheric pollution. With the latest technologies, the life of the people is becoming easy, but is proving to be increasingly fatal to life on earth.
2. Automobiles: Another invention of the industrial revolution, this is one of the greatest reasons of pollution in the history of earth. The emission of harmful gases like carbon-di-oxide, nitrous oxide and sulphur compounds along with small polluting compounds and the poisonous Carbon monoxide has created a blanket of pollution over the first layer of atmosphere – Troposphere.
3. Population: The population explosion in countries is continuously pressurizing the resources of earth. Many of these resources are non renewable, which means that they cannot be replenished in a short span of time. Once they are completely exhausted, there is no way that they can be reproduced without waiting for some 1000 years. These resources include land, water (fresh drinking water), food and air.
4. Paper: The amount of paper produced every minute, every hour, every day, and every year is unexplainable. Newspapers, books, magazines, office paper and god only knows how much more paper for all the people on earth. Then how much time one can take to think that how many plants are being cut brutally for all this paper. Cutting down of the forests and the receding forest cover is misbalancing major forces on earth.
5. Garbage: The amount of waste produced by us as we consume the resources of earth likewise gorging on the feast is creating a continuous big heap which cannot be dumped anywhere! If we plan to dump it one on anther, it will be enough to make a path till moon! Recycle anyone?
6. Plastic: This one is the notorious of them all. Another invention of the industrial revolution, this non bio-degradable (cannot be decomposed by natural processes) compound was sought to be the best of all time inventions in the quest of mankind for eternity. But this menace has now taken over the world and is bounding to leave its mark on earth for the next thousands of years.
7. Smoking is not only injurious to the health of a human being but is also very harmful to the air in atmosphere. Smoke from cigarettes, cigars and other drugs poison the air. This in turn harms the flora and fauna of the surrounding region.
8. Science and technology: The new developments that are a breakthrough for scientists are creating more and more pollution in many direct and indirect ways. Like rocket propulsion is landing us on moon but it is leaving thousand liters of poisonous gases in the air.
9. The constant mining of earth’s crust for minerals, metals and other raw materials is slowly flailing its layers and the different topographic plates are becoming more and more mobile. In other words, earth’s crust is losing its strength. This is fatal. It’s a matter of life and death.
10. The hunting of animals at a rate more than the rate they are recuperate their population is creating an abridged gap between the different food chains and its components. The complete extinction of one animal or organism from the food chain is throwing the earth off its natural routine and causing it to alter its courses. These altered courses in turn are causing problems in other natural processes and hence in the end we are just at receiving end of the coming disaster.

We need to prick our conscience and immediately check our ways. It’s very difficult to alter the ways we live in now – comfy and easy. But these comfortable and easy ways are going to leave us nowhere if we don’t act now. These ways have their positives and negatives and the damages caused have reached a level beyond recovery. But no matter when we start acting, some way or the other it’s going to work and we’ll be able to turn the luck our way.

What is a Life without Energy?

I am in a place full of darkness. So I can’t tell anything about it. My body energy is drained. The heavy suit is wearing me out. The oxygen tank is intoxicating more and more every year. I am floating in the dark chamber of earth. No energy. No sunlight. No food. No life………

These will be the words of a man in the near future, who will be pushed under the dark crusts of earth’s depth due to loss of energy from the sun as well as from the resources of the earth. The earth will yield no more. It will be a hollow crust of rocks and dust and held together by its core. Yes….!! This will soon be a reality if we exploit all our natural energy resources way before they can replenish themselves naturally. The depletion of these energy resources will halt all the processes on earth and it will be in no time when we’ll have to beg for energy from other planets.

Why not give ourselves a chance by changing our ways? There are many new innovations that can turn waste energy into useful energy. If we devote the same time and commitment to such subjects rather than in the nuclear fusion bombs, we’ll surely save ourselves some allot some more time to Mother Nature so as to replenish her dried resources.

A chemical company in Britain named INEOS has devised to produce a very renewable fuel called bioethanol from garbage rubbish and household waste. This fuel is very efficient and a few automobile companies have already launched vehicles which use this fuel on road. Though the commercial quantities of this fuel will be available only until 2010, it is at the moment mixed with other fuels to decrease the consumption of non renewable fuels. Another big initiative in decreasing the consumption of non renewable energy resources is taken by a town in northern Japan. The city has its personal electricity producing farms which use wind mills and other natural resources like sun and cow dung. One of the biggest farms in the town has 3000 cows and they produce enough energy to power their farms and donate some to the city grid.

All these methods are being encouraged on the ground that the global oil stocks are getting scarce and if all the countries and major cities don’t find a very renewable source of energy to feed upon, eventually a day will come where there will be no energy such as electricity, light, food etc. the depletion of energy into unattainable forms will make it all the more difficult for us to use if we do not cut down on our hunger for the energy resources which are non renewable.

Global Warming is a very sensitive topic and all the above play a very significant role in this matter. We are very much aware about the damage caused by us and the consequences. Now it’s high time that we start working on solutions in haste as only our actions can save us and our earth now. And we need to act fast. Really fast…so think about it!!

Am I Lost in a Dark World?

Imagine waking up one fine morning and finding out that the birds are not chirping, the trees are not swaying to the gentle breeze and you are not able to smell the flowers. If you think that the day is far away or only a figment of someone’s imagination, you better think again. If we continue to plunder natural resources at the current rate, then this day is not that far away. Are we then doomed for a dark world? The so called signs of prosperity are now being seen in a far more number of countries than ever before. But have you ever wondered at what cost is prosperity being achieved? What is that we are sacrificing in order to make our lives more comfortable? The answer can leave even the most stone hearted, emotional. Yes, most of our progress has been through sacrificing the precious gifts of Mother Nature.

Man has been responsible for the wholesale destruction of the fragile environment that surrounds earth. Global warming is no longer a figment of imagination or something that used to be only in the realms of sci-fi movies. It is a reality that is staring at us and that too from close quarters. So, what is it that we need to do to stop this rot? What are the steps that we as humanity need to take? Plenty needs to be done and done together, by the entire global population.

Fortunately though, even in these gloomy times, there is a ray of hope available in the increasing incidence of people adopting green living in a big way. One of the reasons for more and more people adopting green living is because of the increased levels of awareness on environmental pollution. Contrary to popular perception, adopting green living is not that difficult a task. It only involves making some very small changes in our lives, which can make a profound effect on the planet that we love so much.

There are many things that we can do to save this planet from further destruction. You can for instance start right from your home. You can always try using eco-friendly materials to build your home. Similarly, you can design your home in such a manner that there is plenty of sunlight available, which could save you substantially in the form of energy bills too. You must also make sure that you buy energy efficient home appliances. Remember all these simple changes result in not only saving precious amounts of money, but also help in protecting the environment.

Time is fast running out for all of us and a lot still needs to be done. So the next time around you shop for an electric bulb for your home, make sure that you get a fluorescent bulb. This would last longer, emit more light and also use less electricity. You can also go one step further and get solar powered lamps too, especially for outdoors, such as your garden. Similarly if you are planning to thoroughly clean your home one of these days, you can by all means do so, but with a manual house sweeper. Even though all this might seem trivial to you, such practices can go a long way in making Earth a healthier planet. Remember, however small your effort towards protecting this planet may be, it would ultimately add to the global efforts on fighting environmental pollution.

The Last Day on Calendar

How would you react to see a calendar that has no records after a certain date? It would be foolish enough to say that such a calendar can be actually put to use. But a very old calendar from the ancient civilizations is opening up its secret in a disastrous way and proving to be a reality though recent findings.

The Maya civilization is a Mesoamerican civilization, which was world renowned for its intelligence and developments that were a big achievement in those times. The civilization was well known for its well-developed language and measurement gradations. The architectural, mathematical abilities of the people of this tribe were very sophisticated and astounding for many reasons. The civilization was well versed in time period measurement and observation of heavenly bodies like star patters as well as astrology. According to a few scientists who were studying the civilization and its remains say that the Maya calendar which was very accurate in lunar and solar preferences, the last date on it is 21st December 2012. The civilization is very old and they made a calendar way more than they survived. The question that intrigues them is why this specific date to end a calendar?

The question was not very significant a few years back but some recent discoveries and calculations prove a deeper meaning for this act.

We are very well aware of the age of our solar system. Today the scientists have racked out many theories and facts about the universe and the solar system. One such heavenly theory is Solar Flares. A solar flare is a rapid, huge and sudden explosion of intense magnetic energy that is a part of the sun’s atmosphere. It creates a sudden intense variation in brightness. These solar flares are a regular in the sun’s everyday routine but lately in the last half century the frequency of occurrence of these flares has increased treacherously. The increment in these explosions was of no danger to us. But the growing GLOBAL WARMING and other mis balance are causing a shift in the earth’s natural mechanism to bear them. These flares usually hit earth in a few hours of their eruption and are tripped off by the earth’s natural magnetic field, saving it from harm. But due to growing average temperature, melting of the poles and ozone depletion is causing the earth’s magnetic poles to reverse. And this is serious bad news!

According to the studies on this matter, the scientists have concluded that these flares will be at their peak intensity during the year 2012. If the shift in the natural magnetic field of earth and the depletion of atmospheric blanket’s thickness continues in the rate as of now, the earth’s defense against the flares will completely fail and the doomsday is guaranteed with assurance of the life wiping out of earth. The scientists and researchers are now linking Maya civilization’s calendar year to the one in modern day. If what they think and conclude is right, 21^st December is the last living day for earth! And you thought only floods will accompany the Destruction of Earth.

If we don’t preserve this now and continue to harm her, it will not save us from the coming end in the near future through sun. The solar flares will evaporate and distort all the natural living life processes due to its intensity and we will be left thrashed hot and dry.

Let’s Wash the Carbon in the Sink!

You got it right! We got to roll our sleeves up, tie a sweatband and get to work. The animals and other organisms – micro or macro have already started their share of work and we need to start too. It’s very important that the excess carbon in the atmosphere be removed and cleaned immediately as that is causing great damage to the earth’s ecological and geographical strata.

Scientist and researchers discovered the fact that oceans are the largest absorber of CO₂ from the atmosphere. In a way, they act as a sink for the excess carbon in the atmosphere. And they put it all down in the deep graves of their depths.

The sudden change in the climatic and atmospheric conditions of the earth has tossed the stable proportions of pressure, heat, energy and other important compounds careless in the wind. This has completely bewildered the natural processes of earth like birth and death, evolution and extinction etc. This sudden change has ticked off the self-destructive timer mode of earth, which is sure to blow itself up within a matter of few centuries. Sensing the bad vibes from the earth’s disastrous hymns, the animals are changing in all ways they can.

One such microorganism that is doing its fair share of work is Diazotroph. This organism, mainly found in salty aquatic bodies is changing atmospheric carbon into solid organic compounds, which are sinking deep in the ocean’s floor. The findings have been zeroed upon from the Amazon River, which is, miraculously supplying it to the Atlantic Ocean. This huge carbon sink created by this river in the ocean is affecting the carbon densities in the atmosphere far more than earlier concluded. This is a revolutionary discovery in carbon sequestration, which is a modern day method in dumping excess carbon.

These new developments can alter the way man think of the nature’s intelligent design and can help probe better ways to combat CO_2, which normally is harmless to nature and is an essential fuel for plant and oxygen generation. CO₂ was not fatal ever to the life on earth but was a major part of its development. It changed into a menace and later a fatal charge due to the activities of man. The man has cut down trees, depleted essential forest cover and killed animals for its pleasure, and now it’s going to take revenge on him.

Now the awareness among the living things is rising. Their home, Earth is in dire danger which is the only living planet in the entire infinite universe. It is a very scary thought for me that the whole world will be destructed and we’ll have no place to go. There’s only one thing for us to do now. “Preserve or Perish”.

Stop Global Warming: Save Our Globe

All the countries across the globe are planning on how to fight against global warming. There is no doubt in the fact that global warming can one day be life threatening. Global warming occurs due to greenhouse effect. As a result of greenhouse effect greenhouse gases are release in the atmosphere. These gases trap the heat and create global warming. It has not happened overnight. This process has taken place slowly and gradually. Also, steps can be taken by individuals or by few people in groups to start the fight against global warming. This will not just help us save our lives but also save our planet.

In order to stop global warming, below mentioned things are be under taken:
Point 1: Plant more trees: Plant more and more trees around your house and work place. This will help you I great ways. More trees will not just release oxygen in the atmosphere around, but will also absorb harmful gases like carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is one of the greenhouse gases. It traps the heat around and can retain it for years. This leads to increase in global warming effect.
Point 2: Stop deforestation: We should try our level best to stop deforestation. By stopping people from cutting down the trees, we will ensure that the atmosphere around is healthy and pure. This would also mean that harmful gases like methane and carbon dioxide are getting absorbed by the trees. Apart from air pollution, the trees also save us from soil erosion.
Point 3: Save power: We should always try and save power. We should switch off the electrical appliances when not using. Less consumption of power would mean less burning of fossils. Burning fossils are the biggest contributor of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Point 4: Use recycled paper: Instead of new paper every time, start using recycled paper. This will save more trees from cutting down.
Point 5: Stop using plastic bags: We do shopping all across the globe. There are many outlets still using plastic bags. These bags add up to the global garbage and when burnt, they release a lot of harmful gases in the atmosphere. We should try and use cloth bags to save our planet.
Point 6: Change the bulb: A normal light bulb consumes a lot of energy. We should replace the light bulbs with fluorescent bulbs as they live longer and consume less power.
Point 7: Carpool: People should start making carpool a habit. This will save fuel consumption. It will save some fuel for our future generation. Also, fewer cars on road would mean less traffic, less accidents and of course less air pollution.
Point 8: Fewer power plants: We should close some of the power plants and go for energy or power produced in eco friendly manner. Power plants generate power by burning fossil fuels. The major one is coal. Now, when coal is burnt, carbon dioxide is released in the atmosphere in large quantities. Hence, it should be avoided.

so you wanna save world

Image Credit: Our Breathing Planet

This article is for those of you that want to save the world. You know who you are---you watch the news everyday, dreaming of what it would be like to visit foreign countries and give aid to those that need it most. You want to cure hunger, AIDS, cancer. And most of all—you want to do it RIGHT NOW!

I’ve been asked several times, well…. more like many, many times…”How do you get involved in international aid work?” I’m a firm believer that you can do anything you set your heart and mind too, but getting involved in the global health arena is a monster of its own.

I should point out; I’m not the expert. Sure, I’ve had the incredible opportunity of joining local disaster relief efforts and volunteering abroad, but it took a lot of time, energy and resources. Its not a glamorous job really. The hours are long and hard. You learn to laugh about terms like “bucket shower” or “presumably editable.” It’s an emotional roller coaster that never quite ends. You miss things back home, and put personal and (sometimes) professional lives on hold while you travel to a place that is foreign and scary. You don’t speak the language, you don’t know where you’re going, and sometimes…. you loose some understanding of who you are. It’s a personal evolution.

At the same time, it’s exhilarating. There is nothing quite like the feeling of adrenaline landing in a new place with a mission to bring others hope. The food is exotic, and there are many new faces and places to explore. You get to work with some of the most compassionate people on earth, and its truly life affirming.

Sounds like something you still want to pursue?

Here is my 5-step program:

1) Do some real soul-searching. Ask yourself the really hard questions: Can I really pack up and leave my family? Am I in a place in my life where I have the resources to travel? (Regionally, Nationally or abroad) How will my family react to this? How will I support myself?

2) Once you have these questions worked out, do some research! Decide if you want to pursue employment, join the Peace Corps, or volunteer. Then identify some organizations/agencies that could match your interest.

3) Contact these agencies, and do a pre-screening. Find out what they require to become a volunteer/employee/intern etc. Start working towards any professional/academic gaps you may have.

4) Start volunteering NOW. Want to join World Vision someday? Start volunteering with them TODAY. Some of the world’s largest organizations are built upon the backs of volunteers. At the American Red Cross, over 90% of its workforce are volunteers. The best knowledge to help you with disaster relief/global health is hands-on experience, which can only come from jumping in with both feet.

5) Finally, network, network, and network! Take every opportunity, from internships to paid volunteer work to get involved, and hopefully put a foot in the door. Take classes that are pertinent to your field (some are offered free of charge by sponsoring organizations) and build your support system. It’s a long, sometimes tedious process. But if you’re motivated, flexible and willing to give----it’s going to happen. And when it does, you will truly be making a difference.

If you still have questions, feel free to comment here. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

REASONS FOR GLOBAL WARMING

 

•    Increase in green house gases such as methane, carbon di oxide, nitrogen oxide etc
•   Increased emission of carbon di oxide concentration in air due to the emission from cars, air planes industries etc
•    Deforestation
•   Chloro fluoro carbons emitted from refrigerators, air conditioners etc
•   Pollution
•   Burning fossil fuels
•  The list not ends here, without knowing we pollute our earth in many ways, so as a human beings it is our responsibility to save our earth from global warming.

China feels the hot global warming

There were floods in China itself. Fires and unprecedented hot weather raged through Siberia and other parts of Russia, including a formerly glacial area north of China. In any case, one could easily surmise many likely consequences of global warming around China. Tibetan glaciers could slowly melt, causing floods in all directions: in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Indochina, along the Mekong River, and then in China proper. Whole areas in South Asia - possibly large parts of  Bangladesh Could be flooded.

Land would then materially shrink in regions that are already some of the most densely populated and the poorest on the globe.

Health in Indonesia got affected due to climate change

According to WHO, Climate change is responsible for 2.4 percent of all cases of diarrhea worldwide and for 2 percent of all cases of malaria. “There is growing evidence that changes in global climate will have profound effects on the health and well-being of citizens in countries throughout the world. In Europe this past summer, for example, an estimated 20,000 people died due to extremely hot temperatures.

                                                                       In addition, WHO stated that global warming has also triggered allergic and respiratory diseases? Global warming seriously affects human health

All plants are our brothers and sisters!

All plants are our brothers and sisters. They talk to us and if we listen, we can hear them. - Arapaho

Cigarette smoke pollutes air

Cigarette smoke, most of you might have thought it doesn’t pollute the environment. As a cigarette burns and its smoke is released, tiny particles of the more than 4,000 chemicals packed into the cigarette are released into the air. Cigarette Smoke is Not Clean, while some of the chemicals found in cigarettes are burned off during the smoking process, many survive and even more are created. Arsenic and tar, for example, cannot be broken down by the heat of the cigarette; these chemicals are simply carried into the air as particulates in the cigarette's smoke.

The actual process of smoking, too, generates additional dangerous compounds such as carbon monoxide; the creation of these gasses further pollutes the air around a burning cigarette. he smoke that is inhaled by the smoker can not be totally absorbed by the lungs, so it is released with small amounts of the original pollutants plus trace amounts of the smoker's bodily fluids. 

The particles float upward on the cigarette's smoke and they dissipate into the surrounding air to produce pollution. Many of the particles and bodily fluids produced during the smoking process are short lived, so the greatest pollution effect is in the area immediately surrounding the smoker.  So my dear friends and brothers who smoke, please stop smoking, as it not only pollutes the environment, it also make a harmful impact on your health.

Large animals are in danger!

Recently a census was taken in marine life and it has found that large sea animals and marine mammals have declined 90% and the most endangered species are blue whale and sea turtle.  The species are in danger due to the decline of phytoplankton and more consumption of sea food by human beings. A research was conducted by 2,700 scientists in 80 counties across the world.

Monday, October 18, 2010 Global warming leads to milk loss production

Can anyone believe that due to global warming, the production of milk got affected and a research says that nearly 2% of the milk loss production is what the India loses? "The estimated annual loss at present due to heat stress among cattle and buffaloes at the all-India level is 1.8 million tonnes, that is nearly two per cent of the total milk production in the country," said RC Upadhaya, Principal Scientist, and Animal Physiology at National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI). While high THI index had UP, the largest producer of milk in the country, lose 25.4 million tonnes a year, Tamil Nadu was losing 23.8 million tonnes followed by Rajasthan, Bihar, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Haryana, he said.

Similar research works on the subject in the USA, Brazil, Germany, France, UK and Australia have also pointed to similar results, the NDRI scientist said.

Moving of water to the atmosphere .

More percentage of land water gets move from soil to the atmosphere due to global warming and their predictions have now unfortunately been proven true in a new study. Important regions in Australia, Africa and South America are losing their soil moisture, following a natural process called “evapotranspiration.” The new research was the first ever to examine this phenomenon on a global scale. Its conclusions prove that climate model predicting an increase in evapotranspiration with global warming are true

Effects of pollution

oh my god they are polluting me more. i cant survive here after

Ancient wheat and corn varieties survive the global warming

Scientists in Mexico have found that ancient wheat and corn varieties have particular drought-and heat-resistant traits. So, researchers at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center in El Batan are developing new strains which they can cross with plants grown from the ancient seeds. They hope these plants can fight off the ill effects of rising temperatures and the new plants are inheriting traits from the old seeds such as longer roots that suck up water and a capacity to store more nutrients in their stalks.

Pacific walrus are at risk

As many as 15,000 walruses began crowding the shore near Point Lays, Alaska, in August and are just starting to disperse as ice forms in chilly fall weather, federal biologists said. Like polar bears, walruses are suffering because of a scarcity of summer and fall sea ice in Arctic waters that scientists attribute to climate change.  And like polar bears, which were listed as threatened in 2008, protections under the Endangered Species Act may be granted to walruses, even though it is hard to get an accurate count of their population.

Children are the Hope

Children are the hope. Spending 30 precious years working for and with children of different races, I believe that Children would save this globe from its present social, political, economical and ecological threats.
Children are the hope. They would learn harmony and peace and would maintain the same in this great world.
Children are the hope. This site is dedicated for the children of the world to grow in confidence and amity. My publications (books, articles,CDs), media works (stories, games, dramas, TV Shows, songs, pictures and activities and Seminars and Trainings (for parents, for teachers, for youths and for children) are targeted to strengthen the world of children in increasing their level of knowledge, adding new skills and changing their attitudes.
Children are the hope. Enjoy the site.

Can bloggers help save the Globe?

While Boston philanthropists meet behind closed doors to try to figure out an answer to the Globe crisis, a group of bloggers, organized by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center CEO Paul Levy, want to see if they and their readers can come up with ways of their own to save the paper.
More than 20 blogs in the Boston area are today starting a Globe "blog rally" - discussions on their sites about how to keep the Globe going, no matter what its corporate overlords in Manhattan say:

... We view the Globe as an important community resource, and we think that lots of people in the region agree and might have creative ideas that might help in this situation. So, here's your chance. Please don't write with nasty comments and sarcasm: Use this forum for thoughtful and interesting steps you would recommend to the management that would improve readership, enhance the Globe's community presence, and make money. Who knows, someone here might come up with an idea that will work, or at least help. ...

Of course, not everybody agrees. On the Huffington Post, James Boyce says good riddance to a paper he finds insufferably arrogant:

... The Globe is not failing because of the recession, or because of the 'advertising climate' - it's failing because when the whole world went left, the Globe continued to go arrogantly to the right and continues to this day. It didn't help that its reporting was turned into absolute crap by newsroom cutbacks. ...

Save The Babies, Save The Earth

End of April Announcements, Updates and Reminders

Announcements

April 22: Earth Day is here again! While Earth Day may only be listed as a one day event -  we must all try new ways of "going green" every day of the year. 

Check out this list of easy ways to start the "going green" process to save the earth. Many of them you know, but how many are you actually doing? Did you know that by setting your thermostat just 2 degrees lower in the winter and increasing it by 2 degrees in the summer months can reduce your carbon footprint by 2,000 pounds? Seems easy enough! Bonus: We save $$, too!

Take the fun and eye-opening ecological footprint quiz that helps you understand your carbon footprint. Even with recent changes, my number was 18.8 global acres and 4.2 planets to keep my lifestyle going. Yikes! Time to make more changes. Take the quiz and let us know your numbers in the comments section...we are all in this together!

Also on April 22: Don't forget your support staff...It's Administrative Professional Day, too!

April 24: Plant a tree, it's Arbor Day! If you can't plant a tree, then add a houseplant to your decor! Both offer an easy way to remove carbon dioxide and release clean oxygen into the atmosphere...just plant and let these living, breathing green machines do their thing!

If your plants turn into dried kindling, then you can celebrate all year by sending Give-A-Tree cards. According to the Arbor Day Foundation, every card purchased plants a tree in our National Forests in the recipients name. There is a lovely line up for all occasions. Bonus: Save $$ - Right now they are offering an overstock selection at discounted prices. 

April 26: The March of Dimes April March is on and in full step toward another life saving campaign. This 70 year young organization has raised a staggering $1.8 Billion! An amazing .77 of every dollar you give supports research and programs.

YOU CAN make another woman's life better, brighter and easier by helping her achieve a full-term pregnancy and comfort other mothers with premature babies. Your donation can help the March of Dimes stomp out spina bifida, respiratory distress syndrome, heart defects, blindness, underdeveloped organs, and more.

I learned about this worthy cause because of a beautiful 3 yr. old girl named Hannah. She is with us today and thriving due to the efforts, research, and support of the the March of Dimes. You can join her family, friends, and supporters for an ocean-side walk on April 26 at 9:30 in Belmar, NJ. Meet Team Hannah at the boardwalk Pavilion (you will know it when you see it). Check out the Team Hannah link for more information on the ways you can help. So please walk, march, smile at your healthy child, and give - a little can go a long way to saving a baby.

Update & Reminder

1. If you are just deciding to take advantage of our Blue Moon Candle discount, you can also click through the new sidebar link to jump to the entry. Scroll down and you will find the information you need to purchase the best Organic Wax candles you will find anywhere - fabulously flavored with Essential Oils and sprinkled with Aventurine stones to enhance your good fortune!

Hurry, Mother's Day is fast approaching on May 10, get yours now before this offer expires on May 31, 2009.

2. Our Radio Show topic, "Much To Do About Divorce - Positioning Yourself Before You Ask or Are Asked!" is coming soon. Stay tuned, our guest, Judith Hartz, Esq., will be helping our listeners navigate this tricky time as soon as she completes representing a client in a current divorce trial. Here We Are will post the episode for you to hear as soon as it is aired. 

In the meantime, be sure to listen to our recent show, "Social Networking: How the Net Tangles Up The Workplace." 

100 Ways To Save The Environment

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the world population is expanding at a mind-boggling rate. The world reached 1 billion people in 1800; 2 billion by 1922; and over 6 billion by 2000. It is estimated that the population will swell to over 9 billion by 2050. That means that if the world’s natural resources were evenly distributed, people in 2050 will only have 25% of the resources per capita that people in 1950 had.

The world has a fixed amount of natural resources - some of which are already depleted. So as population growth greatly strains our finite resources, there are fewer resources available. If we intend to leave our children and grandchildren with the same standard of living we have enjoyed, we must preserve the foundation of that standard of living. We save for college educations, orthodontia, and weddings, but what about saving clean air, water, fuel sources and soil for future generations?

Some of the greatest threats to future resources come from things we throw away everyday. Household batteries and electronics often contain dangerous chemicals that may, if sent to a local landfill, leak through the bottom barrier and pollute the groundwater. This can contaminate everything from the soil in which our food grows, to the water which will eventually come out of aquifers and into our tap water. Many of these chemicals cannot be removed from the drinking water supply, nor from the crops that are harvested from contaminated fields. The risks to human health are tremendous.


   
In Your Home

    Wrap your water heater in an insulated blanket.
    Turn down or shut off your water heater when you will be away for extended periods.
    Turn off unneeded lights even when leaving a room for a short time.
    Set your refrigerator temperature at 36° to 38° and your freezer at 0° to 5° .
    When using an oven, minimize door opening while it is in use; it reduces oven temperature by 25° to 30° every time you open the door.
    Clean the lint filter in your dryer after every load so that it uses less energy.
    Unplug seldom used appliances.
    Use a microwave whenever you can instead of a conventional oven or stove.
    Wash clothes with warm or cold water instead of hot.
    Reverse your indoor ceiling fans for summer and winter operations as recommended.
    Turn off lights, computers and other appliances when not in use.
    Purchase appliances and office equipment with the Energy Star Label; old refridgerators, for example, use up to 50 more electricity than newer models.
    Only use electric appliances when you need them.
    Use compact fluorescent light bulbs to save money and energy.
    Keep your thermostat at 68° in winter and 78° in summer.
    Keep your thermostat higher in summer and lower in winter when you are away
    Insulate your home as best as you can.
    Install weather stripping around all doors and windows.
    Shut off electrical equipment in the evening when you leave work.
    Plant trees to shade your home.
    Shade outside air conditioning units by trees or other means.
    Replace old windows with energy efficient ones.
    Use cold water instead of warm or hot water when possible.
    Connect your outdoor lights to a timer.
    Buy green electricity - electricity produced by low - or even zero-pollution facilities (read about green energy from Georgia Power Company)

In Your Home – Reduce Toxicity

    Eliminate mercury from your home by purchasing items without mercury, and dispose of items containing mercury at an appropriate drop-off facility when necessary (e.g. old thermometers).
    Learn about alternatives to household cleaning items that do not use hazardous chemicals.
    Buy the right amount of paint for the job.
    Review labels of household cleaners you use. Consider alternatives like baking soda, scouring pads, water or a little more elbow grease.
    When no good alternatives exist to a toxic item, find the least amount required for an effective, sanitary result.
    If you have an older home, have paint in your home tested for lead. If you have lead-based paint, cover it with wall paper or other material instead of sanding it or burning it off.
    Use traps instead of rat and mouse poisons and insect killers.
    Have your home tested for radon.
    Use cedar chips or aromatic herbs instead of mothballs.

In Your Yard

    Avoid using leaf blowers and other dust-producing equipment.
    Use an electric lawn mower instead of a gas powered one.
    Leave grass clippings on the yard-they decompose and return nutrients to the soil.
    Use recycled wood chips as mulch to keep weeds down, retain moisture and prevent erosion.
    Use only the required amount of fertilizer.
    Minimize pesticide use.
    Create a wildlife habitat in your yard.
    Water grass early in the morning.
    Rent or borrow items like ladders, chain saws, party decorations and others that are seldom used.
    Take actions that use non hazardous components (e.g., to ward off pests, plant marigolds in a garden instead of using pesticide).
    Put leaves in a compost heap instead of burning them or throwing them away. Yard debris too large for your compost bin should be taken to a yard-debris recycler.

In your Office

    Copy and print on both sides of paper.
    Reuse items like envelopes, folders and paper clips.
    Use mailer sheets for interoffice mail instead of an envelope. Use mailer sheets for interoffice mail instead of an envelope.
    Set up a bulletin board for memos instead of sending a copy to each employee.
    Use e-mail instead of paper correspondence.
    Use recycled paper.
    Use discarded paper for scrap paper.
    Encourage your school and/or company to print documents with soy-based inks, which are less toxic.
    Use a ceramic coffee mug instead of a disposable cup.

Ways to Protect Our Air

    Ask your employer to consider flexible work schedules or telecommuting.
    Recycle printer cartridges.
    Shut off electrical equipment in the evening when you leave work.
    Report smoking vehicles to your local air agency.
    Don't use your wood stove or fireplace when air quality is poor.
    Avoid slow-burning, smoldering fires. They produce the largest amount of pollution.
    Burn seasoned wood - it burns cleaner than green wood.
    Use solar power for home and water heating.
    Use low-VOC or water-based paints, stains, finishes and paint strippers.
    Purchase radial tires and keep them properly inflated for your vehicle.
    Paint with brushes or rollers instead of using spray paints to minimize harmful emissions.
    Ignite charcoal barbecues with an electric probe or other alternative to lighter fluid.
    If you use a wood stove, use one sold after 1990. They are required to meet federal emissions standards and are more efficient and cleaner burning.
    Walk or ride your bike instead of driving, whenever possible.
    Join a carpool or vanpool to get to work.

Ways To Use Less Water

    Check and fix any water leaks.
    Install water-saving devices on your faucets and toilets.
    Don't wash dishes with the water running continuously.
    Wash and dry only full loads of laundry and dishes.
    Follow your community's water use restrictions or guidelines.
    Install a low-flow shower head.
    Replace old toilets with new ones that use a lot less water.
    Turn off washing machine's water supply to prevent leaks.

Ways To Protect Our Waters

    Revegetate or mulch disturbed soil as soon as possible.
    Never dump anything down a storm drain.
    Have your septic tank pumped and system inspected regularly.
    Check your car for oil or other leaks, and recycle motor oil.
    Take your car to a car wash instead of washing it in the driveway.
    Learn about your watershed.

Create Less Trash

    Buy items in bulk from loose bins when possible to reduce the packaging wasted.
    Avoid products with several layers of packaging when only one is sufficient. About 33 of what we throw away is packaging.
    Buy products that you can reuse.
    Maintain and repair durable products instead of buying new ones.
    Check reports for products that are easily repaired and have low breakdown rates.
    Reuse items like bags and containers when possible.
    Use cloth napkins instead of paper ones.
    Use reusable plates and utensils instead of disposable ones.
    Use reusable containers to store food instead of aluminum foil and cling wrap.
    Shop with a canvas bag instead of using paper and plastic bags.
    Buy rechargeable batteries for devices used frequently.
    Reuse packaging cartons and shipping materials. Old newspapers make great packaging material.
    Compost your vegetable scraps.
    Buy used furniture - there is a surplus of it, and it is much cheaper than new furniture.

Can we save the world with science?

 

This is an interesting piece on the role of science in saving the planet from our abuse. Can it work, or is it too little too late?

From the Guardian.co.uk

Can science really save the world?
Endless treaties to cut carbon emissions and halt global warming have failed to turn the tide of pollution. Now scientists want to intervene on a planetary scale, changing the very nature of our seas and skies. Ahead of a major report on 'geo-engineering' we reveal the six big ideas that could change the face of the Earth

Robin McKie and Juliette Jowit
Sunday October 7, 2007
The Observer

They are the ultimate technological fixes: schemes that will span our planet and involve scientists in reshaping our world to save it from global warming. Yet only a few years ago, such projects - giant space mirrors, flotillas of artificial cloud makers and ocean fertilisation programmes - were dismissed as the stuff of science fiction...

Today many engineers and researchers - fearful of the rate at which our planet is warming - say geo-engineering projects are now mankind's only hope of saving itself from the impact of climate change. A major report and a new exhibition at the Science Museum starting next week will resurrect the debate.

Article continues
Despite 10 years of international negotiations aimed at reducing carbon dioxide levels by between 60-80 per cent, global emissions are still rising. The only hope, say geo-engineers, is to change the planet, alter its oceans and reshape its cloud cover.

It is a point highlighted by Brian Launder, professor of mechanical engineering at Manchester University, who was once 'neutral' about these great geo-engineering projects but who has come to believethat current attempts to reduce CO2 emissions are doomed to failure.

'As time has gone on I have become increasingly concerned about the lack of progress on climate change and [although] they once seemed a last resort, I have to say we're going to need to do this.'

Launder is now editing a forthcoming issue of the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society which will be devoted to the subject of geo-engineering schemes. 'We're moving, but I think we need to go a lot further.'

An exhibition - Can Algae Save The World? - opening at the Science Museum will also focus on hi-tech projects aimed at saving the planet.

The latest assessment report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, published earlier this year, considered three major techniques to reduce sunlight reaching the Earth: orbiting mirrors, sulphur particle schemes and projects for enhancing cloud cover.

The ideas 'could have beneficial consequences' by increasing agricultural productivity and forestry, the panel concluded. Carbon dioxide would be left in the atmosphere, stimulating plant growth, while reductions in sunlight would stop temperatures from rising even as CO2 levels continued to increase.

'Geo-engineering is one of the types of thing that are worth investigating,' says Ken Caldeira, of the Carnegie Institution of Washington. 'If we can generate 100 ideas, and 97 are bad and we land up with three good ones, then the whole thing will have been worthwhile.'

Opponents to such schemes point out that it is technology that got mankind in its current fix. An even bigger dose of technology is therefore the last thing the planet needs. Schemes for fertilising the oceans with iron compounds pose immense risks to marine life, for example. Geo-engineers defend their schemes by pointing out that emissions of greenhouse gases are already bringing huge changes to natural ecosystems.

It is a point stressed by the distinguished ecologist James Lovelock: there are dangers in intervening but the risks posed by doing nothing are worse. 'There may be all sorts of ecological consequences,' he said. 'But then the stakes are terribly high.'

Ocean pumps

Two of Britain's leading environmental thinkers, Chris Rapley, head of the Science Museum, and James Lovelock, creator of the Gaia concept, suggest vertical pipes could pump deep cold water to the sea surface. Cold ocean water is considered to be more 'productive' than warmer water because it contains more lifeforms. And these lifeforms are vital for absorbing CO2.

Using special valves, cold water would be made to flow up floating pipes and out on to the ocean surface, bringing increased numbers of lifeforms into contact with the atmosphere and its carbon dioxide. These lifeforms would absorb CO2, die and then sink to the ocean floor, storing the carbon away for millennia.

Marine biologists point out that the scheme could pose major problems for sea life, in particular for creatures such as whales and porpoises.

Chance of success: 3/5 Impact on marine life could count against the scheme.

Sulphur blanket

During major volcanic eruptions, the Earth often undergoes significant cooling. For example, when Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines erupted in 1991 the average temperature across the Earth decreased by 0.6C. Scientists pointed the finger of blame at the 10 million tonnes of sulphur that the volcano ejected into the stratosphere. So why not copy Pinatubo? That is the suggestion of Professor Paul Crutzen who won a Nobel prize in 1995 for his work on the ozone layer.

He has proposed creating a 'blanket' of sulphur that would block the Sun's rays from reaching Earth; to do this, he envisages hundreds of rockets filled with sulphur being blasted into the stratosphere. About one million tonnes of sulphur would be enough to create his cooling blanket, he says.

The idea alarms other scientists, who fear such a massive input of sulphur into the upper atmosphere could increase acid rain or damage the ozone layer. Crutzen believes his idea may still be necessary if Earth continues to warm up at its current rate. 'I am prepared to lose some bit of ozone if we can prevent major increases of temperature, say beyond two degrees or three degrees,' he says.

Chance of success: 1/5 Risks of acid rain and ozone depletion will provoke opposition.

Mirrors

Radiation from the Sun heats our planet and sustains life here. But as Earth warms up, scientists want to cut that radiation and one of the most ambitious ideas involves firing giant mirrors into its orbit.

Physicist Lowell Wood, at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, has put forward the idea of using a mesh of aluminium threads, a millionth of an inch in diameter. 'It would be like a window screen made of exceedingly fine metal wire,' he explains. The screen wouldn't completely block sunlight but would filter infra-red radiation.

However, such mirrors would be expensive to make and put into orbit. To produce a 1 per cent cut in solar radiation would require mirrors with surface areas of 600,000 square miles. But once in space such mirrors would be extremely cheap to operate.

'It's very hi-tech,' said John Shepherd, professor of marine science at the National Oceanographic Centre at Southampton University. 'Who knows whether they can really do it? And it's going to cost a lot of money to find out.'

Chance of success: 1/5 Incredibly expensive.

Cloud shield

John Latham, at the National Centre for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, and Stephen Salter, of Edinburgh University estimate that increasing cloud cover using a seawater spray 'seeding' process could increase cloud cover by 4 per cent - enough to counter a doubling of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by shielding Earth from solar radiation.

Their plan is one of the cheaper ideas for countering rising carbon dioxide levels and is relatively low-tech, leading to hopes that, if computer simulations give good results, a field trial could start in five years.

Latham acknowledges there are dangers in changing weather patterns. 'We certainly shouldn't implement [it] in any global sense until we've done our best to examine what implications it might have,' he says.

'But if one felt that there are unlikely to be any implications that are more severe than the damage global warming is causing, then I think we'd begin.'

Chance of success: 2/5 Will need major global commitment to succeed.

Synthetic trees

Planting trees that absorb carbon dioxide has become a major eco-industry. But now scientists are proposing a surprise technological variant: synthetic trees. These trees would not grow or flower or leaf - but they would absorb carbon dioxide.

This startling concept is the brainchild of Klaus Lackner of Columbia University who first outlined his proposal at an annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He describes his synthetic trees as looking like 'goal posts with Venetian blinds'.

Lackner has calculated that one of his synthetic trees could remove about 90,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide in a year - the output of more than 15,000 cars and a thousandfold improvement on the natural behaviour of a real, living tree.

Lackner's concept is a variant of carbon sequestration technology which involves the seizing of carbon and storing it underground. Already schemes exist for removing carbon dioxide produced by burning coal, gas or oil at power plants before it reaches the atmosphere. Other projects are investigating ways to liquefy this carbon dioxide and store it in old mines or oilfields.

However, the process does not work for all polluters, in particular cars and lorries - hence Lackner's synthetic trees which would act like filters, removing carbon dioxide from that atmosphere. An absorbent coating, such as limewater, on slats would capture carbon dioxide so that it could be removed and then buried. However, critics say the scheme suffers from the fact that engineers could end up expending more energy in capturing carbon dioxide than they would save.

Chance of success: 4/5 Carbon sequestration is likely to play a major role in the world's battle against climate change, though perhaps not in the form of synthetic trees.

Forests of the seas

Blooms of plankton and algae are the grasslands and prairies of the oceans. They absorb carbon dioxide, die and then sink to the seabed carrying the carbon dioxide they absorbed during their lifetimes. Increase such blooms and you could take out more and more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, scientists argue - an idea that formed the core of a recent meeting of experts at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in the US.

The favoured method for stimulating plankton growth is to use iron fertilisers. It is known that tiny amounts of iron are critical in stimulating phytoplankton growth in seas. However, in many parts of the world iron in seawater is virtually non-existent and plankton levels correspondingly low.

Several groups of US entrepreneurs have begun experiments aimed at correcting this problem by pumping tonnes of soluble iron compounds into sea areas. Several trial schemes are now under way. But some critics warn that very little carbon dioxide would be removed from the atmosphere this way, while there is a danger such schemes could cause dangerous pollution.

Chance of success: 2/5 Method already in trials, but faces considerable opposition over potential damage to marine life.