Extra reading!

Hey everyone! I was out searching for books and I found some new fantastic ones that you can read to help you get started on the path to a greener future!

For readers who can slurp up a million words without giving up:
1. The Plot to Save The Planet - Brian Dumaine

2. Farewell, My Subaru - Doug Fine

3. Fixing Climate - Robert Kunzig & Wallace Broecker


For those who need a tip or two to get them on the right track:
4. The Ecofriendly Home - Dan Phillips

5. Go M.A.D. (Make A Difference) 2 - Think Books Publishing

6. The Green Guide: A Complete Reference to Environment-Friendly Living - National Geographic

7. How Can I Stop Climate Change? (Collins) - Helen Burley and Chris Haslam

8. Go Green - Nancy Taylor

9. Hey Mr. Green - Bob Schildgen

10. Paint Your Life A Brighter Shade Of Green - Carolyn Humphries


Inspiration and Knowledge - For those inquisitive minds who want to know more:
11. Carbon Jargon - Jo Eede

And my favourite one of all...
12. Be Green - Monica Sheehan

(This is a really great book with lots of fantastic and humorous illustrations. Perfect for children and adults alike! And it's really cute and small!)

I hope this helps get people their lazy butts off their chairs and inspire them to start saving our earth!

Remember: Saving the Earth isn't scary... it's hard to commit, but once you get your mind to it, it's a piece of cake! (preferably organic :D)

One Life. Live It.

No, I'm not advertising for M1. I'm saying, you've got only one life. Live it. It's really a great motto that I think everybody should follow. Isn't it true? Don't you agree with me?
In this one life that you have, that you're living right now, you've got to really live. Do what you should do, because it's the right thing to do.
Have you noticed something with recent blog posts? That we aren't providing as much information about saving the Earth in them now as we are trying to convince you to try? Huh? It's not because we're lazy to provide you information. It's because we know that unless people start listening (or, in this case, reading) we aren't going to make a difference by telling you how to do it. What's the use of knowledge that goes unused?

Just one extra tip that I'll squeeze in here: ours is not the only site you can find 'Save The Earth' messages on. It's not the only place you'll see where people are trying to get the message across the public. There are so many different organizations and big companies out there who are doing something like this for a good cause: our home.
Look out for these places and actually go there. Or, if you're all THAT lazy, you can always simply take note of how many people are saying the same thing as we are. Now, I say 'how many people' a lot, don't I? Well, see here, there's a problem. Do you know what it is?

It's that there aren't enough people trying.

Some things just CAN'T be ignored.....

Namely, the creatures of this earth. Yes, that includes you, your friends, your family...etc. What I'm saying is, how can you be so heartless? Ok, maybe not you, but humans in general. How can humans know that the earth with all its beautiful creatures is slowly being destroyed and not do anything to help? But instead worsen the problem? If you're one of those such people, I'm personally ashamed that you and I are of the same species and hope that you feel terribly guilty. Change your ways now!
Or perhaps you're one of those people who say "Yeah! Save the earth! Go green!" but don't mean it? One of those people who, in a moment of comfort and luxury, forget their promise. Once again, I'm ashamed to be of your species. Please, mean what you say. Don't get our hopes up only to let them come crashing down.
Its not too late if we ALL work together and do our part.

Now, this may seem odd, but I'm going to quote something I heard on the radio:
We've all got 1 life.
What are you doing with yours?


Take a good long look at the following photos.





What have you done?
What are you doing?
What are you gonna do?

Sharing the same Home

If one of your family members, someone who lived with you, shared the same home as you were dying, would you bother to try to save him or her? Of course you would. But if that home happened to mean the entire planet, and that someone living with you were an animal, would your answer be the same?

Come to think of it, the Earth is our home, and we are living with the animals, sharing the same home as them. So why has it been forced into most human minds that the Earth belongs to humans and the animals are simply borrowing it from us? Some animals existed even before the human population came about! So why such selfishness?

Whatever it is, it has to stop now. We have to save endangered animals from extinction and other animals from endangerment itself!

Plant a tree

Planting trees are a great way to help do your part to save the environment. Trees absorb a great deal of carbon dioxide, so planting more trees in your garden will not only save the environment, but also make your house cooler so that you don't have to switch on the air-con! It's a win-win situation for everyone!

So pick a day, go to the garden shop or somewhere where you can get a tree (please do not dig one up from the roadside...) and plant a tree with your family! It can be quite fun to have your own tree to take care of and grow. Split your garden into patches, one for each member of your family, and get everyone to plant and 'design' their own patch! That's another fun suggestion.

It's a great family bonding activity and it's a great way to teach your siblings more about saving the Earth. So go and try it! I know I will...

World Wildlife Fund

Hi everyone!

The members of the GT 094 have recently signed up for The World Wildlife Fund (see "More of that Good Stuff") and, well, its really cool and it helps to raise awareness about Climate Change. I suggest that when you have the time, you go and check it out. Thanks!

Ankita

You

Why do you think you were put on this planet?
To slowly destroy it by not caring enough?
To ignore people who tell you to conserve, recycle, reuse etc.?
To not listen to what we and hundreds of other people who do care enough are telling you?
No matter who you are, you have to believe that you have a purpose in this life - otherwise you'd have been made a little micro-organism or something. And even those have a purpose unique to them.
You have a purpose. Everybody, everything does and as an inhabitant of Earth, your purpose is to make sure that it stays alive so it can serve its purpose as our home planet.

Think about it.

Open those eyes! (just not so literally...)

Hi everyone! Today I was just browsing the bookstore, and I found this wonderful, horribly amazing book called "Planet in Peril!" (part of the Horrible Geography Handbooks series). It's a real eye-opener, in a horribly fun way. I think it's the perfect handbook for all the school children in the world, and plus: it's environment-friendly! I got it caus I think it's a wonderful way to wake my sisters up and tell them straight in the face that we're heading for danger. Just badger, beg, bribe or blackmail (I'm not being serious about this one) your parents to get it for you at the nearest bookstore NOW. It's HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BY ME, so you know you'd better go get it. It contains all the horrible facts about the planet that you never wanted to know, and some handy-dandy tips to fix the Earth.

So go get it! And if your pleading doesn't work, blackmail them with a layer of guilt (but please, go easy on them... if you want the planet to die at their hands! (just kidding on this one too (but you know it's kinda true...)

A question for you...

Here's a really good question for you to answer: "Do you care about the Earth?"
Your reaction is bound to be: (scoff) Duh! Of course I do. Something along the lines of that.
But do you REALLY care?
Do you...
1. Hesitate before throwing that used wad of paper into the rubbish bin, then toss it instead into the nearest recycling bin?
2. Just stand and daydream under the stream of water after bathing, just wanting to relax? (You'd better say no for this one!!!)
#Adding on to point 2. do you shower or fill a whole bath tub with water and bathe? Please shower!#
3. Ever take a cab instead of public transport? It may give your tired legs a treat because you don't have to remain standing for so long, but how are you treating the Earth?

Do you consider yourself environmentally conscious? Did you do so until you put yourself to the test above?
All humans are bound to judge their standards against EVERYBODY ELSE. That means, "Oh, but my friends are get their parents to drive them to the shopping centre, so I guess it's OK for me to do the same.".
Let me ask you a very simple question (this post is all about questions!): How does your friends' asking their parents to drive them there make it acceptable for you to do the same?
Don't you think that you're just making a very, very dumb excuse for yourself?
It really pains me to know that there are people around this place who think like that. Physical weariness is only a small price to pay for all the weariness people like that are causing Mother Earth. She's been around a whole lot longer than you've been, and she's been putting up with us, humans, ruining her for centuries. CENTURIES.
Ask yourself one last question: Would you do that, or would you ask these destroyers-of-nature to stop? Only Mother Earth can't ask us herself.
So we're doing it for her.
Please listen.

Ignorance is Bliss? I don't think so...

Well, there are so many things happening now that I hardly know what to write about. As I sit in front of this computer screen, my fingers occasionally moving towards a letter and then withdrawing, and my eyes blankly fixed on the screen, my mind is filled to the brim with worries.

I am sure everyone who has seen this blog will know by now the dangers we face. Then why such ignorance? Is it the inability to act? Or simply laziness?

While we sit in our homes everyday, enjoying the air-conditioning, animals are dying. The ozone layer is depleting. The Earth is dying. Our home is being destroyed. We are destroying ourselves.

Thats right. Humankind is slowly rotting away without us even realizing it. Can you imagine the universe, but empty? The earth barren, scorched. The very earth that was once teeming with life.

How can I put all of this so that it will get to you? Why is only comfort important? Is this what humans have evolved into? A lazy, sloppy and ignorant creature which cares only about itself and does not realize that it is not the only living being on earth? We here are working so hard to get the world going to save itself from DEATH and all public does is look at stuff, be interested for a while and then forget completely about it. Why so? Its not only about you, you know! Come on! Help us for heavens sake! Be at least a little considerate to those who are already trying!

Now, if you say that there are already people doing stuff, so we don't need to, its not true. If we can leave it all to the people who are doing stuff, then it would be absolutely just to say that the Earth belongs to them only, and we should just leave.

I think we are all being lazy and ignorant. Save the Earth and prove me wrong!

It's getting hot in here!

http://transienttravels.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/polar_meltdown_13_a_627162h.jpg

http://www.travel-images.com/russia429.jpg

http://www.hickerphoto.com/data/media/162/yellow-eyed-penguin_3585.jpg

With the ice melting by the second, it's no surpise that the polar bears are threatened. As Samantha has said before, the bears rely heavily on the ice for hunting and for a home. Without the ice, they have no food and no place to rest, which means they have to swim a very long distance.

So shouldn't we be doing something to this from happening anymore?

Tigers In Danger

I realize we haven't talked about tigers yet (sorry if that sounded like we're trying to talk about every single species ever to walk the face of this Earth). So I went looking around, and look what I dug up. This really is shocking news, at least to me. I would think that people in governments would go to every effort all the time to prevent such a thing, but there it is, it's happened.
This came directly from a report by WWF (that's World Wildlife Fund, for all you people out there who don't normally read stuff like this...
"In the first-ever comprehensive report on captive tiger regulations across the United States, wildlife trade monitoring group TRAFFIC and WWF found huge gaps in U.S. regulations for tigers held in captivity-which could make the big cats a target for illegal trade."
Illegal trade?! Honestly, I am surprised this happened, shocked, flabbergasted - I don't have the right words.
And look at what's become of it.
"Tiger populations are fast declining worldwide due to poaching for illegal trade, and habitat and prey loss. One of the leading threats to the species' survival is the global demand for their bones, skins and other body parts for use in fashion and some traditional forms of Asian medicine. Current estimates indicate that there are more than 5,000 tigers in captivity in the United States, more than exist in the wild."
Sorry, that was considerably longer, but you get the point, right? Good. Keep it in your brain.
Now, I don't want to bring any government officials into this matter, but... If you are one of those people in the US government department that handles this kind of thing... Don't you think you should care more? Please, don't spend all your time keeping other matters in check.
This incident happened in August this year. I don't know what's become of it but I pray that the problem's been fixed, sparing the lives of quite a considerable number of tigers.

A brighter look.

Hi everyone, this is Rachel! Recently, Anki and I worked on a new look for the blog, and after she designed it and I put it up, we finally did it! (in a timeframe of, well, about... 4 hours?) We hope it will be, how do I put this... more pleasing to the eyes?

I hope this inspires you to give the Earth a makeover of her own... take away the grey clouds of pollution, the yellow of dried, dead  grass, the millions of corpses lying around after a devasting incident... and fix the hole in her oxone layer.

Give the planet a brighter look. Just like we did to this blog.

Hi...

Hi All!
Me watched interesting documentary last night called....(drumroll please)
"THE INCONVENIENT TRUTH"

It was very interesting. Al-Gore, who was a former minister/president/something like that, had filmed a documentary about Global Warming and Climate Change. You should watch it somehow. How?


AHA! YOUTUBE!


THREE CHEERS FOR YOUTUBE!


HIP HIP, HOORAY!!!


HIP HIP, HOORAY!!!


HIP HIP, HOORAY!!!

Electricity conservation

Recently, and in fact today, my whole house suddenly blacked out. Till now, we still have no idea what caused it to happen, but one thing we do know, that I realized today, is that electricity is something we never notice, but actually supports our lives a lot. We couldn't see, we were beginning to melt (I swear) and we just couldn't do anything but walk around, really. All of because the electricity got cut off.
We depend so much on this strange, almighty power that we use so much in our daily lives. Imagine what would happen if there were no more electricity. We wouldn't be able to do anything, especially at night. Not unless we found another way to light up our houses somehow.
This experience of mine helped me realize that we have to do something to help the Earth and everyone, everything on it. Energy can only be produced if we have the sources of energy we need. As yet, we are not entirely energy-efficient. We need to find ways to harness solar energy so that we can depend wholly on that for power supply, not keep burning up fossil fuels and other biomass.
Let's start today by first conserving energy. You don't ever get anything for greed, oh no. Never use more than you need. If you can, you could even try to use less than that. Just remember what I've told you. What do you think you should do?

Long-Distance Swimmers

Yup, that's them. The polar bears whose homes are melting slowly now, as a result of global warming. Recently, I read an article about how polar bears are having to swim long distances just to get somewhere stable on the ice they once knew as their home. Would you like it if you had to keep moving to stay alive? No, of course you wouldn't. But then, most people, I guess wouldn't understand how it must feel to be in their shoes.
These polar bears, I imagine, having to move about so much, don't know where home is anymore. In humans, we need something stable, something constant, something reliable that we can always turn back to during troubled times. But these bears don't have that. They must be getting so confused by now. Wondering why this is happening to them for the older ones. The younger ones, some of which were born into an unstable, unpredictable world, will never know safety as their ancestors and elders did.
Just like how some of our future children will never know what glaciers look like, because maybe by the time they enter this beautiful world of ours that is being destroyed so mercilessly, all the ice and glaciers would have melted. Who knows, maybe you've never thought about all this before. So that's why I'm telling you now.

Think about it.

Cornucopias

Never seen that word before? It has a couple of meanings, one of which is 'a mix of many different things'. What does that have to do with Earth, you ask me next.
Recently, I went to a park near my house, and I saw so many healthy trees in there, helping us all to have enough oxygen to breathe. I snapped pictures - yes, that's the picture on the left of these words- because I knew that people in the world like to see something natural and intrinsic once in a while. Even the most industrious businessman will know what true Nature is when he sees it, and with the urbanization of the world these days, some/most don't take the time to take a stroll in the park to enjoy seeing all the greenery - like the scene I shot that I uploaded above.
If we don't treasure these little places on Earth and make sure that they are still in existence 50 years down the road or so...
Remember this: once they're gone, they're never coming back. What's done can't be undone, so we have to prevent it from happening.

Do you think like this...

Do you always see saving the Earth like this? "There are loads of people out there trying already, so I don't have to do a thing." This isn't true.
In fact, when I hear people saying things like that, I am infuriated! Saving the Earth is something everyone is concerned with. It's something where social status, family, race, religion, background... There's nothing in this world you can get that doesn't exact its price. In this case, we humans seem to be the 'rulers' - almost - of this Earth - at least, we are the dominant species. So shouldn't we be the ones taking care of our planet?
Yet, we are destroying it slowly instead. Taking our new advanced technology and society and everything else and turning this beautiful world into one that might not even be inhabitable for some animals much longer.
You know what I think animals see when they look at the advances - and destruction - Man is making? This will probably seem one-sided, but here's what I really think.
Looking at the roads, they wonder how these strange beings can bear to pour black things in lines and drive stinking machines over them. Every road you drive on is another patch of land claimed by Man, another place where our influence has acted and stopped the Earth from breathing.
Looking at their fellow animals on Earth dying slowly. Looking as their family members eat toxic waste, unaware of what it really is, and dying. Looking on. Helpless.
My words have probably managed to paint a horrible graphic scene in your mind, right? I hope they have, because I really don't think that we are doing enough to stop what is happening to our home, our planet.
If you're an animal lover, then I hope that you have realized what we are doing - though not intentionally - to this place. Please, and this is going out to everybody out there, wake up and realize what we are doing. Don't take this home you have - this planet - for granted. Mother Earth can't save herself now. It's up to her children.

I'm doing my part!

Hello,
I would like to share what my family and I are doing to help in the mission of saving the Earth...

-We use recycled foolscap paper for schoolwork and homework.
-We switch off appliances that are not in use at the sockets.
-We only use the air-conditioner on hot days.
-We use waste paper to do workings.
-We only recharge my mobile phone when the battery is super low.
-We remember to switch off the lights and fans before leaving any room.
-We use old plastic bags as garbage bags.
-We throw rubbish into separate bags such as one is for recyclable materials and the other is for non-recyclable materials.
-We try to buy refillable stationery.

I am proud that I am doing my part to save the Earth.

The Green Club's motto:
Our Planet, Our Home, Our Responsibility

ECO

Environmental Children's Organization. Never heard of it? Neither did I, until I chanced upon this moving speech made by a child, the same age as us! Listen to her, and you won't regret it, just like you won't regret taking action to save the Earth.

Feel like doing something to save the planet? Then do it. I know I will.

The Atractosteus spatula

Hiya people! Today i'm gonna be talking about...(drumroll please)...the Atractosteus spatula. Then again, you would know that if you've read the title. And no, the Atractosteus spatula is not a spatula. (You know,the kitchen utensil?!) It is, in fact, an animal, more commonly known as the Alligator gar. Surprising, isn't it? Well, so is the animal. It is by far the strangest creature I have ever seen.
Ha, now I bet I've got you bursting with curiosity, just dying to find out how strange this animal is. Well, the Alligator Gar is...a weird sorta carnivorous fish.
Now, I don't mean to side track you here, telling you about some weird creature instead of global warming and stuff. But I was just surfing the web when I chanced upon this fascinating creature, and thought you guys might wanna take a look. How? Simple. Here's the link: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/alligator-gar.html
Go on. Have a look.
P.s. I'm not going that off-track, right? I mean, this mystifying creature can tell you that there is a wide variety of animals on earth, and...and we should protect them all! Yup, that's the earthy message in this post.
P.s.s. Sorry you're gonna have to copy the link onto your website thing on top of the screen to get to the page. I tried to make it a link, but then it wouldn't appear at all. Sorry people!

Water

Aren't you glad that clean, fresh water is always somewhere near you, where you can easily access it? Do you ever stop to think what would happen if it weren't?
The world is using up our water resources too fast and making the rest of the water on Earth dirty. Why? We're getting a bit too luxurious in our water usage, not really limiting well.
I posted this because I feel that water conservation is something we should all be able to do easily - in fact, conservation is actually doing less, in a way. Doing less water wastage.
I'm not asking you to do something hard, like do some more. I'm asking the smallest favor possible - just reduce.
I've posted a poem below that tells us how important conserving water is. If you want to have the real version, as a picture (a little prettier - you can post it on your blog and help promote the message to conserve water - then please email the Green Team, telling us your email address. All information will be kept confidential.) Mind you, I would have posted the picture, but it took too long.
I found it one day while surfing the Internet - just read it, and you'll understand my feelings.
Sparkle in moonlight,
Dance in twilight,
Sing in the air,
Roars against it's self.
Elemental beauty that cannot compare,
And one of four on Nature's shelf.
Lawless it be.
Seeming stillness one can see,
Yet swiftly churning at light speed.
Bending light in every bead,
Laughing across horizons of sea,
Crying and breaking free.
The most important in balance,
Destructive with a vengeance.
The nectar for life,
Water...

Deforestation

Did you know that deforestation is the permanent destruction of indigenous forests and woodlands?

Of course doing this will have its consequences.
It is estimated that deforestation contributes one-third of all CO2 releases caused by people.
And we all know that CO2 is the major contributor to the greenhouse effect.
The effect of deforestation could also be a drier climate.
THE BEST PART IS THAT WE CAN HELP!
The website says that we can:
-use wood sparingly
-plant indigenous trees
Here comes the info about THE CARBON CYCLE.
Forests act as a major carbon store because carbon dioxide (CO2) is taken up from the atmosphere and used to produce the carbohydrates, fats, and proteins that make up the tree. When forests are cleared, and the trees are either burnt or rot, this carbon is released as CO2. This leads to an increase in the atmospheric CO2 concentration.
Here comes the info about THE WATER CYCLE.
Trees draw ground water up through their roots and release it into the atmosphere (transpiration). In Amazonia over half of all the water circulating through the region's ecosystem remains within the plants. With removal of part of the forest, the region cannot hold as much water. This causes a drier climate.

A tiger...a turtle.

So, what do a tiger and a turtle have in common? Take a guess. Go on. I'll give you 3 seconds.

Ok! Time's up. If your guess was that they're both reptiles, go revise your science. Seriously. If your answer is they are both carnivorous, that's even worse. Finally, if your answer was that they are both affected by global warming/climate change, then congratulations. You're on the right track mate. The correct answer is....
They are both endangered by global warming. Climate change. You get the message.
Okay, so what if tigers and turtles aren't exactly the cutest animals around? So what if they aren't even cute? (Except when they're little babies of course) But my point is, they are animals all the same. Living beings. And I believe every living thing on this earth has the right to live. Not just tigers and turtles.
So...who's with me on this one? Every creature has its rights. And we don't have the right to just cut down their forests, pollute their waters...etc. Basically I'm telling all of you people out there: Do your part to stop global warming!!! Save mother earth's animals...before its too late.

The Earth is MELTING...

Ha ha. No, I'm just kidding. the earth isn't MELTING, but with the crazy temperatures we get these days, you would think so.
However, the ice certainly is melting. Just imagine the poor creatures living in the arctic.
If global warming continues at its rapid pace, they won't have solid ground beneath their feet. Imagine if you had to keep swimming and jumping around just because there was no solid ground for you to rest. How would you feel?
Most people wouldn't think that. We just eat, sleep, watch TV...basically lead a wonderful, relaxing life. Well, the next time you do something fun/relaxing/not environmentally friendly, spare a thought for others. Meaning other species that is. Doesn't the picture of those stranded polar bears just about break your heart?

Do your part to slow down (if not stop completely) global warming!

Fight Global Warming Campaign Game

Hi All,
I found an interesting game called... SWITCH EM' OFF!!!
It is a game where you should switch off all the factories and earn points!
Share this game with your friends and HAVE FUN!

Here is the link:

http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/
climate_change/what_you_can_do/tell_friends/
game/index.cfm

PS: The link is quite long...

Bye!
Your Global Warming Fighter,
:] Afrein :]

Working To Reduce Global Warming

Hi!

Working To Reduce Global Warming

Addressing the problem of global warming is a difficult task. Because there is a great demand for electricity and goods made in factories, they continue to be produced. People concerned about the environment suggest that individuals can reduce that demand in several ways. Carpooling or taking a bus puts fewer vehicles on the road. Turning off lights, televisions, and other electrical items when not in use puts less demand on electric companies to supply power. Buying appliances that have been designed to save energy helps directly, and it encourages companies to make more of these types of products. Global warming is a worldwide problem. Governments are trying to find ways to limit the amount of greenhouse gases put into the air each year.

We all can play our part to reduce global warming. Every action counts...You may think,
"I am only one person. What difference will it make?"
Well, the difference is huge! It's just like when someone has $999 999. 95 and when YOU add $0.05 that someone has A MILLION DOLLARS!!!!!!!!!! What I am trying to say is that YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!!!!!!!!

More Than Just Climate Change

Ok everyone, listen up!
It is common knowledge now that we are slowly ruining Mother Earth. How?
Global Warming. The greenhouse effect. Us human beings producing just too much carbon dioxide.
This is causing climate change. That, as you may have guessed, is the change of climate. Of weather. More freak storms, higher temperatures..etc. But recently, I found that isn't the only effect.
Human emissions of C02 is also causing...(drumroll)...the alteration of the chemistry of the ocean-often called the cradle of life on earth. This can cause damage to marine animals, so just imagine the beauty of the oceans around the world being destroyed. Just like that. And that is inclusive of the renowned Great Barrier Reef! (And of course the others) Warmer waters are bleaching their lovely corals. Oh how can anyone even stand for this?
So, how does global warming cause ocean acidification? Well, for your information, ocean acidification is a side-effect of putting too much carbon dioxide into the skies. This gas ultimately ends up dissolved in the oceans where it forms weak carbon acid. Get it people? Still with me here? You'd better be. That's the simplest way I can put it.
Your next question may be: So how do we stop this? If you've been carefully reading the above, you'll know how. Its obvious really.
Just do your part to stop global warming!

Hurricanes, Floods, and my oh my...

Hurricanes: Also known as a tropical cyclone.

Its primary energy source is the heat that is released from condensation when water vapour consenses at high altitudes. The warmer temperatures caused by Global Warming means there is more evaporation, more condensation, and more chances of hurricanes.

Floods: A flood occurs when there is too much water, and the volume of water in lakes, rivers et cetera exceeds the capacity of the lake or river et cetera, and the water overflows and submerges land. Hurricanes or typhoons can lead to floods, and so can the increase of rainfall.

Droughts: Droughts are periods of time when an area experiences a lack of water. A drought is caused when there is a lack of water vapour in the atmosphere, or when the upward forcing of the air mass containing that water vapour is reduced. This could happen because of Global Warming.

With the advance of Global Warming, all this could happen more frequently. Who knows, maybe the sea will even rise so much that Singapore becomes a submerged island. Not a nice way to live.

This is only one of the many reasons for us to take action against Global Warming.

Reasons for Concern

Hi!
This is why you should be concerned.

Reasons for Concern

Scientists cannot tell just how warm Earth may get over time. Some guess an increase between 2.5° F and 10.4° F (1.4° C and 5.8° C) by the year 2100. Warmer weather could make glaciers and the polar ice caps melt, causing sea levels to rise drastically. Plants, animals, and buildings along coastlines all could be in danger. The warmer temperatures might be a welcome change for some people in colder regions. However, people in areas that are already warm might suffer from more heat-related health problems. Likewise, some animals may not be able to take the change to their environment.

Bye!
Afrein

Causes of Global Warming

Hi-ya!
Well, the cause for global warming is not only the greenhouse effect or us...

Causes

For much of Earth's history, greenhouse gases were not a problem. This situation changed as people came to depend on fossil fuels (oil, gas, and coal). People burn fossil fuels to power factories, run cars, produce electricity, and heat houses. As fossil fuels burn, they release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Also, people have cut down many forests. Trees use carbon dioxide when they make their own food. Fewer trees mean that less carbon dioxide is being taken out of the atmosphere.


These are the causes of the total destruction, Global Warming.
Afrein

Greenhouse Effect

Hi guys!
I found some information about the Greenhouse Effect...Let me tell you more about it...

Greenhouse Effect

To understand global warming, it helps to first understand something called the greenhouse effect. A greenhouse is a glass house in which plants grow. The glass lets light in and at the same time keeps heat from getting out. This trapped heat keeps the plants warm even when it is cold outside.

Likewise, Earth's atmosphere traps energy from the sun. Carbon dioxide and other gases—called greenhouse gases—in the air do this trapping. Without these gases too much heat would go back into space, and living things could not survive. However, as more greenhouse gases get into the air, they also trap more heat. This leads to global warming.


Well, I hope you understand global warming now!
Bye!
Afrein

Effects

Hi everyone, Rachel here! Okay, so today I went around on Google searching for "The Effects of Global Warming", and I found a few websites, like this website, and this website, and this website. You should really go and check it out! It's really worrying to me, knowing what the world is facing.

Still, my greatest worry is not my survival, but rather, the survival of the Artic, and the artic animals. Polar bears, penguins and seals are now threatened, which means they might become endangered soon.

I advise you to try and read the information on the websites above. It really makes you open your eyes, doesn't it? It opened mine. More reason to take action against GW.

Local food

I'm sure that everybody has heard before about ways to stop global warming, conserve resources, so on and so forth. Have you heard about this one? I think that it's a very good way to play your part, and it's easy to do.
Here's the motto you have to follow to do it: There's nothing like home. Strange, aye? But I'm being serious here. Buy local food. Why does this help the Earth? Local food never has to travel very far, so it doesn't use much energy in transport. This helps cut down on pollution. And this saves on money - food that's imported from overseas is bound to cost more. Yeah, so save buying the shortbread cookies imported from England for a special occasion - if you really have to buy them at all.

Introduction to The Green Club

Hi!

The Green Team 094 HQ has decided to open up THE GREEN CLUB!!! This club is strictly for people who care about the earth. If you want to join, send in your name, what you will do to stop global warming, the contributions you can make, and why you believe we need to take action to thegreenteam094@gmail.com!

Bye!

Greenhouse gases

Hiya everyone, Rachel here from The Green Team 094 HQ! I'm gonna share with you a little bit more about greenhouse gases, so everyone can understand.

What are greenhouse gases? Greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere. As the amount of greenhouse gases in the air increases, so does the heat (this is known as the greenhouse effect). Stated by Wikipedia,

"Greenhouse gases are essential to maintaining the temperature of the Earth; without them the planet would be so cold as to be uninhabitable. However, an excess of greenhouse gases can raise the temperature of a planet to lethal levels, as on Venus where the 96.5% carbon dioxide (CO2) 93 bar atmosphere results in surface temperatures of about 467 °C (872 °F)."

And that's why there's Global Warming (GW).

The most abundant examples of greenhouse gases are:

1. Water Vapour (causes 36% to 70% of the greenhouse effect)
2. Carbon Dioxide (causes 9% to 26%)
3. Methane (causes 4% to 9%)
4. Ozone (causes 3% to 7%)
5. Nitrous Oxide (a.k.a. Laughing Gas)
6. CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons)
   

As the amount of warming by CO² increases, so does the amount of water vapour. Which is why GW is accelerating so fast.

So why exactly is the amount of greenhouse gases in the air increasing?

The main carbon emission are from cars, powerplants, airplanes, deforestation and even buildings. Methane is derived from rice patties, bovine flatulence (a.k.a. *giggles* cow fart! :D) and fossil fuel production. Cited from Ecobridge,

"Nitrous oxide is naturally produced by oceans and rainforests. Man-made sources of nitrous oxide include nylon and nitric acid production, the use offertilisers in agriculture, cars with catalytic converters and the burning of organic matter. Nitrous oxide is broken down in the atmosphere by chemical reactions that involve sunlight."

The atmosphere contains about 750 billion tons of carbon, while 1020 billion tons are dissolved in the surface layers of the world's ocean. 

The whats, whys and hows of PERMAFROST

Permafrost is a solid structure of frozen soil, 2 200 feet deep in some areas of the artic and subartic regions. Permafrost is under 85% of Alaska's land surface and much of Canada, Scandinavia and Siberia and holds about 14% of the world's carbon! It has locked away many greenhouse gases for thousands of years, but now permafrost in some areas are beginning to give back carbon. This could result in the acceleration of the greenhouse effect.

Ultimately, the greenhouse effect, which causes Global Warming, is gonna kill us all if we don't try and reduce the emissions.

Turtle soup

How many of you people who read this blog have tried turtle soup/snapper soup? Come on, admit it if you have. Truth is, I am appalled that you didn't stop before bringing that spoon to your mouth to wonder, "Is what I am doing now okay? Will it have too bad an effect, make not much of a difference, or none at all?"
Actually, I would rather you did that, than thinking that but just ignoring the thought and drinking the soup anyway. That would not appall me - that would induce me to shout and scream at you, that is, if I could.
Green turtles, along with snapper turtles (used in the US) are used to make turtle soup. In many jurisdictions, turtle soup is illegal because many species are considered endangered, and so cannot legally be captured and killed. This is true. Generally, turtle populations cannot quickly recover from the loss of a breeding adult. Thus, making turtle soup could indirectly cause populations to dive below sustainable levels. Now do you understand why I seem to consider it a crime to drink turtle soup?
I once heard that once the demand stops, the killing will too. That's true of turtles.
I am fully aware of the fact that the Chinese believe that turtle soup is beneficial. But I just cannot stand the thought of people killing off innocent creatures because they believe the creature will help.
I don't have anything against eating animals - I'm not vegetarian - but I do have a problem with people eating endangered animals.

The Sixth mass extinction...

Over 99% of all species that ever lived are now extinct. That was a shocker, wasn't it? It was to me too, when I first read it. Anyway, there have been five past mass extinctions, and scientists think that we are in the middle of the sixth one.
Scientists think that we are losing 30,000 species a year. That's three distinct species lost forever, every hour.
So what does this mean for Earth, and of course, the animals that live on this planet? In the next 25 years, almost a quarter of the world's mammal species, and one in eight bird species are likely to become extinct.
The last mass five extinctions were caused by major geographical events, but the cause this time round - that is, for the sixth one - is different. Just one species on Earth damaging habitats and altering the atmosphere. Makes you think, doesn't it?

How do we know global warming is caused by us?

That has got to be a question you asked at some point. Isn't it strange to you, even now, that everybody seems to assume that we cause global warming?
Here's the answer to that question:
Human greenhouse gases cause global warming. It's as simple as that. All the fumes from cars, trucks, vans, lorries, factories, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, contribute to global warming. So even if you take public transport, you contribute to global warming - though it wouldn't be as bad 'cos you're in the same vehicle as loads of other people who would otherwise be contributing fumes from each of their own cars. So that's why.

To add a funny note to this blog post, (though it's actually a rather serious problem) I'm going to talk about the danger from cows' bottoms.
Methane is increasing and it is eight times better at warming the Earth than carbon dioxide! Methane comes from rotting waste and wet paddy fields. It is also... uhh, released from both end - in huge quantities from grass-eating animals like cows. The more people there are on Earth eating meat, rice, and throwing out rubbish, the more methane is produced.
So all vegetarians, give yourselves a pat on the back for saving Earth - though the way in which you do it may be laughed at.

Vanishing Amazonia

I'm willing to bet that you've heard about the Amazon rainforest before this. You've probably already seen it before on some documentary that you watched a few seconds/minutes of before you changed the channel, sick of hearing about how bad the situation there is. Well, it's time to face facts.
Why is it important to save the Amazon rainforest? For starters, it covers 6 million square kilometers - an area almost as big as Australia. It holds around one fifth of all flowering plant species in the world, a fifth of all bird species, and one in ten mammals. To add one last worrying reason to the list, its natural vegetation continuously turns carbon dioxide into oxygen. The Amazon rainforest, also known as Amazonia, has been called the 'Lungs Of Our Planet'. Do I really need to say any more about how important it is?
What are we up against? We're actually up against the locals. The people in the Amazon region are really poor - they live in slum city. There are many slums near the river in places like Manaus (this leads to pollution of the waterways) , which has a population of 1.4 million. Anyway, because they are so poor, and because that crowd of people all need the local forest to provide food and firewood, they fell the trees to sell. Timber fetches a high price, and they are very poor...
Another cause for concern is large areas of the forest have been cleared to create grasslands, where cattle herds now graze. With no trees, the soil is poor and streams dry up in the hottest season.

Estimates say that around a sixth of the Amazon rainforest has already been cleared. In 2004 alone, 26,000 square kilometers were cleared - that's a land area bigger than Wales.

Some not so fun facts...

Hiya everyone!

Today I'm gonna share with you some fun facts (okay, maybe they're not fun):

Did you know...

1. All polar bears may all be extinct by this century
2. Humans might die if the temperature rises by 4 degrees
3. The ozone layer is not only depleting, but also coming down nearer to the Earth
4. When the Earth dies, you will die too. (You probably knew that, but I just repeated for the sake of those who didn't know, or didn't realise)

Now that doesn't sound very fun, does it? Unless you are utterly mad and would like to die. I don't think anyone is that. So our point in lecturing you exactly: we don't want the earth, the animals, our friends and family and ourselves to die. No one wants to die, right? So play your part!

See-ya!

Ankita,

The Green Team 094 :]

8 Days Cares!

Yup. Go pick up a copy if you like. I don't care. It's happening!

I like to think of going green as a trend. One that's gonna save the world, so we go with the flow and reduce our carbon trail. 

You're probably sick of hearing us talk about the destruction of Global Warming, so talk about something else for a moment.

Now I know everyone has at least heard of one way to stop GW (Global Warming, for those who have not yet actually figured it out). Here's what I like to do:

Hiya! Welcome to Rachel's guide to gaining total harmony with nature. Here are some ways I like to save the planet.

1. My family has a table out on the patio, and instead of staying cooped inside with the air-con/fan on, I've found a way to be even more environmentally concious! I bring my work outside, so I can be with my dog, enjoy the garden and fresh air, and use the best natural source of light – the sun. 

2. I'm a big fan of recycling, and since there are no recycling bins in my house or anywhere around, I stock up the stuff I want to recycle, then take it to a place where I can recycle it. That's a great way to recycle even if you, like me, don't have any way to recycle at home.

3. Our family watches shows on one telly, especially if its the same shows we want to watch.

4. Every switch in my room except the one connecting to the phone is off by the time I leave the house in the morning. It's a great way to save electricity, so just try it!

5. I take the shortest baths I can possibly take. My record time for soaping, shampooing, rinsing, conditioning and rinsing again is 3 minutes. It took me alot of practice, believe me!

6. Both sides of papers are used when I'm around. Any pieces of scrap are recycled. When I use coloured paper and I have scraps, I keep them to use them again whenever I want.

7. I don't buy drinks in plastic bottles. Plastic drink bottles have a tremendously horrible impact on the Earth. At least metal cans can be recycled!

That's just a bit of the suggestions I have. There'll be more on the way!

One step at a time

I understand the dilemma here. I know its hard to switch from comfort to, well... torture, but if thousands of people can do it, why not you? I had a hard time convincing everyone to work with me too, and to date I have only convinced less that 5 people (excluding my family. What? Is it my fault that they don't want to listen?). I had a hard time making the switch. On my first day of mission Go Green after learning about Global Warming (which was 2 years ago, mind you. I was 9!), I literally had to tape my hands down to keep me from touching the air conditioning remote! But that was just one victory. I learnt about the heaps of rubbish and incinerating plants and how we can recycle, reuse and simply just reduce. And that's what got me caring about the Earth.

We can work together to overcome this, and I know it. Like my teacher says: Determination will get you anywhere. 

I'm gonna be posting my small little victorious "steps" to share with everyone, and, hopefully, inspire everyone. For the sake of the welfare of the people, the wildlife, the animals, the plants, your friends, family, pets, and for you, let's make a change.

The right one.

[note: Okay fine, I was a teeny weensy bit exaggerating about the thousands of people thing. And... the taping me hands. But it worked, right?]

Signing off!

Rachel K.

THE GREEN TEAM

Panda-monium

Yup, take a good long look at that cute little panda, chewing at its leaves...'cos it's endangered, and you might only have pictures like that to remind yourself of the Giant Panda.
"Threatened, Endangered.". That's the Giant Panda's conservation status. Do you want it to become extinct? There are only an estimated 2,000-3,000 Giant Pandas left in the world now. Can you just imagine 50, 60 years down the road?
We are partly responsible for global warming, which caused animals like the Giant Panda to become endangered - some have no place to call home because it's too hot for them to live in their old homes. Don't you think you should play your part? Here's how.
Conserve energy,(meaning, don't waste it, not don't use it at all. Just cut down) turn off appliances when they're not being used, and DO NOT put appliances on standby mode. You may think that this helps to save energy, and you're doing your part, but think instead about how much more you could help Mother Earth by turning them off completely. By going just a little further, you could really help.
(see: Giant Pandas' Environment for more information)

Latest update: Global warming

We're in hot soup here on Earth - global warming is making everything hot, hot, hot. Here's a few fun (not really!) facts for you:
1. So far, the world has warmed by 0.76 degrees Celsius since 1900.
2. 11 of the 12 years from 1995 to 2006 are in the top 12 warmest years ever recorded. That means that global warming is bad, and getting faster.
3. Nature itself has been disrupted. Plants are flowering faster, eggs are hatching faster - all out of sync with the time they should be doing these things. Newly-hatched baby birds are missing out on food because they hatch too early and die of starvation just one or two days before food is available. Less babies = less animals.
4. The ice is melting, adding an additional 20 billion tonnes of water each year to the sea. I don't have to spell out what that means, but I will anyway. Trouble.
QuickQuote:
"The icebergs are so majestic, but they felt like dinosaurs to me, a dying breed." Orlando Bloom.
Global warming can be stopped - people just have to stop thinking that the part they play is too small. But think about it this way: Is any character ever put into a play to stand there and do nothing?

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

I know what you're thinking - 'There's a garbage patch in the Pacific Ocean?'
I had the same reaction when I first saw a picture of it and heard of it. Yes, it does exist - and it's having a huge impact on wildlife. The GPGP(Great Pacific Garbage Patch)is actually being consumed by unsuspecting, ignorant wildlife, causing indigestion, poisoning, and death.
Do you dare to see a picture of it? Do you want to see what Man has done to the Earth?

In fact, the GPGP is huge - the only reason people don't notice something the size of Texas is that it's in the ocean. Perhaps we, as the creators of it, don't want to see what we've done either.
I posted a photo to show what people have done to the environment so far, in the hope that they would rethink their past actions. Think about it. The Earth can still be saved.

Don't you love your planet?

Hi everyone!

Today I wanna ask you all this seemingly simple question: Don't you love the planet you live in? "Duh!!!", most will say. Then why let all this happen?

" Because it won't harm the planet"
"Because it doesn't matter"
"Because I don't care"
"Because I'm only one person! That's too little to affect anything!"
"Because nothing will happen even if we do try"

I dunno about you guys, but it really infuriates me to hear stuff like that. What if everyone on the whole world were filled with people like these? The planet would die sooner that ever, of course!

I'm sure no one is THAT heartless, right? Or am I wasting my time here? Hey, has it ever occured to you, that all those people lecturing you, and all those environmentalists are doing what they're doing FOR A REASON??? Well, Duh!

You know why? Well, they care, that's why. Don't you? Trust me, if we all play our part, something WILL happen. And just one person, is one too many.

So do something! Don't you love this planet? I do. And I'm not just gonna watch while it dies.

See ya!

Ankita,
The Green Team :]