Environmental

Earth-Friendly Tips to Help You Live a Little Greener

We all want to live a little greener, but many of us believe it is too time-consuming and expensive. The following ten tips will give you a little more know-how on ways you can make your life a more Earth-Friendly without much effort and by SAVING money as opposed to spending it.

1. Start Recycling - Call your local recycling plant to find out exactly what they will accept and not accept. Then, dedicate bins to different kids of materials - blue for glass, red for aluminum, green for paper. Have your kids spread the word to family and friends! Most recycling places will pay you for your "trash" so your kids can make a bit of money!

2. Get Rid of Paper - Lose the paper filing system. Use electronic storage instead of paper files to save paper and space.

3. Use Natural Light - Open the blinds in your home instead of turning on lamps to reduce energy consumption. Guess what, it also cuts down on your electricity bill!

4. Pick Up Litter - Spend an afternoon picking up litter in your community, park or at your local beach. This helps the eco-system and teaches our kids not to litter.

5. Buy In Bulk - Purchase items in bulk when possible to reduce packaging waste. Also, you will find that bulk items are cheaper per net oz. than regular sized items.

6. Start a Compost Pile - Recycle organic waste by creating a compost pile. It will not only reduce landfill waste, but it also creates nutrient-rich soil for your garden!

7. Hit The Lights - Remember to turn lights off when you leave a room to conserve energy. In fact, switch all your bulbs to less wattage. You won't notice the difference, but your electricity bill will!

Quick, easy, and will make a huge difference!

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The Significance of Waste Oil Treatment in Protecting the Environment

The worldwide demand for oil also brings up demand for transportation of this material to different countries. Transport is carried out via road, pipeline, and sea; and transportation of oil brings forth risk of spill which in turn endangers the environment. Much of the oil is being carried by tankers, and this poses a constant hazard to marine and coastal ecosystems, which as we know have already suffered from oil spills in the past. Spills that occur offshore can reach the shores by the action of winds and ocean currents, posing immense environmental implications.

It is important to learn how to control waste oil generation and how to properly dispose of oil waste since it cannot be processed by the environment the way it processes any organic matter. For companies that handle oil procurement and transportation, the necessity for waste management is imperative and is considered a top priority. Oil plants, for instance should have reliable contingency plans and these must encompass sufficient waste management provisions, so that in the instant that an accident occurs such plans are put into action. Immediate action will reduce cost through effective containment and treatment before the environmental contamination spreads to a wider area.

There are various programs to deal with the known risk and the actual spill, from reduction of waste production to recycling of waste and proper disposal of waste oil. Control of the amount of waste generated is perhaps the ideal plan. Urgent cleanup operation during a spill must be carried out, and it involves containment and collection of oil and oil-contaminated rubble and waste. Depending on the kind of waste recovered, it may undergo segregation, treatment, recycling, and disposal. Ideally, plants should have a separate waste stream and storage system for each kind of waste generated for instant segregation. Properly segregated waste is easier to process for both recycling and disposal.

Another concern is minimizing of the amount of waste generated to reduce cost in recycling and disposal as well as mitigate environmental impact. This can be carried out by locating the potential impact sites. Clearing out of debris and garbage at the impact sites minimizes the amount of waste to be treated. As mentioned earlier, segregation of waste streams is vital in order for different types of waste to be instantly separated, since separation of mixed waste is extremely difficult. Waste containment areas should be waterproof or have cover to prevent seepage of rainwater since water in the waste containments would demand further effort in waste treatment.

Crude oil is an indispensable natural resource used in various industries. At the same time, it is a serious environmental contaminant posing concern for environmental conservation organizations all over the world. Improper disposal of oil waste can lead to serious litigations as there are laws passed to protect the environment from wanton destruction propagated by oil spills due to improper containment of oil and sometimes recklessness. Prevention of contamination is so much better than devising containment and dispersal measures.

The objective of waste oil treatment is to process oil waste, so it can be recycled or transformed into something usable or be disposed of properly if it renders unusable. All the efforts encompassed in waste oil treatment are to prevent waste from entering environmental systems, furthermore destroying flora and fauna that get exposed to it. For instance, maritime oil spills can endanger marine conditions and risk the lives of marine organisms. At the same time, even discarding used cooking oil into sinks is also not recommended. Hence, whether you are looking at a worldwide or domestic scale, oil waste disposal and treatment are two imperative measures that should be done in accordance to the legislation not because we want to avert criminal offenses but because we want to take care of the environment.

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Why Recycling is So Important For the Environment

If you're not convinced that you should recycle, and think that there's nothing wrong with throwing all your rubbish in the bin, then here's why you should recycle.

1. If you recycle, there will be less rubbish going into your main bin. Everything from food scraps and clothing, to glass and plastic can be recycled, and turned into new and useful products.

2. Even if you're not keen on the idea of taking your waste to recycling centres, you can have your recyclable waste picked up you're your doorstep in many places.

3. As less waste is being thrown away, much less is going to landfill. This means that less land is needed, and less harmful methane gas is released into the air.

4. There is less reliance on natural resources such as wood, as fewer trees are needed for paper and cardboard products, and fewer trees need to be cut down. This means that deforestation can be reduced.

5. You might be creative, and be able to make use of some of the things that you would normally throw away. Perhaps your children will want cardboard cereal boxes, and kitchen roll tubes to make things with, or maybe you'll use bottles for lamps or vases. You might want to make compost from your food scraps, or use newspaper to help insulate your home.

6. Other people might want some of the items that you don't want. You might have upgraded your computer, or bought a new TV, or your children might have outgrown their clothes. Instead of throwing them away, why not see if anyone else want them? This can help you dramatically reduce the amount of waste that is sent to landfill.

7. Using recycled waste, such as paper and aluminium can dramatically reduce the amount of energy needed to produce new products. It's reckoned that it takes just 5% of the energy to make things from recycled aluminium, compared to making from new aluminium. Savings like this can help manufacturers to make significant savings which can be passed on to consumers.

8. As less energy is needed to produce products, and less waste is taken to landfill, the amount of pollution is reduced too. Less pollution is obviously better form the environment.

9. Carbon footprints can be reduced too, as there is less reliance on products from abroad. People making their own compost might enjoy growing their own vegetables. Companies might not need to import raw materials as they can use the plastic, glass or paper that has been recycled.

10. As products can be used again, and not left to rot in landfill sites, recycling helps to save money for producers and consumers alike. Products can be cheaper as they not only use less packaging but the packaging they do use is made from recycled products. The finished products might not have to travel as far, and when the good s have expired or reached the end of their natural life, they can be recycled again.

Now you know why recycling is so important for the environment, are you recycling as much as you could be?

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The Negative Effects of Global Warming

Global warming is already changing the world around us in ways that researchers can measure and quantify. Such changes will become more and more evident with each passing decade. Although cutting greenhouse gas emissions in order to minimize future climate change must be our top priority, we must also prepare to respond to impacts that our past emissions now make inevitable. People everywhere need to understand how climate change is going to affect them and what they can do to cope.

Flooding
Scientists have documented climate induced changes in some 100 physical and 450 biological processes. In the Russian Arctic, higher temperatures are melting the permafrost, causing the foundations of five story apartment buildings to slump. Worldwide, the rain, when it falls, is often more intense. Floods and storms are more severe, and heat waves are becoming more extreme. Rivers freeze later in the winter and melt earlier. Trees flower earlier in spring, insects emerge faster and birds lay eggs sooner. Glaciers are melting. The global mean sea level is rising.

Temperature Changes
Throughout geologic time the average global temperature has usually varied by 5°C over intervals of millions of years. Now scientists believe that the temperature of the earth's surface - which has already risen by 0.6°C since the late 1800s - is likely to rise by another 1.4 to 5.8°C during the course of the 21st century. Temperature rose by 0.74°C ±0.18°C over the period 1906-2005. The rate of warming over the last 50 years of that period was almost double that for the period as a whole (0.13°C ±0.03°C per decade, versus 0.07°C ± 0.02°C per decade).

Green House Effects
Naturally occurring greenhouse gases have the ability to warm the earth by a actor of about 33 °C (59 °F). The major greenhouse gases are water vapor, which causes about 36-70 percent of the greenhouse effect; carbon dioxide, which causes 9-26 percent; methane, which causes 4-9 percent; and ozone, which causes 3-7 percent. Anthropogenic activities constantly increase the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere with fatal implication. Since the Industrial Revolution, human activities have increased the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, to levels considerably higher than at any time during the last 650,000 years.

Environmental
Global warming is expected to cause changes in the overall distribution and intensity of events, such as changes to the frequency and intensity of heavy precipitation. Other expected effects include glacial retreat, Arctic shrinkage, and worldwide sea level rise. Some effects on both the natural environment and human life are, at least in part, already being attributed to global warming. Water scarcity in some regions and increased precipitation in others, changes in mountain snowpack, and some adverse health effects from warmer temperatures are other expected impacts.

Social and economic effects of global warming may be made worse by increase in population densities in affected areas. Temperate regions are thought to experience some benefits, such as fewer cold-related sicknesses and deaths.

Another anticipated effects include sea level rise of 0.18 to 0.59 meters in 2090-2100 relative to 1980-1999, new trade routes resulting from arctic shrinkage, less frequent and but intense hurricanes and extreme weather activities, thinning of the ozone layer, changes in agriculture yields, changes in the types and number of climate-dependent disease vectors.

Also expected is decrease in ocean surface pH. Presently, there has been a decrease from 8.25 near the beginning of the industrial era to 8.14 by 2004, and is projected to decrease by a further.

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Global Warming - 5 Easy Ways You Can Make a Real Difference

When you hear the news about global warming, do you feel overwhelmed and hopeless? If so, start doing these 5 actions and know that you will be helping to reverse the global warming trend.

1. Drive less.

We know that auto emissions contribute to global warming, and you can reduce your impact by driving less. Here are some ways:

    * Walk or ride a bike for short trips.
    * Combine errands to reduce the number of trips you make.
    * Take public transportation when possible.
    * Car pool with others for work, meetings, and the like.

2. Eat less meat, especially beef.

How does this reduce global warming? Scientists report that livestock production actually has a bigger impact on global warming than automobile emissions. This includes all the factors including methane from livestock waste, petroleum used for feed production and transportation of the meat products, and the like.

By eating less meet, especially beef, you will reduce the demand for livestock production and divert resources toward more environmentally-friendly foods. And you will probably be making yourself healthier in the process.

3. Replace light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs.

This is an inexpensive step that can start paying dividends not only in global warming, but in reducing your electric bill. Fluorescent bulbs have been drastically improved in recent years so that the quality of light no longer has the blue, cold tint of first generation fluorescent bulbs.

4. Adjust your thermostat.

Changing your thermostat settings by even 2 or 3 degrees can make a significant change in how much energy you are using. If you lower your setting in the winter, you can easily adjust to the change by putting on a sweater or an extra layer of clothing. In the summer, you can increase your AC setting by 2 or 3 degrees and use a fan to keep you feeling just as cool as you did at your previous setting.

5. Join with others and educate yourself.

Joining with others is a key to staying focused and inspired, and to learn more about how to make a difference. No matter how much or how little you understand about environmental issues, you will find others who are interested in sharing their knowledge and working together. There are organizations in every community that are bringing people together to address environmental problems.

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Aviation and the Environment - The Future of Flight and Fuel

Was it only last fall that people were chanting "drill, baby, drill!", and declaring everyone from the government to your grandmother must "go green!"? Remember $8.00 a gallon 100LL and paying for pillows and blankets on US commercial flights?

Given the furor over global warming and energy prices, how is it possible that an aviation bio-fuel revolution is quietly proceeding with so little fuss and fanfare?

Here's a taste of what has been going on, pretty much under the radar of mainstream media in the aviation bio-fuel revolution. January, 2009 a Japan Airlines (JAL) airliner completed a 1.5 hour demo flight from Tokyo's Haneda Airport powered by a combination of camelina, jatrophe and algae.

In December, 2008 Air New Zealand flew two hours on a 50/50 mix of jatropha biodiesel and standard A1 jet fuel.

In November, 2008 a plane flew from Reno, Nevada to Leesburg Florida, flying the first 1776 miles on 100% bio-diesel and the remaining 710 miles on a 50/50 mix of bio-diesel and standard jet fuel.

In October, 2008 Aviation Magazine published a story on the Department of Defense and the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) claims of a 100% renewable jet fuel capable of replacing JP-8.

In August, 2008 an F-15 Strike Eagle flew out of Robins Air Force Base in Georgia on a 50/50 mixture of JP-8 and a natural gas based synthetic fuel.

Why the apparent disinterest by the media on this tangible progress toward effective bio-fuel for aviation?

Some say the amount of land set aside for growing bio-fuel crops may be contributing to a world wide food shortage. Others are concerned that bio-fuel production may actually increase global warming. It could be as simple as short term memory loss. Finding alternative fuel sources which seemed critically important with gas at the pump at $4.00 a gallon, is all but forgotten now that prices have come down.

This crisis will pass, and fuel prices will go back up. So those of us with a stake in the future of aviation need to pay attention and press forward. Will bio-fuel be the ultimate answer? No one really knows yet, but many are touting camelina, jatropha, algae and celulosic ethanol.

Camelina, for instance, may combat rising emissions while adding to food production and crop yields. It has actually been shown to be an excellent rotational crop, boosting the yield of subsequent crops such as wheat by up to 15%. It can be grown on marginal land, needs very little water and is viable in cold regions such as Montana and Canada and Europe. It is estimated bio-diesel made from camelina could be sold for around $2.00 per gallon, compared to $3.00 per gallon for soy or corn based ethanol.

According to a spokesman for JAL, who used a mixture of bio-fuel and jet fuel for their groundbreaking demonstration flight in January, "the bio-fuel was a combination of three second-generation bio-fuel feedstocks which do not compete with natural food or water sources and do not contribute to deforestation practices."

Turning to personal craft, Pipistrel, a Slovenian aircraft company, is working on a two-passenger electric aircraft. The Taurus Electro is said to be capable of climbing to 6,000 feet, traveling 1,000 miles in a day with a lithium-polymer battery which takes about as long to recharge as a cell phone.

With graduations of aerospace engineers down 57% in the US since 1990 the US may be taking a back seat to Europe and Asia in making air travel more sustainable in the coming years. Never the less, the future of innovation in aviation is going strong and it's looking pretty green from here.

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Pollution by Cars - Why Green Cars Are So Important For Our Survival

Pollution by cars is a major issue for most of modern-day societies. The pollution in air is comprised of many environmental attributes. It contains carbon monoxide, nitrates, sulfur dioxide, ozone, lead, secondhand tobacco smoke and particulate matter. Particulate matter, also known as particle pollution, is comprised of liquid and solid particles in the air. It is produced from road dust, tire fragmentation, vehicle emissions, power generation and industrial combustion, smelting and other metal processing, construction and demolition activities, residential wood burning, windblown soil, pollens, molds, forest fires, volcanic emissions and sea spray. These particles vary significantly in size, composition and origin.

Overloaded and busy streets of the USA contribute much to the deterioration of the air pollution issue. Carbon monoxide is a biggest constituent of air pollution. It is highly toxic, odorless and colorless gas. It is connected with incineration reaction in cars and other vehicles same with cigarette smoke. Carbon monoxide is dangerous due to the fact that when our body consumes it, the level of oxygen diminishes. Higher ranges of carbon monoxide is a danger to one's life. Minimal levels of CO if inhaled by the body in a long extent of time will still cause respiratory sickness. Too much exposure may lead to harmful health issues.

When you go out on streets, you see large trucks blowing out too much murky smoke. Analysis depict that there is a very huge negative impact caused by pollution from cars and other air pollutants.

A study clarifies that a personís exposure to toxic constituents of air pollution may differ as much within one city as across different cities. After surveying 5000 human beings for eight years, the analysts also observed that exposure to traffic-allied air pollutants was extremely linked to mortality than were city-wide background levels. For instance, those who lived near a busy road were more probable to die of a cardiovascular event.

Some examinations had approximated that citizens living in the most polluted US cities could drop 1.8 to 3.1 years because of exposure to constant air pollution. This has showed the way to conclude that:

Temporary exposure to increased ranges of particle pollution is linked with a greater danger of death due to a cardiovascular event.

Hospital admittance for various cardiovascular and pulmonary issues heightens in reply to greater concentration of particle pollution. Extended exposure to higher levels of particle pollution is a factor in dropping total life expectancy by a few years. These facts are really indicating us what future awaits Americans if this scenario carries on. Indeed, a demand to normalize pollution by cars is needed not only for the well-being of the present time, but for the times ahead.

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