Can Nuclear power help in energy independence?

It’s crunch time on planet earth. People need to decide whether they will adopt nuclear power or live with the ramifications of global warming. The time to promote the expansion of nuclear power is here. Nuclear power offers a clean, affordable, and relatively safe alternative to generating energy. Despite the fact that many companies have ample resources, such as can be seen in a BBG communications letter, where they have approx. 1.3 million acres of undeveloped land, the damage that is being done to the environment far outweighs the supply issues.

Nuclear power can benefit the environment and everyone who reaps its massive output. Through the process of generating nuclear power, finite fossil fuels are not burned. Thus, detrimental emissions are decreased and the significant issue of global warming becomes ameliorated. Lawrence Grossman from Berkeley California stated that “between 1973 and the present, United States nuclear power plants prevented the emission of about two billion metric tons of carbon (New York Times).The growth of nuclear power lessens the dependence on the scarce resources. Vermont Yankee states that “one pound of nuclear fuel creates more energy than 830 barrels of oil, 240 tons of coal, and five million cubic feet of natural gas (Entergy).” The environmental benefits alone prove the necessity to develop nuclear power. The expansion helps preserve the climate, and the nuclear power plants do not use up much space in relation to other forms of plants. The nuclear power plants cause limited, if any, harm to the environment.

Many malinformed individuals complain that the cost of producing nuclear power far exceeds the benefits. Rather, the growth of nuclear power could cost much less than its alternatives such as fossil fuel plants. The energy is renewable and the materials are at hand. Unlike the fossil fuels which must be mined and processed, the source of nuclear power – radioactive elements – can be acquired from the decommissioning of nuclear weapons.

Lastly, and most importantly, the expansion of nuclear power is a safe alternative, despite common belief. The only significant nuclear disaster occurred in 1986. Chernobyl marked the absolute worst nuclear power accident in all of history, yet the immediate deaths totaled a mere 30 personnel. The radioactive aftermath caused an uninhabitable section of land of roughly 20 square miles, which in a macro view is not significant. Chernobyl occurred from a result of design failures and a disregard for safety procedures. The type of facility where Chernobyl was built is not used anywhere else in the world. One other notable accident occurred on Three Mile Island. There were no fatalities because the safety equipment functioned properly. Nothing in life, especially remarkable scientific endeavors, entail no risk. However, nuclear power is safe. Plant procedures are monitored and managed by the government. Each and every plant must pass a series of safety regulations (Chernobyl Disaster).

Whatever decision we make, we need to make it soon. Our decision will ultimately alter the future of the world. Concrete scientific evidence attests that mankind must harvest the abundant nuclear energy. The expansion of nuclear power is the key to our survival.

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Technorati Tags:: BBG, bbg communications, Three Mile Island, Three Mile Island accident

How Green Is Your Workplace?

Stop Talking Start Doing – IBM’s ad shows the way

We’ve all seen the TV campaigns, news stories and general buzz about reducing your carbon footprint at home. An army of newly-enlisted eco-warriors are going about switching to energy saving bulbs, insulating their lofts and stopping putting their TVs on standby.It’s commendable stuff, but unfortunately CO2 emissions from individuals are only a minority of the problem.The truth is that the largest part of the global enviornmental burden comes from businesses and organisations.  And just like any economy of scale, in larger organisations even a small change can have a huge impact.

This may be all true, I hear you say. Not my job though. Reducing the company’s carbon footprint is my boss’s job, not mine. Hell no. If you have a workplace, you can make big changes to your employer’s carbon footprint.Plus it can be a lot more effective than the actions you take at home.

Here are some pointers, small and large, on achieving a greener workplace:

1. Recycle office waste. The amount of paper, cans and plastic used at work is many times more than what you throw away at home. Why not try bringing in recycle containers in accessible locations. Its simpler than you think, as there are countless government and charity programs to do this for you for free.
2. Drive less to work. Emissions from car exhausts are so harmful, and they can be cut by starting a fairly simple car pooling system. Or better still, think about cycling or walking to work.
3. Switch to energy saving lightbulbs. Switching a few bulbs in the house conserves only a small amount of energy. But think of how much more energy is used in lighting up your office and you begin to see how powerful a simple thing like switching to energy saving bulbs could be.
4. Green Information Technology. The energy usage of IT systems is huge for the majority of companies and organisations. You can make a big difference simply by making sure your monitor isn’t left on standby when you finish work. Or better still, get on to your IT department to review their “green baseline”. Get them to perform some proper asset tracking on all office IT equipment, using professional asset management software, a business can dramatically reduce its carbon footprint and help meet increasingly stringent government environmental requirements.
5. Campaigning. Go to the next level. Get like-minded colleagues together to run green campaigns and the real revolution begins.By putting pressure on our bosses to take seriously their green duties we little guys can make a real difference. Very often going green also saves a lot of money, as the TV ad above shows.  For example, companies involved in transporting goods and supplies often generate millions of tons of CO2. Pushing them to properly review their transport and logistics management and make the smallest of improvements can save them big money and dramatically reduce their carbon footprint in the process.

This is just a starting point on the subject. This article was primarly aimed at getting your juices flowing about this issue. Agree? Disagree? Feel free to air your thoughts!

Technorati Tags:: campaigning, carbon emissions, Carbon Footprint, environment, green, green at work, workplace

Discover More – Will Global Warming Cause The Next Ice Age?

One major problem in the debate over climate change is a general lack of knowledge on the subject. People usually don’t think about where their electricity, gasoline, or toilet paper comes from. Part of this acceptance comes from the way industry separates products from the production process…When we turn on lights in L.A., we don’t see the plants and coal mines that generated the power…Only those paying careful attention make the connections. Another part of the problem is that we are reluctant to question science, which has such prestige that people rarely stop to question who is funding research and whether that could compromise findings. (Gibson 17)

Most people also don’t understand how the theory of global warming works. They think that a really cold winter is evidence that global warming is a myth. However, scientists that support the ideas of global warming are referring to long-term climate change. Climate refers to environmental patterns over a long period of time. Weather refers to short-lived events, and can have isolated extremes. One of the predictions of many scientists is that global warming will cause more extreme weather: hotter summers, longer droughts, colder winters, and stronger storms. According to their theories, Europe could be tossed into another ice age because of global warming, not turned into a tropical paradise. This is because of the effect global warming could have on ocean currents.

Skeptics will often find any opportunity to attack the views of scientists based on some isolated weather event, or the lack of such an event. If the scientists predict increasing frequency and intensity of hurricanes, skeptics will point out that this last hurricane season was extremely mild, with the only intense storms hitting Mexico. Ultra-conservative commentator, Rush Limbaugh, doesn’t just consider global warming to be a myth; he calls it a hoax and a religion. “It’s got salvation, got everything in it. It has the primary ingredient of every religion: faith. Because none of it can be proved” (Limbaugh 4). Limbaugh also takes issue with the use of the word “consensus” by global warming activists, and is right to do so. “Consensus and science-I got blue in the face saying this-don’t and cannot mutually co-exist” (Limbaugh 4). If scientists had reached any sort of consensus, this would be a dead issue. Most scientists agree that the temperature of the earth has been gradually increasing, but that doesn’t mean they agree on the possible causes or consequences.

A survey of more than 530 climate scientists from 27 different countries showed that 82% of the scientists agreed that global warming is occurring. Only 2.6% said they “strongly disagree.” When asked if current scientific knowledge can allow for a reasonable assessment of greenhouse gases, two-thirds of the scientists disagreed with the statement.

The question most people are most keen to ask climate scientists is probably “do you agree or disagree that climate change is mostly the result of anthropogenic (man-made) causes?” Slightly more than half (55.8%) of climate scientists surveyed agreed, 14.2% were unsure, and 30% disagreed. Interestingly, more scientists “strongly disagree” than “strongly agree” that climate change is mostly the result of anthropogenic causes. The survey clearly shows that the debate over why the climate is changing is still underway, with nearly half of climate scientists disagreeing with what is often claimed to be the “consensus” view. (Bast 4)

The study goes on to clarify that the question wasn’t whether humans have any effect on climate, but whether they are mostly to blame. It’s certainly quite possible that humans are having at least some effect on the climate, but nothing can be proven with any certainty.

Some skeptics believe that mankind is too insignificant and could not possibly have so much influence on the environment. S. Fred Singer is a well-known climate change skeptic. He has been trying to gain support for the theory that climate change is a natural, cyclical process. He believes the earth has a 1,500-year cycle of warming and cooling, with minor ice ages interspersed with interglacial periods. Singer claims that his research shows this cycle going back at least one million years, often with abrupt changes. At one time, Greenland was quite green, with crops and livestock farming. Warm waters were abundant with fish and seals. There were two thriving settlements, but they were eventually lost to glaciers, malnutrition, and starvation. Dairy farmers were even forced to eat their cows. This was due to a 1.5 degree Celsius drop in average temperatures between 1100 and 1400. “Denmark would not re-colonize Greenland until 1721, when the Little Ice Age was losing its grip on the huge island. Today, 150 years into the Modern Warming, Greenland has 50,000 people” (Singer xii). Singer believes that these cycles are caused by solar changes, not greenhouse gases. He is skeptical of activists who “ask society to renounce most of its use of fossil fuel-generated energy and accept radical reductions in standards of living to “save the planet” (Singer 3). While it makes sense to not be swept up in the alarmist propaganda of activists, being unwilling to sacrifice an air conditioner or SUV, if it is truly necessary, seems selfish and defiant.

Learn more Global warming causes at: Global warming causes

Go organic – read about heirloom organic seeds.

Technorati Tags:: Climate change, Fred Singer, Global Warming, Little Ice Age, Rush Limbaugh

Exploring The Causes Of Global Warming

Since climate change is caused mostly by the growth in CO2 let loose into the atmosphere, the most pragmatic thing that individuals as a whole can do to determine ways to prevent climate change is to diminish these emanations. As a result of the recent gas crisis, more work is being completed in order to help diminish those emanations from automobiles and motortrucks by making cars that function on alternative sources of fuel. Since car pooling does not seem to have taken a lot of popularity in more modern states, switching the fuel for cars and trucks seems like the greatest means to help halt global warming. Alas, unless car pooling becomes a government mandate, it does not appear believable that everybody can quit their independent car usage in the near time to come.

With more info always available today from the internet, people are becoming more conscious of the effects of global warming on our surroundings. The temperature on earth has merely raised approximately one degree Celsius over the former one hundred years; nonetheless, that is double the growth from the one hundred years before that. Also, there have been alterations in the amount of large storms running through during hurricane season, tempests which are produced by the warm sea currents worldwide. Since the climate has become hotter, scientists theorize that has led to the inflated amount of storms. In addition, the water levels of the oceans have been steadily developing at an enhanced rate through the past one hundred years as well, which was the period of time in which the Earth moved into the industrial age when more fossil fuels have been burned.

As more and more individuals inhabit the planet every year the number of greenhouse gases such as CO2 and methane that is released into the environment increases. While this goes on the action of climate change is magnified. Simply being conscious of the numerous matters that can cause global climate change is a an important way to aid everyone to change behaviors which damage the atmosphere.

Technorati Tags:: Global Warming

Global Warming Reasons and Effects

Presently nobody actually knows the precise reason of climate change, however it is a big part of what science is searching for. There are a great deal of effort being committed into discovering the exact reason of this and to understand how to block it from leading any worse. We can ruminate nonetheless what may happen if climate change is not reversed and ended very before long. While there are many people out there with outlandish stories of what is going to happen to the world, there is some underlying cause of concern with the issue of global warming that should not be ignored in the slightest bit.

Even So after you have those group meetings to hash out one’s feelings about what could be learned if the topic of global warming one should not quit there. You should be making sure that are teaching everything you possibly can about the cause of global warming to your children in your own home. Just so much can be done inside the schools hence it is essential to be sure that one is dealing with a good deal of the serious matters at home to make certain that everything is driven home. It is your problem as the parent to make a point that your kids experience the instruction that they require so they can evolve into smart knowledgeable adults.

If everyone’s national schools are not doing plenty to educate the youngsters on the natural reasons of global warming then one could sure enough step up and teach your children what one should feel would be advantageous for them to acknowledge. Even if one’s school is serving their part, as the father or mother it is up to you to reinforce the education that the youngsters are acquiring on the physical causes of climate change. Take everything that you can obtain on the case and make certain that you are giving it on to one’s children so that they likewise will benefit from it.

Technorati Tags:: Alternative Energy, earth4energy, Global Warming

Info About Carbon Credits

Carbon Credits

Carbon credits are measured in units of certified emission reductions. Each CER is equivalent to one ton of carbon dioxide reduction. Carbon Credits are going to hold the same value where ever you are because CO2 has a global impact. Carbon credits provide a way to reduce climate change and greenhouse effects by capping annual emissions. The credits let the market assign a monetary value to any shortfall through trading and are a key component of both national and international emissions trading schemes available to prevent global warming.

Carbon credits for sequestered carbon are not an annual payment. In order to receive further credits, the level of soil carbon would need to be further increased. Carbon credits are a part of international emission trading norms. They incentivise carbon credits companies or countries that emit less carbon. Carbon credits involve calculating one’s emissions and then purchasing offsets from emission reduction projects. These projects have either prevented or removed an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide elsewhere, or promise to prevent or remove an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide in the future.

Companies or other groups that emit the pollutant are given carbon credits or allowances which represent the right to emit a specific amount. The total amount of credits cannot exceed the cap, limiting total emissions to that level. Companies or other groups are issued emission permits and are required to hold an equivalent number of allowances (or credits) which represent the right to emit a specific amount. The total amount of allowances and credits cannot exceed the cap, limiting total emissions to that level. Companies that sell carbon credits also have vastly different business models. Some function as little more than middlemen—buying up credits and selling them at a markup.

Companies for home energy solutions who will be emitting more carbon than they have permits to emit must therefore buy additional credits on the open market, while those who will emit less can sell their credits.

Project developers can then sell these offsets to finance their projects. Projects involving solar, wind and hydroelectric power generate energy from renewable sources instead of fossil fuels. Others reduce fuel use by increasing efficiency, switching fuels, or generating heat and electricity together .

Countries within the EU ETS have granted their incumbent businesses most or all of their allowances for free. This can sometimes be perceived as a protectionist obstacle to new entrants into their markets. Countries that did pass the Kyoto treaty now have set caps on greenhouse gas emissions. If a country emits less greenhouse gases than the cap calls for, it receives carbon credits that it can turn around and sell on worldwide carbon exchanges.

Technorati Tags:: Carbon credit, Climate change, Kyoto Protocol

The Unknown Costs Of Using Fossil Fuel

Go back 30 years and you’ll see that the green movement was positively anti-nuclear. It seems strange that 30 years on some of the very same people are placing their hopes on nuclear power to prevent global warming. It may be that we have no choice other than to go Nuclear but we have to ask the question “why aren’t we placing more emphasis on cleaner types of energy?” Some governments (Denmark is a case in point) have already come a long way in harnessing cleaner and safer types of energy including both Solar Power Systems and Wind farms. They have had great success so you have to ask why other countries are placing their hopes on Nuclear Power?

The old problems associated with Nuclear Power have by no means gone away. It is still an intrinsically dangerous form of energy and we still have no viable solution to removing nuclear waste! What is keeping us from moving to other forms of energy?

The common argument is that the cost of switching to renewable energy is far more expensive than sticking with fossil fuels. But what of those unspoken costs staying with fossil fuels or moving over to nuclear power?

It is common knowledge that our fossil fuel resources are running out. With the demand for energy set to increase there is only one possible outcome. More price increases! On the other hand, the energy provided by the Sun, Wind and Water is free and will be there for a very long time.

Utilising cleaner forms of energy may not be cost effective at the moment but future developments will surely lead to greater efficiency. For instance, take solar technology. As semiconductor technology moves forward in leaps and bounds, solar panels are becoming ever more efficient. It wasn’t that long ago solar panels could only be used with any effectiveness in warmer climates. Today, we see them being used in many types of environment. Indeed, the science of solar technology has advanced so much people are investing in their own DIY Solar systems. If individuals think it worth their while to build and install their own solar power systems then why can’t it be done on a wider scale.

The financial considerations of sticking with current energy resources is not just limited to supply. We will have to deal with CO2 emissions or the removal of nuclear waste material, a cost that will be with us for many years. Alternative forms of energy like Hydro, solar and wind power are all clean and pollutant free. Future generations will not have to pay for what we do now. The cost of short term thinking is a high price to pay for the future of mankind. Let’s keep nuclear power at a distance. The Sun would be far enough.

Technorati Tags:: Global Warming, Renewable Energy, Solar Energy, wind power

Topic about Biosecurity

Biosecurity is the concept of protecting the unique biodiversity of natural habitats from invasive pests and diseases. Biosecurity covers exclusion, eradication, and pest management. All are different levels of intervention that can be used by themselves or more effectively in combination.

Any plant or animal has the potential to become a pest when introduced to a new environment. The reason is that as you may not know how it will behave in the new environment. In one country a plant could be economically beneficial and in another it can be considered a pest. Gorse is used as boundary and hedge plants in Scotland to great advantage. In the warmer New Zealand climate gorse rampant weed and is a major problem for farmers.

What makes an animal a pest? The possum in New Zealand is a problem as can affect so many different parts of the environment. Possums are known to feast on native plant species, attack bird species and be a vector for Bovine Tuberculosis.

Plant species known as invasive species or weeds can out compete, displace and threaten native flora and affect farm pasture. In New Zealand, Gorse is a good example of a plant that affects farm pasture and costs landowners a lot of money to control.

Excluding pests can be achieved on a national scale through legislation for screening and inspection services. This is achievable in some countries like New Zealand and Australia as there are no land borders to control and the distance from other countries reduces the natural spread of animals and plants without human intervention.

On a smaller scale – islands, peninsulars and areas with some form of natural border or man made borders can mean that eradication programmes may be successful. A programme to prevent the reintroduction of unwanted plants or animals can be put in place. When looking at physical means of excluding pests, this can be achieved with predator fencing and chemical barriers.

Eradication may be the preferred option but may not always be practical to achieve, hence pest management control programmes may be the most cost effective way of reducing pest populations and the associated risks. Eradication and pest management plans can be achieved through several different means depending on what needs to be eradicated or controlled. Various methods used are; mechanical removal, chemical treatment, trapping or shooting.

Pest plants and animals can be difficult to control. Many Plant control and Animal control programmes will run over many years depending on the targeted pest species. The key to success in many of these programmes is the consistent and continual running of the programme. For an animal programme this may have include an array of bait stations with periods of intense trapping to monitor the situation. If the programme is stopped however, the benefits that have been achieved would be quickly lost with reinvasion of the pest.

 

Technorati Tags:: animal control, biosecuirty, pest control, planet control

Tips For Greener Living

Greener Living

Check your local energy provider and see if they offer any green alternatives. Although they may cost a few pennies more you know your money isn’t being used to further destroy the environment. It’s also worth reading more about alternative energy use in the home.

Going green isn’t about buying products or spending money. There are many ways to go green and also save money.

As things inevitably break around the house, take a minute and see if there are more environmentally friendly replacements available. Many green products are now comparable in price to their non-green replacements and the money you will save can make them actually far cheaper .

Low flow toilets and shower-heads are being introduced in all hardware stores. Replace your old ones when remodeling and you will end up saving a lot of water and money over time. This might not be the most inexpensive product, but if you are replacing either item you will be doing yourself a favor by going low flow. Many styles are available as some cities have gone all low flow. Manufacturers scrambled to get many styles of low flow toilets and shower-heads to these communities. In case you’re wondering you won’t even notice that it is low flow.

Properly insulate your hot water heater. This will stop wasteful heat loss and on the fuel to heat the water.

Make sure you have a programmable thermostat install in your home. These are very easy to use and they can be set to different temperatures during the day or night or while you are away. Using a non-programmable thermostat is a great way to keep your furnace or air conditioner running full blast without you knowing. There are also many alternative energy sources you can use to heat your home such as solar, geothermal or biofuels.

Reverse Air ceiling fans are a very green way to both cool and heat the room. Switch the fan to reverse for the winter months to keep the warm air circulating around the room.

Change your air conditioner filter every three months. Not only do you get rid of dust and pollens but it’s better for your air conditioner. They use more power when they have to work hard to suck air through a dirty filter.

Replace your regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFB). They eat up less power and they last for years longer than the regular bulbs. Studies show that replacing 5 of the most used light bulbs in the house with CFB will save you $80 a year. If you change your bulbs, this is the place you will see your most drastic savings in energy costs.

Unplug your cell phone charger as well as other unused appliances such as computers or games consoles. These electronics draw a tiny amount of power 24 hours a day, everyday. That adds up to a lot of energy that could be saved.

Purchase local produce at farmers markets. Fresh produce tastes better and is much healthier. When cooking, see if you can use a toaster oven rather than heating up the big oven. Implement a plan so that you have a certain number of days you have food that you don’t have to cook. If is fun to try to figure out what to eat and it is healthier for you. A more radicle approach is to try solar cooking or a solar oven in the garden. A great alternative to a BBQ in summer!

There are many techniques to living a green lifestyle. Try out these tips. Collect other tips and implement them slowing so as to not shock you or your family with all of the new ways of doing things. After using these techniques you should compare your energy bills to see how much you have saved. You will also be doing a lot to help out the environment.

Technorati Tags:: Greener Living

Washing away the water with your washing machine waste

Washing Machine Waste

The average UK household uses roughly 40 pints of water a day using washing machines, this figure has risen sharply over the last few years, since 1990 washing machine usage has gone up by a massive 23% due to the fact that the average household now washes their clothes on average 4 times a week compared to  15 years ago when it was just 3. Throughout the country this equals around 800 million pints of water which would fill 145 sizes Olympic swimming pools. Can we reduce this washing machine waste?

In the past many people used commercial laundry equipment in laundrettes to wash their clothes but as washing machines have got significantly cheaper this area has now declined.

The British government has said that it wants to decrease water usage by 2010 but as more and more people look to save time and money this target does seem like it will be met. But now there appears to be a way that this could all change. “Xeros” is allready being dubbed the new Dyson, which was the bagless cleaner the re invented the way we cleaned in the mid 90′s.

The machine uses only 2% of the water conventional large washing machines use which makes it the first virtually waterless washing machine. The Researchers at Leeds University where this product is being tested claim the technology  could be ready as early as 2009. It works by the use of thousands of small plastic chips which are around half a centimetre in size which then absorb and remove dirt. Around 20 kilos of these chips are loaded in each wash with a small cup of water, this is then heated to help disolve the dirt and then the chips remove it.

The company behind the product hope this will change the way we wash our clothes and could not only save money but also the environment, it is also hope this technology could be used in commercial dishwashers as well as many other water using household items

Related articles on washing machine waste

• Washing Clothes Without Water
• A Very Very Small Washing Machine
• Virtually waterless washing machine edges closer to production

Technorati Tags:: environment, saving water, Washing machine, washing machine waste

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