Greenhouse Effect, Carbon Dioxide, and the ‘Death’ of Oceans



‘Global warming is largely irreversible for the coming 1000 years even if the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are stopped at once.’ This conclusion of a recent study at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), USA, can potentially dampen the proactive spirit of environmental remediation by eco-friendly individuals and groups. But then, we need to ask, ‘what happens if we don’t stop the alarming level of CO2 emissions at once. An unbearably hot planet may be the common answer but at least some of us now know that our marine environment may also become ‘dead’.

A global rise in sea level has long been predicted by researchers investigating the long-term effects of greenhouse emissions and global warming. Lately, over 150 scientists have warned against the threat of the acidification of oceans due to an increased buildup of CO2 in the atmosphere. Since oceans are one of largest natural sinks for CO2, marine waters are more rapidly growing acidic by dissolution of CO2 in ocean waters, forming carbonic acid. In addition, part of the acidification of marine waters comes from precipitation from atmosphere (what we know as ‘acid rains’). Increased acidification of marine waters poses a serious threat to marine life and the food web. In fact, acidification of oceans has already stared to affect colonies of marine organisms, e.g. the coral buildups like the Great Barrier Reef of Australia.

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Defining ecological footprint



Ecologists have come up with the term “ecological footprint”.  What does it mean?  Our ecological footprint is the amount of land and water it takes to sustain the way we live here on our planet.  It encompasses the people’s demand on the planet with its ability to regenerate.  Studies have shown that the way we live now, our ecological footprint is 1.3.  Meaning, it takes 1.3 Earths to support our lifestyle.

With the advent of global warming, pollution and other ecological disasters plaguing our planet, scientists, ecologists and environmentalists are scrambling to find a way to make our footprint smaller.  There are a lot of ecological footprint calculators so scientists are finding a way to standardize these tests in order to obtain a more accurate and consistent measuring system.

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Ice Melting and Global Temperatures – The Two-Fold Relationship



Global climate change appears to have entered a new ecological relationship with respect to melting of polar ice and the potential effects for life on earth. Scientists studying the change in polar ice are predicting that, for the first time in the history of human existence on this planet, ice covering the North Pole may disappear entirely as a result of global warming by as soon as this summer. The US National Snow and Ice Data Center has expressed its concern over the rapidity with which the arctic sea ice is melting away; the reasons for concern are many fold but two important effects are quite easy to infer.

First, the natural shelter of ice covers huge deposits of oil and minerals beneath it which, in case of the disappearance of ice, will be left ‘open’ for exploitation by humans. While this may sound a cheerful prospect, the efforts of environmentalists toward energy conservation and sustainable growth will certainly be affected adversely. More fuel consumption will also further elevate global temperatures and make the atmosphere harder for life forms on earth. Much of the thick Artic ice cover has been replaced by thin swathes of ice and scientists believe there are more than 50% chances of Arctic ice disappearing altogether from the region by the summer. This is likely to affect the ecological balance in another way too – increase in local temperatures since ocean water absorbs a greater amount of solar heat than ice. Arctic species may need migration and other forms of adjustment to the sudden change in their habitat’s temperature.

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Eco-Friendly Cars for Reducing Global Warming



The recent crisis in global economies has made several industries revise their production plans. For the advocates of environmentalism, this depression has brought good news as the European Union (EU) has pressed on auto-makers to produce eco-friendly (green) cars. The EU policy of replacing traditional cars with energy-efficient green cars primarily aims at cutting the vehicular emissions of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide, by as much a one-fifth of the existing amount of emission, by the year 2012. The production of green cars will also help sustain the auto industry without losing business.

The sharp fall in the purchase of cars has not only affected the European auto industry but also the car-manufacturers in the United States where lawmakers are asking auto-manufacturers to raise the mileage of an average car from 35 miles per gallon of fuel to 50 miles per gallon. Given the fact that vehicular emissions are the second major source of greenhouse gases in America, the US government is keen on replacing gasoline cars with electric cars.

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What is sustainable living?



Sustainable living is living life while reducing the impact our lives has on our planet.  Sounds complicated? Simply put, to live with in sustainability is to exist in this planet without disturbing the delicate balance our lives has on the environment.

The recent issues regarding global warming point to human beings as one of the culprits as to why our planet is deteriorating.  We have more cars, take more resources from the earth, and create more garbage than all the other living organisms in this planet.

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