Global Warming 2020

Global Warming Solutions : The Origins of Earth Day April 22   by EcoSMART

Every April there’s one day when we all try to come together for a greater good. No, it’s not Tax Day — it’s Earth Day on April 22nd. While most people know about Earth Day and its environmental significance, few of us know how Earth Day got started!

In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, there was growing concern over the state of the environment. Most notably seen across college campuses and grassroots organizations, this environmental focus also grew in importance within the political sphere. In 1969, Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson suggested a demonstration to help gain attention for environmental causes. A year later on April 22nd, the first official Earth Day was held with over 20 million people participating — a giant step for the modern environmental movement!

Since the inception of Earth Day, the holiday has become an international effort to improve environmental sustainability from air quality and global warming to wildlife protection and recycling efforts. In 1992, the United Nations recognized the growing need to maintain environmental health with an Earth Summit in Rio de Jainero.

While Earth Day has changed a great deal from its original demonstration-based format, the goal remains the same. Now, there’s a greater emphasis on clean energy and the reduction of global warming, but one fact is undeniable: Earth Day is growing in importance across the world. Nearly a billion people across the world participated in last year’s Earth Day activities.

In addition to focusing on a very real and pressing issue, Earth Day also brings people of different cultures, nationalities, religions, and races together to strive for a common goal. Celebrated in over 175 countries, Earth Day is considered “the largest secular holiday in the world, celebrated by more than a half billion people every year,” according to Earth Day Network. This year, become a part of this exciting and important holiday — and spread the word to your friends and family!

What You Can Do: There are tons of ways you can celebrate Earth Day by yourself or with friends and family! Some of the things you can do to help the environment are:

*Plant a tree: Help keep the planet green one tree at a time! Trees help absorb carbon dioxide, thereby reducing your carbon footprint. For more information on planting, tree care, and what trees are best for your area and the environment, please visit the Arbor Day Foundation (http://www.arborday.org/).

*Make your home Earth friendly: While so many environmental efforts focus on the outdoors, there are an endless number of ways you can make your home more “green.” From compact florescent light bulbs and Energystar appliances (http://www.energystar.gov/) to organic, locally grown foods and natural pest control (http://www.ecosmart.com/), there are a growing number of products to help you keep your home Earth friendly. Visit www.healthychild.org for simple ways to keep your home healthy for your family and the planet.

*Donate to a worthy environmental cause: You don’t have to get down and dirty if you don’t want to; donations to well respected environmental organizations ensure that you’re helping the causes you find important. And don’t forget — sometimes these groups need the items you just have gathering dust in your garage! Visit www.charitynavigator.org or similar sites to find a reputable organization.

*Walk, bike, or carpool to reduce emissions: Sometimes, it’s the changes you make in your daily life that will have the greatest impact on the environment. Do something good for your health and the planet by walking or biking to work or to run errands. If you live too far away, consider carpooling or taking public transportation.

*Start a recycling program in your community: If your community doesn’t already have the resources for recycling, you can always take your items to a recycling center. However, if you make the extra effort to create a convenient recycling solution within your neighborhood, more people are likely to recycle as well. At http://earth911.org/recycling/ you can find what items can be recycled as well as how and where to recycle them.

*Know your carbon footprint: How do you measure up in terms of the amount of Carbon Dioxide you and your family produce? See where you stand compared to the national average by calculating your personal contribution to global warming at www.climatecrisis.net/takeaction/carboncalculator/. You might be surprised enough to adopt cleaner forms of energy.

About the Author

This article is sponsored by EcoSMART organic pest control : Created with botanical oils, EcoSMART’s bug-killing formulas offer an unprecedented margin of safety by using organic materials. These specifically formulated, patented blends of plant oils only target insects and have no adverse effects on people, pets or the environment!

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=879404

Global Warming Solutions : Honor the Earth with These Inspiring Earth Day Activities   by Jolanda Garcia

Earth has a special day. It’s sort of like a birthday. It’s called Earth Day. It began on April 21, 1970. Earth Day is celebrated all over the world, usually on the first day of spring but sometimes on April 22nd. It is a special day to remind us to take care of our Earth, our environment, and to learn what we can do to help keep the Earth healthy–not just on Earth Day but every day! Help your children honor the Earth by sharing with them these inspiring and educational Earth Day activities

Trash Hike
Provide each child with a bag and gloves. Have them pick up trash. Talk about the items that they picked up. Ask children if they think any of the items they found are recyclable. If so, have them place the items in a container to be recycled later.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
First, explain to children what the following words mean: Reduce: This means you cut down or lessen the amount of materials you use. For example, if you use both sides of a piece of paper, you are reducing the number of pages you need. Reuse: This means you use the material over again, either for the same purpose, or for something else. For example, a coffee can could be reused as a container for crayons or pencils. Recycle: This means to use the materials over again to make a new product. For example, old newspapers are recycled when they are made into new paper products.

Next, create a 3-column chart. Label the columns Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Cut out pictures from a magazine of items like a tire, a Styrofoam cup, a plastic bottle, a glass jar, soda can, etc. and have children categorize them. Variation: Have bins in which children can sort the items.

Recyclables Game
Collect cans with lid remove, plastic bottles, and newspaper. Label 3 bins or trash cans: cans, bottles, and newspaper. Draw a line and place the containers about 3 to 5 feet away from the line. Have children stand behind the line and try to toss the recyclables into the appropriate container.

Field Trip
Have children collect plastic grocery bags and return them to their neighborhood grocery store.

Trash Collage
Use throw away paper, labels, scraps cut from junk mail, aluminum foil, pull tabs from soda cans–anything you can find that is typically thrown away–to make a collage.

Wind Sock
Earth day craft Cut the bottom of a cup or margarine tub. Cut streamers from crepe paper, ribbons and plastic bags. Attach other recycled items on a string. Arrange and glue them around the cup so that they hang down over the edge. Make two holes and attach a pipe cleaner or ribbon to make a hanger.

Dirt Cups
Have children make this fun snack by putting chocolate pudding in a paper cup. Have them top the pudding with crushed chocolate cookies and a gummy worm.

About the Author

Jolanda Garcia is a former teacher and educational content designer. Her goal is to provide parents and teachers with quality resources to promote their children’s development and creativity. Visit her websites at: Preschool activities and crafts , and www.eartwiggles.com

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=861921

Global Warming Solutions : Greener Houses Can Offset Greenhouse Gases   by Guy Alexander Bell

In a recent interview on British TV, Chancellor Gordon Brown called on households to do more to cut greenhouse gases, in effect, by making homes better insulated and more fuel-efficient. The climate change bill ambitiously seeks to cut emissions by 60% by the year 2050. Is this viable in today’s “me” society? Or over time will we slowly turn into a “them” society? Is this compatible with capitalism? And just how easy is it to turn an existing house into a green one? Guy Alexander Bell, editor of the online magazine “Never Paint Again” suggests some things we could to make our home, and our lifestyle within it, more green…

With more “green” legislation coming into building design and construction, more and more houses and commercial buildings are being built with “green” credentials. Things such as solar panels, better insulation, timber from sustainable sources, are just a few of the latest trends in building, but what about existing and older buildings? In this article we look at various steps that the average person can take in order to make their older house a bit more environmentally friendly for future generations.

How can a hundred year old house be green, or made to be green?

Putting aside the notion of actually painting it green (Doh!) and embracing the literal sense, what can be done for old houses? If we consider VERY old house, dating back to maybe 1600, it could be argued that these houses were far more green than modern ones, or even ones built over the past 100 years, but why is that?

When a house was built 400 years ago, it was built with whatever was around (in the literal sense) at the time. So if it was being built near a quarry, it would be made of local stone. If there were reed beds or hay etc nearby, it would have a thatched roof, making use of crops that would have otherwise been burnt or thrown away. If it was near the sea, many of the timbers would be recycled from old ships or boats, and in fact many buildings in established seaside locations in and around the British isles have some surprises in their lofts when you look! Many an old ships mast was made into a staircase, and timbers were used in the roof and for lintels above doors and windows. The global transport infrastructure did not exist then. Goods were sourced locally, or at least brought by sea, river or canal, from somewhere fairly nearby.

When undertaking home improvements on a more modern house, it difficult in todays world to keep your green credentials. For example, what about all the car journeys to go and fetch the new items from the DIY shop? What about the builders turning up in their old van? For a month. (plus in some cases, the amount of methane builders’ emit! Cups of tea are very important to a builder, but not too many, and make sure no egg sandwiches and baked beans are served!)

What about the fact that the items (paint, tools, whatever you buy), have probably clocked up loads of “carbon miles” by being shipped around the world, and sometimes from countries with very poor human right records?

That’s not very green is it?

So how can you make an old house green? Well if the interior is concentrated on first, steps could be taken such as solar powered heating and power from rooftop or garden based wind power units. Setting them up can be expensive, but the cost is falling all the time. Make enough power, and if you have a surplus, you can sell it back to the national grid, although how long it would be before the government find a way to tax that is another matter, although inevitable, it could be argued!

If we all generated our own electric like this, the need to build new power stations would diminish. You need to take a long term view on this, and it is only the most ardent “pioneers” who are doing this at present. Also why not use solar powered lights in the garden?

Interior

You could also hang curtains made from hemp and buy some new green-friendly furniture. You could buy decent second hand curtains or even furniture from a charity shop (many sell nearly new ones at bargain prices), and from an ethical point of view, you’ve donated to a worthwhile cause. Re-use, don’t throw away, even if you can afford to buy new, do you really HAVE to?

Buy “A graded” energy efficient appliances such as dishwashers, fridges etc and these will save you money too. Take baths instead of showers. During the autumn months, install cheap and effective draught excluders to cut down on heat loss. Have double glazing fitted if you don’t have it already, although wooden double glazing is better as UPVC manufacture is perhaps not as environmentally friendly as it could be. Or if you’re rich, get a “little man” to do it (!) (The butler?)

Your plans could also include bizarre sounding ideas like chairs and sofas made from recycled bottles and cushions with recycled stuffing, deck chairs made of old milk cartons, and chairs made with removable, washable and replaceable covers. Do you really need to buy brand new furniture?

Also try and find a local workshop or skilled tradesman who could make the furniture locally, preferably from re-used wood. From experience this is harder to find depending on where you live.

If doing an extension or major refurbishment, you could also install wood floors made from reclaimed pallets; you could install long life low emission fluorescent bulbs, and install skylights roof windows or larger windows around the house to minimize daytime lighting needs. And throughout the house why not use non-toxic, water-based paints?

Very importantly, make sure your loft is well insulated. Many local councils in the UK run a “warm homes” scheme for people on low incomes. This was in fact a little known piece of government legislation that enabled this and is covered in full under the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000. Take advantage of these. Most heat loss contrary to what “smarmy” double glazing salesmen tell you, is through the roof, not the windows!

Exterior

The exterior of the house also needs attention. Use water catchment systems like water “butts” to harvest water for watering plants etc. Make sure all your windows are in good condition and are clean to let in the most light. Make sure there are no areas where damp can get into the house. Damp can not only make your house feel colder, it can also very badly affect your health (buy to let landlords take note please).

Make sure the walls are in good condition and get them repainted regularly. One option would be to choose a professional specialist company to apply a long life exterior wallcoating. This specialist high performance paint is installed with either a spray or a roller, depending on the material used.

Not only can it cut down on spending money year after year repainting, it can also stop damp and make the inside of the house warmer due to not only cutting out wind chill, but also insulating properties too. Most of these coatings are far thicker than paint and they don’t need to be redone ever year, so that’s about 10 coats of paint at the same time, saving money and the environment in the long term, especially as many are made with natural dyes and resins in small to mid size manufacturing facilities instead of huge multinational factories belching out smoke and chemicals. The best site to find out more info about insulating exterior coatings for houses is the world renowned www.neverpaintagain.co.uk

The other benefit is that the work is done ONCE every 25 years instead of every year, thus less materials used in time, less van and lorry journeys, and less pollution. (and less money)

Do more research about how to make your house greener, get involved. There are plenty of great websites out there that can offer some valuable help and advise to start going green, and staying green, but its anyone’s guess as to whether the whole world will take note, but its worth a go.

Green lifestyle

There are other smaller things you can do to make your household use less energy and be more green. Consider a hybrid (electric) car. A combination of an electric motor and a normal one. Few cars have them (probably due to pressure from huge oil companies to buy more fuel), but one day these will probably be the norm. If the public transport system in the Uk wasn’t so awful, you could consider taking a bus or train (where they still exist), although if renovating a house, that’s going to be pretty hard, but tell that to the government!

Don’t leave your TV, stereo etc on standby. If you’re not using it, switch it off. Cup of tea? Don’t fill the kettle up for one cup, you’re throwing money away. Off on a plane? With cheap flights it’s tempting but think what you are doing to the planet. Why not holiday in the UK instead. (no, don’t laugh!)

Can we move to a society where we can all “carbon offset” anything we do that uses energy? Carbon offsetting is whereby if you chop down 10 trees to build a house made of wood, then you replant 10 trees (or even more) to “offset” what you’ve done. A very brave vision indeed, although if society will change for the better, only time will tell. With summer around the corner, traditionally the busiest time in the UK for home improvement, just stop and think for a minute about what you’re doing!

Unless you’re mega rich, do you REALLY need that outside spa? Do you REALLY need to buy brand new chain store furniture? And why put a finish outside that you have to repaint every 2 years or so? Whats the point? Evidence from various sources, and from my own analysis, suggest that the housing market in the UK maybe up for a sharp drop in 2008.

As being “green” and environmentally sound is becoming far more popular as people become aware of what they are doing to the planet, a “green” house, or at least a house that is energy efficient, coupled with one that is in good repair and visually appealing, will be easier to sell, and cheaper to maintain in the long term and will provide instant street cred, with the advantage of helping to save our planet.

So what’s stopping you becoming green now?

About the Author

Guy Alexander Bell is a businessman and ex graduate of the University of Plymouth. He edits the UK based online paint magazine “Never paint again”. His work has been featured in several different prestige publications all over the world. Check out his website for more info at http://www.neverpaintagain.co.uk

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=428052

Global Warming Prevention   by Della Franklin

Global warming is an issue that affects everyone who calls anywhere on earth home. We should each make an effort to do what we can do in order to ensure that we are preventing global warming. Here, you will find an outline of tips that you should use in order to know your part in global warming. Apply the suggestions that are listed here, and send them to your friend, family, and coworkers. Pass it along to everyone you know so that we can all work together to save the world.

1) One of the first steps that you can take in order to prevent global warming is to make sure that you keep the tires on your vehicles properly inflated. If you allow your tires to be on the road and they are not properly inflated, you could produce hundreds of pounds of greenhouse gases each year. Greenhouse gases lead to the damage that global warming produces.

2) When shopping for groceries, do not allow yourself to walk away with plastic and paper bags. Take a cloth bag to the store in order to carry your merchandise. By doing so, you are reducing the need to throw away the plastic bags and contribute to the global warming crisis.

3) In each of our homes, we should try to find the lights that we use the most and then replace the bulbs with bulbs that are specifically designed to be energy efficient. This may cost more than a standard bulb, but it will prevent the damaging effects of global warming and reduce the amount that you pay on your electricity bill each month as well.

4) Many farms and farming equipment put harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere that lead to global warming. If you would like to prevent global warming, you should try to buy foods that are organic in nature. You may also consider growing your own food and buying the food that is grown in your area. This reduces the gases that are released into the atmosphere and the gasoline that is required to ship food to your area.

5) You may want to check the filter that your vehicle uses to circulate air every couple of months. If an air filter becomes congested and dirty, it will release nasty gases into the atmosphere that lead to global warming.

6) It is important that you try to use products that are recycled. If you do this, it will reduce the amount of waste in landfills and will also reduce the need to cut down more trees in the environment.

7) You can also prevent global warming by driving your vehicle less. You can carpool with others, or take a public transportation method. You may even consider buying a bicycle or walking to places that you wish to go. This is not only great for the environment, but great for your body as well!

About the Author

www.tellmeaboutglobalwarming.com brings you thought provoking information about global warming. Be sure to check out all the pages and decide for yourself. © 2007 copyright by DSquare Marketing and Della Franklin.

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=582092