Half of the world’s population could face severe food shortages by the end of this century as rising temperatures shorten the growing season in the tropics and subtropics, increase the risk of drought, and reduce the harvests of dietary staples such as rice and maize by 20 percent to 40 percent, according to a study published in the journal Science.
Global warming is expected to affect agriculture in every part of the world but it will have greater impact in the tropics and subtropics, where crops are less able to adapt to climate change and food shortages are already starting to occur due to rapid population growth.
Scientists at Stanford University and the University of Washington, who worked on the study, discovered that by 2100 there is a 90 percent chance that the coolest temperatures in the tropics during the growing season will be higher than the hottest temperatures recorded in those regions through 2006. Even more temperate parts of the world can expect to see previously record-high temperatures become the norm.
With the world population expected to double by the end of the century, the need for food will become increasingly urgent as rising temperatures force nations to retool their approach to agriculture, create new climate-resistant crops, and develop additional strategies to ensure an adequate food supply for their people.
All of that could take decades, according to Rosamond Naylor, who is director of food security and the environment at Stanford. Meanwhile, people will have fewer and fewer places to turn for food when their local supplies begin to run dry.
"When all the signs point in the same direction, and in this case it's a bad direction, you pretty much know what's going to happen," said David Battisti, the University of Washington scientist who led the study. "You're talking about hundreds of millions of additional people looking for food because they won't be able to find it where they find it now.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
What is Drought?
Say “drought,” and most people think of a period of hot, dry weather with too little rain. While any or all of those conditions can be present during a drought, the definition of drought is really more subtle and complex.
Drought is not purely a physical phenomenon that can be defined by the weather. Rather, at its most essential level, drought is defined by the delicate balance between water supply and demand. Whenever human demands for water exceed the natural availability of water, the result is drought.
What Causes Drought?
Drought can be caused by too little precipitation (rain and snow) over an extended period, as most people assume, but drought can also be caused by increased demand for the available supply of usable water even during periods of average or above average precipitation.
Another factor that can affect water supply is a change in water quality.
If some of the available water sources become contaminated--either temporarily or permanently--that decreases the supply of usable water, makes the balance between water supply and demand even more precarious, and increases the likelihood of drought.
What are the Three Types of Drought?
There are three conditions that are generally referred to as drought:
Which type of drought people mean when they talk about “drought” often depends on who they are, they kind of work they do, and the perspective that gives them. Farmers and ranchers are most often concerned with agricultural drought, for example, and agricultural drought is also the type of drought that worries people in the grocery and meat business or people in farm communities that depend indirectly on agricultural income for their livelihoods.
Urban planners usually mean hydrological drought when they talk about drought, because water supplies and reserves are key components in managing urban growth.
The most common use of the term “drought” refers to meteorological drought, because that is the drought condition most familiar to the general public and the one most easily identified.
Drought is not purely a physical phenomenon that can be defined by the weather. Rather, at its most essential level, drought is defined by the delicate balance between water supply and demand. Whenever human demands for water exceed the natural availability of water, the result is drought.
What Causes Drought?
Drought can be caused by too little precipitation (rain and snow) over an extended period, as most people assume, but drought can also be caused by increased demand for the available supply of usable water even during periods of average or above average precipitation.
Another factor that can affect water supply is a change in water quality.
If some of the available water sources become contaminated--either temporarily or permanently--that decreases the supply of usable water, makes the balance between water supply and demand even more precarious, and increases the likelihood of drought.
What are the Three Types of Drought?
There are three conditions that are generally referred to as drought:
- Meteorological drought—This type of drought all about the weather and occurs when there is a prolonged period of below average precipitation, which creates a natural shortage of available water.
- Agricultural drought—This type of drought occurs when there isn’t enough moisture to support average crop production on farms or average grass production on range land. Although agricultural drought often occurs during dry, hot periods of low precipitation, it can also occur during periods of average precipitation when soil conditions or agricultural techniques require extra water.
- Hydrological drought—This type of drought occurs when water reserves in aquifers, lakes and reservoirs fall below an established statistical average. Again, hydrological drought can happen even during times of average or above average precipitation, if human demand for water is high and increased usage has lowered the water reserves.
Which type of drought people mean when they talk about “drought” often depends on who they are, they kind of work they do, and the perspective that gives them. Farmers and ranchers are most often concerned with agricultural drought, for example, and agricultural drought is also the type of drought that worries people in the grocery and meat business or people in farm communities that depend indirectly on agricultural income for their livelihoods.
Urban planners usually mean hydrological drought when they talk about drought, because water supplies and reserves are key components in managing urban growth.
The most common use of the term “drought” refers to meteorological drought, because that is the drought condition most familiar to the general public and the one most easily identified.
Worldwide Hunger and Food Insecurity Rise Dramatically
The number people in 70 of the world’s lower income countries who are “food insecure” and live with persistent hunger increased by more than 130 million people between 2006 and 2007—from 849 million to 982 million—according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
People who are food insecure consume less than 2,100 calories daily, the nutritional target set by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. In its 2006 Food Security Assessment, the USDA predicted that the number of hungry and malnourished people worldwide would fall to 800 million by 2017. In the 2007 report, however, the agency had to revise its previous conclusion, and now estimates that the number of food-insecure people in developing countries will expand to 1.2 billion within a decade.
Grain prices rose about 50 percent between 2005 and 2007, and USDA long-term projections indicate about 90 percent of the price increase will persist over the next 10 years, thanks in part to the biofuel boom and to increased consumption of grain-fed meat by the rapidly expanding Asian middle class.
Rising food and fuel prices have put pressure on many developing nations—especially those in sub-Saharan Africa—where the cost of food often accounts for more than 50 percent of total household expenses, and where the higher cost of importing energy is now reducing food imports.
People who are food insecure consume less than 2,100 calories daily, the nutritional target set by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. In its 2006 Food Security Assessment, the USDA predicted that the number of hungry and malnourished people worldwide would fall to 800 million by 2017. In the 2007 report, however, the agency had to revise its previous conclusion, and now estimates that the number of food-insecure people in developing countries will expand to 1.2 billion within a decade.
Grain prices rose about 50 percent between 2005 and 2007, and USDA long-term projections indicate about 90 percent of the price increase will persist over the next 10 years, thanks in part to the biofuel boom and to increased consumption of grain-fed meat by the rapidly expanding Asian middle class.
Rising food and fuel prices have put pressure on many developing nations—especially those in sub-Saharan Africa—where the cost of food often accounts for more than 50 percent of total household expenses, and where the higher cost of importing energy is now reducing food imports.
Water Now More Valuable Than Oil?
The most valuable commodity in the world today, and likely to remain so for much of this century, is not oil, not natural gas, not even some type of renewable energy. It’s water—clean, safe, fresh water.
Follow the Money
When you want to spot emerging trends, always follow the money. Today, many of the world’s leading investors and most successful companies are making big bets on water. Do a little research, and it’s easy to see why. There simply isn’t enough freshwater to go around, and the situation is expected to get worse before it gets better.
According to Bloomberg News, the worldwide scarcity of usable water worldwide already has made water more valuable than oil. The Bloomberg World Water Index, which tracks 11 utilities, has returned 35 percent to investors every year since 2003, compared with 29 percent for oil and gas stocks and 10 percent for the Standard & Poor's 500 Index.
"There is only one direction for water prices at the moment, and that's up," said Hans Peter Portner, who manages a $2.9 billion US Water Fund at Pictet Asset Management in Geneva, according to a report by Bloomberg News. The value of the fund increased 26 percent in 2005, and Portner expects water to provide 8 percent annual returns through 2020.
Freshwater Becoming More Scarce
The United Nations estimates that by 2050 more than two billion people in 48 countries will lack sufficient water. Approximately 97 percent to 98 percent of the water on planet Earth is saltwater (the estimates vary slightly depending on the source). Much of the remaining freshwater is frozen in glaciers or the polar ice caps. Lakes, rivers and groundwater account for about 1 percent of the world’s potentially usable freshwater.
If global warming continues to melt glaciers in the polar regions, as expected, the supply of freshwater may actually decrease. First, freshwater from the melting glaciers will mingle with saltwater in the oceans and become too salty to drink. Second, the increased ocean volume will cause sea levels to rise, contaminating freshwater sources along coastal regions with seawater.
Complicating matters even further is that 95 percent of the world’s cities continue to dump raw sewage into rivers and other freshwater supplies, making them unsafe for human consumption.
The Need for Freshwater is Increasing Rapidly
Yet, while freshwater supplies are at best static, and at worst decreasing, the world’s population is growing rapidly. The United Nations estimates that the world population—approximately 6.5 billion in 2006—will grow to 9.4 billion by 2050.
The cost of water is usually set by government agencies and local regulators. Water isn't traded on commodity exchanges, but many utilities stocks are publicly traded. Meanwhile, investments in companies that provide desalinization, and other processes and technologies that may increase the world’s supply of freshwater, are growing rapidly.
Companies Investing in Water
General Electric Chairman Jeffrey Immelt said the scarcity of clean water around the world will more than double GE’s revenue from water purification and treatment by 2010—to a total of $5 billion.
GE’s strategy is for its water division to invest in desalinization and purification in countries that have a shortage of freshwater. Saudi Arabia is expected to invest more than $80 billion in desalinization plants and sewer facilities by 2025 to meet the needs of its growing population. And while China is home to 20 percent of the world’s people, only 7 percent of the planet’s freshwater supply is located there.
Follow the Money
When you want to spot emerging trends, always follow the money. Today, many of the world’s leading investors and most successful companies are making big bets on water. Do a little research, and it’s easy to see why. There simply isn’t enough freshwater to go around, and the situation is expected to get worse before it gets better.
According to Bloomberg News, the worldwide scarcity of usable water worldwide already has made water more valuable than oil. The Bloomberg World Water Index, which tracks 11 utilities, has returned 35 percent to investors every year since 2003, compared with 29 percent for oil and gas stocks and 10 percent for the Standard & Poor's 500 Index.
"There is only one direction for water prices at the moment, and that's up," said Hans Peter Portner, who manages a $2.9 billion US Water Fund at Pictet Asset Management in Geneva, according to a report by Bloomberg News. The value of the fund increased 26 percent in 2005, and Portner expects water to provide 8 percent annual returns through 2020.
Freshwater Becoming More Scarce
The United Nations estimates that by 2050 more than two billion people in 48 countries will lack sufficient water. Approximately 97 percent to 98 percent of the water on planet Earth is saltwater (the estimates vary slightly depending on the source). Much of the remaining freshwater is frozen in glaciers or the polar ice caps. Lakes, rivers and groundwater account for about 1 percent of the world’s potentially usable freshwater.
If global warming continues to melt glaciers in the polar regions, as expected, the supply of freshwater may actually decrease. First, freshwater from the melting glaciers will mingle with saltwater in the oceans and become too salty to drink. Second, the increased ocean volume will cause sea levels to rise, contaminating freshwater sources along coastal regions with seawater.
Complicating matters even further is that 95 percent of the world’s cities continue to dump raw sewage into rivers and other freshwater supplies, making them unsafe for human consumption.
The Need for Freshwater is Increasing Rapidly
Yet, while freshwater supplies are at best static, and at worst decreasing, the world’s population is growing rapidly. The United Nations estimates that the world population—approximately 6.5 billion in 2006—will grow to 9.4 billion by 2050.
The cost of water is usually set by government agencies and local regulators. Water isn't traded on commodity exchanges, but many utilities stocks are publicly traded. Meanwhile, investments in companies that provide desalinization, and other processes and technologies that may increase the world’s supply of freshwater, are growing rapidly.
Companies Investing in Water
General Electric Chairman Jeffrey Immelt said the scarcity of clean water around the world will more than double GE’s revenue from water purification and treatment by 2010—to a total of $5 billion.
GE’s strategy is for its water division to invest in desalinization and purification in countries that have a shortage of freshwater. Saudi Arabia is expected to invest more than $80 billion in desalinization plants and sewer facilities by 2025 to meet the needs of its growing population. And while China is home to 20 percent of the world’s people, only 7 percent of the planet’s freshwater supply is located there.
How Global Population Growth is Creating Serious Environmental Problems
Dear EarthTalk: Green groups don’t seem to discuss human population growth, but I think the biggest issue confronting the planet is the collective demand we put upon it. And what is the difference in impact between population growth in Third World countries, which are poor, against that in the U.S., where we consume and waste so much more? – Ronald Marks, via e-mail
The global rate of human population growth peaked around 1963, but the number of people living on Earth—and sharing finite resources like water and food—has grown by more than two-thirds since then, topping out at over 6.6 billion today. Human population is expected to exceed nine billion by 2050. Environmentalists don’t dispute that many if not all of the environmental problems—from climate change to species loss to overzealous resource extraction—are either caused or exacerbated by population growth.
“Trends such as the loss of half of the planet’s forests, the depletion of most of its major fisheries, and the alteration of its atmosphere and climate are closely related to the fact that human population expanded from mere millions in prehistoric times to over six billion today,” says Robert Engelman of Population Action International.
Population Growth Causes Multiple Environmental Problems
According to Population Connection, population growth since 1950 is behind the clearing of 80 percent of rainforests, the loss of tens of thousands of plant and wildlife species, an increase in greenhouse gas emissions of some 400 percent and the development or commercialization of as much as half of the Earth’s surface land.
The group fears that in the coming decades half of the world’s population will be exposed to “water-stress” or “water-scarce” conditions, which are expected to “intensify difficulties in meeting…consumption levels, and wreak devastating effects on our delicately balanced ecosystems.”
Is Access to Contraception an Environmental Imperative?
In less developed countries, lack of access to birth control, as well as cultural traditions that encourage women to stay home and have babies, lead to rapid population growth. The result is ever increasing numbers of poor people across Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and elsewhere who suffer from malnourishment, lack of clean water, overcrowding, inadequate shelter, and AIDS and other diseases.
High-Consumption Lifestyles Exacerbate Problems of Population Growth
And while population numbers in most developed nations are leveling off or diminishing today, high levels of consumption make for a huge drain on resources. Americans, who represent only 4 percent of world population, consume 25 percent of all resources.
Industrialized countries also contribute far more to climate change, ozone depletion and overfishing than developing countries. And as more and more residents of developing countries get access to Western media, or immigrate to the United States, they want to emulate the consumption-heavy lifestyles they see on their televisions and read about on the Internet.
U.S. Policy Changes Could Help Control Population Growth Worldwide
Given the overlap of population growth and environmental problems, many would like to see a change in U.S. policy on global family planning. In 2001, President George W. Bush instituted what some call the “global gag rule,” whereby foreign organizations that provide or endorse abortions are denied U.S. funding support. Environmentalists consider that stance to be shortsighted, because support for family planning is the most effective way to check population growth and relieve pressure on the planet’s environment.
The global rate of human population growth peaked around 1963, but the number of people living on Earth—and sharing finite resources like water and food—has grown by more than two-thirds since then, topping out at over 6.6 billion today. Human population is expected to exceed nine billion by 2050. Environmentalists don’t dispute that many if not all of the environmental problems—from climate change to species loss to overzealous resource extraction—are either caused or exacerbated by population growth.
“Trends such as the loss of half of the planet’s forests, the depletion of most of its major fisheries, and the alteration of its atmosphere and climate are closely related to the fact that human population expanded from mere millions in prehistoric times to over six billion today,” says Robert Engelman of Population Action International.
Population Growth Causes Multiple Environmental Problems
According to Population Connection, population growth since 1950 is behind the clearing of 80 percent of rainforests, the loss of tens of thousands of plant and wildlife species, an increase in greenhouse gas emissions of some 400 percent and the development or commercialization of as much as half of the Earth’s surface land.
The group fears that in the coming decades half of the world’s population will be exposed to “water-stress” or “water-scarce” conditions, which are expected to “intensify difficulties in meeting…consumption levels, and wreak devastating effects on our delicately balanced ecosystems.”
Is Access to Contraception an Environmental Imperative?
In less developed countries, lack of access to birth control, as well as cultural traditions that encourage women to stay home and have babies, lead to rapid population growth. The result is ever increasing numbers of poor people across Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and elsewhere who suffer from malnourishment, lack of clean water, overcrowding, inadequate shelter, and AIDS and other diseases.
High-Consumption Lifestyles Exacerbate Problems of Population Growth
And while population numbers in most developed nations are leveling off or diminishing today, high levels of consumption make for a huge drain on resources. Americans, who represent only 4 percent of world population, consume 25 percent of all resources.
Industrialized countries also contribute far more to climate change, ozone depletion and overfishing than developing countries. And as more and more residents of developing countries get access to Western media, or immigrate to the United States, they want to emulate the consumption-heavy lifestyles they see on their televisions and read about on the Internet.
U.S. Policy Changes Could Help Control Population Growth Worldwide
Given the overlap of population growth and environmental problems, many would like to see a change in U.S. policy on global family planning. In 2001, President George W. Bush instituted what some call the “global gag rule,” whereby foreign organizations that provide or endorse abortions are denied U.S. funding support. Environmentalists consider that stance to be shortsighted, because support for family planning is the most effective way to check population growth and relieve pressure on the planet’s environment.
Five Ways to Help Save the Planet in 30 Minutes or Less
You may not be able to reduce
global warming, end pollution and
save endangered species single-
handed, but by choosing to live an
earth-friendly lifestyle you can do
a lot every day to help achieve
those goals.
And by making wise choices about
how you live, and the amount of
energy and natural resources you
consume, you send a clear
message to businesses,
politicians and government
agencies that value you as a
customer, constituent and citizen.
Here are five simple things you
0can do —in 30 minutes or less—to
help protect the environment and
save Planet Earth.
Drive Less, Drive Smart
Every time you leave your car at
home you reduce air pollution,
lower greenhouse gas emissions,
improve your health and save
money.
Walk or ride a bicycle for short
trips, or take public transportation
for longer ones. In 30 minutes,
most people can easily walk a
mile or more, and you can cover
even more ground on a bicycle,
bus, subway or commuter train.
Research has shown that people
who use public transportation are
healthier than those who don ’t.
Families that use public
transportation can save enough
money annually to cover their
food costs for the year.
When you do drive, take the few
minutes needed to make sure
your engine is well maintained
and your tires properly inflated.
Eat Your Vegetables
Eating less meat and more fruits,
grains and vegetables can help
the environment more than you
may realize. Eating meat, eggs
and dairy products contributes
heavily to global warming,
because raising animals for food
produces many more greenhouse
gas emissions than growing
plants. A 2006 report by the
University of Chicago found that
adopting a vegan diet does more
to reduce global warming than
switching to a hybrid car.
Raising animals for food also uses
enormous amounts of land,
water, grain and fuel. Every year
in the United States alone, 80
percent of all agricultural land,
half of all water resources, 70
percent of all grain, and one-third
of all fossil fuels are used to raise
animals for food.
Making a salad doesn’t take any
more time than cooking a
hamburger and it ’s better for you
—and for the environment.
Switch to Reusable Shopping Bags
Producing plastic bags uses a lot
of natural resources, and most
end up as litter that fouls
landscapes, clogs waterways, and
kills thousands of marine
t mammals that mistake the
ubiquitous bags for food.
Worldwide, up to a trillion plastic
bags are used and discarded
every year—more than a million
per minute. The count for paper
bags is lower, but the cost in
natural resources is still
unacceptably high -especially
when there is a better
alternative.
Reusable shopping bags, made of
materials that don’t harm the
environment during production
and don ’t need to be discarded
after each use, reduce pollution
and save resources that could be
put to better uses than making
plastic and paper bags.Reusable
bags are convenient and come in
a variety of sizes and styles. Some
reusable bags can even be rolled
or folded small enough to fit into
a purse or pocket.
Change Your Light Bulbs
Compact fluorescent light bulbs
and light-emitting diodes(LEDs)
are more energy efficient and less
expensive to use than the
traditional incandescent bulbs
invented by Thomas Edison. For
example, compact fluorescent
light bulbs use at least two-thirds less energy than standard
incandescent bulbs to provide the
same amount of light, and they
last up to 10 times longer.
Compact fluorescent light bulbs
also generate 70 percent less
heat, so they are safer to operate
and can reduce energy costs
associated with cooling homes
and offices.
global warming, end pollution and
save endangered species single-
handed, but by choosing to live an
earth-friendly lifestyle you can do
a lot every day to help achieve
those goals.
And by making wise choices about
how you live, and the amount of
energy and natural resources you
consume, you send a clear
message to businesses,
politicians and government
agencies that value you as a
customer, constituent and citizen.
Here are five simple things you
0can do —in 30 minutes or less—to
help protect the environment and
save Planet Earth.
Drive Less, Drive Smart
Every time you leave your car at
home you reduce air pollution,
lower greenhouse gas emissions,
improve your health and save
money.
Walk or ride a bicycle for short
trips, or take public transportation
for longer ones. In 30 minutes,
most people can easily walk a
mile or more, and you can cover
even more ground on a bicycle,
bus, subway or commuter train.
Research has shown that people
who use public transportation are
healthier than those who don ’t.
Families that use public
transportation can save enough
money annually to cover their
food costs for the year.
When you do drive, take the few
minutes needed to make sure
your engine is well maintained
and your tires properly inflated.
Eat Your Vegetables
Eating less meat and more fruits,
grains and vegetables can help
the environment more than you
may realize. Eating meat, eggs
and dairy products contributes
heavily to global warming,
because raising animals for food
produces many more greenhouse
gas emissions than growing
plants. A 2006 report by the
University of Chicago found that
adopting a vegan diet does more
to reduce global warming than
switching to a hybrid car.
Raising animals for food also uses
enormous amounts of land,
water, grain and fuel. Every year
in the United States alone, 80
percent of all agricultural land,
half of all water resources, 70
percent of all grain, and one-third
of all fossil fuels are used to raise
animals for food.
Making a salad doesn’t take any
more time than cooking a
hamburger and it ’s better for you
—and for the environment.
Switch to Reusable Shopping Bags
Producing plastic bags uses a lot
of natural resources, and most
end up as litter that fouls
landscapes, clogs waterways, and
kills thousands of marine
t mammals that mistake the
ubiquitous bags for food.
Worldwide, up to a trillion plastic
bags are used and discarded
every year—more than a million
per minute. The count for paper
bags is lower, but the cost in
natural resources is still
unacceptably high -especially
when there is a better
alternative.
Reusable shopping bags, made of
materials that don’t harm the
environment during production
and don ’t need to be discarded
after each use, reduce pollution
and save resources that could be
put to better uses than making
plastic and paper bags.Reusable
bags are convenient and come in
a variety of sizes and styles. Some
reusable bags can even be rolled
or folded small enough to fit into
a purse or pocket.
Change Your Light Bulbs
Compact fluorescent light bulbs
and light-emitting diodes(LEDs)
are more energy efficient and less
expensive to use than the
traditional incandescent bulbs
invented by Thomas Edison. For
example, compact fluorescent
light bulbs use at least two-thirds less energy than standard
incandescent bulbs to provide the
same amount of light, and they
last up to 10 times longer.
Compact fluorescent light bulbs
also generate 70 percent less
heat, so they are safer to operate
and can reduce energy costs
associated with cooling homes
and offices.
Glass Recycling
Glass recycling is both simple and
beneficial. Let ’s start with the
benefits of glass recycling:
Glass recycling is good for the
environment. . A glass bottle that
is sent to a landfill can take up to
a million years to break down. By
contrast, it takes as little as 30
days for a recycled glass bottle to
leave your kitchen recycling bin
and appear on a store shelf as a
new glass container.
Glass recycling is sustainableGlass
containers are 100-percent
recyclable, which means they can
be recycled repeatedly, again and
again, with no loss of purity or
quality in the glass.
Glass recycling is efficient..
Recovered glass from glass
recycling is the primary ingredient
in all new glass containers. A
typical glass container is made of
as much as 70 percent recycled
glass. According to industry
estimates, 80 percent of all
recycled glass eventually ends up
as new glass containers.
Glass recycling conserves natural
resources . Every ton of glass that
is recycled saves more than a ton
of the raw materials needed to
create new glass, including: 1,300
pounds of sand; 410 pounds of
soda ash; and 380 pounds of
limestone.
Glass recycling saves energy.
Making new glass means heating
sand and other substances to a
temperature of 2,600 degrees
Fahrenheit, which requires a lot
of energy and creates a lot of
industrial pollution. One of the
first steps in glass recycling is to
crush the glass and create a
product called “cullet.” Making
recycled glass products from
cullet consumes 40 percent less
energy than making new glass
from raw materials, because
cullet melts at a much lower
temperature.
Recycled glass is useful. Because
glass is made from natural
materials such as sand and
limestone, it glass containers
have a low rate of chemical
interaction with their contents. As
a result, glass can be safely
reused. Besides serving as the
primary ingredient in new glass
containers, recycled glass also
has many other commercial uses
— from creating decorative tiles
and landscaping material to
rebuilding eroded beaches.
Glass recycling is also simple, as I
pointed out at the beginning of
this article. It ’s simple because
glass is one of the easiest
materials to recycle. For one
thing, glass is accepted by almost
all curbside recycling programs
and municipal recycling centers.
About all most people have to do
to recycle glass bottles and jars is
to carry their recycling bin to the
curb, or maybe drop off their
empty glass containers at a
nearby collection point.
If you need an extra incentive to
recycle glass, how about this:
Several U.S. states offer cash
refunds for most glass bottles, so
in some areas glass recycling can
actually put a little extra money in
your pocket.
beneficial. Let ’s start with the
benefits of glass recycling:
Glass recycling is good for the
environment. . A glass bottle that
is sent to a landfill can take up to
a million years to break down. By
contrast, it takes as little as 30
days for a recycled glass bottle to
leave your kitchen recycling bin
and appear on a store shelf as a
new glass container.
Glass recycling is sustainableGlass
containers are 100-percent
recyclable, which means they can
be recycled repeatedly, again and
again, with no loss of purity or
quality in the glass.
Glass recycling is efficient..
Recovered glass from glass
recycling is the primary ingredient
in all new glass containers. A
typical glass container is made of
as much as 70 percent recycled
glass. According to industry
estimates, 80 percent of all
recycled glass eventually ends up
as new glass containers.
Glass recycling conserves natural
resources . Every ton of glass that
is recycled saves more than a ton
of the raw materials needed to
create new glass, including: 1,300
pounds of sand; 410 pounds of
soda ash; and 380 pounds of
limestone.
Glass recycling saves energy.
Making new glass means heating
sand and other substances to a
temperature of 2,600 degrees
Fahrenheit, which requires a lot
of energy and creates a lot of
industrial pollution. One of the
first steps in glass recycling is to
crush the glass and create a
product called “cullet.” Making
recycled glass products from
cullet consumes 40 percent less
energy than making new glass
from raw materials, because
cullet melts at a much lower
temperature.
Recycled glass is useful. Because
glass is made from natural
materials such as sand and
limestone, it glass containers
have a low rate of chemical
interaction with their contents. As
a result, glass can be safely
reused. Besides serving as the
primary ingredient in new glass
containers, recycled glass also
has many other commercial uses
— from creating decorative tiles
and landscaping material to
rebuilding eroded beaches.
Glass recycling is also simple, as I
pointed out at the beginning of
this article. It ’s simple because
glass is one of the easiest
materials to recycle. For one
thing, glass is accepted by almost
all curbside recycling programs
and municipal recycling centers.
About all most people have to do
to recycle glass bottles and jars is
to carry their recycling bin to the
curb, or maybe drop off their
empty glass containers at a
nearby collection point.
If you need an extra incentive to
recycle glass, how about this:
Several U.S. states offer cash
refunds for most glass bottles, so
in some areas glass recycling can
actually put a little extra money in
your pocket.
Illegal Logging
Illegal logging violates
international, national or regional
laws. Illegal activities can include
logging, transportation, purchase
and sale of timber.
The timber felling itself may be
illegal and can involve:
Using corrupt means to gain
access to forests;
Extraction without permission or
from a protected area;
The cutting of protected species;
or
The extraction of timber in excess
of agreed limits.
Illegalities may also occur during
transport, processing and export,
and include fraudulent
declaration to customs, and the
avoidance of taxes and other
charges.
"Destructive but legal" logging
Legal logging does not necessarily
mean ecologically or socially
sustainable logging. Half of the
world's forests have disappeared.
Only 20 percent remain as
relatively undisturbed and intact.
This 20 percent contains the
natural habitat of two-thirds of
the Earth's known terrestrial
species, and is the home for many
indigenous peoples and other
forest-dependent communities.
The world's remaining forests are
disappearing at an alarming rate
due to both legal and illegal
logging. Every second, an area of
forest equal to the area of the
Orange Bowl stadium is destroyed
- over 23 million acres a year.
Governments at every level
urgently need to make a greater
commitment to the protection and
sustainable use of the the world's
forests by passing and enforcing
stricter forest protection laws.
A global problem
Some estimates suggest that the
illegal timber trade may comprise
over a tenth of the total global
timber trade, worth more than
$150 billion a year. Exact figures
are difficult to obtain, given the
illegal nature of the activity.
Reliable estimates indicate that
more than half of all logging
activities in particularly
vulnerable regions - the Amazo Basin, Central Africa, Southeast
Asia, the Russian Federation - are
illegal.
Quick facts:
A 1998 joint UK-Indonesian study
of the timber industry in
Indonesia estimated that about
40 percent of production was
illegal, with a value in excess of
$365 million. More recent
estimates suggest that 88 percent
of logging in the country is illegal
in some way.
In Brazil, 80 percent of logging in
the Amazon violates government
controls, At the core of illegal
logging is widespread corruption.
Often referred to as 'green gold',
mahogany can fetch over US
$1,600 m3. Illegal mahogany
opens the door for illegal logging
of other tree species, and for
widespread exploitation of the
Brazilian Amazon.
The World Bank estimates that 80
percent of logging operations are
illegal in Bolivia and 42 percent in
Colombia, while in Peru, illegal
logging equals 80 percent of all
activities.
Research carried out by WWF International in 2002 show that
in Africa, rates of illegal logging
vary from 50 percent for
Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea
to 70 percent in Gabon and 80
percent in Liberia - where
revenues from the timber industry
also fueled the civil war.
Solutions
There are several solutions to the
problem of illegal logging. They
include enforcement and creation
of international and national
laws, as well as independent
timber certification companies
that work with timber companies
to assess and verify the legal,
ecological and social
sustainability of any timber
operation and its wood products.
By exerting influence through the
supply chain, governments have
enormous power to encourage
responsible forest management
and reduce the demand for
illegally sourced forest products.
Government purchases account
for a substantial proportion of world trade in timber products. In
2001, U.S. state and local
government purchasing exceeded
$1.22 trillion, more than 11
percent of the total U. S. gross
domestic product.
international, national or regional
laws. Illegal activities can include
logging, transportation, purchase
and sale of timber.
The timber felling itself may be
illegal and can involve:
Using corrupt means to gain
access to forests;
Extraction without permission or
from a protected area;
The cutting of protected species;
or
The extraction of timber in excess
of agreed limits.
Illegalities may also occur during
transport, processing and export,
and include fraudulent
declaration to customs, and the
avoidance of taxes and other
charges.
"Destructive but legal" logging
Legal logging does not necessarily
mean ecologically or socially
sustainable logging. Half of the
world's forests have disappeared.
Only 20 percent remain as
relatively undisturbed and intact.
This 20 percent contains the
natural habitat of two-thirds of
the Earth's known terrestrial
species, and is the home for many
indigenous peoples and other
forest-dependent communities.
The world's remaining forests are
disappearing at an alarming rate
due to both legal and illegal
logging. Every second, an area of
forest equal to the area of the
Orange Bowl stadium is destroyed
- over 23 million acres a year.
Governments at every level
urgently need to make a greater
commitment to the protection and
sustainable use of the the world's
forests by passing and enforcing
stricter forest protection laws.
A global problem
Some estimates suggest that the
illegal timber trade may comprise
over a tenth of the total global
timber trade, worth more than
$150 billion a year. Exact figures
are difficult to obtain, given the
illegal nature of the activity.
Reliable estimates indicate that
more than half of all logging
activities in particularly
vulnerable regions - the Amazo Basin, Central Africa, Southeast
Asia, the Russian Federation - are
illegal.
Quick facts:
A 1998 joint UK-Indonesian study
of the timber industry in
Indonesia estimated that about
40 percent of production was
illegal, with a value in excess of
$365 million. More recent
estimates suggest that 88 percent
of logging in the country is illegal
in some way.
In Brazil, 80 percent of logging in
the Amazon violates government
controls, At the core of illegal
logging is widespread corruption.
Often referred to as 'green gold',
mahogany can fetch over US
$1,600 m3. Illegal mahogany
opens the door for illegal logging
of other tree species, and for
widespread exploitation of the
Brazilian Amazon.
The World Bank estimates that 80
percent of logging operations are
illegal in Bolivia and 42 percent in
Colombia, while in Peru, illegal
logging equals 80 percent of all
activities.
Research carried out by WWF International in 2002 show that
in Africa, rates of illegal logging
vary from 50 percent for
Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea
to 70 percent in Gabon and 80
percent in Liberia - where
revenues from the timber industry
also fueled the civil war.
Solutions
There are several solutions to the
problem of illegal logging. They
include enforcement and creation
of international and national
laws, as well as independent
timber certification companies
that work with timber companies
to assess and verify the legal,
ecological and social
sustainability of any timber
operation and its wood products.
By exerting influence through the
supply chain, governments have
enormous power to encourage
responsible forest management
and reduce the demand for
illegally sourced forest products.
Government purchases account
for a substantial proportion of world trade in timber products. In
2001, U.S. state and local
government purchasing exceeded
$1.22 trillion, more than 11
percent of the total U. S. gross
domestic product.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
How to Protect the Earth at Home
Take a realistic approach to
protecting the earth and first
consider what you can do in your
own home. This is much more
manageable than taking on the
world. It is in these simple everyday
steps that one can make an impact.
By setting a good example for your
children, you are fostering a sense
of stewardship that will last
generations to come.
1.Make your own non-toxic cleaning
products. Doing this will reduce the
use of plastics because you are
reusing plastic containers to hold the
cleaning products. The ingredients
are also biodegradable which means
it is gentler on the environment.
2.Use cloth bags at the grocery store
and for all your grocery needs.
Store them in the trunk of your car
so you always have them on hand.
You don't have to limit their use to
the grocery store. If you don't have
a cloth bag with you when you are
shopping, ask yourself if you need a
bag at all.
3.Explore the idea of purchasing
energy-efficient appliances. They
may cost more upfront but in the
end you will save money because
they use less energy. Replace
regular light bulbs with their energy
efficient counterparts. You pay a little
more, but the life of the bulb is
significantly longer.
4.Set up a compost bin. Add a few
less things to the landfill by
composting your kitchen scraps. All
plant-derived foods, coffee grounds
and tea leaves can be composted.
Have a small container in your
home to place items in. When the
storage container gets full, transfer
the waste to an outdoor bin.
Use the
resulting rich fertile soil in the
garden.
5.Grow an organic garden. Being able
to rely on yourself for fresh produce
is very rewarding. Share your
harvest with neighbors, can and
preserve the excess for years to
come. If you don't have the space
or time to grow a garden, shop
locally and support local farmers.
6.Reduce the use of car travel.
Consider using public
transportation, walking, car pooling
and bike riding to get to where you
want to go. If you must travel by
car, shop for a fuel efficient/hybrid
vehicle and keep up-to-date with
emissions checks.
Reuse clothing. When possible, look
for hand-me-downs for your
children's clothing. Shop resale
shops, garage sales and pass
clothing items on to friends and
family. Consider doing this with
toys too. When you do buy toys,
choose ones that are built to last. So
many of the plastic toys available fall
apart quickly and end up in the
trash.
protecting the earth and first
consider what you can do in your
own home. This is much more
manageable than taking on the
world. It is in these simple everyday
steps that one can make an impact.
By setting a good example for your
children, you are fostering a sense
of stewardship that will last
generations to come.
1.Make your own non-toxic cleaning
products. Doing this will reduce the
use of plastics because you are
reusing plastic containers to hold the
cleaning products. The ingredients
are also biodegradable which means
it is gentler on the environment.
2.Use cloth bags at the grocery store
and for all your grocery needs.
Store them in the trunk of your car
so you always have them on hand.
You don't have to limit their use to
the grocery store. If you don't have
a cloth bag with you when you are
shopping, ask yourself if you need a
bag at all.
3.Explore the idea of purchasing
energy-efficient appliances. They
may cost more upfront but in the
end you will save money because
they use less energy. Replace
regular light bulbs with their energy
efficient counterparts. You pay a little
more, but the life of the bulb is
significantly longer.
4.Set up a compost bin. Add a few
less things to the landfill by
composting your kitchen scraps. All
plant-derived foods, coffee grounds
and tea leaves can be composted.
Have a small container in your
home to place items in. When the
storage container gets full, transfer
the waste to an outdoor bin.
Use the
resulting rich fertile soil in the
garden.
5.Grow an organic garden. Being able
to rely on yourself for fresh produce
is very rewarding. Share your
harvest with neighbors, can and
preserve the excess for years to
come. If you don't have the space
or time to grow a garden, shop
locally and support local farmers.
6.Reduce the use of car travel.
Consider using public
transportation, walking, car pooling
and bike riding to get to where you
want to go. If you must travel by
car, shop for a fuel efficient/hybrid
vehicle and keep up-to-date with
emissions checks.
Reuse clothing. When possible, look
for hand-me-downs for your
children's clothing. Shop resale
shops, garage sales and pass
clothing items on to friends and
family. Consider doing this with
toys too. When you do buy toys,
choose ones that are built to last. So
many of the plastic toys available fall
apart quickly and end up in the
trash.
What is Global Warming?
While some would call global
warming a theory, others would
call it a proven set of facts.
Opinions differ vehemently. Let us
consider global warming to be
both a premise that the
environment of the world as we
know it is slowly, but very surely
increasing in overall air and water
temperature, and a promise that
if whatever is causing this trend
is not interrupted or challenged
life on earth will dynamically be
affected.
The prevailing counter opinion is
that all that is presently perceived
to be global warming is simply
the result of a normal climactic
swing in the direction of
increased
temperature. Many proponents of
this global warming ideology have
definitive social and financial
interests in these claims.
Global warming and climate
change are aspects of our
environment that cannot be easily
or quickly discounted. Many
factions still strongly feel that the
changes our Earth is seeing
are the result of a natural climatic
adjustment. Regardless of one’s
perspective the effects of global
warming are a quantifiable set of
environmental results that are in
addition to any normal changes in
climate. That is why the effects of
global warming have catastrophic
potential. Global warming may
well be the straw that breaks the
camel’s back. It could turn out to
be the difference between a
category three hurricane and a
category four. Global warming as
caused by greenhouse gas
emissions can lead us to a
definite imbalance of nature.
The premise of global warming as
an issue of debate is that
industrial growth coupled with
non-structured methods we as
humans use to sustain ourselves
has created a situation where our
planet is getting progressively
hotter. We have seemingly
negatively effected our
environment by a cycle of harmful
processes that now seem to be
feeding upon themselves to
exponentially increase the
damage to our ecosystem.
warming a theory, others would
call it a proven set of facts.
Opinions differ vehemently. Let us
consider global warming to be
both a premise that the
environment of the world as we
know it is slowly, but very surely
increasing in overall air and water
temperature, and a promise that
if whatever is causing this trend
is not interrupted or challenged
life on earth will dynamically be
affected.
The prevailing counter opinion is
that all that is presently perceived
to be global warming is simply
the result of a normal climactic
swing in the direction of
increased
temperature. Many proponents of
this global warming ideology have
definitive social and financial
interests in these claims.
Global warming and climate
change are aspects of our
environment that cannot be easily
or quickly discounted. Many
factions still strongly feel that the
changes our Earth is seeing
are the result of a natural climatic
adjustment. Regardless of one’s
perspective the effects of global
warming are a quantifiable set of
environmental results that are in
addition to any normal changes in
climate. That is why the effects of
global warming have catastrophic
potential. Global warming may
well be the straw that breaks the
camel’s back. It could turn out to
be the difference between a
category three hurricane and a
category four. Global warming as
caused by greenhouse gas
emissions can lead us to a
definite imbalance of nature.
The premise of global warming as
an issue of debate is that
industrial growth coupled with
non-structured methods we as
humans use to sustain ourselves
has created a situation where our
planet is getting progressively
hotter. We have seemingly
negatively effected our
environment by a cycle of harmful
processes that now seem to be
feeding upon themselves to
exponentially increase the
damage to our ecosystem.
Earth
Earth is the only planet in the solar
system with a crust of tectonic
plates floating on top of a magma
interior. Over time, the plate
tectonics pull carbon and other
remnants of life back into the interior
of the Earth where they are
recycled. Without the plate tectonics
there would be no way to recycle
the carbon, and the Earth would
overheat and our planet would end
up hot and barren like Venus.
Seventy percent of the Earth’s
surface may be covered in water,
but the rest of the planet is
composed mainly of iron, oxygen
and silicon. The molten core of the
Earth is 88% iron, creating a giant
magnetic effect with opposite poles
at the top and bottom. The
magnetosphere field extends
thousands of miles out from the
surface where it channels the solar
winds and protects us from harmful
radiation.
The Earth’s atmosphere also extends
out thousands of miles, although
75% of the atmosphere is contained
within the first ten miles above the
planet ’s surface. At higher altitudes
the atmosphere is extremely thin
and there is less protection, free-
moving particles can escape the pull
of the earth ’s gravity and get blown
into space by solar winds.
We’ve discovered evidence of water
on Mars, and the building blocks of
life ’s proteins on Saturn’s moons.
Scientists have also seen amino
acids in nebulae in deep space, but
for now, Earth is the only planet
known to have life and we are very
lucky to be on it. Help keep the Earth
healthy and we will all have a
brighter tomorrow.
system with a crust of tectonic
plates floating on top of a magma
interior. Over time, the plate
tectonics pull carbon and other
remnants of life back into the interior
of the Earth where they are
recycled. Without the plate tectonics
there would be no way to recycle
the carbon, and the Earth would
overheat and our planet would end
up hot and barren like Venus.
Seventy percent of the Earth’s
surface may be covered in water,
but the rest of the planet is
composed mainly of iron, oxygen
and silicon. The molten core of the
Earth is 88% iron, creating a giant
magnetic effect with opposite poles
at the top and bottom. The
magnetosphere field extends
thousands of miles out from the
surface where it channels the solar
winds and protects us from harmful
radiation.
The Earth’s atmosphere also extends
out thousands of miles, although
75% of the atmosphere is contained
within the first ten miles above the
planet ’s surface. At higher altitudes
the atmosphere is extremely thin
and there is less protection, free-
moving particles can escape the pull
of the earth ’s gravity and get blown
into space by solar winds.
We’ve discovered evidence of water
on Mars, and the building blocks of
life ’s proteins on Saturn’s moons.
Scientists have also seen amino
acids in nebulae in deep space, but
for now, Earth is the only planet
known to have life and we are very
lucky to be on it. Help keep the Earth
healthy and we will all have a
brighter tomorrow.
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