Environment & Us

Saving the Environment

Saving the environment is not an issue anymore. It is a survival truth. Individuals, organizations and governments need to come together and join hands to protect what is left of our planet so that the future is not wiped out before it’s time for curtain call. The pyramid of life is on very shaky ground. Experts say that proper handling of waste materials, such as reusing or disposing of them properly, should constitute an important part of the our efforts to preserve energy and protect the environment. Countries worldwide should use less coal and more reusable power like hydro or solar power. Let us plan our cities according to water available and not avail water for too many homes that have been crammed into development. Saving energy reduces air pollution and greenhouse gases. The less we pollute our environment, the more we prevent global warming. Let us check the seas from rising and submerging our lands. Increasing number of organizations is being formed to prevent the planet from premature extinction. More and more corporates have joined the race to save the planet. We can simply begin by buying recycled products for your office, home or school. The greater the demand for recycled products, the more companies will be encouraged to add recycled material to their products. And we can begin right at home. Let us reuse what we would easily throw away and conserve for a future. Recycle everything one can from newspapers, cans, glass bottles and jars, aluminum foil, motor oil, to scrap metals. We should avoid using electrical appliances for things one can easily do by hand, such as opening cans. We should try and conserve electricity by turning off the lights, TV, or other electrical appliances when not in use. Use cold water in the washer whenever possible. What we can recycle let us do so. What we cannot let us not use them. Buy less disposable products. Buy paper products as they break down better in the environment and don't deplete the ozone layer as much. Ban plastic. Buy recycled goods. It’s trendy! Re-use brown paper bags to line your trash can instead of plastic bags. Store food in re-usable containers, instead of plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Keep cars tuned up. Buy a more fuel-efficient model (such as a hybrid or electric) and recycle your engine oil. Use public transit whenever possible. Let us walk more and drive less to conserve fuel and prevent auto-emission. We should avoid littering our roads and highways. And prevent others from doing so. Always dispose of your litter properly by saving trash and dispose of it at a rest stop. Littering is not just bad for the environment; it is also an offence carrying heavy fines. We use more organic fertilizers. Compost and reduce waste which would otherwise get buried and produces greenhouse gases as materials decompose. Avoid burning dead leaves as burning creates air pollution, and putting them out with the trash wastes landfill space. Instead we can compost the leaves and yard debris, or take them to a yard debris recycler. It is simple to pull weeds instead of using herbicides. Our farms need less pesticides and more organic methods. Finally, let’s teach our children to respect nature and the environment, and learn in the process how we can hold on to the one planet which has a miracle called life. Save the environment. Save Life. Greenhouse Effect The Greenhouse effect is the rise in the temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere due to certain gases like, methane, water vapour, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide, which trap the energy and heat from the sun. Without these gasses, the heat would escape reducing the temperature of the atmosphere.  These gases are commonly known as Greenhouse gases, because they help to maintain the Earth’s average temperature. Simply put, it is a natural process which makes the Earth’s atmosphere just right for life forms to flourish. Greenhouse effect in technical words is defined as the effect produced by certain gases such as carbon dioxide, on a planet’s atmosphere by raising the equilibrium temperature of the surface of the planet, thus preventing the outward transmission of the long-wave radiation from the surface but permitting the inward transmission of short-wave radiation from the sun to the surface. If you have ever seen a greenhouse, most of them look like a small glass house used to grow plants, especially in winter. The glass panes of the greenhouse let the light in, but trap the heat and energy, thus keeping the greenhouse warm even in winter, so much so that the atmosphere is warm enough for the plants to grow in winter. The Greenhouse heats up mainly because the sun warms the ground inside, which in turn warms the air above the ground, and this air is stopped from rising and flowing away. In the Earth’s atmosphere the Greenhouse gases behave similar to the glass panels in a greenhouse. Sunlight penetrates through Earth's atmosphere, passing through the layer of Greenhouse gases. On reaching the Earth's surface, biosphere, water, and land, absorb the sunlight’s heat and energy. Once the energy and heat is absorbed, it returns to the atmosphere. Most of the heat and energy is trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere by the Greenhouse gases, which ultimately results in the Earth to warm up; however some of the heat and energy returns back to space. Scientists use the term albedo to define the percentage of solar energy reflected back by a surface. Understanding local, regional, and global albedo effects is critical to predicting global climate change. The Greenhouse effect can also be compared to the inside of a car parked in sunlight, which lets the light in, but traps the heat and energy, keeping the car warm. The Greenhouse effect is very essential, without which the Earth would not be warm enough for humans to survive. Today, the term, Greenhouse effect mistakenly signifies the unnatural rise in temperature within the planet’s atmosphere due to man-made hazards. If the effect becomes stronger, then the Earth’s atmosphere could become warmer than the average temperature. Even a little excess warming may result in trouble for humans, animals and plants. In the last few centuries, the human activities have directly or indirectly caused the concentration of the major greenhouse gases to increase. Scientists predict that this increase may enhance the greenhouse effect making the planet warmer. Few researchers estimate that the Earth's average temperature has already risen by 0.3 to 0.6° Celsius. Predictions of future point at an alarming rise to approximate 1 to 3° Celsius higher than today by the middle of the next century. Global Warming On The Rise Global warming is rapid increase in the temperature of earth's atmosphere and oceans in the past few years. The negative effects of Global warming are heat waves, unusual warm weather, ocean warming, rise in sea level, and coastal flooding, warming of Arctic and Antarctic zones, changes in the pattern and amount of precipitation, species extinction and melting of the glaciers which have proven to be extremely dangerous. Global warming is the result of human negligence. Years of deforestation and pollution have slowly but steadily damaged the atmosphere and depleted the ozone layer. Refrigerators and air conditioners for example, emit the harmful Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) which cause the depletion of the ozone layer and result in Global warming.  We don't think twice before using deodorants, or insect repellants, and are hardly bothered with the harmful effects they have on our atmosphere. These including spray cans for paints are CFCs used as a propellant which damages our atmosphere. Air pollution is another chief reason for Global warming. The harmful emission of smoke from cars, buses, factories, trains, the burning of leaves etc. all in their own way contribute to the horror. Our injured atmosphere is reflected in increasing droughts and fires, heavy downfalls, snowfalls and flooding, tornadoes, hurricanes, plant and animal shift range and population changes, Tsunamis and coral reef bleaching.  Plant respiration and the decomposition of organic matter release more than 10 times the CO2 released by human activities; but these releases have generally been in balance during the centuries leading up to the industrial revolution with carbon dioxide absorbed by terrestrial vegetation and the oceans. In the last few hundred years is the additional release of carbon dioxide by human activities have caused the atmospheric temperature to rise. Fossil fuels burned to run cars and trucks, heat homes and businesses, and power factories are responsible for maximum poisonous gases emissions. Increased agriculture, deforestation, landfills, industrial production, and mining also contribute a significant share of emissions. According to scientists, the climate of the earth has increased rapidly over the past few years, due to Global warming and will continue doing so unless we do not control the emission of the "heat trapping gases." To reduce Global warming we need to be very careful of the electronics we use, and try and use CFC free electronics. We need to control the air pollution, the emission of the harmful gases and factory smoke, which is one of the main causes of Global Warming. We need to respect and protect our environment so that we have safe and healthy air to breathe and we can live in a clean atmosphere. Environmentally Friendly Cars Cars and motor vehicles are part and parcel of our lives. Unfortunately they are also major contributors to pollution and cause a lot of damage to the environment. They add to the increase in greenhouse gases and other pollutants as they burn fossil fuels with detrimental consequences to the earth's fauna and flora, thus worsening the horror of global warming. Buying a green car is just the first step in reducing the environmental impacts of automobiles. Several factors make the green car – high fuel economy, clean tailpipe emissions standards, being manufactured in a clean factory with safe, non-toxic substances, using recycled materials. Intensive research and development in car engineering and design now makes it possible to drive in style and comfort without destroying our planet. Vehicles such as Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) and Multi-Purpose Vehicles (MPVs, aka breeder wagons), motor-bikes, vans, lorries, trucks, taxis and buses, aircrafts, boats and trains are all hazardous to our atmospheric balance. We can conserve fuel by relying less on fossil fuels and instead burn a proportion of renewable fuels and also by driving smaller cars to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Renewable fuels not only have the potential to revolutionize how we produce energy, but also are keys to effectively addressing climate change with the promise of clean energy and less air pollution preventing environmental harm. High gasoline prices are making alternative fuels and hybrid electric vehicles hot items positively contributing to the lessening of smog-forming emissions. Flex-fuel vehicles could be the answer to our fuel shortages and large spikes in prices. Rather than releasing petroleum from the national petroleum reserve, more ethanol could be produced. Gasoline producers would have serious competition, making prices more stable and gouging less likely to occur. The diverse and popular forms of eco-friendly fuels include – Bio-diesel, a favorite fuel in the bus and trucking industry; Compressed natural gas or CNG which is a naturally occurring, clean-burning fossil fuel; Ethanol which is an alcohol made from plant material that has a high sugar content; Propane, a by-product of natural gas production and oil refining; Hydrogen and Electricity which are fast becoming popular in niche markets such as airports, mines, and warehouses, along with the rising interest in the consumer market. With air pollution still rampant and greenhouse gas emissions disrupting the earth's climate, choosing greener cars is more important than ever before. Environmentally Friendly Houses Our homes too can help protect the environment. Green choices in the building or remodeling homes in eco-friendly products and methods result in long term positive effect on the environment. A common environmentally friendly feature of naturally built dwellings is their capacity for renewal, allowing a longer life span for the structure. They fit with their environment by using local materials and encourage continuous occupation. Their design is usually suitable for the local climate. They are energy efficient and environmentally friendly.             Green buildings are designed and constructed to ensure a healthy environment with their conserved resource and energy efficient construction materials which are recycled and renewable. People around the globe want a choice of living in a home that is healthier, safer and cheaper for them as well as benefiting the environment. Recycling of existing building materials and the re-use of water significantly reduces the environmental impact of the construction and ongoing operation of a modern home. Green homes encourage waste reduction, recycling, use of local and renewable materials, use of renewable energy sources, and implementation of better ways of producing housing. The main environmental attribute of a green house is to be PVC-free. PVC, or vinyl, is one of the most common and most harmful materials used in construction. These chemicals can build up in the air, water and food chain, causing severe health problems such as cancer, immune system damage and hormone disruption. One key feature of any environmental home is low energy use. In fact, green homes use 20 percent less energy than usual houses. Water conservation and recycling principles are applied to both the construction of the house and to its daily operations. Water wise landscaping can create the surrounding foliage to provide cooling shade in summer, reducing the need for energy-hungry air conditioning. More and more homeowners are bending towards environmental friendliness and sustainable homes which are good for their pocket, good for their health and good for the planet. These days an environmentally friendly home need not look any different to any other newly built dwelling. Paints and finishes low in toxic compounds were chosen for most inside and outside applications. Reducing toxic materials is the first step toward a healthy indoor environment. The house also uses a central fresh-air ventilation system with heat recovery to control moisture, odors and contaminants generated by the occupants. A key environmental design feature is small size. It saves materials, lowers costs and conserves energy. An eco-home thus has improved levels of energy efficiency, lower running costs, enhanced air quality and daylight with use of low allergy and environmentally friendly material and maximum water efficiency.