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Main Causes of Global Warming

June 27th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

Global warming is fact of life that many of us need to deal with. In order to know more about how global warming has come into effect you need to know what the reasons for this greenhouse effect are. While there are many causes which have given rise to global warming, the main cause of global warming is humans.

While you may not feel that this fact is true when you look at how we treat the environment and the pollution that we have heaped on the earth. You can then gain an inkling of the reasons for global warming.

The first place to look for the main cause of global warming is in our cities. The work that we do in the cities in order to have successful lives, helps to cause this greenhouse effect. The main culprits for global warming in our cities are cars and industries. You can see just from walking or driving around how many cars travel to and fro in the streets.

Each of these cars produces carbon as a waste byproduct. This chemical is then sent out into the atmosphere where it gathers with other atmospheric chemicals. These chemical substances travel to the upper part of the atmosphere and here they form a sort of umbrella over the earth.

This is where the term greenhouse effect has come into play. Of course cars are not the only main cause of global warming. You will find that the smoking chimney stacks from older industries send up huge amounts of smoke into the air. While some of this smoke is harmless there are others which are not that harmless.

These more dangerous smoke particles interact with the clouds and the other molecules in the atmosphere. The resulting winds, rain and fog which you see causing havoc with our lives are the effects that you can see from global warming.

Another item that you need to understand is that with the massive amounts of deforestation that we are causing, the amount of life giving rain is reduced. The forests where these trees are located are not able to process the amounts of carbon which is found in the air. As the deforestation is caused by our need for land, timber and plants we are in fact the main cause of global warming and environmental pollution with regards to deforestation.

While there are some people who will argue against the fact that humans are the main cause of global warming, there is ample evidence to support this fact. If you are prepared to stop global warming from becoming even worse then you need to accept your part in the trend of global warming.

As we are the main cause of global warming, we need to work together all over the world to stop the causes and effects of global warming from destroying the world that we live in.

Global Warming Hoax

June 25th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

There are people who love the outdoors and enjoy the fresh unpolluted air. For these people there are no thoughts of global warming or the various global warming hoax stories to be considered.

Besides these people you will find others who think that we need to wake up and take some action about global warming trends. For these people the global warming hoax stories need to be examined.

When you look at the different stories about global warming which are presented in numerous magazines and on the internet you can why people like to get to the bottom of the global warming hoax. Since there are different types of hoaxes and stories which are put forward about global warming, the causes of global warming should be looked at in depth.

There are various articles which present both sides to the global warming myth. When you look into the articles and myths about global warming you should read these articles with an open mind.

There have been numerous movies which take the premise of global warming to new heights. Behind these ideas there is however some interestingly true facts which we should not ignore. You should however understand that some of these “facts” in the stories are in a way a global warming hoax.

When some forests are denuded of their trees, the needed trees are carted off to the lumber farms. The excess trees which are not needed at all are then burned. This large scale burning of trees causes an enormous amount of carbon laden air to fill the sky.

This is how the deforestation effects of global warming arise. The other causes and effects of global warming occur closer to home. For instance you will see that the number of cars and other vehicles are on the increase. While this spells good news to the automobile industry it also means lots of carbon emissions.

Some of the global warming hoax stories center around the effects which occur in the many weather disasters which seem to be on the increase. These storm changes which can make a relatively mild hurricane turn into a category 4 or category 5 storms all play their part in the global warming hoax warnings.

When you look at all of the different viewpoints of people you begin to understand how global warming hoax stories can come about. It does not matter if other people believe in global warming. The only real viewpoint is yours. You need to ask yourself if global warming is a real threat to the earth and our lives or is it just a global warming hoax.

14-Ways To Conserve Energy at Home

June 22nd, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

1. Eliminate Wasted Energy - Turn off appliances, lights, and equipment when not in use. Don’t forget to turn computers and printers off at the power strip!
2. Turn Up Your Thermostat - During warm weather months, set your thermostat to 78 degrees or higher when you are home, and 85 degrees or off when you are away. Using ceiling or room fans allows you to set the thermostat higher because the air movement will cool the room. You can save up to 3% for each degree the thermostat is set above 72 degrees.
3. Use Your Appliances Wisely - To help prevent electricity outages, avoid running your appliances during peak hours – from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. – or anytime an electricity emergency is declared. Do laundry more efficiently by using warm or cold water settings for washing your clothes. Always use cold water for rinsing clothes. Line dry clothes whenever you can. When you need to use the clothes dryer, run full loads, use the moisture-sensing setting, and clean the lint trap after each use. Conserve energy by running your dishwasher only when it is fully loaded, and turn off the dry cycle and air-dry the dishes instead.
4. Use Energy Efficient Lighting Replace regular incandescent light bulbs that are used more than two hours per day with Energy Star® compact fluorescent light bulbs. Compact fluorescent light bulbs use approximately 75 % less electricity than regular light bulbs and last up to seven years! Buy ENERGY STAR® certified table lamps, light fixtures, or torchieres.
5. Wrap Your Water Heater  - If your water heater is older than 10 years, wrap it with an insulating blanket.
6. Replace Air Conditioner Filters - Dirty filters restrict airflow and can cause the system to run longer, increasing energy use. Replace filters monthly for maximum benefit and save up to 2% 
7. Plug Your Home’s Leaks - Weather-strip, seal, and caulk leaky doors and windows, and install foam gaskets behind outlet covers.
8. Install Energy-Saver Showerheads This can save not only electricity, but water as well.
9. Install an ENERGY STAR Thermostat - This can save up to 3% of your electricity use.
10. Use Energy Efficient Windows - This can save 3% of your electricity use.
11. Install a Whole House Fan  - An attic “whole house” fan draws cooler air into your home and forces hot air out through attic vents. Use it when the air is cool outside and in the early morning hours.
12. Increase Attic Insulation - Insulate ceilings to R-30 standards if your attic has less than R-19.
13. Seal Your Ducts - Leaking ductwork accounts for as much as 25 % of cooling costs in an average home. Have your ducts tested and get any leaks or restrictions repaired by a qualified contractor.
14. Buy ENERGY STAR Appliances - When buying new appliances, be sure to purchase energy-efficient ENERGY STAR® models. Also, look for seasonal incentives sponsored by utility companies for energy-efficient appliances.
     

Alternative Energy Sources For The Home

June 8th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

If you look round the house you will get some idea on how dependant we are on fossil fuels, and with the rising cost of crude oil our energy bills are not going to get any cheaper. Taking a look and renewable energy is no longer a silly idea. More importantly this renewable alternative energy will never run out.
What am I talking about?

• Wind.
• Water.
• Sun.

These are continuous products that will last till the end of the earth’s life cycle
These renewable sources of power are not just limited to the commercial world; they are attainable for integration to the home at a fairly cheap cost. Just think, with the ever-rising cost of a kWh, how long do you think it would take to achieve a payback on these alternative energy systems?

For now lets just concentrate on the domestic market and see what can be harnessed to power the home.

Lets start with the Sun.

The sun can provide us with heat and light, both can be converted into energy.

• The heat can be used to warm water. Over 70% of the average household’s energy bill goes into heating the space and water, a source of free hot water to use instead of brought energy could make a substantial financial saving. With an estimated pay back of 5-13 years at current prices, Solar Water Heating is quite an attractive and easy to fit system.
• The light can be converted to electricity. By using Photovoltaic cells to convert the suns rays into electricity, we can harness the power of the sun. Solar cells can be arranged in panels on a building’s roof, walls, or other platform in the sun, and can often directly feed electricity into the building. The payback on this item is not as attractive as the water heater at 20-30 years.
• One of the bi products from the sun is heat. This heat is collected by the earth and released throughout the day and night. Ground source heat pumps use a buried ground loop that transfers heat from the ground into a building to provide space heating and, in some cases, to pre-heat domestic hot water. As well as ground source heat pumps, air source and water source heat pumps are also available.

Lets now have a look at Water.

Not all of us live next to a flowing water supply, so we cant all have a Hydroelectric Damn supplying our house! That is one of the things we will leave to the commercial world! There are other elements of water that households can utilise.

• Rainwater Harvesting. Quite simply, this is collecting rain that falls onto the house roof, storing it to use it as a free water supply. This will ultimately save you paying for your garden watering.
• Water recycling. Take a look at the appliances around the home and what do you see as the biggest waste of clean water? Flushing the WC! About a third of all household water usage is for flushing the toilet. Does the WC need to be flushed with clean water? No! The Bath, Shower, Dishwasher, Hand Sinks and Washing Machines wastewater is perfectly good enough for flushing the WC, all that has to be done is all this used water needs to be stored in a tank and connected to the toilets.

 

Lastly, lets look at ways of harnessing the power of wind.

We have all seen the big wind turbines scattered about, unless you’re are very fortunate and have an extremely large garden and a large wallet, these are not a practical domestic solution. The humble homeowner must turn their attention to a more modest version that will sit on their rooftop.

Wind power is still a large untapped resource that will only grow with popularity.
Wind power is a clean, renewable source of energy that produces no carbon dioxide emissions or waste products.

As you can see there is a whole load of natural power accessible to all of us that can be harnessed to provide us with free energy and reduce our Carbon Footprint.

Spray Foam Insulation Kits

May 25th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

Spray Foam Insulation Kits are a cost effective way of insulating your home. This can be done by a professional or by yourself using a DIY Insulation kit.

Benefits of Using Insulation Foam

Not only will you be playing a part in reducing global warming as you will be using less power, but you will be saving up to 40% of your heating and cooling bills!

The U.S. Government’s energy labs estimate that cracks and openings waste up to 40% of every home heating and cooling $. You can stop this waste by sealing cracks and openings in your home with Spray Foam Insulation Kits.

On a average a household winter heating bill is around $142 a month. By doing something as Simple a insulating your walls you could be saving yourself on average;

• $57.00 a Month.
• $680.00 a Year.
• $3408.00 over Five years

As you can see from above, the pay back on this home improvement is very quick. This type of improvement will improve your homes R-Value (R-value is a measure of a material’s thermal resistance, or how well it holds back heat gain or loss. The higher the R-value the better.).

Spray Foam Insulation Kits are quick and easy jobs to do. A few hours can seal and insulate a home. It’s easy to seal and insulate an attic, basement, or crawlspace. Over time you’ll save thousands by sealing and insulating your home property.

 

Global Warming Prevention

April 22nd, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

There are many reports around the world which state that the world is becoming hotter with each passing day. These reports point the cause of this increased heat at the weather fluctuations which are caused by global warming. This is a term that many of us are familiar with. While we understand the picture which is painted with this term there is another fact which we need to address. This fact is the steps which can be taken for global warming prevention.

While most of the steps which need to be undertaken are on a governmental and industrial basis there are some steps that we the public can do. Some of these can be done immediately. Other steps will need some time to become implemented.

The first step that you can take is to see how you can reduce carbon emissions from your home and garden. One of the known causes of global warming is the carbon emissions from cars. To prevent this type of emission you can see about driving an electric hybrid car.

Another of the global warming prevention steps that you can take is to use compact fluorescent bulbs instead of normal bulbs. You can see about insulating your house as this too will help you from having to use large amounts of energy trying to keep your home warm.

There is another fact which can be taken into account with regards to traveling. You can see how the different public transport systems will help you to get in on the global warming prevention bandwagon.

As these modes of traveling are ideal to transport masses of people from one destination to another the emissions of fuel are reduced.

Another item that you need to understand in looking at the best global warming prevention methods is that with the massive amounts of deforestation that we are causing. As a result of this the amount of life giving rain which purifies the air and land is reduced.

The forests where these trees are located are not able to process the amounts of carbon which is found in the air. This causes horrific tragedies to occur such as landslides and mud slips. Out of control, raging, flooded rivers are another result that we have come to expect due to global warming.

When you see how these different global warming facts pertain to our lives you begin to understand that we have a role to play in stopping the worst damages from occurring. By understanding how global warming prevention can help to reduce these horrific effects you can make sure that future generations have the chance for a good and disaster free life ahead of them.

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