27 August 2009

::: Global Warming | Gamini s Greener Globe :::

Climate models show that atmospheric temperatures will increase by between 1.5 and 4.5 C by the year 2100 if a " Wait and See and Do Nothing " approach is adopted. The global temperature increase since the last ice age ( about 10,000 years ago ) has been about 5 C. Temperature and precipitation patterns in the high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, which appear to be becoming more tropical. There is less of a difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures, and rainfall tends to more often come in intense bursts. The greenhouse effect and sea level rise threaten our existence. Since oceans absorb more heat than land areas. The best guess forecast for sea level rise is a global average between 3 and 10 millimeters per year. As more than 70 per cent of the world's population live on coastal plains, the potential for massive personal, economic and physical dislocation becomes clear ..
Part of this comes from the expansion of water, as it was getting warm. Apart from the widespread melting of mountain glaciers. About 17 percent of the rise remains
unexplained. With a large number of the world's cities in coastal areas, this is a significant problem. There are two major causes of rising sea levels. Firstly, extra water is produced when ice melts causing by warmer weather. Secondly, the natural expansion of Ocean water as it becomes warmer. The range of sea ice around both poles continues to shrink and melts. Even with the level of greenhouse gases present today, by the scientist around the world estimated that the earth may warm enough in the next 50 years or so to completely melt the sea ice located on the poles. As warmer oceans cause more intense storms. Damage from rising seas is very diverse. Buildings and roads close to the water could be flooded and they could suffer damage from hurricanes and tropical storms. There are also effects on agricultural production and water resource. A slight increase of that would also be enough to make deserts hotter and drier or increased frequency of forest fires, or would melt a third or more of the world's mountain glaciers. Since the mid 1980s an unprecedented number of intense fires have destroyed forests and homes across most continents. Poor soils may also limit the rate at which tree species can spread. Thus, the range over which a particular species is found may tend to be squeezed as areas become inhospitably hot. The net result is that some forests may tend to have a less diverse mix of tree species ..
Global warming also changes in rainfall, temperature, humidity, and wind. They are all likely the side effects of global warming, and just a few of the elements that can effect the quality of water used for
drinking, recreational, and commercial purposes. In addition, seafood from contaminated water, or fresh produce irrigated with contaminated water, can carry disease ..
Weather has a profound effect on human health and well being. As average temperatures slowly rising up in coming decades. The effects of a warmer climate may begin to take a toll. Particularly those who
cannot afford air conditioning, or are already physically weaker ( elderly ) are going to have a harsh life. Global warming is also expected to result in more extreme weather events, just like heavy storms and floods. Beyond a rise in weather related injuries and fatalities powerful storms. The secondary health impacts of extreme weather, such as bacterial illnesses resulting from damaged public facilities like having lack of clean drinking water and psychological problems from the mental stress of experiencing a natural disaster. Health problems will vary dramatically around the world. Climate change may benefit ecological conditions for insect growth and abundance which is likely to have a negative effect on crop, livestock, and forest production in some areas. Major health impacts are possible, especially in large urban areas, owing to changes in availability of water and food and increased health problems due to heat stress and spreading of infections. Moths, beetles, and spiders might seem like innocuous household pests, but in a global warming world they have the potential to wreak havoc on crops, forests, and human health. According to the World Health Organization ( WHO ) there are already 110 million cases of malaria and up to 2 million deaths from it worldwide each year. Increases in temperatures are creating ideal mosquito breeding conditions in new regions, including the USA, Australia, UK, Bangladesh, China, and Egypt and continue spreading all around the world. Our health is threatened by climate change. Malaria, asthma, encephalitis, tuberculosis, leprosy, dengue fever, and measles are all expected to become more common through the world due to global warming ..
Air quality in many parts of the country is already considered unhealthy. With global warming adding to it, it is only going to get worse and worse. No element of the natural world is more essential to life
than air, and no environmental task more critical than keeping it cleans. Because electricity power plants and motor vehicles are by far the biggest sources of air pollution, from lung damage to acid rain to global warming. Air pollution and heat advisory warnings should specifically target children and the elderly. For example, as air gets hotter, it mixes with sunlight and produces ozone smog, which damages human lungs, as well as trees and vegetation. A related problem is an inevitable increase in air conditioning use. Power plant emissions will also increase if additional controls are not established ..
Global warming would reduce global food production, increase prices and cause new uncertainties about food supplies. That means the demand for food will be higher than the demand of supply of food in the
future caused by global warming. Significant declines in grain yields are forecast for Africa, tropical Latin America and much of India and Southeast Asia. Reduced yields are also projected for the USA, Canada, the Middle East, and southern Europe ..
The potential costs of cutting greenhouse gas emissions might sacrifice economic growth or our standard of living in challenging of climate change. By doing this we might need to change in behavior. In the short term, changes in economic activity that could impose costs on society. The costs of climate change reflect the magnitude of the emissions reduction, the timing of these reductions, and the means of implementation. The Globe rule to protect the environment. Today, action is occurring at every level to reduce, to avoid, and to better understand the risks brought by climate change and their harmful affects. Many cities and states around the world have prepared greenhouse gas inventories and many are actively pursuing programs, education, advertisement, and policies that will result in greenhouse gas emission reductions. Encouraging people in recycle program and planting trees ..
The world is undoubtedly warming. This warming is largely the result of emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from human activities including industrial processes, fossil fuel combustion, and changes in land use, such as deforestation. Addressing the climate change is no simple task. To protect ourselves, our economy, and our land from the adverse effects of climate change, we must reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. To achieve this we must fundamentally transform the way we power our global economy, shifting away from a century’s legacy of unrestrained fossil fuel use and its associated emissions in pursuit of more efficient and renewable sources of energy. Such a transformation will require society to engage in a concerted effort, over the near and long term, to seek out opportunities and design actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions ..

14 August 2009

::: Quenching Thirst | Gamini s Greener Globe :::

Producing, packaging, and transporting a liter of Bottled Water requires between 1,100 and 2,000 times more energy on average than treating and delivering the same amount of Tap Water. Popularity of bottled water is rising and bottled water has become the drink of choice for many people around the world. Bottled water sales have skyrocketed over the past few years. In 2007, more than 200 billion liters of bottled water were sold worldwide. Carbonated soft drinks are the only bottled beverage that the world consumers buy in greater quantities than bottled water.
The
irony, of course, is that a lot of bottled water is little more than just treated piped water which costs you the consumer very less and is much better regulated and more rigorously tested than bottled water.
For the energy analysis, environmental scientists assessed the energy used during each stage of bottled water production. They added up the energy it takes to make a plastic bottle, process the water, label, fill, and seal the bottle then transport bottled water for sale. Their report says that manufacturing and transportation bottled water are the most energy intensive processes involved in putting a bottle of water in your refrigerator. The environmental scientists estimate that just producing the plastic bottles for bottled water consumption worldwide uses 50 million barrels of oil.
Transportation energy consumption is harder to figure, because some water is bottled locally and travels short distances to reach consumers while other brands of bottled water are imported from distant nations, which increases the amount of energy needed to transport them. According to the report, imported bottled water uses about two and a half to four times more energy than bottled water produced locally. It is hard to argue the fact that waste management has become a large problem in the world, with landfills are growing to enormous sizes and recycling rates are remaining very low. The number of plastic bottles produced by the bottled water industry, is simply unthinkable. Besides the sheer number of plastic bottles produced each year, the energy required to manufacture and transport these bottled water to market severely drains limited fossil fuel energy. Bottled water companies, due to their unregulated use of valuable resources and their production of billions of plastic bottles, have presented a significant strain on the environment.
Therefore, think before you drink bottled water. If you imagine that every bottle of water you drink is about three quarters water and one quarter oil, you will have an accurate picture of how much energy it takes to put that bottle of water into your hand ..

10 August 2009

::: Shark Conservation | Gamini s Greener Globe :::

The demise of the shark populations is a global issue that needs our immediate attention and action. Support for shark protection is difficult to achieve because of the persistent irrational fear of sharks. A change in attitude, perception, media coverage, and improved conservation legislation and fishing policies are desperately needed.
The general misconception is that there are still plenty of sharks. It is rare to find sympathy for an animal that most people are terrified of. Sharks have a bad reputation that is undeserved and incorrect. This makes it possible for the slaughter of sharks by the millions to continue, when it should cause a global outrage. The demand for Shark Fin Soup which is considered a delicacy in Asian countries, is wiping out shark populations around the world.
More research is needed to find out important information about the biology of individual shark species, and how the current fishing practices will affect their populations. One thing is clear, because sharks are slow to mature and reproduce in very low numbers, the populations will hit a point of no return much faster than any other fish species that are hunted extensively. In other words, many shark species are already nearing a point of E X T I N C T I O N that will be difficult to stop and reverse.
Every healthy ecosystem needs predators. And sharks are one of the most important links in the ocean ecosystem. Sharks keep our oceans healthy and clean. Without sharks the oceans would be a cesspool of the sick, dying and dead. Fisheries would collapse. The balance would be disturbed to a point of no return. The extinction of sharks would impact the environment and economy on a global scale. When we recognize that we have to respect and protect sharks, we are also taking one step towards saving the oceans .. !
Nothing is as effective as a personal experience with sharks, but narrating the true nature of these graceful animals by the next generation of marine biologists and shark researchers will come from the passion that is sparked by personal experiences in the ocean, will obviously change the negative perception of sharks ..
Observing sharks in the wild is inspirational and moves people at a deeper level. Whale Watching has already shown that as a successful example. Perhaps someday why not Shark Watching ..

07 August 2009

::: Jumbo Dung Made | Gamini s Greener Globe :::

An innovative company in Sri Lanka sells 100% hand made paper products made out of recycled elephant pooh paper. There are no toxic chemicals used in their paper making process. Only basic bonding agents along with water soluble salt dyes for coloring are used. As no Bleach .. no Acids .. solutions are introduced during manufacturing, their handmade papers are of an ideal PH value for photograph preservation.
Sri Lanka is home to about a 10% of the estimated global total of 40,000 Asian elephants in the wild. Elephants are not being killed in Sri Lanka for their tusks or meat. But as a direct consequence of the conflict between Man and Elephant, it is likely that more than 4,000 elephants have been destroyed since 1950. Most of the protected areas inhabited by elephants are small. ( Less than a 1000 square kilometers in size )
These protected species could not live in an area where agriculture is the dominant form of land use unless a compensation system is covered the damage the elephants caused to farmers. There are no easy solutions for resolving the Human - Elephant conflict in Sri Lanka. Much will depend on how rural people perceive the worth of the elephant. To stop these unnecessary killing of elephants requires changing perceptions of the farmers who suffer constant depredations from the animals. Many are now convinced that the only way Elephants and Human beings can co exist successfully in the same environment is through finding ways to use the elephant as a sustainable economic resource.
Not only as an attraction for tourists, and why not a range of hand made paper products out of Elephant Dung ..

On average, an adult elephant produces about 180 to 200 kilograms of pooh per day. Moreover, it provides a way of converting a liability into an asset in conflict areas. Since an elephant’s diet is all vegetarian, the waste produced is basically raw cellulose. Thoroughly cleaned and processed, the cellulose is converted into a uniquely beautiful textured product, marketed as Pachyderm Paper .. This acid free, papyrus typed paper can be formed into art and construction projects, notebooks, cards, and assorted gift items where the only limitation is ones imagination. These products have proved extremely popular among many in the local population and among foreign tourists.
Although this paper may not completely resolve the ongoing Human Elephant conflict in Sri Lanka, its use for the benefit of the farmers who suffer from elephant depredations will certainly go some way in raising the tolerance of the farmers towards the elephant. If the elephant is used as an economic asset that contributes meaningfully to the welfare of the people, then the people themselves will not want to see elephant disappear from their area. In the final analysis, all of our conservation efforts will be futile if we do not have the support of the local communities.
Pachyderm Paper can play an important role in the conservation of its raw material provider, the Jumbo of course ..