How Your Food Is Killing Mother Earth

Yogis Go Green With Wai Lana Yoga

Going vegetarian for the planet
Sometimes it helps to look at statistics.

We’d like to share some statistics regarding how a vegetarian dietaffects  the environment.  So that you can easily see the benefits that the diet can have for you and the world.

How going vegetarian will help you and the world

-    Raising animals as livestock is the perfect way of destroying natural resources.

-Studies have shown that only 20% of the corn that is made in the United States is eaten by humans, with the other eighty percent is eaten by animals. Consequently, a full 50% of the water in the United States is used to raise livestock.

-A single acre of land can produce twenty thousand potatoes. Raising cattle on one acre of land, on the other hand, would result in only one hundred and sixty five pounds of meat. In short the amount of land that it would take to feed one person exclusively meat would be equivalent to the amount of land it would take to feed twenty vegetarians.

It is easy to see how raising animals for meat is extremely wasteful. If mankindwere to adopt a more plant-based diet, many problems with world hunger would be solved. Scientific studies have shown that if Americans were to decrease their meat consumption by merely ten percent, sixty million people could be fed by the resulting grain. With a child in the world dying of starvation every two seconds, it would be a sacrifice of love for even just for some people to switch to a more vegetable based diet.

Preventing Erosion

-    Another thing to consider when considering the implications of raising livestock for their meat is the soil depletion that it can cause. Historically, many nations have fallen due to a depletion of their topsoil, and studies have shown that the United States has already lost approximately seventy five percent of its original topsoil. Every year, four million acres of crop land in the United States is lost due to soil erosion. Consequently, many forests are cleared in order to make room for more crop land, resulting in an acre of trees disappearing in the United States every eight seconds. By switching to a vegetarian diet, an individual conserves roughly one acre of forest per year. For more information, go to Wai Lana Yoga.

Global warming and livestock
-    Global warming is becoming more and more of a concern in our world today. Raising livestock is one of the most significant causes of global warming. The carbon dioxide produced by livestock raised for meat contributes to approximately eighteen percent of the global warming effect. Automobiles, by contrast, only account for fifteen percent of humanity’s carbon dioxide output.  We should support the going-green movement, which in turn, also helps reduce the effects of pollution and global warming, Wai Lana is one of the supporters of this cause.

Changing your diet can change the planet
The effects of your diet on the world are far-reaching. If you don’t know where to start, you can look for vegetarian recipes and articles on Wai Lana. Not only is being a vegetarian a great move to make for your own health but it is also a significant measure to take when it comes to saving the environment.  These are facts that each one of us should definitely consider.

Technorati Tags:: environment, Global Warming, Going healthy, keeping the environment well, staying healthy, the environment and vegetarianism, vegetarian, vegetarianism, Wai lana, wai lana yoga

A couch potato’s 10 steps to fight global warming

The Green Effect

During this economic crisis and continued global warming, the need for sustainable development has become a now issue instead of a later issue. Both private and government entities (including the EPA) have come up with programs and products that promote “green” production and consumption. These environment-friendly practices are now being used in numerous firms and industries.

But what about the apartments we rent? Are our homes as “anti global waming” as they should be? Continued efforts to sustain the environment should first and foremost be undertaken under our own roof. These can be done with the use of products that consume less energy and other resources. Over time, the use of these products can result not only in savings but also in the reduction of waste and materials harmful to our homes and the environment.

Here’s a quick list of 10 items I’ve discovered that can make a world of a difference.

1. Heat-energy recovery system

· Sensible Heat Energy Recovery System (SHERS) uses heat generated from an air-conditioner or refrigerator to heat water. Payback period is anywhere from six months to two years

2.The Eco Bio Block

· Made of volcanic stones and beneficial bacteria, is used to purify water in home aquariums, water tanks and big bodies of water such as ponds, lakes and marshes. When used in home aquariums, there is no need to filter, clean and change water for a period of one to three years.

3. Biowash ball

· Washing clothes without using a detergent may seem strange. Introducing the Anabess biowash ball, it’s made of natural ceramics & alters the chemical composition of the water so it can wash clothes more effectively without liquid detergent. It should last 3 years. Think of the savings in gas from running to the store for more detergent.

4. Air-con with inverter technology

· The Panasonic Envio series of air-conditioners makes use of an “inverter technology” that changes compressor operation speed to match a changing room temperature and adjust power output accordingly, which leads to reduced energy consumption of up to 50 percent, while product only costs about 14% more than the average AC. The payback period may be expected in about seven months..

5.Low Flow faucets

Moen has mother natures call for water conservation by coming up with a line of WaterSense-certified bathroom faucets. With the help of new aerator technology these Moen faucets use 30% less water than other models but still feel just as powerful on your hands.

6. Compact fluorescent lamp

· Much has been said about the efficiency of compact fluorescent lamps or CFLs. They last about 5x longer than incandescent lamps and consume 80% less energy with the same level of brightness. Companies such as Purely Products even carry CFLs that double as ionizers for the room, eliminating the need for an unsightly ionizer on the floor.

7.Reusable shopping bags

· The impact of just one person changing to reusable bags over a two-year period is significant. Used twice a week for two years a consumer would save 832 plastic bags from going in a landfill.

8.Biodegradable Cellulose Sandwich bags

· Typical plastic bags are derived from petroleum and take well over a lifespan to decompose. These biodegrade in 1-3 months in soil BUT actually keep food lasting longer, unlike evil plastic, they don’t release gases which spoil food taste.

9.Smart Surge Protector

· Green Home introduced a smart surge protector. The power strip can ‘sense’ the flow of electrical current through the strip’s control outlet. This unique option enables the Smart Strip to turn off selected equipment when it’s not in use saving you time & greenbacks!

A small electronic device inside the Smart Strip monitors the current on a single outlet. Let’s say the computer is plugged into that single outlet. When your PC is finished powering off, the current draw from the computer drops to its idle current — and the Smart Strip monitors the current change, automatically powering down all of the computer peripherals.

The Smart Strip Power Strip is the only surge protector on the market today with energy saving electronics. The 10 outlet surge protector version has 1 Control Outlet, 3 Constant Hot Outlets, and 6 Switched Outlets.

10.Compostable Trash Bags

· These BioBags are made from GMO free starch and are 100% biodegradable and 100% compostable.

Now that you know about these products start using them daily. By changing just a few things we use daily, we each can do our part.

Technorati Tags:: Climate change, eco-friendly, environment, environmental protection, Global Warming, go green, green, save the earth, save the planet, sustainabillity, the green effect

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

Home Solar Power Systems Are Gaining In Popularity

Hiring a contractor to do the installation for you can be quite expensive. Therefore, it is important that you get quotes from several contractors before making a choice. For installing Home Solar Power Systems, a contractor’s price may vary from fifty dollars per hour to three times that charge. A reputable contractor should provide you with an all-inclusive price quote for the installation of your Home Solar Power Systems. On the other hand, some entrepreneurs try to offer an “estimated” price. Unless a contractor has a long history of satisfied customers you can contact, it is a bad idea to go with one who will not give you a firm price. Otherwise, you may be charged thousands of dollars for unnecessary expenditures on tools and services.

Advantages of Home Solar Power Systems are that there are no moving parts to break and very little maintenance required. Whatever the size and purpose of such systems, there are two basic types of home solar energy systems:

1. Active systems are good when there are periods without sunlight. Such a system is connected to a power grid for additional supplies of electricity.

2. Passive systems are entirely dependent on sunlight and are a fine choice where clouds and rain are not an everyday occurrence.

Home Solar Power Systems

With a renewed interest in non-polluting energy production, there has been more research into and better acceptance of Home Solar Power Systems than there has been in the past 40 years since their debut. The earliest systems required a high investment in the structure and were only considered effective for certain regions of the country. However, as global warming, air pollution and the rising cost of electricity are becoming major environmental issues, interest is now high for solar energy systems. This is truth for individual residential systems or large plants which supply energy to entire communities.

Home Solar Energy Systems Have a simple theory that requires complex structures:

The theory of how Home Solar Power Systems work is fairly simple. Photovoltaic cells, designed to convert sunlight into electricity, are pointed to the sun and connected to a device that operates on 12 volt direct current. They can also be connected to storage batteries to save any power not used by the device. Then, when the sun goes down, the unit can continue to operate from the power stored in the battery/batteries. Some initial challenges had to be overcome, such as not having any devices in a house operating on 12 volt direct current.

Home Solar Power Systems

The amount of energy produced by Home Solar Power Systems can be increased by adding cells. Likewise, by adding more batteries, more power can be stored overnight. Adding a converter to a home solar energy system permits the use of 110 volts AC, which powers most home appliances. Moreover, having a regulator prevents the batteries from overcharging and helps guide the power to where it is needed.

Technological advances have produced photovoltaic cells that are thinner and more efficient, which makes the overall reimbursement time for the installation much shorter and the installation of Home Solar Power Systems more attractive for residential and commercial use.

Technorati Tags:: Global Warming, Rechargeable battery, Solar Energy

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

Carbon Footprint Awareness Is Important

Carbon Footprint Awareness

There are still many people who have no concept of what a carbon footprint is or how it is produced. The impact we all have on global warming is reflected not only in our personal production of greenhouse gases but in the products we use. This isn’t surprising, it’s just a fact of life that there are many distractions that take place and we take for granted the imprint we are leaving on the world, just by living.

I’ll give you a simple personal example of how my family takes energy use for granted. In our house we have multiple digital clocks and they all run 24 hours a day, one in each room – the microwave, the conventional oven, the CD player, the stereo and in each bedroom all has a clock and each one is sucking up passive energy we could be saving, and we don’t give it a thought. It’s just one of the assumed “rights” of living in a modern affluent society, we may not use it but we don’t mind paying for it regardless. Some people might be a little bit shocked if they were to find out exactly how much carbon emissions they are producing per year, not to mention an indication of the cost and how simple it might be to save a few bucks and the environment at the same time.

You Can’t Change What You Don’t Know

The previous heading sums up a whole range of human instincts and precisely describes one of the roadblocks in front of those trying to educate people on the importance of reducing our carbon footprint. It only takes a gentle reminder that there are consequences for the actions taken on a daily basis that people begin to realise that there is a need to change.

It’s only when you find out that the yearly average carbon dioxide production for running a car stands at two and a half tonnes that it hits home that there may be a problem. It also allows you to then set a goal to lower your number for the next year. Suddenly you have a goal – a quantifiable goal – that you can set for yourself and aim for with real purpose. There will be no way of definitively knowing the damage you are doing with your carbon footprint without some means of calculation. Trying to produce less in the future would be next to impossible to gauge.

The fact that we each stand to get a direct benefit in terms of cost to reducing our carbon footprint should have people more than a little interested.The cost benefit in question is an actual dollar saving! The word will continue to leak out while, hopefully, carbon dioxide doesn’t.

Technorati Tags:: carbon dioxide, carbon emissions, Carbon Footprint, Carbon Footprint Awareness, environment, Global Warming