Save The World

November 18, 2009

5 Ways to Save The World

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , — Save The World @ 9:00 am

5 Ways to Save the World

It’s no secret that the world’s natural resources are limited and endangered. Despite all efforts to save the world by gaining support globally for environmentally sound programs there remains some resistance. There is hope, however, in the fact that every individual can help save the world by setting a priority in their daily living activities by making ecologically sound choices. There are 5 ways to save the world ecology that are easily done by individuals no matter where they reside.

Recycle

Recycling is well known by people in most modern countries. Set up a home recycling center by using several boxes or bins and separate out items for recycling. Collect cardboard, plastic, glass, paper and metal in the containers. Children will enjoy your attempt to save the world in this fashion. Kids have fun helping out especially when they can dump the bins into the recycling center containers. Recycling is simple enough that even the youngest children can understand about doing the separating. Take care with disposal of your batteries and other hazardous materials to see that they get to the proper place for recycling. Extend your effort to save the world by shopping for recyclables and buying from resale stores, using libraries and rental stores.

Stop buying bottled water

Water is another limited resource but a necessity to have to save the world. Many people enjoy bottle water but using bottled water is not ecologically sound. Besides possible health risks, the process for making the bottles can harm the environment and waste is another problem. Bottle production requires the use of fossil fuels and toxic chemicals in the plastic bottles can harm health and leach out as pollution. Save the world by using fewer plastic liquid containers.

Use less gas and electricity

Another way to save the world is to use less gas and electricity. Combine errands into one trip so you drive fewer miles. Trade in a gas guzzler for a more efficient car. Carpool to work or take public transportation. Better still, walk or ride your bicycle. Your efforts to save the world help reduce larger emissions from power plants. Use energy efficient appliances and power saver settings. Replace incandescent bulbs with long lasting energy saver CFL bulbs.

Have a smaller carbon footprint

Do some calculations to determine your carbon footprint. With a smaller carbon footprint you create less pollution and help save the world. Go online and use one of many carbon footprint calculators that are offered to see what kind of human footprint you are creating. The carbon footprint is a method of determining what impact a human has on the environment. One way to save the world is to reduce your carbon footprint by changing your lifestyle. Much human activity causes the release of greenhouse gases including CO2 into the atmosphere which can cause global warming. You can reduce your carbon footprint by doing things like planting a tree, driving less or driving a more efficient car. Knowing what foods to buy is another way to save the world. Foods that require less processing and fertilizer are kinder to the environment.

Plant a tree

Another old favorite in the effort to save the world is to plant a tree. Plant many trees! Reforestation is an excellent group project and can be done in many places. Trees actually contribute more oxygen into the atmosphere than other green things like grass. As world forests are being depleted it is more important than ever to replace these giant oxygen generators. This is a save the world effort that should be done liberally at home. Make it a family occasion and plant a tree to honor each child. Help save the world by starting at home!

November 3, 2009

DIY Lawn Halloween Decorations

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , — Save The World @ 12:26 pm

DIY Lawn Halloween Decorations

Getting into the Halloween spirit is a whole lot of fun. One of the best ways to do so is by decorating your yard. However, store bought decorations can cost a lot of money. If you’ve got a bit of creativity and a willingness to do a little bit of arts and crafts, you can create DIY lawn Halloween decorations that will really make your yard stand out this year. Check out some great DIY lawn Halloween decorations ideas below!

DIY Lawn Halloween Decorations Idea #1: Pumpkins!

Since pumpkins are so abundant at this time of year, it’s easy to stock up and buy several of them at once. After you get them home, enlist the help of a few other people and set about carving spooky and/or silly faces into them. Jack o lanterns make great DIY lawn Halloween decorations, and they can be added to the compost pile or simply thrown away when the season is through. They are definitely must-have DIY lawn Halloween decorations!

DIY Lawn Halloween Decorations Idea #2: Fake Graves

Turn your front yard into a fake cemetery by creating fake gravestones. Fake graves are some of the most popular DIY lawn Halloween decorations, and it’s easy to see why. After all, you can write anything you want on them. Use plywood for best results, and invest in some decent permanent markers to help your graves pop out. Neighbors are sure to marvel at these DIY lawn Halloween decorations.

DIY Lawn Halloween Decorations Idea #3: Spider Webs

Draping spider webs over the trees and bushes in your front yard can be an excellent decorating idea. These are very easy DIY lawn Halloween decorations to make, too. All you need is a bag of cheap cotton – even cotton balls will do. Stretch and pull apart the cotton until it is very thin, then drape it over whatever you want. For a few dollars, you can even buy a bag of fake spiders and put them all over your web, adding to its general spookiness. These DIY lawn Halloween decorations are fun for the whole family to create.

DIY Lawn Halloween Decorations Idea #4: Ghosts

Go through your linen closet and dig up some old sheets that you don’t use anymore. Cut them into three feet by three feet squares, then stuff with wadded up newspaper. Use a permanent marker to give them ghostly faces, and use a string to hang them from trees in your front yard. These DIY lawn Halloween decorations are a creative and entertaining way to kick your decorating up a notch.

DIY Lawn Halloween Decorations Idea #5: Coffins

Use plywood to create some makeshift coffins and place them on your front yard. These are easy to create, DIY lawn Halloween decorations that really go the extra mile. Either check and see if anyone you know has any scrap plywood handy, or pick some up at your local hardware store – it’s very cheap. Your yard will be the spookiest one on the block!

DIY Halloween Party Decorations

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , — Save The World @ 12:23 pm

DIY Halloween Party Decorations

Decorating for Halloween can be a lot of fun – but you certainly don’t want to spend a fortune doing it. If you’re thinking about throwing a Halloween party this year, check out the following DIY Halloween party decorations for inspiration. You can use these DIY Halloween party decorations to give your home a spooky – and festive – atmosphere.

DIY Halloween Party Decorations Idea #1: Spider Webs

Although you can buy fake spider webs at the store, you can avoid spending any money at all by looking around to see if you have any cotton balls handy. Cotton balls – the kind that you might use to remove makeup or as a swab – can be stretched out and used to create a spooky, spider web look. Out of all of the DIY Halloween party decorations, spider webs are one of the most versatile ideas because you can string them up just about anywhere. Hang them from the ceiling, drape them over the back of the couch – do anything you’d like!

DIY Halloween Party Decorations Idea #2: Spooky Lighting

You don’t have to run out to the store and buy a fancy strobe light machine to enjoy DIY Halloween party decorations involving light. In fact, using just a couple of candles is all you really need. Be sure to put them somewhere safe, though, so that they aren’t a fire hazard during your party. If you have any oil lamps handy, those also make great DIY Halloween party decorations. They cast a spooky light in a natural way, giving the entire party an ambiance of ghostly delight.

DIY Halloween Party Decorations Idea #3: Jack O Lanterns

Pumpkins are very cheap to buy this time of year, since they are so plentiful. Buy an assortment of pumpkins of all different shapes and sizes, then have a few friends or family members help you carve them into wonderfully spooky jack o lanterns. Jack o lanterns are some of the best – and most enjoyable – DIY Halloween party decorations. They are equal parts colorful and festive. You can carve them into terrifying faces, or give them sweet and happy grins – the choice is entirely yours.

DIY Halloween Party Decorations Idea #4: Coffins

Real coffins are quite expensive, but you can easily put together your own fake coffins with a few pieces of plywood, a handful of nails and a hammer. Check with friends and relatives to see if anyone has any scrap plywood lying around for you to use. If you want, use spray paint to make the coffins black. Either way, these are great DIY Halloween party decorations.

DIY Halloween Party Decorations Idea #5: Tombstones

Create your own tombstones with creative sayings on them out of poster board or Styrofoam-backed paper. Placed them around the home to give your party a creepy vibe. Better yet, put the names of party invitees on the tombstones – they make great conversation pieces! These are DIY Halloween party decorations that you can have a lot of fun creating.

Alaska Oil Drilling Approved

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Alaska Oil Drilling Approved

In news that has environmental activists very concerned, the United States Interior Department has approved Shell oil’s request to drill exploration wells in Alaska’s Beaufort Sea. Alaska oil drilling, of course, was a very hot button issue during the last presidential campaign.

Drilling for oil in Alaska continues to be a hotly debated issue, and the news that Shell Oil will be allowed to perform tentative drilling there has environmentalists worried about the continued abuse of the fragile ecosystem in Alaska. Without a doubt, Alaska oil drilling has passionate opponents – and very powerful proponents.

The debate against drilling for oil in Alaska

Despite Shell Oil’s approval for Alaska oil drilling in the Beaufort Sea, environmental activists are voicing major concerns about the proposed activity. Athan Manuel, an important member of the Sierra Club, has already gone on record expressing his concern over Alaska oil drilling. According to Manuel, drilling for oil in Alaska – specifically amid the broken sea ice of the Arctic Ocean – will invite all sorts of terrible repercussions for this fragile region of the world. Manuel says that drilling for oil in Alaska – and cleaning up the oil spills that are bound to happen amid that broken ice – will be catastrophic.

In spite of the fervent opposition of environmental groups – including Manuel’s Sierra Club – Shell Oil intends to go ahead with its plans involving drilling for oil in Alaska. The company is convinced that parts of the Beaufort Sea and along the western part of Camden Bay hold untapped treasure troves of oil. For them, Alaska oil drilling could be a way to lessen the strain that is happening on oil reserves around the globe – and it could lessen the financial burden on cash-strapped consumers.

Drilling for oil in Alaska: the problem

Although Shell Oil is understandably enthusiastic about being granted permission to perform Alaska oil drilling, it faces steep opposition and negative publicity from those who worry about the fate of the many wild animals in that region of the world.

According to the Sierra Club’s Athan Manuel, animals including polar bears and bowhead whales could suffer terribly from such an operation. For environmentalists, any benefits to drilling for oil in Alaska are far outweighed by the very real problem of harming innocent animals and further threatening the integrity of the natural environment there in general.

Alaska oil drilling debate rages on

Shell Oil undoubtedly won an important victory in being granted permission to drill for oil in Alaska. However, it is only the latest victory in a long running battle in which no end is in sight. Drilling for oil in Alaska is bound to continue to be an important topic during future presidential elections, and environmental activists will undoubtedly continue to fight against Alaska oil drilling with all of their might. Their goal of achieving clean alternative energy sources, though, may be put off by current Alaska oil drilling projects.

Green Walls

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Green Walls: Save The World at New Heights

An emerging new technology may have the potential to save the world: green walls. Imagine a skyscraper, towering 80 stories into the air, its walls covered with plants, flowers, and shrubs, and you have imagined the exciting potential of green walls to save the world. These eye-catching walls provide numerous environmental benefits, both to the buildings themselves and the climate as a whole. With a growing population and an environment in need of help, green walls may be what we need to save the world.

What exactly are green walls?

Originating in crowded cities like Hong Kong and Tokyo, green walls developed as a method to save the world from the poor air quality and other environmental issues associated with crowded cities. Usually made up of plant-filled panels, green walls may be attached to any existing structure. While any type of plant may be chosen, choices such as ferns directly impact the reduction of air pollution. Plants that combine beauty with purpose are favorites. Green walls are easy to maintain. Watering can be provided through the building’s plumbing system, and gardening chores, like weeding, are not required. The walls also provide natural cooling to the structure. The landscaping of green walls are meant to provide beauty as well as the potential benefit to save the world.

Green wall technology

Green wall technology comes from the concept of green roofs, another technology developed to save the world from environmental destruction. To construct green walls, aluminum panels are pre-filled with vegetation and then attached to the building’s existing frame. The panels contain most everything the plants need including irrigation systems and growing mediums. A variety of different plants may be used, adding to the beauty and environmental benefits of the walls, including flowers, shrubs, ferns, and edible plants.

How can green walls save the world?

Green walls may save the world in a time when the population is growing and cities are becoming more and more crowded. Beginning with the building itself, green walls provide insulation, helping cool the building naturally as well as retain heat during cold weather. The plants filter air particles, providing a natural reduction in air pollution.

Green walls absorb rainfall and release it slowly into stormwater systems as well as the atmosphere. Animals and insects may find a habitat in the walls, depending on the kinds of plants used. The overall effect of green walls is that of a microclimate, which helps to modify the entire city’s climate, with the long-term potential to save the world from climate destruction. Rather than harming the environment further, a building with green walls has the ability to save the world from environmental destruction, should the technology be used on a large scale.

Other green design breakthroughs: panels, roofs, and houses

In cities like Hong Kong, where most buildings are skyscrapers, it made sense to look to walls as beneficial alternatives or additions to green roofs because the walls of skyscrapers have more area to cover. Green roofs, however, offer a similar potential to save the world from environmental damage.

The panels that are used for green roofs and walls are portable and interchangeable, so there are many possibilities for this kind of technology on all different kinds of buildings. An entire house may be covered with green panels, providing homeowners with significant benefits. As a means to save the world as well as provide personal benefits, green houses will appeal to many homeowners.

Beautiful and environmentally sound, green walls just may save the world.

Save The World By Recycling

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Save The World By Recycling

It has become increasingly apparent that human beings must make some major changes in order to reverse some of the damage they have done to the environment. Recycling is one of the best examples of an effort that can have a very positive impact on the fate of the planet. Once a relatively obscure and rare phenomenon, recycling has become quite popular in modern times. The number of people who recycle has skyrocketed; even major corporations have gotten in on the action.

What Can Be Recycled?

When most people think about recycling, paper comes immediately to mind. Paper is the most common material that people recycle, after all. Many other materials can be recycled, though; other very popular choices are soda pop aluminum cans and plastic bottles. Other forms of aluminum and plastic can also be reused and recycled, reducing the amount of refuse in landfills. Glass is frequently recycled by being melted down and turned into new glass. Batteries are another item that people are encouraged to recycle whenever possible. As recycling efforts increase, the number of recyclable items continues to rise around the world.

How To Recycle

The most popular and common way to participate in recycling is by finding your local recycling center and bringing items you want to recycle there on a regular basis. Some communities even provide special bins that residents can use to set along the curb for the collection of recyclable materials. Many supermarkets and convenience stores have can and bottle machines that people can use to recycle their old products. Beyond community efforts, recycling can take place right within the home. Paper can be saved and set aside to be reused by kids for art projects; other household items can be saved for future undertakings.

What Happens To Recycled Materials?

When paper, plastic, glass, aluminum and many other items are recycled, they are used to make many new products. In many cases, recycled materials are used to manufacture more of the same product that they were originally. This is especially true in the case of aluminum cans, which are frequently recycled and made into new cans. Any sheet of paper that you choose to recycle might very well end up becoming a part of another notebook or other set of paper in the future. Glass is recycled and made into new types of glass, too; concrete is recycled and made into fresh concrete components as well.

Why Should You Recycle?

The more people who choose to recycle, the greater the impact recycling will have on the environment. Therefore, it is important that every single person do their own part and contribute to recycling efforts. If you have children, showing them your willingness to recycle can help instill good recycling habits in them that will benefit the environment for years to come. Knowing that you are doing your own part to help save the world through recycling can be a very good feeling; it is a proactive way to reduce the amount of pollution on planet Earth.

Why Recycling Is Important

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Recycling 101 – Why Recycling Is Important

Recycling has become an increasingly popular phenomenon as more people than ever before are realizing the importance of doing their part to save the planet. With landfills becoming more and more full – and additional waste products polluting our forests, beaches, oceans and other natural environments – recycling has become a truly urgent and important matter. When you choose to recycle, you choose to be proactive about helping to protect the fragile ecosystem of Earth.

What Is Recycling?

Recycling is, basically, the reprocessing of used materials into new ones. This is done in order not to waste materials and to make them useful again, rather than adding them to landfills or otherwise throwing them away. People have engaged in recycling throughout human history; Plato advocated for and encouraged people to recycle as far back as 400 BC. At times in history when resources were at low levels, there is evidence that recycling was used to help people get by.

During times of war, citizens in countries like the United States were urged to recycle in order to provide enough materials for the war effort. In the 1970s, more mainstream attempts to recycle were engaged as the energy crisis worsened. Since then, many communities have made recycling mandatory in certain parts of the world. Many common products are now made largely out of recycled materials, making it more and more ubiquitous.

Benefits of Recycling

There are many benefits to recycling. In addition to the obvious ones involving reducing the amount of trash in landfills, recycling can provide for more cost-effective materials in order to manufacture new items. As recycling efforts have increased, the levels of refuse found on the sides of the road has gone down significantly.

More and more people are choosing to recycle voluntarily, and there are recycled products available across a very broad spectrum. From paper products to clothing to computer components, recycling helps turn garbage into something useful – all while helping to keep the environment as clean and pristine as possible. As recycling techniques become more efficient and convenient, more people are expected to recycle – and the benefits will only become more apparent.

Why Should You Recycle?

In the past, many people chose not to contribute to recycling efforts because they perceived it as being very inconvenient. Indeed, those who wished to recycle often had to perform many aggravating tasks in order to participate.

Fortunately, many communities have made recycling easier and more convenient than ever before. Today, many areas allow residents to leave recycling bins out along with traditional trash containers in order to encourage them to recycle. In your daily life, you can – and should – recycle wherever possible.

Recycling extends beyond your home life, too; at work, you can encourage your colleagues to recycle work supplies like paper. At your child’s school, you can encourage classrooms to discuss recycling and to engage in it whenever possible. There’s no question that every person should recycle as much as possible.

Global Warming Truth

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Global Warming Truth

Since saving the planet is such an important topic in this day and age, learning about global warming is critical to understanding how Earth is being affected by humans. As pollutants continue to go up and become bottled up within the Earth’s atmosphere, global warming climbs up and up. Many scientists and other researchers are tracking the phenomenon diligently, trying to convince the public about its reality – and its dangers.

What Is Global Warming?

Although the greenhouse effect has a largely negative connotation, it is something that actually serves a very useful purpose – to a point. Without the greenhouse effect, the surface of the Earth would not become warm enough to sustain life; the atmosphere would merely release any heat generated by the Sun instantaneously. However, global warming is caused by a marked increase in the greenhouse effect which is caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air. CO2 is the most characteristic aspect of global warming, and it has been introduced to the atmosphere in larger and larger quantities as industrial manufacturing has increased through modern times.

Causes And Effects Of Global Warming

CO2 – or carbon dioxide – is the biggest culprit behind global warming; other pollutants also play parts in the problem. But where specifically do these contaminants come from? The majority of the CO2 and other pollutants that cause global warming come from two main sources: coal burning power plants and automobiles. Especially when they were first introduced, cars seriously increased the levels of CO2 in the air; more recently, emissions standards have been enforced around much of the globe in order to reduce their contribution of CO2 – and hopefully reduce the effects of global warming. Power plants were once far more polluting than they are today, since new standards have also been implemented for them.

Is Global Warming A Hoax?

As with any relatively controversial topic, there are plenty of people who are convinced that global warming is a hoax. They believe that the Earth simply has cycles of warm and cool, and that we happen to be in a warm cycle right now. During major elections, the merits of claims about global warming are hotly debated. Al Gore – the former Vice President of the United States – produced and directed a documentary about global warming called “An Inconvenient Truth” which increased the debate about this phenomenon around the world.

Facts About Global Warming

It is believed that due to global warming, the Earth’s temperature is rising at a faster rate over the past 50 years than it has at any other point in history. Interestingly, the ten hottest years ever recorded have all occurred since 1990 – prompting global warming warnings.

By the end of this century, average temperatures in the U.S. could rise by three to nine degrees. As further evidence of the effects of global warming, parts of the American Southwest experienced a record number of wildfires in 2002. Levels of CO2 are 31 percent higher than pre-industrial levels; more and more people are becoming concerned about global warming.

Renewable Energy Explained

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Renewable Energy Explained

The United States and other major, industrial countries currently rely a great deal on energy sources like coal, natural gas and oil. Unfortunately, these are resources that can – and very well may – run out.

As awareness increases regarding this issue, people are looking for renewable energy sources to take their place. With renewable energy – like solar and wind power – people can end their reliance on energy sources that are destructive to the planet and that are finite by nature.

What Is Renewable Energy?

Renewable energy is energy that can be replenished continually and therefore never run out. Sources of renewable energy are also much less destructive to the health of the planet and are considered to be much more eco friendly. As levels of coal, oil and natural gas continue to decline, it is becoming more and more critical to develop ways of using renewable energy for the things that we rely the most heavily on – like cars, heat and other important things.

Many researchers are working diligently to find ways of harnessing renewable energy, engineers are looking at how to implement it in place of current energy sources and politicians and the governments are seeking ways to speed the process up.

Renewable Energy Sources

One of the most well known sources of renewable energy is the sun. Solar power has been used as an energy source for a long time now, but it is being worked with more and more as the problem becomes more urgent.

Wind is another great renewable energy source that is being experimented with for a number of different applications.

Geothermal energy is a type of renewable energy that taps into the Earth’s internal heat.

Hydropower involves using running water – likes rivers – to generate energy and is another potential source of renewable energy.

Non-Renewable Energy

On the flip side of renewable energy are the non-renewable energy sources that people around the world have been relying on for years. Coal and oil are just two examples of this, and as reserves become lower and lower the price of using them grows higher and higher.

Renewable energy seeks to replace these sources of non-renewable energy in order to save the planet and help reduce the cost of running so many important things in people’s lives. Although efforts are underway to find more renewable energy sources, people must diligently find alternatives to non-renewable energy sources.

How To Save The World With Renewable Energy

During recent elections, renewable energy was one of the hottest topics at debates and other forums. It is little wonder; recent spikes in gasoline prices and in heating homes with natural gas have spurred many people to pay much more attention to this issue. By looking for renewable energy sources, the planet can be saved and can stop being ravished for finite materials like oil, coal and natural gas. Also, renewable energy sources do not generate the kind of pollution associated with current energy sources – yet another way to help save the world.

How Your Company Can Go Green

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Companies Going Green – How Your Company Can Go Green

As a way of giving back to their community – and of demonstrating their concern about the environment and the health of the planet – many companies are going green and implementing various techniques and strategies for improving the environment. The number of companies going green is increasing on a daily basis and is sure to only continue to rise as people insist that the products they use go green and support the planet.

What Does Going Green Mean?

Most people have undoubtedly heard the phrase “going green” being bandied about in the media and by others. In addition to being urged to go green by many celebrities and other spokespeople, it’s becoming more and more common to hear about companies going green as well.

Surprisingly enough, many do not even really understand what going green means. Basically, companies going green will implement a series of strategies that reduce their impact on the environment – or that improve the environment in key ways.

There are many different ways for companies going green to achieve this goal; they might adopt a stretch of road to keep it free from litter, or enforce policies in the workplace about not wasting paper. Many companies going green implement strict policies about recycling within their facilities, and encourage their employees to practice green habits. Going green, then, means doing anything within your means to improve the planet and leave it better off than it was before.

Which Companies Are Going Green?

Some of the most recognizable names in business are among the companies going green these days.

General Electric is one key example of a company that has decided to go green; GE sells important components for solar panels as a part of that effort.

Fast food giant McDonald’s has joined the ranks of companies going green, primarily by insisting on certain criteria for how the food they use is grown and how the land it is grown on is treated.

Starbucks decided to go green by using cup sleeves made out of recycled paper – a practice that has saved approximately 78,000 trees per year.

Dell – the computer manufacturer – has also joined in with companies going green by recycling used Dell computers free of charge for anyone who owns one – reducing the number of computers that end up in landfills.

Tips To Getting Your Company To Go Green

If you’d like to see the company that you work for get in on the act and go green, there are several small but important measures that you could encourage them to implement. Many companies going green begin recycling programs – you could ask about adding recycling bins to areas of your workplace to encourage this. In restrooms, you could promote others to go green by using as little water as possible. You can point out all of the large companies going green to your superiors in the hopes that those examples will spur them to go green themselves.

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