Archive for the 'World Affairs' Category

Published by ChristopheCatesson on 03 May 2008

The Real Causes Of Global Warming - Find Out How Our Daily Habits Have Disastrous Effects For The Planet

The two major greenhouse gases are the carbon dioxide that contributes to the greenhouse effect to a height of 60% and methane. While methane has only a weak life span in the atmosphere, the carbon dioxide there remains for more than a century. why we focus mostly on the reduction of the emission of carbon dioxide.

When we use fossil energies, such as coal, the oil or the gas, we burn carbon, adding thus carbon dioxide into the atmosphere: about 20 billion tons per year in the world. The oceans and the forests and the plants; do away with about the half of this excess of carbon dioxide. However, this concentration does not stop growing: from 0.028% fifty years ago to 0.0365% today.

An additional greenhouse gas is the methane (CH4), of which the concentration has doubled since the industrial revolution. The sources are the paddy fields, garbage dumps, bovine farms, and the exploitation of gas and coal. The nitrous oxide (N2O) is another greenhouse gas that comes from certain industries such as fertilizers.

As we go about our daily lives we rarely reflect how our lifestyles influence the environment. While we may consider for a few instants that we need to be more environmentally conscious, there are very few of us who truly take the time which is due. The environmental science has made dramatic breakthrough in determining the causes of global warming. The comprehensive information about global warming requires our mindfulness as many of the causes of global warming are due to us and that the global environmental outlook is getting worse.

How is this conceivable? The answers are all staring us in the face if we accept to look at them.

The first place to look for some of the causes of global warming is in our food choices. Livestock farming contributes more to global warming than all other factors combined. While it takes on average 24 of gallons of water to create one pound vegetable, 5,200 gallons of water are needed to create one pound of beef, which strains extremely the water resources as we hear more and more in the news. Comparably, it takes two calories of fuel to produce one calorie of soybean, 54 calories of fuel are necessary to generate one calorie from beef. Deforestation, is another biggie, the livestock growth has created seven times more deforestation than the one caused by all other human activities. Water pollution, heath issues, lost of biodiversity, the release of toxins, antibiotics, GMO, pesticides, sewage, air pollution… are other factors that make livestock farming so detrimental to the environment. Researchers evaluate that 2.5 acres of land can meet the food requirement of twenty two vegetarians, but only two people eating meet, chicken, eggs or dairy products. Marc Reisner author of the Cadillac Desert, sums it up in these words “The West’s water crisis and many other environmental problems as well can be summed up by one word: livestock”.

Another area to look into is in our cities. Each time you drive, your car is emitting carbon monoxide. Multiply that pollution with the hundreds of millions of other vehicles and you can clearly see that driving a fuel engine vehicle does add to global warming.

One more manner that we contribute towards the causes of global warming is by deforestation. The trees in the forests, jungles and rainforests are the lungs of the world. By cutting down a great amount of trees the restorative ability of these areas are lessened.

Trees need carbon dioxide to live. When big tracts of trees are cut down in one place the balance is gone astray. The left over trees can’t take in all of the carbon which is in the atmosphere. Due to this reality, the carbon rises in large quantity in the atmosphere. This is also why deforestation can be seen as one of the main causes of global warming.

Aside from these factors, chemicals like methane and nitrous oxide are as well causes of global warming. These chemicals while in small amounts are not enough to cause deterioration to the atmosphere and environment. They can be considered as causes of global warming when they are used for an array of man needed activities. These activities include the raising of domestic animals such as cows. Other chemical contributing to the global warming are artificial fertilizers.

When all of these events are taken independently you may believe they cannot cause global warming. There is however lots of scientific substantiation which supports this case. In order to impede the dreadful aftermath of global warming you should look at the different global warming causes and see what steps you can take to circumvent them.

The more we appreciate these facts, the faster we can halt the escalation of global warming. We should not continue too long as nature will not wait for us to get our acts straightened out. The effects of global warming are warnings to us to adjust our ways of living.

Communication Manager for http://www.theglobalwarmingoverview.com. Helping grow an unbiased platform about global warming and the environment

Published by GavinDye on 17 Apr 2008

What Are The Pros And Cons To Solar Energy

Using the power of the sun to power our lifestyles, on paper looks like a natural fit. As with all things in life there are two sides to any argument and Solar Power is no different, so hopefully in this article I will answer what are the pro’s and con’s to using solar energy in today’s world

The Pro’s to using Solar Energy

1. It is a cheaper way to generate energy, than the normal means of energy generation. The suns power is free, and is a natural resource, using it means that you are not burning any fossil fuels that can ruin the earth’s atmosphere. It truly is an environmentally friendly alternative.

2. The suns power is free, most of the cost involved is in the initial investment that is required in setting up the solar powered system.

3. If you do use solar power, you can expect to have no electricity bill, a very small one, or you may actually end up earning money, by supplying your energy back into the electricity system if you live in the right area.

4. No fuel to burn so would be good to the atmosphere. Also if the fuel prices rise and there is a shortage, you will be OK, because you are getting your power from the sun for free.

5. If there was a power outage in your area, you wouldn’t be affected, as you would still be getting your power from your Solar Powered system.

6. It doesn’t matter where you are, you could be in a remote area and you can still use the power of the sun. You will find solar power being used in some very remote locations.

7. It’s a low maintenance system, you don’t have to rewire your house, and if you need more power just add more solar panels.

The Con’s of using Solar Energy

1. The initial cost, they are costly to setup and have installed, but this initial cost is probably the only cost you have to worry about. Depending on where you live you may also be able to get grants from the government to setup your system, and is well worth checking on before starting looking at systems.

2. You need to live in an area where you can rely on sufficient sunlight to power your system. A system in Arizona or Texas is going to work better than one in the Seattle area that may only receive, on average, about three hours of sun a day since it’s a rainy region.

3. You can only get energy during the day, and an overcast day may also cause difficulties, this can be overcome by using a backup battery, that would store energy generated during the day, and supply you with energy during the night.

Getting your energy from the sun, definitely has more advantages than disadvantages, but I think one main sticking point is the initial cost. As solar power technology advances, and becomes more available the prices should come down.

Gavin Dye is webmaster & author at Solar Power 4u where you can learn more about how to use solar power & solar energy around your home.

Published by DonaldMckenzie on 12 Apr 2008

Global Warming - 5 Simple Ways To Go Green And Save The Environment

In today’s world global warming is an area of great concern. If everyone makes small changes to become economically friendly, things would get better. This article will show you a few ways you can go green and fight global warming.

1) Buy multivitamins.

Almost everyone today uses health supplements for good living. Often times they will go out and buy a large amount of bottles containing different vitamins. One great way to save on having to deal with the many bottles is the purchase multivitamins. Not only are they great for your health, but they are like having a lot of vitamins combined into one. This step will also help you to save a great deal of money.

2) Purchase aluminum free deodorants.

Many of the deodorants used today contain aluminum. Many studies have shown that aluminum salts in deodorants can adversely affect your health. They have been linked to breast cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. Another problem is that it requires a lot of energy to mine the aluminum salts. If the energy output is cut, then it will strengthen out fight on global warming. Aluminum free deodorants require less energy to produce and they do not put your health at risk.

3) Skip the gym and exercise outdoors.

Treadmills, exercise bikes, and elliptical machines are a great way to get healthy and stay fit. However, hey do require a great amount of energy. Each time you use one, it is running up your energy bill and wasting precious energy. If you take that same amount of time and go or a walk or run outdoors, there would be a ton of energy saved. Just think about the amount of energy you are wasting each month by using indoor electronic exercise machines. Another great benefit to exercising outdoors is that you will be breathing in fresh air and not reprocessed air conditioning.

4) Use bars of soap instead of body wash.

Many fragrance companies today create what is known as body washes for people who want to “smell excellent”. You can find them in almost every grocery store in the United States today. However, most people do not realize that body wash is primarily made up of water and take a lot of energy to produce. A simple bar of soap will give you that same fresh scent. People forget that before body washes were created, soap bars were dominant. A bar of soap only needs to be paced in a small box while a body wash need to be put into a medium sized plastic container. Keep in mind that cardboard requires much less energy to produce than plastic. You can help save the environment and the emissions of carbon dioxide just by sticking to regular bars of soap.

5) Use fresh foods instead of canned.

With the way things are going today, people have become dependent upon packaged items. In grocery stores you see canned fruits, canned vegetables, and even canned tuna. Many people seem to forget that cans take a great deal of energy to produce. You can help the environment by simple getting the foods you want fresh. Would you rather eat an apple that has been freshly plucked from a tree, or sapped in weird fluids out of a metal can?

There are many other things that you can do to help battle global warming. Although humans are responsible for a small percentage of the total global warming issue, we can still do our part to help the planet.

For more information visit these two websites: Global Warming Articles and Earn Money Online. You can also get information on eBay by visiting this website: eBay Auctions