Mindzle

Posts Tagged ‘global warming’

There are dozens of islands sinking into the sea around the world, and New Moore Island is the latest. Situated between India and Bangladesh, New Moore Island has long been the subject of a diplomatic dispute between the two countries. Bangladesh residents that live on some of these islands have long since taken a short term loan to live on drier shores, but the issue is not improving. The rising sea has claimed more than just New Moore Island, but the media is bringing the issue back to light.

New Moore Island by any other name

The disputed New Moore Island was a tiny chunk of land – less than 2 miles long and 1.5 miles wide. The government of India maintains that New Moore Island is within their ocean borders and is therefore theirs. The government of Bangledesh calls the island South Talpatti and also claims it. There have never been any permanent settlements on New Moore Island. The Bhola cyclone in 1970 actually revealed New Moore Island / South Talpatti, which is what started the conflict. India had at one point established a base on South Talpatti / New Moore Island, but international opinion was split on the question.

Rising sea levels engulf New Moore Island

As reported by the BBC, the School of Oceanographic Studies in Calcutta has officially found New Moore Island to be covered by sea water. Confirmed by local fishermen and satellite pictures, New Moore Island is officially no more. Before the year 2000, sea levels in most of the world went up by approximately 3 millimeters a year, but between 2000 and 2010 sea level has risen at about 5 millimeters per year. In the Bengal Basin region and Sundarban Island chain, where New Moore Island was situated, sea levels have been rising by about 3.14 centimeters a year. In the last fifteen years, four other Sundarban chain islands have disappeared into the ocean.

New Moore Island isn't the only sinker

The Sundarban Island chain is not the only home to sinking islands. The Maldives, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, has been losing land mass to the sea for years. Tiny changes can make a huge impact on these islands, where the highest point is only 8 feet above sea level. The Maldives government has been building Hulhumale, a fabricated island nearby, for residents to evacuate to if needs be. Tuvalu, a Pacific Ocean island between Hawaii and Austrailia, is also quickly losing land mass. Experts estimate that Tuvalu's 11,000 citizens will have no home in as little as 50 years. A few residents of Tuvalu – 75, to be exact – can use military personal loans to move to New Zealand. Like New Moore Island, Tonga, Kirbati, and the Marshall Islands are all at risk of sinking into the sea.

How to fix the problem?

In the end, there is no way to accurately measure the cause and effect of small islands ending up in the ocean. Not only do sea levels regularly change, but islands can also rise and sink separately from the ocean. There are also arguments about if the increased water levels are due to global climate change or natural variations in the climate. No matter who or what is to blame, though, island nations that are sinking are being forced to find solutions – because there is not yet a way to simply stop the rise and fall of an island in the ocean.

Sources:

Times of India

BBC News

Wikipedia

Our world is being plagued by “Global warming” and we keep on threatening to do something about it. However are we actually seeing any changes that are significant to save our planet from ultimately, destruction? Is Global warming real, well yes, it is blatantly obvious, and the science backs it all up. These things need to be monitored and although we are watching what is happening we are doing nothing to stop it.

Read the rest of this entry »

Global warming and climate change perhaps the most talked matter today, rightly so because it poses dangers that may lead to wiping out nature and the entire animal & bird population of the Planet closely followed by the human species.

International efforts to tackle the problem have perhaps been a bigger failure than even the Doha Round of Negotiations! Political issues and matters of selfish interests of nations always rule over the bigger problem at hand, that of Global Warming. The question remains, should we wait for a renewed Kyoto Protocol? Or is it time we realize that political hassles will not let us stop this menace and therefore we should look for ‘politically amiable’ solutions.
Geo engineering is perhaps one of them. Geo Engineering is a technique of large scale manipulation of the Earth’s environmental set up to reduce the impact of carbon emissions. There are three major techniques under this method that can be used, namely, Solar radiation management, Greenhouse gas remediation and Arctic geoengineering. Some of the techniques proposed under Geo Engineering may seem to some as taken out of some Scientific Fiction book by a crazy author!

The tipping point in the field of Solar radiation management came in 2006, when the Nobel Prize—winning atmospheric scientist Paul Crutzen published an editorial examining the possibility of releasing vast amounts of sulfurous debris into the atmosphere to create a haze that would keep the planet cool. To implement this system precursor gases such as hydrogen sulfide (H2S) can be released using artillery, aircraft and balloons. The price tag that comes with this technique is even more amazing : somewhere between a few hundred million dollars and a couple of billion dollars every year. This technology also has support in an event that took place in 1991. Mount Pinatubo erupted, releasing 15m tonnes of sulphur dioxide into the stratosphere which  formed a thick cloud of aerosol particles and within 15 months this had spread across the world, reflecting a significant proportion of the sun’s energy back into space. Average global temperatures fell by over 0.5 degrees celcius.

The Arctic region represents a major cause of concern. The impact of Global Warming can be especially seen in ice covered areas like the Arctic where the ice sheet is rapidly melting. This is an important concern also because it drastically increases sea levels and may cause calamaties by submerging low lying islands. Therefore, geo engineering offers a specific plan for this concern called Arctic Geo engineering under which the aim would be to enhance the polar ice cap by spraying or pumping water onto the top of it which would build thicker sea ice. Ice serves as an insulator and therefore ice on the surface would freeze quicker than that below. River water is being suggested to be used in this case as it is not saline. Presence of salt may in fact reduce freezing capacity and leads to the new layer of ice become perforated.
Geo Engineering is increasingly being looked upon as a viable solution by a lot of developed and developing countries alike. In fact in 2001, President Bush had withdrawn US support from the Kyoto Protocol. This meeting therefore represented something like a US counterproposal to Kyoto, an ‘alternative approach to climate change’. President Obama is also looking at proposals and asking his efficient team of scientists to explore most effective possibilities. Geo Engineering should not be promoted as a technique to be applied in isolation. In fact, it should be used as a supplementary technique along with the main aim of reducing carbon emissions. It is only then can we expect to reduce global temperatures and avoid the destruction of our planet.

By the time you read this, 56 pagers in 45 countries will have published a front-page editorial guided by the Guardian of London. The editorial will call global climate change a “profound emergency” with requires immediate action. It claims there are no replays regarding climate change: “Unless we combine to take decisive action, climate change will ravage our planet, and with it our prosperity and security.”

I took a master’s level college course on the environment back in the early 90′s, and I remember the main theme of our textbook was that our environment is such a complicated system that it is not only more complex than we know, it’s more complex than we can ever know. That has stuck with me ever since.

The science behind global warming and climate change is extremely complex. Arguments abound about how, and even if, it is really a crisis at all. But, if you look at the data behind this gargantuan topic, it is extremely difficult to explain away what is happening before our very eyes, and even all that is not visible to the naked eye. Temperatures are rising, glaciers and ice fields are melting, the oceans are warming, the weather is changing in many locales, species of animals and plant life are disappearing or being profoundly altered. Gigantic clouds of methane gas are potentially being released from below thawing ice on a scale that is just now beginning to be measured. One thing is certain: 11 of the last 14 years have been the warmest on record.

In my neck of the woods, the mountain southwest, the aspen tree is undergoing SAD: Sudden Aspen Decline. While there are many factors that enter into this phenomenon, the long-continuing drought that is plaguing the American Southwest has left the aspen and other tree species unable to protect themselves from wood-boring insects, for starters.

The havoc that global warming is already causing is hard to calculate because it is so vast. And, what the future holds is even more astounding. Rising sea levels could, and almost certainly will, devastate coastal countries and cities more than we can imagine. It’s the domino effect on a spectacular scale.

The pressure mounts on The United States to become an active member in the staving off of planetary destruction after years of obstructionist environmental policy, particularly from the George W. Bush reign. This should not be a battle between the rich world and the poor world. This is a shared responsibility. We are all in this together. We can unite as ONE PEOPLE of the entire globe and work to solve this immense catastrophe, or we can do what we do best: nothing. It requires shared sacrifice, but the Super Powers must surely take the lead. There is no doubt that rich countries have contributed far more to this dilemma than poor countries. Yet, we all bear responsibility. There is no time to waste playing “the blame game.”

There is huge economic opportunity in turning the world into a much greener and sustainable environment. But, attitudes, concrete policy changes, and hardcore action must become the rule of the day. If “What goes on in the Copenhagen Climate Summit, stays in Copenhagen” is the prevailing mood, we all lose. The very survival of the human species, and the Earth as we know it, depends upon a drastic shift in global consciousness beginning today!

Grant Brad Gerver is an entrepreneur and creative consultant for Filibi, a classified and online coupon advertising site and home business. He’s also a YouTube Channel blues singer-songwriter and guitar player with The Buzzard Brothers. Additionally, Grant writes political humor, thousands of bumper stickers, and humorous movie reviews. He has also worked with various companies as a product-naming specialist. He’s a retired elementary school teacher and published children’s author who works in the health care field.

Global warming is mainly caused by green house gases especially carbon oxide. Carbon capture is necessary to reduce this global warming among other efforts. Many 3g technologies are being put forward to tackle the rising carbon dioxide. Some have not helped in sustainable development while others are not just feasible. There hasn’t been an outright discovery to capture carbon till now.  However, we need to sail through the possibility of finding one otherwise our only way forward is south.

Any suggested methods of carbon capture should be ecologically safe. It should be economical and sustainable, which means the captured carbon has to stay that way for a number of years.

Naturally, plants capture carbon. However, once they die they release the carbon back into the atmosphere. Also with the accelerated emission of carbon doubled with cropping problems and deforestation, the remaining plants aren’t able to take in more carbon. They have become saturated. A team of American scientists seem to have found a way though for capturing carbon through plants. If crop residues are buried in the bottoms of the deep oceans it will make sure the carbon remain captured. This is similar to putting back the carbon as sediments in deep water which enabled the formation of fossil fuels millions of years ago. It is estimated this process can mitigate 15 percent of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
The team suggested that these crop residues could be baled and carried to ocean sites and then stabilize it with stones and sunk. They say this technology is feasible because of the oxygen deficient deep ocean waters ensuring the residues do not degrade.

We have heard of soil sequestration many times in recent past. This method ensures soils store up to 2 petagram (Pg) of carbon every year. (1 Pg=1 trillion kilogram) What it does is once crops are harvested the residues are ploughed back into the soil. It enables the carbon to stay underground that way for a few years.  In about 20 years almost more than 90 percent are lost in the soil due to decay and degradation.

There are other methods also for capturing carbon. However, they are not as efficient as the ones I have mentioned above. For instance, Forest capture is another form of capturing carbon. It captures 0.1-3 Pg of carbon annually. But with time the ability to capture reduces drastically. Forest fires and deforestation doesn’t help either releasing much of the captured carbon into the atmosphere.

Another method which hasn’t fully grown is ocean fertilization. Here iron dust is sprayed across the ocean to create an algal boom. 1-2 Pg of carbon can be removed annually with this. However the problem is algal die after a point of time and 60-80% of the captured carbon is emitted back after their deaths.

With the lack of efficiency in capturing carbon with some of the methods, the sinking crop residual method, the first one we discussed, sounds like the most effective one among all existing technologies. It is cheap as the residual comes naturally in the process of crop cultivation. The scientist group, however, warn against complete removal of crop residue as this will negatively affect the carbon flow in the soil. Also there could be unwanted changes underneath the ocean floor.

To conclude, scientists have been trying hard for ways to counter the dangerous carbon level in the atmosphere. They’ve been able to come up with few interesting ideas but all of them are running short in some way or the other. There needs to be an absolute sharing of knowledge and technology among scientists of the developed nations. The sooner, the lesser the destruction will be for us.

Global warming is taking its toll on the world. How much do you know about global warming? Taking a global warming quiz can let you see just how much you know about global warming while allowing you to find ways to help prevent global warming. There are several facts that may surprise you about global warming.

For instance did you know that while natural forces are partly to blame for global warming that people are responsible as well? This piece of global warming trivia is something that is often overlooked. Our own creation of greenhouse gases is contributing to the continued warming of the planet.

When it comes to global warming the fact that China is the largest contributor of greenhouse gases is something else that isn’t very well known. What planets conditions are thought to be the result of too many greenhouse gases? This is another of the global warming trivia questions that are difficult to answer off hand.

Global warming trivia even extends to the appliances and fixtures in the home. Individual energy consumption can be reduced from sixty to eighty percent by changing a light bulb. Why is knowing this important? There are over a hundred thousand deaths around the world every year due to changes in the atmosphere from global warming.

A global warming quiz can test your knowledge about carbon dioxide and other deadly effects of global warming. Even if all greenhouse emissions were stopped immediately it would still be at least one hundred years before the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was completely gone. There would be decades after the last emission that the effects where felt.

Animals are facing extinction due to global warming and the effects are beginning to be felt in everyday life. Droughts, heat exhaustion, and pollutants are all effects of global warming. The melting ice is contributing to the warming effects by taking away natural cooling methods. Even malaria is believed to increase as the effects of global warming increase.

An interesting fact about global warming is that planes give off fewer pollutants at night than during the day. So by flying at night you can actually reduce your impact on the atmosphere. Another interesting fact is that hybrid cars don’t always get better gas mileage than traditional cars. Global warming costs everyone money since insurance companies pay more out in claims due to disasters, food becomes scarce and crops are not sustainable in some regions.

Brushing up on global warming trivia and taking a global warming quiz can assist you in finding ways to help save the environment.

recycling program

The Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, is one agency that you should not take for granted. Thanks to this agency and their work on protecting the environment, we can rest easier knowing that industries can no longer just dump their chemicals into our water systems. Farmers can no longer use deadly pesticides on our food. Without their work, the United States would be in far worse shape than some third world countries.

You can thank the EPA for a variety of environmental laws and the movement to stop global warming in its tracks. Without this very valuable agency, many of today’s world laws regarding pollution would not be respected. Take for example the Kyoto Protocol, which dictates how much green house gas emissions a country can emit, according to its population and industries. The Environmental Protection Agency is the governing body in the United States that enforces these laws.

Perhaps the greatest contact the American citizen has with the Environmental Protection Agency is the recycling program found in local cities and towns. There are laws governing the illegal dumping of hazardous waste into the environment. They push for corporations and businesses to join a recycling program to benefit the environment and serve as an example, with regard to the serious nature of pollution and overflowing landfills.

The Environmental Protection Agency covers endangered species, as well as air, water, land and hazardous waste pollution. They help to protect the environment in more ways that you could possibly think one agency is capable of doing but they manage to get it done. Without this agency regulating the industry and helping people get into a recycling program, this country would be in an appalling condition.

Visit www.epa.org for more information on how the Environmental Protection Agency works on a daily basis. You can give back to your community and help show others that recycling is not that hard. You can keep landfills free of recyclables and start a grass roots campaign to get more cities on track for recycling. Just doing your part is one small step in keeping more useable garbage out of your local landfill. Consider it your civic duty to help start a recycling program in your area and teaching others that big changes start with the efforts of all concerned. Do your part and you will begin to see others taking those small steps as well.

The Green Effect

During this economic crisis and continued global warming, the need for sustainable development has become a today issue instead of a tomorrow issue. Both private and government entities (including the EPA) have come up with programs and products that promote “green” production and consumption. These environment-friendly practices are now being used in numerous firms and industries.

But what about our homes? Are our households as environmentally friendly as they should be? Continued efforts to sustain the environment should first and foremost be undertaken under our own roof. These can be done with the use of products that consume less power and other valuable resources. Over time, the use of these products can result not only in savings but also in the reduction of waste and materials harmful to our homes and the environment.

Here’s a quick list of 10 items I’ve discovered that can make a world of a difference.

1. Heat-energy recovery system

· Sensible Heat Energy Recovery System (SHERS) uses heat generated from an air-conditioner or refrigerator to heat water. Payback period is anywhere from six months to two years

2.The Eco Bio Block

· Made of volcanic stones and beneficial bacteria, is used to purify water in home aquariums, water tanks and big bodies of water such as ponds, lakes and marshes. When used in home aquariums, there is no need to filter, clean and change water for a period of one to three years.

3. Biowash ball

· Washing clothes without using a detergent may seem strange. Introducing the Anabess biowash ball, it’s made of natural ceramics & alters the chemical composition of the water so it can wash clothes more effectively without liquid detergent. It should last 3 years. Think of the peace of mind you'll have by not ever running to the store for more detergent at the last minute again.

4. Air-con with inverter technology

· The Panasonic Envio series of air-conditioners makes use of an “inverter technology” that changes compressor operation speed to match a changing room temperature and adjust power output accordingly, which leads to reduced energy consumption of up to 50 percent, while product only costs about 14% more than the average AC. The payback period may be expected in about seven months..

5.Low Flow faucets

· Moen has heeded the call for water conservation by coming up with WaterSense-certified bathroom faucets. With the help of new aerator technology these Moen faucets use 30% less water than other models but still feel just as powerful on your hands.

6. Compact fluorescent lamp

· Much has been said about the efficiency of compact fluorescent lamps or CFLs. They have a lifespan 5x longer than incandescent lamps and consume 80% less energy with the same level of lumens. Companies such as Purely Products even carry CFLs that double as ionizers for the room, eliminating the need for an unsightly ionizer on the floor.

7.Reusable shopping bags

· The impact of just one person changing to reusable bags over a two-year period is significant. Used twice a week for two years a consumer would save 832 plastic bags from going in a landfill.

8.Biodegradable Cellulose Sandwich bags

· Typical plastic bags are derived from petroleum and take well over a lifespan to decompose. These biodegrade in 30-90 days in soil BUT actually keep food lasting longer, unlike plastic, they don't release gases which spoil food taste.

9.Smart Surge Protector

· Green Home introduced a smart surge protector. The power strip can 'sense' the movement of electrical current through the strip's control outlet. This patent pending option enables the Smart Strip to fully power off selected items when it’s not in use saving you money and time!

A small electronic device inside the Smart Strip monitors the current on a single outlet. Let’s say the computer is plugged into that single outlet. When your computer is finished shutting down, the current draw from the computer drops to its idle current -- and the Smart Strip monitors the current change, automatically shutting off all of the computer peripherals.

The Smart Strip Power Strip is the only surge protector on the market today with energy saving electronics. The 10 outlet surge protector version has 1 Control Outlet, 3 Constant Hot Outlets, and 6 Switched Outlets.

10.Compostable Trash Bags

· These BioBags are made from GMO free starch and are 100% biodegradable and 100% compostable.

Now that you know about these products start using them. We each can do our part by changing our purhase habits.

Since global warming is created generally by the increase in CO2 given out into the atmosphere, the most pragmatic thing that everybody as a whole can do to discover ways to end global warming is to lessen those emanations. As a result of the present-day gas crisis, more work is being completed in order to help lessen the emanations from automobiles and trucks by making vehicles that function on alternative sources of fuel. Because car pooling does not appear to have taken a lot of popularity in more advanced states, converting the fuel for cars and trucks seems like the easiest means to help halt global warming. Regrettably, unless car pooling grows into a government mandate, it does not seem believable that everyone can stop their independent car usage in the nearby time to come.

With more data readily available today from the internet, people are becoming more conscious of the effects of global warming on our environment. The world’s temperature has only increased approximately one degree Celsius over the last one hundred years; even so, this is twice the growth from the one hundred years before then. Also, there have been changes in the amount of large storms running through during hurricane season, storms which are brought on by the warm sea currents globally. Since the weather has grown hotter, scientists speculate that has added to the increased amount of storms. In addition, the water levels of the seas have been steadily emerging at an increased value over the past one hundred years also, which was the period of time in which the globe moved into the industrial age when more fossil fuels have been used.

As increasingly more people inhabit the planet every year the number of greenhouse gases such as CO2 and methane that is ejected into the surroundings rises. While this takes place the operation of climate change is expanded. Just being mindful of the many behaviors that can stimulate global warming is a great way to assist people to alter behaviors which hurt the atmosphere.