Willits Wildlife Rehab Team

Archive for the ‘Climate Change’ Category

We live on the beautiful and picturesque earth. Do we have the awareness to keep our home? The Earth is our home. Earth is where we stand. The Earth is our breath. We have a great responsibility to protect our planet from destruction. We often pay attention to how the earth has always been a natural resource for us. Whatever we need, we get from nature. Especially when talking about the staple food, the earth is our primary source. It is naturally, if we celebrate Earth Day 2010 with a variety of ways. There are many ways that we can do to preserve the style of the mini to keep it beautiful and so beautiful because we need the earth as our home. You should never ignore the preservation of the universe as the place we live and do various activities.

However, today many people are almost forgotten in the conservation of nature. This indicates that the earth was in a dangerous condition caused by human apathy toward nature. We can notice the little things around us where people are no longer friends with nature. Air pollution resulting in the earth’s air is polluted, and we breathe it every time, what happens next is that many living beings who suffer from respiratory problems. Factories that dispose of waste at random, for example to the flow of the river, which water is always a need for human life, but due to polluted river water waste, human beings will be affected by skin diseases or toxic to drink. Effect of greenhouse gases that cause depletion of the ozone layer, humans finally feel the immense heat and this is what we commonly refer to as global warming.

We have many opportunities to improve this bad situation with a variety of activities that can save the earth from destruction. For example by planting trees as acts of greening. Or provide information to the public in order to utilize the vehicle as needed only. In addition to our generation was taught to throw garbage in the appropriate fields.

With all of the fervor these days about the dangers of global warming many people are concerned about the fate of Antarctica. The fears are that the ice that makes up the continent is melting faster than normal and not freezing back as it usually does with a very even ebb and flow. The concerns are that this will eventually raise the sea level enough to put major cities and land masses under water and leave millions of people homeless and/or even dead.

So who are making these claims? Well there are many scientists that have been looking at the earth’s climates and weather systems for a long time and trying to make sense of them. The earliest reason for doing this was not to measure the affect of the greenhouse gases that are magnifying the suns intensity and causing the heat to stay within it. They originally wanted to learn about the earth so that they could by recognizing signs be could warn of natural disasters like earth quakes and hurricanes and tsunamis. Since they have kept data to look for these signs they have noticed disturbing trends in things like the average temperature and the increasing sea level and other things like the sized of the ice cap over Antarctica and they seem to only be going in one direction which spells trouble.

Then they start looking for why this is happening, and the buzzword is generally global warming. They cite the increase in certain gases like CO2 which are purportedly on the rise do to the millions of different engines that burn fossil fuels across the world. Supposedly this changes the qualities of the atmosphere that hold in the energy from the sun much like a green house does. What people don’t realize is that these are all theories to explain trends in the environment that no one has any clue about. We know that Antarctica melts in places and at certain times and since we have been measuring these things it appears that the land mass has gotten smaller—but this is very flawed thinking.

You see we have only been able to make specialized measurements like this for several decades which may seem like a long enough time to make good guesses about the earth which is thousands of years old (some even say billions). You just can’t make definitive statements about trends that may just be natural cycles that are 500 years in length. Even 100 year or 50 year cycles would not have been fully measured yet. So we must cool our jets and take ourselves so seriously. We know a lot less about the melting Antarctica and many other things that seem to be slowly headed toward disaster than we think.

Wind is one of the cleanest, if not cleanest, renewable energy sources available to us. What most people don’t know is it is also the fastest growing energy sector.

Wind is an indirect version of solar power. Different surfaces on the Earth react differently to being hit by sunlight, particular in regards to heat. As sunlight heats up surfaces, they warm up at different rates. The surround air also warms up at different rates, fertilizing the wind process. Temperatures over a body of water like a lake will always be cooler than temperatures over rocky ground. Hot air rises and cool air rushes into fill such voids. As this process occurs, the rushing air manifests as wind and an incredibly cheap and clean energy source.

The fact that wind is a naturally occurring event makes it a great energy source. Consider the following:

1. Wind is a renewable energy source because it will exist as long as sunlight beats down on us.

2. Wind has been used by man as an energy source ever since we’ve sailed boats.

3. The first windmills were used to turn wheels to grind grain in Iran.

4. American colonist used windmills to move water, grind grain and cut wood.

5. Wind energy harnessed by windmills was a dominant source of energy in rural America in the 1920s.

6. In modern times, California is the biggest user of wind power and produces twice as much electricity as any other state.

7. Modern windmills actually come in two forms, vertical and horizontal models.

8. Horizontal windmills are the stereotypical version that comes to your mind when the word is mentioned.

9. Vertical mills look like upside down egg beaters, but are hypnotic when they spin.

10. Unlike traditional utilities, most energy produced by wind is done by private businesses and sold to utilities through an electric grid hookup.

11. Wind power in the U.S. generates a whopping 17 billion kilowatts per year, more than enough to provide all electrical needs for the city of Chicago.

12. More than 30 states have wind farms generating and supplying electricity to utility companies.

13. California, Texas, Minnesota, Iowa, and Wyoming are the dominant forces in producing energy from wind.

14. The biggest energy producer from wind is Germany, which is also dominant in solar power production.

For many, these wind findings will be a surprise. The sole fact that there is enough power produced by wind energy to handle a city the size of Chicago is pretty impressive. As we move into the 21st century, new technology is heading in the direction of creating wind energy platforms for individual residences.

Care for the environment? Want to save the planet? Then you must think in terms of fuel efficiency, non-polluting, and eco-friendly transport. The answer lies in purchasing and using a hybrid car. They not just make a statement that I care but are compact and fuel efficient.

Here are some insights that may just tempt you to buy a hybrid.

1. Made of lightweight materials hybrids are small in size. The engine is designed to be fuel efficient. When the car halts at a signal, the engine will automatically shut down and restart when the car shifts into gear.

2. These cars have the advantage of being powered by a gasoline engine and an electric motor that takes care of acceleration.

3. The batteries of the electric motor recharge automatically by harnessing the kinetic energy produced during braking.

4. Hybrid car engines produce less emission, give better mileage, idle less, and are fuel efficient.

5. The aerodynamic design reduces drag and the tires are made of a special rubber that reduces friction.

6. The battery has high capacity and is made of nickel-metal-hydride. The battery can run the hybrid when called for.

7. The power-train technology enables using two power sources and enhances fuel efficacy.

8. There are many choices. You can have a hybrid from Honda, Ford, Toyota, GMC, and Chevrolet.

9. If your transportation of choice is a hybrid then the US Government will applaud your choice by giving you significant tax breaks.

10. Using a hybrid means you are active in ensuring the air is clean and that you are a concerned citizen who wishes to save fuel which is precious.

Maximize usage by “pulse and glide.” This means finding the ideal point where electric and gas energy are equally utilized. Generally this ideal lies between 30-40 miles per hour. Stabilization of energy is learnt by practice it really cannot be taught. Another important aspect is that you benefit if you don’t rush around and drive at the prescribed speed limit. If you glide, instead of accelerate then you can make a saving of as much as 10 cents a gallon. Lastly check and maintain tire pressures. This will help lengthen the life of the tires and help you save fuel. Reduced tire pressure studies indicate reduces gas mileage by as much as 10%.

Before you say “yes” to buying a hybrid car, you must do in depth research on hybrids, the pros and cons. Talk to manufacturers and owners. Test drive the different makes and check which one would suit your life-style. Some hybrids are ideal for city driving while others are more efficient on open roads.

Even if the buying price is steep the fuel that you save along with incentives like tax breaks make a hybrid a good and sensible choice.