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 :]

The Cute Animals!!!!

Hi everyone!

Have you ever seen a polar bear? Well, this is how it is supposed to look like...

Thats right, awwww...Doesn't that picture make your heart melt? The cute, happy polar bears are so nice and healthy, without a care in the world...*sniff*... But do you know what??? These cute harmless and faultless animals may all just die out by this century!!!!



Do you want that to happen? Well, neither do I. Its so sad! This is what a polar bear might look like in the near future...

That's right, gasp! Do you see that its so sad? So unhealthy? I think you've guessed...Its about to die...Do you really wanna just wait and watch while all that happens? I'm sure I don't.

Its not too late! We can still save to polar bears! We can do our part!

See-ya!

Ankita,

The Green Team :]

Drumroll Please!

Hiya! This is Rachel here, from the Green Team HQ. Okay, okay, I bet you're wondering: If we had to make a blog, why choose Global Warming as our theme?

You probably already know this (especially if the Green Team has been bugging you to do something about it), but Global Warming is a really huge problem now. Ever seen a picture of the hole in the Ozone layer (layer of gases – like, yes, you guessed it, ozone!– in the atmosphere)? I have, and let me tell you now that its about to get bigger.


Hole in the Ozone layer. Humongous! I told ya, didn't I?

Anyway, back to the part where you're wondering and I'm telling you stuff, we made this blog simply because we care. Yup. As you also might already know, the only ways to stop Global Warming are:
a) Spreading the word
b) Reducing energy usage
c) Reducing rubbish
e) Reducing air pollutants emissions
f) [scientist are researching, don't worry!]

We [non-scientist who are not trying to find ways to improve the ozone's deteriorating situation] can only do 5 things to help stop Global Warming (which will kill us all, and don't you ever try to deny it!), which is all of the above except [f].

So this blog is basically for us to spread the word, and to track our progress of world saving. You can join in the fun too and tell everyone all about your efforts in saving the planet! If you are interested in joining our blog as an author to share your Earth-saving efforts and actions, send an email with your name, email address and purpose (of joining) to thegreenteam094@aol.com thegreenteam094@gmail.com (it has recently been changed. but don't worry, some emails to our AOL will still be answered!). We appreciate any contributions!

Anyone can do their part for Global Warming. Don't worry, you're not alone! We all have a part to play, and we'd better play it soon, before the curtain closes!

So who's our Green Team?

Please give a big round of applause for... [drumroll please!]

Ankita! Samantha! and ME!

We all wish to help change the fate of the planet, and we hope you'll help us. So what are you waiting for! Go out and save the world, NOW!

Signing off!

Rachel K.

THE GREEN TEAM