Nuclear Energy

Nuclear power for you - nuclear waste for the others?


The need for electricity has constantly risen world-wide over the last years. This is not only true for the so-called developing countries but also and in particular for all well-developed countries. In order to fulfil the demand, obviously additional power plants have to be built.
Which technology is best for generating electricity? This question certainly has to be answered on a case by case base. But it is very concerning that nuclear power plants more and more seem to be chosen as "the" technology of the future.
After the reactor accident in Chernobyl 1986, almost nobody could imagine to agree to build further nuclear power plants - the risks involved definitely seemed to be too high. On one hand that accident is years ago and most people's memory is quite bad and on the other hand the global warming problem mainly due to the excessive emission of CO2, has revived nuclear energy. All the sudden the former risky nuclear power seems to be the best answer to solve the CO2 emission problem!


Where is the problem with nuclear power plants? Cons and pros of nuclear power


The security of nuclear power plants is still and will always be problematic because of the consequences of an accident. Just very recently a reactor catastrophe similar to Chernobyl could only be avoided with luck in Sweden. Nothing can be made 100% secure no matter how many security systems are built in. We have to live with a (small) probability of failure. Therefore the more nuclear power plants exist, the more likely are accidents. This is not pessimism but pure probabilistic mathematics.If a car crashes, a few people are involved. If a train crashes, a few hundred people may get involved. However if a nuclear power plant crashes, millions of people and at the end the whole planet earth with all its inhabitants will get involved - that is the big difference.
Not less problematic for nuclear power plants is the nuclear waste. The only way to get rid of the dangerous radiating waste is to put it into thick shielded containers and dispose them in cavern in the earth or (even worse) in the sea. There it has to be shielded away for several hundred thousand years.
What gives us the right to produce dangerous waste now, which afterwards has to be surveyed several hundred thousand years? How can we be sure that those places where we bury the dangerous waste will remain stable and calm for so many years? Didn't people believe exactly the same only 20 years ago, when dangerous waste from the chemical industry was "safely" put into garbage dumps? Dumps, which are now already being dug out and repaired.
Many people (and many governments) now praise nuclear power plants as inevitable for our well-being. The background is on one hand the increasing demand for electricity and on the other hand the fact that nuclear energy does not directly generate CO2. It is quite clever from the nuclear power lobby to sell this technology as solution to the problem of global warming.
However we should not forget that nuclear power generates waste with a harming potential even higher than that of CO2. This is not at all to de-emphasize the problem of global warming - but please don't replace something bad with something even worse!


Stop wasting energy - increase the efficiency


It is important to realize that the energy problems on the earth can only be solved when we stop to waste energy, when we start to use the energy much more efficiently. The technology for a more efficient use of energy does not have to be invented first. Such technology already exists! We as consumers only have to ask for it and to use it.
Almost without any reduction of the personal comfort and well-being, it is already now possible to reduce the personal need for energy by a factor of 3 or 4. Sounds impossible, doesn't it?
Here we can see our personal responsibility: We cannot on one hand consume more and more electrical energy year after year and on the other hand ban dangerous technologies. If we generate a demand on the market and if we have the money to pay for the electricity, someone will sooner or later produce electricity and sell it to us. Unfortunately there is no larger organization or group which makes money on saving energy. However there are lot's of organizations, which can make money on producing and trading electrical energy. For all of them, the more energy we need, the better.
It is therefore left to our own free will to safe energy and to apply energy-efficient technologies.


How you can save energy


In the following, please find some concrete suggestions:
a) Get rid of standby losses
An average household has between 10 and 30 electrical appliances, which are normally not completely switched off but instead on standby mode. This includes TV, entertainment systems, toasters, computers, printers, wireless lans, telephones, coffee machines, set-top cable boxes, rechargers, etc. Recent studies in the USA found out that between 10% and 30% of the electrical power consumption of an average household is for such standby or "leaking" electricity.
Germany currently operates 17 nuclear power plants. Alone 2 of them are needed to produce the energy for the useless standby power of electrical appliances in Germany! In the European community, it was suggested that 12 large nuclear power plants were in operation just for the above mentioned standby losses. This was found out for the year 2000, most likely it will even be worse nowadays due to the ever increasing number of electrical appliances. Outside of Europe, most likely the situation is even worse, due to the even higher electrical power consumption per household (see graph below).

For already existing appliances the easiest solution is to unplug them when not in use. An alternative is to group appliances on one power strip so that all can be turned off at once. This works well for entertainment systems or for a computer and its associated printers, scanners and other peripheral devices. If you buy new electrical devices make sure their standby power consumption is less than 1 Watt.

b) Use efficient lightning
Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents (CFLs) in all lamps, which are turned on for more than 30 minutes a day. An excerpt taken from the above mentioned site:
"...Compact fluorescents use four times less energy, and last eight times longer (8,000h instead of 1,000h) than incandescent light bulbs. For example, a typical 75W incandescent bulb will be replaced by an 18W compact fluorescent. The compact fluorescent will be more expensive to buy, but you will need to replace it eight times less often and it will use less electricity, which often makes it the biggest electricity saver in your house. ...."

c) Buy efficient electric appliances.
They use two to 10 times less electricity for the same functionality and are mostly higher quality products that last longer than the less efficient ones. In short, efficient appliances save you lots of energy and money. Take a look at the 4th bar with the label "High-efficient" in the above chart - this gives an idea how much reduction of the energy consumptions in households is possible with todays technologies.
Take a look at your appliances in use and find out whether it would make sense to replace them with more efficient ones. For new devices, make sure you buy only the best in class as far as efficiency is concerned.
In many countries, efficiency rating labels are mandatory on most appliances. In the EU, models are labelled A++ for the most efficient, then A+, A, B, C, D for subsequently less efficient models. Look for the A++ or A+ models. In the US, the Energy Star label is used.

d) Use solar energy to heat or cool your house and to heat water
If you own a house or a flat, take into consideration to use solar energy for heating, cooling and for producing warm water. This is most efficient use of renewable energy.

Is it worth the effort?

Do you think your contribution can only be very little? Might well be, but let's look at the mass effects. Assume you switch off your electronic devices instead of leaving them in the standby mode. This way you might easily save 100 W in your household. This leads to 880 kWh per year. In terms of money this might be some 88 € or 115 $ per year. If you look at an average nuclear power plant with a yearly production of 10 Milliard kWh, you could switch off an average sized nuclear power plant if 11.4 Mio households do the same. Be one of those who make it happen!
So what is this all about for yourself? Instead to resign or to write articles about saving electricity, you should immediately start to realize the most important measures according to the above list in your personal live. It is of little help if 100 Mio. people scream out what "one" should do but don't do it in their very own life.

Take responsibility

Please remember, that you are responsible for everything in your life you do or do not do - and not for that what others do or don't do. How you behave in this life will finally influence and shape your future and your life in future incarnations.
He who wants to growth his awareness can do this only in taking responsibility for his personal behavior. Our behavior in our daily life decides whether we will come closer to our goal of great inner joy and calmness - of perpetual harmony.
We have to remember that mankind is only a small part of nature. Respect and humility of the great wonder of the nature are indispensable for personal development. He who truly loves nature cannot seriously think about waste natural resources and dig harmful nuclear waste for thousand of years in the lap of nature.
However, he who for these reasons is against nuclear power plants must first start at himself and reduce his personal electrical energy consumption. This doesn't even mean to give up something - it simply means to use electrical energy in a much more efficient way.

Shouldn't this actually go without saying? Please do start now. It is time for change!

Solar Panels

The term solar panel is best applied to a flat solar thermal collector, such as a solar hot water or air panel used to heat water, air, or otherwise collect solar thermal energy. But 'solar panel' may also refer to a photovoltaic module which is an assembly of solar cells used to generate electricity. In all cases, the panels are typically flat, and are available in various heights and widths.
An array is an assembly of solar-thermal panels or photovoltaic (PV) modules; the panels can be connected either in parallel or series depending upon the design objective. Solar panels typically find use in residential, commercial, institutional, and light industrial applications.
Solar-thermal panels saw widespread use in Florida and California until the 1920's when tank-type water heaters replaced them. A thriving manufacturing business died seemingly overnight. However, solar-thermal panels are still in production, and are common in portions of the world where energy costs, and solar energy availability, are high.
Recently there has been a surge toward large scale production of PV modules. In parts of the world with significantly high insolation levels, PV output and their economics are enhanced. PV modules are the primary component of most small-scale solar-electric power generating facilities. Larger facilities, such as solar power plants typically contain an array of reflectors (concentrators), a receiver, and a thermodynamic power cycle, and thus use solar-thermal rather than PV.
The largest solar panel in the world is under construction in the south of Portugal. A 52,000 photovoltaic module, 11-megawatt facility covering a 60-hectare south-facing hillside in the southern Alentejo region and it will produce electricity for 21,000 households.

Top 10 steps to Create Global Warming Awareness

1. Use less produce able Carbon Dioxide bulbs or lightings
Don’t use fluorescent bulbs as it takes high ratio of energy to output large amount of lights. So replace it with less energy consumable light bulbs. Scientist has discovered that if we use CFL bulb than we can lower down nearly 700 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the air over the bulb's lifetime. It use only a quarter of the energy consumed by conventional bulbs.
2. Efficient usage of Home Appliances
In home we are using energy more than required and it resulting wastage of energy. As we get energy by power plants, which burn fossil fuel to power our electric products. Making it burn outputs air pollution and contributes to smog, acid rain and global warming. If we use less energy definitely we will be saving money as well as energy.The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy estimates that if each of us increases the energy-efficiency in our major appliances by 10 - 30%, we'll release the demand for electricity by the equivalent of 25 large power plants!
3. Buy power saving Appliances
While you go for shopping for any electric appliances don’t buy appliances which use power above than average use specially appliances such as Refrigerator, Stove, Washer/Dryer, Air Conditioners, Water Heater, Computers and Home Office Equipment. Buy which has highest energy efficiency rating specified by any experts or sources.By using appliances marked with Energy Star Logo can help us to save 15 percent of energy than the federal requirement.Energy Star is the symbol for energy efficiency. It's a label created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy to help consumers save money and minimize air pollution.
4. Mineralize the energy needed for heating
USA Scientist concluded that heating and cooling systems in the U.S.A. emit into the atmosphere more than millions of tons of carbon dioxide each year, which increasing the % of Global Warming rates. By decreasing the usage appliances we can save lots of energy which emits heat.
5. Save your fuel while driving
You can’t image that you can manage to save your fuel 30% by simple vehicle maintenance and attention to your style of driving in an appropriate way. You should take care of for saving fuel by: Don’t drive aggressively, Drive steadily at posted speed limits, Avoid idling your vehicle, Make sure your tires are properly inflated, Select the right gear, Service your vehicle regularly and much more.
6. Drive less and Use public transports more
If you try to drive less and walk more than it would be great contribution towards saving energy and creating global warming awareness. You should try travel by taking the bus, riding a bike, or walking. Try consolidating trips to the mall or longer routine drives. Encourage car-pooling.
7. Paint your Home according to Seasons
Paint your home a light color if you live in a warm climate, or a dark color in a cold climate. This can contribute saving up to 5000 pounds of carbon dioxide per year.
8. Recycle every material
Try not to use products and materials which are not recyclable. Recycling saves energy, landfill space and natural resources. Increase usage of recycled materials such as paper & cardboard, plastic, glass, aluminum, steel & copper. Visit your local recycling center and find out what materials they accept for recycling. For your convenience use plastic bags or totes to store materials for recycling.
9. Eat more vegetarian meals than non-vegetarians
Avoid eating non-vegetarian food as it is not good for human health as well as to the planet. Try to this meal to increase your contribution towards Global Warming Awareness: Nutburgers, Irish Colcannon, Tofu Tamale Pie, Tofu Loaf, Grilled Polenta with Portabello Mushrooms, Vegetable Fajitas and many more.
10. Choose clean Energy Options
If you can choose your electricity supplier, pick a company that generates at least half its power from wind, solar energy and other renewable sources.

Global Warming Facts

Global warming is caused by green house gases, which trap in the sun’s infrared rays in the earth’s atmosphere, which in turn heat up the earth’s atmosphere. These green house effect warming is called as global warming. The effects of green house effect are visible more prominently in the recent years, with number of natural calamities on the rise in the whole world.

The global warming has happened in the past few years and is evident from the rise in mean temperature of the earth’s atmosphere. The main causes for the global warming are attributed to release of green house gases by human activities. The main gases contributing to green house effect are carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane and nitrous oxide. The largest producers of these gases are the thermal power plants, which burn the fossil fuels and produce these gases in large quantities. The second biggest sources of these green house gases are the road vehicles and industries.

The global warming has led to increase in mean earth surface temperature and thus melting of polar ice. There are frequent melt down of glaciers that result in floods and other natural calamities. The melting of ice at the poles had led the mean sea level. And further increase in temperature may further melt the ice and lead to further increase in mean sea level, which will engulf low lying countries.

The effect of global warming is very evident on the animal kingdom also. Some animals have become extinct due to loss of their natural habitat or their inability to evolve to the rapid changes in the climate. Also there is a change in their life style because of the changes in the seasons. The migrating birds have changed their time of travel and also their place of migration.

The effect of global warming can be felt on seasons too. There is shift in season cycle, as the summers are getting longer than the winters. This has affected the animals and made them to change their lifestyle accordingly, and those who failed to do so have perished or on the verge of extinction.

The global warming is also responsible for the introduction of some new diseases. The bacteria are more effective and multiply much faster in warmer temperatures compared to cold temperatures. The increase in temperature has led to increase in the microbes that cause diseases.

Global warming is also effecting the crop production, as the crops are getting destroyed by the sudden change in temperatures or sudden on set of rains. Also the flash floods and other natural calamities affect the crop.

As a matter of fact, because of global warming, the earth’s atmosphere is getting more unpredictable with heavy rains in the areas, which have scanty rainfall or drought in the areas, which received good annual rainfall. The months of rainfall has also getting affected.

But there are some people on the other side of the wall also, they believe that the global warming is a natural process and cannot disturb our ecosystem. The earth’s surface mean temperature was even higher a long time ago, and the ecosystem has evolved from that temperature to this. So it can evolve further. But the changes that are happening now are rather fast compared to earlier times.

Definition for global warming - what is global warming?

The question about the definition for global warming or in other words "what is global warming" is relatively easy to answer. We hereby lean at the definitions and explanations given in Wikipedia:

Global warming is the observed and projected increases in the average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans. The Earth's average temperature rose about 0.6° Celsius (1.1° Fahrenheit) in the 20th century, see temperature graphs below.

Prediction for future temperature increase (global warming predictions)

According to different assumption about the future behaviour of mankind, a projection of current trends as represented by a number of different scenarios gives temperature increases of about 3° to 5° C (5° to 9° Fahrenheit) by the year 2100 or soon afterwards. A 3°C or 5° Fahrenheit rise would likely raise sea levels by about 25 meters (about 82 feet).

Cause and effect for global warming

Cause of global warming



Almost 100% of the observed temperature increase over the last 50 years has been due to the increase in the atmosphere of greenhouse gas concentrations like water vapour, carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and ozone. Greenhouse gases are those gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect (see below). The largest contributing source of greenhouse gas is the burning of fossil fuels leading to the emission of carbon dioxide.



The greenhouse effect

When sunlight reaches Earth's surface some is absorbed and warms the earth and most of the rest is radiated back to the atmosphere at a longer wavelength than the sun light. Some of these longer wavelengths are absorbed by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere before they are lost to space. The absorption of this longwave radiant energy warms the atmosphere. These greenhouse gases act like a mirror and reflect back to the Earth some of the heat energy which would otherwise be lost to space. The reflecting back of heat energy by the atmosphere is called the "greenhouse effect".

The major natural greenhouse gases are water vapor, which causes about 36-70% of the greenhouse effect on Earth (not including clouds); carbon dioxide CO2, which causes 9-26%; methane, which causes 4-9%, and ozone, which causes 3-7%. It is not possible to state that a certain gas causes a certain percentage of the greenhouse effect, because the influences of the various gases are not additive. Other greenhouse gases include, but are not limited to, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and chlorofluorocarbons.

Global warming causes by greenhouse effect


Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (see above) act like a mirror and reflect back to the Earth a part of the heat radiation, which would otherwise be lost to space. The higher the concentration of green house gases like carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the more heat energy is being reflected back to the Earth. The emission of carbon dioxide into the environment mainly from burning of fossil fuels (oil, gas, petrol, kerosene, etc.) has been increased dramatically over the past 50 years, see graph below.

The increase of greenhouse gas concentration (mainly carbon dioxide) led to a substantial warming of the earth and the sea, called global warming. In other words: The increase in the man-made emission of greenhouse gases is the cause for global warming. For the effects of global warming see below.

Effects of global warming

There are two major effects of global warming:
1.) Increase of temperature on the earth by about 3° to 5° C (34° to 41° Fahrenheit) by the year 2100.
2.) Rise of sea levels by at least 25 meters (82 feet) by the year 2100.

More details about the effects of global warming :
Increasing global temperatures are causing a broad range of changes. Sea levels are rising due to thermal expansion of the ocean, in addition to melting of land ice. Amounts and patterns of precipitation are changing. The total annual power of hurricanes has already increased markedly since 1975 because their average intensity and average duration have increased (in addition, there has been a high correlation of hurricane power with tropical sea-surface temperature).
Changes in temperature and precipitation patterns increase the frequency, duration, and intensity of other extreme weather events, such as floods, droughts, heat waves, and tornadoes. Other effects of global warming include higher or lower agricultural yields, further glacial retreat, reduced summer stream flows, species extinctions. As a further effect of global warming, diseases like malaria are returning into areas where they have been extinguished earlier.
Although global warming is affecting the number and magnitude of these events, it is difficult to connect specific events to global warming. Although most studies focus on the period up to 2100, warming is expected to continue past then because carbon dioxide (chemical symbol CO2) has an estimated atmospheric lifetime of 50 to 200 years.

Global Warming Fast Facts

Global warming, or climate change, is a subject that shows no sign of cooling down.
Here's the lowdown on why it's happening, what's causing it, and how it might change the planet.
Is It Happening?
Yes. Earth is already showing many signs of worldwide climate change.
• Average temperatures have climbed 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit (0.8 degree Celsius) around the world since 1880, much of this in recent decades, according to NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies.
• The rate of warming is increasing. The 20th century's last two decades were the hottest in 400 years and possibly the warmest for several millennia, according to a number of climate studies. And the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports that 11 of the past 12 years are among the dozen warmest since 1850.
• The Arctic is feeling the effects the most. Average temperatures in Alaska, western Canada, and eastern Russia have risen at twice the global average, according to the multinational Arctic Climate Impact Assessment report compiled between 2000 and 2004.
• Arctic ice is rapidly disappearing, and the region may have its first completely ice-free summer by 2040 or earlier. Polar bears and indigenous cultures are already suffering from the sea-ice loss.
• Glaciers and mountain snows are rapidly melting—for example, Montana's Glacier National Park now has only 27 glaciers, versus 150 in 1910. In the Northern Hemisphere, thaws also come a week earlier in spring and freezes begin a week later.
• Coral reefs, which are highly sensitive to small changes in water temperature, suffered the worst bleaching—or die-off in response to stress—ever recorded in 1998, with some areas seeing bleach rates of 70 percent. Experts expect these sorts of events to increase in frequency and intensity in the next 50 years as sea temperatures rise.
• An upsurge in the amount of extreme weather events, such as wildfires, heat waves, and strong tropical storms, is also attributed in part to climate change by some experts.

Are Humans Causing It?
• Industrialization, deforestation, and pollution have greatly increased atmospheric concentrations of water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, all greenhouse gases that help trap heat near Earth's surface. (See an interactive feature on how global warming works.)
• Humans are pouring carbon dioxide into the atmosphere much faster than plants and oceans can absorb it.
• These gases persist in the atmosphere for years, meaning that even if such emissions were eliminated today, it would not immediately stop global warming.
• Some experts point out that natural cycles in Earth's orbit can alter the planet's exposure to sunlight, which may explain the current trend. Earth has indeed experienced warming and cooling cycles roughly every hundred thousand years due to these orbital shifts, but such changes have occurred over the span of several centuries. Today's changes have taken place over the past hundred years or less.
• Other recent research has suggested that the effects of variations in the sun's output are "negligible" as a factor in warming, but other, more complicated solar mechanisms could possibly play a role.

What's Going to Happen?
A follow-up report by the IPCC released in April 2007 warned that global warming could lead to large-scale food and water shortages and have catastrophic effects on wildlife.
• Sea level could rise between 7 and 23 inches (18 to 59 centimeters) by century's end, the IPCC's February 2007 report projects. Rises of just 4 inches (10 centimeters) could flood many South Seas islands and swamp large parts of Southeast Asia.
• Some hundred million people live within 3 feet (1 meter) of mean sea level, and much of the world's population is concentrated in vulnerable coastal cities. In the U.S., Louisiana and Florida are especially at risk.
• Glaciers around the world could melt, causing sea levels to rise while creating water shortages in regions dependent on runoff for fresh water.
• Strong hurricanes, droughts, heat waves, wildfires, and other natural disasters may become commonplace in many parts of the world. The growth of deserts may also cause food shortages in many places.
• More than a million species face extinction from disappearing habitat, changing ecosystems, and acidifying oceans.
• The ocean's circulation system, known as the ocean conveyor belt, could be permanently altered, causing a mini-ice age in Western Europe and other rapid changes.
• At some point in the future, warming could become uncontrollable by creating a so-called positive feedback effect. Rising temperatures could release additional greenhouse gases by unlocking methane in permafrost and undersea deposits, freeing carbon trapped in sea ice, and causing increased evaporation of water.

Top Green Lighting Tips

1. CFL: The better bulb

Compact florescent bulbs (CFLs) are those swirley little guys that look like soft-serve ice cream cones. Actually, they come in a myriad of different shapes, sizes, and colors of light. Economically speaking, they’re a great deal, too. CFLs cost a bit more than an incandescent, but use about a quarter as much energy and last many times longer (usually around 10,000 hours). It is estimated that a CFL pays for its higher price after about 500 hours of use. After that, it’s money in your pocket. Also, because CFLs release less heat, not only are they safer, but your cooling load is less in the summer. CFLs aren’t hard to find anymore, and many cities will give them away for free. Wal-Mart has plans to sell 100 million of them.

2. Get the LEDs out

LEDs are a definite TreeHugger favorite. LEDs, or light emitting diodes, are a technology that allows for extremely energy efficient and extremely long-lasting light bulbs. LEDs are just starting to hit the consumer market in a big (read affordable) way and still cost quite a bit more than even CFLs, but use even less energy and last even longer. An LED light bulb can reduce energy consumption by 80-90% and last around 100,000 hours. They even light up faster than regular bulbs (which could save your life it there are LEDs in the brake lights of your car). They are almost always more expensive presently, but we have seen the cost go down steadily. It’s no coincidence that the Millennium Technology Prize went to the inventor of the LED.

Most LED lamps on the market have the bulbs built into them, so you buy the whole unit. For screw-in bulbs, check out Ledtronics, Mule, and Enlux. For desk lamps, check out a few affordable ones from Sylvania and Koncept. For more designer models, look at LEDs from Herman Miller and Knoll. Vessel rechargeable accent lamps represent some of the interesting new things LEDs can do as well.

3. Materials

Light isn’t all about the bulbs, though. Having eco-friendly lamps and light fixtures is key to greening your lighting. When scouting for new gear, keep your eyes out for lamps made with natural, recycled, or reused materials. Lights made from recycled materials include metal, glass, or plastic, and natural materials can include felt, cloth or wood. Interesting lamps that use reclaimed materials include these made from traffic signal lenses, and these made from wine bottles. Also, don’t be shy about borrowing ideas for reuse in your own projects (see DIY).

4. Disposabulb

Fluorescents last a long time, but when they’re dead, they have to be properly disposed of. CFLs, like all florescent bulbs, do contain a small amount of mercury, which means they definitely can’t be thrown in the trash. Every city has different services for recycling, so you’ll need to see what’s offered in your area. LEDs, to our knowledge, do not contain mercury, but the jury may still be out on how to best recycle them.

5. Wall warts

Power adaptors, or “wall warts” as they’re affectionately called, are those clunky things you find on many electrical cords, including those attached to lamps and some light fixtures. You’ll notice that they stay warm even when their device is turned off. This is because they in fact draw energy from the wall all the time. One way to green your lighting is to unplug their wall warts when not in use, attached lights to a power strip and turn off the whole switch when not in use, or get your hands on a “smart” power strip that knows when the devise is off.

6. DaylightingBy far, the best source of light we know is (yes, you guessed it) the sun, which gives off free, full-spectrum light all day. Make the most of daylight by keeping your blinds open (sounds obvious but you might be surprised). If you want to go a little farther, put in some skylights, or, of you are designing a home or doing a renovation, put as many windows on the south-facing side of the house as possible (or north-facing if you live in the southern hemisphere). To take it even further, sunlight can be “piped” inside via fiber optics and other light channeling technologies.

How to Go Green: Lighting

How we light up the places we live and work makes a big impact on how we feel. It also makes a big impact on the environment. The kind of bulbs, the kind of fixtures, the kind of power, and the habits we keep can all add up to a very significant greening. Start with the fact that a conventional incandescent bulb turns only around five to ten percent of its consumed energy into light, the rest goes out as heat. From there, there's no limit to how green your lighting can be.

Easy Ways to Recycle and Reduce Waste:

• Buy paper products made with at least partially recycled paper
  Look for home and office products that are made with recycled paper. You can purchase computer printer paper, notebooks, paper towels, toilet paper, and many other products that are made from 100% recycled paper.
• Drop off plastic bags at participating grocery stores to be recycled
  Many grocery stores have drop-off boxes at the entrances of their stores where you can easily recycle your old grocery bags.
• Stop getting "junk mail"
  Don't let paper be wasted on mail that you do not want anyway. Just call the customer service number printed on the catalog or advertisement and ask to be removed from the mailing list.

Things to Do at Home

1.Look around your kitchen to find some packaged products. What types of packaging are used most? Why do you think so many different kinds of packaging are used?
2.Design a label for the packaging of a new product. Remember to include information about the contents, quantity, ingredients and any other important details – make it attractive, so people will want to buy it!
3.Packaging is becoming lighter and lighter as people develop new ways to make stronger containers with less materials. Collect some different packages and weigh them on a set of kitchen scales. Why do some types of packaging have to be heavier than others?

Facts and Figures

• The first types of packaging were made from natural materials – dried animal skins were used to contain water, and reeds or wicker were weaved into simple baskets.
• Every pound spent on packaging protects at least £9 worth of food and goods.
• Over 60% of all packaging is for food.

How Do We Reduce Packaging?

Packaging stops goods from going to waste, but it also ends up as waste itself. We need to try to reduce the amount of packaging we throw away by:
1.Looking for packaging that is made from recycled materials.This way, you know that the packaging was made using the least amount of natural resources and energy possible.
2.Looking for packaging that can be recycled.This way, you can continue the recycling loop.
3.Choosing products carefully and make sure that things are packaged in the way that best suits how we are going to use them.This way, we don't use more packaging than necessary.

What do we use Packaging For?

Packaging is the name given to the containers in which products are bought, sold and transported. It is an important part of everything we buy. Most foods and drinks come in some type of packaging – imagine what would happen if this wasn't the case! Packaging is made from a variety of different materials, including paper and board, glass, steel, plastics and aluminium.
There are four main reasons for packaging:
1.To preserve food
2.To contain objects so that they can be transported safely
3.To describe and identify the contents, so that customers can find out the contents, weight and purpose of a product.
4.To protect the contents so that goods arrive without damage or spoilage.

Things To Do

1. Put a clear plastic bag in your garbage bin at home, so you can see what types of waste your family throws out. Over a week, note down the most common types of waste produced in your house.
2. If we don't reduce our waste, soon we will start running out of places to put it! Write a story about having to live in a "World of Garbage".
3. Do you think the amount and types of waste we produce today is different to that produced fifty years ago, or even a hundred years ago? Write down some differences you might expect.

Facts and Figures

• 3,500 dustbins full of rubbish are thrown away in Europe every minute
• If you collected all the waste you make in one year, it would weigh 10 times as much as you do!

How Can I Reduce Waste at Home?

Here are some ideas to help you and your family reduce the amount of waste that you produce at home:
1.Make more foods at home instead of buying takeaway or convenience foods.
2.Make gifts or cards for family and friends, instead of buying them.
3.Grow your own vegetables and flowers.
4.Buy second-hand books instead of new ones
5.Repair clothes, toys, and appliances rather than replacing them with new ones.
6.Hire, share and borrow things, rather than buying new ones, where possible.
7.Shop more carefully:
- use a shopping list
– only buy the things you really need- avoid goods that have too much packaging
- don't buy too many disposable products, such as tissues and nappies
- buy products that are strong, and will last you a long time
- take your own shopping bags to the supermarket

What is Waste?

Waste is the name given to everything that we throw away. After it is collected from your rubbish bin, some waste is burned, but most of it is buried in big holes in the ground called landfill sites. This causes problems because both burning and burying release chemicals which are bad for the environment. We are also running out of places to bury rubbish!
Reducing the amount of waste we produce has many benefits:
1.It conserves valuable resources, including forests, minerals, petroleum, and energy.
2.It saves money.
3.It helps the environment, because it reduces the amount of pollution, greenhouse gases, and disturbance of nature.

What you can do to reduce air pollution

1.Encourage your family to walk to the neighbourhood market.
2.Whenever possible take your bicycle.
3.As far as possible use public forms of transport.
4.Don’t let your father drop you to school, take the school bus.
5.Encourage your family to form a car pool to office and back.
6.Reduce the use of aerosols in the household.
7.Look after the trees in your neighbourhood.
8.Begin a tree-watch group to ensure that they are well tended and cared for.
9.Switch-off all the lights and fans when not required.
10.If possible share your room with others when the airconditioner, cooler or fan is on.
11.Do not burn leaves in your garden, put them in a compost pit.
12.Make sure that the pollution check for your family car is done at regular intervals
13.Cars should, as far as possible, be fitted with catalytic converters.
14.Use only unleaded petrol.

Indoor air pollution

It refers to the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of air in the indoor environment within a home, building, or an institution or commercial facility. Indoor air pollution is a concern in the developed countries, where energy efficiency improvements sometimes make houses relatively airtight, reducing ventilation and raising pollutant levels. Indoor air problems can be subtle and do not always produce easily recognized impacts on health. Different conditions are responsible for indoor air pollution in the rural areas and the urban areas.

In the developing countries, it is the rural areas that face the greatest threat from indoor pollution, where some 3.5 billion people continue to rely on traditional fuels such as firewood, charcoal, and cowdung for cooking and heating. Concentrations of indoor pollutants in households that burn traditional fuels are alarming. Burning such fuels produces large amount of smoke and other air pollutants in the confined space of the home, resulting in high exposure. Women and children are the groups most vulnerable as they spend more time indoors and are exposed to the smoke. In 1992, the World Bank designated indoor air pollution in the developing countries as one of the four most critical global environmental problems. Daily averages of pollutant level emitted indoors often exceed current WHO guidelines and acceptable levels. Although many hundreds of separate chemical agents have been identified in the smoke from biofuels, the four most serious pollutants are particulates, carbon monoxide, polycyclic organic matter, and formaldehyde. Unfortunately, little monitoring has been done in rural and poor urban indoor environments in a manner that is statistically rigorous.
In urban areas, exposure to indoor air pollution has increased due to a variety of reasons, including the construction of more tightly sealed buildings, reduced ventilation, the use of synthetic materials for building and furnishing and the use of chemical products, pesticides, and household care products. Indoor air pollution can begin within the building or be drawn in from outdoors. Other than nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and lead, there are a number of other pollutants that affect the air quality in an enclosed space.

Volatile organic compounds originate mainly from solvents and chemicals. The main indoor sources are perfumes, hair sprays, furniture polish, glues, air fresheners, moth repellents, wood preservatives, and many other products used in the house. The main health effect is the imitation of the eye, nose and throat. In more severe cases there may be headaches, nausea and loss of coordination. In the long term, some of the pollutants are suspected to damage to the liver and other parts of the body.

Tobacco smoke generates a wide range of harmful chemicals and is known to cause cancer. It is well known that passive smoking causes a wide range of problems to the passive smoker (the person who is in the same room with a smoker and is not himself/herself a smoker) ranging from burning eyes, nose, and throat irritation to cancer, bronchitis, severe asthma, and a decrease in lung function.
Pesticides , if used carefully and the manufacturers, instructions followed carefully they do not cause too much harm to the indoor air.
Biological pollutants include pollen from plants, mite, hair from pets, fungi, parasites, and some bacteria. Most of them are allergens and can cause asthma, hay fever, and other allergic diseases.
Formaldehyde is a gas that comes mainly from carpets, particle boards, and insulation foam. It causes irritation to the eyes and nose and may cause allergies in some people.
Asbestos is mainly a concern because it is suspected to cause cancer.
Radon is a gas that is emitted naturally by the soil. Due to modern houses having poor ventilation, it is confined inside the house causing harm to the dwellers.

Flyash

With the boom in population and industrial growth, the need for power has increased manifold. Nearly 73% of India’s total installed power generation capacity is thermal, of which 90% is coal-based generation, with diesel, wind, gas, and steam making up the rest. Thermal power generation through coal combustion produces minute particles of ash that causes serious environmental problems.
Commonly known as fly ash, these ash particles consist of silica, alumina, oxides of iron, calcium, and magnesium and toxic heavy metals like lead, arsenic, cobalt, and copper.
The 80-odd utility thermal power stations in India use bituminous coal and produce large quantities of fly ash. According to one estimate, up to 150 million tonnes of fly ash will be produced in India in the year 2000, primarily by thermal power plants and, to a lesser extent, by cement and steel plants and railways. This poses problems in the form of land use, health hazards, and environmental dangers. Both in disposal and in utilization utmost care has to be taken to safeguard the interest of human life, wild life, and such other considerations.
The prevalent practice is to dump fly ash on wastelands, and this has lain to waste thousands of hectares all over the country. To prevent the fly ash from getting airborne, the dumping sites have to be constantly kept wet by sprinkling water over the area. The coal industry in USA spends millions of dollars on lining fly ash dumping grounds. But in India, these sites are not lined and it leads to seepage, contaminating groundwater and soil. It lowers soil fertility and contaminates surface and ground water as it can leach into the subsoil. When fly ash gets into the natural draining system, it results in siltation and clogs the system. It also reduces the pH balance and portability of water. Fly ash interferes with the process of photosynthesis of aquatic plants and thus disturbs the food chain. Besides, fly ash corrodes exposed metallic structures in its vicinity.
In Delhi, the problem of fly ash is particularly severe as three power stations are located here. Being very minute, fly ash tends to remain airborne for a very long period leading to serious health problems as the airborne ash can enter the body. It causes irritation to eyes, skin, and nose, throat, and respiratory tract. Repeated inhalation of fly ash dust containing crystalline silica can cause bronchitis and lung cancer.

Tackling the problem of fly ash

Fly ash management has taken considerable strides over the past few years. Researches have been attempting to convert this waste into wealth by exploring viable avenues for fly ash management. Fly ash is oxide-rich and can be used as the raw material for different industries.
Today, fly ash bricks can be used as a building material. The American Embassy in India has used fly ash bricks in some of its recent construction. Use of fly ash as a part replacement of cement in mortar and concrete has started with the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi taking the lead. Use of fly ash in the construction of roads and embankments has been successfully demonstrated in the country and it is gaining acceptance. The NTPC (National Thermal Power Corporation) is setting up two fly ash brick manufacturing plants at Badarpur and Dadri near Delhi.
At TERI, researchers have proven that fly ash dumps can be reclaimed by suitable addition of organic matter and symbiotic fungi, making it commercially viable for activities like floriculture and silviculture. TERI researchers have successfully reclaimed a part of an ash pond at the Badarpur Thermal Power Station by introducing a mycorrhizal fungi-based organic bio-fertilizer. As the fungus germinates, it sustains on the partner plant and quickly spreads to the roots and beyond. It improves the plant's water and nutrient uptake, helps in the development of roots and soil-binding, stores carbohydrates and oils for use when needed, protects the plants from soil-borne diseases, and detoxifies contaminated soils. This helps in keeping both air and water pollution under control. It also helps revive wastelands and saves millions of litres of precious water from going down the fly ash slurries. Marigold, tuberose, gladiolus, carnation, sunflower, poplar, sheesham, and eucalyptus now grow at the demonstration site of the power station.
Use of fly ash in agricultural applications has been well demonstrated and has been accepted by a large number of farmers.
The National Capital Power Station of the NTPC has come up with an innovative technology for commercial utilization of this by-product. Known as the dry ash technology, it is considered environment-friendly. Under the dry ash technology, the fly ash is collected in huge mounds with a filter bed provided at the bottom of the mound. Grass is planted on the slopes of the fly ash mounds and polymer layering is also done to prevent the ash from being blown by the wind. Fly ash treated by this method develops certain physical properties that make it more suitable for commercial purposes.

Acid rain

Another effect of air pollution is acid rain. The phenomenon occurs when sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from the burning of fossil fuels such as, petrol, diesel, and coal combine with water vapour in the atmosphere and fall as rain, snow or fog. These gases can also be emitted from natural sources like volcanoes. Acid rain causes extensive damage to water, forest, soil resources and even human health. Many lakes and streams have been contaminated and this has led to the disappearance of some species of fish in Europe, USA and Canada as also extensive damage to forests and other forms of life. It is said that it can corrode buildings and be hazardous to human health. Because the contaminants are carried long distances, the sources of acid rain are difficult to pinpoint and hence difficult to control. For example, the acid rain that may have damaged some forest in Canada could have originated in the industrial areas of USA. In fact, this has created disagreements between Canada and the United States and among European countries over the causes of and solutions to the problem of acid rain. The international scope of the problem has led to the signing of international agreements on the limitation of sulphur and nitrogen oxide emissions.

Smog

The term smog was first used in 1905 by Dr H A Des Voeux to describe the conditions of fog that had soot or smoke in it. Smog is a combination of various gases with water vapour and dust. A large part of the gases that form smog is produced when fuels are burnt. Smog forms when heat and sunlight react with these gases and fine particles in the air. Smog can affect outlying suburbs and rural areas as well as big cities. Its occurrences are often linked to heavy traffic, high temperatures, and calm winds. During the winter, wind speeds are low and cause the smoke and fog to stagnate; hence pollution levels can increase near ground level. This keeps the pollution close to the ground, right where people are breathing. It hampers visibility and harms the environment. Heavy smog is greatly decreases ultraviolet radiation. In fact, in the early part of the 20th century, heavy smog in some parts of Europe resulted in a decrease in the production of natural vitamin D leading to a rise in the cases of rickets. Smog causes a misty haze similar to fog, but very different in composition. In fact the word smog has been coined from a combination of the words fog and smoke. Smog refers to hazy air that causes difficult breathing conditions.
The most harmful components of smog are ground-level ozone and fine airborne particles. Ground-level ozone forms when pollutants released from gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles and oil-based solvents react with heat and sunlight. It is harmful to humans, animals, and plants.
The industrial revolution in the 19th century saw the beginning of air pollution in Europe on a large scale and the presence of smog mainly in Britain. The industries and the households relied heavily on coal for heating and cooking. Due to the burning of coal for heat during the winter months, emissions of smoke and sulphur dioxide were much greater in urban areas than they were during the summer months. Smoke particles trapped in the fog gave it a yellow/black colour and this smog often settled over cities for many days.
The effects of smog on human health were evident, particularly when smog persisted for several days. Many people suffered respiratory problems and increased deaths were recorded, notably those relating to bronchial causes. A haze of dense harmful smog would often cover the city of London. The first smog-related deaths were recorded in London in 1873, when it killed 500 people. In 1880, the toll was 2000. London had one of its worst experiences with smog in December 1892. It lasted for three days and resulted in about 1000 deaths. London became quite notorious for its smog. By the end of the 19th century, many people visited London to see the fog. Despite gradual improvements in air quality during the 20th century, another major smog occurred in London in December 1952. The Great London Smog lasted for five days and resulted in about 4000 more deaths than usual. In response to the Great London Smog, the government passed its first Clean Air Act in 1956, which aimed to control domestic sources of smoke pollution by introducing smokeless zones. In addition, the introduction of cleaner coals led to a reduction in sulphur dioxide pollution. In the 1940s, severe smog began covering the city of Los Angeles in the USA.
Relatively little was done to control any type of pollution or to promote environmental protection until the middle of the 20th century. Today, smoke and sulphur dioxide pollution in cities is much lower than in the past, as a result of legislation to control pollution emissions and cleaner emission technology.

What is air pollution?

‘I’ll go out for a breath of fresh air’ is an often-heard phrase. But how many of us realize that this has become irrelevant in today’s world, because the quality of air in our cities is anything but fresh.

The moment you step out of the house and are on the road you can actually see the air getting polluted; a cloud of smoke from the exhaust of a bus, car, or a scooter; smoke billowing from a factory chimney, flyash generated by thermal power plants, and speeding cars causing dust to rise from the roads. Natural phenomena such as the eruption of a volcano and even someone smoking a cigarette can also cause air pollution.

Air pollution is aggravated because of four developments: increasing traffic, growing cities, rapid economic development, and industrialization. The Industrial Revolution in Europe in the 19th century saw the beginning of air pollution as we know it today, which has gradually become a global problem.

Some links:-

Did you Know

Smog

Acid rain

Flyash

Indoor air pollution

What can you do to reduce air pollution

Did you know?

The Industrial Revolution in Europe in the19th Century first saw the beginning of air pollution, which gradually became a major global problem.

The major air-polluting industries are iron, steel and, cement.

Of the 35-40 million tonnes of flyash generated annually by thermal power plants in India, only 2-3 percent is productively utilized.

The worst industrial disaster in India, occurred in 1984 in Bhopal the capital of Madhya Pradesh. A deadly chemical, methly isocyanate leaked out of the Union Carbide factory killing more than 2500 and leaving thousands sick. In fact the effects of this gas tragedy is being felt even today.

Every year some 50million cars are added to the world’s roads. Car making is now the largest manufacturing industry in the world.

In India the number of motorized vehicles have increased from 0.2 million in 1947 to 36.3 million in 1997.

The number of registered vehicles in Delhi is more than the sum total of registered vehicles in Mumbai, Calcutta, and Chennai.

Major contributor to Delhi's air pollution are vehicles.

Nearly three-fourths of India's population, which is rural, bears 84% of the burden of exposure to air pollution.

Growing population, poverty, and inadequate access to clean fuels in rural areas have perpetuated the use of biomass, thereby condemning more than 90% of rural households and more than 35% of urban hoseholds to high levels of indoor air pollution.

One of the most important measure to counter pollution is planting trees. With neem and peepal being the largest emitters of oxygen, planting them in the gardens purifies the surrounding air and helps in maintaining hygienic conditions. While champa, mogra and chameli have better chances of surviving pollution in summer, bulbous varieties do better in winter.

THE BIGGEST SINGLE STEP

The United States Can Take to Curb Global
Warming and Save Oil is to Raise the Fuel
Economy of Our Cars and Light Trucks.


By making our cars,pickup trucks,and SUVs go farther on a gallon of gas,Americans can
save billions of dollars, curb global warming pollution, and slash our dependence on oil
— making our nation safer and more secure.



In 1975, Congress enacted Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, doubling the fuel economy of new vehicles. By enacting these standards, the US saves approximately 3 million barrels of oil per day,
making it the most successful energy-saving measure ever adopted. However, despite breakthroughs in gas-saving technology, the government has allowed fuel economy standards to stagnate and auto companies have hawked inefficient SUVs and other trucks for nearly 20 years. As a result, the fuel economy of today’s new vehicles has fallen to the lowest level in over two decades. It doesn’t have to be this way. By using innovative and
cost-effective technology to increase our fuel economy,we can protect the environment,create jobs, and make America safer and more secure.

Cars and light trucks account for 40% of U.S. oil consumption and emit 20% of the nation’s carbon dioxide (CO2) pollution, the heat-trapping gas that causes global warming. Because each gallon of gasoline burned pumps 28 pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere, the average car emits about 63 tons of CO2 over its lifetime — and the average SUV or pickup emits around 82 tons. In comparison:America’s automobiles produce more global warming pollution than all the vehicles, power plants, and factories in Great Britain combined.

If all of the vehicles in the U.S. averaged 40 miles per gallon (mpg) we would save over 3 million barrels of oil each day; that is more oil than the United States currently imports from the Persian Gulf and could ever extract from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, combined.Getting 40 mpg would cut global warming pollution by 600 million tons a year and save consumers more than $45 billion each year at the gas pump. The U.S. is the
world’s largest global warming polluter — we must take the lead in reducing this pollution.

Carbon Footprint

Whenever human activities involve the burning of fossil fuels, carbon dioxide is emitted. This waste will accumulate in the atmosphere, contributing to global climate change, unless it can be captured and stored by plants. The carbon Footprint therefore measures the demand on biocapacity that results from burning fossil fuels in terms of the amount of forest area required to sequester these carbon dioxide emissions. Note that this does not suggest planting forests is the 'solution' to climate change; on the contrary, it shows that the biosphere does not have sufficient capacity to sequester all the carbon we are currently emitting.



Humanity's carbon Footprint has grown much faster than any other Footprint component, increasing more than nine fold since 1961 and now comprising about half the total demand we place on nature's regenerative capacity. With our overall Footprint now exceeding global biocapacity by about 30%, reducing our carbon Footprint is essential if we want to get out of overshoot. To be effective, however, this must be done in a careful, Footprint-neutral manner, and not simply by transfering demand from one Footprint component to another. For example, biofuels can be substituted for fossil fuels, but this requires cropland to grow the necessary biomass. If the resultant decrease of carbon Footprint is more than compensated for by an increase in the cropland Footprint, overshoot will grow rather than shrink.

Recently the term 'carbon Footprint' has been adopted as a shorthand for the amount of carbon (usually in tonnes) being emitted by an organization or activity. The carbon component of the Ecological Footprint differs in that it goes beyond simply describing the physical quantity of carbon being emitted, instead indicating the amount of nature's limited regenerative capacity required to get this carbon back out of the atmosphere.

Ecological Footprint : Overview

The Ecological Footprint is a resource management tool that measures how much land and water area a human population requires to produce the resources it consumes and to absorb its wastes under prevailing technology.

In order to live, we consume what nature offers. Every action impacts the planet's ecosystems. This is of little concern as long as human use of resources does not exceed what the Earth can renew. But are we taking more?

Today, humanity's Ecological Footprint is over 23% larger than what the planet can regenerate. In other words, it now takes more than one year and two months for the Earth to regenerate what we use in a single year. We maintain this overshoot by liquidating the planet's ecological resources. This is a vastly underestimated threat and one that is not adequately addressed.

By measuring the Ecological Footprint of a population (an individual, a city, a nation, or all of humanity) we can assess our overshoot, which helps us manage our ecological assets more carefully. Ecological Footprints enable people to take personal and collective actions in support of a world where humanity lives within the means of one planet.

The Challenge and the Goal: Sustainability
Sustainability is a simple idea. It is based on the recognition that when resources are consumed faster than they are produced or renewed, the resource is depleted and eventually used up. In a sustainable world, society's demand on nature is in balance with nature's capacity to meet that demand.

When humanity's ecological resource demands exceed what nature can continually supply, we move into what is termed ecological overshoot. According to a report by the World Resources Institute, the United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Development Programme, and the World Bank, World Resources 2000-2001, People and Ecosystems: The Fraying Web of Life, in addition to the growing depletion of non-renewable resources such as minerals, ores and petroleum, it is increasingly evident that renewable resources, and the ecological services they provide, are at even greater risk. Examples include collapsing fisheries, carbon-induced climate change, species extinction, deforestation, and the loss of groundwater in much of the world.

We depend on these ecological assets to survive. Their depletion systematically undermines the well being of people. Livelihoods disappear, resource conflicts emerge, land becomes barren, and resources become increasingly costly or unavailable. This depletion is exacerbated by the growth in human population as well as by changing lifestyles that are placing more demand on natural resources.

Our Approach to Sustainability: Resource Accounting
Keeping track of the compound effect of humanity's consumption of natural resources and generation of waste is one key to achieving sustainability.

As long as our governments and business leaders do not know how much of nature's capacity we use or how resource use compares to existing stocks, overshoot may go undetected - increasing the ecological deficit and reducing nature's capacity to meet society's needs.

The Ecological Footprint is a resource accounting tool used to address underlying sustainability questions. It measures the extent to which humanity is using nature's resources faster than they can regenerate. It illustrates who uses how much of which ecological resources, with populations defined either geographically or socially. And, it shows to what extent humans dominate the biosphere at the expense of wild species.

The Ecological Footprint clarifies the relationship of resource use to equity by explicitly tying individuals' and groups' activities to ecological demands. These connections help decision makers more accurately and equitably shape policy in support of social and environmental justice.

Continued overshoot is not inevitable. The Ecological Footprint provides a systematic resource accounting tool that can help us plan for a world in which we all live well, within the means of our one planet.

Ten things you can do to help curb Global Warming

Responsible Choices

The choices we make and the products we buy test our commitment to maintain a healthy planet. When we burn fossil fuels—such as oil, coal, and natural gas—to run our cars and light our homes, we pump carbon dioxide (CO2) into the air. This thickens the heat-trapping blanket that surrounds the planet, causing global warming.
Choosing modern technology can reduce our use of fossil fuels and help protect the planet. These ten steps will help curb global warming, save you money, and create a safer environment for the future.

1.Drive Smart!
A well-tuned car with properly inflated tires burns less gasoline—cutting pollution and saving you money at the pump. If you have two cars, drive the one with better gas mileage whenever possible. Better yet, skip the drive and take public transit, walk, or bicycle when you can.

2.Buy Local and Organic
Did you know the average American meal travels more than 1,500 miles from the farm to your plate? Think of all the energy wasted and pollution added to the atmosphere—not to mention all the pesticides and chemicals used to grow most produce! So go to your local organic farmer to get your fruits and veggies.

3.Support clean, renewable energy.
Renewable energy solutions, such as wind and solar power, can reduce our reliance on coal-burning power plants, the largest source of global warming pollution in the United States. Call your local utility and sign up for renewable energy. If they don't offer it, ask them why not?

4.Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs.
Especially those that burn the longest each day. Compact fluorescents produce the same amount of light as normal bulbs, but use about a quarter of the electricity and last ten times as long. Each switch you make helps clean the air today, curb global warming, and save you money on your electricity bill.

5.Saving energy at home is good for the environment and for your wallet.
Start with caulking and weather-stripping on doorways and windows. Then adjust your thermostat and start saving. For each degree you lower your thermostat in the winter, you can cut your energy bills by three percent. Finally, ask your utility company to do a free energy audit of your home to show you how to save even more money.

6.Become a smart water consumer.
Install low-flow showerheads and faucets and you'll use half the water without decreasing performance. Then turn your hot water heater down to 120°F and see hot-water costs go down by as much as 50 percent.

7.Buy energy-efficient electronics and appliances.
Replacing an old refrigerator or an air conditioner with an energy-efficient model will save you money on your electricity bill and cut global warming pollution. Look for the Energy Star label on new appliances or visit their website at www.energystar.gov to find the most energy-efficient products.

8.Plant a Tree, protect a forest.
Protecting forests is a big step on the road to curbing global warming. Trees "breathe in" carbon dioxide, but slash-and-burn farming practices, intensive livestock production, and logging have destroyed 90 percent of the native forests in the United States. And you can take action in your own backyard—planting shade trees around your house will absorb CO2, and slash your summer air-conditioning bills.

9.Reduce! Reuse! Recycle!
Producing new paper, glass, and metal products from recycled materials saves 70 to 90 percent of the energy and pollution, including CO2, that would result if the product came from virgin materials. Recycling a stack of newspapers only four feet high will save a good-sized tree. Please... buy recycled products!

10.Mount a local campaign against global warming.
Educate your community about how it can cut global warming pollution. Support measures at the national, state, and local level that:

Make automobiles go further on a gallon of gas;
Accelerate the use of clean, renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind;
Increase energy efficiency and conservation; and
Preserve forests around the world.

Global Warming Solutions

Fighting global warming is a daunting task, but there are many steps we can all take to help curb it. The Sierra Club believes that we can save our planet while preserving our way of life; that instead of falling into despair, we should look to this challenge as an opportunity. Now is the time for a bold shift to a safer, cleaner energy future built on clean power and energy-saving technology. To learn more about the ways to fight global warming, see the options below.

Way 1Global Warming Policy Solutions

We already have the clean energy technology to tackle the pressing issue of global warming. The Sierra Club believes that in order to safely and effectively mitigate the effects of climate change, comprehensive global warming legislation must accomplish the following:


(1.)Reduce emissions to avoid dangerous global warming: Scientists tell us that we must cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% by 2050 to prevent global temperatures from rising more than 2º C over pre-industrial averages. Not only must global warming policy require such emissions reductions, but it must also ensure the U.S. adheres to this mandate by requiring periodic scientific review of progress toward sufficient emission reductions that will meet this goal. Legislation should direct EPA to adjust its regulatory process based on future scientific study and review of climate change to ensure that we meet measurable, intermittent emission reduction benchmarks between now and 2050 that will prevent a rise in global temperatures above dangerous levels.


(2.)Transition America to a clean energy economy in a just and equitable way: Global warming is among the greatest challenges of our time, but also presents extraordinary opportunities to harness home-grown clean energy sources and encourage technological innovation. These bold shifts toward a clean energy future can create hundreds of thousands of new jobs and generate billions of dollars in capital investment. But in order to maximize these benefits across all sectors of our society, comprehensive global warming legislation must auction emission allowances to polluters and use these public assets for public benefit programs.

Such programs include financial assistance to help low and moderate-income consumers and workers offset higher energy costs as well as programs that assist with adaptation efforts in communities vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Revenue generated from emissions allowances should also aid the expansion of renewable and efficient energy technologies that quickly, cleanly, cheaply, and safely reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and curb global warming. Lastly, it is absolutely vital that comprehensive global warming legislation not preempt state authority to cut greenhouse gas emissions more aggressively than mandated by federal legislation.


(3.)Aid communities and ecosystems vulnerable to harm from global warming: Global warming has already negatively affected vulnerable communities and eco-systems, the vast majority of which have contributed least to global greenhouse gas emissions. These include states, localities and tribes that will require financial assistance to adapt infrastructure to respond to climate change, developing countries and small island states that are vulnerable to sea level rises and already suffer from heat waves, water shortages and food and water-borne disease, as well as wildlife and ecosystems that will require assistance to preserve natural habitats and prevent wildfires.

As the world's leading emitter of greenhouse gas pollution, the U.S. has an obligation to assist communities and regions that are suffering the consequences of our carbon dioxide emissions.

In addition to passing comprehensive global warming legislation, the Sierra Club believes in federal energy policy that will transition us away from our dirty, fossil-fuel past toward a clean energy future. Learn more about the energy bills in Congress we support. We are also conducting local campaigns across the country to conserve our energy use and use cleaner energy. Our priorities include:


Encouraging more states to adopt energy efficiency and renewable energy programs and goals. Twenty five states now require local utility companies to derive a specified percentage of energy from renewable sources. Our goal is to have more states and ultimately the entire country to adopt a renewable electricity standard (RES) of at least 20 percent by 2020 and to increase electric efficiency by at least 2 percent per year.

Stopping the coal rush by opposing as many new polluting coal plants as possible and cleaning up existing plants. We also want states and the federal government to cut mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants by 90 percent. Learn more about our coal campaign

Pushing for "Clean Car" laws in more states. Thirteen U.S. states and Canada require the auto industry to produce cleaner, more efficient cars and trucks than federal standards dictate. Adding more states will force the auto industry to make all cars sold in the U.S. and Canada meet these standards. Learn more about the clean cars campaign.

Protecting the Arctic Refuge, coastal waters, and other sensitive lands from coal, oil, and gas development. Learn more about our wild legacy program.

Expanding the "Cool Cities" campaign. More than 900 "Cool Cities" have signed the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement and pledged to reduce global warming pollution. The campaign aims to help these cities fulfill their pledges through energy efficiency and renewable energy, and encourages more cities to become "cool." Learn more about Cool Cities.

Conducting on-the-ground education campaigns to let people know how they can reduce their own carbon footprints. Check out our personal global warming solutions pages for reducing your energy consumption and transportation emissions.


Way 2Personal Global Warming Solutions

The world's scientists agree: global warming is real, here, and happening faster than anyone predicted. But scientists also say we can curb global warming and its consequences -- if we take bold, comprehensive action now that adds up to an 80 percent cut in carbon emissions by 2050, or an average of 2 percent a year. Learn more about how to be part of the Two Percent Solution!

U.S. carbon emissions primarily come from transportation and power plants. You can take the following steps to reduce your own carbon emissions from these sectors:

Transportation

Every gallon of gasoline we burn emits 28 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, so the less you drive the more we thrive! Of course, driving less is often easier said than done.

Power Plants

The best way to do your part to reduce power plant emissions is to use less electricity! This has the added bonus of keeping more money in your pocket.

Why Green Revolution

The world's worst recorded food disaster happened in 1943 in British-ruled India. Known as the Bengal Famine, an estimated four million people died of hunger that year alone in eastern India (that included today's Bangladesh). The initial theory put forward to 'explain' that catastrophe was that there as an acute shortfall in food production in the area. However, Indian economist Amartya Sen (recipient of the Nobel Prize for Economics, 1998) has established that while food shortage was a contributor to the problem, a more potent factor was the result of hysteria related to World War II which made food supply a low priority for the British rulers. The hysteria was further exploited by Indian traders who hoarded food in order to sell at higher prices.

Nevertheless, when the British left India four years later in 1947, India continued to be haunted by memories of the Bengal Famine. It was therefore natural that food security was a paramount item on free India's agenda. This awareness led, on one hand, to the Green Revolution in India and, on the other, legislative measures to ensure that businessmen would never again be able to hoard food for reasons of profit.


However, the term "Green Revolution" is applied to the period from 1967 to 1978. Between 1947 and 1967, efforts at achieving food self-sufficiency were not entirely successful. Efforts until 1967 largely concentrated on expanding the farming areas. But starvation deaths were still being reported in the newspapers. In a perfect case of Malthusian economics, population was growing at a much faster rate than food production. This called for drastic action to increase yield. The action came in the form of the Green Revolution.


The term "Green Revolution" is a general one that is applied to successful agricultural experiments in many Third World countries. It is NOT specific to India. But it was most successful in India.

There were three basic elements in the method of the Green Revolution:
(1) Continued expansion of farming areas;

(2) Double-cropping existing farmland;

(3) Using seeds with improved genetics.

Continued expansion of farming areas

As mentioned above, the area of land under cultivation was being increased right from 1947. But this was not enough in meeting with rising demand. Other methods were required. Yet, the expansion of cultivable land also had to continue. So, the Green Revolution continued with this quantitative expansion of farmlands. However, this is NOT the most striking feature of the Revolution.

Double-cropping existing farmland

Double-cropping was a primary feature of the Green Revolution. Instead of one crop season per year, the decision was made to have two crop seasons per year. The one-season-per-year practice was based on the fact that there is only natural monsoon per year. This was correct. So, there had to be two "monsoons" per year. One would be the natural monsoon and the other an artificial 'monsoon.'

The artificial monsoon came in the form of huge irrigation facilities. Dams were built to arrest large volumes of natural monsoon water which were earlier being wasted. Simple irrigation techniques were also adopted.

Using seeds with superior genetics

This was the scientific aspect of the Green Revolution. The Indian Council for Agricultural Research (which was established by the British in 1929 but was not known to have done any significant research) was re-organized in 1965 and then again in 1973. It developed new strains of high yield value (HYV) seeds, mainly wheat and rice but also millet and corn. The most noteworthy HYV seed was the K68 variety for wheat. The credit for developing this strain goes to Dr. M.P. Singh who is also regarded as the hero of India's Green revolution.

Statistical Results of the Green Revolution

(1) The Green Revolution resulted in a record grain output of 131 million tons in 1978-79. This established India as one of the world's biggest agricultural producers. No other country in the world which attempted the Green Revolution recorded such level of success. India also became an exporter of food grains around that time.

(2) Yield per unit of farmland improved by more than 30 per cent between 1947 (when India gained political independence) and 1979 when the Green Revolution was considered to have delivered its goods.

(3) The crop area under HYV varieties grew from seven per cent to 22 per cent of the total cultivated area during the 10 years of the Green Revolution. More than 70 per cent of the wheat crop area, 35 per cent of the rice crop area and 20 per cent of the millet and corn crop area, used the HYV seeds.

Economic results of the Green Revolution

(1) Crop areas under high-yield varieties needed more water, more fertilizer, more pesticides, fungicides and certain other chemicals. This spurred the growth of the local manufacturing sector. Such industrial growth created new jobs and contributed to the country's GDP.

(2) The increase in irrigation created need for new dams to harness monsoon water. The water stored was used to create hydro-electric power. This in turn boosted industrial growth, created jobs and improved the quality of life of the people in villages.

(3) India paid back all loans it had taken from the World Bank and its affiliates for the purpose of the Green Revolution. This improved India's creditworthiness in the eyes of the lending agencies.

(4) Some developed countries, especially Canada, which were facing a shortage in agricultural labour, were so impressed by the results of India's Green Revolution that they asked the Indian government to supply them with farmers experienced in the methods of the Green Revolution. Many farmers from Punjab and Haryana states in northern India were thus sent to Canada where they settled (That's why Canada today has many Punjabi-speaking citizens of Indian origin). These people remitted part of their incomes to their relatives in India. This not only helped the relatives but also added, albeit modestly, to India's foreign exchange earnings.

Sociological results of the Green Revolution

The Green Revolution created plenty of jobs not only for agricultural workers but also industrial workers by the creation of lateral facilities such as factories and hydro-electric power stations as explained above.

Political results of the Green Revolution

(1) India transformed itself from a starving nation to an exporter of food. This earned admiration for India in the comity of nations, especially in the Third World.

(2) The Green Revolution was one factor that made Mrs. Indira Gandhi (1917-84) and her party, the Indian National Congress, a very powerful political force in India (it would however be wrong to say that it was the only reason).

Limitations of the Green Revolution

(1) Even today, India's agricultural output sometimes falls short of demand. The Green Revolution, howsoever impressive, has thus NOT succeeded in making India totally and permanently self-sufficient in food. In 1979 and 1987, India faced severe drought conditions due to poor monsoon; this raised questions about the whether the Green Revolution was really a long-term achievement. In 1998, India had to import onions. Last year, India imported sugar.
However, in today's globalised economic scenario, 100 per cent self-sufficiency is not considered as vital a target as it was when the world political climate was more dangerous due to the Cold War.

(2) India has failed to extend the concept of high-yield value seeds to all crops or all regions. In terms of crops, it remain largely confined to foodgrains only, not to all kinds of agricultural produce. In regional terms, only Punjab and Haryana states showed the best results of the Green Revolution. The eastern plains of the River Ganges in West Bengal state also showed reasonably good results. But results were less impressive in other parts of India.

(3) Nothing like the Bengal Famine can happen in India again. But it is disturbing to note that even today, there are places like Kalahandi (in India's eastern state of Orissa) where famine-like conditions have been existing for many years and where some starvation deaths have also been reported. Of course, this is due to reasons other than availability of food in India, but the very fact that some people are still starving in India (whatever the reason may be), brings into question whether the Green Revolution has failed in its overall social objectives though it has been a resounding success in terms of agricultural production.

(4) The Green Revolution cannot therefore be considered to be a 100 percent success.