This blue-green planet we live on, called Earth, as far as scientist can tell, is the only planet that can sustain human life. The atmosphere has the perfect mix of air that we need to breathe and that plants and trees need for survival.

The earth is the perfect distance from the sun, allowing temperatures optimal for habitation of millions of specials of animals and plants, and it keeps the planet’s vast oceans at a temperature where the many species of fish survive.

In short, the planet Earth supports every species in the food chain, from the bottom to the top.

If the planet were to cool permanently, even a few degrees, there would be vast problems created. For instance, what if snow came earlier and stayed later in the Midwest; production of the grains grown there would decrease sharply, creating not only a grain shortage, but a meat shortage as well.

More importantly, what would happen if the earth were to heat up several degrees permanently? The ocean water temperature would no longer support plankton, which support fish, which support birds, and so on up the food chain.

The weather would greatly change; as the atmosphere heats, rivers and oceans evaporate. The levels of carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere would
increase, making the quality of our air, the air that you and I breathe everyday, unsafe.

Every degree that our atmosphere changes is harmful to the life cycle of all humankind in some way. Think Globally!

The fear of global warming has led to some interesting alternative energy ideas for the future that would have less impact on the environment. Constant research takes place daily for sources of energy that utilize our natural resources, have little repercussion on our atmosphere, cost less and are naturally renewable.

There has been much research in the area of solar power, tapping geothermal heat inside the earth, harnessing the power of the tides as an energy sources and wind turbines, but scientists are going further into their imaginations to develop energy from sources never thought of before.

For instance; scientists are studying marine algae in the hopes that they could generate power from the methane given off by rotting algae; the methane could
then be harnessed to provide methane for burning to power industrial needs for energy. Corn is being tested as a fuel (ethanol) for cars, as well as home heating sources, and there are many other areas that you may not have thought about.

Early studies are looking at falling rain and how it might be used to generate power (same premise as harnessing wave power). I’m not a scientist, so I can’t even begin to explain how or why this might work.

The idea I like best is powering our own personal IPod, cell phone and home computer by walking power. A leg brace, equipped with an electricity generator, gets the power from your every step. Need it charged quickly? Go for a long run; need a little power to
power my laptop to get me through the meeting, go walk an hour!

Anywhere that theory goes, disagreement is bound to follow. Any set of facts can be interpreted differently, as the theories of global warning prove.

According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, two of the definitions of the word theory include: the analysis of a set of facts in their relation to one another; and a plausible or scientifically acceptable general principle or body of principles offered to explain
phenomena.

There are many “facts” about the earth’s atmospheric changes; many scientists believe we are experiencing the start of a warming cycle that could change the climate so dramatically that humankind would cease to exist.

Other scientists, using the same data, draw vastly different theories: the atmosphere is experiencing a harmless blip in its natural and normal cycle and that humans only minimally affect the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.

There is vast evidence on both sides of the argument, and there seems to be very little middle ground. Al Gore’s “Inconvenient Truth” and Spencer R. Whert’s “The Discovery of Global Warming” came to the forefront in warning us about global warming; Fred Singer, former Chief Scientist with the US Weather Program and Professor Wilfred Beckerman, former member of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution are just a few of the scientist who view the data from the opposite angle.

There are innumerable articles, papers and books that support both sides of the global warning issue. The only common ground in these opposing camps seems to be that the data fails to back enough years to be absolutely indisputable, and that, as good as they
are, computers cannot model nature.

When I think of deforestation, I think of the vast “slash and burn” operations that were carried out in the 1970’s, and I think about how it affected the
wildlife more than our atmosphere.

The earth has immense forests, which play an important part in the sustainability of habitation. Trees and plants take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen in the spring and summer; in the fall, they drop their leaves which give off carbon dioxide. This cycle seems to keep the CO2 (carbon dioxide) levels in the atmosphere balanced throughout the year. If only human’s could have this impact!

Without leaf cover, the albedo (surface reflectivity) changes; what used to be lush and green (rainforests) becomes dry and reflects the rays of the sun back up into the biosphere, trapping heat. Without the forests creating oxygen, the balance in our atmosphere becomes tenuous. The balance of the gases in the earth’s sub
stratosphere is delicate, and their stability is of great importance to anyone who needs air to breathe.

Human activity, like cutting down forests and overgrazing land, can change the climate, not only where it is happening, but around the world. Rising temperatures in the atmosphere have long-term effects on the ocean and the polar icecaps which have the
potential for wreaking havoc with the climate worldwide.

It is of utmost importance that the forests worldwide are protected; by protecting this vast resource, we protect our planet and our future. Plant trees!

It seems almost inconceivable to think that starting my car and letting it run for five minutes to get the heat or air conditioning going has any effect on the earth’s pulse, but when you multiply that millions of times, there’s no doubt that it has a serious effect.

Simple things that we do, or don’t do, have an effect on our planet’s precious atmosphere. How many times a week do you go to the coffeehouse and get your coffee in a paper or cardboard cup? You might have thought about how many years it takes for that cup to decompose, but have you thought about the energy that
went into the production and transportation of that cup? Multiplied by…?

Do you reduce, re-use and recycle? Make it a goal to reduce the amount of garbage you produce by recycling and composting. Your town office or city hall will provide you with a list of how to separate your items for recycling. Every item that you can re-use or recycle is one less item in the landfill.

One of the simplest ways to help is to purchase and use cloth shopping bags. The hard part is remembering to take them out of the car and into the store, but once you get into the habit, it becomes second nature. Resolve to not accept plastic bags in a store.

Traveling in a gas-powered vehicle as little as possible is a great way to conserve. Walk or bike whenever and wherever you can; it’ll help the planet and your health. If you live in the city, use public transportation. Likewise, if you live in the country, carpool to work and instead of making several trips a week to run errands, save them for one trip.

If you take the time to think about your daily activities, and how you can do them a little differently, you may find yourself not only helping the environment, but helping your wallet. Do only full loads of laundry and dishes; cut your shower by two minutes; switch to energy-saving light bulbs; turn your refrigerator and air conditioner up a single degree and turning off your electronic devices at night are all painless ways to help.

Challenge yourself to think before you act for a few days and you will surprised at how easy it is to begin the process of going green.

As responsible citizens of this society, we all are answerable to all types of damages made by human activities to this beautiful planet. And, global warming is an issue, which requires special attention from every individual, as every person contributes his or her share to this problem. We add worth to global warming by driving vehicles, setting up industries and even by using light lamps at our home.

It has been estimates that global warming is going to rule this planet in few years ahead. In order to make it impossible, every person will have to play his role in reducing this effect. This awareness is especially required amongst residents of countries like America, which is considered to be greatly responsible for global warming. The research has proved that an average US resident is responsible for addition of 6.6 tons of harmful gases to atmosphere. With the advent of new technologies, this rate is increasing at a fast pace and it is an alarming issue.

You need to modify your ways of living to achieve fruitful results in the direction of reducing global warming effect. You simply need to follow a number of useful guidelines to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases:

• The label of ENERGY STAR on various appliances ensures that the appliance is dedicated to consume minimum amount of power. Thus, the consumers must be aware of this label while purchasing electronic products like computer, cordless, fax machines, washing machines and related goods.
• Another appreciated method is by providing insulation at your living place. This method brings down the value of your electricity bill and also, allows you to participate in efforts against global warming.
• You must opt for energy saving lights for your home as well as workplaces. The fluorescent lamps are great instances of such lights.
• It is a good idea to use faucets, which privilege low flow in your bathrooms and toilets in order to save substantial amount of water. Moreover, you may diminish the wastage of water by using heavy object behind toilet tanks.
• You may bring down the level of fuel consumed by your vehicle by searching for a job near your place. In this way, you can reduce the addition of greenhouse gases by more than 1500 pounds every year.
• If you are in the process of availing a new automobile, always ask for miles-per-galloon value of the vehicle. You must also opt for those vehicles, which are specially designed to consume less fuel.

Have you heard about running your car on water fuel? Well, it is properly called hydrogen fuel cell technology and it is here to save the planet. Oil and gas prices are soaring higher and higher and there will come a time when people realize that they should consider an alternative fuel energy source.

Admit it, everyday your car emissions are contributing to pollution. If you want to reduce pollution and at the same time save money, you need to make use of hydrogen fuel cell technology; find out more by reading this article.

Hydrogen fuel cell technology is not new. It started more or less eighty years ago but since it is quite expensive, scientists and researchers don’t find it a good alternative fuel source. Aside from the hydrogen technology, other technologies have surfaced years ago such as the use of vegetable oil and sugar cane to run a car. However, these technologies did not achieve great success because of the hefty price, climate restrictions, and other issues regarding safety on the road. In short, these technologies were unstable.

Hydrogen fuel cell technology is different. In fact, there are now converted hydrogen cars roaming the streets of US, Europe, and Canada. This improved technology is now more stable. Have you tried surfing the internet? The hydrogen fuel cell kits are widely available online and anyone can get it as long as they want to take advantage of the hydrogen technology.

Experts did not find vegetable oil and sugar cane as viable options. Can hydrogen technology offer something different? If you want proof, the technology is proof in itself since it is science reality. With hydrogen technology, you will still need gasoline aside from the HHO generator and conversion tool.

The conversion tool will need electricity from the car battery and this will be used to conduct the process of electrolysis. Through the process, hydrogen will be extracted from water and in turn provide the car with added power. Obviously, at this point in time, hydrogen technology can’t replace the use of diesel or gasoline. Well, who knows what might happen in the future.

By following the Hydrogen Fuel Conversion Guide , you can reduce your fuel consumption to a great extent and save lots of money. Now, why did scientists and researchers find this technology viable? The reason is that hydrogen technology is much more affordable now. In fact, car companies will soon offer the public with affordable hydrogen powered vehicles.

Conversion projects are easy to build and are quite affordable. If you’re interested with the hydrogen technology, surf the net now. Check out the available resources that are in store for you. You will surely get tremendous savings by simply investing on the fuel cell kits online.

Even if you buy the ‘built fuel cells’, the cost is still nothing compared to the savings that you will get in return. Well, if you want changes, you definitely have to spend some money. This is a very good investment because you’re not only helping yourself but you’re also helping the world.

Find guides online to help you go through with your conversion project. Perhaps you have a friend or a relative who converted their car already. Ask help from them so that the task is immediately finished. If everyone in the world consider the use of hydrogen fuel cell technology, life will improve.

Over the past 150 to 200 years, temperatures all across the world have been changing. It is become unseasonably warm in some places, and droughts accompanied by humid rain have been the norm in many country. Global temperatures affect everyone on the planet in different ways, but here are some of the most severe effects and cause of global temperatures that you should be aware of.

Global temperatures, and global warming in particular, have become more of a major issue in the past few decades, and temperatures are continuing to increase. Factors like solar variation and volcanoes have had a hand in global warming, but these factors can be relatively small when considering the state of the world’s temperature, and how to change it. Orbital forcing has also had something to do with global temperatures; over time, the earth has changed to pattern of its rotation around the sun, which allows for extremely warm temperatures in certain places on the globe that last for long periods of time. Greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere also have a lot do to with the rise of global temperatures. The ‘Greenhouse effect’, as it is often called, is the process of the absorption of infrared radiation by gases that exist in the atmosphere. When this occurs for long periods of time, the planet is warmed in places it should not be, and the natural order of the earth’s systems are disrupted.

This could mean that places in the earth that are usually cold in climate will begin to warm up, and the places that may be filled with ice or glacier will experience a meltdown. This will increase the amount of water on the planet, and the results could mean flooding in certain parts of the world.

Global temperatures present a serious environmental issue; if we are to preserve the planet and prevent any further damage due to global warming, there are some things that need to be done in order to maintain the overall well-being of the Earth. Living ‘green’ is a popular choice that many people are making these days, and it will definitely help to preserve the planet. Doing things like recycling on a daily basis, using and purchasing recycled products, and conserving electrical energy are small steps you can take towards regulating global temperatures. Reducing or eliminating the use of harsh gases or chemicals will also reverse some of the damage done by the ‘greenhouse effect’ so look for hairsprays, deodorants, and air fresheners that are free of ‘CFCs’ which means they do not contain gases or chemicals that are harmful to the environment.

If you want more information on global warming or how to reduce global temperatures in your town or neighborhood, there are a number of studies that are now being conducted in order to put an end to this crisis. Visit sites like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070315101129.htm, or www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/globalextremes.html to find the global temperatures details and suggestions you need to make your life more environmentally friendly, and to save the planet.

Reduce, reuse, recycle must be part of your common word-stock. Recycling your trash is a fantastic to do your part in lowering the total amount of odds and ends that is being dumped into landfills throughout the country. It can seem like a lot of work at the outset but before you know it you will have the methods down pat. Be an excellent example and show that you care enough about the planet today and for future generations.

Your district sanitation office probably has a recycling program that can help reduce the amount of waste that is going into a neighborhood landfill. The key is to ask before you start trying to recycle your waste products. Your district sanitation department may only take certain kids of recyclables because it does not have the necessary facilities to process all types of garbage.

Step two is the actual sorting of trash into the suitable recycling containers. Recyclables can be broken up into different categories. There are paper products, garbage products, such as food scraps and yard trimmings, aluminum cans, glass containers and plastic containers. You may not have a place to take everything but every little bit helps the great cause.

Once you have the suitable containers, your ensuing step is to perform the actual sorting. Do not delay up to five minutes before the garbage pick-up is expected to start sorting. The best recommendation is to do it as you go. When you are finished with that milk bottle, rinse it out and place it in the bin. The same thing goes for that newspaper, tin cans and plastic bottles. If you want to keep your home smelling nice, then make sure you wash out your containers before placing them in the recycling bins.

If you learn how to recycle and carry out it everyday, then before long it will become second nature to you. You will begin to automatically throw trash into the appropriate recycling bins as you go along. You will be doing your part to help keep the environment safe. An extra note: try to use environment-friendly products as much as possible. These products are designed to degrade much faster or be recycled much easier than traditional products. What a fantastic feeling it is to know that you are part of the answer and not part of the problem.

Even if you choose to adopt biodiesel for your vehicle, biodiesel pumps are impossible to encounter. Its price is also sky high. The global supply of biodiesel is short, on account of no one is mass producing it.

This is a very familiar misconception. Biodiesel is being bulk produced all over the world. In Europe, for example, biodiesel is very popular. For the preceding five years, biodiesel production has been snowballing by about 10% every year. In 2007, the European Union produced a total of 5 713 000 tonnes of biodiesel, a 16.5% increase over 2006.

Germany is by far the biggest producer of biodiesel in Europe. After all, Germany has been producing biodiesel since 1999. In 2007, Germany generated more than 50% of Europe’s biodiesel.

Even all this is not enough to comfort environmentally-conscious European drivers. To meet the voracious consumer demand, Neste Oil has invested $ 814 million to build a biodiesel plant in Singapore. The plant is expected to produce 800 000 tonnes of biodiesel annually.

Until that plant is built, the European Union must continue to import biodiesel from the United States. In 2008, the United States produced 2 555 000 tonnes of biodiesel. Compare this to the 1.6 million tonnes produced in 2007: a 60% increase.

The Japanese are growing into the biodiesel market as well. The nation is well-known for its consumption of disposable chopsticks: almost 90 000 tonnes of wood is discarded ereally year. Researchers are looking into generating biodiesel from this would-be waste.

In addition to producing biodiesel within its borders, Japan is also actively investing in other countries. In 2007, Japan invested $ 800 million for a biodiesel plant in Cambodia. The plant should produce an additional 40 000 tonnes of biodiesel ereally year. The same year, Japan also invested $ 50 million for a biodiesel centre in the Phillipines.

Even developing countries are jumping on the biodiesel bandwagon. China, for example, is a booming economy. It needs all the energy it can get. In 2005, China produced 1 million tonnes of biodiesel. The figure is comparatively low, as China was centering on ethanol manufacturing. However, China plans to expand its biodiesel production to 2 million tonnes by 2010.

The world is beginning to see the benefits of biodiesel. The fuel releases 75% less carbon dioxide than gasoline, and no sulphur compounds whatsoever. It contains few contaminants, burning cleanly. But best of all, biodiesel is renewable. Corporations and citizens alike are becoming more environmentally aware.

With all this manufacturing, where is the consumption? Europe is a bulkive consumer of biodiesel. Although it produced 5.7 million tonnes of biodiesel in 2007, it also imported 1 million tonnes from the United States. Many biodiesel pumps can be found in Europe, in particular in Germany.

North America is also catching on. If you live in a big city, chances are that a biodiesel station is not far away from your home. Major gas stations, such as Shell, are also introducing biodiesel pumps at their gas stations. Although biodiesel stations are still rare when compared to gasoline or diesel stations, we are making progress.

To find the biodiesel station closest to your home, check out Mapquest or Google Maps. Both applications allow you to search for alternative fuel stations.