For one thing, a good forestry department can have a huge impact.  The carbon dioxide that is one cause of global warming is eaten up by trees.  If a country fosters the growth of its forests and does not allow them to be cut down indiscriminately, global warming will be slowed down.

Another thing nations can do is to focus on energy efficiency.  The less energy is used, the less global warming has a chance to take hold.  A country can place efficiency standards on appliances and cars.  Even better, they can redesign cities so that walking and cycling can become an option instead of people having to drive everywhere.

Alternative sources of energy emit little or no greenhouse gases.  Using them will help curb global warming.  Hydro-power, solar energy, and windmills can be used to take the place of burning gas, or coal for electricity.  Windmills, in fact, are already being set up by the scores in many fields in out-of-the-way places.  This is a good step to prevent global warming.

Nations can also be quick to adjust their policies to the climatic changes of the times.  When one type of crop will no longer grow well because it needs a cooler climate, that crop can be replaced in that area with a different kind that will.  Nations can build aqueducts to transport water to drought-ridden areas.

There are different ways that nations can get their message about global warming across.  First, they can make laws about it.  They can require people to use environmentally-friendly appliances, fuel sources, and vehicles.  They can make it a legal requirement for auto makers to reduce harmful emissions given off by their cars.

Another way to change people’s behavior is to make it financially advantageous to be concerned about global warming.  If gas prices are higher, people are spurred on to finding a more fuel-efficient vehicle, or even a different fuel source altogether.

Tax incentives and government subsidies can also encourage people to think about global warming.  The only problem is that this approach usually favors those who have more money in the first place.

Governments can make it their business to inform and educate the people of the country.  With news and data about global warming, people will be prompted to take it seriously.  When methods for reducing greenhouse gases are made known by the government, people have a chance to put those methods into practice.

Finally, it is essential that governments get involved with making sure that research and development are done.  Global warming cannot be overcome without good information.   It is to the advantage of every citizen when the nation puts some of its focus on global warming.  When a country approaches global warming with a common sense, proactive sensibility, beneficial changes can be made.

The renewable energy sources have proven to be of great help in reducing the quantity of toxins, which are by-products of the use of energy. These sources also preserve most of the natural resources that people use as resources of energy. What are the most popular sources of renewable energy? Here’s a list to give you some basic understanding about the matter.

1. Solar. This works when the sun’s rays are trapped into solar cells. The process turns the heat coming from the sun into electricity. When the sun’s rays hit solar thermal panels, the power is then converted to heat air or water. The sun’s rays can also hit parabolic mirrors. This process can produce steam by heating the water. But you don’t need all these scientific processes to be able to benefit from solar power. All you have to do is open the windows and blinds on your room to let the sunshine in. You’ll get an instant heater without having to go to any processes that will require conversion of this energy source.

To date, the main disadvantage of using this source is that it is limited. You cannot use it obviously on nighttime and during days when it is raining or even on cloudy days. This has been acted upon through solar power stations. But these are too expensive that there aren’t so many of such piece around the globe.

2. Wind. The energy coming from the wind boosts the blades of the wind turbines. As this happens, electricity is produced through the use of electrical generator. In the old days, windmills are created so that mechanical machinery could perform physical labor. This includes the pumping of water and crushing of grains that are essential in planting and farming.

Now there are large scale wind farms that produce electrical currents. The end products are then distributed to national electrical grids and small turbines owned by individuals to distribute electricity to far flung areas and homes. There are many advantages of this kind of power. The main one, of course, is that this doesn’t produce any by-products that can be harmful to the environment. And we will never run out of this source of renewable energy.

3. Geothermal. This comes from the bottom of the earth. Holes are being drilled in certain regions. The hot rocks that can be found underneath produce steam. This is being purified to be used to be able to drive turbines. The latter then become power source for electric generators.

To secure that no harmful by-products are going to be produced in the process, geothermal plants must be created accordingly. Once this has been set up, this will be self-sufficient in creating energy sources.

4. Hydroelectric. This power is being created through dams that contain water that can drive generator and water turbine. Tidal power can also be used if dam is not available. The idea here is to make use of the kinetic energy of water.

Just by reading through the available alternative energy sources, you will be amazed at how nature works wonders. It is your responsibility to care for everything around you as to be able to gain from the benefits that each source of energy can give you.

Greenhouse gases can be produced both by natural and industrial processes. The most abundant greenhouse gases on earth’s atmosphere are water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone and CFCs.

There are several sources of greenhouse gases. Burning of fossil fuels and deforestation lead to higher concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. Without the trees and plants to take in the carbon dioxide emitted by burning fossil fuels, natural gas and petroleum products, all of the CO2 emitted stays in the atmosphere.

Also the use of CFCs or chlorofluorocarbons in refrigeration systems and in fire suppression systems and other manufacturing processes also increase the greenhouse content of our atmosphere. While the use of non-organic fertilizers in agriculture also lead to higher nitrous oxide concentrations, another greenhouse gas.

In the United States, greenhouse gas emissions mainly come from the use of fossil fuels as energy source. Approximately 82 percent of the greenhouse gas emission in the United States in 2006 came from the combustion of coal, natural gas and petroleum (United States Energy Information Administration). Meanwhile in Asia, Chine is expected to increase its emission of greenhouse gas because of the construction of old-fashioned power plants in its internal provinces. Currently, the carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere are the highest in 150,000 years. The 1990s was most likely the warmest decade in history, while 1998 was the warmest year (Greenpeace).

Not controlling the greenhouse gas being emitted by human activity can increase climate change the next hundred years that will be much faster than anything known and recorded in history. There are necessary steps to be undertaken to control the toxic emission that will soon be killing us.

To minimize the consumption of oil, petroleum and other fossil fuel, we should use energy efficiently. Energy that we use should be generated from renewable energy source, which would mean harnessing the natural energy from the sun, winds, crops, tides and waves.

Green energy is another term used to describe sources of energy that are considered to be environmentally friendly, which is also similar to the renewable sources of energy.

There are numerous ways of generating electricity and energy from renewable and natural sources that generate clean and safe energy. Wind, sun, and heat can generate electricity for less price and less carbon emission than those of coal and even gas.

Shifting the world’s attention to alternative fuel source other than relying on fossil fuel is among the solutions in resolving the drastic climate change. Greenpeace cited that with renewable energy and using it smartly, can deliver half of the world’s energy needs by 2050. Greenpeace also cited that it is feasible to reduce carbon dioxide emission to almost 50 percent within the next 43 years.

Governments are taking steps to use and tap alternative energy sources as main source of energy. The European Union leaders made an agreement in March 2007 to ensure that 20 percent of their nation’s energy should come from renewable fuels by 2020. This is part of their effort to cut carbon dioxide emissions and other greenhouse gas. There are even governments offering incentives to their residents who are using green energy.

Alternative energy source may not be the only way to reduce the greenhouse emission that human activity produce. There are simple ways in which we can do to contribute in reducing toxic gas emission and mitigate global warming.

The number one use of solar energy is Germany. It captures almost 50% of the world market of photovoltaic cells. Nowhere else in the world can you find the most number of households with solar panels installed on their roof tops. Germany has this Renewable Energies Laws (EEG) which passed in 2000. The law certainly helped Germans feel the need to go renewable.

According to statistics, Germans invested nearly US$5 billion in solar photovoltaic systems and have contributed considerable in the growth of the solar energy market. Although most of the things that we see are solar panels, it doesn’t mean that Germany’s solar industry is not limited to the production of photovoltaic cells for electricity. Other notable usage in Germany includes solar panels for home water heating system. Some news indicate that the German solar hot water market earns fU.S.$1.5 billion per year.

The “solar park” in Arnstein, Bavaria, Germany is one of the biggest photovoltaic plants in the world. It became operational in 2006 and with more than 1,400 PV solar panels, it can produce 12 megawatts of energy.

The next biggest country in terms of usage of solar energy is Spain. The solar energy usage in the country, more specifically the photovoltaic cells usage, has a world market share of 27%. Spain has no sign of slowing down its aggressive and pro-active approach in solar energy. Solar fields are being constructed one of the latest ones is the 60 MW solar field in Olmedilla de Alarcón, near Cuenca.

There are other big solar plants in Spain and these include the solar park 12 miles outside of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain which have 70,000 PV panels divided into three 36-hectare arrays. The arrays produce an output is 13.8 megawatts and has been powering roughly 5,000 homes since it opened in 2007.

And the rest of the world follow Germany and Spain. Japan and the US still have a market share in the photovoltaic world market. The two countries both have an 8% market share, a far cry from Germany and Spain. Nevertheless, it is quite important that countries continue to improve their status in the world solar market.

Other notable country that uses solar power includes Alegeria, Australia, Italy, and Portugal. Aside from the rich European countries, people in Israel and India are realizing the importance of having alternative sources of energy.

These are the countries on the helm of solar energy technology. But, other countries are slowly catching up. The government of Israel, for example,  required all residential buildings to install solar water heating systems in the early 90s. Today, business establishments like hotels and office buildings are trying to use solar power as an alternative from using fossil fuels whose prices continue to soar in the world market.

India is facing a similar energy crisis and they are also looking at solar energy to get them through it.

The problem with solar energy is that you can only harness it during the daytime. And even when the sun is up, the sunlight will be interrupted by occasional cloud covers, rains, fog, and even smog. So in order to harness the sun’s energy we need equipment that can get as much solar power as possible at a given time and we need some way of storing that energy so we can use them without ay interruptions.

We do have the technology to harness the sun’s energy, convert it into usable electricity, and store them for future use. And that technology itself is the primary reason why solar power has not caught on even today. The process of making solar panels as well as the technology for storing that harnessed power remains to be quite expensive.

The good thing about this fact today is that due to the recent increase in the costs of fuel and gas, solar power is no longer a far fetched alternative. The gap between the costs has gone down considerably and hopefully in the near future, the costs of solar energy production will be quite competitive.

Furthermore, the costs of photovoltaic cells are indeed quite expensive that contemporary oil and gas equipment. But one of the flaws of the argument of costs is that people tend to limit their perspective of solar energy as to only referring to photovoltaic cells. There are other means of harnessing solar energy and not all of them are as expensive as PV cell manufacturing.

One way of getting the sun’s energy and converting it into usable electricity is the concept of solar thermal plants. In solar thermal technology, various solar collectors are utilized to generate heat which can be applied from the simplest heating and ventilation of houses to the production of massive amounts of electricity. The use of mirrors or lenses to reflect sunlight to towers equipped with liquids that heat up and produce steam. The steam then turns turbines which in turn generates the electricity needed.

The process adds another step compared to photovoltaics which converts solar energy directly into electricity. Nevertheless, solar thermal systems of power production is cheaper that the production of PV cells. For a larger consumer market, it seems that solar thermal energy is the way to go.

Regardless, the point here really is to emphasize that solar energy has more to offer. The cost of production is a valid argument against solar energy but still there are ways around it. Costs can be minimized by using other techniques of harnessing solar energy or future developments in the field of science and technology will produce products that are more cost efficient that what are available today.

In the long run, solar power saves money. Initial costs of installation and operations may be more expensive that other energy forms but after settling the expenses, you have an energy resource that is free. Nobody charges for using sunlight, right? The return of investment can also be shorter depending on how much energy you use. You won’t spend too much on maintenance either plus those photovoltaic cells can last for 15 to 20 years. There are no mechanical or moving parts to oil and maintain nor are there parts that need to be replaced yearly.

Of course solar power is environmental friendly. First its renewable not like fossil fuels which according to studies will be gone in four to five decades. The process of converting energy to usable electricity does not involve the release of toxic chemicals which can harm the environment. Carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide, lead, and mercury emissions will be a memory of the past when everyone goes solar. Relying on the sun for power also helps reduce global warming.

Aside from the toxic wastes and pollutants, using solar power will limit other aspects of the energy industry like hazards of working with and transporting oil or natural gas. Also, other health risks are present in the use of other fuels like kerosene and candles which are still popular in third world countries. With solar energy, these risks will be minimized if not totally eliminated.

The use of solar panels is also good for remote areas where providing basic electricity services is troublesome if not totally impossible at all. Solar energy can be transported to far flung villages and once installed they can be left alone for years with little or without maintenance. Communities in Asian countries have successfully installed solar panels in their community and have been enjoying the benefits of clean and reliable power for years.

For a poor country, producing electricity through solar energy can mean independence from oil producing countries which controls the supply and prices of oil. With such independence, new policies on energy can be created which will maximize the benefit for its citizens. Countries will also not be wary on natural disasters which hampers delivery of oil. With this new found independence, countries can invest its national budget on other programs aside from purchasing oil from foreign sources.

There are several disadvantages of using solar power and one of which is the costs. But thinking about it in the long run, you’ll see that the benefits of solar energy outweigh the disadvantages. Plus, with the current development in the field of science and technology, solar power is becoming more and more convenient and it would not be surprising to find solar energy as a primary source of power in the next few years.

The Facts that Matter
1. Solar radiation makes it possible for the energy coming from the sun to be used as power source and energy that can in turn be used for many purposes. The technology on this aspect is characterized in two ways. They can either be passive or active. This will depend on the methods that are used to get, convert and allocate sunlight.

What are active solar techniques? These utilize pumps, photovoltaic panels and fans to renovate sunlight into useful resources. These aim to increase the energy supply that is why these can also be referred as supply side technologies. The passive solar techniques, on the other hand, use only selected resources with constructive thermal properties, utilize the kind of spaces that can circulate air naturally and apply the position of buildings and structures towards the sun. These will lessen the need for other sources and can also be referred as the demand side technology.

2. Solar energy has influenced many factors that surround people. This can be referred in planning and designing buildings. This process can be rooted back at the early days of the architectural history. The Greeks and the Chinese first used such factor in building and constructing their architectural pieces and on their planning methods.

3. Solar energy is also being utilized by the agricultural sector because they rely heavily on its benefits in order to gain more harvest. They developed ways in order to plant the kind of crops that will grow according to the amount of sun that they will be getting for the season. This can also be used to dry the crops, pump water, brooding of chicks and to dry animal manures that can later be used as fertilizers.

4. On seasons like the Little Ice Age, fruit walls were used by French and Chinese farmers to be able to collect and store solar energy to help them keep the plants warm and to speedy up the process of ripening of fruits. These walls serve as the thermal masses. The fruit walls that were first developed were perpendicular to the ground and faced the south direction. Over time, innovations were done and slopping walls were used to gain more advantage from the sun.

5. To convert the solar light into heat, people have developed greenhouses. These enable the production and cultivation of specialty crops all year round. Such innovation made it possible for crops to be produced in untimely seasons and in places where you think that those plants won

These holes in the atmosphere allow the sun’s rays to enter the earth without a protective layer to shield us, which may cause an increase in skin cancer.

CFCs are an aggregation of chemical compounds that include alkanes and haloalkanes. These chemicals are used in aerosol spray cans, refrigerants, foam blowing (to make packing foam and foam cups), fire extinguishers and solvents to clean electronic equipment.

The use of CFCs began in the 1920, when carbon tetrachloride was used in fire extinguishers, until the end of World War II. In 1928, Thomas Midgley developed CFCs as a replacement for a mixture of ammonia, chloromethane and sulfur dioxide that was commonly used as a refrigerant.

The CFC was superior to the former compounds because it was non-toxic, had a low boiling point and was generally non-reactive.

CFCs continued to be used, mostly by the military and in firefighting, until 1974 after the journal, ¬Nature by Molina and Rowland, showed their findings regarding the ozone layer depletion. They won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for that work.

They found that by adding hydrogen and creating hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC), made the compound less stable in the lower stmosphere, which meant they would break down before they reached the ozone layer. Eventaully, the chlorine would be taken out, creating HFC with an even less stable compound.

Scientists show that the decreases in CFCs have been helping the ozone layer, particularly over Antarctica, and predict that that particular hole will close permanently by the year 2050.

Gasoline-burning cars are a major contributor to global warming.  In fact, they are the second largest cause of global warming pollution in the United States.  It would be beneficial if the cars could be more efficient.  If they could burn cleaner fuels, it would even be better. 

It is predicted that Americans will continue to put gasoline-burning cars on the road at alarming rates over the next twenty years.  The number estimated is around 300 million new cars.  With this expectation, it is clear that cars should be made with energy efficiency in mind.  Otherwise, they will cause extensive global warming. 

Hybrid engines are being touted by many celebrities as a way to prevent global warming.  Many celebrities prefer the Prius hybrid car.  These hybrid cars do, in fact, double gas mileage.  At the same time, they reduce harmful emissions that lead to global warming. 

Future technologies for cars, such as fuel cells, may ease global warming even more.  Fuel cells change hydrogen fuel and oxygen into electricity.  Then, the electricity is used to run the vehicle.  This technology has already been used by NASA and is projected to help ease global warming in the future. 

Alternate fuels have been in the news for helping with reducing global warming as well.  One of the most interesting fuels is bio-diesel.  This type of fuel can be made from a variety of sources.  Vegetable oils such as soybean and rapeseed oils have been used successfully in regular diesel vehicles. 

Animal fats work, but are rarely used because they are too expensive.  However, used oil from fast food restaurants can be employed to do the same thing.  It is surprising that global warming can be slowed down by the use of fast food by-products. 

Ethanol is being used in many countries, now including the US, to decrease pollution and dependence on foreign oil.  Global warming is impacted, too.  Brazil, which uses ethanol almost exclusively, makes the fuel from sugar cane.  In the US, corn is the chief source of ethanol. 

Some cars are flex-fuel cars which can be run on different fuel sources.  They can use alcohol, gasoline, or a combination.  E85 is mostly ethanol with 15% of the fuel being gasoline.  This fuel performs a little better than pure ethanol, but is more conducive to cutting down on global warming than gasoline. 

Another way global warming can be addressed through transportation issues is in community planning.  Communities can be built so that people can spend more time walking or cycling than driving.  This cuts down dramatically on greenhouse gas emissions, thereby reducing global warming. 

The world, especially the US, can make some changes in the way they move about and transport their goods.  If people do nothing, greenhouse gasses will surely increase drastically.  However, if changes are made, global warming will be cut to a very large degree. 

One of the most talked-about aspects of global warming is the rise in sea levels.  If you are to believe most people who speak on global warming, you have to think that many habitable places on earth will soon be underwater.  There is some evidence to refute this. 

There is a professor of paleogeophysics and geodynamics at Stockholm University who presents interesting data.  According to this professor, the sea levels are in the same range they have been in over the last three hundred years.  There has not even been the slightest rise in sea levels in the last decade. 

While a sea level rise of .1 to .9 meters is predicted by the year 2100, it is not seen by this group of people as a dangerous situation.  After all, there was a .2 rise in the sea level during the past century and humans did not even seem to notice. 

When the global warming pundits talk about the rises in sea level that result from three sheets of ice that melt per year, it is the opponents of the movement that put it into terms that make sense.  If the ice continues to melt at that rate, it will take a thousand years to raise the sea level by 5 cm. 

The people who preach on the dangers of global warming believe that Hurricane Katrina and others were intensified by global warming.  Many experts on the other side of the fence claim that the extreme storms have not been unusual earth events.  They also say that better reporting of severe weather occurrences contributes to the impression that global warming is having an impact. 

While those dedicated to stopping global warming are worried about the recession of the snows of Mount Kilimanjaro, others believe there are reasons besides global warming.  These people say that you have to understand how glaciers interact with the climate around them.  Knowing that the air has been drier, they say, leads you to the fact that the glacial recession is a natural occurrence. 

Many people who fear global warming say that it will increase diseases like malaria by allowing disease-bearing mosquitoes into higher elevations.  Others realize that there are other reasons for the additional cases of malaria and other such diseases. 

These include the facts that 1) people from lowland areas are resistant to disease but carry it with them when they move to higher elevations, 2) deforestation leaves a breeding ground for mosquitoes, and 3) more pools and ditches will lead to more mosquitoes. 

For many reasons, global warming is not a subject that everyone agrees on.  People from all over the world have different opinions and they often do not wish to see another’s viewpoint.  When the true facts about global warming are clear, people can begin to come together to address the problem.