Archive for May, 2009
The Solution to Pollution - Sustainable Power
The World Health Organization, The U.N., and governments from all over the world are now concerned with pollution. You hear celebrities calling a call to arms, to unite against pollution. A media frenzy on how polluted the whole planet is the event of the decade.
Pollution causes instability, discomfort, disorder and harm the environment and the people living in it. There are many kinds of pollutants it could be noise, energy, light, heat, and worst chemical.
Sources Of Pollution
There are two kinds of pollution source; the point source pollution or the non point source pollution. Point source pollution is aptly named because the source is readily identifiable and may be singled out. Usually a point source only affects only a single span of area or space while the non point source will affect a larger area. Non point pollution usually affects water bodies. It’s so severe that nothing will be able to reverse the damaging effects.
A History Of Pollution
If you believe that reverting to a “traditional” way of life will reduce or at least slow down the effects of pollution then you’re wrong. The moment fire was discovered, and metal grinding was used pollution ensued. Even human wastes probably some polluted areas since the Paleolithic times, its just that at that time nature dwarfs human actions giving it a period to recover.
Pollution gradually increases as humanity evolves and society develops. In fact glacier slices in Greenland show pollution in connection with the ancient Mesopotamian, Greek, roman and Chinese era. A closer study showed that pollution increases with the rise in the utilization of metals. With the decline of any human social progress the middle ages showed a slow pollution progress; although, pollution was generally concentrated in pocketed areas like cities.
The gradual increase of populations and the widespread use of industrial processes saw the materialization of a civilization that is slowly but surely creating a negative impact on nature. It was inevitable that pollution would get so severe that people would finally notice that the environment is slowly degenerating. The industrial revolution paved the way for total environmental pollution as we know it today
A Declaration
Unknown to a lot of people, the issue of pollution is not one that’s been discovered during the 19th century. During the 9th towards the 13th century Arabic writings regarding pollution were already prevalent.
The first medium of action in which the western society first notice was so basic and simple that it is literally all around us: air. Pollution as a cause became popular towards the end of world war II when the effects of atomic testing and the atomic bomb became undeniable destructive. In 1952 great smog descended upon London prompting the death of more than 8,000 people. This event precipitated legislations sanctioning the use of coals and other polluting energy resources prevalent in those days.
Over time, the growing pollution made people realize that the main cause of nature’s demise is our relentless use of energy. This gave rise to environmentalism and the quest for sustainable power. Energy is an integral part of the human world. We cannot live without energy; our very existence depends upon it. That is why it is imperative that we find alternate energy resources that will never be exhausted and will not harm the environment as time goes by.
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May 6th, 2009
Alternative Energy Sources
Alternative energy is often referred to as energy from a source other than the conventional fossil fuel source like oil, natural gas and coal. Alternative energy is not popularly used and is usually environmentally sound. It is also often times renewable energy. Several alternative energy sources are solar, wind, biomass, wave and tidal energy.
Population problem is not only a problem or concern about the number of people. People consume food, fresh water, wood, minerals, and energy every day. The increasing energy consumption is leading to the depletion of conventional energy sources as well as increasing pollution.
We are currently reliant on fossil fuel and other non-renewable energy. This causes great harm to out environment and will also tremendously affect future generations. Most of the current population relies on non-renewable energy source such as oil, natural gas, fossil fuel and coal.
Fossil fuels are non-renewable source of energy, it means it could run out. Also, when fossil fuels are burnt they produce the gas carbon dioxide (CO2). Carbon dioxide is known as a greenhouse gas since it traps heat from the sun and preventing it from escaping out of the Earth’s atmosphere into space. The amount of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere is increasing. It leads to rising Earth temperature called global warming.
Alternative and renewable source of energy is therefore a necessity. Renewable energy is derived from resources that are regenerative or regenerate after consumption. For this reason, renewable energy unlike fossil fuels do not produce as many greenhouse gases.
There are several countries that are providing incentives for private sector or personal efforts to use renewable energy by giving tax incentives and subsidies. Currently, just 14 percent of the world’s energy consumption comes from renewable energy sources. But there is great potential for alternative energy. It could be large enough to cover many times the current energy consumption.
Several sources of renewable or also called alternative energy are sunlight, wind, rain, tides and geothermal heat. Wind energy comes from wind power that is generated from wind turbines. Wind energy are non-polluting energy source with low maintenance cost although the initial expense may be high.
Solar energy come from the sun’s rays that reach the Earth. Solar energy can be converted into heat and electricity. Solar energy can be converted to thermal or energy generated from heat. It can be used to heat water and heat spaces like inside greenhouses, homes and other buildings.
Biomass energy comes from plants and animal material that are usable source of energy like wood from trees, waste from other plants, manure or animal wastes. Biomass energy has numerous benefits. It uses waste materials that are usually dumped and uses up methane gas (a greenhouse gas). Fuels like ethanol can be made from biomass and uses as an alternative to petrol.
Meanwhile, hidro power makes use of the energy the water gains when it drops in elevation. That is why plants are near waterfalls or dams. Hidro-power has been used since the start of the electric age but unfortunately the value of this energy has not yet been developed and maximized.
Another alternative energy source would be geothermal energy or energy derived from the underwater heat the world is emitting. Geothermal power plants are unaffected of changing weather conditions. It is also price competitive and helps the people’s reliance on fossil fuels lessen.
These only show that we can choose alternative ways on using energy to lessen its negative impact on our environment. Alternative energy sources provide us a choice for a bright and healthy future. It may something be out of the ordinary but it can also be useful.
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May 3rd, 2009
Tips on How to be more frugal
In today’s world, prices are increasing year on year. Adopting a frugal life style and Saving money can sometimes be a difficult job for many people. To help you to get a more frugal twist on your money, here are some pointers that may help:
1. Identifying your needs
Try and determine the things that are of importance to you. Identify the items that are necessary and the items that you would like to have. Always remember that you should only buy things that are important and needed in your lifestyle. Shop around you can always obtain the same product for less money if you do a bit of research. .
2. Basic needs
Make sure that you spend your money only on basic needs like food, transportation, shelter, and clothing. These basic needs are worth spending for because these are important for your health and security. these are the things that you cannot live without and should be allotted in your budget.
3. Making a list
Make a list of the things that you want to buy and be sure that the items that you are buying are good enough to sustain your basic needs. You have to be satisfied with the things that you have now, as long as they are still useful and can accommodate those needs.
4. Assessing your purchases
You may avoid unwanted purchases by researching the item first before buying it. This is to make sure that the item is worthy enough to acquire. There are instances that you tend to buy things without even knowing its effectiveness and quality. You have to keep in mind that you always need to spend your money wisely on items that have quality and are according to your budget.
5. Timing your purchase
You may try to budget your money in advance. You can make a plan first before spending your money. There are instances that you spend your money without even thinking that it is not the right time to have it. It also advisable to buy larger items at the end of the season, prices at this time of the year are low and cheap.
6. Compare the outlet options
You may compare items on their prices. Do not limit your options to just one store only. You may find the best item that can be useful and affordable to you by window-shopping first rather than buying on impulse. Many stores out there carry the same items and can offer lower prices especially in the current economic situation. Also check the Internet many online stores carry the same products as your downtown stores but at a greatly reduced price and many even offer free delivery.
7. Conserving energy
You can save more money in your household by comparing and switching energy supply companies, which in turn also gives you that real good feeling that you are doing your bit towards saving the environment. On a frugality front always Be sure to turn off appliances that are not in use. You can then compare your monthly electric bills regularly to check if you are maintaining your desired cost levels.
8. Frugal transportation
You can save on your transportation costs by traveling wisely. If for work or shopping, try and get in on a car share. You know it makes loads of sense. You save on ware and tear on the car and also save on gas which is good for the environment, good for the car and helps with your social networking skills. everyone wins! If you are looking at taking at a longer trip, It is recommended that you make out an itinerary to help you plan out the trip in advance. Being organized will help you save money and time.