Do Not Give Up On Recycling Trash

Lately I came across a post about people giving up on recycling. Have you ever known someone to take rubbish out and not even bother sorting through it?

Well here’s a simple opportunity to do something for the environment without actually doing anything yourself! Could it get any better?

Just have a chat with the person and tell them that they should go through the extra effort to sort their rubbish before throwing it out. Better still, sell them on the idea – ultimately they will benefit by leaving more room in their non-recycling bin (Not that you should encourage them to throw out more, but it does help convince them to do so).

If you need further help convincing them here are some facts about recycling which you could find useful:

• Well run recycling programs can cost less than land-filling and incineration
• You can earn money by disposing cans and bottles in some places
• Every tonne of paper recycled, saves 17 trees
• The energy we save by recycling a glass is equivalent to lighting a light bulb for 4 hours
• Recycling reduces air and water pollutants in your city
• You can reduce our dependence on oil by recycling plastics
• Products developed out of recycled goods use less water and energy
• If America recycled 30% of waste, the greenhouse gas emissions saved would be equivalent to removing 25 million cars from the road
• Lastly think of the baby seals – just kidding – but really, recycling prevents further habitat destruction.

As you can see there are many benefits to recycling. Just have a go at convincing those people who are giving up on recycling.

Help Save The Earth, There Is No Life Elsewhere

LED Lighting For The Future

All the rave now in lighting are the new environmentally friendly LED lights.

They are brighter, whiter, cheaper to run and they even produce less heat than their energy draining counterparts. Despite these great benefits though, they still cost a lot. Although, I have seen a considerable drop in the pricing of these magnificent lights in recent times.

At first that may seem very expensive, but when you tally up the benefits of these lights, it becomes evident that you’re getting much more than environmentally friendly and pocket friendly lighting. For instance, here are a list of benefits which I can see from using LED lights:

• Less energy consumption – Lower Electricity Bills for you and that fuzzy feeling that you’re reducing your impact on the environment.
• Pure white light produced – So you have the choice of working under a great looking light.
• Less heat production – Reduced risk of fire danger and less strain on Air Conditioning.
• Brighter for less wattage – So you can have blindingly bright light at a fraction of the power of more dull bulbs.
• Longer life – Meaning you won’t have to waste time and money replacing dud light bulb.

With benefits like those, I’m amazed why people aren’t taking LED lights more seriously. Perhaps government subsidies and consumer awareness will be key in order to switch people over to this fascinating technology. Afterall, the more demand that’s out there for these lights – the cheaper it is (and more environmentally friendly) for us all!

Help Save The Earth, There Is No Life Elsewhere

20% Of Worlds Population Consume 80% Of Reosurces

We the richest fifth of the world's population already consume more than our fair share of the world's resources. 

 It is important to bear in mind that this elite does not simply consist of the super-rich strata with incomes of above half a Million pounds a year. It includes the majority of the citizens of these countries. As well as the isolated pockets of rich elites from traditionally poor nations such as India Ecuador Kenya etc.: in other words, the world's consumer class. This same 20% does not exclusively grow, supply or create all of these resources - they are the product of the whole world's labor: and although we may receive the benefits of using these resources, and have control over their distribution, they are not necessarily ours to consume in the first place. In fact, in order for the elite to live at the standard it does, the majority have to go without... and this is one of the major (if not the major) causes of world poverty, albeit one that is largely ignored, unknown or denied.

Perhaps a more graphic example is that of the lowly quarterpound hamburger. To produce just one requires 1.2 pounds of grain to feed the cattle, and 100 gallons of water part of the hidden cost consumers never see.
 
The simple example of the car illustrates this point. Less than an eighth of the world's adult population own a car. This many cars (450 million vehicles) is already responsible for 13% of the global carbon emissions from the burning off fossil fuels, and a larger share of the production of acid rain. If every adult or family in the world owned a car, these emission levels would be beyond any technological solution. Some future fuel efficiency technology might possibly double or treble how far a car can travel on a gallon of fuel, but this would not be enough to bring the emission levels within safe limits. A fuel efficiency increase of twenty times the present rate would be needed to cope with a world wide car density similar to our own, and this is only to keep Pollution levels at the same rate as they are now, let alone reducing them . And a twenty- fold increase in petrol efficiency is beyond the laws of thermodynamics.

 Since the same mathematics applies to almost all other pollution producing consumer goods or practices, we are in effect faced with a simple choice.
 A: We continue to have a high standard of living and deny the rest of the rest of the world the opportunity to do the same. We then use green technology to bring the pollution we produce down to a level the biosphere can absorb without sustaining long-term damage,

or B: We 'allow' the majority to develop, and lower our standard of living, with every individual then living a lifestyle that produces no more than their 'share' of a sustainable global rate of pollution.

Option B is not compatible with our consumer culture, as long as that culture continues to tell us, 'More is always better.' 

Help Save The Earth, There Is No Life Elsewhere

Source:
http://articles.cnn.com
www.enough.org.uk

Melting Polar Ice Caps - A Reason To Worry

It should be first noted there is a technical definition of an icecap and the colloquial one; a true icecap is a mass of ice less than 50 thousand square kilometers, while the polar icecaps are much larger than this. However, one will assume the question refers to the total ice mass on the surface of Earth, as melting of the polar caps would necessitate melting of all others.

To begin with, there are currently 30 million cubic kilometers of ice mass on Earth; from using density values, this is equivalent to 27 million cubic kilometers of liquid water.

Earth currently has 361 million square kilometers of surface area in oceans, and 149 million square kilometers in 'land' area, for a total of 510 square kilometers. The source is not clear whether this is the equivalent flat area (i.e. if Earth were a perfect spheroid) or if this is the true area, including raised and uneven terrain.

So, if we only consider the ocean and consider the rise this would present, we are working out the depth 27 million km3 would make over 361 million km2.
From these numbers, simple division tells us the sea level would rise by 27/361 = 74.8 meters beyond its current value.

No information could be obtained regarding the elevation of the Empire State Building; however, assuming it stands at 50 meters above sea level and a 4 meter average storey height, we end up with the sixth floor being new sea level.

The main ice covered landmass is Antarctica at the South Pole, with about 90 percent of the world's ice (and 70 percent of its fresh water). Antarctica is covered with ice an average of 2,133 meters (7,000 feet) thick. If all of the Antarctic ice melted, sea levels around the world would rise about 61 meters (200 feet). But the average temperature in Antarctica is -37°C, so the ice there is in no danger of melting. In fact in most parts of the continent it never gets above freezing.

At the other end of the world, the North Pole, the ice is not nearly as thick as at the South Pole. The ice floats on the Arctic Ocean. If it melted sea levels would not be affecte­d.

There is a significant amount of ice covering Greenland, which would add another 7 meters (20 feet) to the oceans if it melted. Because Greenland is closer to the equator than Antarctica, the temperatures there are higher, so the ice is more likely to melt.

NASA finds that thickest parts of Ice Caps are melting faster. This ice is generally called as old ice which is actually formed by ice that has survived at least two summers.
Read Here : http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/thick-melt.html

Melting Ice caps not just affect humans but the entire earth in general. Penguins, polar bears, whales, seals and dozens of other animals who are inhabitants of these polar regions. Imagine. these animals migrating to human colonies to find food and causing chaos. Our greed not just affects us but the entire planet in general.

There is a complete life chain that runs on polar regions. Polar bears, polar foxes, penguins, whales, seals and other creatures. If we disturb them they will disturb us.

Help Save The Earth, There Is No Life Elsewhere

Source:
http://wiki.answers.com
http://science.howstuffworks.com
http://www.nasa.gov

Gujarat Solar Power Plant : Biggest in ASIA

Gujarat CM Narendra Modi at solar power plant

An innovative solar power project in Gujarat has started generating 1 mw of power, that is 1.6 million units of electricity per year, enough to meet the domestic power requirement of 16,000 families. The project, mooted six months ago by the state power department, was operational on March 28 and will be inaugurated on April 24. In a first, solar panels were placed on a .75 km stretch of a canal of the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam (SSNN) near Ahmedabad, thus saving land costs as well as preventing water evaporation.

Gujarat CM Narendra Modi at solar power plant

The government is also planning to insert micro turbines into the steel structure of solar panels to produce low-intensity hydropower. The state is already the leading solar power producer in the country. Solar parks in Gujarat have been generating 600 mw since March. This is twice the solar power generated in the rest of the country. One particular plant at Charanka village in north Gujarat produces 214 mw-the largest single park in Asia to do so. This solar energy prevents eight million tonnes of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere; it also represents 9,00,000 tonnes of coal and natural gas saved annually. By 2022, the state plans to produce 10,000 mw of solar energy.

 

Says D.J. Pandian, state energy secretary, who oversaw the execution of the project, "When Chief Minister Narendra Modi mooted the idea in 2011, many thought it was difficult to execute. But we took the risk and today it is a reality. Solar plants require large tracts of land for installation as well as water for maintenance. This project requires none and also saves money by preventing evaporation of the dam water." S. Jagadeesan, managing director, ssnn, says the project has greater potential: "Solar power generation is possible on 3,500 km of the Narmada dam's 7,600-km-long branch canal network."


It can produce 1 MW electricity and you would be surprised to know that it can save 1 crore litres of water per kilometer annually by preventing it from evaporating. This project has the ability to tackle both energy security and water security, thus leaving behind a green footprint for future generations.

 
Help Save The Earth, There Is No Life Elsewhere
 Source: Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/

20 Tips For Saving Water

The 20 simple tips to save water are as follows:

1.     Stop Leakage of water from taps. Around 30 liters of water is wasted by a slow dripping tap in 24 hours.
2.     Use the minimum amount of water needed for bath.
3.     Don’t waste dirty water .You can use that dirty water to water your plants.
4.     Water your garden during early morning or late evening so as to reduce the evaporation.
5.     Wash vegetables and fruits in Bowl rather than washing them under tap.
6.     Don’t leave the tap open while brushing you teeth or shaving.
7.     Wash clothes only when there is full load.
8.     Consider using a car duster to remove dust instead of pressure hose.
9.     Avoid installation of fountains and other ornamental water features.
10.     Prefer broom instead of sprinklers to clean your sidewalks and streets.
11.     Don’t flush the toilet unnecessarily and use toilet paper as much as possible.
12.     Try to cover your swimming pool when not in use to reduce evaporation.
13.     Upgrade older toilets with water efficient models.
14.     Try to use Commercial car wash service which recycle water.
15.     Promote the conservation of water with posters and media.
16.     Use Dip irrigation method for irrigation purposes.
17.     Install a rain sensor system on irrigation to save water while its raining.
18.     Teach your children to turn off your faucets tightly after each use.
19.     Implement rainwater harvesting systems to collect rain water and use it in future.
20.     Choose shrubs and groundcovers instead of turf for hard-to-water areas such as steep slopes and isolated strips.

When The Last Tree is Cut, The Last River Poisoned And The Last Fish Dead... We Will Discover We Can't Eat Money - Cree Indian Proverb

Help Save The Earth, There Is No Life Elsewhere