EPA and Global Warming

As our planet continues to get warmer, it truly seems our bureaucracy is moving slowly to implement new ways to keep global warming from getting worse. That is why it is so important for us to take matters into our own hands and do everything that we can to help. But there is only so much we can do. Eventually our government is going to have to get more directly involved and make laws more strict for industrial plants that dispense carbon dioxide and also emissions requirements for vehicles. After all they are the biggest contributors to the relentless burning of fossil fuels. After doing some research it appears that a government organization known as the Environmental Protection Agency has been at the forefront of this battle for several years.



The "EPA" as it is frequently referred to has created several programs that many corporations, businesses, and organizations can utilize to reduce the amount of fossil fuels burned while using alternative energy sources such as solar, wind, or clean burning biofuels. This is a huge advantage for many of these companies because some of these alternate uses are significantly cheaper than oil, coal, or gas. At the same time, less pollutants are distributed into the environment. Another way the "EPA" has helped the environment was to give tax breaks for industrial plants that cut down on the amount of greenhouse gases they burned. So they would save money as well by not overproducing to much of their product.



For so long it has seemed as if our government has neglected global warming and all the facts that point to an inevitable disaster looming. After seeing this information it makes me feel better that there are programs in place to curve these effects. Unfortunately more has to be done because as each day passes, the population of the world increases and the more dependent on fossil fuels we become. Laws have to be implemented for our safety and the safety of our children so they can continue to enjoy this planet the way we have. But this may not happen until after our next election.

Some ways to stop global warming!

During the last few weeks I have discussed a lot of issues pertaining to global warming. I have researched what global warming is, and how it is going to eventually effect us if we continue down this same ignorant path. Now it is time to find a few ways that each household can help contribute to stopping this destruction and make the planet more enjoyable. The majority of these "tips" can help significantly, are easy to do and can even save the family money. Lets look at some of these simple options.



Each time a light switch is turned on, it is unfortunately contributing to global warming; because somewhere a power plant is burning fossil fuels to create the energy needed for that light. We can help reduce these effects by turning off lights when they are no longer needed and at all possible times use day light. Another simple way to stop the unneeded burning of fossil fuels is to check the tire pressure of your vehicle periodically. A properly inflated vehicle tire will reduce your gas mileage because the vehicle will run smoother. Not to mention with the price of gas these days, we need every advantage that we can get.

Another great way to contribute positively is to clean or replace the filters on your furnace and air conditioner periodically. A dirty filter causes the appliance to work harder and uses more energy. This will lower the cost of your electric bill. To go a step further you could wrap your hot water heater with an insulated blanket. It takes a lot of energy to keep your household water hot and this will keep some of the heat from escaping.

Global warming could cost you!

It may seem hard to fathom, but soon the average household may begin to feel the adverse effects of global warming where it really hurts: in the savings account! Simple things that we use or do every day and take for granted are going to go up severely in price. These things range from produce we eat at our dinner table, to the water we drink, to some of our favorite vacation destinations. This may effect some people more than others, but for families on a tight budget it could become overwhelming.

Crops that grow in the midwest such as corn, hay, and barley have been scorched in the last few years due to droughts that some are blaming on global warming. Since there is less crops produced by farmers then the supply and demand goes up, along with the prices.

The price of water would also go up if global warming continues to get worse as well. Certain places that depend on the runoff of glacier melts for their drinking water are really going to be in trouble once they are fully melted. This will cause the price of water to go up world wide as the distribution of the water supply will become a lot tighter.

Homeowner's insurance is going to skyrocket for people that live near coast lines due to the fact that the water levels are going to increase and pose a very serious threat of flooding. This will bring down the value of the property along the coast lines and force people to try and sell their homes. This will effect the housing market and will also become a devastating blow for the tourist industry. Beaches that families use for vacation destinations will become unattractable because of the increase of prices in the local markets. Several states such as Florida and California are very dependent on the tourism industry. All thanks to global warming.

The tourism industry will also be effected in other ways as well. With the planet getting warmer, there could be less chances of snow. Some states such as Colorado and Utah use snow capped mountains to attracts tourists for skiing. Unfortunately with less snow fall, artifical snow is produced. This could be an expensive dependency if ski resorts are always having to use fake snow. It will drive up the prices and ultimately force people to other destinations.

As you can see, global warming will have an effect everybody. Hopefully it will not be as severe as this article suggests but it could also just be the beginning.

The Inconvenient Truth

Just minutes ago I finished watching the movie known as "an Inconvenient Truth" a documentary which is directed by and features Al Gore. In this piece Mr. Gore explains how the world is getting warmer by mankind through the burning of fossil fuels. It is very informative and actually quite interesting, yet easy to follow. Anybody that is not very knowledgeable on the topic of global warming should take an hour and twenty minutes and watch the film. Most of the information that is discussed during the documentary is seen on charts and graphs and easily understandable. Although to me, this documentary has pulled me in two different directions.

First, I do believe Al Gore is very passionate about this topic and wants to do something to keep the situation from getting worse. Also there are pictures from glaciers taken twenty years ago and also current pictures of the same glaciers; the difference is amazing. Clearly he did a lot of research on the topic and has formed his own hypothesis on this evolution. He did recently win the Pulitzer prize for his work on the contributions of his global warming research. The future will definately see him at the forefront of the topic until more legislation is passed.

This picture was good but it had some negativity in it as well. Myself and my wife noticed that he was constantly taking cheap shots on the current presidential administration. It made me think some of this may be his own personal propaganda to keep his name in the headlines since he had lost the election to our current president in a very controversial election.

I did enjoy the film, I learned a lot of knowledge from it but unfortunately it seemed to be tainted by the way the knowledge was presented.

global warming may not be real

During the past few weeks I have researched global warming and the evidence to prove that it is real and is a threat to our long term survival on this planet. There is a lot of strong evidence that global warming is real, but there is actually alarming facts that prove that it may not be as real as many politicians, environmentalists, and tree huggers want to believe.

According to the American Policy Center, global warming is a big joke, and "the biggest hoax ever perpetrated on the people of the world". When I first read this quote I was very interested in how they could back up such a strong statement. But they actually do it very well. This center points out the fact that indeed the polar ice caps may be melting but in all reality they have been constantly melting ever since the end of the ice age. At one time, the majority of the planet was consumed by ice, now the Earth is going through a natural climate change in which the ice caps are exposed to warmer tempuratures.

Another main factor scientists point at as evidence for global warming is the ackward weather trends the planet has been experiencing: violent hurricanes, tornadoes, severe floods and exceptional droughts. Some of this disastrous weather may actually be the work of a phenomenon called "El Nino." During El Nino there is a disruption in the pattern of the ocean's currents. This periodical process consists of ackward weather habits that become normal due to a rise in the tempurature of the ocean waters. This is a reason for the hurricanes, tornadoes, and either heavy or lack of rain.

Still other factors may prove that the Earth does go through periodical climate changes. Fossils of Alligators were discovered in western North Dakota which presents the fact that North Dakota was once a warm environment. Alligators are reptiles, which are cold blooded and need to live in a warm place. Obviously these animals would not survive in present-day North Dakota because it is to cold for them to survive. It is a pretty clear indicator that the Earth has gone through these changes before, maybe we are just experiencing something similiar? Only time will tell!

References:

http://www.americanpolicy.org/

http://www.nd.gov/hist/news/ndhistorypaleoissue.htm