How to Reduce Light Pollution
More and more research about the negative effect light pollution has on humans and wildlife is coming to light (pun intended). As the population of the planet increases, so does the amount of homes, businesses, parking lots, schools, airports and roadways. All these structures use electricity and need to be lighted.
Humans demand these lights. They want their homes more comfortable and they want their streets safe. The problem is that researchers are finding that all this light is having a negative impact on humans and wildlife as well.
Less than 10 years ago I drove to a less populated section of my town lay down in the middle of the road and watched a spectacular meteor shower. The area was devoid of homes, street lights and traffic. If I did that today, first off I wouldn’t be able to see the meteor shower as well, due to the increase in street lights, but I would surely be run over by a car. Urban sprawl has taken over those sparsely populated areas.
Light pollution has always been a problem for those of us who are interested in learning about the night sky, but now scientist are finding that light pollution can be almost as bad as carbon dioxide pollution. If you have ever taken a flight at night, the view is beautiful, but you must remember that all the light you see is wasted electricity. The crews of the space shuttles see an even bigger picture of how extensive this wasted electricity is worldwide.
One of the saddest parts of light pollution is that most of it is unnecessary and most of the outdoor light that we use is wasted. One only need to look at a row of street lights to see how much of the light shines upwards and lights the sky; a total waste of electricity. With the millions of streetlights worldwide, this is a serious problem.
One can only guess at the amount of money spent to pay for that wasted electricity. Additionally, somewhere this electricity needs to generated, and the generation of that electricity creates pollution by emitting greenhouse gasses. This affects the air we breathe and our quality of life. One must weigh the balance of whether we want to keep our streets and parking lots safe or do we want to breathe cleaner air?
Scientists are also studying the effects of light pollution on wildlife. Many creatures are nocturnal and depend on darkness to hunt, navigate and to even to breed. They have biological rhythms that are being profoundly affected by light pollution.
Birds use the moon and the stars to navigate and migrate and are the species most affected by light pollution. Thousands of birds die each year when they crash into highly lit buildings, as they become disoriented by the light. Even the birds at sea that depend on the bioluminescent plankton to feed, are being drawn to lit structures along the shore. It has been long know that tiny sea turtle hatchlings become disorientated and follow lights on the shore instead to heading towards the sea.
So what individuals do about light pollution?
• The simple answer is to turn off all unnecessary lights in our home. Much of the lights we use indoors spills outside and contributes to light pollution.
• Avoid the use of extensive unnecessary decorative lighting on our homes.
• Install motion sensor lights where possible.
• Install outdoor lighting that limits the amount of light that escapes upward.
• Don’t turn on lights every time you go outdoors. If it is safe, go out in the dark and enjoy the night sky.
• Get involved in educating your neighbors and city officials about light pollution.
• Install low wattage lighting fixtures when possible.
• Install timers on lights.
Light pollution is one of the easiest sources of pollution that can be corrected without a negative impact. Following the above guidelines and a little searching on Google can give you many ideas on how to reduce your contribution to light pollution.
Beverly Saltonstall is an environmental writer. Visit http://pollutionwebsite.com for news, podcasts, articles and guides covering many aspects of pollution. To understand pollution, read “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Pollution, But Never Dared to Ask”. (available on website)
Article Source: How to Reduce Light Pollution – ArticleSpan.com
Nancy – GotSmog.com – The Pollution-Reducing Blog
Wind pattern change may intensify global warming – Newstrack India
Washington, March 14 (IANS) Carbon dioxide released from the Antartic Ocean due to shifting wind patterns may drastically increase global warming, say scientists. Many scientists think that the end of the last ice age was triggered by a change in …
Nancy – GotSmog.com – The Pollution-Reducing Blog
Saving The Delaware River From Pollution
Delaware is rich in natural resources and it’s one of the state assets. Its sandy soil is fertile and well-watered ideal for agricultural purposes. Some minerals that are found in the state are mainly sand and gravel. But as time goes by, we cannot ignore the fact that the state is eventually losing its resources. These are because of improper handling of these resources by irresponsible waste disposal and abusing its functionality. Right now, Delaware is facing a battle against pollution.
The Delaware River is the largest oil port in the mid-Atlantic. This contains five of the largest East Coast refineries. Ship and barge traffic to ports in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey creates a significant potential for oil spills which is dangerous to the river and its natural inhabitants. The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal is part of the intercostals waterway and many vessels transit this route up the eastern seaboard. This adds up to the contamination of the river.
Aside from this, improper disposal of waste remains a big factor of the contamination. Elevated levels of persistent contaminants from current and ongoing sources, including waste sites, impact freshwater wetlands, salt marshes, historically important rivers, and fisheries (recreational and commercial) in Delaware has also become a big concern. It is well researched and documented that there is more than enough water in the Upper Delaware River for all the Decree Parties and for healthy aquatic habitat for the trout species in the Neversink, East and West branches, and Main Stem of the river. With that being said, the Delaware River plays a vital role in the ecosystem. Significant habitat impacts have occurred in Delaware River which is the focus of restoration efforts. Restoration projects, including ecological restoration, are a critical component of revitalization efforts in Delaware River from both an economic and environmental concerns.
NOAA’s Damage Assessment, Remediation and Restoration Program (DARRP) acts as a trustee to protect the natural inhabitants on behalf of the public. DARRP collaborates with federal, state, and tribal entities and also works with cleanup agencies (such as EPA), local organizations, and the public. They are responsible for the incident to protect coastal and marine natural resources, respond to discharges of oil and hazardous substances, assess risks and injuries to natural resources and restore injured natural resources and related socioeconomic benefits.
DARRP work cooperatively with those responsible for the incident develop innovative approaches and techniques for remediation and restoration, work with the public to select restoration options to compensate for injuries to natural resources and design and implement or oversee natural inhabitant restoration projects and monitor their success.
DARRP Accomplishments so far includes the restoration and protection of 530 acres of marine habitats in Delaware. Right now, they are working for the immediate preservation of Delaware River. The cooperation of Delaware citizens will be a great help to expedite the process. Saving the Delaware River is not DARRP battle alone, its every Delaware’s citizen’s battle that is has to be won for the benefit of the future generations.
Richard Barthallo reports on issues affecting homeowners for Wilmington Delaware Water Damage Restoration and Wilmington Delaware Flood Damage Cleanup
Article Source: Saving The Delaware River From Pollution – ArticleSpan.com
Nancy – GotSmog.com – The Pollution-Reducing Blog
Wedding Invitations In The Corporate Office Environment
Somewhere between climbing the corporate ladder and starting your own business, you managed to fall in love. If frequent dates and weekends away weren’t enough to fill the gaps in your already busy schedule, getting engaged most certainly took care of any free time you had. However, you don’t have to lose sleep by dividing time between your home life and your business affairs, as long as you keep a healthy balance between the two.
In order to be successful in love, you have to display the same qualities you retain at work. You have to be personable, patient, detail oriented, and attentive to other people’s needs. You have to maintain a persistent attitude that will deem you a champion. Although juggling a full plate is not preferable, there are ways to maintain your integrity and plan a memorable wedding party complete with your business contacts and work colleagues.
Networking Through Your Wedding Invitations
Here’s how rubbing elbows can benefit you outside the workplace:
What better place is there to plug your business than on the front of your wedding invitation? A little harmless self-promotion never hurt anyone! In fact, it may do your company wonders to let your business contacts and work colleagues see a more human side of you.
A corporate logo incorporated onto stationery is a special touch that needs no introduction. Guests will know how much the two of you value your company, and they will undoubtedly find the gesture charming. Building a business takes almost as long as building a sturdy relationship with another person. It won’t come as a surprise to most people that you want to form a union between the two.
The Right Way to Combine Business with Pleasure
When inviting your corporate clients, vendors, customers, and employees to your wedding ceremony and reception, there are a few things to consider:
First and foremost, although you are in a more relaxed setting, always remember to conduct yourself in a professional manner. You may feel stressed out beyond words, but your guests don’t have to know how you feel. Smile and be attentive to your wedding party, and by no means should you come off as pushy or rude to anyone you have invited to the event.
Second of all, monitor your celebrating. Remember the adage, “loose lips sink ships.” Lay off the champagne because it may cause you to say something you will regret in the morning. Keep the event personable, but not too personal.
Last but not least, don’t let work get in the way of you having fun. Although you most likely will talk business with your guests, don’t let it be the only thing you mention throughout the evening. You can always be polite without revealing too many intimate details about your home life.
When writing your guest list, remember that the right kind of invitation can promote your life’s work and introduce your new business partner—your husband or wife – to the people you make contact with daily.
Whether you are looking for corporate-friendly wedding invitation or truly unique wedding invitations, visit MyExpression.com for an abundance of stylish designs and in-depth resources
Article Source: Wedding Invitations In The Corporate Office Environment – ArticleSpan.com
Nancy – GotSmog.com – The Pollution-Reducing Blog
Quote of the Day
This is the best description of Big Hollywood I have seen : “But for all the bluster of all-caps headlines like “GLOBAL WARMING PROPAGANDA SINKS ‘UNDER THE SEA 3D ,’ ” it’s a far less courageous site than the comparably nonconfrontational Culture11; beneath the patina of combativeness, it’s really just a support group for 24 fans.What Big Hollywood …
Nancy – GotSmog.com – The Pollution-Reducing Blog
CO2 Emissions and Pollution – Breaking the Habit
In all the debates on the effects and implications of global warming, climate change and CO2 emissions, one thing can certainly be agreed; things are changing. There may or may not be reason to discredit the idea that climate change is a man-made phenomena, and there may or may not – though this writer would definitely argue that such claims are false – be reason to doubt the detrimental effect of such concepts. But there can be no dispute on the fact that CO2 emission levels are rising; the EIA shows that CO2 emissions from the burning of fossil fuels has risen steadily every year for 20 years.
With that rise, necessarily, comes global warming, and the shift in the earth’s atmosphere and ecosystems that we generally term climate change. Some skeptics argue that the rise is either natural – a result of the great climatic pendulum – and others argue that it is unpreventable; it is quite validly claimed, for example, that the steady rise in world population levels are the chief contributor to growth in CO2 emissions worldwide. The argument goes that – short of official birth control policies – it would be almost impossible to curb the rise in population, and CO2 emissions are the inevitable consequence.
That view needs to be challenged. Certainly, there is some truth in the claim; population rises mean more people, and that creates a greater demand for fossil fuels, the source of most things that are able to feed, clothe, and house us. But that summation implies a necessary dependence on fossil fuels. It is true to say that the modern world relies on fossil fuels, so that the correlation is a strong one, but it is not a doomed relationship; much can be done, even if a total independence from fossil fuels is a current practical impossibility, to greatly reduce the world dependence on fossil fuels.
That can be seen when world population rates are compared with CO2 emissions percentages. The world’s largest annual polluter, the U.S, contributes around 20% of annual world carbon emissions, and China, which comes in second, is closer to 15%. But China has the world’s largest population, at close to one fifth, and the U.S comes in third this time, with roughly 5%. India sits between them, at around 17%. In world CO2 emissions levels, India falls in fifth behind Russia and Japan.
What this information resolutely shows is that, whilst there is certainly a link between the rise in population levels and the rise in CO2 emissions levels, they are by no means proportional; if one nation can contribute a fifth of annual emissions with just 5% of the world’s population, then the problem of CO2 emissions levels must lie much more firmly in lifestyle habits than population levels. If that is the case – as evidence shows – then global warming, climate change and CO2 emissions are not unsolvable issues, and damage can be limited.
It seems like a fairly basic point, but it is such an important one; if CO2 emissions are not linked to unstoppable phenomena, then human beings can be made accountable. And if human beings can be made accountable, then those who subscribe to the dangers of global warming, CO2 emissions and climate change, are valid in their attempts to do everything they can to curb such an all consuming problem. Skeptics beware.
Chris Woolfrey is an expert on global warming and climate change. He writes for http://www.ecoswitch.com
Article Source: CO2 Emissions and Pollution – Breaking the Habit – ArticleSpan.com
Nancy – GotSmog.com – The Pollution-Reducing Blog
EPA may say warming is a danger which could trigger Clean Air Act … – Dallas Morning News
WASHINGTON ? The White House is reviewing a proposed finding by the Environmental Protection Agency that global warming is a threat to public health and welfare. Such a declaration would be the first step to regulating carbon dioxide and other …
Nancy – GotSmog.com – The Pollution-Reducing Blog
Blaming Obesity on Pollution
Trans-fats and genetics are passe. The latest excuse for being obese may be pollution.
If it sounds ridiculous, you may not be alone in your incredulity. As implausible as it seems, a Spanish study conducted in Menorca may bear this out. The study focused on the impact that chemical pollution has on the tendency of a fetus to be obese later in life.
Researchers at Barcelona’s Municipal Institute of Medical Research have made a connection between obesity and in-utero exposure to certain chemicals. It concluded that fetuses exposed to these chemicals may be pre-disposed to weight gain in life.
The study measured levels of a pesticide in the umbilical cords of 403 children born in Menorca, Spain. The pesticide is known as hexachlorobenzene, or HCB. Children with the highest recorded levels of HCB in cord blood were twice as likely to be obese by six-and-a-half compared to peers.
Hexachlorobenzene is a fungicide that is used to treat seeds for the disease bunt. However, it is a carcinogen in animals, leading to the obvious supposition that it may affect humans similarly. HCB has been linked in animals to cancers of the thyroid, liver and kidneys.
This connection is likely to add more fuel to the debate on pesticides and their effects on children. The implication is that other pesticides may also be suspect even though HCB has been banned since this test began. Many municipalities and regions around the world have banned the use of pesticides for cosmetic use. Public concern for the welfare of children has trumped the desire of homeowners to have lawns free of crab grass.
Despite these bans, certain pesticides continue to be used for farming applications in many areas worldwide. The results of this Spanish study will probably spark more conversation about balancing the needs of farmers with the rights of children. One needs only to look at past pesticide problems, like those surrounding DDT, to see that history often repeats itself.
In fact, previous studies on other chemicals boost the findings of the HCB study. Similar tests with organotins, bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates produced likewise alarming results. The effects appeared the most devastating in developing fetuses, babies and animals in-utero.
The HCB study was conducted only on children living on the island of Menorca. Debate surrounds the relation of Mediterranean diet (and Menorca-style food in particular) to the results of the study. Mediterranean diet typically relies heavily upon fresh regional fruits and vegetables, local meat (especially lamb, chicken, pork and game birds like quail) and olive oil. Lobster is also a local favorite in Menorca. True Mediterranean diet is considered by many professionals to be a healthy lifestyle. Mediterranean diet tends to be low in saturated fat and high in fiber as long as processed foods are greatly limited.
Nothing in Mediterranean diet or Menorca cooking habits suggests that the study results are skewed by regional diet factors. It appears that diet plays a minor role, while exposure to chemical pollution may be a bigger factor than ever realized. It may reasonably be assumed that these results would play similarly in most regions of the world.
Hexachlorobenzene is one of the United Nations Environment Programme Governing Council’s "dirty dozen." This list of chemical pollutants includes HCB, DDT plus 10 other persistent organic pollutants (POPs.) The dirty dozen were banned in 1995. Others have since been added to the list and banned. The Governing Council continues to investigate chemical pollutants. The latest HCB study is one more confirmation of its suspicions regarding HCB.
The island of Menorca is featured at yourmenorca.net, and they have recently started to include a Menorca blog Already established is Menorca accommodation and hotels in Menorca
Article Source: Blaming Obesity on Pollution – ArticleSpan.com
Nancy – GotSmog.com – The Pollution-Reducing Blog
Our Environment, Global Warming, And How You Can Help!
There’s no question that our planet is warming up. Average global temperatures have risen around the world in the last 100 years, especially in the past 20 years. There are many theories out there when looking for answers to this, but only two are obvious. One of those theories is the idea that the Earth naturally goes through temperature cycles during the course of its existence. Another idea is that we as humans are introducing untold amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and this is causing the planet to heat up.
Regardless of how and why Earth is warming up, it’s happening, won’t stop anytime soon, and may be dangerous in the long run. Maybe it’s human activity or maybe it’s not, nobody will be able to tell us what the exact cause is. However, what we do know is the human population most certainly contributes to the warming of the planet. The good part is we have the power to slow it down and cut our carbon dioxide output down drastically.
There are many things you can do to help our environment and cut down on your carbon footprint, all of which are reductions of energy usage at home and on the road. First and foremost, replace all the light bulbs in all your residencies to the energy-efficient bulbs. This is huge and will save you hundreds of dollars a year on your power bill, thus promoting a cleaner environment. You can also replace your old appliances with newer, energy-efficient models. The same goes for your air conditioner. These are the top 3 ways to cut your power costs at home.
There’s now a 4th and big way to reduce your carbon footprint and power bill, that is, solar panels and wind turbines you can build yourself. You can find guides and manuals online that teach you about everything you need to know. The best part about this is how simple and easy it is to construct a green energy power system in your home. Not many people know about this, but it’s a serious money saver when comparing DIY green energy to professional installations. They cost tens and tens of thousands of dollars. If you’re interested in such projects there’s a popular new site on the internet that will feed you all the information you need.
Finally, and the most effective way to reduce your carbon footprint is to avoid driving your vehicle! Walk, jog, roller blade, or bike everywhere and anywhere you can. Get that blood pumping and the savings of fuel and energy mount up incredibly fast. If you can apply multiple techniques described here, I guarantee your energy costs will drop drastically.
Regardless of what’s causing global warming, we should all be striving to do our part and cut down our carbon footprints. Whether it’s turning the TV off at night or riding your bike to school, the Earth and the people inhabiting it will thank you.
Do it yourself green energy projects are affordable, cost-effective, and can save you thousands of dollars in the long run, not to mention its great for our planet! To learn more and pick up a FREE guide to solar energy, visit DIYSolarPowerGuides.com
Article Source: Our Environment, Global Warming, And How You Can Help! – ArticleSpan.com
Nancy – GotSmog.com – The Pollution-Reducing Blog
‘Himalayan glaciers 1st victims of global warming’ – Zee News
New Delhi, March 22: Himalayan glaciers were probably the first to bear the brunt of climatic changes and began to melt during early to mid-18th century, claims a new study. Researchers studied composite organisms developed on the loops of the …
Nancy – GotSmog.com – The Pollution-Reducing Blog