Future of our mother planet EARTH

Layers of the Earth's Atmosphere

Planet Earth is enveloped by an atmosphere composed of five basic layers. Let us look at these layers in detail and understand the significance of the atmosphere.

Atmosphere is composed of a layer of gases that surround the planet Earth. It is composed of 78.08% nitrogen, 29.95% oxygen, 0.38% carbon dioxide and 0.93% argon. The atmosphere also contains very small amounts of other gases as also about 1% of water vapor. Atmosphere is thicker at the innermost radius around Earth and it goes becoming thinner towards the outer space. The Earth's atmosphere is composed of layers, each of which is characterized by a particular kind of constituents. The proportion of the various gases and their temperatures vary across the different layers of the Earth's atmosphere. Layers of the Earth's Atmosphere The Earth's atmosphere is divided into five layers, namely, the troposphere, the stratosphere, the mesosphere, thermosphere and the ionosphere. Troposphere is the very first layer above the surface of the Earth and contains around half of the Earth's atmosphere. Stratosphere, the stable layer comes next and is followed by the mesosphere housing meteors and rock fragments. The fourth layer is the thermosphere, above which lies the last layer of the atmosphere known as ionosphere. It is a very thin layer that abounds the outer space through the exosphere. Let us look at each of the atmosphere layers in detail. Troposphere: It begins from the Earth's surface and extends to between 7 km at the poles and 17 km at the equator. The heating caused by the solar energy reduces the density of air causing the air to rise. In the process of opposing the surrounding air, the air in this layer expends energy, resulting in a decrease in its temperature. The decreasing temperature causes the vapor content of the air to condense, resulting in an increase in the air mass. The concept of weather occurs in this layer and the air we breathe is from this very layer. Thus this layer of the Earth's atmosphere contains about 80% of the total mass of the atmosphere. Stratosphere: The Latin word, 'stratus' meaning 'spreading out' has given birth to the word, 'stratosphere'. It extends up to around 50 km. It is this layer of atmosphere that contains the ozone layer. The ozone layer is located between 15 to 35 km above the surface of the Earth. The ozone layer contains high amounts of ozone gas. This layer absorbs the ultraviolet radiation of the sun, which would have otherwise proved harmful to the life on Earth. Also, most of the jet aircrafts fly through the stratosphere. Mesosphere: It stretches from 50 km to around 80 to 85 km. The temperature of the air

contained in this layer of Earth decreases with an increase in the height. Most of the meteors and rock fragments burn up in this layer before they can enter the Earth's atmosphere. Thermosphere: Extending from about 85 km to more than 640 km, the temperature of air in this layer increases with height. It is relatively thin and this is where space shuttles orbit. A small change in energy can cause a large change in the air temperature of this layer. The temperature in this layer can rise up to 1,500 degrees Celsius or higher. Ionosphere: That part of the Earth's atmosphere, which is ionized by the solar radiation, is known as the ionosphere. As some scientists call ionosphere an extension of thermosphere, ionosphere may not be regarded as a separate atmospheric layer. The ionosphere constitutes about 0.1% of the atmospheric mass. It forms the inner layer of the magnetosphere, or simply, the sphere of influence of Earth's magnetic/gravitational force. It contributes to the propagation of radio signals to distant places on Earth. It reflects radio waves back to the Earth, thus facilitating radio communication. Exosphere: It is where the Earth's atmosphere meets the outer space. It houses free-moving particles that may migrate from the magnetosphere. It ranges from about 500-1000 km up to 10,000 km. Exosphere is the upper limit of the atmosphere. This layer is where atoms and molecules escape into space. The Earth's atmosphere becomes very thin in this layer. The Earth is surrounded by the atmosphere that is composed of various layers. Each layer has a marked significance owing to its constituents. It is the Earth's atmosphere that is home for the very important envelope of the ozone layer. It is the atmosphere that enables communication across and beyond this world. Atmosphere is a protective covering that Earth is gifted with. It is a shield that safeguards our planet Earth and us, the earthlings.

Planet Earth Facts

Our amazing Planet Earth is the only planet that is known to harbor life. Read on to know about interesting and remarkable facts about Planet Earth.

The Planet Earth was formed approximately 4.5 billion years ago. So far, our very own Planet Earth is the only planet that harbors life. From the ancient years, there were many theories regarding the shape of the earth and the many myths associated with it as well. Today, our Planet

Earth faces threat due to human intervention and activities. Have you ever wondered how this name was derived? Or what is the approximate distance of the Planet Earth from the sun? Let us now unearth some interesting facts about Planet Earth and know what makes this Planet really so special to us. Planet Earth Facts: The Earth is not actually round in shape; in fact it is geoid. This simply means that the rounded shape has a slight bulge towards the equator. So what causes this geoid shape? This happens solely because the rotation of the Earth which causes the bulge around the equator. Earth is the third planet from the Sun. This is also the fifth largest planet in the entire solar system. Did you know this interesting fact about Planet Earth that it is the only planet whose name has not been derived from the Roman or Greek mythology? The name has originated from the 8th century Anglo Saxon word- Erda. This means ground or soil. Heres another Planet Earth fact- oceans cover around 70% of the Earths surface. The way the water vapor is distributed through the atmosphere results in the weather that is experienced on Planet Earth. The Planet Earth takes approximately 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4.091 seconds to rotate around its axis. Therefore, on an average, the Planet Earth takes around 24 hours to complete a full rotation. Our Planet Earth is divided into various layers that comprise the surface of the Earth. The Earths crust varies in terms of thickness. The inner core and the crust of the Planet Earth are solid in nature. Where as the outer core and the mantle layers are semi fluid in nature. The Earths crust is relatively thinner under the ocean floors and thicker in other areas. One can note that towards the surface, the air consists of around 78 percent nitrogen with 21 percent oxygen. This air also contains 1 percent of other ingredients. This is the kind of atmosphere that greatly affects the weather of Planet Earth. It also helps to shield us from harmful radiations that may emanate from the Sun. Gravity is what keeps all living beings alive and prevents them from falling off the Planet Earth as it completes its rotation. Another interesting fact about the Planet Earth is that the gravitational pull between the Earth and the moon is what causes the tides in the oceans and seas. This is also the reason why only one side of the Moon always faces us; the period of rotation is equivalent to the time it takes to orbit the Earth. The Planet Earth moves around 18.5 miles in a second in the orbit around the sun. It travels around 150 mikes per second in its rotation, which is around the center of the Milky Way galaxy. Explorer 6 first photographed our Planet Earth from space in the year 1959. Yuri Gagarin was the first human to be able to view Planet Earth from space in the year 1961. Our Planet Earths hydrosphere consists mainly of water and when one speaks about water, it means oceans. This includes all the seas, lakes and even water bodies that flow underground. This abundance of water is what sets the Planet Earth apart from other planets. The Earth is one such planet that provides an atmosphere, which helps to sustain life. It has the requisite amount of water and other conditions that are so very essential for any form of life to exist. Our Planet Earth is only slightly larger than Venus. But due to the dense nickel core, which is present in the center of the Earth, we can see that Venus has only 80 percent the mass of Earth. The four seasons that we experience on Planet Earth are a result of the Earths axis of rotation. This is tilted at an angle, which is more than 23 degrees.

Did you know that the field of gravity is not the same in all areas over the surface of the Earth? This is probably why you feel slightly heavier in certain areas.

These are just a few of the amazing facts about Planet Earth. Today, we must do all we can to save out Planet from the effects of Global warming. Each one in his/her own way can help to make a difference. Remember, all we need is a little effort from our side.

Earth's Atmosphere Is Changing

Global warming poses real risks. The more energy we use, the more the planet warms up. Read about the effects of global warming.

Energy from the sun drives the Earth's weather and climate, and heats the planet's surface. In turn, the Earth radiates energy back into space. Atmospheric greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, water vapor and other gases) trap some of the outgoing energy, retaining heat somewhat like the glass panels of a greenhouse. Without this natural "greenhouse effect", temperatures would be much lower than they are now, and life as known today would not be possible. However, problems may appear when the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases increases. Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide have increased by nearly 30%, methane concentrations have more than doubled, and nitrous oxide concentrations have risen by about 15%. These increases have enhanced the heattrapping capability of the earth's atmosphere. Sulfate aerosols, a common air pollutant, cool the atmosphere by reflecting light back into space. However, sulfates are short-lived in the atmosphere and vary regionally. Scientists generally believe that the combustion of fossil fuels and other human activities are the primary reason for the increased concentration of carbon dioxide. Plant respiration and the decomposition of organic matter release more than 10 times the CO2 released by human activities. These releases have generally been in balance during the centuries leading up to the industrial revolution with carbon dioxide absorbed by terrestrial vegetation and the oceans. What has changed in the last few hundred years is the additional release of carbon dioxide by human activities. Fossil fuels burned to run cars and trucks, heat homes and businesses, and power factories are responsible for about 98% of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions, 24% of methane emissions, and 18% of nitrous oxide emissions. In 1997, the United States emitted about one-fifth of total global greenhouse gases.

Estimating future emissions is difficult, because it depends on demographic, economic, institutional, policy and technological developments. Several emissions scenarios have been developed based on differing projections of these underlying factors. By 2100, in the absence of emissions control policies, carbon dioxide concentrations are projected to be 30-150% higher than today's levels. Global mean surface temperatures have increased 0.5-1.0F since the late 19th century. The 20th century's 10 warmest years all occurred in the last 15 years of the century. Of these, 1998 was the warmest year on record. The snow cover in the northern hemisphere and floating ice in the Arctic Ocean have both decreased. Globally, sea level has risen 4-8 inches over the past century. Worldwide precipitation over land has increased by about one percent. Increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases are likely to accelerate the rate of climate change. Scientists expect that the average global surface temperature could rise 1-4.5F (0.62.5C) in the next fifty years, and 2.2-10F (1.4-5.8C) in the next century, with significant regional variation. Evaporation will increase as the climate warms, which will increase average global precipitation. Soil moisture is likely to decline in many regions, and intense rainstorms are likely to become more frequent. Sea level is likely to rise two feet along most of the U.S. coast. Rising global temperatures are expected to raise sea level, and change precipitation and other local climate conditions. Changing regional climate could alter forests, crop yields, and water supplies. It could also affect human health, animals, and many types of ecosystems. Deserts may expand into existing rangelands, and features of some of our National Parks may be permanently altered. Unfortunately, many of the potentially most important impacts depend upon whether rainfall increases or decreases, which can not be reliably projected for specific areas. Today, action is occurring at every level to reduce, to avoid, and to better understand the risks associated with climate change. (Wellat least theoretically it does). Many cities and states across the world have prepared greenhouse gas inventories and many are actively pursuing programs and policies that will result in greenhouse gas emission reductions. The largest cities in the world are likely to be hit by rising sea levels - which could eventually flood large areas by more than a metre. Some countries will be turned to desert. Hundreds of millions of people will be short of fresh water by 2050. Other parts of the world will be hit by destructive storms and floods, costing billions a year in reconstruction. 400 000 square miles of Arctic ice have already melted in the last 30 years. A quarter of all animal and plant species could be wiped out within the next thirty. Most children alive today will find their future lives are deeply affected by new patterns of disease, extreme weather patterns, and by strict controls on energy and carbon use. Future generations will judge us by how we respond to global warming. Apocalyptic picture, isnt it? So please do what is in your power trying to keep our planet clean, saving energy. Everything you do like that helps a little. It's your planet...

Simple Ways to Save the Environment

Thinking of some ways to contribute to saving our Earth? Then read on for some simple ways to save the environment.

We frequently talk about saving our environment and how important it is to conserve the natural resources. Since the school years we have been learning about the importance of a healthy environment. Environmental education has made us realize the need to preserve our natural wealth. But when did you last take a step towards saving the environment? Do you remember having resorted to a measure that can contribute to the safeguard of nature? When have you last acted upon the need to save environment? It is high time we take some major steps towards saving the environment. It is high time we wake up and make some serious efforts to save nature. When we think of saving the environment, we often imagine devising some lengthy procedures and serious measures of saving the planet. We think of all the constituents of the environment and wonder what we can do to offer them safety. We think of afforestation and wonder how we can contribute. We think of the precious animal life and sit puzzled finding ways of saving animals. Pollution of water, land and air tops our list of environment-unfriendly factors and serious thoughts of curbing pollution crowd our mind. But the need of the day is to rise above thoughts and words and take some serious action. Each one of us can actually contribute to saving the environment by choosing simple ways of doing so. Following are the simple ways to save the environment. Simple Ways to Save the Environment Why not resolve to plant some trees every year? If each of us plants one little tree, it can amount to a great amount of afforestation making the environment healthier. Increasing the use of bicycles or making a habit to walk down short distances can contribute to reduction in air pollution. Try to minimize the use of vehicles. Use CFC-free products. For some destinations, the use of vehicles has no better options. But at least maintain your vehicles; clean their exhaust pipes, keep the pollution they cause under strict control. Look at the gadgets you use at home. Are all of them necessary? Do you maintain them well and use them efficiently? Replace the air filters for your air conditioning unit once a month. Turn off the ACs as also the lights and fans in unused rooms. Make sure to switch off the lights, the television or radio systems before you leave the house. Do not keep your computer switched on while you are not using it. Did you know that your refrigerator and water heaters consume a lot of power? A careful use of these gadgets is a good way to save the electricity. One of the most important constituents of the environment is water. Preventing the wastage of water and curbing water pollution is one of our primary duties. Turn off the taps; do not let the

buckets overflow! The use of bath showers and heavy-flushes in toilets leads to an excessive usage of water. Do not dump garbage down a storm drain. Do not pollute water bodies. Recycling is one of the best measures of saving the environment. Try to use renewable sources of energy. Resort to the use of renewable natural resources. A simple way to do this is to lessen the use of rubber and plastic. Instead, use paper bags and cardboard containers. Even a simple habit of buying in bulk can save a lot of packaging material, thus contributing to saving the environment. Buy the products that you can reuse. When in office, print only when it is absolutely necessary. Printing every soft copy leads to a heavy wastage of paper. Remember to switch off your computer when no one is using it. Avoid an excessive use of air conditioners in the office. Use emails instead of paper correspondence. Do not use disposable cups when you have an option of using the ceramic ones. Minimize the use of animal products, which involve their killing. Animal fur and ivory are some of the excessively used products that are gradually leading to the extinction of the animals that provide them. Resolve not to hunt animals. Follow the principles of saving the environment and encourage others in taking to environment-saving activities. Activities like composting can be of great help in recycling of garbage into useful manures. Avoid an extensive use of chemical fertilizers and synthetic nutrients. Natural manures are a better option for farms and gardens. These are some of the simple ways in which we can contribute towards saving nature. A small step by each of us can make a huge leap towards saving the environment.

Environmental Problems
There are many environmental problems that are plaguing the world. In this article some of them are described like Global warming, Acid rain and Air Pollution.

With the growing population even the problems are increasing and of late they have taken a demonic size, which is commanding expert attention to be solved. There are problems like Air

Pollution, Drinking water pollution, Global warming, Hazardous Waste, Ozone Depletion and many others, which makes the list endless. As globalization paves its way across the world these problems no longer remain local problems but become international issues and there are numerous causes of these problems, some of which are created by man and can also be controlled by man. So here we would discuss some of these environmental problems, their causes and effects. More about Environmental problems Air Pollution- Air Pollution is one of the problems that seem to have no solution at all. Air carries contaminants like poisonous gases and dust particles which when inhaled lead to a number of lung disorders. The sources of air pollution are innumerable which are as follows: o Industries o Agriculture o Traffic As all of these causes consist of one or the other process of combustion they emit gases that pollute the atmospheric air. Here can be large-scale pollutants like the Volatile Organic Compounds as well as minor dust particles. Nitrogen emissions come out mainly from agriculture mainly during the process of denitrification. The pesticides used for agricultural purposes can also be a cause of Air Pollution. Air Pollution can cause many heart and lung disorders like Bronchitis, Lung Cancer and diseases of the like. Acid Rain- Acid rain is caused by the numerous acidic pollutants, which have potential to damage earths environment in a drastic way. Acid rain is caused due to the presence of chemicals like Sulfur Dioxide and Nitrogen Oxides in the atmosphere. These chemicals are introduced in the atmosphere as a result of the industrial processes. Sulfur Dioxide is emitted out of those industries that use coal as their fuel. Automobiles all around the world emit one third of the nitrogen oxide that is present in the atmosphere of earth. Natural causes like fire, volcanic eruptions and bacterial decomposition are also responsible for the increase in the amount of Nitrogen Oxide in the atmospheric air. Acid rain chokes the pores in the plant leaves, which leads to the death of plants and a large number of plants in a short span of time. The brick walls and stones are also corroded and the soil composition is changed leading to the death of plants again. Acid rain also leads to the destruction of aquatic life. Global Warming- Global warming which leads to the Greenhouse effect is also a kind of environmental problem that is due to overpopulation and pollution. Large number of people are creating grater amount of garbage. Emissions form your refrigerator and also from the industries produce a large amount of heat, which fails to go out of the earths atmosphere unlike before when earth radiated out half of the heat back. This is leading towards climate change, rise in sea levels due to melting of glaciers and consequently a threat that some of the landmass might just go beneath the increasing water and therefore cease to exist.

Environmental Damage - What Will Your Future Hold?

Time is running out for humanity to make adequate changes to prevent a climate crisis.

From a spiritual perspective, planetary changes which will have an impact on many are imminent because of the poor ecological state of the planet. Most people expect change to happen, perhaps in their lifetime, but most do not expect it to be so soon. It will not be long, however, before planetary change will be upon us; humanity is running out of time. Change has already begun through weather changes, but most of humanity has not noticed this yet. Climate change has begun to impact already and will begin to worsen within the next few years. Around 2011 most people will begin to see that the consequences of climate change will be far more severe than currently understood. At present the general consensus is there could be minor consequenses resulting from the damaged environment; however, the truth is that the outcome of the present ecological devastation will be worse than expected. As the planet is under enormous geological stresses, which are continuously increasing, it will in the future no longer be able to support its population. Scarcity of resources, overfarming, lack of clean air, not enough clean drinking water and drought are some of the issues that will all play a much greater role in the near future. The kind of future we will have will depend on everyone of us. It will depend on how all of humanity will start to contribute in creating lifestyles that will support the ecology and all the life forms living on the planet. Humanity has created enormous ecological devastation in trying to create lifestyles it likes and is benefiting from. The lifestyles of many people are improving at a fast rate, however, this will eventually result in a lack of some precious resources. When this scarcity begins to happen people will no longer be able to have sustainable lifestyles. The planet cannot cope with the enormity of the ecological devastation that is taking place on every continent. This ecological devastation is not coming to a halt, instead it is still increasing and making it worse for the planet to support its population. It is important to understand that everyone plays a role in the overall process of life. Each person's decision can ultimately affect the future. These decisions, all combined, can have a very good result on what the future will be like for humanity. So please bear in mind the future is not predetermined, but is dependent on the choices we, as a collective group of human beings, make in the NOW moment. The future is not always how we see it. This is true for many aspects of living and is in particular true for global warming, as global warming has many implications that most people have not yet fully understood. While more and more people are becoming aware of climate change and other environmental problems associated with global warming, not all are fully understanding how far-reaching its effects will be. These effects are such that most people will not believe or accept what we have to say about this future, as most people do not wish to make changes. Most of the human race is aware that the planet is not functioning well, however, they do not understand that this is creating a major problem for the future survival of humanity. From a spiritual perspective every person holds the key to a much improved future, should they

wish to make the necessary changes to reduce their impact on the environment and help create a more sustainable future.

What is Acid Rain?

Pollution is now getting overboard. To know more read this article about Acid rains, its causes and effects.

Pollution has become a one of the major problems that the world is facing and the different manifestations that it has are to deal with. Acid Rain is one such form of pollution that happens because of the harmful emissions released on the surface of the Earth due to human activities. Air Pollution ultimately leads to Acid Rain as the harmful gases, which are mixed in the air, also get combined with the moisture in the air and form acidic clouds, which lead to Acid Rain. The sources of Acid Rain are factories, vehicles, Power Stations and industries; which burn fuels and produce harmful gases, which have Sulfur dioxide or Nitrogen oxides. Acid Rain primarily means the deposition of acidic elements in the forms of precipitation, which can be snow, rain, dew or fog. Normally rain is acidic though weak as the pH level of rain is less than 7 but when the concentration of pollutants increase in the atmosphere the pH level further decreases since the pollutants react with the moisture present in the atmosphere and form strong acids like Sulfuric and Nitric Acid. Acid Rain: Types of Acid Deposition There are two types of Acid Deposition, one is wet and the other is dry. Wet deposition is the one, which involves Acid Rain or snow or dew whereas Dry deposition is when the particles such as polluting gases, dust particles and gaseous elements are just absorbed by the surface of the Earth or the plant bodies. They are not converted into acids until and unless they are in contact with water. In case of Wet deposition the acids are removed from the atmospheric air and is deposited on the surface of the earth. Natural and Human Causes of Acid Rain

There are natural as well as detrimental human activities that lead to Acid Rain and here are some of those causes: Since Acid rain is caused by emissions of harmful gases, there are various natural causes that lead to emissions like volcanic eruptions and gaseous emissions from biological processes like decay and decomposition. Apart from this the human activities that result into Acid rain are vehicles and power generation plants that lead to the production and emission of Sulfur and Nitrogen oxides. There are many preventive measures that have been taken and which are still being implemented to stop the pollution like smoke treatment chambers that treat the smoke before it comes out of the manufacturing. The smoke in the smoke chamber is converted into such gases, which are acceptable for the environment. Still there are such industries like the coal power plants, which emit such gases that they pollute the atmosphere to the helm, but then the infrastructure does not allow setting up a smoke treatment chamber. Effects of Acid rain There are adverse effect of Acid rain and it is better to deal with them when the problems are just in the process of making since it is easier to deal with them at a lower scale but once they assume a larger shape, it becomes difficult to cope with them. Acid rain causes the composition of the soil to be altered, which further results in to the deterioration of plant life and also disturbs the ecological cycle. The existing plant life faces inhibition to grow healthy since the acid in the rain as they lose the nutrients present in the soil. Harmful elements are further added in the soil that lead to the soil becoming unfit for plantation and cultivation. Aquatic life also meets with destruction as the acids and other harmful substances in the rain get dissolved in the water and lead to the death and destruction of aquatic life. If not death it definitely leads to intoxication, which is passed on to the food cycle and leads to the death and disease of many animals in the food chain. There has to be a solution of acid rain and pollution otherwise it would lead to major loss.

Causes of Air Pollution

When was the last time you stepped out of your house and inhaled clean and fresh air that really invigorated all your senses? Heres a look at some of the causes of air pollution that has resulted in the thick smog which most city dwellers are subjected to.

Air pollution is something that we cannot really ignore now-a-days. This is evident from the moment we step out of our house and are greeted with black colored smog that hits us directly reminding us that breathing clean air is more of a distant dream. It is so easy for us to endlessly rant and rave about the causes of air pollution and its ill effects, but little do we realize that each person is responsible for all the causes of air pollution and the situation that we face today. Take a look around you at the dismal state of affairs. The thick smog that is seen in the morning hours is not really due to somebody else but rather due to each and every one of us. Here is a look at the causes of air pollution and how it can affect us if the matter is not taken care of at this stage itself. Causes of Air Pollution: Carbon dioxide is one the main pollutants that causes air pollution. This is because, although living beings do exhale carbon dioxide, this gas is harmful when emitted from other sources, which are caused due to human activity. An additional release of carbon dioxide happens due to various such activities. Carbon dioxide gas is used in various industries such as the oil industry and the chemical industry. The manufacturing process of most products would require the use of this gas. There are various human activities that add to the increased proportions of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The combustion of fossil fuels and the harmful effects of deforestation have all contributed towards the same. show that amongst the various gasses emitted during a volcanic eruption, carbon dioxide remains to be at least 40% of the emission. Scientists have now therefore identified carbon dioxide as one of those elements that have contributed to global warming. Causes of air pollution are not limited to this. The combustion of fuels in automobiles, jet planes etc all cause the release of several primary pollutants into the air. The burning of fossil fuels in big cities which is seen at most factories, offices and even a large number of homes, it is no wonder that air pollution is increasing at an alarming rate. The release of other harmful gases all adds to the state that we see today. Although carbon dioxide plays an important role in various other processes like photosynthesis, breathing an excess of the same also causes harmful effects towards ones health. The various causes of air pollution that releases harmful gases into the atmosphere are caused due to the increasing number of power plants and manufacturing units or industries that mostly have activities related to the burning of fuels. Besides, as mentioned earlier, most automobiles, marine vessels, activities that involve the burning of wood, fumes that are released from aerosol sprays, military activities that involve the use of nuclear weapons, all are the numerous causes of air pollution. Carbon monoxide is another such gas which, although was present in the atmosphere earlier, is now considered to be a major pollutant. An excess of the same has a harmful effect on our system. There are many reasons why carbon monoxide can be released into the atmosphere as

a result of human activities. This is also produced due to any fuel burning appliance and appliances such as gas water heaters, fireplaces, woodstoves, gas stoves, gas dryers, yard equipments as well as automobiles, which add to the increased proportion of this gas into the atmosphere. Sulfur dioxide is yet another harmful pollutant that causes air pollution. Sulfur dioxide is emitted largely to the excessive burning of fossil fuels, petroleum refineries, chemical and coal burning power plants etc. Nitrogen dioxide when combined with sulfur dioxide can even cause a harmful reaction in the atmosphere that can cause acid rain. Nitrogen dioxide is one more gas that is emitted into the atmosphere as a result of various human activities. An excess of nitrogen dioxide mainly happens due to most power plants seen in major cities, the burning of fuels due to various motor vehicles and other such sources, whether industrial or commercial that cause the increase in the levels of nitrogen dioxide. These and a number of other hazardous air pollutants are emitted with the various numbers of activities that we carry out during the day which are the main causes of air pollution. How you can help to prevent Air Pollution: Carpool- This will help to reduce the number of vehicles on the already congested roads. Always keep your car tuned properly so that it remains in a good condition. Save energy- Try to use minimum amounts of natural gas and even electricity. Whenever possible, avoid the use of air conditioner and use a fan instead. Always buy recycled products. Reuse things such as paper and plastic bags, paper etc. This will contribute a lot towards reducing the effects of air pollution and global warming. Avoid the use of firecrackers. You dont really need it to express your feeling of happiness. Go in for water-based paints instead of varnishes. If you really cannot avoid using your car, plan your work systematically to reduce air pollution. The causes of air pollution can be many to name if one really scrutinizes this subject closely. With a little effort from our side, we can help to reduce the harmful effects of air pollution so that we can breathe in a clean and healthy environment.

Climate Change and Human Health

The Threats of diseases relating to climate change are not fairly distributed and have become a global issue. There are actions every one of us can take to promote health,such as reducing your carbon footprint.

Climate Change and Human Health Did you know that climate change can endanger your health and survival? Did you know that protecting your health from climate change will contribute to health promotion? It will reduce the risks of diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, and obesity, and will reduce global warming. The threats are different dependent on where you live, but they disrupt the basic essential requirements for health: food, air and water.

There is an unfair distribution of the health risks related to greenhouse gas emissions. Most of the gas emissions are emitted in industrialized countries; whereas, the risks are greater in developing countries that have contributed less to the problems. They are greater in populations where the social and health systems are weak. Why should you care? Wherever you live climate change threatens your health and wellbeing. Climate related injuries and illnesses account for over 150,000 deaths and 5.5 million unhealthy lives each year. Each year, 60,000 deaths are as a result of climate related disasters. It is projected to get worse. Many of the steps required to prevent climate change have a positive effect on health. Action now can protect health from climate change. Reducing global warming can be good for health. What can you do to help? Focus on the current local health threats. Share this information with friends and family. Learn to recognize symptoms of diseases affected by climate change in the area where you live. Find about new medication you may need. Learn about ways to protect your self and family from the local threats. Take precautions to protect your skin from skin cancer. Learn to make development choices that are carbon friendly. Reduce your carbon footprint. If you live in an area where extreme whether conditions are a problem, take action to provide adequate hydration, heating, cooling and ventilation. This is especially so for to those who are most vulnerable such as the elderly, the physically challenged, the socially isolated and the poor. In areas where ozone depletion is a problem protect your skin from skin cancer. In areas where malaria is a threat, protect yourself and your children from mosquito bites, teach your children to use insect repellent. Reducing your carbon footprint Your carbon foot print is the amount of carbon you currently produce. If your carbon footprint is high you become a high carbon emitter; reducing it will contribute to good health, the environment and a reduction in global warming. There are things you can do to reduce your carbon footprints and energy use. They are also good for your health, they are: Walking Taking public transport Cycling Better waste management Choosing products with smaller carbon impact Taking the train instead of the plane Making better dietary choices.

Health Benefits In making better dietary choices you will reduce your intake of saturated fats, excess sugar and salt. This is part of a healthy eating pattern. Increased physical activity will result in less obesity related illnesses, prevent heart disease. Reduced air pollution will lead to less respiratory diseases such as asthma and bronchitis. Preservation of water quantity and quality will result in safe drinking water reducing the risks of waterborne diseases. Tips: Use the Internet for shopping and to access health and medical resources. This will reduce greenhouse emissions, and save on gasoline costs. Have your carbon foot print calculated; you may be a high carbon emitter. At superhealtheis a website supporting health promotion. You can find more information on climate change. There are many actions that you can take. You can shop for health on line at
ehealthshop.superhealthe

Global Warming
Global warming is causing drastic effects on our planet. Read more about it here.

According to the scientific community, the climate of the earth is changing rapidly. Over the last century, the earth has become hotter by 1 degree F, and it is projected that it will continue to do so, even more quickly, in the next few decades. The reason being, the atmosphere being polluted by greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, most of it from industrial activity, the burning of fossil fuels, and deforestation. In fact, according to climate researchers, most of this global warming that has occurred over the past 50 years is due to the consequences of human activity. What are the Consequences of Global Warming on Human Life and the Environment? It goes without saying that the phenomenon of global warming is highly complex, and therefore difficult to predict what exactly the full-scale consequences on human life and the environment will be. However, with each passing year scientists are learning more and more about how global warming is impacting the Earth, and many of them now agree that if there is a continuation of the current trends, then some of the effects of global warming will be:

Changes in Climatic Conditions There will be an increase in the average temperatures all over the world, leading to more frequent heat waves. This will lead to drought-like conditions, increasing the chances of forest fires that are larger in scale, more intense, and harder to put out. Rising temperatures can also affect the climatic system of a region by increasing the energy of storm conditions, resulting in more severe rainfalls. Likewise, when the waters in the oceans heat up, it increases the energy of tropical storms, resulting in hurricanes that are more powerful and destructive. Reduction of Agricultural Productivity It is said that if the global warming continues at its current rate, the resulting increase in the temperature will lead to a drastic reduction in agricultural productivity, especially in northern continental regions. It is projected that the soil in these areas will be drier in the summer, partly because of the snow melting earlier in the spring, and more cloudless and hotter summers, which will in turn result in the moisture in the soil evaporating extensively, causing severe droughts. This will be further exacerbated by water levels in rivers and lakes falling because of less rainfall. Inundation of Coastal Areas and Low-Lying Regions due to Rising Sea Levels There is evidence that the sea levels are already rising, and this phenomenon is likely to increase because of glaciers melting in the mountains and the ice caps in the Arctic and Antarctic regions melting. This will have an impact on coastal areas that are low-lying like the estuaries of Chesapeake Bay and along the Gulf of Mexico. According to a report that the United Nations published, if global warming continues, the coastal areas of the Netherlands and Bangladesh will be flooded by 2100. Plus, it is also said that Maldives will disappear completely, which can happen by the sea level rising just by two feet. The Disruption of Ecosystems It is expected the global warming will cause extensive disruptions in ecosystems, with the consequential loss of a number of species, particularly those that are unable to adapt to the changes. According to some assessments, it is predicted that by the year 2050 about a million species will be extinct, if the current rates of global warming continues. Some of the ecosystems that are most vulnerable are alpine meadows found in the Rocky Mountains, the delicate ecosystem of the Himalayan ranges, mangrove forests in coastal areas, coral reefs, and so on. Effects on Health Global warming will lead to heat waves occurring more intensively and more frequently, resulting heat-related health effects and deaths. These effects may also exacerbate problems caused by poor air quality in various regions, which are already affecting people around the world. It is also projected that the virulence and wider range of tropical diseases will also increase due to global warming. Dealing with Global Warming Dealing with and mitigating the adverse effects of global warming is not going to be an easy task. Ultimately, we will have to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide dramatically if we want to protect the planet, the economy, as well as our health. In order to accomplish this, we will have to find the will to make fundamental changes to the way our global economy is powered, switching from using fossil fuels to renewable and more efficient sources of energy.

What Global Warming Really Means?

Global warming is not a new issue... it is just that the whole world is finally waking up. Read more about it in this article!

Scientists know for certain that human activities are changing the composition of Earth's atmosphere. There is no doubt that atmospheric accumulation of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases is mostly the result of human activities. It's well accepted by scientists that greenhouse gases trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere and tend to warm the planet. By increasing the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, human activities are strengthening Earth's natural greenhouse effect. The key greenhouse gases emitted by human activities remain in the atmosphere for periods ranging from decades to centuries. A warming trend of about 1F has been recorded since the late 19th century. Warming has occurred in both the northern and southern hemispheres, and over the oceans. Figuring out to what extent the human-induced accumulation of greenhouse gases since pre-industrial times is responsible for the global warming trend is not easy. This is because other factors, both human and natural, affect our planet's temperature. Scientific understanding of these other factors especially changes in the sun's energy, the cooling effects of pollutant aerosols and natural climatic variations - remains incomplete. Nevertheless, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stated there was a "discernible" human influence on climate and that the observed warming trend is "unlikely to be entirely natural in origin". In short, scientists think rising levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are contributing to global warming, as would be expected, but to what extent is difficult to determine at the present time. However the evidence linking human activity to climate change is now overwhelming. The economic growth of India and China alone could be enough to tip the world over the edge into an almost unstoppable process, when added to the extravagant waste of industrialized nations. As atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases continue to rise, scientists estimate average global temperatures will continue to rise as a result. By how much and how fast remain uncertain. IPCC projects further global warming of 2.2-10F (1.4-5.8C) by the year 2100. Scientists have identified that agriculture, forests, our health, water resources, wildlife and coastal areas are vulnerable to the changes that global warming may bring. But projecting what the exact impacts will be over the 21st century remains very difficult. This is especially true when one asks how a local region will be affected. Scientists are more confident about their projections for large-scale areas (global temperature and precipitation change, average sea level rise) and less confident about the ones for smallscale areas (local temperature and precipitation changes, altered weather patterns, soil moisture changes). This is largely because the computer models used to forecast global climate change are still ill-equipped to simulate how things may change at smaller scales. There is the possibility that a warmer world could lead to more frequent and intense storms, including hurricanes. Preliminary evidence suggests that, once hurricanes do form, they will be stronger if the oceans are warmer due to global warming. However, the jury is still out whether or not hurricanes and other storms will become more frequent. More and more attention is being aimed at the possible link between El Nio events - the periodic warming of the equatorial Pacific Ocean - and global warming. Scientists are concerned that the accumulation of greenhouse gases could inject enough heat into Pacific waters such that El Nio events become more frequent and fierce. Here too, research has not advanced far enough to provide conclusive statements about how global warming will

affect El Nio. Like many pioneer fields of research, the current state of global warming science can't always provide definitive answers to our questions. There is certainty that human activities are rapidly adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, and that these gases tend to warm our planet. This is the basis for concern about global warming. The fundamental scientific uncertainties are these: How hot will things really have to get before there is a catastrophe? Are we already too late to change the future? Who will be the winners and losers in a hot world? What will global warming cost? How will global warming affect our personal lives and our future wealth? Global warming poses real risks. The exact nature of these risks remains uncertain. So Frost was right thinking that "the world will end in fire" Is Apocalypse more and more confirmed with science? Ultimately, this is why we have to use our best judgment to determine what the most appropriate response to global warming should be.

If All The Glaciers Melted

The melting of glaciers is required for the survival of many communities worldwide. If this melting increases abnormally it will have negative effects of tremendous proportions.

Glaciers - What Are They? Glaciers are snow that have been compressed over the years by more snow, finally forming into huge masses of solid ice. Glaciers - How Are They Formed? Glaciers are formed when the snow that has fallen remains long enough to get compressed by fresh snow and turn into solid ice. Almost throughout the year new layers of snow will fall and compress the layers below.

For a glacier to form it is very important that the amount of snow that falls in a given year must by more than the amount of glacier ice / fresh snow that has melted. It is only in this way that any glacier can increase in size. If the amount of fresh snow is less than the amount of melting ice / snow then the glacier will diminish in size and gradually vanish. This is exactly what is happening with almost all glaciers worldwide today. Glaciers that have taken centuries to form are melting at an alarming rate. Some well known glaciers have diminished in size and some have become extinct; all in the space of just the past 100 years. Glaciers - Do They Melt Normally? The melting of glaciers is a perfectly normal process. All glaciers worldwide melt to some extent during warmer climates. Certain glaciers melt constantly, but are replenished with the falling of more snow. Many communities worldwide depend on these melting glaciers for all their freshwater needs. Pure and fresh drinking water and water for farming is supplied by these glaciers, without which these communities would have to move and settle down where other sources of fresh water are available. Some nations depend on this constant flow of water from melting glaciers to produce hydroelectricity that is cheap to produce and extremely eco-friendly. This process of glaciers melting is perfectly normal as long as the amount of ice that is melting is replaced by the same or more amount of fresh snow. A serious problem occurs when things go the other way -- the ice melts too fast and the fresh falling snow is not able to replace it. When this happens, the glacier will gradually begin diminishing in size and will in time vanish completely. Glaciers - What If They Melt Totally? Many glaciers across the world are diminishing in size each year. Some well known glaciers of the past have just melted away, never to return. The speed at which glaciers are melting today is getting greater and greater with each passing year. Almost everyone today agree to one major cause for this -- 'Global Warming'. Many persons / communities that depend totally on melting glacier water for drinking and irrigation purposes have already felt the horrible effects that fast melting glaciers bring with them. Fast melting glaciers are very bad not just for us humans, but even for animals, birds, fish, and marine plants. What if all the glaciers present today melted? It would have far reaching negative impacts on everything present on earth. Glacier Water Formed Lakes Could Burst Glaciers that are melting faster than normal create lakes on the mountainsides as they flow. The size of these lakes keep on increasing with time. The walls that hold these lakes can bear pressures only upto certain limits. Once the water in these lakes increase to levels where these water holding limits are crossed, there is just one thing that can happen. The lake will burst. Since these lakes are huge in size, the sudden amount of water released by the bursting will be tremendous. The force of this water will destroy anything that comes in its way; including entire villages settled on the bottom of such mountains. This is not something that we think will happen; such lake bursts are a current reality and have already happened (Nepal in Asia) causing tremendous loss to the villagers who were affected by it. Many places in Nepal and Bhutan in Asia still face grave dangers from many lakes that are increasing in size and could burst anytime. Floods When the amount of ice / snow melting on mountains increases above normal, it will cause a lot of water to be released into streams and finally the rivers it feeds. This will cause flooding all along the river banks. All those living in low lying areas in close proximity of the rivers will be affected. The amount of havoc that floods can create is very well known worldwide. People

affected will have to relocate to safer regions. Floods bring with them tremendous misery. Water borne disease will be widespread and very difficult to curtail. There will be water everywhere, but pure drinking water will not be available. Irrigated farmlands will drown and crops will be destroyed. Living in such areas will not be humanly possible. Draught If floods can be caused by fast melting glaciers, how can draught too be a part of it. Yes, draught will be a reality in places with fast melting glaciers. Once these glaciers have completely melted the streams and rivers they feed will run dry. People depending on these sources for all their fresh water needs will not have any source of freshwater (unless fresh groundwater is available). Entire villages will have to resettle elsewhere. Places that are abundant in the production of crops for their needs and also the needs of others will face famine. Food grains will be in short supply. Sea Level Rise We are already witness to a sea level rise in the past century. This rise is of minor proportions, but if the sea continues to rise further it could have devastating effects. Persons living in low-lying areas on the seashore will be the first to be affected. Entire areas around the seashore will be flooded, making it compulsory for persons in close vicinity to relocate. All fresh groundwater in the surrounding areas will get contaminated with sea water which will be unfit for human consumption and for agriculture. Global Temperatures Will Rise Further Glaciers absorb approximately 20% heat from the sun, reflecting the remaining 80% back into space. When these glaciers melt and expose the earth below, exactly the opposite will take place. Earth will absorb 80% of heat and reflect back just 20% into space. This in turn will cause global temperatures to rise further. This increase in global temperature will help in melting the remaining glaciers faster. This is a very vicious circle that will continue. Animals, Birds, and Fish Will Be Affected Many species of animals, birds, and fish that depend on the fresh melting waters of glaciers that empty into the sea will be affected. Many fish in such areas depend for their food on the coral reefs that are in abundance. These coral reefs depend on sunlight for maintaining their health. When sea levels rise, the sunlight that these corals receive will diminish. These coral reefs may deteriorate or even vanish. This will affect the fish that feed on it. Birds and animals that depend on these fish for survival will be affected due to a shortage of fish. Humans in such areas depending on these animals, birds, and fish for food will be affected. Who is Responsible For Vanishing Glaciers? We are. All of us are responsible for vanishing glaciers. Almost everyone today believe that the prime cause of fast vanishing glaciers is global warming. The industrial revolution of the past century started it all, and it has just got worse with every passing year. Greenhouse gas emissions are at an all time high. We all contribute in some way to global warming. Only we can save the situation from getting any worse. We may not be able to reverse the situation, but by living in a responsible manner we may be able to drastically slow down the process of global warming. This may not help us much today, but it will surely have a positive effect on the generations to come.

Greenhouse Gases
Articles on greenhouse gases.

The numerous public forums that discuss environmental issues and the ever-increasing political debates about the damage humans are doing to the planet always include some mention of greenhouse gases. Scientists and scholars toss the term about like everyone knows exactly what it means, but most people probably don't really understand what greenhouse gases are and how they can be harmful. Greenhouse gases (GHG) are gaseous components in the atmosphere that contribute to the "greenhouse effect", the heating of the Earth by means of a similar effect produced by the glass panes of a greenhouse. Greenhouse gases allow light from the sun to enter the atmosphere surrounding the Earth. When that sunlight strikes the planet, some of it is reflected back toward space as infrared radiation, or heat. The GHGs in the atmosphere trap the heat, but over time the amount of energy sent from the sun to the Earth's surface should be about the same as the amount of energy radiated back into space, leaving the temperature of the planet's surface pretty constant. However, it is a documented scientific fact that global temperatures have been steadily rising for decades. Some GHGs, such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, and nitrous oxide, occur naturally to some extent in the atmosphere. Human activities add to the levels of these naturally occurring gases, and many of those activities are benign and don't have significant effects on the environment. But the political debate over GHGs focuses on certain human activities that increase the concentrations of GHGs in ways that threaten the environment, and research has stepped up dramatically in recent years to determine whether or not humans should be trying to limit those activities. Although opinions are mixed about exactly how the Earth's climate responds to GHGs, most researchers are in agreement that greenhouse gases from industry and agriculture have played a major role in global warming. Just the increase in the population of the planet has to have had some effect on the GHGs in the atmosphere, because more people are breathing out carbon dioxide, and deforestation to make room for those people has resulted in fewer trees producing oxygen. The burning of fossil fuels also leads to higher concentrations of carbon dioxide, which constitutes about 76% of all the greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere. Most of the increase in carbon dioxide has occurred in the last 50 years. Measurements from Antarctic ice core samples have shown that carbon dioxide concentrations stayed pretty stable for about 10,000 years, but began rising in the mid-20th century. Methane gas accounts for about 13% of the GHGs in the atmosphere. Since 1750, the amount of methane gas in the atmosphere has doubled, and some scientists say that amount could double again by 2050. Each year nearly 500 tons of methane are added to the air by coal mining, drilling for oil and natural gas, landfill emissions, wetland changes, and pipeline losses. New style fully vented septic systems, Livestock and paddy rice farming, CFCs used in refrigeration systems, and halons in fire suppression systems are also sources of atmospheric methane. Most GHGs take a very long time to leave the atmosphere, but methane stays in the atmosphere for only 10 years. However, it traps 20 times more heat than carbon dioxide. Nitrous oxide, primarily used as "laughing gas", an inhaled anesthetic, is released naturally from oceans and by bacteria in soils. Nitrous oxide gas production has risen by more than 15% since 1750, and now makes up approximately 6% of the GHGs in the atmosphere. Each year about 713 million tons are released into the atmosphere by using nitrogen-based fertilizers, disposing of human and animal waste in sewage treatment plants, automobile exhaust, and other sources not yet identified. Nitrogen-based fertilizer use has doubled in the past 15 years. The nitrous oxide being released into the atmosphere today will still be trapped in there 100 years from now. Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the concentrations of many GHGs in the Earth's

atmosphere have steadily increased. In 1992, the United Nations held a summit meeting in Rio de Janeiro called the Conference on Environment and Development to develop a treaty aimed at reducing emissions of greenhouse gases in order to combat global warming. The treaty, called the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is legally non-binding and sets no mandatory limits on GHG emissions for individual nations, but the countries who signed the treaty agreed to develop their own plans and schedules for limiting emissions. The FCCC entered into force on March 21, 1994, with the stated objective being "to achieve stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a low enough level to prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system". The treaty included provisions for eventually setting mandatory emissions limits, with the primary update being the Kyoto Protocol, which was established in 2005. Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and three groups of fluorinated gases are the subject of the Kyoto Protocol. Part of the reason for establishing the Kyoto Protocol was the increased sense of urgency felt by many scientists as newer data is found to support the theory of "global warming", which could have disastrous effects upon the Earth if changes are not implemented right now. The world's leading authority on global warming is the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a United Nations-sponsored organization consisting of 2500 scientists from around the world. The IPCC has predicts that global warming will have severe impact on human health, natural ecosystems, agriculture, and coastal communities if steps are not taken immediately to reverse the increasing concentrations of GHGs in the Earth's atmosphere. The IPCC has concluded by consensus that "The balance of evidence suggests a discernible human influence on global climate". That "human influence" is the increased levels of greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere, and stronger steps must be taken toward reversing the trend before it is too late to repair the damage.

Different types of Water Pollution

The different types of water pollution are point-source, nonpoint-source and transboundary. Surface water, Groundwater, Microbiological, Oxygen depletion are some of the varieties of water pollution. Nutrients, suspended matter and chemicals are responsible for such a pollution.

When the pollution has a single source like an oil spill, it is called point-source pollution. In case the pollution has multiple sources, it is called nonpoint-source pollution. Many types of pollution affect the immediate area surrounding the source. When the pollution affects the environment many miles away from the source, like nuclear waste, it is called transboundary pollution. Surface Water Pollution These are the natural water resources of the Earth. These are found on the exterior of the Earth's crust, oceans, rivers and lakes.

Groundwater Pollution Considerable amount of Earth's water is found in soil or under rock structures called aquifers. People use aquifers to obtain drinking water and build wells to access it. In case this water becomes polluted, it is called groundwater pollution. This is caused by pesticide contamination from the soil and this can infect the drinking water and lead to huge problems. Microbiological Pollution This is a natural form of water pollution caused by microorganisms. Most of these microorganims thrive in water and fish, land animals and humans to become ill. Microorganims like bacteria, viruses and protozoa cause serious diseases like cholera. In poor countries, there are no facilities to treat polluted water and hence the health of people are affected. Oxygen depletion Pollution Microorganisms that thrive in water feed on biodegradable substances. When a lot of biodegradable material is mixed with water, the number of microorganims increase and utilize the available oxygen. The is called oxygen depletion. As oxygen levels in water are depleted, harmless aerobic microorganisms die and anaerobic microorganims prosper. Some anaerobic microorganisms are harmful to people, environment and animals and they produce toxins like ammonia and sulfides. Nutrients These are necessary for plant growth and development. Most of these are found in wastewater and fertilizers. These can cause excess weed and algae growth if there are large concentrations in water. Drinking water and clog filters can be contaminated. The algae use up the oxygen in the water and leave none for the surrounding marine life and this can damage other aquatic organisms. Suspended Matter As the molecules are very large to mix between the water molecules, some pollutants do not dissolve in water. This material is termed as particulate matter and can lead to water pollution. The suspended particles finally settle and form a thick silt at the bottom. The marine life on the floor of rivers and lakes are harmed. Biodegradable substances are suspended in water and raise the quantity of anaerobic microorganisms present. The toxic chemicals that are suspended in water are harmful to the development and survival of aquatic life. Chemical Agricultural and Industrial work has the use of many chemicals that can run-off into water and pollute it. Metals and solvents from industrial work pollute rivers and lakes. Aquatic life is endangered by these and made infertile. Pesticides are used to control weeds, insects and fungi. Run-off's of these pesticides poisons aquatic life. If birds, humans and other animals eat infected fish they may be poisoned. Petroleum is a different type of chemical pollutant that pollutes water by oil spills in case a ship ruptures. Oil spills have a localised affect on wildlife, but can spread for miles. This oil can effect the death of many fish and stick to the feathers of seabirds. This loses their ability to fly. Pollution happens when silt and other suspended solids like soil, construction, washoff plowed fields enters river banks. Eutrophication occurs under natural conditions, lakes, rivers and other water bodies. This is an aging process that fills in the water body with sediment and organic matter. In case these sediments enter various water bodies, fish respiration is affected, plant productivity and water depth is decreased.

Causes and Effects of Land Pollution

Land pollution is a common and destructive phenomenon today. Read on to learn about its various causes and effects.

Know about land pollution Pollution is a global problem. It has affected the lives of millions of people and caused several deaths and health problems. Land pollution is one of the types of pollution. Land pollution is pollution of our planets land surface. Causes of land pollution: Increase in urbanization. Construction uses up forestland. More constructions means increase in demand for raw materials like timber. This leads to the exploitation and destruction of forests. There is more demand for water. Reservoirs are built leading to the loss of land. Increase in agricultural land. As the human population grew there was a greater demand for food. This caused more land allocated to agriculture. Forests were cut down for this purpose. Domestic waste. Every single day, tons and tons of domestic waste is dumped ranging from huge pieces of rubbish such as unused refrigerator to fish bones. If all these wastes are not disposed of properly, the damage they can do to the environment and humankind can be devastating. While waste collected from homes, offices and industries may be recycled or burnt in incinerators, a large amount of rubbish is neither burnt nor recycled but is left in certain areas marked as dumping grounds. We throw away more things today and there is an increase in the quantity of solid waste. This has given rise to problems as new dumping grounds have to be found. Agricultural activities. Besides domestic waste, pesticides and herbicides used by farmers to increase crop yields also pollute the land when they are washed into the soil. Industrial activities. Industrial activities also are a contributing factor to land pollution. For example, in open cast mining, huge holes are dug in the ground and these form dangerously deep mining pools. Heaps of mining waste are

left behind and these waste often contain several poisonous substances that will contaminate the soil. Pollution sources include plastics factories, chemical plants, oil refineries, nuclear waste disposal activity, large animal farms, coal-fired power plants, metals production factories and other heavy industry. Reducing land Pollution We can take the following steps: encourage organic farming proper garbage disposal recycle garbage reduce use of herbicides and pesticides Avoid overpackaged items efficient utilization of resources and reducing wastage

Effects of land pollution exterminates wild life acid rain kills trees and other plants. vegetation that provides food and shelter is destroyed. it can seriously disrupt the balance of nature, and, in extreme cases, can cause human fatalities. pesticides can damage crops; kill vegetation; and poison birds, animals, and fish. Most pesticides kill or damage life forms other than those intended. For example, pesticides used in an effort to control or destroy undesirable vegetation and insects often destroy birds and small animals. Some life forms develop immunity to pesticides used to destroy them.

Air Pollution Facts

Here is an account of the adverse air pollution effects, and what you can do to protect yourself against it.

Here are a few reports that have come out recently about the adverse effects of air pollution which will make you sit up and sniff the air around you apprehensively: According to a study, living in a major city places people at a higher risk than living in the radioactive zone in Chernobyl. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 2 million premature deaths are caused each year due to air pollution in cities across the world. A recent study has revealed that exposure to fine particle matter in polluted air increases the risk of hospitalization due to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. According to a German study, people who breathe in the fumes of heavy traffic regularly have higher chances of getting hardening of the arteries, which is associated with the risk of heart attack. A Scottish study has shown that jogging with traffic around results in reduced blood flow to the heart. This is particularly dangerous for people with stable heart disease, because it can trigger off cardiac arrhythmia or even a heart attack. According to a study conducted on eight-year-olds in Mexico City, being exposed for a long time to high levels of polluted air reduces lung function and growth in children. According to a 20-year study conducted on the residents of Los Angeles, it has been shown that the adverse effects of air pollution have been grossly underestimated. The researchers opine that chronic health problems due to particulate matter in the air may be double or even triple times greater than the estimates available currently. So what is air pollution and why is it so harmful? Air pollution is caused when it gets filled with too much gases, particulate matter, and droplets of liquid. In cities, the air gets polluted by the exhaust fumes of vehicles, along with the pollutants given off by construction work and industry. In the country, the dust given off by tractors working on fields, vehicles being driven on gravel or dirt tracks, smoke given off by crop and wood being burnt, and work carried out in rock quarries, are some of the causes of air pollution. Another major air pollutant in cities is ozone that occurs at ground level. Ozone forms when

nitrous oxides and hydrocarbons react with sunlight. However, not everything about ozone is bad. In fact, its presence in the upper atmosphere is beneficial because it keeps out harmful ultraviolet rays, which is one of the major causes of skin cancer. Ozone only becomes problematic when it occurs near the ground where it can be inhaled. When inhaled, ozone causes reduced lung capacity, choking, and coughing. When the air is polluted, it causes irritation of the throat, lungs and eyes. Some of the common symptoms are: a burning sensation in the eyes, tightness in the chest, and coughing. It exacerbates respiratory conditions like emphysema and asthma, and reduces the bodys capacity to fight off infections of the respiratory system. Also, people afflicted with heart disease, like angina, are usually very sensitive to air pollution. People who exercise outdoors are also susceptible to the symptoms of air pollution, because it involves deeper and faster breathing. In fact, polluted air is particularly detrimental to those who have lung and/or heart disease. When the pollution levels become very high, it can lead to them having to curtail their activities and even result in hospitalization. Severe air pollution has even been known to cause death in the recent past. However, such high levels of pollution are now not as common in the US. Another group that is susceptible to the effects of air pollution is children. When they live in areas that have high levels of pollution, children tend to be prone to illnesses like earaches and bronchitis. Although some groups of people feel the effects of air pollution more acutely, one of the positive factors is that when there is an improvement in the quality of air, the symptoms caused by air pollution are quickly alleviated for most people who are healthy. The long-term effects of being exposed to low air pollution levels are still being studied. Here are some of the ways you can prevent the harmful effects of air pollution affecting you and your family: Try staying indoors as much as possible in the daytime. Usually the air indoors is less polluted than outdoors. If you cannot avoid going outside, try to do it in the early morning or after sunset. This is particularly important when there are high levels of ozone, which is usually the case in many big cities, because sunshine triggers off the creation of ozone. When the pollution levels are high, try not to exert yourself. The harder you breathe, the more polluted air you inhale into your lungs. The above steps should be enough to protect you against air pollution if you are healthy. However, in case you work or live near some source of pollution, or if you are afflicted with chronic lung or heart problem, it is best to seek medical advice on the best ways to deal with it.

Why is Recycling Important ?

Did you know that you can help the environment in a lot of ways by recycling various materials. Read on to know how recycling can help protect and preserve the natural resources of our mother nature.

What is Recycling Before you know about the importance and benefits of recycling and its relation to a better environmental condition, it is essential to understand what is recycling. Recycling refers to the process of collecting used materials which is usually considered as waste and reprocessing them. In this process these used materials are sorted and processed to be used as raw materials for the production of new products. Recycling varies from re-use in the sense that while re-use just means using old products repeatedly, recycling means using the core elements of an old product as raw material to manufacture new goods. Some of the most common items that are recycled are plastic, glass, paper, batteries, aluminum etc. Process of Recycling The recycling process involves three stages. In the first stage the old products are collected and processed, where they are sorted, cleaned and made ready for recycling or manufacturing new products. The second stage involves the manufacturing of new products from the raw material obtained by the processing of the old products. Finally, the process ends with the purchasing of recycled goods by the consumers. The more people step forward to buy recycled products the better the success of the recycling process can be ensured. Buying recycled products will only increase when every individual will develop an awareness of the difference that can be made by utilizing their old household objects as raw materials to produce new goods and help the environment by recycling. Why is Recycling Important The importance of recycling can be observed in multiple ways. If you are wondering in your mind as to "why I should recycle" then here are some causes which should convince you to do so. Recycling Saves Energy When new products are manufactured from the raw material obtained from recycled products, it saves a lot of energy which is consumed for the production. When new products are manufactured from virgin materials, the amount of energy consumed is much higher. Besides, the energy required to acquire and transport the virgin raw materials from their origins or natural sources is also saved. Add to that the energy which is required to clean and protect the

environment from the pollutant waste products, especially those which are non-biodegradable (plastic) and fill up the landfill areas. Recycling Saves Environmental Conditions and Reduces Pollution Recycling helps in preventing global climate change to a great extent. By minimizing the energy spent on industrial production, recycling also helps in reducing greenhouse gas emission. Some of the major fossil fuels used in most industries include coal, diesel, gasoline etc. All these emit harmful gases such as methane, sulfur dioxide, carbondioxide to the environment. The processing of fresh raw material also creates toxic materials which pollute the environment. By reducing the energy used, recycling also minimizes the amount of fuel usage which in turn reduces the amount of harmful pollutants in the environment. Recycling Saves Natural Resources We know that recycling involves the processing and usage of the core elements of an old product for the production of new products. This helps in saving our natural resources to a great extent. For example, once an old newspaper is recycled we do not need to use the resource of another tree to produce new paper products. This way, proper recycling can help us preserve our natural resources for our future generations and maintain the balance of the nature. Economic Benefits Similar to energy and natural resource, recycling also helps in saving a lot of expense, demanded for the production of new products from virgin materials. These expenses include the entire production cycle starting from acquiring the raw materials, transferring them from their origin to production places, processing and manufacturing costs. Recycling process creates employment opportunities for a lot of people, involved in the various stages of the process. This in turn contributes to the economic development of the state or country. Recycling Saves Space for Waste Disposal Most of the landfill sites are filled up with a lot of waste products that could have been recycled effectively. Some of these waste materials belong to non-biodegradable category which takes a long time to decompose. Recycling enables proper usage of these waste products and saves space for landfills. The pace with which landfills are getting filled up, soon we might run short of landfills unless we start following recycling at our own home and spread the word to others.

Reasons Why You Should Recycle

Although recycling is a much talked about issue, there are still a certain section of people who are completely unaware about the importance of recycling. Here are some reasons why you should recycle and save our Planet Earth.

In this day and age when headlines today are screaming about the benefits of recycling, I think you should be ashamed if you are not really aware about the reasons why you should recycle. Recycling should be the order of the day and one needs to be aware about the importance of recycling today to have a better tomorrow. Take a look around you; does it not enrage you when people waste energy or even bits of paper for completely unnecessary things? Would it not be a wiser idea to incorporate discipline amongst us and follow certain basic rules of recycling? Before you blame others take this matter in your hands. There are plenty of things you can do as an individual but first, let us take a look at the importance of recycling and know about this humongous issue that needs to be dealt with, by each and every individual. Importance of Recycling: Why you should recycle? Deforestation is a major issue today. This is because man is using natural resources to fulfill his needs. The increase of these demands has led to increasing levels of destruction of our natural resources. These resources being limited, a day would probably arrive when we dont really have anything to turn towards. Think about all the trees that are being axed in the forests today. Your habits of wasting paper could be one of the million reasons that contribute towards such problems. Practicing the concept of recycling will benefit us in our everyday life. Have you given a thought to the amount of energy you waste on an everyday basis? Do you really require the light to be switched on at your sink in the morning? Therefore, reduce the use of energy. This is simply because, a lot of materials are required to manufacture new products that require energy and these are not always biodegradable. The more number of non-biodegradable products or materials added to the environment means more matter in landfill areas. This in turn creates more issues due to lack of space in such landfill sites that cannot really accommodate nonbiodegradable objects. A time will soon arrive when there would really be no more space on earth to accommodate all the junk we add on an everyday basis! Knowing the importance of recycling should be a must for everybody today. Our every little activity would either help the environment or even destroy it gradually. Hence being aware of our responsibilities is a step towards saving our planet. Recycling would also reduce the levels of pollution; we would thus have clean air to breathe. Recycling products made of plastic, aluminum, cardboards and paper helps to conserve energy and does not add more to the already crowded landfill areas. Recycling products and saving energy would subsequently help you turn earth into a greener planet. Probably you would now be thinking about ways to recycle! If you havent already then you need to read about some tips you can use to implement the concept of recycling on an everyday basis.

How to Recycle? The most important aim for us today should be the concept of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. We need to reduce the use of non-biodegradable objects, we need to reuse objects as often as possible and recycle as well. Let us check out ways in which you can help the environment. Whenever you shop, buy products that have the least amount of packaging. Remember to reduce the use of plastic. While shopping, carry cloth bags in case you have a penchant for shopping and end up with huge parcels! Reuse plastic bags you have at home and avoid adding more to the heap. Reuse scraps of paper (envelopes, mailers etc). Do not use fresh sheets for things you dont need. Do not dump left over food in the trash bin. Place it in a compost bin and use it later to make organic fertilizer. Find out about local recycling centers and assist them in the process by segregating objects that can be recycled at home. Reduce your energy usage at home and at your office as well. For example - cut down on the use of air conditioners. Purchase recycled products. You would thus be lending your support for a good cause. Convert old items into interesting objects rather than throwing it away. For example - old cards can be reused to create something new or an old bottle can be converted into an interesting showpiece! Use your creativity to the fullest. Use rechargeable batteries as they have a longer life. Once used completely, do not dispose them off with your daily garbage, give them away to be recycled. The most important thing about recycling is to spread the word. So, have you done your bit today?

Benefits of Recycling
The concept of recycling can bring about very large environmental and economic benefits. Take a peek into some of the benefits of recycling mentioned below.

Despite the warnings being given about the harmful effects of global warming and other environmental problems, most individuals are doing very little about it today. Global warming, deforestation, acid rains, the endangerment of various species etc have gone completely out of control in many areas around the globe. Various methods and suggestions are being offered to reduce the effects of these altogether and if possible, eradicate it completely. Did you know that recycling done on an everyday basis could actually help our planet Earth on a large extent? This can begin even at home. The benefits of recycling are many, from reducing the effects of industrial production to saving energy. Think you need to know more about the benefits of recycling? Read on and find out how every little step, can make a difference. Benefits of Recycling: Almost everybody is used to receiving junk mail via snail mail. Imagine, most of these documents are completely worthless and discouraging the usage of this would save at least 150,000 trees annually as these would not be cut down for the requirement of paper. We all know the importance of trees in the ecological cycle. Most companies therefore resort to recycled paper or the use of Internet to propagate their message. Did you know that every ton of paper saves at least 17 trees? So avoid the unnecessary use of paper and if needed, stick to recycled paper. Using the concept of recycling can also help to reduce the greenhouse effect. Gas emissions occur due to the manufacturing, use and also the disposal of products that are not biodegradable. If the greenhouse gas emissions reach dangerous concentration levels, it leads to changes in the temperatures globally, changes in the levels of the sea and other bizarre climatic conditions. Therefore, recycling can help reduce the need to manufacture paper, plastics, metals and glass. This would save energy needed to manufacture new products. Using recycled products would also reduce the amount of materials (which are not biodegradable) that end up in the landfills. Materials that end up in landfills tend to decompose and cause the release of methane gas. This is very harmful for the environment; therefore such landfills are the main cause of the emission of methane gas into the atmosphere. Plastics are equally hazardous to planet Earth. The reduction in the use of plastics would help in the conservation of energy. Plastics prove to be very difficult to dispose. If plastics are to be buried, these can last for at least 700 years. So, the next time you use plastic cups or even polystyrene foam cups, give a thought to the amount of waste you are adding to the environment.

Desist the use of such elements, always carry your own bags for shopping and reuse and recycle such products whenever possible. Were you aware that recycling one pound of steel could power a 60-watt light bulb for more than one day? Most aluminum companies would benefit with the concept of recycling as they can save approximately 19 million barrels of oil. This itself can give enough energy to supply electricity to about 18 million households for a period of one year! Astounding, isnt it? An ideal situation would be when every individual realizes his/her own responsibility and practices the concept of recycling; then one can certainly have hope for the future of this planet. Besides, recycling also creates job opportunities for most people, which is all for a good cause! The benefits of recycling are many more to name, but to actually use these concepts in our everyday life would require awareness and also the urge to spread this message. So, whenever you can, just spread the word! Recycling will benefit everybody around the globe, including you!

Waste Water Treatment: Waste Water Plant

Did you know that in the mid 1800s human and other wastes were usually just dumped in the nearest water body without treatment? Thankfully today things have changed because of waste water plants. Read on for information about waste water and waste waster plants.

Water, water, every where, And all the boards did shrink; Water, water, every where, Nor any drop to drink. -S.T. Coleridge I thought of writing these lines from the poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner because it was the first thing that came to mind when I began writing about waste water. Not only do these lines describe water in the oceans, but it helps visualize a scene which might occur if waste water ceases to be treated at a plant. Waste Water What is it? Waste water is defined as water that carries wastes from industries, businesses and homes. This water contains dissolved or suspended solids. Another subset of waste waster is sewage, that is, water contaminated with urine of faces. This term is used to refer to municipal, domestic or industrial waste products that are usually disposed of via a pipe or similar structure. This is sometimes done in a cesspool emptier.

What steps can I take to save water? A good question by any standards, here is what you can do: Decrease the time spent in the shower. Make sure to turn off the faucet while shaving and/or brushing your teeth. Use washing machines that load from the front. Include reduced-flow faucets or water saving faucet inserts of aerators in the house or office. Ensure that leaking or dripping faucets and running toilets are repaired. Replace old high-flow toilets with ones that save water. Put up dams in toilet tanks or fill a plastic container or milk jug with rocks and then place it in the toilet tank. What are the components of waste water? As said earlier waste water has many components that are present in large quantities. A few of them can endanger human health. They are: How is waste water treated? One of the processes used to recycle water is the primary treatment process, here are the steps that are involved in this process. Screening is the first step that is conducted when waste water enters the waste water treatment plant. In this step the solid items like rocks, wood and removed. The second step is termed as pumping. Waste water treatment plants are located on low ground usually beside a river, in order to release the treated water. In plants that are built above the ground level, waste water has to be pumped up to the aeration tanks after which gravity takes over in moving the waste water through the treatment process. The next step in this process is aerating. In this step dissolved gases that taste and smell bad are released from the water. When this happens it uses up oxygen, which is replenished by aeration. In the fourth step of this process sludge is removed. At first the sludge settles out of the dishwater and is pumped out of the tanks. In this process some of the water is removed in a Solids Gases Organisms Pathogens Organic matter Nutrients Solids Inorganics Oil and Grease

step called thickening and then the sludge is processed in large tanks named digesters. Now it is scum that needs to be removed. This is done by slow-moving rakes that skim the skim off the scum of the surface of the waste water. Once this happens, scum is thickened and pumped to the digesters along with the sludge. That done, it is now the turn of the bacteria which flows into a chlorine contact tank in which the chemical chlorine is added to kill bacteria. Later the chlorine in the water is neutralized by adding other chemicals. The treated water which is also known as effluent is now discharged to a local river or the ocean.

Causes and Effects of Deforestation

Here are some of the main causes and effects of deforestation.

Trees are one of the most important aspects of the planet we live in. Trees are vitally important to the environment, animals, and of course for us humans. They are important for the climate of the Earth, they act as filters of carbon dioxide, they are habitats and shelters to millions of species, and they are also important for their aesthetic appeal. However, the trees on our planet are being depleted at a very fast rate. According to some estimates, more than 50 percent of the tree cover has disappeared due to human activity. Although humans have been practicing deforestation since ages, it was in the mid-1800s that forests began to be destroyed at an unprecedented rate. As a matter of fact, throughout the earlier part of the medieval age, Europeans used to live amongst vast areas of forested land. But later, they began deforestation at such a high rate that they started to run out of wood for cooking and heating. Also, due to the depletion of their natural habitat, wild game too began disappearing, which the Europeans largely depended upon for their nutritional requirements. Today, parallels can clearly be observed in the deforestation that is occurring in most developing countries. One of the most worrying factors today is the massive destruction of the rainforests of the world, which is affecting the biodiversity adversely, as well as being one of the major contributory factors of the Holocene mass extinction that is ongoing. What are the Causes of Deforestation? The destruction of the forests is occurring due to various reasons, one of the main reasons being

the short term economic benefits. Given below are some more common causes of deforestation: Used for Urban and Construction Purposes: The cutting down of trees for lumber that is used for building materials, furniture, and paper products. Forests are also cleared in order to accommodate expanding urban areas. To Grow Crops: Forests are also cut down in order to clear land for growing crops. To Create Grazing Land: Forests are cut down in order create land for grazing cattle. Used for Fuel: Trees are cut down in developing countries to be used as firewood or turned into charcoal, which are used for cooking and heating purposes. Some of the other causes of deforestation are: clearing forests for oil and mining exploitation; to make highways and roads; slash and burn farming techniques; wildfires; and acid rain. What are the Effects of Deforestation? There are a number of adverse effects of deforestation, such as: Erosion of Soil: When forest areas are cleared, it results in exposing the soil to the sun, making it very dry and eventually, infertile, due to volatile nutrients such as nitrogen being lost. In addition, when there is rainfall, it washes away the rest of the nutrients, which flow with the rainwater into waterways. Because of this, merely replanting trees may not help in solving the problems caused by deforestation, for by the time the trees mature, the soil will be totally devoid of essential nutrients. Ultimately, cultivation in this land will also become impossible, resulting in the land becoming useless. Large tracts of land will be rendered permanently impoverished due to soil erosion. Disruption of the Water Cycle: Trees contribute in a large way in maintaining the water cycle. They draw up water via their roots, which is then released into the atmosphere. A large part of the water that circulates in the ecosystem of rainforests, for instance, remains inside the plants. When these trees are cut down it results in the climate getting drier in that area. Loss of Biodiversity: The unique biodiversity of various geographical areas is being lost on a scale that is quite unprecedented. Even though tropical rainforests make up just 6 percent of the surface area of the Earth, about 80-90 percent of the entire species of the world exist here. Due to massive deforestation, about 50 to 100 species of animals are being lost each day. The outcome of which is the extinction of animals and plants on a massive scale. Flooding and Drought: One of the vital functions of forests is to absorb and store great amounts of water quickly when there are heavy rains. When forests are cut down, this regulation of the flow of water is disrupted, which leads to alternating periods of flood and then drought in the affected area. Climate Change: It is well known that global warming is being caused largely due to emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. However, what is not known quite as well is that deforestation has a direction association with carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. Trees act as a major storage depot for carbon, since they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which is then used to produce carbohydrates, fats, and proteins that make up trees. When deforestation occurs, many of the trees are burnt or they are allowed to rot, which results in releasing the carbon that is stored in them as carbon dioxide. This, in turn, leads to greater concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Solar Power Energy: Residential Solar Energy and Passive Solar Energy
Solar Power Energy has powered the Earth and today, there are various techniques you can use this form of energy, to translate into a regular and cost-effective option, for your homes. A look at how residential and passive solar energy can be used to help you make a difference towards Mother Nature.

So, what exactly is Solar Energy? Solar energy is an environment friendly form of energy that uses the energy, which is available naturally. The best feature of this energy is that it is free and is available anywhere on earth. Unaffected by rising prices, solar power energy, is the most effective and renewable source of energy available. The sun is the main source in this case and it is the only powerful source of heat and light. In the face of ever increasing bills and the rise in global warming, it is now mandatory for individuals to use this solar power energy to the fullest. Some facts about Solar Energy: It helps the environment. It is a renewable source. It can be used and translated into many forms for use (Cooking, heating etc.) It is the cheapest source for electricity. Residential Solar Energy: As the name suggests, residential solar energy is the use of solar energy for the home. It also depends on the different ways the homes are structured today. Various homes are designed to use the residential solar energy for diverse purposes. Considered to be an expensive affair, residential solar energy, once set up in the complex requires very little maintenance. And once it is implemented, it will obviously save the use of electricity that results in humongous electricity bills. There are homes that may use the residential solar energy to heat water or for the use of outdoor lights. There are others that completely rely on this form. For example, residential solar energy can be utilized through various mechanical methods. This is an active solar form of energy and can be sourced by using solar panels and solar cells. Passive Solar Energy:

The use of passive solar energy proves to be different from the one mentioned earlier. Here, the home is structured to reduce the use of energy in the house. For such cases, the buildings are designed to absorb the energy. This is then later distributed and circulated with the use of various features. The passive techniques employ the use of walls, windows, floors, roofs etc. Passive solar energy methods ensure that the building designs create a beautiful balance in terms of the energy requirements. Unlike residential solar energy, passive solar energy mainly used the features of the building to convert the energy of the sun for better use. Here, the buildings may need to include large windows that can help to illuminate the interiors better. This would in turn also help in proper distribution of heat. As mentioned earlier, due to the design features of the building, it absorbs the heat naturally. Passive solar heating occurs when the sunlight is let in and the heat is translated into different forms of energy. But one of the factors one must consider is the problem of overheating. For example: You can use a double layer of gypsum boards on the walls that will absorb the heat during the day and emit the heat once the sun sets. The use of passive solar energy can also minimize the use of air conditioners or even completely eradicate the use of them. One can use simple methods such as adjustable shades that can reduce the flow of the radiation caused by the sun. This can in turn cool down the interiors. When the building is being planned, one can also use various techniques such as reduction of the size of the windows or implementing the use of reflective materials. This can help those people, who experience a warmer climate. Ways to achieve Passive Cooling Using Passive Solar Energy: Keep the windows open for cooling when needed. The windows should be located in the upper floor. This would ensure it is heated well. Ensure that you let the cooler air enter through the ground floor. This can in turn slowly pass on to the other rooms through ducts. Consult a professional for the installation of proper windows. The right size and materials used, can help in better utilization of light and the suns energy. Thus we can see that solar power energy can be put to use, in different ways to give us a very practical and cost-effective application of energies in our homes today. This technology of using the light from the sun can be translated into various techniques that will help us reduce not only the electricity bills but also the harmful effects caused by global warming.

Wind Power
To know more about Wind Power and its advantages and disadvantages, read this article.

There are various sources of power and there are very few that are renewable but then the use of energy has increased manifold and consequently the demand. Therefore we need some such sources of energy that are renewable so that we can cope with the imminent energy crisis that is coming. Wind energy, solar energy and Hydropower are examples of renewable energy, which can be recycled and reused again and again. These power sources do not create pollution neither is there a scope of these energy sources of being exhausted. We would discuss Wind power as a renewable source of energy, its advantages and disadvantages. Wind Power Suns rays heat the atmosphere of the earth in different degrees. There are parts of the earth that get more heat, consequently the air in those parts also gets warm and rises whereas in the other places which do not get enough heat, the air remains cold and remains close to the surface. But that one section of air, which is heated and rises, creates a void and the cold air blows to fill in the vacuum. This creates the movement of air and that is what we called wind. Now when this wind is used to get power it is called wind power. Wind power was used in the earlier times as well with the means of windmills though to get mechanical job done and not to produce electrical energy. Method of Wind power Production The energy of wind is converted to wind power with the help of turbines, which rotate as the wind blows and the rotation of the turbine produce power, which is distributed through the grid that is connected to the turbine. A turbine in average utilizes approximately 59% of the wind that passes through it but the placement of turbine is very important. It has to be kept in mind that there should be scope for transmission lines and the environmental factors since these would have a direct impact on the whole project of power generation. These are the important pointers apart from wind availability and cost of land, which are to be considered. Advantages and Disadvantages of Wind Power As stated earlier Wind power generation does not involve pollution and this power source is also renewable, but apart from these there are some more advantages of Wind Power, which are as follows: Wind is easily available in all parts of the world and can become a cheap source of power for developing countries that face the crisis of power on large scale. It is natures endowment therefore is available free of cost.

 Wind Turbines do not consume additional power for power generation. The turbines do not take much space and therefore are very convenient to install. They are also available in various models and potentials. As their potentials differ they are useful for all kinds of industries. The disadvantages of Wind Power are few in comparison to the advantages. The one disadvantage that makes it a less used and reliable source of energy is its varying strength. It is not same all the time and therefore the amount of power generated can vary. The turbines at times produce a lot of noise and there have been objections to the fact that the wind farms are being established in the countryside which is spoiling the scenic beauty. There are advantages as well as disadvantages but it is better to improve the technology and get away with all the disadvantages because that would be a wise move towards a cleaner atmosphere.

Ways to Conserve Energy

If you want to know about some easy ways of conserving energy, read this article.

Energy crisis is one of the biggest crises that the world is going to face in the near future. We have come to a juncture where we cannot stop it from happening, given the kind of demand that we have and also the absence of a suitable substitute, but we can certainly defer the arrival of this imminent occurrence. So here we would discuss about some of the ways of conserving energy. Before giving you the ways of conserving energy let me tell what we are trying to conserve. We would try to conserve anything that uses coal, natural gas or oil since these are exhaustible sources of energy. Useful Ways to Conserve Energy We should start with reducing the consumption of energy that we use in our daily lives like electricity, fuel and water; it is necessary to conserve water as well because the water that we get in our homes comes as a result of purification which also requires energy in some form. Most of us have a bad habit of leaving the lights, fans and the television turned on even when we are not in the room. So we become a little

more attentive and careful we can actually save a lot of energy. The refrigerator of your house has a thermostat, which controls the temperature inside it but then there are energy saver or power savers that do it more effectively than others. Besides this also look for leaks from where outside air can enter the refrigerator, if yes then try and block those leaks. Then lets come to your dishwasher, which uses up lesser energy when you put many dishes in it and wash it than washing every dish manually. But if you try and make two compartments in your sink so that you can soap wash and clean the dishes in a compartment full of water you would be able to save a lot of energy. When you take a bath and need the water heater try and lower the temperature when the thermostat cuts off the electricity supply so that a higher temperature is not set and the electricity supply can be cut off at a lower temperature. Next lets come to the washing machine, which can also be used wisely to save some energy. When you set the washing machine set it to warm and not hot since that takes up more energy but the output remains the same. When you use the room heaters check if the dampers are on or not because dampers work against the heater and hence therefore more energy is required to heat the room. When summer season comes try and use the air conditioner in the fan mode so that the usage of electricity reduces. You can also save oil by opting for a carpool than going in your car and spend four times more oil than you actually need to. Besides saving energy in all these ways we should also opt for a substitute source of energy like solar power, if not all appliances but few can definitely be supported by solar power and if every home follows and implements this suggestion we would save up energy that would be sufficient for a whole day in a country which is still developing.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Biofuels

The burgeoning petroleum crisis is forcing us to find feasible alternative fuels. Lately, biofuels have come up as the most preferred alternative the world over. However there is a controversy over their use. Read on to learn about their pros and cons.

As environmental consciousness is increasing, more and more vehicle drivers are turning to biofuels. What are Biofuels? Biofuels are combustible fuel produced from biomass. These fuels are usually in the form of alcohols, esters, ethers, and other chemicals produced from biomass. The two main biofuels are biodiesel and bioethanol. How is biodiesel made? It is made from vegetable oil and rapeseed oil, or it can be converted from used cooking oil and tallow (animal fat), which would otherwise be incinerated, put in a landfill or exported.

How is bioethanol made? It is made from carbohydrate crops such as maize, sugar beet, wheat, potatoes and a variety of other starch and sugar crops. Bioethanol can also be derived from cellulose found in common vegetation ("cellulosic ethanol"). For instance, in the USA, attempts are being made to extract bioethanol from switchgrass, which grows 12feet tall. Henry Ford's Model T car was originally designed to run on ethanol. Disadvantages of Biofuels Growing crops for biofuel absorbs the carbon that biofuels emit, but it does not absorb the fossil fuel emissions created in planting, fertilizing, treating, harvesting, transporting and processing these crops before they can be converted into fuel. There are also considerable carbon emissions from the coal or gas required to heat the required raw materials in the manufacturing process. Its production can also lead to environmental destruction. Brazil, for example, produces ethanol from sugar cane but to do so is cutting down the Amazon rain forest, thus causing great damage to the environment. Too much concentration on running vehicles on plant oil would set up a direct competition between feeding the cars and feeding the people. This would not increase our selfreliance but would increase our food and energy vulnerability. Advantages of Biodiesel It is made from renewable resources. It performs just as well as the normal diesel fuel. It causes less pollution as compared to diesel-powered engines. It is relatively less inflammable compared to the normal diesel. It can be mixed with normal diesel fuel. It is biologically degradable and reduces the danger of contamination of soil and underground water during transport, storage and use. It contains no sulphur, the element responsible for acid rain. There are no extra costs for the conversion of engines in comparison to other biological fuels. It is suitable for catalytic convertor. Engines last longer when using it. Its refineries are comparitively simpler and environmental-friendly in design than typical petrochemical refineries. It produces 78% less carbon dioxide (CO2) than normal diesel fuel. It has a higher cetane and lubricity rating than pure petroleum-based diesel fuel, which improves engine efficiency and operating life cycle. Disadvantages of Biodiesel

 It is more expensive than normal diesel fuel. It tends to reduce fuel economy. It is less suitable for use in low temperatures. It cannot be transported in pipelines. It gives out more nitrogen oxide emissions. Only a few petrol stations offer biodiesel-fuel. It can only be used in diesel-powered engines. It can cause inner fuel tubes of older vehicles to lose their long-lasting qualities. It is more likely than petroleum diesel to attract moisture, which can cause problems in cold weather (fuel freezing, deposit of water in the vehicle fuel delivery system, fuel cold flow, clouding, and an increased corrosion, for example) and increase the risk of microbial growth (which can also clog engine filters). Advantages of Bioethanol The use of ethanol-blended fuels such as E85 (85% ethanol and 15% gasoline) can reduce the net emissions of greenhouse gases by as much as 37.1%, which is a significant amount. Ethanol-blended fuel as E10 (10% ethanol and 90% gasoline) reduces greenhouse gases by up to 3.9%. The net effect of ethanol use results in an overall decrease in ozone formation, an important environmental issue. (The emissions produced by burning ethanol are less reactive with sunlight than those produced by burning gasoline, which results in a lower potential for forming the damaging ozone). Ethanol is considered a renewable energy resource because it is primarily the result of conversion of the sun's energy into usable energy. Creation of ethanol starts with photosynthesis, which causes feedstocks, such as sugar cane, to grow. These particular feedstocks are processed into ethanol. It benefits energy security as it shifts the need for some foreign-produced oil to domestically-produced energy sources. It reduces greenhouse gases. It burns more cleanly (more complete combustion). It reduces the amount of high-octane additives. The fuel spills are more easily biodegraded or diluted to non toxic concentrations. Disadvantages of Bioethanol Production of ethanol requires significant energy and large amounts of land. Fuels with more than 10% ethanol content are not compatible with non E85-ready fuel system components and may cause corrosion of ferrous components.

 It can negatively affect electric fuel pumps by increasing internal wear and undesirable spark generation. It is not compatible with capacitance fuel level gauging indicators and may result in erroneous fuel quantity indications in vehicles that employ that system.

Alternative Energy Sources

Alternative energy sources are growing in importance today because of environmental reasons and the rising prices of fuel.

With people in most parts of the world experiencing unprecedented high prices of fuel at the gas pumps, and the cost of heating American homes in winter projected to soar by almost fifty percent, the importance of finding ways to lower the costs of energy used for transportation, businesses, homes and schools has been growing. Fossil fuels are our primary sources of energy, and these are depleting at a phenomenal rate, with populations and development increasing around the world, creating an insatiable hunger for them. Some scientists are of the opinion that if fossil fuels continue to be consumed at the rate they are, they will be practically exhausted by the time this century ends. Apart from factors like the cost and the supply, scientists have been warning for long that burning fossil fuels is causing damage to the environment, which will lead to catastrophic results for life on our planet. Hence, it has become a primary concern the world over to find and develop alternative energy sources to power our automobiles, businesses and homes, so that we can preserve the environment of the only home we humans have - Mother Earth! In order to understand just how alternative energy sources can help in preserving the earth's delicate ecological balance, and also to help in conserving its non-renewable sources of fuel, we need to know what kinds of alternative energy resources we already have, which can be incorporated in our daily lives, along with their advantages and disadvantages. Given below are a few of the most popular ones: Solar Power: Solar power is generally used for cooking, heating, the generation of electricity, and so on. It works by the sunlight being trapped into solar cells where it is turned into electricity. Silicon is mounted under non-reflective glass, which creates solar panels. These panels collect the photons given off by the sun, which is turned into DC power, which then goes into an inverter. The inverter turns this power into the AC power that is used in homes and other places. Advantages This is a practically endless renewable source of energy, because we can get this energy as long as the sun exists. Since there is no chemical reaction due to fuels being combusted, solar power does not create any air or water pollution. This source of energy is

already in use for practical purposes like heating pools, water tanks, and spas, and in lighting. Disadvantages The biggest disadvantage is that energy cannot be produced when the sun does not shine, such as in cloudy days and during the night. It can be expensive to build solar power stations. Wind Power: This form of energy is extracted by harnessing the wind's power to propel the blades of wind turbines. The rotary motions of the blades of the turbines are then converted into electricity with the help of an electrical generator. In the windmills of the past, the energy derived from the wind was used for turning mechanical machinery to pump water or crush grain. These days, wind farms containing wind towers are used to generate electricity, which is used in individual homes and national electrical grids. Advantages There is no pollution created by wind power, hence there is no damage to the environment. Plus, since there are no chemical processes taking place, as it happens when fossil fuels are burnt, no harmful by-products are left over. Also, as wind power is a renewable energy source, there are no chances of running out of it. Grazing and farming can take place in the land where wind turbines are erected, hence the land is put to other uses too, plus also help in producing another good source of alternative energy, biofuel. Wind farms can also be built offshore. Disadvantages The generation of wind power is sporadic, since consistent and continuous wind is required for generating power continuously. If the speed of the wind decreases, the turbine slows down, resulting in less electricity being generated. Also, many people think that large wind farms affect the scenery negatively. Geothermal Energy: The word 'geothermal' literally means 'heat from the earth'. This form of energy is derived by harnessing the energy of the heat present beneath the surface of the earth. Water is heated by the hot rocks deep underground, which produces steam. If holes are drilled in the area, steam is released, which is purified and used for driving turbines, which then power electrical generators. Advantages - Geothermal energy creates no damaging after-effects, when done correctly. The plants, once built, are usually self-sufficient, as far as energy is concerned. These plants are usually small, and hence do not mar the natural landscape. Disadvantages Geothermal does have the potential of producing pollutants if not done correctly. If the drilling is done incorrectly, hazardous gases and chemicals can be released. Geothermal sites have a tendency of running out of steam. Biomass Energy: This is a form of energy that is relatively unused in most parts of the world. However biomass research and production are being funded increasingly. This energy is created by using plant materials. It is another good source of renewable and relatively clean energy. Advantages - It is an abundant source of energy, since it can be found in every part of the earth as trees, seaweed, or dung. It can be easily converted into fuel like gas or alcohol. Also, it is much cheaper compared to other alternative energy sources. The production of biomass often means the restoration of waste land, such as deforested regions. Since plants absorb carbon dioxide, the production of biomass energy does not result in the net increase of this gas. Disadvantages - It does have the potential of contributing to global warming as well as lead to particulate pollution if it is burned directly. These are just a few of the alternative energy resources being thought about and used around the world. As the need for such resources becomes more acute, there will be increased funding for the research and production of many other such sources.

What is renewable energy?

Do you know what renewable sources of energy are and why we should think of these alternative energy sources?

In the past century, it has been seen that the consumption of non-renewable
sources of energy has caused more environmental damage than any other human activity. Electricity generated from fossil fuels such as coal and crude oil has led to high concentrations of harmful gases in the atmosphere. This has in turn led to many problems being faced today such as ozone depletion and global warming. Vehicular pollution has also been a major problem. Therefore, alternative sources of energy have become very important and relevant to todays world. These sources, such as the sun and wind, can never be exhausted and therefore are called renewable. They cause less emissions and are available locally. Their use can, to a large extent, reduce chemical, radioactive, and thermal pollution. They stand out as a viable source of clean and limitless energy. These are also known as nonconventional sources of energy. Most of the renewable sources of energy are fairly non-polluting and considered clean though biomass, a renewable source, is a major polluter indoors.

What are these alternative sources of energy? Under the category of renewable energy or non-conventional energy are such
sources as the sun, wind, water, agricultural residue, firewood, and animal dung. The non-renewable sources are the fossil fuels such as coal, crude oil, and natural gas. Energy generated from the sun is known as solar energy. Hydel is the energy derived from water. Biomass firewood, animal dung, biodegradable waste from cities and crop residues- is a source of energy when it is burnt. Geothermal energy is derived from hot dry rocks, magma, hot water springs, natural geysers, etc. Ocean thermal is energy derived from waves and also from tidal waves.

Through the method of co-generation a cleaner and less polluting form of energy is being
generated. Fuel cells are also being used as cleaner energy source. In India a number of initiatives have been taken. A good example is the model village of Ralegaon Siddhi.

When you burn a piece of wood it turns into ash. Can you use this ash to again light a fire? No,
You cannot do this. This is exactly what happens to the non renewable sources of energy such as coal, natural gas and oil. Once you burn them they cannot be reused. Other than this it also causes extensive damage to the environment.

Geothermal energy

We live between two great sources of energy, the hot rocks beneath the surface of the earth and the sun in the sky. Our ancestors knew the value of geothermal energy; they bathed and cooked in hot springs. Today we have recognized that this resource has potential for much broader application. The core of the earth is very hot and it is possible to make use of this geothermal energy (in Greek it means heat from the earth). These are areas where there are volcanoes, hot springs, and geysers, and methane under the water in the oceans and seas. In some countries, such as in the USA water is pumped from underground hot water deposits and used to heat peoples houses. Geothermal The utilization of geothermal energy for the production of electricity manifestations dates back to the early part of the twentieth century. For 50 years are wide spread the generation of electricity from geothermal energy was confined to in India in the Italy and interest in this technology was slow to spread elsewhere. form of 340 hot spring In 1943 the use of geothermal hot water was pioneered in Iceland. sites.

Form of Energy: Thermal energy This energy is being used for: Heating/Power Generation Some of the gadgets and other devices: Heat exchanger, Steam turbines

In India, Northwestern Himalayas and the western coast are considered geothermal areas. The Geological Survey of India has already identified more than 350 hot spring sites, which can be explored as areas to tap geothermal energy. Satellites like the IRS-1 have played an important role, through infrared photographs of the ground, in locating geothermal areas. The Puga valley in the Ladakh region has the most promising geothermal field. An experimental 1-kW generator is already in operation in this area. It is being used mainly for poultry farming, mushroom cultivation, and pashmina-wool processing, all of which need higher temperature.

India receives solar energy equivalent to Solar energy is the most readily available source of energy. over 5000 trillion It does not belong to anybody and is, therefore, free. It is kWh/year, which is far also the most important of the non-conventional sources of more than the total energy energy because it is non-polluting and, therefore, helps in consumption of the country. lessening the greenhouse effect. Solar energy has been used since prehistoric times, but in a most primitive manner. Before 1970, some research and development was carried out in a few countries to exploit solar energy more efficiently, but most of this work remained mainly academic. After the dramatic rise in oil prices in the 1970s, several countries began to formulate extensive research and development programmes to exploit solar energy. When we hang out our clothes to dry in the sun, we use the energy of the sun. In the same way, solar panels absorb the energy of the sun to provide heat for cooking and for heating water. Such systems are available in the market and are being used in homes and factories.

Solar energy

In the next few years it is expected that millions of households in the world will be using solar energy as the trends in USA and Japan show. In India too, the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency and the Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources are formulating a programme to have solar energy in more than a million households in the next few years. However, the peoples initiative is essential if the programme is to be successful. India is one of the few countries with long days and plenty of sunshine, especially in the Thar desert region. This zone, having abundant solar energy available, is suitable for harnessing solar energy for a number of applications. In areas with similar intensity of solar radiation, solar energy could be easily harnessed. Solar thermal energy is being used in India for heating water for both Form of Energy: Thermal energy industrial and domestic purposes. A 140 MW integrated solar power plant is to be set up in This energy is used for: Cooking/Heating, Jodhpur but the initial expense incurred is still very Drying/Timber seasoning, Distillation, high. Electricity/Power generation, Cooling, Refrigeration, Cold storage Solar energy can also be used to meet our electricity requirements. Through Solar Some of the gadgets and other devices: Photovoltaic (SPV) cells, solar radiation gets Solar cooker, Flat plate solar cookers, converted into DC electricity directly. This Concentrating collectors, Solar hot water electricity can either be used as it is or can be systems (Domestic and Industrial), Solar stored in the battery. This stored electrical energy pond, Solar hot air systems, Solar Dryers, then can be used at night. SPV can be used for a Solar timber kilns, solar stills, Solar number of applications such as: photovoltaic systems, Solar pond, a. domestic lighting Concentrating collectors, Power Tower, Air b. street lighting conditioning, Solar collectors, coupled to c. village electrification absorption, Refrigeration systems d. water pumping e. desalination of salty water f. powering of remote telecommunication repeater stations and g. railway signals.

If the means to make efficient use of solar energy could be found, it would reduce our dependence on non-renewable sources of energy and make our environment cleaner.

Biomass
Biomass is a renewable energy resource derived from the
carbonaceous waste of various human and natural activities. It is derived from numerous sources, including the by-products from the timber industry, agricultural crops, raw material from the forest, major parts of household waste and wood. Biomass does not add carbon dioxide to the atmosphere as it absorbs the same amount of carbon in growing as it releases when consumed as a fuel. Its advantage is that it can be used to generate electricity with the same equipment or power plants that are now burning fossil fuels. Biomass is an important source of energy and the most important fuel worldwide after coal, oil and natural gas.

Traditional use of biomass is more than its use in modern application. In the developed world biomass is again becoming important for applications such as combined heat and power generation. In addition, biomass energy is gaining significance as a source of clean heat for domestic heating and community heating applications. In fact in countries like Finland, USA and Sweden the per capita biomass energy used is higher than Half a kilo of dry plant it is in India, China or in Asia. tissue can produce as much as 1890 KCal of Biomass fuels used in India account for about one third of heat which is equivalent the total fuel used in the country, being the most important to the heat available from a fuel used in over 90% of the rural households and about quarter of kilogram of coal. 15% of the urban households. Instead of burning the loose biomass fuel directly, it is more practical to compress it into briquettes (compressing them through a process to form blocks of different shapes) and thereby improve its utility and convenience of use. Such biomass in the dense briquetted form can either be used directly as fuel instead of coal in the traditional chulhas and furnaces or in the gasifier. Gasifier converts solid fuel into a more convenient-to-use gaseous form of fuel called producer gas. Form of Energy: Chemical energy Scientists are trying to explore the advantages of biomass energy as an alternative energy source as it is renewable and free from net CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions, and is This energy is being used for: abundantly available on earth in the form of agricultural Cooking, Mechanical, residue, city garbage, cattle dung, firewood, etc. Bio-energy, Applications/Pumping, Power in the form of biogas, which is derived from biomass, is generation, Transportation expected to become one of the key energy resources for global sustainable development. Some of the gadgets and other devices: Biogas plant/Gasifier/Burner, Gasifier engine pump sets, Stirling engine pump sets, Producer gas/ Biogas based engine generator sets, Ethanol/Methanol At present, biogas technology provides an alternative source of energy in rural India for cooking. It is particularly useful for village households that have their own cattle. Through a simple process cattle dung is used to produce a gas, which serves as fuel for cooking. The residual dung is used as manure.

Biogas plants have been set up in many areas and are becoming very popular. Using local resources, namely cattle waste and other organic wastes, energy and manure are derived. A mini biogas digester has recently been designed and developed, and is being in-field tested for domestic lighting. Indian sugar mills are rapidly turning to bagasse, the leftover of cane after it is crushed and its juice extracted, to generate electricity. This is mainly being done to clean up the environment, cut down power costs and earn additional revenue. According to current estimates, about 3500 MW of power can be generated from bagasse in the existing 430 sugar mills in the country. Around 270 MW of power has already been commissioned and more is under construction.

Fuel cells
What are fuel cells? Fuel cells are electrochemical devices that convert the
chemical energy of a fuel directly and very efficiently into electricity (DC) and heat, thus doing away with combustion. The most suitable fuel for such cells is hydrogen or a mixture of compounds containing hydrogen. A fuel cell consists of an electrolyte sandwiched between two electrodes. Oxygen passes over one

electrode and hydrogen over the other, and they react electrochemically to generate electricity, water, and heat.

Though fuel cells have been used in space flights and combined supplies of heat and power,
electric vehicles are the best option available to dramatically reduce urban air pollution. Compared to vehicles powered by the internal combustion engine, fuel-cell powered vehicles have very high energy conversion efficiency, (almost double that of currently used engines) and near-zero pollution, CO2 and water vapour being the only emissions. Fuel-cell-powered EV's (electric vehicles) score over battery operated EV's in terms of increased efficiency and easier and faster refuelling.

Canadas Ballads Power Systems and Germanys Dailmer-Benz are world leaders in the
application of fuel cell technology for meeting transportation needs. In India, diesel-run buses are a major means of transport and these emit significant quantities of SPM and SO2. Thus, fuel-cell powered buses could be introduced with relative ease and yet make a positive impact on urban air quality. Such buses are already in operation in Vancouver in Canada and in Illinois and California in the USA. Though rapid progress has been made, high initial cost is still the biggest hurdle in the widespread commercialization of fuel cells.

Fuel cells for power generation India has a large gap between the demand for and supply of
power. Conventional large-scale power plants use non-renewable fuels with significant adverse ecological and environmental impacts. Fuel cell systems are excellent candidates for small-scale decentralized power generation.

Fuel cells can supply combined heat and power to commercial buildings, hospitals, airports and
military installation at remote locations. Fuel cells have efficiency levels up to 55% as compared to 35% of conventional power plants. The emissions are significantly lower (CO2 and water vapour being the only emissions). Fuel cell systems are modular (i.e. additional capacity can be added whenever required with relative ease) and can be set up wherever power is required.

Hydel energy
Energy from water sources The energy in the flowing water can be used to produce electricity. Waves result from the interaction of the wind with the surface of the sea and represent a transfer of energy from the wind to the sea. Energy can be extracted from tides by creating a reservoir or basin behind a barrage and then passing tidal waters through turbines in the barrage to generate electricity. Mini or Micro Hydro power Hydro power is one of the best, cheapest, and cleanest source of energy, although, with big dams, there are many environmental and social problems as has been seen in the case of the Tehri and the Narmada Projects. Small dams are, however, free from these problems. This is in fact one of the earliest known renewable energy sources, in the country (since the beginning of the 20th century). On an average, the 60 million sq km of tropical seas absorb solar radiation equal to the heat content of 245 billion barrels of oil.

In fact, for the last few hundred years, people living in the hills of the Himalayas have been using water mills, or chakki, to grind wheat. The 130 KW small hydropower plant in Darjeeling set up in 1897, was the first in India. Besides being free from the problem of pollution, such plants are also free from issues and controversies that are associated with the bigger projects, namely affecting the lives of thousands of people living along the banks of the rivers, destruction of large areas under forest, and seismological threats. New environmental laws affected by the danger of global warming have made energy from small hydropower plants more relevant. These small hydropower plants can serve the energy needs of remote rural areas independently. The real challenge in a remote area lies in successful marketing of the energy and recovering the dues. Local industries should be encouraged to use this electricity for sustainable development. It is a technology with enormous potential, which could exploit the water resources to supply energy to remote rural areas with little access to conventional energy sources. It also eliminates most of the negative environmental effects associated with large hydro projects. Energy from the sea - Ocean thermal, tidal and wave energy Large amounts of solar energy is stored in the oceans and seas. On an average, the 60 million square kilometre of the tropical seas absorb solar radiation equivalent to the heat content of 245 billion barrels of oil. Scientists feel that if this energy can be tapped a large source of energy will be available to the tropical countries and to other countries as well. The process of harnessing this energy is called OTEC (ocean thermal energy conversion). It uses the temperature differences between the surface of the ocean and the depths of about 1000m to operate a heat engine, which produces electric power. Energy is also obtained from waves and tides. The first wave energy, project with a capacity of 150MW, has been set up at Vizhinjam near Trivandrum. A major tidal wave power project This energy is being used for: costing of Rs.5000 crores, is proposed to be set up in the Hanthal Creek in the Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat. Power generation Form of Energy: Potential/Kinetic energy Some of the gadgets and other devices: Turbine generators In some countries such as Japan small scale power generators run by energy from waves or the ocean, have been used as power sources for channel marking buoys.

Co-generation
Co-generation is the concept of producing two forms of
energy from one fuel. One of the forms of energy must always be heat and the other may be electricity or mechanical energy. In a conventional power plant, fuel is burnt in a boiler to generate high-pressure steam. This steam is used to drive a turbine, which in turn drives an alternator through a steam turbine to produce electric power. The exhaust steam is generally condensed to water which goes back to the boiler.

As the low-pressure steam has a large quantum of heat which is lost in the process of condensing, the efficiency of conventional power plants is only around 35%. In a cogeneration plant, very high efficiency levels, in the range of 75%90%, can be reached. This is so, because the low-pressure exhaust steam coming out of the turbine is not condensed, but used for heating purposes in factories or houses. Since co-generation can meet both power and heat needs, it has other advantages as well in the form of significant cost savings for the plant and reduction in emissions of pollutants due to reduced fuel consumption. Even at conservative estimates, the potential of power generation from co-generation in India is more than 20,000 MW. Since India is the largest producer of sugar in the world, bagasse-based cogeneration is being promoted. The potential for cogeneration thus lies in facilities with joint requirement of heat and electricity, primarily sugar and rice mills, distilleries, petrochemical sector and industries such as fertilizers, steel, chemical, cement, pulp and paper, and aluminum.

Wind energy
Wind energy is the kinetic energy associated with the movement of
atmospheric air. It has been used for hundreds of years for sailing, grinding grain, and for irrigation. Wind energy systems convert this kinetic energy to more useful forms of power. Wind energy systems for irrigation and milling have been in use since ancient times and since the beginning of the 20th century it is being used to generate electric power. Windmills for water pumping have been installed in many countries particularly in the rural areas. Wind turbines transform the energy in the wind into mechanical power, which can then be used directly for grinding etc. or further converting to electric power to generate electricity. Wind turbines can be used singly or in clusters called wind farms. Small wind turbines called aero-generators can be used to charge large batteries. Five nations Germany, USA, Denmark, Spain and India account for 80% of the worlds installed wind energy capacity. Wind energy continues to be the fastest growing renewable energy source with worldwide wind power installed capacity reaching 14,000 MW. India ranks 5th in the Realizing the growing importance of wind energy, world with a total wind manufacturers have steadily been increasing the unit size of power capacity if the wind electric generators since the late 1980s. Another 1080MW out of which important development has been the offshore (i.e. in the sea) 1025Mwhaev been established wind farms in some regions of Europe, which have several in commercial projects. advantages over the on-shore ones. The third major development has been the use of new techniques to assess the wind resource for technocommercial viability. Form of Energy: Kinetic energy This energy is used for: Sailing ships, Pumping water/Irrigation, Grinding Grains, Power generation Some of the gadgets and other devices: Sails, Windmills, Wind turbines In India the states of Tamilnadu and Gujarat lead in the field of wind energy. At the end of March 2000 India had 1080-MWs capacity wind farms, of which Tamilnadu contributed 770-MW capacity. Gujarat has 167MW followed by Andhra Pradesh, which has 88 MW installed wind farms.There are about a dozen

wind pumps of various designs providing water for agriculture, afforestation, and domestic purposes, all scattered over the country. The design of the Auroville multi-blade windmill has evolved from the practical experience gained in operating these mills over a period of 20 years or so. It has a high tripod tower and its doubleaction pump increases water output by about 60% compared to the conventional single-action pumps.