Save Our Earth

What Causes Global Warming?

2012-07-10T21:51:00.002-07:00

For several decades, scientists have wondered what causes global warming. They looked at a number of things such as the natural cycles and events that influence the climate. Some things they learned that causes global warming include:

- Methane gas release in the areas of the wetlands and arctic tundra. Methane is known as a greenhouse gas that results in heat bring trapped inside the atmosphere.

- Climate change cycle, which tends to occur every 40,000 years.

- Lots of volcano activity causes an increase of greenhouse gases.

- Sunspots

And, while they've looked at the above events and cycles, they noted that the pattern and amount of global warming cannot be explained by them alone. Scientists could only explain that the pattern included human's effect on the greenhouse gases. After all, the human population is growing rapidly, which means they're raising more animals for food and have regular growth in technology.

Now, scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (or IPCC), meet every several years to check on recent scientific findings and put together a report that summarizes everything they've learned about global warming.

Greenhouse Gases Causes Global Warming

Now, one thing scientists have learned on what causes global warming is that there are several kinds of greenhouse gases responsible for the problem. And, humans are largely responsible for these greenhouse gases, emitting them off in a number of ways. Most greenhouse gases come in the form of fossil fuel combustion such as electricity production, cars and factories. The primary cause of global warming, however, is carbon dioxide, which is also known as CO2.

So what causes global warming? Some other causes include methane from agriculture and landfills, fertilizers' nitrous oxide, gases used in industrial processed and refrigeration and deforestation, which leads to CO2.

When people drive their cars, heat homes with either natural gas or oil or use electricity from plants that use coal, they release more heat-trapping gases like CO2 into the environment. Deforestation means there are fewer trees and when there are fewer trees planted, it means less carbon dioxide being changed over into usable oxygen.

The heat-trapping abilities of the different greenhouse gases vary. Some tend to trap more*heat than carbon dioxide does. One molecule of methane generates over 20 times the warming of a CO2 molecule. Nitrous oxide is nearly 300 times stronger than carbon dioxide. Chlorofluorocarbons, which are banned in most of the world due to causing the degradation of the ozone layer, can trap heat more than a thousand times more than carbon dioxide. However, since their concentration is lower than CO2, they don't add a lot of warmth to the environment.

When scientists get together, they tend to converse about the different greenhouse gases and how their equivalent amount to carbon dioxide. Since the early 1990s, annual emissions of CO2 has risen to around six billion metric tons or a 20 percent increase.

Bear in mind that in the industrial age, carbon dioxide emissions increased by approximately 31 percent. And, during the same time, there was a 151 percent increase in environmental methane, which came from agricultural activities like growing rice or raising cattle.

What causes global warming is the increase of greenhouse gases because more heat becomes trapped in the atmosphere and is not able to escape into space. This rise in the amount of trapped heat will lead to changes in the environment, altering weather patterns, speeding up species extension, influencing the seasons, causes coastal flooding and resulting in more severe storms.

No doubt greenhouse gases have a direct impact on what causes global warming. So, it's up the humans all around the world to ban together and reduce the release of greenhouse gases to save the environment... and the world!

Global Warming - Purveyor of Death

2012-07-10T21:50:00.002-07:00

Plants, trees, animals, sea, earth, rocks, sand, water, air, wind etc all these are part of nature. Nature is something that can not be created artificially and even existed when there was no human life. Nature is referred to as the natural surroundings comprising of animal and plant kingdom.

Nature provides us many resources and we are dependent upon them for our continued existence. Plants and trees are wonderful gift of nature. These provide us not only oxygen but also helps us fighting the growing demons known as pollution and global warming. Trees are responsible for absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2) and emitting oxygen into the atmosphere due to the process of photosynthesis. This unique property makes trees real saviors of life fighting against purveyor of death.

Global warming is referred to as the increased earth's average temperature.

Effects and causes of Global Warming:
Spreading of Diseases - Warm temperature is beneficial for microorganism, germs and viruses to survive and to multiply. As a result of global warming diseases are spreading day by day.

Increased Hurricanes - Average temperature of oceans is increasing like anything and this result in increasing probability of powerful, frequent and grievous Hurricanes.

Drought - Increasing temperature results in increasing the probability of drought and serious heat waves. The day is not far when there will not be any water left because of this day by day increasing rate of global warming.

Accumulation of hazardous gases in the atmosphere - Excessive releasing of green house gases is one of the main reasons of Global warming. Some of the green house gases are CO2, N2O and methane. Accumulation of these harmful gases is increasing due to the recent industrialization and unnecessary deforestation.

Hostile world for future generation - As a result of this increasing demon, the world will turn hostile for the future generation. Global warming is badly affecting not only earth but also affecting the whole ecosystem.

Ways to avoid Global warming:
Avoid using perfumes rich in CFCs - CFC is Chlorofluorocarbon and is responsible for depletion of ozone layer. Increased use of CFCs results in increasing global warming.

Make use of solar energy - Start using solar energy appliances and equipments because these are beneficial in decreasing pollution and helps saving non-renewable resources.

Grow More Trees - Trees play an important role in saving earth from warming and soil erosion. We should grow more trees in order to keep environment safe and secure.

Organic Food - Consumption of organic food helps in decreasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Say no to Polyethene Bags- Polythene is non-recyclable material and is responsible for increasing pollution. Start using paper bags, cloth bags or bags made from recyclable material in order to save environment.

Mitigation Measures For Global Warming

2012-07-10T21:49:00.002-07:00

1. Mitigation of global warming involves taking actions aimed at reducing the extent of global warming. Scientific consensus on global warming together with the fear of climate transitions is leading to increased efforts to develop new technologies and sciences, to address the issue of global warming. At the core of most proposals is the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by reducing energy use and switching to cleaner energy sources. Responding to the challenges of controlling global warming requires fundamental changes in energy production, transportation, industry, government policies, and development strategies around the world. These changes would take time. The challenge today is to manage the impacts that cannot be avoided while taking steps to prevent severe impacts in the future. Some of the mitigating measure is appended below.

a. Forests provide many social, economic and environmental benefits. In addition to timber and paper products, forests provide wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities, prevent soil erosion and flooding, help provide clean air and water and contain tremendous biodiversity. Forests are also an important defense against global climate change. Through the process of photosynthesis, forests produce life-supporting oxygen and consume huge amounts of carbon dioxide, which help the most in mitigation of global warming.

b. Hydro-electric power by means of dams is regarded as a relatively cleaner source of energy because it emits fewer greenhouse gases than thermal power plants. Greenhouse gases contribute to global warming and climate change, and for many environmentalists, the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is the most important environmental issue.

c. The scientific study of the physical, chemical, and biological aspects of the world oceans is called oceanography. Greater knowledge of climatic variations can be attained to describe how the biological productivity in the sea is controlled. A lot of carbon dioxide could be removed from the atmosphere if significant amounts of carbon dioxide could be sucked up by tiny floating marine plants in the vast oceans. Oceans receive considerable sunlight and have an abundance of the nitrogen and phosphorus compounds that usually support the growth of such plants in the greenish waters of the coastal ocean. In an experiment, sea-water containing dissolved iron was pumped to a small area resulting in growth of small marine plants.

d. One way to keep carbon dioxide emissions from reaching the atmosphere is to preserve and growing more trees. Trees, especially young and fast-growing ones, soak up a great deal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Slowing the rate of deforestation and planting new trees can help in neutralizing the expansion of greenhouse gases. In most cases, the process of carbon capture would involve transporting the gas in compressed form to suitable locations for underground storage. Deep ocean waters could also absorb a great deal of carbon dioxide, although the environmental effects may be harmful to ocean life. The feasibility and environmental effects of these options are under study by international teams.

e. The total worldwide consumption of fossil fuels is increasing by several percent annually. Newer technologies for energy resources may help offset these effects. Significant reductions in carbon dioxide emissions can only be achieved by switching away from fossil-fuel energy sources.

i. Nuclear power plants release no carbon dioxide at all, but nuclear energy is controversial for reasons of safety, security and the high costs of nuclear waste disposal.

ii. Solar Power, Wind Power and Hydrogen Fuel Cells can be alternative means of energy emit no greenhouse gases. These energy sources can be practical and low-polluting alternatives to fossil fuels.Other alternatives include fuels made from plants, such as biodiesel (made from used and new vegetable oil) and ethanol (a plant-based gasoline additive). Use of these fuels can help reduce total carbon dioxide emissions from automobiles. The hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), which uses both an electric motor and a gasoline or diesel engine, emits less carbon dioxide than conventional automobiles.

f. Urban planning also has an effect on use of energy. Inefficient use of land practices have increased infrastructure costs as well as the amount of energy needed for transportation, community services, and buildings. Efficient planning will serve to reduce energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions. Planning and the concentration of housing within walking distance of town centers and transport will reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

g. Emissions from housing are substantial.New buildings using passive solar building design can be made more efficient through the use of insulation, high-efficiency appliances (particularly hot water heaters and furnaces), double or triple glazed gas-filled windows, external window shades, and building orientation and site. Renewable heat sources such as geothermal power and passive solar energy reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses emitted. This saves energy because it cools buildings and reduces the urban heat island effect thus reducing the use of air conditioning.

h. Development of new technologies, such as hydrogen cars, may reduce the consumption of petroleum and emissions of carbon dioxide. A shift from air and transport to electric rail would reduce emissions significantly. Increased use of bio-fuels will also reduce emissions. For electric vehicles, the reduction of carbon emissions will improve further.

i. The population explosion is a fundamental factor that has led to global warming. Proposed measures include improving access to family planning and reproductive health care and information, public awareness about the consequences of continued population growth, and improving access of women to education and economic opportunities.

j. There is a requirement to launch a media campaign at national level through print and electronic media for awareness of the masses regarding hazards of Global Warming and importance of growing trees.

k. Rules and regulations regarding setting up and operation of industries already exist. There is a dire need that industrial sector be forced by the concerned agencies, to follow the rules with letter and spirit regarding environment friendly policies.

2. There is a need to secure our future from the hazards of environmental changes faced by the present world. The mitigation efforts for the reduction of Global Warming would help in making prosperous nation besides a healthy atmosphere for our next generations. The most basic question as to who would take the first step is now beyond discussion due to obvious scenery of consequences. So pro-active policy at each tier is mandatory and should become our moral obligation towards better and prosperous future.

Global Warming is resulting in increased temperatures, drying up water sources, sudden and unpredictable natural calamities; resulting in loss of millions of lives every decade, which should act as a wake-up call and as a group or at an individual level we all must try to adopt applicable mitigation measures and this is only possible if we understand the core issue and severity of its far reaching implications.

Keeping the Earth Beautiful

2012-05-18T21:43:00.000-07:00

I recently discovered that April has been dubbed, Keep the earth Beautiful month. I am fortunate to live in a well-kept area but even here there is evidence of abuse and neglect of the earth. I imagine God must just shake His head in disappointment at the way we're treating this beautiful world He created. 1 Corinthians 6:9 tells us that people who destroy the earth and everything in it do not qualify as citizens of the kingdom of God. Although I am not a hard-core environmentalist, I'm thinking it's probably a good idea to be good stewards of everything we have, and do our part to take care of the beautiful world which God entrusted to us.

I also think it's a wonderful idea to educate our kids about ways they can help keep the earth in a state that glorifies the God who created it. And the sooner we start teaching them how to do it, the more beautiful it will become. So although this holiday is technically, "Keep America Beautiful," the principle is the same around the world. Here are three things we can do with our kids to keep our earth looking beautiful.

1. RECYCLE - There are several ways you can recycle. Ask your trash pick up for a recycling container in which you can toss recyclables.

o Cans and bottles - Interesting fact: Every three months, the U.S. throws away enough aluminum to rebuild our entire commercial airline fleet.

o Paper - Interesting fact: each day American businesses generate enough paper to circle the globe at least 40 times.

o Cardboard - Interesting fact: Out of ever $10 spent buying things, $1 (10%) goes for packaging that is thrown away. Packaging represents about 65% of household trash. Recycle that packaging!

o Material Goods - Instead of throwing out those clothes and toys you no longer want, give them away. There are plenty of wonderful organizations that would welcome your used items..

2. CLEAN UP - Of course you want to discourage your kids from any type of littering. But why not take it a step further? The next time you go to the following places with your kids, take ten or fifteen minutes to throw away trash you find on the ground. Point out how much prettier the area looks without all the junk scattered around as well as a safer place to play. Places that might be in need of a clean-up:

o Park

o School yard

o Playground

o Your neighborhood

o Baseball fields

o Nature trail

3. REUSE - Whenever possible, reuse normal household items. Here are a few things you may be able to find another use for:

o Jars - decorate and use to hold all sorts of household items

o Bags - use as trash bags

o Boxes - for storage

o Coffee cans - use as a planter, a bank, or to hold kitchen scraps

o Clothing - make into other items such as purses, quilts, cushion covers or doll clothing

o Greeting cards - use the cover as a postcard or frame it and hang it on the wall.

o And more...put on your creativity cap for other ideas.

Don't forget, every little bit helps! Get qualified as a citizen of God's kingdom and keep our Creator smiling by doing your part to help keep the earth beautiful.

Keep The Earth Clean - Purchase a Portable Trash Compactor

2012-05-18T21:39:00.000-07:00

People who have a large family must surely consider purchasing a portable trash compactor. This appliance can be stored inside the kitchen area so that you can throw waste food items, plastic accessories, cans and packets in it at frequent intervals. The waste is kept in a special bag that is specially manufactured for the trash compactor. A high powered motor is installed inside the machine which helps in constricting the trash to a fraction of its original size. If you want you can also take this portable accessory with you on your boat and recreational vehicle.

For more information about this amazing accessory, I would advise you to consult the points mentioned below.

1. Shopping for the perfect option
When it comes to the trash compactor, shopping for the perfect option becomes difficult most of the time because there are a large number of different options of this equipment available in the market. There are four different options that you can purchase, they are the portable compactor, under-the-counter compactors, commercial trash compactors and the free standing options. From these options you can purchase the one that you find the most suitable. Different versions are also available for industrial use.

2. Look for the different features and functions
Every option has some different features and functions with the help which you can decide which option would be the most appropriate for your home. People who need extra counter space can purchase the free standing machines as they have a smooth surface. Convertible and portable trash compactors are the most popular options because they can be stored in your kitchen area without any difficulty.

3. Safety and precautions
You must only purchase those options which you think would be safe for you to use. You must know that the motor of this accessory is powerful and it has the force of about 2,000 to 5,000 lbs which is strong and can be very dangerous. You must only buy options that have additional features like removable key knob control, tilt sensors and jam system. Do not ever allow your children to operate the system.

4. Take the views of other people
If you want to purchase a good option then you must consult other people who are already using this accessory in their home or factory. You must also compare the prices of different options to get a better idea.

Take the help of these suggestions and ideas and bring home a brand new version of the portable trash compactor.

How Electronics Recycling Is Saving the Earth

2012-05-11T01:05:00.000-07:00

Electronic recycling is simply recycling non-functional electronic devices by rescuing the parts that still work and using it for other purposes. This has been a practice to help in the drive to minimize electronic wastes.
With almost everything being electrically run these days, the pile of electronic wastes is becoming a problem. All electronic devices are generally classified as hazardous if to be disposed just like a normal garbage. In many countries in the United States, there are laws strictly regulating the disposal of electronic waste (e-waste) and mandating its reuse and recycle to save mother earth. Recycling and reusing are expected to minimize the trash generated from all these manufactured electronic devices which useful life has already come to an end.
How to recycle e-waste
Recycling of e-wastes should be done by a company that specializes in such a task. There are many recycling companies to choose from, but before choosing, you have to make sure the company is operating under strict environmental compliance. The recycling company you should choose is a company that has certifications from regulating bodies like the special body that issues ISO certification.
Electronics recycling is a complex process. It is more complex than what you imagine when recycling plastics, bottles and other common wastes. If you surrender an electronic device that no longer works, the recycling company will take the parts that can still be used. For example: a non-functional television. A television is made of so many parts including valuable metals like copper. This copper may be used for another purpose like when repairing other devices that need copper replacement. More than 90 percent of an electronic device can be recycled and reused in a thousand of other ways.
Preparing the e-waste for recycling would need segregation of its parts. Most companies include this in their job. Segregating on your own is not advisable. You might encounter some parts that need special handling to avoid poisoning or other possible accidents.
What to do with the parts that cannot be used?
More than 90 percent only of an electronic device can be recycled. If so, then "what happens to the rest?" is probably your question.
The rest of the parts of a television, for example, that cannot be recycled should not be easily disposed. They are still considered hazardous wastes so proper disposal is strictly required. Many devices contain mercury. Mercury is a naturally occurring element that is toxic to humans. The parts that cannot be recycled may contain mercury. This is why households are warned against improper disposal of electronic wastes to prevent possible mercury contamination. Mercury has a lot of use, but if not carefully handled may cause a great damage to the environment.
Electronic wastes maybe just a few percent of the total waste generated everyday. But it represents more than 70 percent of the total hazardous wastes that go to landfills and dump sites. Electronics recycling has done a great job in minimizing e-wastes for the safety of the public and for saving on resources.

Every Day Should Be Earth Day

2012-05-11T01:02:00.000-07:00

Earth day is the day we all look at ways we can reduce our carbon footprint to protect and improve the environment. 20% of all greenhouse gases come from automobiles, so it makes sense to start there.
The rising gas prices are causing many people to look towards replacing their gas guzzler with a more fuel efficient vehicle. That is a good thing, not just for the economy. Newer vehicles get better gas mileage than their older models and produce less toxic emissions. Also, many new cars are made with recycled materials. Some of the fabrics in them are made with recycled yarn and some of the plastics are reinforced with wheat straw.
Anyone looking to purchase a new or newer vehicle should consider donating their older one to charity. If the car donation only requires minor repairs, the charity will make sure those repairs are made and that the car passes inspection and emissions testing before it is sold to the public.
If the vehicle needs major repairs, the charity will ensure that all the fluids are drained from it and properly recycled. Additionally, the useful parts will be removed from the car and sold. The remaining metal and other materials will be crushed and sold. The charity will use the monies derived from the sale of the vehicle or its parts to help it further its mission.
Anyone who is not replacing their car can still help the environment by making the vehicle greener. There are many ways to do this. Keeping the vehicle tuned up, the tires inflated and changing the air filter often will produce up to a 25% improvement in gas mileage. The less gas that is used, the less emissions are produced. Driving slower and refraining from sudden starts and stops will also improve gas mileage and reduce the chances of getting into an accident.
A less toxic anti-freeze is now available. It is made from propylene glycol, works just as well and is 65% less toxic that the more popular ethylene glycol anti-freeze. A non-toxic windshield washer fluid can be made from adding one part vinegar to 3 parts of water. This can be used to replace the very toxic methanol fluid.
Some companies are now marketing motor oil that is partially made from recycled oil. New life-time wiper blades are available that are not made from petroleum based rubber. They are 100% recyclable and are a good alternative to the non-biodegradable rubbers wipers that have to be replaced regularly. In addition to being better for our environment, these products help to reduce our dependence on foreign*oil.
There are many car cleaning products on the market that are non-toxic, biodegradable and free of synthetic dyes and fragrances. Most of them are made from palms, coconuts, corn and soybeans. These products can be used to clean the outside or interior of the auto. Normal car wash products contain isopropyl alcohol, teflon, fluropolymers or ammonia.
Most car air fresheners contain chemicals such as phthalates, formaldehyde and acetone. All of these chemicals are toxic. A small open container of baking soda can be used as an alternative.
While Earth Day is a good day to concentrate on cleaning up and protecting the environment, it is a practice that should continued everyday of the year.

Create Heaven On Earth

2012-03-20T19:33:00.002-07:00

Someone's got to say it, but no one will, so I will say it... we CAN create heaven on earth.... we CAN create a loving, peaceful world where people live fulfilling lives in harmony, joy, and havingness. And where does the shift start? Right here, right now, with you and me, by us choosing to live our lives from love, not fear.

"Pollyanna? Unrealistic? In this it's-all-about-me, dog-eat-dog world we live in?," you argue. "Yes," I lovingly and excitedly reply. Initially there will have to be forerunners, those brave enough to trail blaze this new way of living, living from this new paradigm based on this major shift in values, feeling at times like we are swimming against the current of fear, but once the majority of us tip the scales - those who have turned the reins over to love instead of fear - then the remainder will see the light and embrace the greater fulfillment that a life based on love offers.

And by creating heaven on earth from living a life driven by love instead of fear I mean much more than simply being kind and "doing unto others as you would have them do unto you." I mean completely removing fear from the driver's seat in each and every moment of the day, replacing it with love; no longer living a life based on fear. As a result, discovering your deepest heart's desires, bringing them into fruition, and from that, living with passion as you create your ideal life, heaven on earth. And from this awakening, naturally, effortlessly replacing that part of ourselves that thinks "it's all about me" with that part of ourselves that knows "it's all about us." No longer living from the mind and fear, but from the heart and love. It's about recapturing our humanity, our hearts, and our souls, while living in unity, not separation, in cooperation, not competition. It's ALL about love.

Remember when the environmentalists tried to get us to care about the environment? Back then, did you ever think businesses would become "green" by implementing recycling, solar energy, solar heating, and electricity-saving measures such as the use of low-wattage bulbs? Yet, it happened and continues to happen. And not just because it saves them money, but because the consumers, their clients and customers, stopped supporting businesses that no longer demonstrated a concern for the environment. This is how it will be with the shift in values from fear to love, from "it's all about me" and from "it's all about the bottom line (money)" to "it's all about us" fully acknowledging that the entire planet is now completely interconnected, with one country's actions affecting many others, whether those actions be environmental, ethical, economical, or political. The public, those businesses' clients and customers, will shift their voting dollars from selfish companies to selfless companies. Similarly, voters will shift their votes from self-serving politicians to district-supporting politicians whose intentions stem from those they serve rather than themselves. We, the public, can lead this transformation and we can lead it right here, right now with the courageous, bold declaration to live life from love, rather than fear.

So what would a life based on love look like and feel like? How would our lives as individuals change and how would our world around us change as a result? Now this is where the fun begins because let me tell you, the sky's the limit; there is no limit to what you can experience or create in your life. With fortitude and perseverance, where you constantly redirect your will and intention from fear-based motives to love-based motives, all is possible, including heaven on earth.

The next five exercises, to be done whenever you feel like playing or feel inspired, will be fun and life-changing, if you let them.

Exercise 1:

On your next day-off or at work if you can, over a three hour time period, for every action you take, ask yourself the following questions:

Is this action motivated by love or fear?
Is this action motivated by a positive (feels good) feeling or a negative (feels-bad) feeling?
Do I feel energized, alive, vibrant when I take this action or drained, down, and "blah?"

I understand that people often do things that they don't want to do such as work and that they do them for the rewards they bring (i.e. - money) or to avoid negative consequences (i.e. - foreclosure). Nevertheless, whatever the motivation, simply observe what motivates your actions, regardless of the activity, its purpose and its reward.

Exercise 2:

After doing exercise one above and, once again, on that same day off or at work, if you can, for the next three hour period, before you take action, only take action if the impetus stems from love, inspiration, and feels enlivening, energizing, exciting, or fulfilling in some positive way. If you find yourself taking action based on fear, simply stop, relax, and wait until a positive impetus moves you towards action.

I understand that people have "responsibilities" such as children and that those people feel these responsibilities often require "sacrifice" yet even with "responsibilities" you can live from love-based impetuses instead of fear-based impetuses. For example, it's Saturday morning. No work. It's your day off. While you're enjoying your breakfast and newspaper, your wife asks you to mow the lawn. Next, your seven year old son asks you to play ball with him outside. And finally, what really gives you the feeling of having lost a day of "r & r," your boss calls and asks for your help with a problem that's occurring at work, even though he knows it's Saturday and it's your day off. But what if, instead of moving from fear... f ear of your wife yelling at you for not mowing the lawn, or your son moping from neglect, or getting fired by your boss, what if you acquiesced by allowing the impetus of love to move you toward action rather than fear. So instead of immediately responding to those demands, waiting until a positive force governed your actions. Envision this alternate scenario. When your boss calls, ask him/her if you can return his/her call in an hour because you're in the middle of something. Then, you enjoy your peaceful breakfast while continuing to read the paper. At the same time, as your wonder what the problem is at work that your boss so urgently needs phone support with, you notice that your concern shifts from one motivated by the fear of getting fired to love, in the form of friendship and seamanship. You then call your boss assisting him/her over the phone from a place of love. After hanging up the phone, you then feel inspired to play ball with your son. While playing with your son, seeing your wife gardening close by, you tell her you'll mow the lawn after lunch, after you've played with little Ricky and had some "r & r." In that context of love and support you add, "And can we eat lunch as a family today?"

Living from love over fear doesn't result in neglect of responsibilities. It means simply waiting for the motivating force to shift from fear to love, which often occurs either by meeting your own personal needs first or by changing one's state of being.

Fulfillment comes in never ending levels. Exercises one and two above are level one. If you would like to take it to the next level try the next few exercises.... if you feel inspired.

Exercise 3:

A short, 15 minute fun exercise.

1) Fill in the blanks.

- My ideal life consists of ____________

- In my ideal life I am/have/do/feel/experience __________________

2) Rate your current level of fulfillment. On a scale of zero to ten, where 5 is neutral, less than five is

unsatisfied, and over five is satisfied. Zero is hell, then is heaven. How fulfilled are you right now, generally speaking, on a day-to-day basis?

3) How can I create an even more fulfilling life now/today/from-this-day-forward?

4) Which, of those answers listed above, will increase your level of fulfillment the most, with the least amount of time,*effort, and disruption in your new life?

5) And which of those actions listed above would you most like to implement now?

This one exercise, that takes just fifteen minutes, can shift the course of your life radically, no matter how small the change. The slightest, most seemingly insignificant change often sets a new course that, years later in retrospect, launched numerous subsequent life changes resulting in an entirely different life style. In other words, you never know where an even small change will lead. Have you ever made on small change in your life and, years later, realized it resulted in an entirely new life style? For example, stepping into a coffee shop one day where you met this person who later introduced you to ideas or experiences that changed your life.

Often, while entertaining the possibility of attending to one's personal needs, or living new dreams and desires, people feel guilty or judgmental, thinking "That's so selfish! I should be attending to the needs of others instead." It is equally as important to meet your own needs as it is to meet others'. Neglect of one's own aspirations kills the soul. The more alive and passionate you feel about your life, the more you will inspire others. The more care, love, and nurturing you give yourself, the more you'll be cable to care, love, and nurture others. Fee yourself so you can feed others. Give yourself the oxygen mask first so that you can give others their oxygen masks.

The next level, the third level, is even more fulfilling, considerably so. And it naturally occurs as one lives a life based on love versus fear and as one creates their ideal life. The more love-centered and the more fulfilled one is, the more inspired they are to give love. Giving love is the beginning of heaven on earth, because then we find ourselves living in a loving, nurturing, supportive environment instead of a predatorial, combative, hostile environment. As a result, our love exponentially grows. Imagine receiving love from yourself and, at the same time, from others at work and home. In addition, also imagine creating a space of love wherever you are such that the environment is loving, supportive, energizing, and comforting, as well as the people you encounter. Your love will compound rapidly. And the more love you feel, the more you'll give.

This next level's exercise, exercise four, is simple, and very satisfying.

Exercise 4:

How can I give love today?

Everyday can be Christmas, with the heart-warming feeling of love, family, connection, closeness, giving, and receiving.

So many people live a life based on "shoulds" and "have tos." These are indications of living from fear. The more you live from your heart, the more you will experience heaven on earth. And, as you raise from living a life based on fear to a life based on love, you will then sift naturally from a life governed by the mind to a life governed by the soul. The mind usually functions from fear, living in an "it's-all-about-me" reality whereas soul functions from love, living in a "we-are-all-one" reality. The mind is never satisfied, but instead, like a junky, always looking for its next fix. The soul is satisfied from simply "being." It's only when it is stifled, suppressed, or ignored that it complains.

Subconscious. Conscience. Higher self. Soul. We have other forms of consciousness and awareness beyond our normal daily consciousness. This we know. And we know when we're feeling out of sorts with ourselves it is often because we are neglecting one of these other forms of consciousness. And while, through the previous exercises, we bring those perhaps neglected forms of consciousness to the surface, still another questions must be asked to create still further fulfillment, further heaven on earth.

In addition to the previously mentioned questions,

Am I living from love or fear?
How can I live from love even more?
How can I create even more fulfillment in my life, even more of an ideal life, of heaven on earth?
How can I give even more love now?

an additional question must be asked to create more fulfillment amongst ourselves, more harmony, love, joy, and centeredness:

How can I be even more aligned with my soul (or higher self or conscience) now?

This additional question will take you, as an individual, and us, as a planet, towards much greater harmony, much greater peace, and much greater heaven on earth. Try it now.

Exercise 5:

Do this exercise on your day off or, if possible, at work. For the entire day, every hour on the hour, ask these questions:

Am I living from love; how can I live even more now from love?
How can I create even more fulfillment and joy now?
How can I love myself and others even more now?
How can I be even more aligned with my soul, my spirit, my higher-self, my conscience now?

Write these questions down on a piece of paper exactly as written above and take these questions with you throughout the day. Then every hour, on the hour, answers these questions throughout the entire day.

Your level of satisfaction will sky rocket as you open up new doorways of opportunity towards ever increasing levels of fulfillment. Towards heaven on earth.

Geothermal Energy - Heating From the Earth's Core

2012-03-20T19:32:00.002-07:00

Geothermal Energy is another type of renewable energy resource that makes use of the large amounts of energy stored as heat in the water deep below the Earth's surface with the most prominent and visual example of this coming from "Geysers" and "Hot Springs" ejecting large columns of very hot water, steam and gases high up into the air. In fact the word "Geothermal" comes from combining together the two Greek words of Geo, meaning "Earth", and Therme, meaning "heat", with the resulting word "Geothermal" actually meaning "heat generated from the Earth", then the expression "Geothermal Energy" literally means "heat energy generated from the Earth".

Geothermal energy is obtained from the hot areas under the surface of the earth that remain at a relatively constant temperature all year around day and night. Once available, geothermal energy can be used either directly or indirectly as an alternative energy resource to both heat and cool our homes. This naturally occurring and free energy is extracted by a series of pipes filled with water buried below the Earths surface. This hot water is then used in our homes for heating, called Geothermal Heating, or to generate electricity, called Geothermal Power.

So how does it work. At the Earth's core, some 4000 miles below the surface, temperatures can reach over 9000 degrees Fahrenheit. This incredible amount of heat originated four billion years ago in a fiery combustion of dust and gas as the Earth was being created. Many scientists believe that radioactive decay of the inner core keeps the heat generating and flowing outward from this inner core to the mantle of harder rock which surrounds the core. When the temperature and pressure is high enough, some of this mantle rock melts. Then, because the melted rock or magma is less dense than the surrounding rock, it rises and moves slowly up to the Earth's crust.

Sometimes the hot magma reaches all the way to the Earth's surface as a volcanic eruption, but usually the magma remains underground and heats the adjoining rock as well as any water that has seeped down through geologic holes, cracks and faults in the Earth's crust absorbing the heat as it travels through these hot rocks. Some of this water, whose temperatures can reach as high as 700 degrees, travels back up through cracks to the Earth's surface and emerges as hot springs, geysers or pools of boiling mud. Far more often, however, the water and magma becomes trapped within the rock, forming a natural underground geothermal reservoir. It is these underground geothermal reservoirs that are able to give us another type of alternative energy resource with incredible potential.

Let us understand that geothermal is NOT mining, as mining removes the mined material forever, it is extraction of the heat from a hydrothermal fluid which is replenished, sometimes over very long periods by the Earth itself. This geothermal energy resources can be used either for direct consumption, heating or for power generation in one of the following three main ways:

Types of Geothermal Energy

Direct Geothermal Energy - this is where the hot water is available either on or very close to the Earth's surface and can be used directly for heating, bathing or washing.
Ground Source Geothermal - this is where the geothermal hot water is below the ground but not too deep allowing easy access of the geothermal resource using heat absorbing pipes or bore holes.
Geothermal Power Plants - these harnesses the extremely hot water or steam using vertical bore holes drilled deep underground and then uses the available super heated geothermal water and steam to generate electricity.

For domestic applications, one way of extracting this heat energy is by the use of a Geothermal Heat Pump. The geothermal heat pump doesn't create electricity, instead it circulates a thermally conductive liquid mixed with water through long pipes called an Earth loop buried up to 12 feet underground, operating on the same principle as the domestic refrigerator but in reverse.

A Geothermal Heat Pump, also known as a "Ground Source Heat Pump", is a very efficient way to heat and air-condition our homes and buildings as it can move heat in two ways: during the colder winter months, low temperature heat is withdrawn from the ground (the heat source) for direct use in heating buildings and other structures. In the hotter summer months, the geothermal heat pump operates in reverse removing the heat from the building and dissipating it back into the ground.

As a result of this simple process, direct use geothermal heating is becoming very popular for the home owner because it provides a cost-effective alternative to expensive oil or gas home heating systems. Energy savings using a ground source heat pump can be substantial over a long period of time.

Geothermal power on the other hand uses extremely hot water heated by the underground magmatic activity which is pumped to the surface and used for electricity generation. Once this super heated water reaches atmospheric pressure it turns to steam where it is used to operate steam-powered turbines and generators. Geothermal power plants are becoming more common in volcanic areas and countries such as Iceland, were it produces over a quarter of their energy needs.

The main advantages of Geothermal Power is that it is clean, cheap, no additional fuel is needed resulting in no greenhouse gases or air pollution. However, some disadvantages include ground water and waste water pollution, geographically restricted and high maintenance costs. But the biggest disadvantage is that the closer you put a Geothermal power plant to an active volcano or heat source, the larger the potential operational problems you can have.

Polar Shift of Planet Earth in 2012

2012-03-20T19:31:00.003-07:00

Many prophecies have been made concerning the end of the world as we know it happening in the year 2012. One possible occurrence that NASA has been conducting studies about is a possible polar shift of the planet. The earth seems to be going through changes that are creating more and more disastrous events in both extreme weather and earthquake intensity. Although indirectly, NASA conducts research in many areas of earths make up as well as our solar system. Some of this research gives us clues as to possible reasons that these disastrous events are unfolding on earth today. Could a massive dwarf star, (Nibiru or Planet X) be aligning with other astral bodies in our solar systems that are causing this effect on the planet? There are many who think that this is indeed happening, and this is the cause of the end of world 2012 prophecies. At this time there is no scientific data that supports this theory and as such cannot be regarded as true or correct. There are many factors that one has to look at before claims of planetary a shift in the magnetic poles happening in 2012 is possible. The scientists have presented the following information on this particular topic:

Our north and south poles are determined by the direction of spin of the earth's inner core. The inner core is made up of iron and hot magma that spins creating a magnetic action that defines our geomagnetic poles. Our planets polarity, of north and south as remained in a constant state for quite some time now. There have been indications that polar shifts have occurred in the past and it is possible that the earth could be past due for a shift in the poles. The last time a polar shift occurred on the earth was over three hundred thousand years ago. Studies have indicated that the earth shifts on its polar axis about every three hundred thousand years. This does tend to indicate the earth is past due for a polar shift. Is 2012 the year this occurs? Will 2012 be the year the new polar shift occurs? Will this be the end of the world? The planet could have a polar shift quite suddenly and unexpectedly as it is overdue.

NASA does state that a shift in the poles are indeed possible, they do not believe that these shifts may occur as abruptly as others are claiming. NASA has been studying earth as well as all other heavenly bodies and is considered to be trusted experts in this area. Any doomsday prophecies or end of the world statements are deemed to be lacking the scientific evidence to be considered or proven as solid truth. Further research needs to be conducted before claims that an immediate destruction of the earth cause by a polar shift can be considered possible. Catastrophic effects causing the end of the world in 2012 by a polar shift or even the sun is very unlikely to occur.

EARTH - Element of Nature

2012-03-20T19:31:00.000-07:00

The study and appreciation of the natural elements pervades all wisdom teachings. Nature inspires poets and points a way to those who seek understanding of both spirit and matter.
Although the terms used to distinguish the natural elements differ between eras and times throughout the centuries and there remain differences between oriental and western thought, the essential common understanding is clear. In philosophy we look to the principles that in western teachings are clearly marked as the symbols of Earth, Water, Air, Fire and Ether.
To the nature lover, these elements are obvious in the outer natural environment. In relation to the first; Earth is the ground, the soil, the sand, the firm surface upon the planet with its innumerable variations in form. There are deserts of sand, mountains of rock, prairies of pasture, high cliffs and valleys that are features in terrain.
Earth provides our stable base for human habitation, activities and physical survival. It supports all the vegetative life upon which our physical sustenance depends and is abundant in the nuts, fruits, seeds, herbs, and vegetables it produces through the wonder and mystery of the laws of growth.
It is also symbolic of the secure base that is our material environment. It is the property of matter that to a large extent is obvious and contactable through our tactile senses. Earth seems then very real to us and governs everything we can see as material reality.
To find satisfaction in knowledge of any kind we seek to apply it in practical application.
Regarding the element Earth, it is seen to dominate all the avenues of material science, technology, construction of all kinds. In human nature that possesses the same inherent five elements, we seek to reflect them in the qualities of our character as in the qualities of our thought. Earth is expressed in our physical body, in our practicality, in our constructive talents, in our productive life, and in the secure base of our reliability in relation to our fellows. Through matter we create things of value, be it in crafts, technological machinery, architecture and the visual arts.
In the combination of the five elements within us, some possess more quality or quality of one element over another. Those who have Earth dominant in their nature are more naturally inclined to be stable, practical and able to cope with the material things of life than others who are a different mix of the active principles.
We are reminded that the overall important value of Earth is that it allows the expression of beauty both in the external environment and within our personal lives. And this beautiful planet called Earth is our home.
Earth gives us a practical base from which we move on to study the other Elements and what they mean in our lives and how to better understand our Astrological Chart.

Elizabeth S. Adams is known for her published "Forgotten Dreams - a collection of Poetry" with additional interests that extend to Astrology, Astronomy and mystical subjects that help us understand who we are and our place in the Universe.
Astrology when applied to self understanding of our personality and deeper soul potentials is a great practical starting point. We also need assistance to unveil the special inner talents of our soul so we feel confident to offer our contribution to the world. Astrology is such an aid.

Mother Earth Song of Tears

2012-03-10T21:10:00.000-08:00

Of all the planets around our glorious star, the Sun
One we call home, abundant with life giving waters
The blue orb we will leave behind when we are done
Into the futures hands of our sons and our daughters
Of exquisite beauty, life-full, kind and nurturing
Her life-force, our loving, beautiful Mother Earth
Giving her all, her life breath and endearing self
With abundant water and rich, food-growing dirt
Fresh water streams and wide, land parting rivers
Splendid rolling hills and teasing white-tipped mountains
Fresh life giving oxygen, and protective shroud of ozone
And gift of water-recycling clouds with life-seeding rains
Oceans teeming with countless myriads of life forms
Island paradises at our whim for fun and playing
Home of happiness, peace and hand-holding love
Selflessly given, and all ours for the taking
Flying the skies and sailing her deep blue oceans
Playing in the water, and her beautiful beaches
Tilling her rich soil and using all of her bounties
Exploring her tall, deep forests and rivers far reaches
But what do we do to this awesome home of ours?
How do respond to her giving and her kindness?
In what condition are we leaving her for our children?
And our future grandchildren, how exactly do we bless?
With chemicals we kill her trees and poison her precious soil
We slaughter the whales senseless till the waters run red
And to satisfy our hunger, ego and intense greed for wealth
We rob, maim and kill our very own sisters and brothers dead
The volume of black gold sucked out of her giving bosom
Then spilled in her pure oceans and her golden sands
Forever-lasting refuse, plastic and Styrofoam
Spread, contaminate and filling mountains in all the lands
Now she seems down, defeated and out of breath
Our Mother Earth who we have, for so long forsaken
What can we do differently? How can the human family help?
How can we make up for all the abuse she has taken?
Can we pause for a moment and start using our intellect
And control our quest for wealth and getting richer?
When we create our own artificial flowers and beauty
While steadily ruining our Mother Earth's pretty picture?
Mother Earth is our home... And one of a kind
When we damage and destroy, no where else to go
To protect, preserve and care, we should all say YES!
To contaminate, neglect and abuse, hold a steadfast NO!

I endeavor to put my thoughts into words which, in some way will uplift, inspire and encourage the philosopher and the poet within each of us. In this journey of life, each of us experience our experiences in our own unique way and plays our thoughts to our own music. May we all listen to the whispering poet within ourselves and be motivated to find the time to set it free, and as we do, discover our own truths within.

Biospheres: Reproducing Planet Earth

2012-03-10T21:04:00.002-08:00

Dorion Sagan's 1990 paperback Biospheres: Reproducing Planet Earth (McGraw-Hill Publishing, ISBN 0-553-28883-0) does more than deliver a unique vision of the planet's life support system. It also challenges the traditional view of humanity as the dominant feature of life on Earth.

Perhaps that is no less than should be expected from the offspring of astronomer Carl Sagan and biologist Lynn Margulis, whose unorthodox view of evolutionary biology sees life forms merging to produce new ones. Sagan the younger is well known as an author of books on culture, evolution, and the philosophy of science.

Ecospheres to Biosphere 2

Among the more interesting features of the book are the mentions of still-existing institutions that are unexpectedly abiding features of the economic and technological landscape.

For example, Ecospheres Associates in Tucson, Arizona manufactures and sells sealed glass balls filled with water containing green algae, other microscopic biota, and tiny shrimp in a symbiotic community that illustrates the principle of closed life support. It is one illustration of what Sagan calls "permanently recycling systems." Called EcoSpheres, they come in a variety of sizes, from 4 inches in diameter to 9 inches, are priced like small kitchen appliances, and have "replacement periods" of up to a year. With care, they can last for many years. EcoSpheres are a NASA spin-off, the first product of US experiments to create closed ecosystems, ultimately for humans in space habitats.

"Bioshelters", earthbound biospheres for individuals, families, and small groups, were a product of the gone-but-not-forgotten New Alchemy Institute (1969-1991). Between Apollo 11 and Biosphere 2, New Alchemy built several bioshelters it called "arks" at Cape Cod Massachusetts, Prince Edward Island (eastern Quebec), and other places. The Green Center at Hatchville, MA preserves New Alchemy's information legacy.

Ocean Arcs International, founded by the same people who brought you bioshelters, created the self-sustaining oceangoing vessels mentioned in Biospheres. Their idea of sailing Earth's oceans as little sea colonies, without dependence on anything nonrenewable, including fossil fuels, has since mutated into a wastewater processing method that might qualify as a technology for space colonies.

Biosphere 2, 35 miles north of Tucson, was taking shape just as Biospheres the book was nearing completion. The site has become Southern Arizona's best-known technological wonder. Situated among the red rocks of the Santa Catalina Mountains, out of sight of Highway 77 and the ordinary built environment, it is said that on certain summer evenings under one of those ruby Arizona sunsets, all of the visual cues are Martian. From the library tower of the human habitat, across a miniature ocean, rain forest, desert, savannah, and marshland, Biosphere 2 is 3.14 acres of Earth under glass. It has operated since 2007 as a research station and educational outreach project of the University of Arizona under a ten-year, $30 million grant from the Philecology Foundation.

Of Mice and Men

But the book has a downside. Its core philosophy is environmentalism, which is worthy of suspicion because of its tendency to denigrate humanity. Sagan is at risk for this as well, displaying a fairly consistent antihuman drumbeat that is easily the most off-putting feature of his little book.

Each human being, says Sagan, is both a multi-species assemblage and a unit of a larger organism. The typical Homo sapiens' surface is inhabited by a microbiological community of bacteria, fungi, round worms, pin worms, etc. Our guts are densely-packed tubes of bacteria, yeasts, and other microorganisms. To add further insult, the Lovelockian view of Gaia, Mother Earth, which Sagan describes sympathetically, features humans as mere components. It's almost enough to make one decide to leave all the dirt and non-human DNA behind, and build strictly artificial worlds, just to prove that we can. Except that we can't, as anyone who disturbs the equilibrium of their digestive jungle soon discovers.

Truly, though, there is something disturbing about the idea, also found here, that the Gaia hypothesis could become the basis of some new green theocracy. What power would priests of the green religion have, and to what ends? We find some indication by the value assigned to individuals in the Lovelockian philosophy as Sagan portrays it: Individuals are of no consequence. They are numbers, large amounts of inessential biomass, and those numbers need to be contained. All of us who do not pass from the scene by means best left undescribed are to be midwives in the reproduction of the original biosphere, creating isolated cocoons of life in space, or maybe not. Right there, Sagan loses his clarity of vision. He thinks maybe we should just build protective pods to shield the offspring of Mother Earth from her dying body. OK. That's a little weird. Also, that's enough bashing of Men for their reproductive proclivities. I happen to like people, at least in principle.

Sagan says we ALL like people, and not just in principle. We like them so much that we are on the way to becoming a superorganism made up of individual humans the way our bodies are made of cells. To prevent these "cells" from reproducing wildly into superorganism "tumors", Sagan feels we shall adopt new cultural norms like infanticide and abortion, maybe also a little criminality and sexual perversion. Before too long, by way of demonstrating the effects of crowding, he works his way around to the rodent experiments of Dr. John B. Calhoun. If one takes the results at face value and allows them to be projected upon the human future, then, as Sagan points out, only grim conclusions are possible.

Sagan would have done well to point out that the standard interpretation of Calhoun's results is not necessarily the best one. The mouse "universes" of John Calhoun's creation did become crowded over time (though never reaching more than about 80% of capacity). They were also closed from the start, making emigration impossible. Population biologists regard emigration and death in the same light. That is because they are unable to follow individuals once they leave a controlled area. But, as any human explorer knows, emigration and death are not the same thing. A more complete interpretation of Calhoun's outcomes reflects the impossibility of a breakout, concluding that the mouse populations failed, not because they were dense, but because they were trapped in an enclosure.

Such side trips down depressing rabbit holes explain why the book in some ways stumbles rather than soars. Not until near the end do we again take up the ennobling view of Man the Builder of Worlds as opposed to Man trapped inside some kind of planet-sized monster in space. We pick up the thread at the Soviet Bios program of the early 1980s, which maintained two human beings in a complete life support system independent of Earth for a five-month simulated space journey.

Biospherians

Ten years later than Bios, much bigger, and more Capitalist, Biosphere 2 is a significant extension of the theme Sagan tries to express. A project of Edward P. Bass's Decisions Investments (as Space Biospheres Ventures), it is the largest and most complete simulation of the earth ever undertaken. The apparatus is as much a technological object as a biological one. Its basement "technosphere" includes systems for controlling temperature, filtering water, balancing internal pressure, fighting fires, and supporting the scientific activities of eight "biospherians." It is also art, a self-portrait of Man in the late twentieth century. Like the book, Biosphere 2 is more of a quest than a destination. Both are pearls, not so much because of what they say, or fail to say, or how they say it, but because of the questions they raise, most notably, "Who are we?"

The Healing Power of Earth Energy and Feng Shui

2012-03-10T21:03:00.000-08:00

In our modern age of technology, the Green movement is urging us to re-examine our relationship with the Earth and how we can get back to basics and benefit more from the natural environment.

Our Earth is a solid, grounding force giving us a feeling of security. It is "terra firma" under our feet. Its revolutions create gravity and secure us to the planet. In traditional Feng Shui practice, we use the earth element to "ground" particular energies inside or outside a home. For example, extra earth is often placed between a house and an electrical transformer on a telephone pole to neutralize excess static electricity that might create what is known as negative energy or "sha". Likewise, it is a common practice for fuel tankers to load flammable fuel on what is known as a grounding pad that will neutralize any positive electrical ions or sparks that might start a fire. It is also a standard practice in Feng Shui to create raised earth or a "mountain" remedy in front of a home to help balance and support the "people" aspect of many houses. The earth remedy is protective and includes anything made of mineral composition including clay, brick, ceramic, concrete, cement, stone, sand or stucco.

Most homes are built on concrete slabs or footings giving a structure strong stability. Homes that are raised above the ground, allowing water or air to pass freely underneath, are considered to be "destabilized" and can affect an occupant's health negatively. The type of soil a home is built on is also important. Soil compaction and composition are looked at carefully before a home is constructed. The soil around a home ideally should be able to stick together allowing compaction which can hold a greater weight load. Soil that can be compacted also shows an ability to hold moisture as this is the optimal kind of land to live on. Soil that is too sandy or clay has more difficulty in nourishing plant life. Plant life helps retain moisture, creates oxygen and also holds the land together protectively with their roots, preventing erosion.

Earth tone colors and shades of brown also have a psychological stabilizing effect on us as well. We love chocolate, our morning coffee or teas, and the comfort of fresh baked bread or pastries. Skin tones too come in all shades of brown from the lightest pinkish tans to deep mahoganies and ebonies. Skin colors are reflections of the earth. All colors, when mixed with their opposite hue, will create the thousands of shades of brown we find so comforting and familiar.

The Earth is our physical mother in a profound sense and we literally benefit by re-connecting with her on many levels. Many spiritual practices start with "grounding" exercises in which we re-establish our connection to the earth to strengthen our bodies, as our vessel, in turn empowering our spiritual exercises. Yin and yang balance, very important in Feng Shui practice, is constantly being harmonized by the Earth's energy and rhythms. The Sun provides a plethora of positive ions (yang) that circulate freely in our atmosphere above a primarily negatively charged Earth (yin). Positive ions are known to irritate us and create anxiety --and negative ions can restore our good moods and boost our health. The Earth is our primary generator of these healthful negative ions often called vitamins of the air.

It is very interesting to note that Sunspot activity (magnetic anomalies) on the Sun's surface is very regular and occurs about every 11 years. When Sunspots happen, they cause solar flares to explode into space towards the Earth and our ionosphere captures these extra positive ions which then circulate freely in the atmosphere. These charged particles give us the Aurora Borealis. When sunspots increase, activism and wars also increase especially during the 5 year peak periods of sunspot activity, and this has been charted for hundreds of years. Our biggest and most destructive wars occur during these peak sunspot periods. Although the cause of wars have not been proven scientifically, the theory is that an abundance of these extra positive ions increase testosterone levels, making humans more aggressive and anxious. The Earth--and the natural environment-- are our richest source and biggest generator of the opposite polarity ion. You can get a calming dose of negative ions by simply taking off your shoes and walking barefoot on soil, grass or sand. The health benefits are amazing --besides the earth-- pine trees, salt lamps and water resources like waterfalls or the pounding ocean surf on sand are all great producers of negative ions. Take off your flip-flops next time you are at the beach and see if you don't feel better.

In the smaller micro-climate, when we work all day in a room full of computers and electronic equipment, that extra dose of positive ions makes us more irritable and anxious. In our technological age, there are so many devices which create an excess of draining positive ions. Positive ion generators include TVs, computers, iPhones, electronics, wireless appliances, heaters, ovens, air conditioners, dust, pollution and car exhaust to name a few.

The stabilizing energy of the earth will heal many of our modern day ills if we can just get back to nature's basics. So kick off your shoes and start enjoying the natural environment once again and get grounded! The earth can naturally provide a wealth of benefits if we just embrace it. A classically trained Feng Shui consultant can advise you of the best areas in your home to use the earth element and guide you in making the best choices to balance and promote your home's natural healing energy. The skillful use of earth is very important in traditional Feng Shui and can boost your life in many positive ways.

Saving the Earth With Reusable Shopping Bags

2012-03-10T20:57:00.000-08:00

Every day we can read news about the destruction of our nature on the internet or television. We are the ones who are responsible for the degradation of our environment and we have to stop it now. We hear negative news such as global warming, hastening climate change and deforestation. Our irresponsible use of natural resources does not only destroy the environments but we are also bringing chaos to our society. So we must act now! You might ask yourself, "but what can I really do to save the environment?"

You don't need the power of a politician or the influence of a celebrity to make a change because the truth is you can protect and save the earth even in your simplest ways. And one of the easy things that you can do as an individual is to reduce the quantity of plastic bags that we dispose.

The plastic bags that you thought are given to you for free in the grocery or department stores are one of the biggest causes of greenhouse gases, which is a key contributor to the destruction of our environment. Billions of plastic bags are being dumped every year. It is estimated that 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic shopping bags are made and discarded every year. That simply means that we use more or less than one million bags every minute of our lives, the figures might be overwhelming but that is the truth. For that reason, environmentalist encourages every individual to help reduce the use and disposal of plastic in our ecosystem. And one of the suggested things and practices that we can do is to reduce, reuse and recycle. And we can do that by using environmental friendly products and reusable shopping bags instead of plastic-made bags.

The easiest thing to do is to cut down the number of plastic that you use and use reusable shopping bags. This environment friendly bag is useful in many ways. Aside from the environmental concerns there are other benefits that you can get from using a green bag: it is more durable than plastic bags, green bags have the capacity to carry at least twice as much as most standard plastic shopping bags. Also, it is very comfortable to use and handy. These bags are made from environmentally friendly materials like recycled or organic cotton and non-hazardous and non-allergenic. Furthermore, these environmental friendly bags are washable and are created from high quality fabric that lasts for many years.

In our own little way we can do something to nurture and protect our environment. Using reusable shopping bag in your daily life allows you to contribute in making our planet a greener and cleaner place to live in. This can be a very simple step yet it makes a huge difference in lessening the pollution that is slowly killing the life in our planet, the Earth.

Creating a Healthy Environment

2012-02-07T01:19:00.000-08:00

The human body goes through so many changes in life. Our lives get more and more packed with stress and our body pays the butcher's bill. Headaches, injuries, knotted muscles and cramps--our bodies are telling us something. We need to adapt! The stress we encounter in our daily life forces these physical reactions of discomfort upon us. We try to cope with the pain, believing it's natural, our coping only takes us so far though: just enough to keep feeling the same way: miserable. But, if we adapt by creating a healthy environment for our bodies, we reduce all our millions of aches, pains, and stresses that sap all our energy to live life the way it was meant to. Adapting your environment to health will naturally generate the energy you need to defeat stress. You'll be back in control of your own life.

The Key is Flexibility

Stretching is just about the simplest of all physical activities and it is the essential exercise in the creation of a healthy environment. Flexibility training will: reduce muscle tension, improve circulation, reduce anxiety, stress, and fatigue, improve mental alertness, and decrease your risk of injury. But despite the benefits, you're probably asking yourself: where are you going to find the time to start stretching? And that's where step one comes in.

Step One: Use Time To your Advantage

Step one is all about the creation of new habits. What you want to concentrate on here is creating habits that increase your flexibility. It's simple. If you're waiting in line, showering, or even brushing your teeth, you can incorporate simple stretching routines and maximize your time. Start your flexibility program every morning and again make it the last thing you do before bed. Through-out the day just spend a couple of minutes of the time you use for all the mundane tasks of your life, and stretch out while you're working. When you're trying to start a new habit, remember: don't let yourself make excuses not to. It only takes thirty days for a new habit to form in the brain. So, stay the course.

Stretching Your Way To A Healthy Environment!

Once you've found ways to maximize your time by incorporating a flexibility routine, it's time to create a homeostatic environment of flexibility. Think about a cat. Cats spend at least eighty percent of their days stretching out. Maybe that's why cats always look so relaxed all the time, and we are these constant stress-balls. Step two is all about becoming a little more cat-like in how we respond to our environment.

Step Two: Adaptation

Since you've already found ways to use your time to your advantage, you've already started the development of a healthy environment. It's really all about mastering your responses, and adapting. So you're already on your way. Just remember to concentrate on consistency in your stretching, rather than intensity. Intense stretching will come in time, when your body is ready. In the beginning, it's all about consistency, just do it every day and the results will surprise you. Use your body And mind together There is definitely a mind-set to be developed here. You've made the decision to start adapting to your environment by forming self-sustaining habits. You are stretching out and clearing away all the tension your body has stockpiled. But the best way to take these routines to the next level is to use your body and mind together. And that is what step three is all about.

Step Three: Stretching As Meditation

When you're stretching out concentrate on nothing but the stretch. Focus all your mental attention on your body and its response to the stretch. Breathe deep. Concentrate on your breathing and try to breathe into the space by your belly-button. Let your muscles relax! Let your anxieties go, just concentrate on the stretch. Stretching is a balance between strength and flexibility. Remember only stretch as far as your body will let you. Don't push it too far! If you listen to your body it will tell you when too stop. For example, if your muscles start to shake while you are stretching, you're stretching too far. Give it time, focus, and a lot of breathing.

Green Cleaning for Health and a Healthy Environment

2012-02-07T01:17:00.000-08:00

Green cleaning for health is one of the latest movements to be accepted among reputable cleaning companies who wish to provide a quality cleaning service, while maintaining an active respect for the protection of the health of the cleaning crew, as well as the other occupants and users of the building. Moreover, green cleaning for health also makes efforts to protect and respect the environment.

While the most direct benefits - the health of both people and the environment - are easy to spot, there are some less obvious, indirect benefits from green cleaning for health, which are just as attractive. These include the fact that green cleaning makes cleaning professionals much more attractive to many different businesses, organizations, and individuals, who may be seeking a greener alternative
to the traditional, more "toxic" cleaning solution. No other cleaning program within the industry is as healthy and environmentally responsible as green cleaning for health.

However, green cleaning for health does carry some responsibility with the name. It isn't just a matter of saying that you respect the environment. Such a cleaning program involves an entire system, based upon - but certainly not limited to - the use of green cleaning products.

In addition to environmentally friendly cleaning products, other actions that are taken by green cleaning for health providers include:

1. Using an environmentally friendly cleaning system that considers how frequently the floors are vacuumed, swept, mopped, buffed, and refinished.

It also takes into consideration the chemicals and the equipment used for such processes. Furthermore, it looks at the frequency of carpet extraction.

2. Utilizing a matting system - as much as 90% of all of the dust and dirt that gets into any given building is a result of what is tracked in through the door. Therefore, to reduce the amount "large scale" cleaning to be done, a system of mats in the entryways, which are cleaned and vacuumed regularly, presents a much greener alternative.

3. Green product use - use products only evaluated by the Green Seal® or Canada's comparable Environmental Choice Program".

4. Utilize cleaning equipment that is technologically advanced - this includes true-HEPA vacuum cleaners, and other such devices, so that impurities are not capable of being sucked into the cleaning device, and then blown out, becoming airborne. Any extractors should be certain to heat the cleaning solution to a minimum of 200ºF, in order to improved the drying time and the efficacy of the cleaning. Any cleaning equipment for hard floors should involve a dust control, or a vacuum system which provides "passive" suction in order to capture any airborne particles that may be swirled up as the machine operates.

5. Involvement and education - a truly effective green cleaning for health program shouldn't just involve the cleaning staff, but should include everyone using the building. This means that everyone using the facility should know why green cleaning products are being used, and the importance of the green cleaning practices that are being utilized in order to protect their health.

A Healthy Environment

2012-02-07T00:37:00.000-08:00

A healthy environment is a necessity to sustain life on the planet Earth, is a must for safe food and a sustainable economy, is one in which people, at home, in schools, at workplace and in their communities, have access to safe food and water, have adequate sanitation and are protected from risks associated with chemical pollution, environmental degradation and disasters.

A healthy ecosystem is essential towards the durability of life as you may know it. Preserving environmental surroundings is essential considering that the impact of our surroundings on our well-being can be so great. We can easily continue to keep our family members as well as the ecosystem healthy and balanced by restricting contact with hazardous chemicals.

The beautiful planet we are now living in now is badly afflicted with toxins. If we resided in a wholesome ecosystem we would not need to concern ourselves with harmful toxins in the air and water, within our households, or perhaps in the products we use to clean our homes. All people need clean fresh air to breath, clean drinking water, and healthy food to enjoy life. Residing in a secure, wholesome atmosphere is really a fundamental human right.

Contact with harmful agents in the atmosphere, ground, drinking water, and food promote health problems and developmental ailments. Poisonous Toxins: are harmful to human overall health and environmental surroundings. In some forms, PBT toxins (Persistent, bio-accumulative, and toxic pollutants) might cause negative effects, for instance most cancers, birth defects, and declines in specie communities. The hazards these chemical substances pose for you and your loved ones are specially harmful when sprayed as a fluid or foam. Phasing out these harmful toxins and swapping all of them with eco-friendly items in your own home, can certainly produce a big difference in not simply the surroundings, but the quality of everyday living and wellness within your household.

A healthy environment is important to the sustainability of life as we know it. A healthy environment is vital to our growth and development as human beings. The protection and furtherance of a healthy environment is the duty of every citizen and nation.

How to Reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHGs$29 Emissions With Refrigerant Gas Tracking

2012-01-28T18:42:00.000-08:00

Carbon emissions reporting, measured as both direct and indirect emissions, requires detailed tracking, maintenance carbon emitting systems, and record keeping of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) sources. Direct carbon emission refers to the energy each individual consumes in the form of fossil fuels and electricity that we use for transportation, heating, cooling and lighting.

Carbon (CO2) Emissions Reporting: It's the law.

In many countries, carbon emissions are required by law to be reported across an organization's entire footprint; hence the common term now in widespread use Carbon Footprinting. Carbon data and detailed records of energy, fuel, and refrigerant gas consumption fall under regulatory compliance rules and must be reported in paper, and increasingly, electronic format.

Similar forms of mandatory monitoring, tracking, and reporting of air, water and soil pollutants fall under the Montreal Protocol (refrigerants gases), The U.S. Clean Air Act (many pollutants), and The Kyoto Protocol (6 GHG gases).

EPA and State Regulatory Compliance

Air, water and soil pollutants resulting from emissions that go beyond the property line or are in excess of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and/or state compliance regulations must be reported in order to maintain a safe and healthy environments. In addition, there is a very high likelihood that the United States will follow suite with many other countries to mandate economy wide carbon emission reporting. Submission of carbon emissions reports help identify main sources of GHG (greenhouse gases) and track the volume emitted into the atmosphere so that these volumes may be ratcheted down over time.

HCFC Refrigerants -- The cause of depleted Ozone and increases of GHG emissions.

This is the main basis and high-level background for carbon emissions reporting. Refrigerants gases add higher levels of carbon into the air due to the composition CFCs and HCFCs. The refrigerants used in commercial heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) or regular air conditioning (AC) units include Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC), chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) and perfluorocarbon (PFC).

Perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) are a collection of commonly used refrigerant and aerosol gasses with a wide variety of other commercial applications. The common Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) in use today are hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). These substances are organic compounds which consist of clorine, fluorine, carbon and hydrogen and are controlled under the rules set forth in Section 608 of the US Clean Air Act.

The U.S. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) documented that increased GHG emissions is the result of misuse of HCFC refrigerants. As a result of conclusion, the EPA has implemented protocols requiring owner or operators of refrigerant systems to accurately track their refrigerant usage. Refrigerants, referenced as fugitive emissions, make up one of the four main scopes of carbon emissions.

Carbon Emissions Protocols - Get to know these intimately (scope by scope).

The Climate Registry Protocol was written in preparation of mandatory monitoring and tracking or mobile (vehicle emissions), stationary (electricity production), and fugitive emissions (refrigerant gases). These possible sources of emissions are defined below as noted in The Climate Registry, the ISO standards, the EPA protocols, and the World Resource Institute requirements.

Mobile emissions are those which emanate from transport vehicles. Most commonly, these are emissions from the combustion of fuels in transportation sources and emissions from non-road equipment such as equipment used in construction, agriculture, and forestry.

Stationary emissions are those which come from a regular source but do not disperse over greater areas, rather remaining in concentrations in the specific source area. These are emissions from the combustion of fuels to produce electricity, steam, heat, or power using in a fixed location.

Fugitive emissions are those which may occur as a result of inefficient control equipment or control equipment that is obsolete. Examples include releases of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) from electrical equipment, hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) releases during the use of refrigeration and air conditioning equipment, process equipment leaks, etc.

The EPA, ISO, World Resource Institute, and Climate Registry all have reporting protocols which outline, in a systematic way methods for collecting, calculating, and reporting carbon emissions. All protocols are available. There is not a single reporting protocol as of early 2009. The current carbon emission protocols being drafted, reviewed, and supported by businesses and various government agencies all dictate detailed reporting requirements. EPA rules put in place mandatory CO2 emissions reporting regulations. Companies must spend time getting to know the protocols to remain in compliance.

Critical Heads Up - Companies are facing a mind-bending challenge. They must understand the protocols, organize, collect, and report Greenhouse Gas emissions across their entire organization or face extra financial burden.

Where refrigerant gases prevail heavily in multiple sources, refrigerant reporting as well as refrigerant tracking will lead to a better phasing in of mandatory carbon reporting. Legal carbon emissions reporting pave the way for lasting reductions in carbon emissions and improved management of company assets. Measure reduction in CO2 emissions. The goal to keep focused upon is a cleaner environment through reduced use of harmful refrigerants and more efficiently managed companies.

Defining Materiality For Greenhouse Gas Emissions

2012-01-28T18:40:00.000-08:00

The definition of materiality is part of The Climate Registry's general verification protocol (GVP). Such protocol allows 5% threshold for an enterprise's indirect and direct emissions. Indirect emissions refer to greenhouse gases discharged through the use of resources and goods during production. Direct emissions are that which are discharged on-site such as refrigerant leak discharged.

Greenhouse gases lead to global warming, which will cause an adverse change in our climate. There are six main gases being tracked by The Climate Registry. They are hydrofluorocarbons and perfluorocarbons, which are commonly found in refrigerants, carbon dioxide, methane, sulfur hexafluoride and nitrous oxide.

There was confusion with the absolute value basis that specifies the threshold when the greenhouse gas registry's definition of materiality was released. In the most recent clarifications released, such term was omitted and replaced with 5% understatement or overstatement threshold leeway.

The materiality definition in The Climate Registry's verification standards addresses emissions reported by entities located in North America. Since the worldwide emissions reports are geographically different from that of North America's, this registry is requiring a separate verification statements for both. Documents should include materiality threshold including emissions threshold which are calculated through simplified methods.

The 5 percent materiality definition threshold is standard within financial accounting practices and represents the amount of insignificant emissions allowed. Entities have the flexibility to specifically define which greenhouse gas emissions would be classified as insignificant within the scope of their operations.

Materiality defined will address errors in reporting by a company when it comes to GHG emissions. Inaccuracy in reporting occurs when a certain company's indirect or direct emissions have discrepancies from true emissions, more or less 5%. Under the registry, these inherent uncertainties can be a result of rounding errors, numerical mistakes, uncertain emission factors, or other miscalculations.

The Climate Registry was established in 2007 to provide a standardized method for companies in the United States, Canada and Mexico to voluntarily report greenhouse gas emissions. The aim of the nonprofit agency is to get a better understanding of the harmful effects greenhouse gases are having on the environment by asking companies to report their emissions. The registry supports policies that involve voluntary and mandatory reporting and regulatory oversight of greenhouse gas emissions.

The materiality definition is just one aspect of the registry's reporting requirements. Other greenhouse gas emissions reporting protocols include some types of indirect and direct emissions which are calculated at a company, geographical, facility and operational level. Greenhouse Gas Emissions reporting is made annually. As such, many facilities, especially those equipped with refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) systems or heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, have contracted with vendors of refrigerant management programs. Software and other web-based applications now exist to automatically track and report emissions information, ensuring accuracy and compliance.

Effects of Greenhouse Gas Emissions

2012-01-28T18:38:00.001-08:00

Everywhere you go, you could often hear people talking about going green, or becoming more eco-friendly. While not everyone has become fans of going green, there is still a large portion of the population who clearly believes that going green is the way to go. For some, it is just a fad that they try to be a part of, but there are actually various reasons why going green has become very popular.

Today, more and more people are becoming aware of the environmental impact of the ways of man. A majority of the health and environmental problems that humans suffer from, stem from the un-green ways of man, one of which is the emission of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Coal-fired power plants are hailed as the biggest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. In fact, this accounts for 20% of the total greenhouse gas emissions. In the United States alone, roughly 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide is produced every year just from burning coal at power plants. This figure does not include the greenhouse gas emissions that vehicles on the road emit. Add this up to the 2 billion tons of CO2 and you will get really plenty of gases to contend with in the atmosphere.

These emissions have been the leading cause of respiratory problems that humans suffer from at present. Children, who have sensitive body systems, are more prone to the dangers posed by these emissions. Hence, various governmental agencies have been created in different countries to help in protecting the degrading environment. One such agency is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States.

At present, people are going green by getting their power from green sources. Aside from coal-fired power plants, there are now clean energy sources like wind energy, solar energy, wave energy, tidal energy, geothermal energy, and hydropower.

Car manufacturers have now implemented measures to minimize the greenhouse gas emissions that vehicles produce. There are even hybrid cars that do not rely entirely on gasoline or fuel to run, but has an alternative power source in the form of an electric motor. To lessen the environmental impact further, there are now newer types of vehicles that run on biofuel instead of using fossil fuels like gasoline.

Air pollution caused by greenhouse gas emissions is only one of the reasons why more people are going green. There are a host more reasons around you, and all you need to do is to open your eyes, and you will see the need why you must go green.

Global Warming-a Step To The End Of The World

2012-01-25T19:58:00.000-08:00

Global Warming is one of the major critical environmental challenges facing the world today. As industrial development is largely based on the use of fossil fuels, which in turn, may boost the concentration of greenhouse gases. Due to which developing countries are under tremendous pressure to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases that are the fundamental cause of greenhouse effect to avoid the perils of any environmental catastrophe.

What is Global Warming?

It is the process of heating up of the earth's atmosphere when the level of CO2 is increasing significantly in the atmosphere.

What causes Global Warming?

The emissions of green house gases are responsible for increasing the earth's average temperature. Our planet is wrapped in a layer of heat-trapping gases. When these harmful gases released into the atmosphere, it acts like a blanket, trapping heat in the atmosphere and altering climatic conditions globally.

The principal green house gas that enters the earth's atmosphere due to number of human activities, such as burning of fossil fuels, solid waste, trees and wood products, and also as a result of chemical reactions is Carbon-Dioxide (CO2) - the main driver for the green house effect.

Other contributors of greenhouse effect are:

Methane - emitted during the production and transportation of coal, natural gas and oil. It also results from livestock, and other agricultural practices and by the death and decay of microorganisms.
Nitrous oxide - released during agricultural and industrial activities, and during burning of fossil fuels and solid waste.
Fluorinated oxides - hydro fluorocarbon, per fluorocarbon, and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) are artificial and powerful gases released from the emission of variety of man-made activities.

Since Industrial Revolution, humans have been burning fuels on a large scale to run automobiles, to generate electricity, to heat homes etc and are releasing CO2 into the air almost without care and cause untold damage to our environment.

Climate change is the biggest and serious threat to humanity and nature in the 21st century. We must act now to reduce the threat of global warming to secure a healthy and pollution free life for future generation.

Not only human activities, natural processes also contribute to rising global temperature and cause a drastic change in climate.

The primary natural resources that release CO2 into the air (sources) and remove CO2 from the atmosphere (sink) are: -

Animals and plants respiration, by which oxygen and carbon-dioxide are converted into the CO2 and energy, and process of photosynthesis by which CO2 is removed from the atmosphere and stored as carbon in plants biomass.
Ocean atmospheric change in which oceans absorb and release CO2 at the sea surface.
Volcanic eruptions, which releases carbon from the rocks deep in the earth's crust.

A variety of human activities that release CO2 into the atmosphere and remove CO2 from the atmosphere are: -

Combustion of fossil fuels is considered as the major emitter of CO2.
A number of specialized industries production processes such as metal production, mineral production and use of petroleum-based products can lead to emission of CO2.
Carbon Sequestration - is the process by which growing trees and plants absorb or remove CO2 from the atmosphere and turn into a biomass.
Deforestation, conversely, can lead to significant levels of emission of CO2.
CO2 can be captured from the power plants are released into the atmosphere and then injected deep underground.

The layer of green house gases gets thicker due to an ever-increasing rate of CO2 into the atmosphere. This, in turn, makes the earth warmer and that the conditions under which humanity has thrived are rapidly changing.

The world has warmed 0.74 in the past hundred years and it will get warmer in the time to come due to constant increase in concentration of green house gases. Global average temperature is forecast to rise 4oc towards the end of 21st century.

Effects Of Global Warming:

The effects of global warming are quite scary and every species on this Planet are under the severe threat of global warming.

Due to the destructive phenomenon of global warming, we see that natural calamities are on the rise. Glaciers are melting faster, sea levels are rising, scarcity of food and water, conversion of forests into deserts, eruption of number of diseases, changes in weather and climate patterns, and there will be more intense and frequent cyclones, hurricanes, and typhoons.

Coral reefs are also seen under the threat of global warming. Corals are very sensitive to changes in temperature: a temperature increase of one degree Celsius can trigger them to make bleach and they often die, after severe bleaching.

CO2 pollution is another stress faced by the coral reefs. Absorption of CO2 by the oceans makes the water more acidic; with the result there is a greater tendency for a seashells to dissolve in acidic water.

Coral reefs provide an estimated $375 billions dollars in economic benefits each year globally. But, now about 16% of the world's coral reefs were seriously damaged.

Environmental Defense Marine Ecologist Rud Fujita provide assurances by saying that coral reefs may be able to withstand with indirect threats like climate change, if we can reduce some of other direct stresses on coral reefs. For e.g. threat induced by CO2 pollution.

Many fisheries are also in trouble. Today, 46 important fisheries are depleted in U.S. Ecosystems are being destroyed, and fishermen are losing their jobs.

Rising seas will also have a down falling effect on fish habitat. As sea level rises, it will convert fresh water into brackish water, and brackish marsh into salt marsh resulting into destruction of nursery grounds for a wide variety of marine life.

There is a need to forge a constructive solution in order to maintain the number of fishes, and to enjoy seafood in future.

As global temperature rises, glaciers and sea ice are melting causing a shift in evaporation and precipitation patterns. Due to this, some parts of the oceans are becoming fresher, while others are becoming saltier at the visible pace and could slowly disrupt the way the ocean delivers the nutrients to sea life, leading the sea birds to face mass starvation.

Many species of plants and animals have disappeared as a result of global warming. As climate change wreaks its havoc across the globe, the ecosystem could disappear altogether, or they may undergo serious and irreversible changes.

Changing weather patterns threatens our lives, livelihood and lifestyle. It impacts heavily on the livelihood of farmers who have experienced reduced water levels and crop yields, dried up farms, destroyed vegetation and unpredictable rains have brought destruction and diseases.

Ways To Curb The Emission Of Greenhouse Gases:

Our planet is moving towards an immensely warmer future. Our one single step or effort can really make a big difference to save our environment from the inevitable impacts of global warming and make it a sustainable earth.

Keep your city green and clean by planting more and more trees. It provides cool shade and reducing air conditioning cost by up to 30%.
Using high efficiency compact fluorescent light saves both energy and money, and lasts up to 10 times longer than standard bulbs.
Use energy saving, water saving, and power saving products.
Buy organic products. It can benefit your health and environment.
Say "NO" to plastic bags and use your own bag. It also reduces waste.
Choose biodegradable cleaning products. They have less negative impacts on the soil and water system.
Reduce the consumption of paper by reusing and recycling it.
Use laptop instead of desktop. It consumes 5 times less electricity.
Traveling can also create a huge impact on our environment. Try to avoid it whenever possible. You will reduce the carbon emission by riding a bicycle walking, and taking public transportation.
Repair the things instead of replacing them also reduces consumption.
Turn off all the electronic gadgets when they are not in use.
Reducing destructive fishing practices, keeping habitat healthy, and curbing pollution to lessen the threat to marine ecosystem.
Need to plan for and devise strategies to cope and ward off the global warming impacts.
To reduce forest emission in order to avert any catastrophic climate change.
To grow awareness among the public that indiscriminate clearing of forest causes 20% of global warming.
To support the efforts of the nation to cut down the concentration of greenhouse gases to document the impacts of global warming on human health.
Switching to energy-saving products instead of energy-consuming products.
To generate awareness and mobilize community to initiate environmental improvement action.

Nature has given us lot of resources and always helped in flourishing mankind. But, what we as a human being gives back in return. There is a need to move towards cleaner and greener sources of fuel in order to make our planet healthy and beautiful.

"SAVE EARTH AND EARTH WILL SAVE YOU"

Advantages of Renewable Energy

2012-01-25T19:54:00.001-08:00

There are many advantages of renewable energy and with the supply of fossil fuels running low, it would be advantageous of people to look at saving them and using green energy sources instead. Governments and environmentalists alike have been warning people for years that something must be done to keep up with demand and, for whatever reason, people are looking into the various ways they can to power their electronics, cars, etc. No matter what it is, you can find some type of energy source.

Fossil fuels, while commonly used, have negative impacts on the atmosphere. The first impact is global warming, which severely impacts how people and animals live. It also changes the weather patterns including droughts, heat waves and hurricanes.

Do you want to learn all about the damages global warming has on the environment? Then it's time to check out your local library to give you a helping hand. To learn what damages global warming has, check out "An Inconvenient Truth". Don't forget that once you're done with it to find out all the advantages of green energy and how you can incorporate them into your home whether you're building from scratch or renovating your older home. It doesn't take much to make your home energy efficient (along with cost efficient).

Again, there are several advantages of renewable energy. One of the first advantages is that the carbon footprint it leaves behind is reduced. It's the biggest reason that people are turning to solar energy, geothermal energy and wind energy to power their homes.

Renewable energy sources can also create more jobs, which are likely to stay within the United States borders. These positions tend to offer good pay and benefits, which are what many people are looking for.

Among the above advantages of renewable energy, you also have the government providing incentive programs and tax credits to those folks who choose to use renewable energy sources. At the moment, persons who choose to use solar power in their home are available for the federal tax credits. Using these credits can give persons back up to 30 percent of the value of the solar system. Keep in mind that solar energy panels (a common form of solar systems used) can be installed on both residential and commercial properties.

Other such advantages includes affordability. More people would be willing to build new energy efficient homes or make upgrades to include energy efficient technology if the price was right. People who choose to use such energy sources are people who generally support green communities. "Go Green" communities work tirelessly to be environmentally conscious and do whatever it takes to improve their environment and the rest of the world too.

Bear in mind that the advantages of renewable energy can be seen in many of the green cities and can often come in the form of environmental policies. These policies are designed to help citizens be energy efficient wherever possible and assist them to reduce the amount of pollution and damage to the atmosphere. National Geographic produces a Green Guide that gives readers a great deal of information about how to be environmentally friendly. It includes green issues, advantages of green energy and lists of the top 10 green cities.

The vast number of advantages of renewable energy could take up an entire book but remember that with the advantages, there are also disadvantages. A key disadvantage is the cost of installing renewable energy sources such as solar energy panels. Since cost is such a motivating factor, only people who have a disposable $20,000 on hand can afford to outfit their home or business and take part in all the advantages of renewable energy.

Green Powered Homes

2012-01-25T19:53:00.000-08:00

Green powered homes are those that utilize "green energy". This is a term used for using energy sources that are renewable, sustainable and have little to no effect upon the environment in the consumption or use of the energy produced by these resources. Another term used is "sustainable technology" - it means pretty much the same thing; using resources that are renewable, and having no negative effects on the environment in the consumption and use of any power generated from such a source. What are some examples?

Well for instance, there is solar power. This is a superb example; the sun's light is a renewable resource because the sun constantly produces light, and will for zillions of years into the future. There is no way any amount of solar panels can deplete it of its energy, and any and all use of the power it provides leaves absolutely no effect upon the environment - perfect for green powered homes. In contrast, the burning of fossil fuels for power is using a non-renewable resource. Fossil fuels never get renewed, only consumed - and their negative effects upon the environment are not ignorable.

Another example of a system used by green powered homes is geothermal power. This uses heat from the ground for space heating and the production of electricity. One way this is done is by directing systems of pipes into the ground beneath a house's foundation for running water through them in order to transfer the ground's heat to the water. This water is then coursed throughout the house to provide heat, and through the use of heat pumps generate electricity. This type of sustainable technology has actually been in use for many centuries, even by the ancient Romans for space heating and the heating of water for public baths.

Green powered homes also can utilize the power of the wind. Wind-powered generators actually deliver a lot of electrical output. Many homes run completely on one or two of these, using a large battery cell much like those used for forklifts in order to store the surplus and regulate the current to their homes for everyday use. All of these, solar power, geothermal power and wind power are just three examples of sustainable technology. There is no need to burn fossil fuels and continue scorching deeper the carbon footprint into our Earth. There is no need to dig up the Earth for such fuels, in one country or another. The sun continuously gives us energy we can use, the wind gives it to us as well, as does the Earth itself. The energy that these provide is clean, free, and using it leaves no mark upon our environment. There really is no excuse not to put to work the great gifts that are given to us through these.

A Renewable Energy Plan

2012-01-25T19:47:00.000-08:00

Despite all of the recent negative publicity surrounding fossil fuels, crude oil and natural gas has been beneficial for the growth of our modern world. It has helped the population have life after dark, transportation of goods all over the world, and allowed technology to advance. However, the use of fossil fuels has also resulted in many negative consequences: it has created severe pollution, political conflict, economic control and total dependence of countries that lack this natural resource.

The supply of fossil fuels is limited, and it is only located in certain areas of the world. The demand for fossil fuels creates conflicts which threaten peace. Countries that have adequate fossil fuel supplies could potentially threaten the security and economy of countries that are dependent upon these countries. In addition, there have been many estimates made about the amount of fossil fuels left in the world. These estimates are dependent upon the population growth, and how much the actual fossil fuel consumption increases in the near future. These estimates state that there is enough for approximately another 35 years of oil, 37 years of natural gas, and 107 years of coal [1]. In addition to the negative environmental consequences of using these fuels, there is a finite supply of fossil fuels that will force the use of another form of energy. This limited supply and large demand will cause inevitable price increases. Therefore, the end of low-cost oil is rapidly approaching.

The use of fossil fuels to fulfill the world's energy needs is causing harmful side-effects for people, plants and animals. Waste products from these fuels heat the earth's atmosphere and pollute the earth's air, water, and ground. This results in decreased living conditions for all species of the earth. In addition to being hazardous to our ecosystem, and the health of many species, the pollution is also changing the atmosphere of the world. This trend is called global warming, and will continue to become worse due to the increase in the combustion of fossil fuels for electricity due to the growing world population. In the process of burning the gasoline, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and unburned hydrocarbons are released into the atmosphere. The catalytic converters reduce a large portion of the pollution, but they are not perfect. Many cities currently have dangerous levels of ozone in the air. The world needs a power source that has low pollutant emissions, is energy-efficient, and has an unlimited supply of fuel for a rising world population.

Many alternative energy technologies have been researched and developed. These include solar, wind, bioenergy, geothermal energy as well as many others. Solar cells use the sun to generate electricity, wind power is obtained from the kinetic energy of the wind, bioenergy is extracted from plants and geothermal energy is energy from the earth. Each of these alternative energy sources has its advantages and disadvantages and all are in varying stages of development.

For most countries around the world, if the supply of fossil fuels were cut off -- the entire economy would come to a halt. There would not be a way for people to drive to work, or use electricity in their homes or workplaces. The global population consumes petroleum products at a rate 100,000 times greater than the rate that they are formed. The United States currently imports 70% of the oil, and it is still increasing. About 80% of the total energy in the world is provided by fossil energy sources [2]. The International Energy Agency [3] estimates that the primary world demand for energy is expected to grow by about 45% by 2030. The cost of meeting this energy demand is estimated to be $20 trillion U. S. dollars [2, 3]. Therefore, since so much money needs to be spent on the investment in energy infrastructure in the upcoming years, this enables an opportunity for replacing the fossil fuel infrastructure with a renewable energy infrastructure. U.S. coal and fossil fuel plants are already fairly old because at least half of the plants were built before 1970. If the oldest plants are retired first, it may be an easy progression to transfer the energy production to alternative energy without retiring the plant's prematurely.

Although the demand for oil is increasing, the world's oil production peaked in 2005 [1]. In 2006, countries that had a significant percentage of their power from renewable energy was Canada (16%), followed by France (6%), Italy (6.5%), Germany (5.6%), United States (4.8%), and the United Kingdom (1.7%) [8]. The global community has reached a point where future energy demands need to be balanced with future economic and environmental needs. We currently have a real opportunity to transform the way that our economy utilizes energy, prevent further pollution, and we can help to insure a safer and more secure future.

About Global Warming

For all you global warming naysayers - please keep reading!

Everyone is aware that the definition of global warming is a significant increase in the Earth's temperature over a short period of time due to the result of human activities. An increase in temperature of 0.4° Celsius is significant over a century, and an increase of 1° Celsius is considered global warming. Although 1° or 2° Celsius may not seem like a lot, small temperature changes can have significant effects. When you hear the term "ice age," you probably think of the world covered in snow and ice. Ice ages occur every 50,000 to 100,000 years, and the average global temperature was only 5 °C cooler than they currently are [4, 5, 6].

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is a group of over 2,500 scientists from countries across the world that met in 2007 to advance climate research. One of the conclusions of this meeting was that the last 15 years have been the warmest since 1850. Some of their observations were that glaciers and snow have decreased in the northern and southern hemispheres, and average arctic temperatures have increased by twice the global average during the last 100 years. Rain has increased in the Americas, northern Europe and parts of Asia, and South Africa and the Mediterranean have been experiencing drying trends. Overall, hot days globally have become more frequent, and cold days have become less frequent and severe [4 - 7].

Natural changes in climate such as heating due to volcanic activity, radiation from the sun, and changes in the chemistry of the atmosphere sometimes take thousands of years to change only 1 °C. The current carbon dioxide concentration (CO2) determined from the ice cores (180 to 300 ppm) is far greater than the natural range found over the last 650,000 years. If the CO2 concentration rises to 400 - 440 ppm and stays there, the eventual rise in temperature would be around 2.4 - 2.8 °C [4 - 7].

In order to stabilize the CO2 level, it needs to peak, and then decline. The more quickly that this occurs, the lower the peak stabilization level. According to the IPCC, in order to stabilize the CO2-equivalent concentrations around 445 to 490 ppm, CO2 emissions would need to peak by 2015 (at the latest), and then fall to between 50 - 85% below the year 2000 levels by 2050. A later peak and higher concentrations would lead to larger increases in temperature.

A Future Vision

There is many ways to create a "bright future" with renewable energy. There is no single answer for our future energy system. The future energy economy will consist of many renewable energy technologies used in combination -- wind, solar, geothermal and fuel cell energy. The technology to accomplish this is either available, or already being developed. Some of the tasks that we need to accomplish include:

Build an industry based upon alternative energy technologies
Reduce energy costs
Reduce climate change
Increase energy security
Help to create conditions for long-term prosperity
In order to accomplish these tasks, we will have to:

Use a combination of wind power (both on and off-shore)
Use both concentrating and standard PV power systems
Use geothermal systems
Use fuel cell systems that generate hydrogen using electrolysis
Use biomass and municipal waste
In order to successfully have a society based upon renewable energy, there has to be a way to store energy because renewable energy (solar and wind power) is intermittent. Solar and wind energy are both excellent methods of obtaining energy from natural resources, however, the levels of sunshine, and the intensity of wind varies. When these sources are not available - electricity cannot be generated. When a large amounts of energy is being produced, hydrogen can be created from water. The hydrogen can then be stored for later use.

As far as fuels are concerned, hydrogen is one of the most powerful fuels. Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe; however, it does not exist in its pure form on earth. Therefore, it has to be extracted from common fuel types or water. The process that is used most frequently for extracting hydrogen is the steam reforming of natural gas. It can also be extracted from coal, nuclear power, biofuels or even waste products. Hydrogen can also be produced using water through the process of electrolysis. Electrolysis splits water into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity. Renewable forms of energy such as photovoltaic cells, wind, hydro and geothermal are increasingly being used to produce electricity, and excess electricity can be used for the electrolysis process. The hydrogen can be used, or stored to generate electricity at a later time.

Electricity for Residential and Business Use

Electricity for residential and business use can be produced using a combination of wind, solar, and hydrogen fuel cells. There will also have to be intermediate solutions and cooperation between corporations, utility companies, and individuals in order to successfully transition to a renewable, hydrogen, and energy-efficient economy. Corporations will have to manufacture energy-efficient electronics and appliances, which minimize energy consumption, and automatically turn themselves off when not in use. Utilities and governments need to give incentives for people to use less energy, and individuals need to be more aware of the amount of energy that they are using. There is significant proof that the growth in the electricity demand can be decreased through the use of creating appliances and devices that are more energy-efficient, implementing building codes, financial incentives and helping individuals to voluntarily decrease energy use.

The U.S. Department of Energy recently conducted a study that investigated wind power, and found that implementing 600 GW by 2030 was feasible. If this actually occurred, this would be an estimated 50% of the United States predicted power use in 2030. One advantage of wind power is that it does not take a lot of space -- the towers can be placed on farmland, (and just about anywhere else), without really getting in the way.

Solar photovoltaics (PV) are a technology that can be used immediately, and sales have been growing very strongly during the last decade. However, it still has a small market share due to the high costs of the solar panels. Concentrating solar power may be accepted faster than conventional solar technology because the costs are beginning to be competitive with traditional energy technologies. Concentrating solar power systems allow power plants to produce electricity from the sun on a larger scale, which in turn allows consumers to take advantage of solar power without making the investment in personal solar technology systems. Geothermal energy can also provide a significant amount of energy if it can be proven within the next few years.

Fuel cells have already been used for decades for business and residential use. Stationary fuel cells can produce enough electricity and heat to power an entire house or business, which can result in significant savings - and they also can make enough power to sell some of it back to the grid. Fuel cells can also help provide electricity by working with large power plants to become more decentralized and increase efficiency. Most electricity produced by large fossil-fuel burning power plants are distributed through high voltage transmission wires over long distances. These power plants seem to be highly efficient because of their large size; however, a 7 to 8 percent electric energy loss in Europe, and a 10 percent energy loss in the United States occurs during long distance transmission. One of the main issues with these transmission lines is that they do not function properly all the time. It would be safer for the population if electricity generation did not occur in several large plants, but is generated where the energy is needed. Fuel cells can be used wherever energy is required without the use of large transmission lines.

Fuel cells can power residences and businesses where no electricity is available. Sometimes it can be extremely expensive for a house that is not on the grid to have the grid connected to it. Fuel cells are also more reliable than other commercial generators used to power houses and businesses. This can benefit many companies, given how much money they can lose if the power goes down for even a short time.

In the future energy economy, individual households will be able to produce their own energy. This will help to redistribute power from global oil companies and governments to the people. Individual households can share their energy with the grid to help distribute energy to areas that may have less due to weather conditions.

Personal Vehicles

The Energy Information Administration [2] states that vehicles use 70% of the liquid fuels consumed by the U.S. The average fuel efficiency of current vehicles is about 22 miles per gallon. However, it should not be unrealistic for the average fuel efficiency to increase to about 45 miles per gallon by 2030. Hybrid, electric and fuel cell vehicles would all provide either lower or no oil consumption, and each can be useful in transforming to a hydrogen and renewable energy- based economy. All of the major automakers have already invested heavily in hydrogen fuel cell technology vehicles.

Many factors are contributing to the fuel cell push in the automotive market. The availability of fossil fuels is limited, and due to this, an inevitable price increase will occur. In addition, legislation is becoming stricter about controlling environmental emissions. One of the new pieces of legislation that will help introduce the fuel cell automobile market in the U.S. is the Californian zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, which requires that a certain number of vehicles be sold annually in California. Fuel cell vehicles also have the ability to be more fuel-efficient than vehicles powered by other fuels. This power technology allows a new range of power use in small two-wheeled and four-wheeled vehicles, boats, scooters, unmanned vehicles, and other utility vehicles.

In the future, automobiles will be plugged into an outlet in homes and offices to help generate electricity for both the vehicles and the houses. Houses only require an average of 10 kW to power everything. And since automobiles can generate 40 kW of power, a car can become a power plant for the house or office. Cars can also be plugged into a pole when individuals go to work to power the building. This transition to a hydrogen economy provides an important challenge, and great opportunity of the 21st century.

Portable Energy

Portable electronics such as laptops, cameras and cellular phones can last 10 - 20 times longer by using hydrogen. In coming years, portable devices-such as laptops, cell phones, video recorders, and others- will need greater amounts of power for longer periods of time. Fuel cells are very scalable and have easy recharging capabilities compared to batteries. Cell phone technology is advancing rapidly, but the limiting factor for the new technology is the power. More power is required to provide consumers with all of the functions in devices they require and want. The military also has a need for long-term portable power for new soldier's equipment. In addition, fuel cells operate silently, and have low heat signatures, which are clear advantages for the military.

The Creation of Jobs with the New Renewable Energy Industry

The building of the alternative energy industry would easily create millions jobs during the next 10 years. These jobs would include construction and operation of new power plants, manufacturing of renewable energy technology (such as solar and wind power), R&D for new renewable energy technologies, and jobs that are created due to the money spent on these technologies.

In order to transform our oil economy, we need to make an investment in changing it. We need to make sure that we are planning how to power our world during the next 20 years and beyond.