What's Going on?? What can we do about it??

Is global warming making hurricanes worse?

Global warming doesn't create hurricanes, but it does make them stronger and more dangerous. Because the ocean is getting warmer, tropical storms can pick up more energy and become more powerful. So global warming could turn, say, a category 3 storm into a much more dangerous category 4 storm. In fact, scientists have found that the destructive potential of hurricanes has greatly increased along with ocean temperature over the past 35 years.

Is there really cause for serious concern?

Yes. Global warming is a complex phenomenon, and its full-scale impacts are hard to predict far in advance. But each year scientists learn more about how global warming is affecting the planet, and many agree that certain consequences are likely to occur if current trends continue. Among these:

• Melting glaciers, early snowmelt and severe droughts will cause more dramatic water shortages in the American West.
• Rising sea levels will lead to coastal flooding on the Eastern seaboard, in Florida, and in other areas, such as the Gulf of Mexico.
• Warmer sea surface temperatures will fuel more intense hurricanes in the southeastern Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
• Forests, farms and cities will face troublesome new pests and more mosquito-borne diseases.
• Disruption of habitats such as coral reefs and alpine meadows could drive many plant and animal species to extinction.

What country is the largest source of global warming pollution?

The United States. Though Americans make up just 4 percent of the world's population, we produce 25 percent of the carbon dioxide pollution from fossil-fuel burning -- by far the largest share of any country. In fact, the United States emits more carbon dioxide than China, India and Japan, combined. Clearly America ought to take a leadership role in solving the problem. And as the world's top developer of new technologies, we are well positioned to do so -- we already have the know-how.

How can we cut global warming pollution?

It's simple: By reducing pollution from vehicles and power plants. Right away, we should put existing technologies for building cleaner cars and more modern electricity generators into widespread use. We can increase our reliance on renewable energy sources such as wind, sun and geothermal. And we can manufacture more efficient appliances and conserve energy.

Why aren't these technologies more commonplace now?

Because, while the technologies exist, the corporate and political will to put them into widespread use does not. Many companies in the automobile and energy industries put pressure on the White House and Congress to halt or delay new laws or regulations -- or even to stop enforcing existing rules -- that would drive such changes. From requiring catalytic converters to improving gas mileage, car companies have fought even the smallest measure to protect public health and the environment. If progress is to be made, the American people will have to demand it.

Do we need new laws requiring industry to cut emissions of global warming pollution?

Yes. Voluntary reduction programs have failed to stop the growth of emissions. Even leaders of major corporations, including companies such as DuPont, Alcoa and General Electric, agree that it's time for the federal government to create strong laws to cut global warming pollution. Public and political support for solutions has never been stronger. Congress is now considering fresh proposals to cap emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping pollutants from America's largest sources -- power plants, industrial facilities and transportation fuels.Stricter efficiency requirements for electric appliances will also help reduce pollution. One example is the 30 percent tighter standard now in place for home central air conditioners and heat pumps, a Clinton-era achievement that will prevent the emission of 51 million metric tons of carbon -- the equivalent of taking 34 million cars off the road for one year. The new rule survived a Bush administration effort to weaken it when, in January 2004, a federal court sided with an NRDC-led coalition and reversed the administration's rollback.

Is it possible to cut power plant pollution and still have enough electricity?

Yes. First, we must use more efficient appliances and equipment in our homes and offices to reduce our electricity needs. We can also phase out the decades-old, coal-burning power plants that generate most of our electricity and replace them with cleaner plants. And we can increase our use of renewable energy sources such as wind and sun. Some states are moving in this direction: California has required its largest utilities to get 20 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2017, and New York has pledged to compel power companies to provide 25 percent of the state's electricity from renewable sources by 2013.

How can we cut car pollution?

Cost-effective technologies to reduce global warming pollution from cars and light trucks of all sizes are available now. There is no reason to wait and hope that hydrogen fuel cell vehicles will solve the problem in the future. Hybrid gas-electric engines can cut global warming pollution by one-third or more today; hybrid sedans, SUVs and trucks from several automakers are already on the market.But automakers should be doing a lot more: They've used a legal loophole to make SUVs far less fuel efficient than they could be; the popularity of these vehicles has generated a 20 percent increase in transportation-related carbon dioxide pollution since the early 1990s. Closing this loophole and requiring SUVs, minivans and pick-up trucks to be as efficient as cars would cut 120 million tons of carbon dioxide pollution a year by 2010. If automakers used the technology they have right now to raise fuel economy standards for new cars and light trucks to a combined 40 m.p.g., carbon dioxide pollution would eventually drop by more than 650 million tons per year as these vehicles replaced older models.For more information on hybrid vehicles, see NRDC's hybrid guide.

What can I do to help fight global warming?

There are many simple steps you can take right now to cut global warming pollution. Make conserving energy a part of your daily routine. Each time you choose a compact fluorescent light bulb over an incandescent bulb, for example, you'll lower your energy bill and keep nearly 700 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the air over the bulb's lifetime. By opting for a refrigerator with the Energy Star label -- indicating it uses at least 15 percent less energy than the federal requirement -- over a less energy-efficient model, you can reduce carbon dioxide pollution by nearly a ton in total. Join NRDC in our campaign against global warming.

Global Warming!!

What causes global warming?

Carbon dioxide and other air pollution that is collecting in the atmosphere like a thickening blanket, trapping the sun's heat and causing the planet to warm up. Coal-burning power plants are the largest U.S. source of carbon dioxide pollution -- they produce 2.5 billion tons every year. Automobiles, the second largest source, create nearly 1.5 billion tons of CO2 annually.Here's the good news: technologies exist today to make cars that run cleaner and burn less gas, modernize power plants and generate electricity from nonpolluting sources, and cut our electricity use through energy efficiency. The challenge is to be sure these solutions are put to use.

Is the earth really getting hotter?

Yes. Although local temperatures fluctuate naturally, over the past 50 years the average global temperature has increased at the fastest rate in recorded history. And experts think the trend is accelerating: the 10 hottest years on record have all occurred since 1990. Scientists say that unless we curb global warming emissions, average U.S. temperatures could be 3 to 9 degrees higher by the end of the century.

Are warmer temperatures causing bad things to happen?

Global warming is already causing damage in many parts of the United States. In 2002, Colorado, Arizona and Oregon endured their worst wildfire seasons ever. The same year, drought created severe dust storms in Montana, Colorado and Kansas, and floods caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage in Texas, Montana and North Dakota. Since the early 1950s, snow accumulation has declined 60 percent and winter seasons have shortened in some areas of the Cascade Range in Oregon and Washington.Of course, the impacts of global warming are not limited to the United States. In 2003, extreme heat waves caused more than 20,000 deaths in Europe and more than 1,500 deaths in India. And in what scientists regard as an alarming sign of events to come, the area of the Arctic's perennial polar ice cap is declining at the rate of 9 percent per decade.

Consequence of Global Warming on weather patterns

Higher temperatures could lead to increased droughts and wildfires, heavier rainfall and a greater number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes.

More Powerful and Dangerous Hurricanes

Warmer water in the oceans pumps more energy into tropical storms, making them stronger and potentially more destructive.

Warning signs today:

• The number of category 4 and 5 storms has greatly increased over the past 35 years, along with ocean temperature.
• The 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the most active Atlantic hurricane season in recorded history, with a record 27 named storms, of which 15 became hurricanes. Seven of the hurricanes strengthened into major storms, five became Category 4 hurricanes and a record four reached Category 5 strength.
• Hurricane Katrina of August 2005 was the costliest and one of the deadliest hurricanes in U.S. history.

Drought and Wildfire

Warmer temperatures could increase the probability of drought. Greater evaporation, particularly during summer and fall, could exacerbate drought conditions and increase the risk of wildfires

Warning signs today:

• The 1999-2002 national drought was one of the three most extensive droughts in the last 40 years
• Warming may have lead to the increased drought frequency that the West has experienced over the last 30 years.
• The 2006 wildland fire season set new records in both the number of reported fires as well as acres burned. Close to 100,000 fires were reported and nearly 10 million acres burned, 125 percent above the 10-year average.
• Firefighting expenditures have consistently totaled upwards of $1 billion per year.

Intense Rainstorms

Warmer temperatures increase the energy of the climatic system and can lead to heavier rainfall in some areas.

Warning signs today:

• National annual precipitation has increased between 5 and 10 percent since the early 20th century, largely the result of heavy downpours.
• The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports that intense rain events have increased in frequency during the last 50 years and human-induced global warming most likely contributed to the trend.
• According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Northeast region had its wettest summer on record in 2006, exceeding the previous record by more than 1 inch.

Global Warming Consequences?

Each year from 1998 through 2007 ranks among the top 25 warmest years on record for the United States, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Scientists say that the earth could warm by an additional 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit during the 21st century if we fail to reduce emissions from burning fossil fuels, such as coal and oil. This rise in average temperature will have far-reaching effects on the earth's climate patterns and on all living things. Many of these changes have already begun.

• Weather Patterns.


• Health.


• Wildlife.


• Glaciers and sea levels.

What can I recycle?

"Thrift, saving, and re-use are habits earlier generations of Americans knew well. Recycling is simply a modern version of these character traits, helping us make the best use of our planet's limited natural resources. Recycling your daily newspaper, plastic bottles and other items is a great way to help."

Papers and cardboards:

• Magazines
  
• Paper and Cardboard
  
• Office Paper


• News Paper


• Juice Cartons


• Unsolicitated Direct Mail


• Phone Books

Metals:

• Aluminium Cans


• Aluminium Foil and Bakeware


• Steel cans and tin cans

Glass:

• Clear(flint) Glass


• Brown(Amber) Glass


• Green(Emerald) Glass

Thinking Green?

Thinking Green, is a movement now seen all over the world in which people has began to think more in how the things they do affect our planet, and start wondering what can they do to help?

First of all the people of Thinking Green wants you to "Reverse the Way You Think About Waste",

"What is waste in reverse? It is waste given a renewed purpose as a resource. It is a recycled aluminum can that can power a laptop. It is a pear that turns into energy as it biodegrades. Putting the four R's - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Recover the resource into action is what Waste Management and this site are all about. Join us and let's Think Green®."

It means that we should think further than what we see in waste, we should think more in what could happen if I recycle this waste?, how could this help the planet I live in?, etc.

If you don't know the effects of recycling check the web page, were they explained everything to you in an interactive video.

Link: http://www.thinkgreen.com/recycle-world

Basic Explanation of Global Warming.

The link from the tittle takes you to a video in YouTube, where you'll see Al Gore's explanation of Global Warming, it's really good and simple for those who still doesn't get it.

People it's important for us to whatch this things and get informed, Global Warming is happening, and it's happening now, so what are we going to do about it? A lot of countries already started different movements to reduce the causes of Global Warming, What are we waiting for? Venezuela is part of this world too and we'll suffer the Global Warming consequences as well if we don't do something NOW!

So any ideas you have that can help us to take better care of our world will be well received, remember even the smallest things can mean a lot.

"Greenhouse gases are air pollutants under the Clean Air Act: U.S. policy on global warming today "

The Supreme Court ordered the federal government today to take a fresh look at regulating carbon dioxide emissions from cars. In a 5-4 decision, the court said the Clean Air Act gives the Environmental Protection Agency the authority to regulate the emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from cars. Greenhouse gases are air pollutants under the landmark environmental law, Justice John Paul Stevens said in his majority opinion. The case is Massachusetts v. EPA, 05-1120.Greenhouse gases, flowing into the atmosphere and oceans at an unprecedented rate, are leading to larger extreme climatic events, rising sea levels and other marked ecological changes.The politics of global warming have changed dramatically since the court agreed last year to hear its first global warming case. Business leaders are saying they are increasingly open to congressional action to reduce greenhouse gases emissions, of which carbon dioxide is the largest. Carbon dioxide is produced when fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas are burned.The court had three questions before it.
Do states have the right to sue the EPA to challenge its decision?
Does the Clean Air Act give EPA the authority to regulate tailpipe emissions of greenhouse gases?
Does EPA have the discretion not to regulate those emissions? The court said yes to the first two questions. On the third, it ordered EPA to re-evaluate its contention it has the discretion not to regulate tailpipe emissions. The court said the agency has so far provided a "laundry list" of reasons that include foreign policy considerations. The majority said the agency must tie its rationale more closely to the Clean Air Act.The decision also is expected to boost California's prospects for gaining EPA approval of its own program to limit tailpipe emissions of greenhouse gases. Federal law considers the state a laboratory on environmental issues and gives California the right to seek approval of standards that are stricter than national norms.

"Electric Cars as Barack's NEW Strategy for Transportation fuels "

Plug-in hybrids (and electric cars) are an essential climate strategy. The U.S. has just enacted the Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008 as part of the bailout of the U.S. financial system. The law provides tax credits for purchases of plug-in hybrid vehicles until less than a year after the first 250,000 are sold, worth $2,500 plus $417 for each kilowatt-hour of battery capacity over 4 kilowatt-hours, up to $7,500 for cars under 10,000 pounds (4536 kg), or more for larger vehicles.

BYD Auto is the Chinese company that last fall launched the very first mass-production plug-in hybrid in the world. It will display both its F3DM plug-in hybrid sedan, and a new E6 electric crossover vehicle. Executives will describe its lithium iron phosphate cells, and the Dual Mode plug-in hybrid system. BYD might be dismissed as just another Chinese car company (there are several dozen), except that famed investor Warren Buffet acquired a 10-percent stake in its parent company last September. The car company is a subsidiary of BYD Company Ltd., the world's second largest producer of rechargeable batteries—unlike GM, which has to buy its cells from other companies.

Top 10 Things You Can Do to Reduce Global Warming

By Larry West.

Burning fossil fuels such as natural gas, coal, oil and gasoline raises the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and carbon dioxide is a major contributor to the greenhouse effect and global warming.
You can help to reduce the demand for fossil fuels, which in turn reduces global warming, by using energy more wisely. Here are 10 simple actions you can take to help reduce global warming.

1. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
2. Use Less Heat and Air Conditioning
3. Change a Light Bulb
4. Drive Less and Drive Smart
5. Buy Energy-Efficient Products
6. Use Less Hot Water
7. Use the "Off" Switch
8. Plant a Tree
9. Get a Report Card from Your Utility Company
10. Encourage Others to Conserve

P.S: Check the link of the Post, there you'll find the same information with the 10 tips I'm giving you here, but in the page the author explains each tip so we can understand what do each tip refers to.

Here's an article that stablish an opinion about Global Warming. What do you think about the author's statement?

By William Yeatman.

A “planetary emergency—a crisis that threatens the survival of our civilization and the habitability of the Earth”—that is how former Vice President Al Gore describes global warming. Most environmental groups preach the same message. So do many journalists. So do some scientists.
In fact, at the 2008 annual meeting of Nobel Prize winners in Lindau, Germany, half the laureates on the climate change panel disputed the so-called consensus on global warming.

You have probably heard the dire warnings many times. Carbon dioxide (CO2) from mankind’s use of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas is building up in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas—it traps heat that would otherwise escape into outer space. Al Gore warns that global warming caused by carbon dioxide emissions could increase sea levels by 20 feet, spin up deadly hurricanes. It could even plunge Europe into an ice age.
Science does not support these and other scary predictions, which Gore and his allies repeatedly tout as a “scientific consensus.” Global warming is real and carbon dioxide emissions are contributing to it, but it is not a crisis. Global warming in the 21 st century is likely to be modest, and the net impacts may well be beneficial in some places. Even in the worst case, humanity will be much better off in 2100 than it is today.

The following is a summary of key points:

• Average Annual Heat-Related Mortality: People will not drop like flies from heat waves in a warming world. Heat-related mortality will continue to decline as the world warms.
• Far more people die each year from excess cold than from excess heat.
• Global warming will not make air pollution worse.
• Global warming will not lead to malaria epidemics in Northern Hemisphere countries.
• Contrary to Gore, no “strong, new scientific consensus is emerging” that global warming is making hurricanes stronger.
• Global Death & Death Rates Due to Extreme Events, 1900-2004: Since the 1920s, death rates related to extreme weather declined by more than 98 percent globally. The impression conveyed by An Inconvenient Truth—that global warming is making the world a more dangerous place—is false
• Gore’s warning that global warming could shut down the Atlantic branch of the oceanic thermohaline circulation (THC) and plunge Europe into an ice age is science fiction.
• Gore’s warning that sea levels could rise by 20 feet is science fiction. Sea level rise in the 21 st century is likely to be measured in inches, not in feet.
• The world warmed at a rate of 0.17°C per decade since 1978, according to the temperature record compiled by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Since most climate models predict that warming will occur at a constant—that is, non-accelerating—rate, it is reasonable to expect that global warming in the 21 st century will be close to the low end of the IPCC’s forecast range, of 1.4°C to 5.8°C.
• Temperature Measuring Station on Aspault Parking Lot: The actual warming rate may be only half the 0.17°C per decade rate implied in the IPCC temperature record, because the IPCC has not adequately filtered out the warming biases from local factors like urbanization and improper management of monitoring equipment.
• A warming near the low end of the IPCC range would produce both benefits—longer growing seasons, more rainfall, fewer cold deaths—and harms—more heat waves, more drought, some acceleration of sea level rise—but nothing resembling catastrophe.
• Even in the IPCC high-end warming forecasts, human welfare would improve dramatically over the next 100 years. In the IPCC fossil-fuel-intensive development scenario, per capita GDP in developing countries increases from $875 per year in 1990 to $43,000 per year in 2100—even after taking into account an additional 110 years of global warming. Even in the IPCC worst-case scenario, global warming is not the civilization-ending catastrophe Al Gore purports it to be.

Just the beginning

For those who still doesn't know what global warming is, here I'm sharing some information I found on internet, of course you can find much more about it, but as I said this is just the beginning and I hope this helps you to understand the importance of getting conscience and to understand that our world is not made of stone and if we don't take care of it sooner or later it would die, so let's start from the beginning as I said, first you need to know what's happening, and then we should ask what are we going to do about it?, how are we going to solve this problem?

P.S: After reading about Global Warming, I'll like to encourage you to start giving ideas in which we can help to decrease the causes of the Global Warming, I'll like to start with 5 tips we should all try:

1. Don't Forget to turn your lights off when you'r not using them

2. Take Shorter Showers

3. Plant a Tree

4. Unplug Un-Used Electronics

5. Turn off Your Computer