Waste Material

Disinfection of Wastewater

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Disinfection

Primary, secondary and even tertiary treatment cannot by expected to remove 100 percent of the incoming waste load and as a result, many organisms still remain in the waste stream. To prevent the spread of waterborne diseases and also to minimize public health problems, regulatory agencies may require the destruction of pathogenic organisms in wastewaters. While most of these microorganisms are not pathogens, pathogens must be assumed to be potentially present. Thus, whenever wastewater effluents are discharged to receiving waters which may be used for water supply, swimming or shellfishing, the reduction of bacterial numbers to minimize health hazards is a very desirable goal.

Disinfection is treatment of the effluent for the destruction of all pathogens. Another term that is sometimes also used in describing the destruction of microorganisms issterilization. Sterilization is the destruction of all microorganisms. While disinfection indicates the destruction of all disease causing microorganisms, no attempt is made in wastewater treatment to obtain sterilization. However, disinfection procedures applied to wastewaters will result in a substantial reduction of all microbes so that bacterial numbers are reduced to a safe level.

In general, disinfection can be achieved by any method that destroys pathogens. A variety of physical or chemical methods are capable of destroying microorganisms under certain conditions. Physical methods might include, for example, heating to boiling or incineration or irradiation with X-rays or ultraviolet rays. Chemical methods might theoretically include the use of strong acids, alcohols, or a variety of oxidizing chemicals or surface active agents (such as special detergents). However, the treatment of wastewaters for the destruction of pathogens demands the use of practical measures that can be used economically and efficiently at all times on large quantities of wastewaters which have been treated to various degrees.

In the past, wastewater treatment practices have principally relied on the use of chlorine for disinfection. The prevalent use of chlorine has come about because chlorine is an excellent disinfecting chemical and, until recently, has been available at a reasonable cost. However, the rising cost of chlorine coupled with the fact that chlorine even at low concentrations is toxic to fish and other biota as well as the possibility that potentially harmful chlorinated hydrocarbons may be formed has made chlorination less favored as the disinfectant of choice in wastewater treatment. As a result, the increased use of ozone (ozonation) or ultraviolet light as a disinfectant in the future is a distinct possibility in wastewater disinfection. Both ozone and ultraviolet light, as well as being an effective disinfecting agent, leave no toxic residual. Ozone will additionally raise the dissolved oxygen level of the water. However, ozone must be generated and has only recently begun to compete favorably with chlorination in terms of economics. Ultraviolet light has recently undergone studies to determine its effectiveness and cost when used at large wastewater treatment plants. While the study is not yet complete, ultraviolet light now appears effective and economically competitive with chlorination as a disinfectant.

The use of both chlorine and ozone as chemical disinfectants and their disinfecting properties and actions will be considered individually. However, since chlorine continues to be used extensively as a disinfectant, we will mainly be concerned with the principles and practice of chlorination.

Secondary Treatment

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In an average strength wastewater the total solids may be classified as being organic or inorganic in origin. In terms of the size of the solids, the distribution is approximately thirty percent suspended, six percent colloidal and about sixty-five percent dissolved solids. The function of primary treatment is to remove as much of the suspended solids as possible. Primary treatment utilizes clarifiers or settling tanks which remove the settleable organics and settleable inorganic solids from the wastewater. The effluent from primary treatment therefore contains mainly colloidal and dissolved organic and inorganic solids. Recent effluent standards and water quality standards required a greater degree of removal of organics from wastewater than can be accomplished by primary treatment. This additional removal of organics can be accomplished by secondary treatment. The secondary treatment process consists of the biological treatment of wastewater by utilizing many different types of microorganisms in a controlled environment.

In the biological treatment of wastewaters, a mixed population of microorganisms utilizes the colloidal and dissolved organics found in the effluent from the primary treatment as their man food supply. In consuming these organics, the microorganisms utilize part of the organic substances to obtain the energy needed for their life activities. When the oxidation of organics occurs in the presence of dissolved oxygen the end products include carbon dioxide, water, sulfates, nitrates, and phosphates. The remainder part of the consumed organics are used as building blocks in a series of synthesis (reproduction) reactions that result in an increase population of microorganisms. Therefore, the colloidal and dissolved organics originally present in the wastewater have been transformed in part into a stable form, such as carbon dioxide, and part into a viable biological mass. This biochemical reaction is active in all biological treatment processes. The biological mass must subsequently be separated from the wastewater to ensure a proper degree of treatment within effluent and water quality standards. If this biological mass is not properly removed from the waste stream, usually by final clarification, effluent quality will be degraded and a higher BOD and S.S. load will be placed on the receiving waters.
In the activated sludge process the microorganisms are dispersed throughout the water phase. While in trickling filters or biodiscs the microorganisms are attached to a fixed surface forming a biological film. In either, the microorganisms are doing the treatment and therefore all precautions must be taken to assure a favorable environment for their life cycle.

Primary Treatment

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Primary treatment is designed to remove organic and inorganic solids by the physical processes of sedimentation and flotation. Primary treatment devices reduce the velocity and disperse the flow of wastewater. In primary treatment the velocity of flow is reduced to 1 to 2 feet per minute to maintain a quiescent condition so that the material denser than water will settle out and material less dense than water will float to the surface. Approximately 40 to 60 percent of the suspended solids are removed from the waste stream (25 - 35% BOD reduction). The solids that remain in suspension as well as dissolved solids will usually be biochemically treated in subsequent processes for physical separation and removal in the final (secondary) settling tanks.
The size and number of primary tanks is dependent on the estimated wastewater flow and the design detention time. Generally, a detention time of 2 to 3 hours will provide a sufficient time period for most particles to settle out. Further, the settling rate of a particle depends on the strength and freshness of the wastewater being treated, the weight of the solid compared to the specific gravity of water, the size and shape of the solid and the temperature of the water. Water is more dense at lower temperatures; therefore, the required settling time increases. As the temperatures of the water increases, the required settling time decreases. Equal distribution of flow throughout the tank is critical. The greater the velocity in one area, the less the actual detention time. Solids not having sufficient time to settle out will be discharged in the effluent.
Principle primary treatment devices are referred to as sedimentation tanks, primary tanks, primary clarifiers or primary settling tanks, some of which have the further function of providing an additional compartment for the decomposition of settled organic solids which is known as sludge digestion. There are several types of primary tanks in use.

Septic Tanks
The septic tank was one of the earliest treatment devices developed. Currently, septic tanks provide wastewater treatment for small populations, such as individual residences, small institutions, schools, etc.
They are designed to hold wastewater at low velocity, under anaerobic conditions for minimum detention time of 36 hours. During this period, a high removal of settleable solids is achieved. These solids decompose in the bottom of the tank with the formation of gas which, entrained in the solids, causes them to rise through the wastewater to the surface and lie as a scum layer until the gas has escaped, after which the solids settle again. This continual flotation and resettling of solids carries some of them in a current toward the outlet to be discharged with the effluent. The final effluent disposal occurs by subsurface methods. The effectiveness of this method is dependent on the leaching ability of the soil.
These primary type units require a minimum of attention which involves an annual inspection and the periodic (3 - 5 years) removal of sludge and scum accumulations.

Preliminary Treatment

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The purpose of preliminary treatment is to protect the operation of the wastewater treatment plant. This is achieved by removing from the wastewater any constituents which can clog or damage pumps, or interfere with subsequent treatment processes. Preliminary treatment devices are, therefore, designed to:

Remove or to reduce in size the large, entrained, suspended or floating solids. These solids consist of pieces of wood, cloth, paper, plastics, garbage, etc. together with some fecal matter.
Remove heavy inorganic solids such as sand and gravel as well as metal or glass. These objects are called grit.
Remove excessive amounts of oils or greases.

A number of devices or types of equipment are used to obtain these objectives.

Racks and Bar Screens
These consist of bars usually spaced three-quarter inches to six inches. Those most commonly used provide clear openings of one to two inches. Although large screens are sometimes set vertically, screens are usually set at an angle of 45 to 60 degrees with the vertical. The incoming wastewater is passed through the bars or screens and periodically the accumulated material is removed. The racks or screens may be cleaned either manually or by means of automatically operated rakes. The solids removed by these units can be disposed of by burial or incineration.

Comminuting Devices
Grinders, cutters and shredders. These are devices to break or cut up solids to such size that they can be returned to the wastewater without danger of clogging pumps or piping or affecting subsequent treatment devices. They may be separate devices to grind solids removed by screens or a combination of screen and cutters installed within the wastewater flow channel in such a manner that the objective is accomplished without actually removing these larger solids from the wastewater. These latter devices are made by a number of manufacturers under various trade names and, in most cases, consist of fixed, rotating or oscillating teeth or blades, acting together to reduce the solids to a size which will pass through fixed or rotating screens or grids having openings of about one-fourth inch. Some of these devices are even designed to operate as a low-lift pump. Unfortunately, many plants with comminuting devices develop problems within subsequent treatment units due to a build up of the shredded solids. This is usually witnessed in the aeration system of activated sludge plants. These shredded solids tend to clog diffusers and cling to the impeller blades of mechanical aerators.

Grit Chambers
Wastewater usually contains a relatively large amount of inorganic solids such as sand, cinders and gravel which are collectively called grit. The amount present in a particular wastewater depends primarily on whether the collecting sewer system is of the sanitary or combined type. Grit will damage pumps by abrasion and cause serious operation difficulties in sedimentation tanks and sludge digesters by accumulation around and plugging of outlets and pump suctions. Consequently, it is common practice to remove this material by grit chambers. Grit chambers are usually located ahead of pumps or comminuting devices, and if mechanically cleaned, should be preceded by coarse bar rack screens. Grit chambers are generally designed as long channels. In these channels the velocity is reduced sufficiently to deposit heavy inorganic solids but to retain organic material in suspension. Channel type chambers should be designed to provide controlled velocities as close as possible to 1.0 foot per second. Velocities substantially greater than 1.0 foot per second cause excessive organic materials to settle out with the grit. The detention period is usually between 20 seconds to 1.0 minute. This is attained by providing several chambers to accommodate variation in flow or by proportional weirs at the end of the chamber or other flow control devices which permit regulation of flow velocity. There are also patented devices to remove grit. One development is the injection of air several feet above the floor of a tank type unit. The rolling action of the air keeps the lighter organic matter in suspension and allows the grit relatively free from organic matter to be deposited in the quiescent zone beneath the zone of air diffusion. Excessive quantities of air can cause the roll velocity to be too high resulting in poor grit removal. Insufficient quantities of air result in low roll velocities and excessive organic matter will settle with the grit. These grit chambers are usually called aerated grit chambers.

Cleaning.
Grit chambers are designed to be cleaned manually or by mechanically operated devices. If cleaned manually, storage space for the deposited grit is usually provided. Grit chambers for plants treating wastes from combined sewers should have at least two hand-cleaned units or a mechanically cleaned unit with by-pass. Mechanically cleaned grit chambers are recommended. Single, hand-cleaned chambers with by-pass, are acceptable for small wastewater treatment plants serving sanitary sewer systems. Chambers other than channel type are acceptable, if provided with adequate and flexible controls for agitation and/or air supply devices and with grit removal equipment.
There are a number of mechanical cleaning units available which remove grit be scrapers or buckets while the grit chamber is in normal operation. These require much less grit storage space than manually operated units.

Washing Grit.
Grit always contains some organic matter which decomposes and creates odors. To facilitate economical disposal of grit without causing nuisance, the organic matter is sometimes washed from the grit and returned to the wastewater. Special equipment is available to wash grit. Mechanical cleaning equipment generally provides for washing grit with wastewater as it is removed from the chamber.

Quantity of Grit.
This depends on the type of sewer system, the condition of the sewer lines and other factors. Strictly domestic wastewater collected in well constructed sewers will contain little grit, while combined wastewater will carry large volumes of grit, reaching a peak at times of severe storms. In general, 1.0 to 4.0 cu.ft. of grit per million gallons of wastewater flow can be expected.

Operation.
Manually cleaned grit chambers for combined wastewater should be cleaned after every large storm. Under ordinary conditions these grit chambers should be cleaned when the deposited grit has filled 50 to 60 percent of the grit storage space. This should be checked at least every ten days during dry weather.
When mechanically cleaned grit chambers are used, they must be cleaned at regular intervals to prevent undue load on the cleaning mechanism. Recommendations of the manufacturer should be rigidly observed. This plus experience, will determine the cleaning schedule.
A grit in which marked odors develop indicates that excessive organic matter is being removed in the grit chamber. Alternately, if sludge from a settling tank is excessively high in grit, or if there is excessive wear in pumps, comminutors, sludge collectors or other mechanical equipment, the reason is likely to be inefficient functioning of the grit removing process. In either case, a study of this unit should be made.

Disposal of Screenings and Grit.
Screenings decompose rapidly with foul odors. They should be kept covered in cans at the screens and removed at least daily for disposal by burial or incineration. The walls and platforms of the screen chamber and screen itself should be hosed down and kept clean. Grit containing much organic matter may have to be buried to prevent odor nuisances.

Pre-Aeration Tanks
Pre-aeration of wastewater, that is aeration before primary treatment is sometimes provided for the following purposes:

To obtain a greater removal of suspended solids in sedimentation tanks.
To assist in the removal of grease and oil carried in the wastewater.
To freshen up septic wastewater prior to further treatment.
BOD reduction.

Pre-aeration is accomplished by introducing air into the wastewater for a period of 20 to 30 minutes at the design flow. This may be accomplished by forcing compressed air into the wastewater at a rate of about 0.10 cu.ft. per gallon of wastewater when 30 minutes of aeration is provided or by mechanical agitation whereby the wastewater is stirred or agitated so that new surfaces are continually brought into contact with the atmosphere for absorption of air. To insure proper agitation when compressed air is forced into the wastewater, air is usually supplied at the rate of 1.0 to 4.0 cubic feet per minute per linear foot of tank or channel. When air for mechanical agitation (either with or without the use of chemicals) is used for the additional purpose of obtaining increased reduction in BOD, the detention period should be at least 45 minutes at design flow. The agitation of wastewater in the presence of air tends to collect or flocculate lighter suspended solids into heavier masses which settle more readily in the sedimentation tanks. Pre-aeration also helps to separate grease and oil from the wastewater and wastewater solids and to carry them to the surface. By the addition of air, aerobic conditions are also restored in septic wastewater to improve subsequent treatment.
The devices and equipment for introducing the air into the wastewater are the same or similar to those used in the activated sludge process.

Pre-Chlorination
Pre-chlorination is the chlorination of a wastewater prior to primary treatment. In general, the objectives of pre-chlorination are not related to disinfection, and its use is related to either temporarily preventing further wastewater decomposition or reducing problems associated with wastewater decomposition. The objectives of pre-chlorination are:

Odor control
Protection of plant structures
Aid in sedimentation, and
Reduction or delay of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)

Odor Control.
The decomposition of wastewater starts in sewers and becomes objectionable only after anaerobic decomposition has taken over. The degree of putrefaction that occurs is related to the time the wastewater is in the sewers which, in turn, depends on the length and grades of the sewers. Odor problems, therefore, develop where the sewers are long or where it is necessary to collect sewage in pump sumps and subsequently pump the wastewater to a treatment plant. There are few places in this state where the sewers are so long that putrefaction occurs to such a degree that offensive odors rise from the sewers before the wastewater reaches the wastewater treatment plant. If such a condition occurs, it may be possible to chlorinate the wastewater at a manhole on a trunk sewer. The amount of chlorine required varies depending on how long the decomposition of the wastewater must be delayed. It is not necessary to add sufficient chlorine to satisfy the chlorine demand, but merely sufficient to destroy odors and slow bacterial decomposition. Thus, no residual chlorine is produced. Doses of four to six mg/L are generally sufficient to control odors. Chlorine may be applied upsewer from the plant in forcemains, pump suction wells, screen chambers, grit chambers, trickling filter influent, settling tanks or wherever there is an odor problem. Normally, the practice is to start with a fairly high dose of chlorine (10 mg/L) to quickly control the odors, and gradually reduce the dose over a period of time to determine the minimum that will satisfy the local condition.

The production of offensive odors at pumping stations is a fairly common occurrence. Chlorination of the wastewater as it enters the pump sump or in the pump sump is effective as a preventative measure. The amount of chlorine required varies with the different situations but is less than that required to produce a residual. Generally, it is about the same as the chlorine demand or 25 to 50 lbs. per million gallons, but the minimum effective dose must be found by trial and error for each installation.
Another common occurrence is for wastewater to be septic, or a source of odor, as it is received at the wastewater plant. To prevent disagreeable odors during treatment, chlorination of the influent of the primary sedimentation tank is practiced which also aids in the settling properties of the sludge solids. If the purpose is only odor control and not disinfection, the chlorination need not be sufficient to produce a residual. Generally, a dose that will destroy all the reducing substances and thus slow the rate of decomposition is used. How great this dose must be depends to a large extent on how far putrefaction proceeded before the wastewater reached the plant. When putrefaction is far advanced, the chlorine dose may be equal to or greater than the dose which would produce a residual if the wastewater were fresh.
A similar situation may develop when the wastewater is received fresh but becomes septic during the treatment process. This often occurs in a new plant where the initial wastewater flow is far less than the design flow and the detention period in the primary tanks is greatly prolonged. Again pre-chlorination of the tank influent is used to delay putrefaction and resulting odors. In this case, the chlorine dose will be much less than that required if the wastewater were septic. The amount of reducing substances in the wastewater will be low and a dose of two to five mg/L of chlorine may be sufficient to prevent odors.

Protection of Plant Structures.
Decomposition of wastewater can proceed to the point of hydrogen sulfide production, but, owing to location or low concentration, odors are not a problem. If this occurs in a pumping station, intercepting sewers or treatment plant, there may be serious corrosion. The remedy is similar to that for odor control -- chlorination sufficient to prevent hydrogen sulfide formation or to destroy hydrogen sulfide if it has been produced. The points of application are similar to those used for odor control but the quantity of chlorine may be less because only hydrogen sulfide has to be controlled. Minimum chlorine dose cannot be found without laboratory tests. In general though, this is a specific problem and the dose of chlorine can be found by trial and error. It may not be necessary to destroy all the hydrogen sulfide but only to reduce the concentration to one or two mg/L so that the amount evolved will be a minimum. Hydrogen sulfide causes structures to be damaged and weakened due to corrosion and can result in shutdown of the plant for repair. Generally, it is an economic problem, but factors other than cost must be considered. One such factor is the toxic nature of hydrogen sulfide.

Aid in Sedimentation.
Pre-chlorination at the influent of a settling tank is sometimes practical for the benefit of improved settling. Generally, such benefits are incidental to the use of pre-chlorination for some other purpose. However, when there is a choice of the point of chlorine application, it is well to bear in mind that improved sedimentation, heavier sludge, and improved grease and oil separation are obtainable when chlorination of the primary influent is practiced.

Reduction or Delay of Biochemical Oxygen Demand.
Chlorination of raw wastewater to produce a residual of 0.2 to 0.5 mg/L after 15 minutes contact may cause a reduction of 15 to 35 percent in the BOD of the wastewater. Generally, a reduction of at least 2 mg/L of 5 day BOD is obtained for each mg/L of chlorine applied up to the point at which a residual is produced. When units of a plant become overloaded, use can be made of chlorination to reduce the load until additional treatment facilities can be provided as the use of chlorine for BOD reduction is usually not economical. Chlorine is also used when the additional load is only temporary, such as when supernatant is returned from sludge digesters or when a plant receives intermittent discharges of industrial wastes.

Occasionally, chlorination of the plant effluent to a relatively high residual is practiced to delay or reduce the BOD load on receiving waters during short periods of extremely low stream flow. This is only an emergency procedure but does offer some aid under such conditions. Generally, the higher the residual carried the more the load is reduced, but care must be taken to prevent fish kills by chlorine.

Wastewater Treatment

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Water is available to anyone for no cost. It can be found in so many places. The earth is comprised of mostly water. Human depend on water for every day things and it is up there with needing food. Some of the daily chores that we must complete can not be done without water to help. When water is used, can it be recycled to be available again?

Even wastewater is recyclable when it completes a process known as wastewater treatment. There is not only one method for wastewater treatment. Many of the methods are still as good today as they were years ago. This method of wastewater treatment gets rid of the odor by getting rid of the algae or bacteria in the water. The taste is also made better by chemicals being added to it in other treatment processes. The particles are gotten out with a filtration process. Methods for treating wastewater differ in many ways to ensure that the water is clean and safe for you to reuse again and again.

Wastewater Filtration
The method for treating wastewater that is know as filtration, takes out the particles in the wastewater by grabbing the particles and letting the remaining water flow through a membrane. The filter sifts the water and the particles causing them to separate from each other. More than one filter type is available for the filtration method. Simple filters that resemble fine nets are also utilized for the smaller particles in the water. For micro sized particles, an advanced system for filtering is needed.

Each filter has its own life expectancy. After the filter has been used for an extended period of time and the particles are gathered into the filter, the water will start to flow through it slowly. To eliminate the gathered particles from the filter, it will need to be washed by a method called backwashing. Taking the filter and flipping it inside out and running water through it will separate the particles from the filter. If this method does not help the flow of water through the filter, replacement of the filter is necessary.

Wastewater Aeration
Industries use the aeration method of treating wastewater more than the residential sectors do. Aeration simple means that air is brought to the water. The water becomes oxygenated by the air. This process is completed to get rid of the foul odor creating chemicals. These chemicals could be ammonia or hydrogen sulfide. There are many different ways to aerate the water.

Diffused aeration is completed by making bubbles in the water while aeration by a spray is completed by spraying the water in the air. Repeated aeration is done by letting the water go through the many conduits before it is allowed to mix in the air. The cascading aeration is completed to make little waterfalls that allow the water to flow through many layers. The final type of aeration is stripping. This stripping mixes multiple aeration and cascade aeration together.

Wetlands Created On The Site Of The Wastewater
There are many cities and municipalities in the US and some countries overseas that utilize the wetland method when treating their wastewater. These onsite wetlands are largely used as a method for treating wastewater because it has been shown to be the best for the environment and help to keep the balance of the ecosystem.

This treatment of wastewater can either be natural wetlands or manmade wetlands. These wetlands provide a filter by allowing the water plants and rocks to separate the solid waste from the water. This wetland method also gets rid of the odors by using a biological method of removing the bacteria and the odor molecules are broken up.

Large industries provide their own ways to treat the wastewater before they allow it to flow into the water sources. Homes have their own particular ways also. The same outcome is wanted with all the methods and that is to make the water recycled and ready to use again.

Paper Recycling Facts

2010-04-01T15:58:00.002+05:30

To produce each week's Sunday newspapers, 500,000 trees must be cut down.
Recycling a single run of the Sunday New York Times would save 75,000 trees.
If all our newspaper was recycled, we could save about 250,000,000 trees each year!
If every American recycled just one-tenth of their newspapers, we would save about 25,000,000 trees a year.
If you had a 15-year-old tree and made it into paper grocery bags, you'd get about 700 of them. A busy supermarket could use all of them in under an hour! This means in one year, one supermarket can go through over 6 million paper bags! Imagine how many supermarkets there are just in the United States!!!
The average American uses seven trees a year in paper, wood, and other products made from trees. This amounts to about 2,000,000,000 trees per year!
The amount of wood and paper we throw away each year is enough to heat 50,000,000 homes for 20 years.
Approximately 1 billion trees worth of paper are thrown away every year in the U.S.
Americans use 85,000,000 tons of paper a year; about 680 pounds per person.
The average household throws away 13,000 separate pieces of paper each year. Most is packaging and junk mail.
In 1993, U.S. paper recovery saved more than 90,000,000 cubic yards of landfill space.
Each ton (2000 pounds) of recycled paper can save 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil, three cubic yards of landfill space, 4000 kilowatts of energy, and 7000 gallons of water. This represents a 64% energy savings, a 58% water savings, and 60 pounds less of air pollution!
The 17 trees saved (above) can absorb a total of 250 pounds of carbon dioxide from the air each year. Burning that same ton of paper would create 1500 pounds of carbon dioxide.
The construction costs of a paper mill designed to use waste paper is 50 to 80% less than the cost of a mill using new pulp.

Aluminum Recycling Facts

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A used aluminum can is recycled and back on the grocery shelf as a new can, in as little as 60 days. That's closed loop recycling at its finest!
Used aluminum beverage cans are the most recycled item in the U.S., but other types of aluminum, such as siding, gutters, car components, storm window frames, and lawn furniture can also be recycled.
Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for three hours -- or the equivalent of a half a gallon of gasoline.
More aluminum goes into beverage cans than any other product.
Because so many of them are recycled, aluminum cans account for less than 1% of the total U.S. waste stream, according to EPA estimates.
An aluminum can that is thrown away will still be a can 500 years from now!
There is no limit to the amount of times an aluminum can be recycled.
We use over 80,000,000,000 aluminum soda cans every year.
At one time, aluminum was more valuable than gold!
A 60-watt light bulb can be run for over a day on the amount of energy saved by recycling 1 pound of steel. In one year in the United States, the recycling of steel saves enough energy to heat and light 18,000,000 homes!

7 Ways You Can Easily Save Paper and Avoid Killing the Environment

2010-04-01T15:31:00.000+05:30

Buy Recycled Paper, Duh
According to the City of Seattle a ton of paper made from recycled paper, as opposed to virgin paper, saves the equivalent of 4,100 kilowatt hours of energy, 7000 gallons of water, 60 pounds of air emissions, and 3 cubic yards of landfill space.
Check Your Work to Avoid Printing Copies that Have to Be Thrown Away
Make sure to spell check your work, and even read over it on screen. Use the Print Preview feature to preview your work to make sure everything lines up correctly.
Use the Print Range feature to Print Only what You Need
You can use the Print range feature available in most programs to print only the exact pages or the selected text that you need.
Don’t Throw Away Your Mis-prints, Keep it as Draft Paper
You can keep paper that you may have printed earlier which you no longer need, and print on the blank side instead of throwing it way like I am sure we have all done before. You can even use it to jot down notes for yourself instead of wasting Post it notes.
Make Use of Double Sided Printing
It’s actually pretty simple. First print the odd pages by editing the Print range after pressing Ctrl+P. Then flip the pages over and put them back in the paper tray. Then just print the even pages by editing thePrint range once again.
Avoid Printed Envelope Labels, And Print Directly on to the Envelope
Save paper by avoiding printing addresses on to labels, only to turn around and stick that label on an envelope. It is very easy to addresses and more right onto the label using Microsoft Word or other word processing programs.
Send Documents via eMail or eFax
Although you may not always be able to, try to send stuff via email whenever possible. If you are going to fax something, many times people never use the functionality of many printers which allows for eFax. With eFax you don’t have to print something out just to stick in the fax machine and then throw it away when your done.

6 Eco-friendly Gift Ideas for Valentine's Day

2010-02-13T09:51:00.000+05:30

On Valentine's Day, people share wonderful moments together and make them more meaningful with a special Valentine present. This year, carry on the tradition with a bit of twist: give green Valentine gifts. Here are some ideas.

1. Tree-friendly Valentine Cards
Next to Christmas, Valentine's Day is the largest card-sending holiday of the year. In fact, 25 percent of all seasonal cards annually are Valentine cards. According to American Greetings Corporation, around a billion valentine cards are sent each year around the world.

Make a difference by choosing cards that are made from recycled or tree-free paper. Card makers usually indicate this at the back of every card. Homemade cards are also a good choice. Make cards out of recycled materials such as thick cardboards, used fabric, old buttons, etc. Creativity and resourcefulness are green virtues.

2. E-books

E-books do not consume paper and do not use up fuel upon delivery. Purchase an e-book that will be of good use to the recipient. For example, a mother who loves to cook might enjoy an e-book of recipes. A dog lover would love an e-book about dog breeds, while a female teenager might appreciate a romance novel.

3. Organic Chocolates

Over 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate are sold each year. It's not bad to be part of the statistic but, for a change, try something different. Organically grown chocolates contain cacao products that were grown without the aid of harmful pesticides. Buying produce from local fair traders helps support sustainable farming and reduce carbon footprint.

Organic chocolates are also good for one's health. When eaten in moderation, they can help improve heart health, control blood sugar, and suppress chronic cough.

4. Locally Grown Organic Flowers

Valentine’s Day is the holiday when most fresh flower purchases are made. Try to add more meaning to the tradition by choosing locally grown organic flowers. Organic flowers are pesticide-free and just as beautiful as the ones grown using conventional gardening. Buying locally grown organic flowers also helps support local growers who advocate environmentally friendly flower farming. Organically grown flowers are usually sold at a fair trade or from flower shops.

Here are a few reasons why locally grown organic flowers are the best choice this Valentine season:

Organic flower farming provides healthier conditions for workers, supports sustainable organic farming practices, and avoids harmful toxic products (artificial pesticides that are often used in conventional flower farming)
Locally grown flowers provide jobs to people within the community, are fresher when bought at nearby flower shops, and use less fuel upon transport or delivery.
A 1997 report found that commercially grown roses contain 1,000 times the amount of cancer-causing pesticides when compared with food products. *
5. Potted Plant
How about giving a potted plant as gift? Potted plants have longer life than freshly cut flowers, which means that they will add to clean air for some time. Giving plants as gifts also encourages people to appreciate flora and give them as gifts too.

6. Jewelry
About 10 percent of engagements happen on Valentine’s day. Hence, the number of jewelry purchases during this occasion is relatively high. Consider purchasing pre-owned jewelry from jewel makers who are certified to be sourcing gemstones and precious metals in an ecologically and socially responsible manner. Buying pre-owned jewelry also helps reduce production rate and consequently, added waste. Another option would be to purchase something offbeat like jewelry made of beads, wood, or other materials.

Read more at Suite101: Green Valentine Gifts: 6 Eco-friendly Gift Ideas for Valentine's Day http://natural-products.suite101.com/article.cfm/green-valentine-gifts#ixzz0fNzFVf6I

Home Decoration Planning Bathrooms

2009-11-10T14:07:00.000+05:30

Bathrooms and toilets have always been mused as the intellectuals to spend some time alone and do some thinking and be with peace with oneself. An ideal bath retreat at home may not have a spa, a luxurious Jacuzzi or a whirlpool but is still a place that soothes one’s eyes and mind at once and make the person feel comfortable. It is efficient and beautiful at the same time and should be able to make the day for you. Planning and designing a new bathroom or remodeling the one that is already existing needs a careful execution to minimize spending more than your budget and get what you desired originally.

Whether you will be making just a few cosmetic changes or completely tear down the old bath and replace it with a new one depends on the time, space available and your budget. There can be two ways of execution plans you can adopt:

1. Step-by-step plan, and
2. Finishing the complete project at once.

While undertaking the latter approach is of course efficient and cheaper, it may become inconvenient as you may require a spare bathroom to use in the meanwhile, do or manage many things at once including framing, plumbing, light and faucet fittings, tiling and painting and it can be real taxing on your pocket. So, it may be more suitable for only the new bathrooms while you can adopt the former approach for the remodeling projects.

While designing a bath for homes, it is important to take the following into consideration beforehand:

Other bathrooms that you can use in your home or your friend’s
temporarily,
Make the budget carefully and include the costs of faucets,
fixtures and light fittings; lumber, cabinets and finishing
materials; pipes and fittings; curtains, flooring and accessories
such as towels, spas and warmers and fireplaces.
You may want to keep some of the existing features or items, may
recycle some of the architectural and other items available very
inexpensively at thrift stores and do a good research into the
options available to you before buying expensive items.
Architectural drafting with detailed drawings and some of the
computer applications can help you to visualize the features and
design and décor elements you desire in your finished
bathroom.
Be sure to know the requirements and established codes of the
building, society and locality you live in and the permissions and
authority letters that you may require before making the changes and
stick to the rules and regulations to avoid inconveniences later.

Gujarat Univ converts banana plant waste into useful products

2009-11-10T01:56:00.003+05:30

Ahmedabad: In what will be music to the ears of banana cultivators, a Gujarat-based agriculture university has successfully converted those parts of the fruit's plant which are usually thrown away as waste into highly useful products, including an edible candy with nutritional values.

Under a project 'A value chain on utilisation of banana pseudostem for fibre and other value added products', Navsari Agriculture University (NAU) professors have developededible candy high in fibre and nutrition made out of central core of plant pseudostem.

The other products include fibre for textile and paper industry and organic liquid fertiliser, which have been developed under the project which aims for efficient use of each and every component of banana plant.

"We have been working on the project for a year and developed a number of products using the banana plant, including edible candy," NAU professor BN Kolambe told PTI.

"This candy is made from the central core of the banana plant pseudostem, which is a nutrition-rich part. The candy has been developed on experimental basis and we are in the
process of standardising the product," he said.

If parts of the banana plant like leaves and pseudostem are used to develop value added products, farmers would be the ultimate beneficiaries as banana is grown in large quantity in Gujarat, Kolambe said. "A sample of the candy has been sent for certification to
the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysore. It is still in the initial stage and once we get the certification we would try and find partners for commercial production," Kolambe said.

The professor said that they have been working for the last one year on the project, which aims at developing technology or processes for utilisation of different parts of banana plant which are thrown away. According to Kolambe, banana is cultivated throughout the year in over 55,000 hectares in the state.

And also looking at the demand for banana in the international market and with new technologies evolved for better yield, farmers have shown interest in its cultivation in state mainly in districts of south Gujarat, he said.

"The per hectare yield of banana crop is about 34 tonnes in the state. As a result, in addition to fruit production, huge quantity of biomass (pseduostem, leaves) is generated
which is discarded as waste," Kolambe said.

In the past, some researchers have successfullydemonstrated use of banana pseudostem and leaves for extraction of fibres on a small scale, he said.

"What we are developing is a technology for extracting fibre and pulp out of banana pseudostem for commercial purpose which could be used in textile and paper industry. Presently, banana fibre in India is mainly used for handicrafts and rope, as major problem of non-adoption of fibre extraction technology is low recovery of fibres leading to high transport cost, Kolambe said.

The professor said that during fibre extraction, waste and sap (a watery solution of sugars, salts and minerals obtained from banana pseudostem) are obtained as by-products, which are used for preparing enriched vermi-compost and as liquid fertiliser respectively.

"We have completed the first phase of developing technology or process. In the next stage we will standardise the process for industrial and commercial use," Kolambe said.

"In the final stage we plan to develop an effective marketing network of banana pseudostem based products and attempts will be made to popularise the developed technologies among the entrepreneurs and other stakeholders through awareness programmes," he said.

With the use of technology developed out of this project, the net profit of banana growers is expected to increase by 15-20% as pseudostem fibres will be an additional
source of raw material for textile and paper industries, Kolambe said.

"Not only this, use of pseudostem based vermi-compost and sap will curtail fertiliser expenses by about 20-25% along with advantage of sustaining soil health," he added.

5 Deadliest Effects of Global Warming

2009-11-02T17:56:00.000+05:30

Green house gases stay can stay in the atmosphere for an amount of years ranging from decades to hundreds and thousands of years. No matter what we do, global warming is going to have some effect on Earth. Here are the 5 deadliest effects of global warming.

5. Spread of disease

As northern countries warm, disease carrying insects migrate north, bringing plague and disease with them. Indeed some scientists believe that in some countries thanks to global warming, malaria has not been fully eradicated.

4. Warmer waters and more hurricanes

As the temperature of oceans rises, so will the probability of more frequent and stronger hurricanes. We saw in this in 2004 and 2005.

3. Increased probability and intensity of droughts and heat waves
Although some areas of Earth will become wetter due to global warming, other areas will suffer serious droughts and heat waves. Africa will receive the worst of it, with more severe droughts also expected in Europe. Water is already a dangerously rare commodity in Africa, and according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, global warming will exacerbate the conditions and could lead to conflicts and war.

2. Economic consequences
Most of the effects of anthropogenic global warming won’t be good. And these effects spell one thing for the countries of the world: economic consequences. Hurricanes cause do billions of dollars in damage, diseases cost money to treat and control and conflicts exacerbate all of these.

1. Polar ice caps melting
The ice caps melting is a four-pronged danger.

First, it will raise sea levels. There are 5,773,000 cubic miles of water in ice caps, glaciers, and permanent snow. According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, if all glaciers melted today the seas would rise about 230 feet. Luckily, that’s not going to happen all in one go! But sea levels will rise.

Second, melting ice caps will throw the global ecosystem out of balance. The ice caps are fresh water, and when they melt they will desalinate the ocean, or in plain English – make it less salty. The desalinization of the gulf current will “screw up” ocean currents, which regulate temperatures. The stream shutdown or irregularity would cool the area around north-east America and Western Europe. Luckily, that will slow some of the other effects of global warming in that area!

Third, temperature rises and changing landscapes in the artic circle will endanger several species of animals. Only the most adaptable will survive.

Fourth, global warming could snowball with the ice caps gone. Ice caps are white, and reflect sunlight, much of which is relected back into space, further cooling Earth. If the ice caps melt, the only reflector is the ocean. Darker colors absorb sunlight, further warming the Earth.

Global Warming Solutions

2009-11-02T17:00:00.000+05:30

What Can We Do?

The evidence that humans are causing global warming is strong, but the question of what to do about it remains controversial. Economics, sociology, and politics are all important factors in planning for the future

Is this possible?

Many people and governments are already working hard to cut greenhouse gases, and everyone can help.

Researchers Stephen Pacala and Robert Socolow at Princeton University have suggested one approach that they call "stabilization wedges." This means reducing GHG emissions from a variety of sources with technologies available in the next few decades, rather than relying on an enormous change in a single area. They suggest 7 wedges that could each reduce emissions, and all of them together could hold emissions at approximately current levels for the next 50 years, putting us on a potential path to stabilize around 500 ppm.

There are many possible wedges, including improvements to energy efficiency and vehicle fuel economy (so less energy has to be produced), and increases in wind and solar power, hydrogen produced from renewable sources, biofuels (produced from crops), natural gas, and nuclear power. There is also the potential to capture the carbon dioxide emitted from fossil fuels and store it underground—a process called "carbon sequestration."

In addition to reducing the gases we emit to the atmosphere, we can also increase the amount of gases we take out of the atmosphere. Plants and trees absorb CO2 as they grow, "sequestering" carbon naturally. Increasing forestlands and making changes to the way we farm could increase the amount of carbon we're storing.

Some of these technologies have drawbacks, and different communities will make different decisions about how to power their lives, but the good news is that there are a variety of options to put us on a path toward a stable climate.

Global Warming

2009-11-02T16:57:00.000+05:30

What Causes Global Warming?

Scientists have spent decades figuring out what is causing global warming. They've looked at the natural cycles and events that are known to influence climate. But the amount and pattern of warming that's been measured can't be explained by these factors alone. The only way to explain the pattern is to include the effect of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted by humans.

To bring all this information together, the United Nations formed a group of scientists called the International Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC. The IPCC meets every few years to review the latest scientific findings and write a report summarizing all that is known about global warming. Each report represents a consensus, or agreement, among hundreds of leading scientists.

One of the first things scientists learned is that there are several greenhouse gases responsible for warming, and humans emit them in a variety of ways. Most come from the combustion of fossil fuels in cars, factories and electricity production. The gas responsible for the most warming is carbon dioxide, also called CO2. Other contributors include methane released from landfills and agriculture (especially from the digestive systems of grazing animals), nitrous oxide from fertilizers, gases used for refrigeration and industrial processes, and the loss of forests that would otherwise store CO2.

Different greenhouse gases have very different heat-trapping abilities. Some of them can even trap more heat than CO2. A molecule of methane produces more than 20 times the warming of a molecule of CO2. Nitrous oxide is 300 times more powerful than CO2. Other gases, such as chlorofluorocarbons (which have been banned in much of the world because they also degrade the ozone layer), have heat-trapping potential thousands of times greater than CO2. But because their concentrations are much lower than CO2, none of these gases adds as much warmth to the atmosphere as CO2 does.

In order to understand the effects of all the gases together, scientists tend to talk about all greenhouse gases in terms of the equivalent amount of CO2. Since 1990, yearly emissions have gone up by about 6 billion metric tons of "carbon dioxide equivalent" worldwide, more than a 20% increase.

Air Pollution

2009-11-02T16:47:00.000+05:30

Comes From Many Sources

Smog hanging over cities is the most familiar and obvious form of air pollution. But there are different kinds of pollution—some visible, some invisible—that contribute to global warming. Generally any substance that people introduce into the atmosphere that has damaging effects on living things and the environment is considered air pollution.

Carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, is the main pollutant that is warming Earth. Though living things emit carbon dioxide when they breathe, carbon dioxide is widely considered to be a pollutant when associated with cars, planes, power plants, and other human activities that involve the burning of fossil fuels such as gasoline and natural gas. In the past 150 years, such activities have pumped enough carbon dioxide into the atmosphere to raise its levels higher than they have been for hundreds of thousands of years.

Other greenhouse gases include methane—which comes from such sources as swamps and gas emitted by livestock—and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which were used in refrigerants and aerosol propellants until they were banned because of their deteriorating effect on Earth's ozone layer.

Another pollutant associated with climate change is sulfur dioxide, a component of smog. Sulfur dioxide and closely related chemicals are known primarily as a cause of acid rain. But they also reflect light when released in the atmosphere, which keeps sunlight out and causes Earth to cool. Volcanic eruptions can spew massive amounts of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere, sometimes causing cooling that lasts for years. In fact, volcanoes used to be the main source of atmospheric sulfur dioxide; today people are.

Industrialized countries have worked to reduce levels of sulfur dioxide,

smog, and smoke in order to improve people's health. But a result, not

predicted until recently, is that the lower sulfur dioxide levels may

actually make global warming worse. Just as sulfur dioxide from volcanoes

can cool the planet by blocking sunlight, cutting the amount of the

compound in the atmosphere lets more sunlight through, warming the Earth.

This effect is exaggerated when elevated levels of other greenhouse gases

in the atmosphere trap the additional heat.

Most people agree that to curb global warming, a variety of measures need to be taken. On a personal level, driving and flying less, recycling, and conservation reduces a person’s "carbon footprint"—the amount of carbon dioxide a person is responsible for putting into the atmosphere.

On a larger scale, governments are taking measures to limit emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. One way is through the Kyoto Protocol, an agreement between countries that they will cut back on carbon dioxide emissions. Another method is to put taxes on carbon emissions or higher taxes on gasoline, so that people and companies will have greater incentives to conserve energy and pollute less.

Acid Rain

2009-11-02T16:42:00.000+05:30

Effects Felt Through the Food Chain

Rotting vegetation and erupting volcanoes release some chemicals that can cause acid rain, but most acid rain falls because of human activities. The biggest culprit is the burning of fossil fuels by coal-burning power plants, factories, and automobiles.

Acid rain describes any form of precipitation with high levels of nitric and sulfuric acids. It can also occur in the form of snow, fog, and tiny bits of dry material that settle to Earth.

When humans burn fossil fuels, sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) are released into the atmosphere. These chemical gases react with water, oxygen, and other substances to form mild solutions of sulfuric and nitric acid. Winds may spread these acidic solutions across the atmosphere and over hundreds of miles. When acid rain reaches Earth, it flows across the surface in runoff water, enters water systems, and sinks into the soil.

Acid rain has many ecological effects, but none is greater than its impact on lakes, streams, wetlands, and other aquatic environments. Acid rain makes waters acidic and causes them to absorb the aluminum that makes its way from soil into lakes and streams. This combination makes waters toxic to crayfish, clams, fish, and other aquatic animals.

Some species can tolerate acidic waters better than others. However, in an interconnected ecosystem, what impacts some species eventually impacts many more throughout the food chain—including non-aquatic species such as birds.

Acid rain also damages forests, especially those at higher elevations. It robs the soil of essential nutrients and releases aluminum in the soil, which makes it hard for trees to take up water. Trees' leaves and needles are also harmed by acids.

The effects of acid rain, combined with other environmental stressors, leave trees and plants less able to withstand cold temperatures, insects, and disease. The pollutants may also inhibit trees' ability to reproduce. Some soils are better able to neutralize acids than others. In areas where the soil's "buffering capacity" is low, the harmful effects of acid rain are much greater.

The only way to fight acid rain is by curbing the release of the pollutants that cause it. This means burning fewer fossil fuels. Many governments have tried to curb emissions by cleaning up industry smokestacks and promoting alternative fuel sources. These efforts have met with mixed results. But even if acid rain could be stopped today, it would still take many years for its harmful effects to disappear.

Individuals can also help prevent acid rain by conserving energy. The less electricity people use in their homes, the fewer chemicals power plants will emit. Vehicles are also major fossil fuel users, so drivers can reduce emissions by using public transportation, carpooling, biking, or simply walking wherever possible.

Effects of Global Warming

2009-11-02T16:38:00.000+05:30

And the effects of rising temperatures aren’t waiting for some far-flung future. They’re happening right now. Signs are appearing all over, and some of them are surprising. The heat is not only melting glaciers and sea ice, it’s also shifting precipitation patterns and setting animals on the move.

Some impacts from increasing temperatures are already happening.

Ice is melting worldwide, especially at the Earth’s poles. This includes mountain glaciers, ice sheets covering West Antarctica and Greenland, and Arctic sea ice.
Researcher Bill Fraser has tracked the decline of the Adélie penguins on Antarctica, where their numbers have fallen from 32,000 breeding pairs to 11,000 in 30 years.
Sea level rise became faster over the last century.
Some butterflies, foxes, and alpine plants have moved farther north or to higher, cooler areas.
Precipitation (rain and snowfall) has increased across the globe, on average.
Spruce bark beetles have boomed in Alaska thanks to 20 years of warm summers. The insects have chewed up 4 million acres of spruce trees.

Other effects could happen later this century, if warming continues.

Sea levels are expected to rise between 7 and 23 inches (18 and 59 centimeters) by the end of the century, and continued melting at the poles could add between 4 and 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters).
Hurricanes and other storms are likely to become stronger.
Species that depend on one another may become out of sync. For example, plants could bloom earlier than their pollinating insects become active.
Floods and droughts will become more common. Rainfall in Ethiopia, where droughts are already common, could decline by 10 percent over the next 50 years.
Less fresh water will be available. If the Quelccaya ice cap in Peru continues to melt at its current rate, it will be gone by 2100, leaving thousands of people who rely on it for drinking water and electricity without a source of either.
Some diseases will spread, such as malaria carried by mosquitoes.
Ecosystems will change—some species will move farther north or become more successful; others won’t be able to move and could become extinct. Wildlife research scientist Martyn Obbard has found that since the mid-1980s, with less ice on which to live and fish for food, polar bears have gotten considerably skinnier. Polar bear biologist Ian Stirling has found a similar pattern in Hudson Bay. He fears that if sea ice disappears, the polar bears will as well.

Source for climate information: IPCC, 2007

Turn Food Into Fuel

2009-02-13T17:20:00.000+05:30

Are corn husks better than corn for producing energy? Ethanol is the alternative fuel that could finally wean the U.S. from its expensive oil habit and in turn prevent the millions of tons of carbon emissions that go with it. The Department of Energy has doubled its 2005 commitment to funding research into biofuels—any non-petroleum fuel source, including corn, soybean, switchgrass, municipal waste and (ick) used cooking oil. Already, half of the nearly 11 billion bushels of corn produced each year is turned into ethanol, and most new cars are capable of running on E10 (10% ethanol and 90% gas).

Yet the eco-friendly fuel is beginning to look less chummy of late. Some of the 114 ethanol plants in the U.S. use natural gas and, yes, even coal to run the processors. And ethanol has to be trucked. Existing gas pipelines can't carry it because it corrodes iron. Then there are the economics. Producers depend on federal subsidies, and increasing demand for corn as fuel means the kernels keep getting pricier.

That's why researchers are prospecting for more alternatives, preferably ones that don't rely on food crops or a 51 cents-per-gallon tax break. Municipal waste, wood pulp and leftover grain and corn husks are all quite attractive; they can produce something called cellulosic ethanol, which contains more energy than corn. But they don't give up their bounty easily, so for now they're more expensive than corn-based ethanol to produce. Undeterred, researchers at several cellulosic-ethanol plants are developing innovative enzyme concoctions and heating methods to make the process more economic. Nothing like haste to make something out of waste.

Save Money on Gas

2009-02-11T11:01:00.000+05:30

Easy Ways To Save Money On Gas

Save Money Every Time You Fill Your Tank

1. Steady speed
Try to drive at a steady speed, because slowing down and speeding up will waste fuel.

2. Limit your speed
Speeds above 55 mph will degrease your gas mileage by 20% due to wind resistance. Limit your high speed between 40mph and 55mph. This will save you a lot on fuel.

3. Quick starts
Try to avoid quick acceleration starts (so called Jackrabbit starts.) Quick start will waste a lot of fuel. Also leave enough space between you and the car in front of you during rush hour. This way you can keep the car in motion.

4. Close windows
If you’re on the freeway, keep the windows closed as much as possible. Open windows on high speeds can cause a lot of drag and thus more fuel consumption.

5. Carpool
Try to carpool as much as possible. This way you and your fellow drivers will save both a lot of money on fuel. Also you drive less with your own car (if you switch between your car and the car of your carpool partner) so you have less wear on your car parts, thus fewer repairs are needed.

6. Shop for cheap gas
The price of gas may vary from gas-station to gas-station by much as 5-15% per gallon. So, shop around! Find the lowest priced gas within the location of your or work. (Don’t drive to far of course or you won’t save anything.)

7. Regular checkups
Check the pressure of your tires on a regular basis, you will save fuel. Also a tuned car is more fuel-efficient. Also let a mechanic check the alignment of your tires, this will prolong the live of your tires and will get your better mileage.

8. Errands
If you make multiple errands in one week, then try to consolidate in one trip. Avoid excess driving.

9. Sell
If your car uses a lot of fuel, sell it! Buy a more fuel efficient car; this will save you money in the long. (Also smaller cars are usually cheaper.)

10. Simple solution
The last tip is simple. Take public transport, cycle or walk as much as possible. This will save you the most money on gas!

Eco-Friendly Landscaping

2009-02-10T11:44:00.001+05:30

Plant Trees

Everyone knows that trees are green, absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen.

Planting a few strategically planted trees can help to cool off a building and reduce the amount of energy allocated to air conditioning.

Planting deciduous trees (trees that drop their leaves in the fall) is a great way to cool your home and reduce your air conditioning costs during the summer. When these trees drop their leaves, they also allow sunlight to warm a home or building during the winter. To maximize the benefits of deciduous trees, plant tall trees on the east and west-facing sides of your house.

This will help shade your home during the hottest months of the summer. Planting trees on the south facing side of your home can help shade the roof, as the sun will not hit that side of the house much during the summer. Make sure to prune trees so that at least a few branches are shading the roof and the air conditioning unit. This adds up to additional energy savings.

Evergreen trees are very useful if you want to create a natural windbreak to reduce those chilly winds that hit your home during the winter. It’s common to plant trees for windbreaks on the north and west sides of a home. However, you will need to determine the dominant wind direction for your area and plant upwind.

Trees should also be planted to shade paved areas. Light energy striking dark pavement like asphalt is absorbed, causing the air above to be heated. Light colored pavement absorbs less energy, but can reflect it toward a building. Tree leaves reduce heat and reflection as they absorb light energy and use it to evaporate water.

Shrubs and ground covers can also help improve the energy-efficiency of your landscape as well. Planting shrubs, bushes, and vines next to your home creates a dead air space that insulates your home both winter and summer. Groundcover plants will shade the soil and pavement around your home, reducing radiation and cooling air before it reaches your home.

Live Green

2009-02-10T11:30:00.001+05:30

Save Wood and Paper

    * Return unwanted mail and ask for your name to be removed from the mailing list.
    * Always use both sides of a sheet of paper.
    * Use e-mail to stay in touch, including cards, rather than faxing or writing.
    * Re-use envelopes.
    * Always recycle paper after use.
    * Share magazines with friends and pass them on to the doctor, dentist or local hospital for their waiting rooms.
    * Use recyclable paper to make invitation cards, envelops, letter pads etc.

In your Home

    * Turn off equipment like televisions and stereos when you're not using them.
      Choose energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs.
    * Save water: some simple steps can go a long way in saving water like for e.g: you should always turn off the tap when you are brushing your teeth. And try to collect the water used to wash vegetables and salad to water your houseplants.
    * Let clothes dry naturally.
    * Keep lids on pans when cooking to prevent your cooker having to work extra hard. Prefer to use gas ovens, Geysers etc in place of the electric ones.
    * Recycle your paper, glass, plastics and other waste.
    * Use rechargeable batteries.
    * Send e-greetings instead of paper cards.

In your Garden

    * Water the garden early in the morning or late in the evening. This reduces water loss due to evaporation. Don’t overwater the garden. Water only till the soil becomes moist, not soggy.
    * Explore water efficient irrigation systems. Sprinkler irrigation and drip irrigation can be adapted to garden situations .
    * Make your garden lively - plant trees and shrubs which will attract birds. You can also put p nest boxes and put food.
    * Try growing sturdy grass in bare patches of land , and convince people in your neighbourhood to do so too.
    * Put waste to work in your garden- sweep the fallen leaves and flowers into flower beds or under shrubs . This will increase soil fertility and also reduce the need for frequent watering.
    * If you have little space in your garden , you could make a compost pit to turn organic waste from the kitchen and garden to soil enriching manure .
    * Don't use chemicals in the garden - as they will eventually end up in the sea and can upset the delicate balance of lifecycles.
    * Organic and environmentally friendly fertilisers and pesticides are available - organic gardening reduces pollution and is better for wildlife.

Reuse and Recycle

    * Use washable nappies instead of disposables if you can.
    * Recycle as much as you can.
    * Give unwanted clothes, toys and books to charity shops or jumble sales.
    * Use mains electricity rather than batteries if possible. If not, use rechargeable batteries.
    * Use a solar-powered calculator instead of one with a battery.
    * Instead of a plastic ballpoint, use a fountain pen with bottled ink, not plastic cartridges.
    * Store food and other products in ceramic containers rather than foil and plastic wrap

While Shopping

    * Buy fruit and vegetables that are in season to help reduce enormous transport costs resulting from importing produce and, where possible, choose locally produced food.
    * When buying fish look out for a variety of non-endangered species and buy local fish if possible.
    * Prefer vegetarian options for your meals.

On-line Shopping

    * Purchase solar powered products.
    * Send e-cards, if you can, rather than buy paper cards.
    * Shop online, not only will this reduce fuel consumption and emissions by not driving to the shops, but each time you buy something on-line WWF receive a donation. You may even buy products from the nature shop.

At your workplace

    * Use printers that can print on both sides of the paper ; try to look into this option when replacing old printers.
    * Use the back of a draft or unwanted printout instead of notebooks. Even with a double-sided printer there is likely to be plenty of spare paper to use!
    * Always buy recycled paper - for your business stationery and to use in your printers.
    * Switch off computer monitors, printers and other equipment at the end of each day. Though in standby mode they're still using power - and that adds to global warming.
    * Always turn off your office light and computer monitor when you go out for lunch or to a meeting.

During Holidays

    * Go on holiday during the off-peak period to prevent over straining resources - you'll also avoid the crowds.
    * Find out about your destination before you go on holiday - it may be an environmentally sensitive area. Doing this will also ensure you are informed of what to see and any local customs.
    * Find out about places before you visit. You may be visiting a environmentally sensitive area, in which case you must take extra care to stay on footpaths and follow signs.
    * Don't travel by air if you can avoid it because air travel uses up large amounts of fossil fuels and creates greenhouse gases.
    * Avoid taking things on holiday that you will throw away.
    * Dispose of any rubbish responsibly - it can be hazardous to wildlife.
    * Ask your travel agent or tour operator what they are doing to be environmentally responsible.
    * Use public transport, cycle or walk instead of using a car.
    * Use facilities and trips run by local people whenever possible.
    * Don't be tempted to touch wildlife and disturb habitats whether on land, at the coast or under water.
    * Be careful what you choose to bring home as a holiday souvenir. Many species from coral and conch shells to elephants and alligators are endangered because they are killed for curios or souvenirs.
    * Don’t leave any rubbish at the beach - turtles are often killed by plastic bags they've mistaken for jellyfish and many items take years to degrade as well as being dangerous.
    * Boats and jet-skis create noise and chemical pollution which is disturbing to wildlife - don't keep the engine running unnecessarily.

Share a Greener Valentines Day

2009-02-10T11:14:00.000+05:30

The December holidays were not very long ago. You're probably still paying off your credit card debts from all the gifts you bought. Thinking of buying more presents for your significant other this Valentines Day is probably not very appealing. So why not avoid all that needless shopping and do something thoughtful for your partner this year?

By avoiding more consumerism and emphasizing more romance, you get the dual benefit of being green and appreciated this year. Below are my tips for combining your love for the planet and lover in one special day.

    * Start With Breakfast in Bed: Slip out of bed a little early, take the dog for a walk and cook up a delicious homemade breakfast. Your mate will love the extra time in bed and whats sexier then feeding someone veggie bacon?

    * Make Your Own Valentines Day Card: Put some time and energy into making your own card. Use magazines and catalogs laying around the house to piece together a funny or romantic card that you can sneak into your mate's briefcase or backpack for them to discover during the day.

    * Set the Mood: After work, make sure your mate will come home to a cozy, dark, bee's wax candle-lit environment with delicious organic wine and relaxing music. Get the romance started with a nice massage. Here's a tip, don't mix romance and dinner. You or your mate might feel self-conscious with a full belly and smelly breath. Save the meal for after the "dessert."

    * Prepare an Organic, Vegetarian Meal: Once you both feel nice and relaxed, go to work on dinner. Leave out the nasty preservatives, chemicals and pesticides that make your body feel contaminated and bloated. Martha Stewart has some Valentines Day recipes that are sure to impress.

    * Cuddle Up With Their Favorite Movie: Sit back on the couch with a blanket and enjoy a movie in the dark. Even if you both fall asleep, it will be the end of a perfect Valentines Day.

If you would like some more unorthodox gifts for your sweetie, you can adopt a cute baby animal from the National Zoo to help preserve their habitat. Buy Endangered Species Chocolate to donate money to protecting endangered species. You can plant a tree in honor of your love that will grow for many years to come. Of, if you must, you can buy fair-trade, conflict-free diamonds.

A green Valentines Day

2009-02-10T11:08:00.001+05:30

Valentine's Day is a holiday celebrated on February 14 and while it has a very long history dating back hundreds of years, the scale of the occasion we have today is largely thanks (or no thanks) to marketers.

Some fast consumption related facts about Valentines day :

- Around a billion valentines are sent each year globally, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year behind Christmas

- 25 percent of all seasonal cards annually are valentines

- Over 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate are sold each year.

- Valentine’s Day is the top holiday for fresh flower purchases with red roses being most popular

- 10% of engagements happen on Valentine’s day

- Over 60 percent of planned to by at least one valentine last year

Those statistics come from American Greetings Corporation

Valentines Day is big business and as such has the potential to have substantial impact on the environment. For example, the one billion cards laid end to end would stretch around the world 5 times! That's a lot of trees.

Valentines day gifts with the planet in mind

If Valentines Day is an important day for you or the one you love; then you can show a bit of extra love for the environment by carefully considering what you buy. Here's some ideas:

- Cards made from recycled or tree-free paper (this will be indicated on the card)

- Consider sending an e-card instead using one of the many quality services around.

- Fair trade and/or organic chocolate

- Choose organic and/or locally grown flowers

- Make a donation to an environmental organization on behalf of the person.

- If you wish to give jewelry, consider pre-owned or purchasing from jewelers who are certified to be sourcing precious metals and gemstones in an ecologically and socially responsible manner. Or considering something really offbeat like a wooden ring - they look amazing.

- Buy the person a gift certificate for holistic therapies e.g. massage, naturopath, health spa.

- Arrange dinner at a local restaurant specializing in organic or locally grown food. Eating locally cuts down on food miles

- Book a retreat in a wildlife reserve, park or natural area. Your business will help support the running of such establishments.

- Give natural perfumes and fragrances. Popular mainstream fragrances are chemical cocktails. By buying natural fragrances, you'll be showing you not only care for the environment, but the person's health.

Here's a good one for the guys - instead of buying a card, make one using recycled or natural materials :). It's pretty unique when you think about it; after all, how many guys would go to that trouble? I reckon you'll score incredible points with that one as long as your wife/girlfriend has a green streak ;).

Crafty Uses for Your Home and Office Waste

2009-01-30T12:33:00.001+05:30

There could be a couple of reasons that you’re interested in using waste for art and craft projects. Maybe you just want some ideas for alternative things to do with your waste other than throwing it away or just recycling. Alternatively, perhaps you enjoy crafting but don’t want to waste resources. Besides, commercial craft materials can be very expensive!

Crafty projects with waste are only limited by your imagination. Here we have rounded up a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing!

Pots and Jars

Plastic pots and jars can come in handy for all sorts of craft projects. At the simplest level you can use yogurt pots and glass jars as little paint pots and glue holders. Children will also enjoy using food packaging for playing shop - cheaper than the plastic toy food you’ll buy in toy shops that’s for sure!

If you come across any pretty bottles or glass jars they make nice storage containers or vases. You can even get some glass paints and set about making your own eye-catching designs.

Fashion

There are loads of fashion statements you can make with household waste. People are increasingly trying to create a unique style and by customising your own look with unwanted household waste you’ll definitely look more original than if you spend loads on the high street.

Old clothes can be customised in numerous ways. Cutting up and reconstructing old T-shirts is especially popular. Your male friends or relatives may have some old T-shirts that are too big which you can personalise. Band T-shirts are especially trendy. Some ideas include lacing coloured ribbon up the sides or the back, adding lace and sewing on sequins and beads.

If you live with someone who likes to sew you can bet there will be a box of mixed buttons around somewhere. They are like treasure to some crafters and clothing be-decked with buttons is really fashionable at the moment. Use them to jazz up dresses, shirts and T-shirts, making them into ear-rings, string them into a necklace and decorate brooches and hair pins. If you are ever recycling or re-using the fabric from shirts and jackets always cut the buttons off and add them to your button stash.

Boys don’t have to be left out either. Jeans, T-shirts and shirts can all be jazzed up with fabric paints, screen-printing or some strategic chopping.

There are even some instructions online for making a bag from old juice cartons. It might sound naff but they have a very modern, stylish Japanese look and if you saw one in a shop you’d pay over the odds. Just google ‘juice carton bag' for loads of instructions.

Paper Goods

Most businesses and homes produce at least some waste paper. Magazines, newspapers and coloured papers are great for collage and decoupage.

If you’re an aspiring drawer or artist the blank side of waste paper is fine for practicing and is far less wasteful than buying drawing books.

You can even use old paper to make…more paper! Good instructions are available at www.ecofriendlykids.co.uk/PaperMaking.html

Homeware

If you haven’t used all your leftover fabric up on making new fashions for yourself you can use them to jazz up your home. Old fabric can be shredded up to stuff cushions. You can also make the cushion covers from old tablecloths, curtains and bedspreads. Charity shops often have these items with retro designs on them.

Old lampshades can be fabric painted to brighten them up and modernise them. Check the instructions on the paint to make sure it’s suitable Look around trendy home décor sites and shops for design inspiration.

Using old records is popular these days. You can melt records to make unusual bowls and use sleeve art to decorate your walls, for decoupage and even to make bags and folders.

This article really only scratches the surface of crafts you can do using items you would initially presume were waste and fit for the bin. The possibilities are endless so get your thinking cap on - if you put your mind to it you can probably make yourself one from an old egg box!

How to make a house with waste materials

Recycled Houses

Bulb Buffoon

2009-01-27T16:19:00.000+05:30

THINGS REQUIRED

An opaque white or coloured bulb (a fused one), a large colourful printed balloon, a cardboard square, strong glue and red and black marble paper.

METHOD

1. Stick the bulb onto the cardboard square with glue.
2. Cut out eyebrows and eyes from the black marble paper.
3. Cut out a nose and mouth from the red paper.
4. Stick these on the bulb as shown.
5. Now slip the open end of the balloon over the metal portion of the bulb.

Switch to LED and Save Energy

2009-01-26T11:49:00.000+05:30

1. The LED advantage: LED (light emitting diodes) are solid state technology and offers the most efficient (energy savings) form of lighting available. In comparison to conventional incandescent light bulbs, LEDs can be equated at approximately 7 to 8 time equivalence. For example, a 3 watt LED can produce as much illumination as a 20 watt incandescent light bulb.

2. On average, LEDs last 3 to 5 times longer than fluorescents and 20 to 30 times longer than incandescent.

3. LED lamps allow less maintenance costs, lower heating and utility costs and reduces the need for higher rated cable, transformers and electrical components.

4. LED lamps are very resilient, shock and vibration proof and virtually waterproof.

5. LEDs are smaller and more compact and provide more light output per square inch than any other light source.

6. LED lamps produce very little heat and no UV rays, making them safer to handle and safer to use. Ideal for sensitive fabrics/paintings.

7. LEDs are not sensitive to extreme temperatures (unlike fluorescent).

8. Solid state LEDs can be controlled with a processor to achieve unique lighting effects.

9. LEDs are available in cool white, warm white and multiple colors.

10. LEDs draw (on average) about 1/10th the power of today's conventional lighting, providing new alternative solutions to conventional energy saving lamps. LEDs are the most environmentally friendly lamp technology.

11. Along with Fluorescent bulbs, LED technology is the future of lighting. It can reduce many types of pollution and meet the need for the continued world wide energy demand

Save Earth with LED lights

2009-01-26T11:37:00.000+05:30

LED stands for Light Emitting Diode. LED's are now found on almost every electronic device including MP3 players DVD , TV's, clock radios and computers. LED's have been popular for decades, however today they are cheaper, brighter and come in more colors than ever before. While the incandescent light bulb has been the light of choice for at least 100 years, many believe the LED will soon replace it. Here is how LED light bulbs work:

What is an LED Light Bulb?

LED's are very similar to traditional light bulbs, except that they fit directly into an electrical circuit. LED's do not have a filament, so they generally last for a long, long time without burning out. Because there is no filament, LED's do not get hot and require far less electric power than traditional light bulbs due to their efficiency. In fact, LEDs are illuminated by electrons that run through the semiconductor material that LEDs are connected to.

What is a Diode?

An LED is a light emitting diode. A semiconductor diode is a two-terminal device, sometimes described as a pn. An LED is fabricated from a semiconductor material. One side of the semiconductor is attached to the P side which is the anode; the other side of the semiconductor is attached to the N side, the cathode. Electricity can flow from the p side to the n side. However, no electricity can flow in reverse. In effect, therefore, a diode is a unidirectional conductor.

Components of an LED Light

Common components of an LED include: A whisker which is connected to the anode, the anvil, which is connected to the cathode, a lens to illuminate the light created for distances and a high impact plastic casing to protect the LED.

The Color of an LED Light

LEDs are available in a variety of colors. While popular colors include red, yellow and green, one of the most difficult colors to create is white. In fact, it is currently not possible to create pure white for mass production. Most LED flash lights or light bulbs today that are white in color are actually not pure white, but whitish-blue.

LEDs Offer Many Benefits

There are many reasons why LED Light bulbs continue to be popular. Here are some of the main benefits they offer:

LEDs are extremely efficient and require very little current to illuminate. Since they do not have a filament, LEDs don't heat up, making them perfect for many electronic applications where heat is detrimental. In a traditional light bulb, the vast majority (sometimes more than 80%) of the electricity used to illuminate a light bulb is wasted not in light, but in heat.
LEDs are manufactured within an epoxy resin epoxy, which means that that they are virtually indestructible. Compared to a traditional light bulb, an LED is far more durable.
LEDs can be mass produced. Just like traditional light bulbs, they are extremely affordable to produce in large numbers.
LEDs are considered to be solid state devices. Solid state refers to any item that has no moving parts. When an item has no moving parts, it is generally more reliable because of less friction and fewer parts that can malfunction.

Turn Waste Into Useful Items and Art

2009-01-23T17:47:00.000+05:30

Make necklaces from old magazines and newspaper

Wow to make a tote bag from old clothing

THINGS TO MAKE AND DO - A propagator for small plants or seedlings

2009-01-23T17:03:00.000+05:30

A propagator for small plants or seedlings

You need:

* 2 x 1.5 or 2 litre plastic soft drink bottles (labels removed), preferably including one with a coloured base

* A piece of wick

* Some soil, compost or growing mixture

* Water

To remove the label cleanly:

* Fill the bottle with hot water ( not too hot, or it will buckle).

* Screw the cap back on the bottle and in a short time the label should peel off.

* Empty the water out of the bottle.

SAFETY NOTES!

1. Always be very careful when working with hot water.

2. Sharp scissors have to be used to cut the bottles, if you have a ragged cut edge on the bottle it may scratch fingers and hands. Care should be taken at all times.

METHOD

1. Cut a 1.5 or 2 litre transparent plastic bottle at the widest point

2. Cut a slit in the cap. Thread a wick of absorbent cloth through to make a wick

3. Add water and rest the inverted top of the bottle in the base. Add soil and your plants.

4. Cut another identical bottle slightly above the "shoulder" and place on top as a propagator. Make holes in the screw cap (or leave it off) to allow air to circulate.

The Transformation of animals into food

2009-01-23T14:59:00.000+05:30

Life on the farm isn't what it used to be. The green pastures and idyllic barnyard scenes portrayed in children's books have been replaced by windowless sheds, tiny crates, wire cages, and other confinement systems integral to what is now known as "factory farming."

Today the majority of farmed animals are:

* confined to the point that they can barely move,

* denied veterinary care,

* mutilated without painkillers,

* and finally slaughtered -- often while fully conscious.

Use waste materials to make something which is useful or decorative

2009-01-16T16:39:00.000+05:30

Take a egg and just make a hole at the top and empty out of its content. Now paint the egg shell black leaving the centre portion. Paint its sides,its back leave as it resembles like a stomach of a penguin. Now cut two pieces of feather of paper and now paste it on the egg shels sides.Now take acap of a eye drop which has a pointed tip and place it on the top of the egg shell.Now make eyes with beads, catton or black paint.Make its feet with ctton and paint it black and now ur penguin is ready.

What is Green Building?

2009-01-12T14:20:00.000+05:30

Green Building means different things to different people. At its core is the intent to plan, design, construct, maintain, and deconstruct buildings, neighborhoods, and cities to be healthier and more comfortable places to live and work for the people on the inside, and more environmentally friendly for everyone else on the outside.

Green Building Construction

What Are the Economic Benefits of Green Buildings?

A green building may cost more up front, but saves through lower operating costs over the life of the building. The green building approach applies a project life cycle cost analysis for determining the appropriate up-front expenditure. This analytical method calculates costs over the useful life of the asset.

These and other cost savings can only be fully realized when they are incorporated at the project's conceptual design phase with the assistance of an integrated team of professionals. The integrated systems approach ensures that the building is designed as one system rather than a collection of stand-alone systems.

Some benefits, such as improving occupant health, comfort, productivity, reducing pollution and landfill waste are not easily quantified. Consequently, they are not adequately considered in cost analysis. For this reason, consider setting aside a small portion of the building budget to cover differential costs associated with less tangible green building benefits or to cover the cost of researching and analyzing green building options.

What Are the Elements of Green Buildings?

Below is a sampling of green building practices.

Siting

Start by selecting a site well suited to take advantage of mass transit.
Protect and retain existing landscaping and natural features. Select plants that have low water and pesticide needs, and generate minimum plant trimmings. Use compost and mulches. This will save water and time.
Recycled content paving materials, furnishings, and mulches help close the recycling loop.

Energy Efficiency

Most buildings can reach energy efficiency levels far beyond California Title 24 standards, yet most only strive to meet the standard. It is reasonable to strive for 40 percent less energy than Title 24 standards. The following strategies contribute to this goal.

Passive design strategies can dramatically affect building energy performance. These measures include building shape and orientation, passive solar design, and the use of natural lighting.
Develop strategies to provide natural lighting. Studies have shown that it has a positive impact on productivity and well being.
Install high-efficiency lighting systems with advanced lighting controls. Include motion sensors tied to dimmable lighting controls. Task lighting reduces general overhead light levels.
Use a properly sized and energy-efficient heat/cooling system in conjunction with a thermally efficient building shell. Maximize light colors for roofing and wall finish materials; install high R-value wall and ceiling insulation; and use minimal glass on east and west exposures.
Minimize the electric loads from lighting, equipment, and appliances.
Consider alternative energy sources such as photovoltaics and fuel cells that are now available in new products and applications. Renewable energy sources provide a great symbol of emerging technologies for the future.
Computer modeling is an extremely useful tool in optimizing design of electrical and mechanical systems and the building shell.

Materials Efficiency

Select sustainable construction materials and products by evaluating several characteristics such as reused and recycled content, zero or low off gassing of harmful air emissions, zero or low toxicity, sustainably harvested materials, high recyclability, durability, longevity, and local production. Such products promote resource conservation and efficiency. Using recycled-content products also helps develop markets for recycled materials that are being diverted from California's landfills, as mandated by the Integrated Waste Management Act.
Use dimensional planning and other material efficiency strategies. These strategies reduce the amount of building materials needed and cut construction costs. For example, design rooms on 4-foot multiples to conform to standard-sized wallboard and plywood sheets.
Reuse and recycle construction and demolition materials. For example, using inert demolition materials as a base course for a parking lot keeps materials out of landfills and costs less.
Require plans for managing materials through deconstruction, demolition, and construction.
Design with adequate space to facilitate recycling collection and to incorporate a solid waste management program that prevents waste generation.

Water Efficiency

Design for dual plumbing to use recycled water for toilet flushing or a gray water system that recovers rainwater or other nonpotable water for site irrigation.
Minimize wastewater by using ultra low-flush toilets, low-flow shower heads, and other water conserving fixtures.
Use recirculating systems for centralized hot water distribution.
Install point-of-use hot water heating systems for more distant locations.
Use a water budget approach that schedules irrigation using the California Irrigation Management Information System data for landscaping.
Meter the landscape separately from buildings. Use micro-irrigation (which excludes sprinklers and high-pressure sprayers) to supply water in nonturf areas.
Use state-of-the-art irrigation controllers and self-closing nozzles on hoses.

Arctic makes top ten list

2009-01-09T13:39:00.000+05:30

Each year Environment Canada releases its annual top-ten weather stories, this year the Arctic made the number two spot on the list. Of noteworthy importance that led to the region making the weather listing was the record-setting retreat of sea ice during the month of August which saw an average of approximately 84,686 square kilometers lost per day — a staggering number which roughly translates into an area larger than New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island combined! What is interesting about the August sea ice loss figure is that it was almost some 21,000 square kilometers above the 2007 numbers. (The overall 2007 sea ice melt season is the current benchmark for minimum sea ice extent figures, 2008 being the runner-up.)

With so much sea ice loss over the past several years, the Arctic region now has more first-year sea ice than previously observed and therefore on a volume basis is at its lowest levels in modern history!

Grass May Reduce Global Warming

2009-01-09T13:34:00.000+05:30

Although you can't actually hear a cow burp they are constantly releasing methane. When they digest grass, micro flora in their gut breaks down. Methane is the majority of what is burped up, a contributing factor in greenhouse gases. Scientists from a plant breeding research center in Australia are developing a new kind of grass that has been tested in the lab and glasshouses and are now planning field trials. Farmers should be able to maintain their dairy herds, productivity and profitability while cutting down gassy burps and reducing their contribution to global warming.

The dairy industry definitely has an impact on greenhouse gas emissions and Britain's target is to cut them by 20% by 2010. The goal is to have 20-30% of milk producers trying out new technology to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the year 2015.

There is some controversy about the breakdown process of the new grass and if it in fact will reduce methane. A lecturer in farm animal health says that a diet too rich in highly digestible carbs can actually increase the amount of methane a cow belches out. And a professor of animal science says more digestible forage could push up a cows absolute methane emissions but productivity gains would mean less methane per unit of milk.

As long as this new technology remains new, I am sure there are some kinks that need to be worked out. If it pans out, it could really help the reach their greenhouse gas reduction goals in the UK and around the world.

School Children exposed to Pesticides?

2009-01-09T13:26:00.000+05:30

A new report released by an environmental organization based in Eugene, Oregon called the Oregon Toxics Alliance reveals that children may unknowingly be exposed to toxics such as pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides. So the question is raised, are YOUR children safe from pesticides at schools?

The report indicates that children exposed to pesticides may show acute symptoms that may mimic other well known ailments such as headache, sore throat, and flu. The data from the report was pulled from three state agencies in the state of Oregon including the Dept. of Agriculture, the Dept. of Human and Health Services, and the Dept. of Forestry. It also cited 56 cases of suggested pesticide exposure at schools, bus stops, and child care facilities. The problem could be much worse than what is reported, and that worries Lisa Arkin, executive director for Oregon Toxics Alliance.

According to the Associated Press, this is not a new issue. Severe cases of pesticide exposure at schools have been reported in California and have even been attributed to death.

The Oregon Toxics Alliance is calling for better protection for children at schools through the implementation of Integrated Pest Management or IPM. IPM is a method for using less pesticides in favor of alternatives as well as best practices to protect people and the environment.

Endangered Species - Mammals

2009-01-07T16:03:00.000+05:30

Endangered Mammals
Being mammals ourselves, we tend to feel passionately about the plight of other mammals, such as tigers and pandas. Most endangered mammal species are threatened by habitat loss, while a significant percentage continue to be hunted despite dwindling population sizes.

According to the IUCN, some 20 percent of all known mammal species are either threatened or endangered. That's nearly 1,100 species. Some, like the baiji, are likely beyond hope. Others, like the giant panda, continue to make strides in the right direction.

ADDAX
The addax is a rare antelope found in the deserts of Northwest Africa. It has a gray-brown shiny coat and a tuft of chestnut forehead hair. It has exceptionally long spiral horns that are prized by trophy hunters. It is a highly social animal that once occurred in herds of dozens of individuals. Today, most animals live alone or in pairs because of declining populations. Fewer than 500 individuals remain in the wild.

IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: Desert
Location: Northwest Africa
Diet: Grasses and leaves

AFRICAN WILD ASS
Like their horse and zebra relatives, wild asses have a long neck and legs and a mane on the back of the neck, which is erect on the African wild ass. They are light gray in summer, reddish gray in winter and have horizontal stripes along all four legs. They are found in Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia, though their range once included Egypt, Sudan and Israel. They are threatened by hunting and habitat loss.

IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: Hilly, rocky desert and temperate grassland
Location: Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia
Diet: Grasses, bark and leaves

AFRICAN WILD DOG
African wild dogs are about the size of a medium-sized domestic dog. Historically, large packs of wild dogs roamed the savannas, plains and woodlands of sub-Saharan Africa, hunting in highly coordinated groups dominated by a breeding pair. Their numbers are now dwindling — mainly due to loss of habitat and poaching — and there may be only a few thousand individuals left in the wild.

IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat loss and poaching
Habitat: Savanna, plains and woodlands
Location: Sub-Saharan Africa
Diet: Antelope, wildebeest, gazelles and similar animals

ANOA
The anoa is one of the smallest cattle species, and one of the most endangered. They are found in the remote, undisturbed lowland forests of Sulawesi and nearby Southeast Asian islands, and tend to retreat to higher elevations of the forest in response to human presence. They live alone or in pairs, and spend much of their time feeding on grasses, leaves and herbs. The anoa is currently threatened by hunting and habitat loss.

IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: Undisturbed, damp, dense forest
Location: Sulawesi and nearby Southeast Asian islands
Diet: Grasses, leaves and herbs

ARABIAN ORYX
The Arabian oryx is an antelope that lives in nomadic herds. It follows the elusive desert rains and has several unique adaptations to living in a dry climate, including being able to go without water for weeks at a time. Now extinct in the wild, it once occurred throughout the Arabian Peninsula. As a flagship species — one that is popular and the target of conservation efforts — re-establishing oryx populations in the Arabian Peninsula may result in protections for many other species.

IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Hunting
Habitat: Plains and deserts
Location: Arabian Peninsula
Diet: Buds, grasses and leaves

ASIAN BUFFALO
The Asian buffalo is a cattle species that occurs in India, Nepal, Bhutan and Thailand, but its range was once much larger. It is a massive animal with heavy, flattened horns that are used to shovel and fling mud onto its back. Its preferred habitat is grasslands with abundant plant life and nearby watering pools for wallowing. The Asian buffalo is threatened by hunting, interbreeding with domestic stocks and loss of habitat, and there may be only a few thousand individuals left in the wild.

IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting, interbreeding with domestic stocks and habitat loss
Habitat: Abundant grasslands near watering pools
Location: India, Nepal, Bhutan and Thailand
Diet: Grasses and other vegetation

ASIAN ELEPHANT
Asian elephants are somewhat smaller than African elephants, their close relatives. Like all elephants, they live in small family groups and young calves are raised by their mothers as well as other members of the herd. Individuals communicate by vocalizations, foot stomping and postures, in order to stick together and to warn each other of approaching predators. The Asian elephant is rapidly declining due to loss of suitable habitat throughout its range.

IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Loss of suitable habitat
Habitat: Mainly scrub forest
Location: Parts of India and Southeast Asia
Diet: Grasses, bark, roots, leaves and other vegetation

AYE-AYE
The aye-aye is a species of lemur, a group of primates with large ears, long limbs and a long body. It has coarse black hair, huge eyes, a pointy nose, and a distinctive elongated middle finger that it uses to extract grubs from tree bark. It is among the most endangered animals in the world due to a combination of habitat loss and persecution (many negative superstitions exist about the aye-aye), but captive breeding programs may help keep this animal from going extinct.

IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat loss and persecution
Habitat: Rain forest and deciduous forest, usually in the canopy
Location: Madagascar
Diet: Grubs

BACTRIAN CAMEL
The Bactrian camel is a two-hump camel with a shaggy coat and an almost U-shaped neck. It is the only remaining Old World camel in the wild. It lives in the harsh arid plains along the border between China and Mongolia, and can withstand temperatures from minus 20°F to 100°F. Hunting and competition with grazing domestic species have led to a drastic decline in Bactrian camel populations. There are currently fewer than 2,000 animals in the wild.

IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting and competition with livestock
Habitat: Harsh arid plains
Location: China and Mongolia
Diet: Grasses, leaves and grain

BAIJI
The Baiji is a toothed whale with an elongated beak, a sleek body and an average weight of about 300 pounds. Their eyes are not well formed so they rely on echolocation to navigate and search for food in the muddy river bottom. There are many threats to this species, including collisions with boats and loss of prey species by overfishing, pollution and dams. Engine noise also interferes with echolocation.

IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
Major Threats: Boat collisions, loss of prey species, pollution and dams
Habitat: Lakes and rivers
Location: China's Yangtze River and nearby water systems
Diet: Fish

BAIRD'S TAPIR
Tapirs are piglike animals with long legs, an extended trunk and relatively streamlined bodies. Baird's tapir — the largest of the tapirs — has short, dark bristly hair with a light-colored chin and throat. It can be found in the forests of Central and South America, feeding on plant parts near freshwater sources. Baird's tapir are endangered throughout their range due to hunting and habitat destruction.

IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting and habitat destruction
Habitat: Dense tropical rain forest
Location: Central and South America
Diet: Leaves and fallen fruit

BEARDED SAKI
The bearded saki is a monkey found in the dense tropical forests of the Amazon in South America. It is an unusual-looking animal. Thick chin hair gives it a bushy beard and a mop of fur on the head creates thick bangs. When threatened or excited, it switches its tail and emits a high-pitched whistling call. Threats to the bearded saki include hunting and habitat destruction and fragmentation.

IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Hunting, habitat destruction and fragmentation
Habitat: Dense tropical rain forest
Location: Amazon
Diet: Mainly fruits; also nuts, buds, leaves and insects

BLACK-FOOTED FERRET
The black-footed ferret is a carnivorous mammal with short ears, a short snout and five toes on each foot. Once common on the plains of the Central United States, populations declined rapidly with the extirpation of prairie dogs, their main prey species. The black-footed ferret is currently listed as extinct in the wild, but captive breeding programs may allow for successful reintroduction of wild populations.

IUCN Status: Extinct in the Wild
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Loss of prey species, habitat loss and disease
Habitat: Short or middle grass prairies and rolling hills
Location: Montana, South Dakota and Wyoming
Diet: Mainly prairie dogs

BLUE WHALE
The largest animal on the planet, the blue whale can reach a length of more than 100 feet. Despite their size, they are remarkably skilled divers, rapidly plunging several hundred feet below the surface using their back muscles to propel them. When they emerge from the dive, they let out a torrent of water, air and mucus from their blowhole. They are found in most of the world's oceans, and are threatened by noise and other environmental pollution throughout much of their range.

IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Noise and other environmental pollution
Habitat: Open ocean
Location: World's oceans
Diet: Mainly krill

BONOBO
The bonobo is slightly smaller than the chimpanzee, and has a slimmer body and longer limbs. It lives in large social groups in which the female is dominant, and young pygmy chimpanzees spend up to three years being nursed, groomed and cared for by their mothers. The bonobo is found in the tropical and subtropical forests of Central Africa and is threatened by habitat loss and hunting.

IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat loss and hunting
Habitat: Tropical and subtropical forests
Location: Central Africa
Diet: Mainly fruit; also other plant parts and invertebrates

CHEETAH
The cheetah is a golden-yellow cat with black spots and a ringed tail. The world's fastest land animal, the cheetah can reach speeds of more than 60 miles per hour. It cannot, however, maintain that speed for more than a few seconds. If prey can last longer than 10-20 seconds, it usually escapes. Cheetahs are among the world's most loved animals. There are major international efforts to save them from extinction. It is endangered due to habitat loss, reduction of prey species, inbreeding and high infant mortality.

IUCN Status: Vulnerable
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat loss, loss of prey species, inbreeding and infant mortality
Habitat: Areas with tall grass and shrubs
Location: Sub-Saharan African and Northern Iran
Diet: Mainly gazelles; also impalas, antelope young and small mammals

CHIMPANZEE
The chimpanzee has a bare face, longer arms than legs and dark hair thinly covering its body. It is one of the few primate species capable of walking upright. They live in large social groups in which the young are cared for by their mothers for about three years. During that time, young chimpanzees learn feeding techniques, including the use of tools. Chimpanzees are threatened by hunting and loss of habitat.

IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: Tropical rain forest, montain forest,and forest-savanna environments
Location: Central Africa
Diet: Mainly fruits and young leaves; also other plant parts, insects, small vertebrates, eggs, etc.

GIANT ARMADILLO
Armadillos are insectivorous mammals that are covered in armored plates of hardened skin on their back, sides, limbs and tail. They have a huge claw on their front feet, which is used to dig up soil in search of food items such as insects and other small animals. The giant armadillo, by far the largest of the armadillos, can weigh more than 60 pounds. They are found in the Amazon Basin of South America but are endangered throughout their range due to hunting and habitat loss.

IUCN Status: Vulnerable
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: Prefers tropical rain forest
Location: Amazon Basin of South America
Diet: Ants and termites

GIANT OTTER
The giant otter is a large aquatic mammal with a dark brown shiny coat and cream-colored streaks and patches on the chin and throat. Its short legs and webbed toes make it a great swimmer, and its whiskers allow it to find prey in the water. They live in communal groups in northern and central South America and are threatened by habitat destruction throughout their range.

IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat destruction
Habitat: Tropical rivers, lakes and creeks
Location: Northern and central South America
Diet: Mainly fish; also crabs, snakes and small caimans

GIANT PANDA
The giant panda has a distinctive white head with black eye patches, ears and shoulders. Unlike other bear species, giant pandas are entirely herbivorous, spending up to 12 hours a day chewing bamboo shoots and roots. Because of poaching and habitat loss, they are extremely rare, occurring in small populations in the bamboo forests of China. Despite being the subject of major international conservation efforts, wild populations of giant pandas may not be enough to save this species.

IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat loss, poaching and human encroachment
Habitat: Mountainous regions where bamboo is present
Location: Central China
Diet: Bamboo shoots and roots

GOODFELLOW'S TREE KANGAROO
Like all tree kangaroos, Goodfellow's tree kangaroo is adapted for life in the trees. It has short legs, narrow feet and a long tail for balance. It is a large animal, with adults weighing up to 15 pounds. Its range lies entirely within Papua New Guinea, and it is threatened throughout its range by hunting and habitat loss.

IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: Dense tropical rain forests
Location: Papua New Guinea
Diet: Silkwood leaves and various fruits

GORILLA
The gorilla is the largest of the primates. Adult males are often twice the size of females and have a silvery back when fully mature. They live in highly complex social groups led by a dominant male in the lowland and swamp forests of Central and Equatorial Africa. The gorilla faces many threats in the wild, including slash-and-burn forest clearing, illegal hunting for the bushmeat trade and trophy poaching.

IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat loss and hunting
Habitat: Tropical secondary and montane forests
Location: Central and Equatorial Africa
Diet: Fruits, leaves shoots and some insects

GRAY WOLF
The gray wolf is the largest wild member of the dog family and was once the world's most widely distributed land mammal. It lives in packs that cooperate to hunt and patrol territories covering very wide areas. The range of the gray wolf includes the upper latitudes of North America, Greenland, Europe and Asia, though its distribution within that range has been dramatically reduced due to human persecution and habitat loss.

USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Human persecution and habitat loss
Habitat: A wide range including forests, tundra and grasslands
Location: North America, Greenland, Europe and Asia
Diet: Mainly large prey such as moose, elk and bison

HAWAIIAN MONK SEAL
Seals are pinnipeds, all of which are specially adapted to an aquatic lifestyle. They are found worldwide in the temperate and polar seas, and most species breed on land in large colonies. The Hawaiian monk seal gets its name from its loose neck skin that resembles a monk's robe. It is currently threatened by hunting, habitat loss and disturbances to its breeding grounds by humans.

IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat loss and disturbance to breeding grounds
Habitat: Temperate and polar seas
Location: Northwestern Hawaiian islands
Diet: Fish and various marine invertebrates

HIROLA
Hirola are a type of antelope. They have golden-brown hair, long legs and an elongated face. The horns of both the male and female are curved and flair at the tips. They live in the desert scrub and grasslands where they form harems led by a dominant territorial male. They have a very small range that includes parts of Kenya and Somalia, and their numbers are in sharp decline due to poaching and habitat loss.

IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
Major Threats: Poaching and habitat loss
Habitat: Deser scub and grasslands
Location: Kenya and Somalia
Diet: Mainly grasses

HUMPBACK WHALE
The humpback whale is a giant yet graceful marine mammal that can reach a length of more than 40 feet. It occurs throughout the world's oceans, spending its summers at the poles and winters at lower latitudes. Both males and females sing, but the song of the male is long and complex, containing variations in rhythm and melody and sometimes lasting 30 minutes or more. It is used to attract females, to warn other males, and possibly to locate individual whales. The primary threat to the humpback whale comes from commercial whaling.

IUCN Status: Vulnerable
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Commercial whaling
Habitat: Polar to tropical waters
Location: World's oceans
Diet: Krill and small schooling fish

IBERIAN LYNX
The Iberian lynx is a solitary cat with a spotted coat and tufted ears found in southwestern Europe. It is an expert hunter, feeding on rabbits, deer fawns, ducks and other animals. It is threatened by loss of habitat and prey species and currently has a very restricted range. This may be the first cat species to go extinct for at least 2,000 years.

IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Loss of habitat and prey species
Habitat: Openg grassland mixed with dense shrubs and trees
Location: Southwestern Europe
Diet: Rabbits, deer fawns, ducks and other animals

INDIANA BAT
The Indiana bat is a medium-sized gray-brown bat that lives in limestone caves in many states of the Midwestern United States. It is an important species in that it eats many insects that are considered to be agricultural pests. They spend winters in caves and migrate north in spring to roost in trees with their young. Habitat disturbance and environmental pollution threaten this species throughout the Midwest.

IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat disturbance and environmental pollution
Habitat: Caves and forests
Location: Midwestern United States
Diet: Insects

INDUS RIVER DOLPHIN
The Indus River dolphin is a small freshwater dolphin found in the rivers of southern Asia. It has broad flippers, a flattened neck and an elongated beak with rows of sharp teeth. The front teeth protrude to form a cage for fish and other prey. The Indus River dolphin is extremely rare and faces numerous threats throughout its range, including pollution, poaching, collisions with boats, being caught in fishing nets and habitat loss.

IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Pollution, poaching, collision with boats, fishing nets and habitat loss
Habitat: Rivers
Location: Southern Asia
Diet: Shrimp and small fish

IRANIAN JERBOA
The Iranian jerboa is a mouselike rodent that is endemic to Iran. It is light brown with short legs and a tufted tail. It is a vegetarian and nocturnal, spending much of its day in underground burrows and emerging at night to forage. The Iranian jerboa is only known to occur in a small grassland region of southern Iran. It is threatened because of a restricted range and by habitat loss.

IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
Major Threats: Restricted range and habitat loss
Habitat: Grassland regions
Location: Southern Iran
Diet: Vegetation

JAGUAR
The jaguar is the New World's only large cat species. It looks like a leopard, but it has whorled spots with dark centers. It is a stout, powerful, big-headed animal that occurs in watery habitats such as swampland and frequently flooded forests throughout central and northern South America. The jaguar is threatened by competition with domestic species, hunting and habitat loss.

USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Competition with domestic species, hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: Watery habitats like swampland and flooded forest
Location: Central and northern South America
Diet: Mainly medium- and large-sized mammals

JAVAN RHINOCEROS
The Javan rhinoceros is an extremely rare mammal with thick gray skin that folds into a saddle around the neck. With many adults weighing more than 4,000 pounds, it is a very large animal. It has a single horn on the tip of its snout that grows to about 10 inches. It is a solitary nocturnal animal found only in the forests of Southeast Asia. It is threatened throughout its range by hunting and habitat loss.

IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: Dense lowland rain forest
Location: Indonesia and Vietnam
Diet: Leaves, shoots, fruit and other vegetation

MANED THREE-TOED SLOTH
Sloths are slow-moving mammals with small heads, eyes and ears. They spend their time suspended from trees branches in the forest canopy, eating the leaves, buds and twigs. The maned three-toed sloth lives in the forests of Brazil, where it is threatened by logging. They are entirely dependent on trees and cannot race away when their trees are cut down. On the ground, they drag themselves along using their strong front limbs.

IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Continuing deforestation
Habitat: Coastal rain forest
Location: Brazil
Diet: Leaves, buds and soft twigs

MANED WOLF
The maned wolf is a carnivore similar in appearance to the red fox but with very long legs. The maned wolf also has a black neck crest that resembles a mane. It is found in the scrub and grasslands of the central parts of South America where it lives in male-female pairs. It is active at night, hunting rabbits, birds, mice and other creatures. Threats to the maned wolf include hunting, habitat loss and disease.

USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting, habitat loss and disease
Habitat: Scrub and grasslands
Location: Central South America
Diet: Rabbits, birds, mice and other animals

MOUNTAIN ZEBRA
With their distinctive black and white stripes, long legs and ability to run at high speeds, zebras are a symbol of wilderness and conservation throughout the world. Unlike other hoofed mammals, zebras and their horse relatives have only one toe on each foot. The mountain zebra is distinguished from other zebras by having a fold of skin, called a dewlap, on their throat. They occur in South Africa and are threatened by hunting and habitat loss.

IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: Mountainous slopes and plateaus
Location: South Africa
Diet: Tufted grass, bark, leaves, fruit and roots

NORTHERN HAIRY-NOSED WOMBAT
The northern hairy-nosed wombat is a rare, stocky, short-legged marsupial that only occurs in a forest preserve in Queensland, Australia. They are large animals, sometimes growing to a meter or more in length. They are solitary and are known for digging elaborate underground tunnels, which explains their powerful forearms. Once abundant, there are currently fewer than 100 individuals left in the wild because of degraded and lost habitat.

IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat loss and degradation
Habitat: Semi-arid, open woodlands or grasslands
Location: Epping Forest National Park in Queensland, Australia
Diet: Native grasses

OCELOT
The ocelot is a reddish-brown cat with a light-colored belly and spots in a distinctive chain-link rosette pattern. It lives in a variety of habitats, including grasslands, swamps and forests, from the southern United States, Mexico, and Central and South America. Ocelots were once hunted to near extinction, but numbers have recently increased in some populations. Today, the primary threat is loss of habitat.

USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Loss of habitat
Habitat: A variety including grasslands, swamps, and forests
Location: Southern United States to South America
Diet: Small- to medium-sized mammals and birds

ORANGUTAN
The orangutan is a tree-dwelling primate that rarely ventures down to the ground. It has orange-red fur, long arms and handlike feet. Young orangutans cling to their mother as she navigates the forest canopy, feeding on fruit and other plant parts as well as honey, lizards, birds and eggs. Threats to the orangutan include hunting, loss of habitat and being captured for the illegal pet trade.

IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting, habitat loss and the illegal pet trade
Habitat: Various tropical forest habitats
Location: Island of Borneo
Diet: Fruits and other plant parts; also honey, lizards, birds and eggs

PANTHER
The panther is a large, long-tailed predatory cat with big paws for its size. It is usually tan, golden or chestnut above, with a light belly and very dark brown tail tip and ears. It is remarkably adaptable, occurring in habitats ranging from tropical to mountain to desert. By the mid-20th century, panther populations were greatly reduced by hunting, but the primary threat to the panther today is habitat loss.

USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: A wide variety including tropical, mountain and desert
Location: South America and western North America
Diet: Mainly deer; also other small- to medium-sized animals

PRZEWALSKI'S HORSE
Przewalski's horse is a short, stocky horse with a long neck and very large head. Its mane is dark and stiff, and its coat ranges from golden brown to reddish. Przewalski's horse is the only true wild horse. Unfortunately, they went extinct in the wild during the 20th century due to hunting and crossbreeding. Today, they are being reintroduced to their natural habitat on the Mongolian steppe with zoo-bred individuals. Today, threats to Przewalski's horse come from loss of grazing habitat.

USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Loss of grazing habitat
Habitat: Grassy deserts and plains
Location: Altai Mountains of Mongolia
Diet: Mainly grasses, plants and fruit

PYGMY HIPPOPOTAMUS
Weighing between 400 and 500 pounds on average, the pygmy hippopotamus is only a small fraction of the weight of other hippopotamuses. Because they spend more time on land than their larger cousins, they have narrower feet and fewer webbed toes. They live in the marshlands and dense forests of Liberia and West Africa, foraging at night, and are usually solitary. They are threatened by illegal hunting and habitat loss.

IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Illegal hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: Marshlands and dense forests
Location: Liberia and West Africa
Diet: Fallen fruits, aquatic plants, grasses and leaves

RED PANDA
The red panda is a chestnut-colored panda with alternating light and dark rings on the tail. It is mainly nocturnal and solitary, and spends most of its time in trees, where it uses its long bushy tail for balance. The red panda lives in the dense, cool temperate forests of Myanmar and the Himalayan Mountains in South Asia. It is threatened throughout its range by poaching and habitat loss.

IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Poaching and habitat loss
Habitat: Dense, cool temperate forests
Location: Myanmar and Himalayan Mountains
Diet: Blossoms, berries, eggs, leaves and bamboo

RED WOLF
The red wolf is a small carnivore with a coat of mixed cinnamon, black and white fur. Similar to the gray wolf, it lives in highly organized social packs that cooperatively hunt small mammals. By the 1970s, the red wolf was believed to be extinct in the wild, primarily because of human persecution and interbreeding with coyotes. They currently exist in a reintroduced population in North Carolina.

IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Human persecution and habitat loss
Habitat: Mountains, lowland forests and wetlands
Location: Southeastern United States
Diet: Deer, rabbits, mice, raccoons and other mammals

RING-TAILED LEMUR
The ring-tailed lemur is a small primate found only in southern and southwestern Madagascar. It has a white face, dark nose and eye patches; brown-gray fur on its body; and a distinctive black and white ringed tail. It is a very social lemur, living in female-dominated groups of five to 25 and spends more time on the ground than other lemurs. Like many lemurs, this species is threatened by widespread habitat loss.

IUCN Status: Vulnerable
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Habitat loss
Habitat: Mainly deciduous and gallery forest
Location: Southern and southwestern Madagascar
Diet: Mainly fruit; also leaves

RUFFED LEMUR
Lemurs are small primates with a doglike snout, large eyes and a dental comb used for mutual grooming (except for the aye-aye). The ruffed lemur is the largest of the lemurs, weighing between eight and 10 pounds on average. It lives in the rain forests of eastern Madagascar in small social groups. They are threatened by deforestation, hunting and capture for the exotic pet trade.

IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Deforestation, hunting and exotic pet trade
Habitat: Rain forests
Location: Eastern Madagascar
Diet: Mainly fruit; also leaves, seeds and nectar

SCIMITAR-HORNED ORYX
The scimitar-horned oryx is an antelope with curved, swordlike horns that grow to be several feet long. This graceful herbivore was once found throughout much of the desert plains and arid regions of Africa, but they are now extinct in the wild due to hunting and habitat loss. They are very social animals, and historically traveled together in large herds. There is currently an international effort to restore wild populations through captive breeding and reintroduction.

IUCN Status: Extinct in the Wild
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: Arid steppe and desert
Location: North Africa
Diet: Leaves, grasses and fruit

SEA OTTER
Compared to other otters, the sea otter is smaller and stouter. It has several anatomical adaptations to an aquatic existence, including large lungs, very thick fur, a powerful tail and flipper-like hind feet. It is the world's smallest marine mammal. Once widespread in coastal waters throughout the eastern Pacific Ocean, sea otter populations have declined dramatically in recent years, possibly because of predation or poaching.

IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Oil spills
Habitat: Coastal waters
Location: Eastern Pacific Ocean
Diet: Marine invertebrates, such as crabs, octopus and sea urchins

SLENDER LORIS
Lorises are small primates related to the lemurs of Madagascar. The slender loris is a grayish-brown animal with a dark face and large eyes separated by a white stripe. They move through the forest with grace and deliberation, holding onto tree branches with their unusual toes. On each foot, the big toe opposes the other toes and creates a four-way grip of the branch. Slender lorises are found in forests of South Asia and Sri Lanka. They are threatened by deforestation.

IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Deforestation
Habitat: Various forest habitats
Location: South Asia and Sri Lanka
Diet: Mainly insects; also plant matter, eggs and small vertebrates

SNOW LEOPARD
The snow leopard is a large carnivorous cat that lives in the steppe, shrub, mountains and open forests of Central and South Asia. It has short, stocky limbs for climbing craggy terrain and a long, thickly furred tail for warmth and balance. The snow leopard is threatened by loss of prey species, declining habitat, poaching and persecution. There may be as few as 2,500 adults remaining in the wild.

IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Loss of prey species, declining habitat, poaching and persecution
Habitat: Steppe, shrub, mountains and open forests
Location: Central and South Asia
Diet: Small- and medium-sized mammals

SPERM WHALE
The sperm whale is the world's largest carnivore. It can grow to a length of more than 60 feet, and has a huge boxlike head that makes up more than one-third of its total length. It is an impressive diver, plunging to depths of nearly 4,000 feet and staying submerged for almost two hours at a time. The sperm whale is found in deep waters worldwide and is threatened by hunting, being caught in fishing gear and colliding with ships.

IUCN Status: Vulnerable
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting, being caugh in fishing gear and colliding with ships
Habitat: Open ocean
Location: Worldwide oceans
Diet: Giant squid, octopus, fish and other marine animals

SUMATRAN RHINOCEROS
The Sumatran rhinoceros is the smallest and hairiest of the world's living rhinoceroses. It is also one of the most critically endangered. As the name suggests, these animals occur in Sumatra and also Borneo, although they once roamed throughout Southeast Asia. Because of poaching and destruction of its rainforest habitat, Sumatran rhinoceros numbers have been in steady decline in recent decades and there may be fewer than 300 hundred individuals left in the wild.

IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Poaching and habitat destruction
Habitat: Lowland secondary rainforest, swamps and moss forests
Location: Sumatra and Borneo
Diet: Young saplings, leaves and other vegetation

TIGER
The tiger is the largest member of the cat family. A symbol of wildlife conservation, it is a majestic animal with an orange coat, black stripes and white markings. It lives in tropical forests, where it is usually solitary and nocturnal. Its range once extended to Eastern Europe, but it now lives in scattered populations in southern and eastern Asia. It is threatened by poaching, habitat loss and loss of prey species.

IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Poaching, habitat loss and loss of prey species
Habitat: Various habitats including rain forest, deciduous forest and coniferous forest
Location: Southern and eastern Asia
Diet: Mainly large, hooved animals

VICUNA
The vicuna is the smallest member of the camel family. On average, adult vicunas are about 5 feet tall with a long neck and cleft upper lip designed for grasping at grasses. It has a thick, insulating cinnamon-colored coat with a white chest bib. They live in the grasslands of the Andes Mountains in the South American countries of Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. The primary threat to the vicuna is illegal hunting.

USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Illegal hunting
Habitat: Mountainous grasslands
Location: Andes Mountains in the South America

WESTERN GIANT ELAND
Elands are the largest of all antelopes. They are commonly used for milk or hunted for their meat and hides. The western giant eland has large ears, spiral pointed horns and vertical white stripes on its cinnamon-brown body. It lives in Central and West Africa, and is rapidly disappearing throughout its range because of habitat loss, primarily due to agricultural expansion.

USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Habitat loss due to agricultural expansion
Habitat: Tropical savanna
Location: Central and West Africa
Diet: Fruits, leaves, flowers, bark and other plant parts

YELLOW-BREASTED CAPUCHIN
Capuchins are New World primates with a small face, short limbs and a prehensile tail. Many species of capuchin — such as Brazil's yellow-breasted capuchin — are known for being adept at using tools, primarily to crack open hard-shelled nuts. Yellow-breasted capuchins are also one of the most endangered primates. Threats to this species include hunting, habitat loss and capture for the illegal pet trade.

IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
Major Threat: Hunting, habitat loss and the illegal pet trade
Habitat: Evergreen rain forest, mangroves and deciduous dry forest
Location: Brazil
Diet: Fruits, seeds, nectar and small animals
Diet: Mainly grasses

Endangered Species - Birds

2009-01-07T16:01:00.000+05:30

Endangered Birds
Birds of every shape, size and color are under threat. From the mighty California condor to the tiny purple-backed sunbeam, birds around the world are running out of time. And space — habitat loss is the single largest threat facing birds today. Ironically, bird enthusiasts themselves are also helping to contribute to the decline of many species, which are captured for the caged bird trade.

Of the nearly 10,000 described bird species, over 1,200 are listed as threatened or endangered by the IUCN. Some are facing seemingly hopeless battles, while others are recovering from decades of decline. The future hangs in the balance for many of our feathered friends.

AKEPA
The akepa is a small honeycreeper that once occurred on all of the Hawaiian Islands but is now confined to the Big Island, Kauai and Maui. Males are either bright orange (Big Island) or yellow-bronze (Maui). They nest in the cavities of large, old-growth rainforest trees, but are currently threatened by logging and predation by feral animals (e.g., pigs and rats).

IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Logging and predation by feral animals
Habitat: Tropical, close-canopied forest
Location: Hawaiian Islands (Big Island, Kauai and Maui)
Diet: Mainly caterpillars, spiders and other insects

ARARIPE MANAKIN
With its white body, jet-black wing and tail feathers, and a red stripe down the back of its head and neck, the Araripe manakin is a strikingly beautiful bird. It was only described in 1998, and is still only known from one location in Brazil. Despite being critically endangered, development of a recreational park threatens the remainder of the Araripe's forest home.

IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
Major Threat: Development of recreational facilities
Habitat: ddd
Location: Foothills of Brazil's Araripe uplands
Diet: Mainly fruit

BLACK-BILLED GULL
The black-billed gull is a white bird with black wing tips and, as the name suggests, a black bill. It lives in pairs along the shores of New Zealand's lake margins and riverbeds. This species is often preyed upon by the non-native animals of New Zealand such as dogs, cats and ferrets. Their numbers have declined rapidly in the past three decades and they are now the world's most endangered gull.

IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Predation by non-native species
Habitat: Lake margins, riverbeds and inland pastures
Location: Shores of New Zealand
Diet: Mainly fish and crustaceans

BLACK SHAMA
The black shama is a shy, elusive songbird that occurs only in the Philippines. Males are blue-black, females are brownish, and both have black bills, eyes, and legs. They are gifted singers, producing complicated yet melodious calls lasting 20 seconds or more. The habitat of the black shama is the lowlands and forest foothills of the island of Cebu, but deforestation has reduced its numbers and they are now quite rare.

IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Habitat loss and degradation
Habitat: Lowland forest and foothills, often in deep ravines and bamboo thickets
Location: Cebu Island in the Philippines
Diet: Insects, especially beetles and crickets; also fruit sap

BLUE-THROATED MACAW
The blue-throated macaw is a large blue parrot with a yellow underbelly and powerful hooked beak. It is only known from the swampy regions of the central forests of Bolivia where it typically occurs in bonded pairs. With population estimates at fewer than 100 individuals, this bird is extremely rare. The primary threat to the blue-throated macaw comes from their collection for the exotic pets trade.

IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
Major Threat: Capture for the exotic pet trade
Habitat: Tropical savannas and woodlands
Location: Central Bolivia
Diet: Seeds, fruits, nuts and berries

BROWN KIWI
The brown kiwi is a stocky nocturnal bird that is native to New Zealand. A flightless bird, the brown kiwi feeds by walking slowly through the forest poking its long, slender bill — which is highly sensitive to touch — into the ground in search of worms, insects and larvae. It was once found throughout New Zealand, but is now restricted to fragmented forests and seriously threatened by non-native predators such as pigs, cats and dogs.

IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Non-native predators such as pigs, cats and dogs
Habitat: Temperate, tropical and subtropical forest and scrubland
Location: New Zealand
Diet: Worms, insects and larvae

CALIFORNIA CONDOR
California condors are large vultures with bald pink heads and a 10-foot wingspan. They are among the world's largest flying birds, and they are also one of the most critically endangered. After going extinct in the wild due to hunting, habitat loss and environmental poisons, captive breeding programs have allowed for the reintroduction of a small population of California condors into the wild. There are currently populations in California, Arizona, and Baja California, Mexico.

IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting, habitat loss and environmental poisons
Habitat: Wooded mountains and scrublands
Location: California, Arizona, and Baja California, Mexico
Diet: Carrion, especially larger animals like deer, cattle and sheep

CROWNED EAGLE
The crowned eagle is a mighty bird of prey with broad wings, pale gray plumage and a distinct crest on its head. It occurs throughout central South America in both forest and semi-open areas. Like many birds of prey, the crowned eagle is endangered because of habitat loss. As top predators, they are also vulnerable to toxins present in their prey animals, and are subject to harassment by humans who perceive them as a threat to farm animals.

IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat loss, persecution and toxins present in prey animals
Habitat: Open woodland, marshland, savanna and scrub
Location: Central South America
Diet: Birds, medium-sized mammals and reptiles

IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER
The ivory-billed woodpecker is a magnificent bird with red, black, and white feathers, a tall crest on the head (the crest is red on the male), and a long pointed bill. This bird was thought to be long extinct due to logging pressures until it was spotted along a stream in eastern Arkansas in 2004. Today, populations of the ivory-billed woodpecker are tiny but thought to be stable.

IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Logging pressures
Habitat: Thick hardwood swamp and pine forest
Location: Eastern Arkansas and northern Florida
Diet: Larvae of wood-boring beetles; also seeds, fruits and insects

KIRTLAND'S WARBLER
Kirtland's warbler is a small songbird that spends the summer in Michigan and then flies south to the Bahamas for the winter. Individuals range from 4 to 6 inches, and both sexes have blue-gray bodies with white eye rings. Kirtland's warbler breeds only in jack pine woodland, so habitat loss has been particularly devastating for this species. Recent woodland management plans have improved conditions.

IUCN Status: Near Threatened
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Loss of suitable breeding habitat
Habitat: Jack pine woodland and pine forests
Location: Lower Michigan in summer; Bahamas in winter
Diet: Insects, berries and fruit

LIGHT-FOOTED CLAPPER RAIL
The light-footed clapper rail is a large marsh bird with long legs and large feet for wading through water. It has a long downturned bill, an upturned tail and a 20-inch wingspan. The light-footed clapper rail is easily identified in the wild by its gray-brown head and body and a cinnamon breast. It is quite rare and populations continue to decline due to habitat loss and predation by non-native species.

USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat loss and predation by non-native species
Habitat: Coastal salt and freshwater marshes
Location: Southern California to Northern Mexico
Diet: Mainly invertebrates such as crabs, snails, insects, worms and mussels

MADAGASCAR TEAL
The Madagascar teal is a rare small duck that lives in the wetlands and coastal forests of western Madagascar. Both sexes are brownish with a mottled head and chest and a purple-hued bill. Because of its rarity, not much is known about the ecology of the Madagascar teal, except that its numbers are in rapid decline due to hunting and habitat loss.

IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: Wetlands, coastal forests and mangrove swamps
Location: Western Madagascar
Diet: Invertebrates and aquatic vegetation

MARBLED MURRELET
The marbled murrelet is a chubby seabird that appears to have no neck. It has a white mottled neck and belly with dark brown-black upperparts during the breeding season that turn grayish in winter. This species is still abundant but populations have declined by as much as 50 percent in the past few decades. Threats to the marbled murrelet include habitat loss and being taken as bycatch in fishing nets.

IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat loss and being taken as bycatch
Habitat: Open ocean, pelagic offshore areas and protected bays; nests in old growth forests
Location: North Pacific
Diet: Mainly sandeels; also herring, capelin and shiner perch

ORIENTAL STORK
Storks are large long-legged birds with long necks, broad wings and powerful bills. They have several adaptations to habitats with shallow water, including widely spaced toes and webbing between the front three. The oriental stork is found in the lowland forests and wetlands of a number of Asian countries, but their populations are in sharp decline due to deforestation and the draining of wetlands.

IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Deforestation and draining of wetlands
Habitat: Lowland forests and wetlands
Location: China, North Korea and Russia
Diet: Fish, frogs and other small animals

RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER
The red-cockaded woodpecker is a small yet striking bird. It has white underparts, a black cap and nape, black mustache stripe down the side of each cheek, and black back with white bars. The male has a faint red spot on the side of the nape. It lives in the pine forests of the southwestern United States and at one time was very common. Logging operations and habitat degradation have led to a sharp and continuous decline in the numbers of red-cockaded woodpeckers.

IUCN Status: Vulnerable
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Logging operations and habitat degradation
Habitat: Mature pine forests
Location: Southeastern United States
Diet: Tree-dwelling insects, their larvae and their eggs

RED-CROWNED CRANE
Cranes are large long-legged birds with a slender bill and rounded wings. They are found throughout the world, though many are endangered. In fact, cranes have a higher proportion of endangered species than any other bird group. The red-crowned crane — the heaviest member of the crane family — breeds on the island of Hokkaido in Japan. It may have occurred on other Japanese islands in the past, but hunting and habitat loss have restricted its numbers.

IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting and habitat loss
Habitat: Marshes, river banks and similar habitats
Location: Island of Hokkaido in Japan
Diet: Small amphibians, aquatic invertebrates, insects and plants

RED SISKIN
The red siskin is a small finch with a black head and mostly red body. The females have a grayish head with a less brilliant red body. They live in northern Venezuela and Colombia in a variety of habitats, including mountain forests and shrubby grasslands. This species is threatened by capture for the caged bird trade and populations may include fewer than 1,000 individuals.

IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Capture for the caged bird trade
Habitat: Open country, mountain forests and grassland
Location: Northern Venezuela and Colombia
Diet: Mainly seeds

SOUTHWESTERN WILLOW FLYCATCHER
The southwestern willow flycatcher is a small songbird with a green-gray body, white throat and yellow belly. It is found in the forests along rivers, streams and other wetlands in the southwestern United States and Northern Mexico. Most birders rely on sound rather than sight to identify this bird. It has a distinct "fitz-bew" call that is unmistakable. This species is threatened by habitat loss and there may be fewer than 1,000 individuals left in the wild.

USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Habitat loss
Habitat: Forests along rivers, streams and other wetlands
Location: Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico
Diet: Insects

TRICOLORED BLACKBIRD
Blackbirds are found exclusively in the Americas and are well-adapted for life in and around human settlements. The tricolored blackbird is found throughout the marsh, scrub and wetlands of the Central Valley of California, and breeding colonies may occur in Nevada, Oregon and Washington. The male is shiny black with red or white wing epaulets, and the females are dusky gray. This species is currently undergoing rapid population decline due to loss of habitat.

IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Habitat loss
Habitat: Marsh, scrub and wetlands
Location: Central Valley of California
Diet: Insects, seeds and other plant matter

WHOOPING CRANE
Whooping cranes are large white birds with a red crown; long, slender legs; and broad, rounded black-tipped wings. They once occurred throughout western North America but were driven to near extinction by hunting and habitat loss. Protection of cranes is made difficult by their long migrations, which may span thousands of miles. Many cranes breed in Arctic wetlands and spend winters in the southern latitudes. Though still small, its numbers are steadily increasing.

IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Habiat loss due to drainage of wetlands
Habitat: Grassy plains interspersed with marshes, lakes and ponds
Location: Northern Canada and the Texas coast
Diet: Snails, clams, fish, blue crabs and wolf berries

YELLOW-EARED PARROT
The yellow-eared parrot is critically endangered because of its extremely small range and shrinking habitat due to deforestation. It is bright green with yellow ear patches and a dark, heavy bill. This breathtakingly beautiful bird is also a popular species in the exotic pet trade. It is currently only thought to occur among the wax palms in the cloud forests of the Colombian Andes.

IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
Major Threat: Habitat loss due to deforestation
Habitat: Cloud forests, occurring exclusively in wax palms
Location: Colombian Andes
Diet: Fruits of the wax palm

Endangered Species - Invertebrates

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Endangered Invertebrates

Invertebrates account for 97 percent of all animal species. Insects, spiders, crustaceans, squid, snails, octopi, jellyfish, sponges, flatworms, roundworms, segmented worms, starfish, sea urchins, sea cucumbers and sea mats are all major invertebrate phylums or classes.

Invertebrate species, especially in locations like the Amazon Basin, are going extinct at an alarming rate. Over half of those evaluated are now listed as threatened or endangered by the IUCN, with crustaceans accounting for the highest percentage. Habitat loss seems to be the major reason invertebrate species continue to vanish.

AMERICAN BURYING BEETLE
The American burying beetle is so named because of its habit of burying its food, which consists of just about any dead animal. As a scavenger, it spends much of its time clearing carcasses off the forest floor. For this reason, it is a critical part of the North American ecosystem. Historically, this species could be found in woodland areas from New England to the Rocky Mountains. Today, it is found in only a handful of states due to declining prey species and loss of habitat.

IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat loss and declining prey species
Habitat: Maritime shrub thickets, coastal moraine grasslands and open pasture
Location: Eastern Oklahoma and Block Island, Rhode Island
Diet: Carrion

BASKING MALACHITE DAMSELFLY
Like their dragonfly relatives, damselflies are highly effective predators and expert aerial acrobats. They have large eyes and wings that fold back when the insect is at rest. A native of the Eastern Cape of South Africa, the basking malachite damselfly was nearly extinct at the start of the 21st century due to environmental pollution and alterations of its habitat by non-native species. Conservation activities are currently underway to save this species.

IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Environmental pollution and habitat alteration by non-native species
Habitat: Clear, shallow, rocky streams with overhanging grasses
Location: Eastern Cape of South Africa
Diet: Insects

CALLIPPE SILVERSPOT BUTTERFLY
With a wingspan of about 2.5 inches, the callippe silverspot butterfly is a medium-sized butterfly. Its wings are a dazzling pattern of black spots and lines on a brownish-gold background with the base of the wing being very hairy. The callippe silverspot lives in the grasslands surrounding the San Francisco Bay Area of California. It is threatened by loss of habitat.

USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Habitat loss
Habitat: Grasslands
Location: San Francisco Bay Area of California
Diet: Nectar

DELTA GREEN GROUND BEETLE
About one-third of the insects on earth are beetles. They occur in most terrestrial and freshwater habitats, and make up about 360,000 different species. Ground beetles are elongated and flattened beetles that live beneath stones and plant material on the ground. The delta green ground beetle is a bright green species that once occurred in the temporary pools throughout California's Central Valley but is now confined to a small region in Northern California.

IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
Major Threat: Agricultural development
Habitat: Vernal pool habitats
Location: Solano County in Northern California
Diet: Mainly springtails (tiny, wingless insects)

DLINZA FOREST PINWHEEL
The Dlinza Forest pinwheel is a snail that undoubtedly gets its name from the whorl of bristles emanating from its outer shell. It is found only in a small patch of the Dlinza Forest of South Africa, which comprises about 250 hectares. The forest is protected; however, it is a very small location within a major urban area, and there is concern that this species cannot survive.

IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
Major Threat: Extremely small range
Habitat: Coastal scarp forest and damp swampy areas
Location: Dlinza Forest in South Africa
Diet: Unknown

FABULOUS GREEN SPHINX MOTH
Moths are closely related to butterflies, but are usually drab whereas butterflies are brightly colored. This is not true of the fabulous green sphinx moth, an animal that is named for its bright green thorax and orange antennae. In the late 1990s, this species was thought to be extinct. However, there have been sightings of the fabulous green sphinx moth in recent years on the island of Kauai in Hawaii, the only place where this species occurs.

IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Collection and habitat destruction
Habitat: Uknown
Location: Hawaii's Kauai island
Diet: Unknown

FANSHELL
The fanshell is a freshwater mollusk found in the rivers and streams of the Midwest and eastern United States. Their larvae attach themselves to the gills of fish, where they remain until they grow into juveniles with shells of their own. Adult fanshells bury themselves in sand or gravel with only their siphons exposed to the current. Dam and reservoir construction as well as sand and gravel mining have contributed to the destruction of much of the fanshell's habitat.

IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Habitat destruction
Habitat: Streams and rivers
Location: Midwest and eastern United States
Diet: Likely detritus, diatoms, phytoplankton and zooplankton

GIANT FRESHWATER CRAYFISH
Freshwater crayfish are lobster-like animals with powerful claws on their front legs. The giant freshwater crayfish is the world's largest known freshwater invertebrate. It lives in the mud and silt on the bottom of streams, rivers, and lakes in Tasmania and mainland Australia. Once abundant, their numbers have been reduced by fishing pressure and environmental pollution.

IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Fishing pressure and environmental pollution
Habitat: Mud and silt on bottoms of streams, rivers and lakes
Location: Tasmania and mainland Australia
Diet: Mainly decaying wood

ILLINOIS CAVE AMPHIPOD
The Illinois cave amphipod is a tiny crustacean found in the dark zones of cave streams in Illinois. It is light blue-gray but may appear translucent. This species is considered very important because its health is an indicator of groundwater quality in the area where it occurs. It is currently threatened by groundwater contamination as well as human disturbance within Illinois caves.

IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Groundwater contamination and human disturbance
Habitat: Dark zones of cave streams
Location: Illinois
Diet: Dead animals and plants

LOTUS BLUE BUTTERFLY
The lotus blue butterfly is a beautiful insect species with azure wings fringed in white scales along the outer margin. It is known to occur only in the coastal bogs of Northern California. There have been no sightings of this species for more than 20 years, and they may already be extinct. Threats to the lotus blue butterfly are not well understood but are likely to include loss of bog habitat.

USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Loss of bog habitat
Habitat: Coastal bogs
Location: Northern California
Diet: Nectar

Endangered Species - Amphibians

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Endangered Species
Conservation biologists tend to think of amphibians as environmental "canaries in the coal mine." When an ecosystem begins to tip out of balance, amphibians are generally the first to be affected. When frogs and salamanders begin to die en masse, it means that widescale ecological devastation may be under way.
More amphibian species are under threat than any single animal group, a wopping 1,811 species according to the IUCN. This accounts for around 31 percent of all known amphibians. Habitat loss and pollution appear to be the major causes.

Endangered Amphibians

BLUE-SIDED TREE FROG
The blue-sided tree frog has golden eyes, a green-blue back, blue sides and a pinkish underbelly. It has long slender limbs and suction toes that enable it to jump easily from branch to branch within the forest canopy. It is found in the moist tropical and subtropical regions of Costa Rica but its numbers are in rapid decline due to pollution, loss of habitat and collection by humans.

IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Pollution, loss of habitat and collection by humans
Habitat: Premontane moist and wet forests, as well as rain forests
Location: Costa Rica
Diet: A variety of arthropods

CORROBOREE FROG
The corroboree frog is a black frog with bright yellow stripes found only in a narrow region of moss-covered bogs in the high-altitude forest of New South Wales, Australia. Unlike many brightly colored frogs, the corroboree does not have toxic skin. It was once abundant, but a rapid decline in population over the past 10 years has made it one of the world's most endangered frogs.

IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
Major Threat: Habitat destruction and predation by feral animals
Habitat: Moss-covered bogs in high altitude forest
Location: New South Wales, Australia
Diet: Mainly small invertebrates, including ants, beetles and insect larvae

GOLDEN POISON FROG
The golden poison frog is found in the moist mountain forests of the Colombian Andes. Its gold coloration is a warning to predators that this species is poisonous. It is a small frog, with adults typically being less than 2 inches long. This species has a very restricted range and its habitat continues to disappear to logging and agricultural interests.

IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Habitat loss due to logging and agricultural interests
Habitat: Very moist, humid mountain rain forest
Location: Colombian Andes
Diet: Insects, including ants, beetles and termites

GOLIATH FROG
The aptly named Goliath frog is the world's largest frog species. Adults may weigh more than seven pounds and grow to be more than a foot long. They live in fast-moving rivers and streams in the rain forests of West Africa. Their range is quite small and their populations are in rapid decline because of hunting and being captured by private collectors of exotic species.

IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat destruction and collection for the pet trade
Habitat: Swiftly flowing rivers in dense rain forests
Location: West Africa
Diet: Insects, crustaceans, fish and other amphibians

PANAMANIAN GOLDEN FROG
The Panamanian golden frog is a bright yellow or orange amphibian with black markings and long limbs. It provides the classic example of warning coloration — its skin is highly toxic. It lives in the rain forests of Panama, but its numbers have declined dramatically in recent years due to habitat loss, hunting, pollution and disease.

IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat loss, hunting, pollution and disease
Habitat: Tropical rain forest
Location: Panama
Diet: Small invertebrates

WESTERN LEOPARD TOAD
A toad is an amphibian with a large, wide head; front limbs that are much smaller than the back limbs; a large mouth; and large protruding eyes. The western leopard toad is the largest South African toad. It has large brown patches on a greenish body and a vertical yellow stripe down its back. Its numbers are in decline due to loss of habitat and because of frequent collisions with vehicles.

IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat loss and frequent collisions with vehicles
Habitat: Large wetlands, rivers, perennial ponds and other low-lying areas
Location: Western Cape province of South Africa
Diet: Insects and other invertebrates

Endangered Species - Fish

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Endangered Fish
It's hard to say how fish are faring as a whole, as only 10 percent of the nearly 30,000 known fish species have been evaluated for inclusion in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Tellingly, nearly half those surveyed are now considered threatened or endangered.

Overfishing is likely the leading cause of fish declines, followed closely by habitat loss and pollution. Some of the most unique fish species in the world are facing imminent extinction, including the ancient coelacanth and the bizarre smalltooth sawfish. Learn about them here.

ANDEAN CATFISH

Catfish are among the world's most abundant and diverse freshwater fish. Like many catfish species, the Andean catfish has barbels around the mouth that contain taste buds that help the animal find food at night. The Andean catfish is native to the rivers and streams in the mountains of Ecuador, and is endangered due to pollution, fishing and loss of suitable habitat.

IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
Major Threats: Pollution, fishing and habitat loss
Habitat: Mountainous rivers and streams
Location: Ecuador
Diet: Fish, frogs, snails, algae and other aquatic species

ANGEL SHARK

Angel sharks are large, ray-like fish that spend most of their time hiding in the mud and silt of the ocean floor. As fish and other animals pass by, the angel shark snaps them up in their trap-like jaws. This species was once abundant in the northeastern Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Black seas, but is now very rare. Primary threats to the angel shark include being taken as bycatch and getting caught in fishing nets and lines.

IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
Major Threats: Being taken as bycatch and getting caught in fishing nets and lines
Habitat: Temperate and tropical seas
Location: Worldwide oceans
Diet: Fish, crustaceans and mollusks

BORNEO SHARK
The Borneo shark is extremely rare and known by only a few specimens. It lives in the shallow coastal waters of the South Pacific Ocean. It is viviparous, meaning it gives birth to live young. Like most sharks, the Borneo shark is a successful hunter and has few natural predators. Humans are one exception and the Borneo shark is currently threatened by fishing operations.

IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Fishing operations
Habitat: Shallow coastal waters
Location: Indo-Western Pacific Ocean
Diet: Unknown

NASSAU GROUPER

The Nassau grouper is a large, predatory coral reef fish that is found in the western Atlantic Ocean, Florida Keys, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. It has a habit of visiting cleaning stations on coral reefs, where wrasse fish pick parasites out of its mouth and gills. It also camouflages itself in order to ambush prey. The Nassau grouper is in serious decline due to fishing and loss of coral reef habitat.

IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Fishing and habitat loss
Habitat: Coral reefs
Location: Western Atlantic Ocean, Florida Keys, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea
Diet: Mainly other fish and crabs

RUSSIAN STURGEON

The Russian sturgeon is a large, bony fish that can reach a length of more than 6 feet. It lives in salt water and travels upriver to spawn, which makes it vulnerable to habitat loss on multiple fronts, including hydroelectric dams that create barriers to spawning grounds, pollution in both its freshwater and saltwater homes, and being heavily fished for its meat and eggs, which are used to make caviar.

IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Overfishing, pollution and habitat loss
Habitat: Seas and large rivers
Location: Black Sea, Caspian Sea and adjacent river systems
Diet: Mainly mollusks

SMALLTOOTH SAWFISH

Like sharks, skates and rays, sawfish have skeletons made of cartilage rather than bone. The smalltooth sawfish is a long, sleek fish that occurs in shallow coastal and estuarine waters in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans as well as the Gulf of Mexico. It also has a long, flattened snout lined with rows of teeth that it uses to locate and subdue prey. In addition to facing the threat of hunting, pollution and habitat loss, it is extremely vulnerable to being caught in fishing lines.

IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Hunting, pollution, habitat loss and being caught in fishing lines
Habitat: Shallow coastal and estuarine waters
Location: Altantic and Pacific oceans and the Gulf of Mexico
Diet: Mainly fish and some crustaceans

List of Evnironmental issues

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This is a list of environmental issues that are due to human activity. These articles relate to the anthropogenic effects on the natural environment.

* Climate change — Global warming • Fossil fuels • Sea level rise • Greenhouse gas

* Conservation — Habitat destruction • Habitat fragmentation • Species extinction • Pollinator decline • Coral bleaching • Whaling • Holocene extinction event • Invasive species

* Dams - Environmental impacts of dams

* Energy - Energy conservation • Renewable energy • Efficient energy use • Renewable energy commercialization

* Genetic engineering — Genetic pollution

* Intensive farming — Overgrazing • Irrigation • Monoculture • Environmental effects of meat production

* Land degradation — Land pollution • Desertification

Soil — Soil conservation • Soil erosion • Soil contamination • Soil salination

* Nanotechnology — Nanotoxicology • Nanopollution

* Nuclear issues — Nuclear fallout • Nuclear meltdown • Nuclear power

* Overpopulation — Burial

* Ozone depletion

* Pollution — Air pollution • Light pollution • Noise pollution • Thermal pollution

Water pollution — Acid rain • Eutrophication • Ocean dumping • Oil spills • Water crisis

* Resource depletion — Exploitation of natural resources

Consumerism — Consumer capitalism • Planned obsolescence
Fishing — Blast fishing • Bottom trawling • Cyanide fishing • Ghost nets • Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing • Overfishing • Shark finning
Logging — Clearcutting • Deforestation • Illegal logging
Mining — Acid mine drainage • Mountaintop removal mining

* Toxins — Chlorofluorocarbons • DDT • Dioxin • Heavy metals • Herbicides • Pesticides • Toxics use reduction • Toxic waste

* Urban sprawl

* Waste — E-waste • Waste disposal incidents

Green Tips to Save the Earth - SHOPPING TIPS

2009-01-06T16:08:00.000+05:30

General Considerations

Being environmentally conscious when shopping, we should only buy items which are actually needed.

If you prepare a shopping list before buying, you can avoid purchasing redundant or unnecessary items, which will reduce waste.
Family-sized products require less packaging and generally cost less.
Overall, if you only purchase products with minimal packaging you will not only save resource, but also help to decrease the amount of energy used during the packaging process.

When Buying Food and Drinks

Food and drinks tend to be heavily packaged, but more environmentally friendly alternatives are available.

You can cut down on take-away food, which uses more disposable packaging, and choose to eat at home.
Buy drinks in returnable bottles where possible.
You should avoid laminated beverages, the containers cannot be recycled.
Try to use durable tablewares instead of disposable ones such as foam containers, paper cups, disposable plastic cutleries and wooden chopsticks.

There are also ways in which you can protect nature when purchasing food.

Try to buy fresh local food, which requires little packaging and reduces energy consumption and pollution because no long-distance transportation is required.
When organic food is available, choose it to lessen the harm caused by chemical pesticides and fertilisers to both the environment and your health.
Do not consume products containing endangered animal parts or plants because they help to maintain the biodiversity that keeps the environment in balance.

When Buying Daily Necessities

Our daily necessities are often the most polluting, but there are always more environmentally friendly alternatives that are easy to find or make.

Buy ant or cockroach traps instead of fluorocarbon sprays; they are less polluting and can reduce insect populations effectively.
Minimise your purchases of products such as aerosol sprays that contain ozone depleting substances.
Replace non-rechargeable batteries with rechargeable batteries, old rechargeable batteries can be collected at collection points throughout Hong Kong.
A simple solution of vinegar and baking soda is an effective multi-purpose cleaner, which is more environmentally friendly and much cheaper than cleaners containing chemicals.
Handkerchiefs are more environmentally friendly than tissues.

When Buying Clothes

The process of manufacturing of materials for clothes might cause harm to the environment.

Choose clothes that are made of non-bleached materials because waste water generated from the bleaching process affects the marine ecology.
Choose clothes made of materials which do not crease easily, thus less energy is consumed for ironing.

When Buying Electrical Appliances

Think green when buying electrical appliances. Always choose refrigerators, air-conditioners, washing machines, tumble dryers and other electrical appliances with Grade 1 Energy Efficiency Labels; these products consume less energy than those with higher grade energy labels.

Green Tips to Save the Earth - TRANSPORTATION

2009-01-06T16:06:00.000+05:30

Before You Buy a Vehicle

Environmental protection can begin when you are deciding how to travel.

The first question to ask is: do you really need a car? The answer might be 'no' if you are surrounded by well-established public transportation system.
Buy a car of right capacity – a single person doesn't need a large sized car with a large engine, but under certain circumstances a family might.
Check the energy label of the car you are considering, or ask about its fuel consumption.
An environment-friendly car is a wise choice – it can save you fuel cost and 30% on the First Registration Tax with a cap of HK$50,000 per car.
If you do decide to buy a car, forming a car pool with your friends or colleagues will help to reduce the pollution that you cause as a group.

Vehicle Maintenance

Regular and proper maintenance of your vehicle can reduce exhaust emission and improve the environment. It can also extend the life span of your vehicle.

Keep your car properly tuned: an inefficient car will use more fuel and emit more pollutant, which will harm the environment and cost you more money.
Maintain correct tyre pressure by inspecting your tyres regularly and inflating them to the pressure recommended by the manufacturer.

While Driving

How you drive can affect the fuel consumption of your car, so adopting a few habits will save the environment and your money.

Avoid sudden acceleration, because it increases fuel consumption.
Switch off when idling.
Close windows when travelling at high speed – this will decrease aerodynamic drag and lower fuel consumption.
An unnecessarily heavy load or car fittings that create drag will result in fuel wastage and extra pollution.
Only use air-conditioning when you have to – flow-through ventilation or open windows at lower speeds can be just as effective without the extra fuel consumption.

Finding Alternatives

A final way to help protect the environment is to look for alternatives.

Planning your route ahead of time will help you find easier ways around traffic congestion – you will save time during your journey and reduce fuel consumption.
Use public transportation as often as possible – the wide availability of trains, buses, minibuses and ferries in Hong Kong means that most areas can be reached without much expense.

Green Tips to Save the Earth - WATER

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SAVE ON WATER BILLS

Replace or repair loose seals on your toilet and taps promptly. Ten drips per minute wastes about 3,000 litres of water a year.

Water

Remember to turn off all taps after use.

Use a container for washing, brushing your teeth or shaving than rinsing in running water. You can save up to fiver litres of water each time.

Don't wash clothes or vegetables under running taps.

Do not use an excessive quantity of detergent when washing clothes or household utilities as more water is needed for rinsing them off.

Water your plants only when necessary.

Change fish tank water only when necessary. Use a better filtering system to maintain water quality.

Water can be used again. Save your bath slops to wash the floor.

Be economical with your washing machine and dishwasher. Save for a bigger wash and cut down the rinse cycle.

Teach your children that water is not for games.

Install low-flow tap.

Install flow restrictors, self-closing taps, sensors, etc.

By taking a shower instead of a bath, you use only one fifth of the water.

Toilet

Do not flush unnecessarily. Eleven litres of water are used every time you flush the toilet. A large family may waste up to 100 litres every day.

Adjust the flushing water of your cistern to a minimum required level.

Use waste water instead of drinking water to flush the toilet if there is no supply of sea water for flushing.

Install two-flow flushing system to your cistern to reduce water use.

Green Tips to Save the Earth - ELECTRICITY

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CUT YOUR ELECTRICITY BILLS

Make sure you turn off all lights and electrical appliances like air-conditioners and heaters when you are not using them.

Replace, where appropriate, electrical appliances with Grade 1 or Grade 2 Energy Labels, They are cheaper in the long run.

Use automatic timers to control appliances to avoid wasting energy.

Lighting

Use the minimum number of lights. Turn off lighting if it is not needed.

Use sunlight as far as possible.

Use energy-saving bulbs which are cooler, like halogen bulbs, fluorescent tubes and energy efficient compact fluorescent (CF) bulbs rather than the conventional incandescent bulbs. The CF bulbs give off a warm, bright light but use 75% less energy and last up to ten times longer than the conventional incandescent bulbs.

Keep bulbs and fittings clean for maximum brightness and reflectiveness.

Use low-wattage bulbs in areas where bright light is not necessary.

Turn off lighting if it is not needed. Affix "Save Energy" stickers near the switch as a reminder.

Replace conventional electromagnetic ballasts of fluorescent lamps with electronic ballasts.

Use dimmers where possible (except for fluorescent lamps).

Use non-opaque, light-coloured lamp shades.

Choose a light coloured, high-reflectivity decoration scheme for your main living areas.

Computers

Set PCs to hibernation mode or standby mode where applicable.

Turn off the master switch of printers connected to PCs when not in use.

Turn off the monitor when you leave your office, even for a short meeting. "Screen saver" does not save much energy (less than 10%).

Air-conditioning

Avoid installing your air-conditioner in direct sunlight which could jeopardize the cooling effect.

Seal the gaps around doors and windows and keep them closed when air-conditioners are in use.

Draw curtains or blinds to keep the sunlight out.

Avoid blocking the input and output air vents of your air-conditioner.

Pre-set air-conditioner to 25.5^oC which is a comfortable energy efficient temperature. For every one degree Celsius cooler you set the temperature, your power consumption will increase by 10%.

At night, set your air-conditioner to "low cool" and use the timer to switch it off about one hour before you wake up.

During summer, clean your air-conditioner at least once a month to ensure it works efficiently.

Apply anti-ultraviolet film to window glazing exposed to strong sunlight.

Use fan instead of air conditioner as far as possible.

Refrigerator

Select a fridge size best suited to your family's needs. For a family of three to four, 140 to 170 litres is normally suitable.

Ensure the door seal is completely air tight and make sure the door is not left open when not in use.

The food section is best kept at a constant temperature of 3^oC and the freezer compartment at 0^oC. Every degree lower means a 5% increase in running costs.

Make sure your fridge is in a cool place away from direct sunlight, an oven or other sources of heat.

Always keep the cooling coils at the back of the fridge clean.

Allow hot food to cool before placing it in the fridge.

Don't over-crowd your fridge's shelves, allow cool air to circulate freely.

Thaw frozen food by putting it in the refrigerator section the day before cooking.

Empty and switch off your fridge if going on a long vacation.

Heaters

In winter, reduce the need for heaters by making the best possible use of sunlight.

Ensure doors and windows are closed and gaps are properly sealed. Thick curtains reduce heat loss.

For savings and safety's sake, turn off all heaters about 30 minutes before going out.

Washing Machines and Tumble Dryers

Wait until you have a full load of washing to save electricity and water.

Use cold or mild water for washing and rinsing.

Dry your clothes in the sunshine and fresh air whenever possible.

Reduce dry-cleaning.

Save on Gas

Always maintain your gas cooking utensils. It's a good idea to get a check-up every six months to make sure everything is burning efficiently.

Using microwave ovens and slow cookers can cut your fuel costs by up to 70%.

A pressure cooker saves up to 2/3 cooking time, saves energy, and preserves the goodness in your food.

Use the right size of rice cooker for your family - an oversized cooker wastes energy.

Do not cook too far ahead of meal time - reheating/ keeping food warm simply wastes energy.

Burner

Adjust the flame of the burner to hit bottom of pan. Fuel is wasted if flames leap up the side of the pan. Food cooks faster if it is put nearer the burner or grill.

Cover pots or saucepans to retain heat when cooking. It reduces cooking time and saves fuel costs by as much as four times.

Use the simmer burner rather than the oven to re-heat food and casseroles.

Do not put more water in kettles or pans than you need.

Oven and Grill

Plan your menu to make full use of your oven space. For example, when roasting or baking, use the lower area for cooking rice pudding, fruit pies or sausages.

Use the grill to its full capacity. It is cheaper to toast several slices of toast at a time rather then separately.

Do not spend too long pre-heating your oven: 10 minutes is usually enough.

Electrical or Gas Water Heater

Take a shower instead of a bath. It can save two and a half times the amount of water and fuel.

When hot water is not in use, switch off the pilot light.

Have your water heater inspected from time to time to ensure its efficiency and safety.

A low-flow shower head also saves water and heating energy.

Choose electric storage water heater or domestic gas instantaneous water heater with energy label.

Recycle and reuse household waste

2009-01-06T14:59:00.000+05:30

How to recycle my waste?

Glass bottles and jars, cans, cardboard and paper can all be recycled.
Paper recycling should include all the items we use such as envelopes, invoices, faxes, junk mail, magazines, telephone books and catalogues.
Packaging materials such as cardboard, chipboard, bags, plastics can be recycled.
Recycle office cleaning products, where possible.
Recycle food/drink containers.

How to reuse my waste?

Print draft documents on old and less used papers on the back of printed papers.
Prepare memo pads out of scrap papers.
Reuse inter-office envelopes, file folders and boxes.
Go for reusable mailing pouches.
Shredded newspaper / paper for packaging can be reused.
If your furniture is old, repair them or give them in charity.
You can give away your old magazines to libraries, hospitals or nursing homes.
Use reusable memo boards for messages.
Refill laser printer, copier and fax toner cartridges.
Reuse ring binders, paper clips, rubber bands.
Avoid polystyrene or plastic cups. Use ceramic or clay mugs.
Reuse incoming boxes for outgoing deliveries.

How to reduce my waste?

Save paper by printing office reports, memos, internal manuals etc on both sides.
Don’t make multiple copies of letters/memos. Instead make one copy and maintain a central file.
Send more emails to save paper.
As far as possible replace paper files and store data on computer networks or on disk.
Avoid wastage by carefully checking all documents on the screen before printing.
Update your mailing lists to avoid duplication, waste and added costs.
Prevent junk-mailing.
Order supplies in bulk.
Don't use bin liners in bins collecting dry waste.
Purchase equipment which are durable.
Replace paper towels with washable towels or hand-dryers.
Use rechargeable batteries.

Recycling Toilet Papers

Toilet paper can also be recycled, but it has to be unbleached because the deadly dioxins caused by chlorine bleaching bring about untold harm to marine creatures and pollute our waterways. These dioxins enter our food chain through the marine animals that we eat, eventually reaching little babies through the breast-milk from nursing mothers. Artificial fragrances used in such papers too can severely damage health, as the chemicals used in them cause allergies among young children and babies or those who have a family history of allergies or asthma. Try and use environmentally-friendly brands of disposable nappies and avoid chlorine-bleached ones.

All about household waste

2009-01-06T14:50:00.000+05:30

Household waste categories

Recyclable

Paper and cards
Glass
Aluminum cans
Steel tins and cans
PET bottles
Clothing, shoes and fabrics

Biodegradable

Kitchen waste
Garden waste

Hazardous Wastes

Adhesives
Degreasers
Gasoline and other fuels
Pesticides
Aerosol products
Drain cleaners
Mothballs
Oil based paints
Stains and varnishes
Wood preservatives
Oven cleaners

Waste Generation (kg/day/person)

USA - 2.00
Canada - 1.69
Netherlands - 1.39
UK - 1.34
Japan - 1.32
France - 0.95
Germany - 0.90
China - 0.79
India - 0.46

Convert toxic computer waste into safe products

2009-01-06T14:43:00.000+05:30

Discarded computer parts could one day wind up fueling your car. That’s because researchers in Romania and Turkey have developed a simple, efficient method for recycling printed circuit boards into environmentally-friendly raw materials for use in fuel, plastic, and other useful consumer products.

Their study is scheduled for the May 21 issue of ACS’ Energy & Fuels, a bi-monthly journal.
The boom in the use of computers has also created one of the world’s biggest environmental headaches: What to do with all the discarded circuit boards, which contain high levels of pollutants such as heavy metals and flame retardants that can potentially harm humans? Researchers are seeking ways to remove these toxins so that these scrap materials can be safely recycled.
In the new study, Cornelia Vasile and colleagues collected printed circuit boards from discarded computers and processed the boards with a combination of high temperatures, catalysts, and chemical filtration. The processing method removed almost all of the toxic substances from the scraps, resulting in oils that can be safely used as fuel or raw materials called feedstocks for a wide variety of consumer products, the researchers say. -American Chemical Society

51 Things We Can Do to Save the Environment

2009-01-05T14:34:00.000+05:30

1. Turn Food Into Fuel
Are corn husks better than corn for producing energy? Ethanol is the alternative fuel that could finally wean the U.S. from its expensive oil habit and in turn prevent the millions of tons of carbon emissions that go with it. The Department of Energy has doubled its 2005 commitment to funding research into biofuels—any non-petroleum fuel source, including corn, soybean, switchgrass, municipal waste and (ick) used cooking oil. Already, half of the nearly 11 billion bushels of corn produced each year is turned into ethanol, and most new cars are capable of running on E10 (10% ethanol and 90% gas).

Yet the eco-friendly fuel is beginning to look less chummy of late. Some of the 114 ethanol plants in the U.S. use natural gas and, yes, even coal to run the processors. And ethanol has to be trucked. Existing gas pipelines can't carry it because it corrodes iron. Then there are the economics. Producers depend on federal subsidies, and increasing demand for corn as fuel means the kernels keep getting pricier.

That's why researchers are prospecting for more alternatives, preferably ones that don't rely on food crops or a 51 cents-per-gallon tax break. Municipal waste, wood pulp and leftover grain and corn husks are all quite attractive; they can produce something called cellulosic ethanol, which contains more energy than corn. But they don't give up their bounty easily, so for now they're more expensive than corn-based ethanol to produce. Undeterred, researchers at several cellulosic-ethanol plants are developing innovative enzyme concoctions and heating methods to make the process more economic. Nothing like haste to make something out of waste.

2. Get Blueprints For a Green House
Reducing your impact on the earth is not just a question of what you drive but also of what you live in. Residential energy use accounts for 16% of greenhouse-gas emissions. If you begin thinking green at the blueprint stage, however, low-tech, pragmatic techniques will maximize your new home's efficiency. Installing those systems from the ground up is cheaper than retrofitting. "Doing simple things could drastically reduce your energy costs, by 40%," says Oru Bose, a sustainable-design architect in Santa Fe, N.M. For example, control heat, air and moisture leakage by sealing windows and doors. Insulate the garage, attic and basement with natural, nontoxic materials like reclaimed blue jeans. Protect windows from sunrays with large overhangs and double-pane glass. Emphasize natural cross ventilation. "You don't need to have 24th century solutions to solve 18th century problems," Bose says. Next, consider renewable energy sources like solar electric systems, compact wind turbines and geothermal heat pumps to help power your home. When you're ready to get creative, GreenHomeGuide.com will help you find bamboo flooring, cork tiles, and countertops made from recycled wastepaper.

3. Change Your Lightbulbs
The hottest thing in household energy savings is the compact fluorescent lightbulb (CFL), a funny-looking swirl that fits into standard sockets. CFLs cost three to five times as much as conventional incandescent bulbs yet use one-quarter the electricity and last several years longer. They are available virtually everywhere lightbulbs are sold. Most labels don't say "CFL" (GE calls its bulbs Energy Savers), and in some cases the telltale twist is enclosed in frosted glass. The wattage gives them away: many 7-watt CFLs are comparable to a regular 40-watt bulb, 26 watts is the typical CFL equivalent of 100 watts and so on. Or just look for the Energy Star label.

CFLs have come a long way since they were first introduced in the mid-'90s (they don't flicker as much when you turn them on, for one thing), but because each bulb still contains 5 mg of mercury, you're not supposed to toss them out with the regular trash, where they could end up in a landfill. So the bulbs are one more thing for you to sort in the recycling bin.

Light-emitting diodes, or LEDs (see item 4), don't have this problem, but they can require a bit of DIY rewiring. LEDs work great as accents and task lights, and you can also buy LED desk and floor lamps. But if you're just looking to put a green bulb in your favorite table lamp, CFL is the way to go.

4. Light Up Your City
Cities can save energy—and money—by illuminating public spaces with LEDs, or light-emitting diodes. Last December Raleigh, N.C., turned one floor of a municipal parking garage into a testing ground for LEDs (see the before-and-after photos at cree.com/LEDcity). The new white, brighter fixtures use 40% less electricity than the high-pressure sodium bulbs they replaced. Although they cost two to three times as much, they can go five or more years without upkeep. Traditional bulbs must be replaced every 18 months. Other types of LEDs are already at work in traffic lights, outdoor displays (like those in New York City's Times Square) and stadiums; airports even use LEDs on their taxiways. If your city is still burning tax money on old lights, ask the mayor why.

5. Pay the Carbon Tax
Everyone agrees that it's necessary to reduce carbon emissions around the world. There is less agreement over exactly how nations should go about achieving a more carbon-free planet. Hence, the environmental equivalent of Elvis vs. the Beatles: cap-and-trade carbon emissions, or impose a carbon tax on all users? With cap-and-trade programs, governments limit the level of carbon that can be emitted by an industry. Companies that hold their emissions below the cap can sell their remaining allowance on a carbon market, while companies that exceed their limit must purchase credits on that market. Carbon taxes are more straightforward: a set tax rate is placed on the consumption of carbon in any form—fossil-fuel electricity, gasoline—with the idea that raising the price will encourage industries and individuals to consume less. At the moment, cap-and-trade has the upper hand, since it serves as the backbone of the current Kyoto Protocol, and helped the U.S. reduce acid rain in the 1990s—but don't write off the tax just yet.

Supporters of the tax argue that a cap-and-trade system, especially one that would be global enough to mitigate the 8 billion tons of carbon the world now emits, would be too difficult to administer—and too easily gamed by industries looking to sidestep emissions caps. Cap-and-trade advocates counter that like all other flat taxes, a carbon levy would disproportionately burden lower-income families, who spend a greater percentage of their income on energy than rich households.

So which system will have the largest impact on carbon consumption? A 10% flat carbon tax might reduce the demand for carbon about 5% or less, according to an analysis by the Carbon Tax Center, an environmental advocacy group. That may not be enough. Businesses and governments haven't figured out how the two competing regimes can work together, but in the end, the world may need both.

6. Ditch the Mansion
Oversize houses aren't just architecturally offensive; they also generally require more energy to heat and cool than smaller ones, even with efficient appliances. And in the U.S., big houses are becoming the norm, even though a relatively inefficient small house consumes less energy than a greener large house and uses fewer building materials, which expand the carbon footprint. A typical new single-family home in the U.S. is nearly 2,500 square feet today, up from about 1,000 square feet in 1950, even as the average household has shrunk from 3.4 to 2.6 people.

If you really want to live small, visit Jay Shafer. The former art professor dwells alone in a home fit for a hobbit, 100 sq. ft. in northern California that he designed and built himself in 1999. Shafer now runs Tumbleweed Tiny House and sells custom designs for miniature dwellings that range from 70 sq. ft. to 350 sq. ft. He made his move because he felt guilty about the size of his residential carbon footprint, and now prefers life tiny and tidy. "If I throw my jeans down on the floor, I can't get across the room."

This is an extended version of the article that originally appeared in TIME Magazine.

7. Hang Up a Clothes Line
You could make your own clothes with needle and thread using 100% organic cotton sheared from sheep you raised on a Whole Foods diet, but the environmental quality of your wardrobe is ultimately determined by the way you wash it. A recent study by Cambridge University's Institute of Manufacturing found that 60% of the energy associated with a piece of clothing is spent in washing and drying it. Over its lifetime, a T shirt can send up to 9 lbs. of carbon dioxide into the air.

The solution is not to avoid doing laundry, tempting as that may be. Rather, wash your clothes in warm water instead of hot, and save up to launder a few big loads instead of many smaller ones. Use the most efficient machine you can find—newer ones can use as little as one-fourth the energy of older machines. When they're clean, dry your clothes the natural way, by hanging them on a line rather than loading them in a dryer. Altogether you can reduce the CO2 created by your laundry up to 90%. Plus, no more magically disappearing socks.

8. Give New Life to Your Old Fleece
Where do old fleece jackets go to die? Back to the mountain. Outdoor-gear label Patagonia is collecting used clothing (regardless of brand) made from Polartec and Capilene to melt and make into new fabric and clothes. (Some of that fleece is especially virtuous, starting out as fabric made from recycled plastic.) The company estimates that making polyester fiber out of recycled garments, compared with using new polyester, will result in a 76% energy savings and reduce greenhouse gases 71%. To shear your own fleece, visit patagonia.com/recycle.

9. Build a Skyscraper
Almost everything about the Bank of America tower, a soaring skyscraper under construction near Times Square in New York City, has been designed to minimize the use of energy. Take the concrete. Making the stuff from scratch is very energy intensive, so the builders are using a mix of 55% concrete and 45% slag, a waste product from blast furnaces. Mixing slag with concrete saves energy and makes the concrete stronger. The tower will save so-called gray water from washrooms and use it to flush the toilets. The building will also generate much of its own electricity from natural gas, a less potent carbon emitter than coal. These features will account for $3.5 million of a total building cost of $1.2 billion, but the owners expect to recoup that in a few years with all the energy they'll save. When it's finished next year, the tower will be the second highest in the city, but it stands alone as the greenest building in New York.

10. Turn Up the Geothermal Heat
With clever engineering and an elegantly simple design, Diane von Furstenberg reinvigorated women's fashion in the 1970s with the wrap dress. Can she do the same for a building? Her newest project is a 35,000-sq.-ft. office, showroom and retail store in Manhattan's trendy meatpacking district, all heated and cooled by water pumped from deep underground. This geothermal system taps into water that is a relatively stable 55�F and transfers that heat to warm the building in the winter and cool it in the summer. The building's roof is covered in easy-to-maintain plants and grasses, and has two heliostat mirrors, which track the sun and direct its rays into the building, reducing the use of artificial lights during the day. Who says being environmentally conscious can't be cool—and hot?

11. Take Another Look at Vintage Clothes
High-end hand-me-downs (the smart set calls them vintage) are more ecologically sound than new clothes. Why? Buying a shirt the second time around means you avoid consuming all the energy used in producing and shipping a new one and, therefore, the carbon emissions associated with it. Every item of clothing you own has an impact on the environment. Some synthetic textiles are made with petroleum products. Cotton accounts for less than 3% of farmed land globally but consumes about a quarter of the pesticides. One quick way to change your duds: invite friends over for a closet swap, to which everyone brings a few items they want to trade. It's easy on the environment—and your pocketbook.

12. Capture the Carbon
Coal is one of the dirtiest fuels around and a major source of the world's carbon dioxide emissions. It's also hard to live without. In the U.S., half the electricity generated comes from coal. What if coal-fired plants stopped spewing their carbon dioxide fumes into the air and instead sequestered them—pumped them deep into the ground for storage?

Carbon sequestration is (despite its name) a simple-sounding idea that's exciting scientists, governments and energy companies as a way to cut emissions without disrupting energy supplies. One coal-fired plant in Denmark is working to trap carbon flue gases and store them in four spots, including an unused oil field off the coast of Spain. A Swedish utility is testing new ways to extract pure carbon dioxide from coal emissions in a lignite plant in eastern Germany. In the biggest test so far, a Norwegian energy firm is injecting 1 million tons of CO2 a year from the Sleipner gas field into a saline aquifer under the North Sea. "All the basic technology is already here," says Howard Herzog, an energy expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in Paris says sequestration would be second only to energy-saving measures in reducing CO2 emissions, far ahead of better-known efforts like renewable energy.

There are two major obstacles. The first is cost, which the IEA estimates to be as much as $50 for each ton of carbon captured. Those costs may drop if the technology is successful and utilities are given incentives not to spew out carbon dioxide. The other obstacle is a lack of detailed scientific knowledge. The pilot projects are going well, but M.I.T.'s Herzog says, "We'd like to see more large-scale demonstrations worldwide to really bolster confidence." In the meantime, watch for sequestration to move quickly up the energy agenda.

13. Let Employees Work Close to Home
Sitting in gridlock wastes your time and the planet's fuel. The only solution, it seems, is to move your home next to the office. But what if you could move the office a little closer to home?

That, in essence, is the concept called proximate commuting. It works best for companies with multiple locations in one metro area. Gene Mullins, a software developer in Seattle, created a program that helps firms slash the time employees spend driving by matching them with work closer to home.

Mullins did studies for Starbucks, Key Bank, Boeing and, most recently, Seattle's fire department. He found that only 4% of the firefighters worked at the station closest to their home; some commuted 145 miles each way. At Boeing, daily commutes of its 80,000 Puget Sound employees total 85 circumnavigations of the earth. Using Mullins' program, some Key Bank branches reduced commutes of some workers 69%. Still, only about 20% of its employees work at the branch closest to their home, Mullins says. Yet escaping rush-hour traffic is its own reward. "For the same pay and the same job, who wouldn't want a shorter commute?

14. Ride the Bus
With transport accounting for more than 30% of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions, one of the best ways to reduce them is by riding something many of us haven't tried since the ninth grade: a bus. Public transit saves an estimated 1.4 billion gal. of gas annually, which translates into about 14 million tons of CO2, according to the American Public Transportation Association.

Unfortunately, 88% of all trips in the U.S. are by car. Partly, that's because public transportation is more readily available in big urban areas. One promising alternative is bus rapid transit (BRT), which features extra-long carriers running in dedicated lanes. Buses emit more carbon than trains, but that can be minimized by using hybrid or compressed-natural-gas engines. A study last year by the Breakthrough Technologies Institute found that a BRT system in a medium-size U.S. city could cut emissions by as much as 654,000 tons over 20 years.

Thanks to high gas prices, miles driven per motorist dropped in 2005 for the first time since 1980, according to the Pew Research Center. The U.S. is ready to change. We're just waiting for the bus.

The original version of this article misstated the total amount of CO2 emissions saved annually by public transit. It is 14 million, not 1.5 million, tons.

15. Move to a High-Rise
If you're a true environmentalist, a dyed-in-the-wool greenie, then why not pack up your leafy rural home and move to New York City—preferably to a tall building right in the middle of Manhattan?

The Big Apple is home to the greenest citizens in the U.S. Relatively few New Yorkers own cars—one of the biggest contributors to an individual's carbon emissions. Most walk, bike or ride public transit to work—all more efficient transport than the best hybrids.

And New York has developed up, rather than out, which limits wasteful sprawl. Eight million New Yorkers are squeezed into 301 sq. mi.—less than a fortieth of an acre per person. Even a fairly dense suburb devotes about a third of an acre to each person. Density means that commutes, shopping trips and supply chains are shorter. Plus, New Yorkers tend to live in small spaces, although they're a little cranky about it. The denser the area you call home, the smaller your personal carbon footprint—not to mention your gas and electricity bill.

16. Pay Your Bills Online
Eliminating your paper trail by banking and paying bills online does more than save trees. It also helps reduce fuel consumption by the trucks and planes that transport paper checks. If every U.S. home viewed and paid its bills online, the switch would cut solid waste by 1.6 billion tons a year and curb greenhouse-gas emissions by 2.1 million tons a year, according to Javelin Strategy & Research. Worried about security? Don't be. Just ignore e-mails "phishing" for personal data, and monitor all (electronic) statements for any unauthorized debits. Report problems immediately, and your credit won't take the hit. To avoid unnecessary carbon dioxide-emitting car trips to the bank on payday, ask your employer to directly deposit your paycheck. You'll get your money faster that way too.

17. Open a Window
Most of the 25 tons of CO2 emissions each American is responsible for each year come from the home. Here are some easy ways to get that number down in a hurry without rebuilding. Open a window instead of running the AC. Adjust the thermostat a couple of degrees higher in the summer and lower in the winter. Caulk and weatherstrip all your doors and windows. Insulate your walls and ceilings. Use the dishwasher only when it's full. Install low-flow showerheads. Wash your clothes in warm or cold water. Turn down the thermostat on the water heater. At the end of the year, don't be surprised if your house feels lighter. It just lost 4,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide.

18. Ask the Experts For An Energy Audit of Your Home
How green is your abode? A home energy audit, which most utility providers will do free of charge, will tell you the amount of power your household consumes and what you can do to reduce it. The average family can find ways to shave 1,000 lbs. of CO2 emissions each year. Energy auditors use special equipment like blower doors and infrared cameras to help you pinpoint exactly how your house is losing energy. You can also perform a do-it-yourself audit (see time.com/audit), but this is one time you might actually want to be audited by the experts.

19. Buy Green Power, At Home or Away
More than 600 utilities in 37 states offer green energy, but unless you read the fine print on your bill, you may not know if your power company is one of them. (To find out, visit eere.energy.gov/greenpower.) If you don't live in a green power zone, you can support the industry by buying renewable energy certificates, which allow you to purchase green energy in another part of the country. The extra dollars will dispense green power to the national power grid.

20. Check the Label
You wouldn't buy a car without knowing its gas mileage. Why not do the same when choosing energy-efficient ovens or even supermarkets and hotels? Energy Star, a rating system by the Environmental Protection Agency, will help you find them. Approved products can be pricier, but they cost less to power. Commercial buildings account for nearly 18% of U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions, but those with the Energy Star label consume 35% less energy than the average. By using Energy Star appliances at home, consumers can reduce their utility bill as much as 30%.

21. Cozy Up to Your Water Heater
Improving your home's efficiency doesn't have to mean hours in the attic tearing out the insulation. It might be as simple as giving your dear old water heater a warm hug. Wrapping your heater in an insulated blanket—one costs about $10 to $20 at home centers—could save your household about 250 lbs. in CO2 emissions annually. Most water heaters more than five years old are constantly losing heat and wasting energy because they lack internal insulation. If the surface feels warm to the touch, get your heater an extra blankie. You'll both feel better.

22. Skip the Steak
Which is responsible for more global warming: your BMW or your Big Mac? Believe it or not, it's the burger. The international meat industry generates roughly 18% of the world's greenhouse-gas emissions—even more than transportation—according to a report last year from the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization.

Much of that comes from the nitrous oxide in manure and the methane that is, as the New York Times delicately put it, "the natural result of bovine digestion." Methane has a warming effect that is 23 times as great as that of carbon, while nitrous oxide is 296 times as great.

There are 1.5 billion cattle and buffalo on the planet, along with 1.7 billion sheep and goats. Their populations are rising fast, especially in the developing world. Global meat production is expected to double between 2001 and 2050. Given the amount of energy consumed raising, shipping and selling livestock, a 16-oz.T-bone is like a Hummer on a plate.

If you switch to vegetarianism, you can shrink your carbon footprint by up to 1.5 tons of carbon dioxide a year, according to research by the University of Chicago. Trading a standard car for a hybrid cuts only about one ton—and isn't as tasty.

23. Copy California
Arnold Schwarzenegger may have signed the world's toughest anti-global-warming law, but it is Democrat Terry Tamminen, his environmental adviser, who is emerging as the state's real Terminator, winning industry support and the endorsement of a Republican Governor for a mandate to reduce the state's emissions 80% by 2050.

But thwarting climate change isn't a solo effort. Tamminen left his official post to build a national response to global warming one state at a time. "I am trying to Johnny Appleseed what California has done," Tamminen says. His goal is to create a de facto national climate plan out of individual efforts in the 50 states. "He is crisscrossing the country and spreading the word," says Karl Hausker, deputy director of the Center for Climate Strategies. "Terry gets state leaders interested in doing this." Hausker's nonpartisan, nonprofit group handles the technical details after Tamminen plants his seeds. Nineteen states have developed or are developing aggressive climate plans based on the work of Hausker's group and Tamminen. So much progress is being made at the state and regional level, Tamminen says, that "by the time that there is a new Administration in the White House, a majority of Americans will live in states with a meaningful plan that deals with the climate-change issue."

24. Just Say No to Plastic Bags
The plastic bags you bring home from the supermarket probably end up in a landfill. Every year, more than 500 billion plastic bags are distributed, and less than 3% of those bags are recycled. They are typically made of polyethylene and can take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade in landfills that emit harmful greenhouse gases. Reducing your contribution to plastic-bag pollution is as simple as using a cloth bag (or one made of biodegradable plant-based materials) instead of wasting plastic ones. For your next trip to the grocery store, BYOB.

25. Support your local farmer
Fruit, vegetables, meat and milk produced closer to home rack up fewer "petroleum miles" than products trucked cross-country to your table. How do you find them? Search localharvest.org by ZIP code for farmers' markets, greengrocers and food co-ops in your area. The website, which includes handy contact information in its directory listings, also identifies restaurants that specialize in regional and seasonal ingredients. If you really want to get close to the farm, join a Community Supported Agriculture project, which lets you buy shares in a farmer's annual harvest. In return, you get a box of produce every week for a season. It will take more than a few visits to the farm stand to reduce the carbon impact of the U.S. food supply. In the meantime, here's another reason to go local: the taste is great.

26. Plant a bamboo fence
Bamboo makes a beautiful fence, and because it grows so quickly (as much as 1 ft. a day or more, depending on the species), it absorbs more CO2 than, say, a rosebush. Most homeowners have to restrict its growth, lest it get out of control. Do this, however, and you reduce bamboo's capacity as a carbon sink. Only large-scale plantings, which absorb CO2 faster than they release it, can favorably tip the scales. How big is your yard?

27. Straighten up and fly right
Until we can travel by fireplace, Harry Potter-style, the only way to get from Los Angeles to London is by carbon-spewing jet airliner. One simple change can help: adjust the exit and entry points each nation sets for its airspace so that planes can fly in as straight a line as possible. Last year the International Air Transport Association negotiated a more direct route from China to Europe that shaved an average 30 minutes off flight time, eliminating 84,800 metric tons of CO2 annually. Unifying European airspace as a "single sky" could cut fuel use up to 12%. Pilots could also change the way they fly. Abrupt drops in altitude waste fuel, so experts are advocating "continuous descent" until the plane reaches the runway—where it could be towed instead of burning fuel while taxiing. Of course, the best way to reduce plane emissions is to fly less. At least until the fireplace is ready for takeoff.

28. Have a green wedding
You won't be able to stop global warming on your wedding day, but your choices can lessen the carbon footprint of your event. For example, if your guests are traveling long distances, offset the carbon emissions from their trips with a donation to renewable—energy projects. The sustainable—wedding website Portovert.com, in partnership with NativeEnergy, a renewable energy company, offers a wedding carbon calculator where couples can enter the number of guests and approximate miles traveled, to calculate the carbon impact of their wedding—related travel.

Wherever you celebrate, you can reduce your CO2 impact and often save money by giving your wedding a local touch. Buy wine from a nearby vineyard or beer from a neighborhood brewery. Get your wedding cake from a local bakery, and use seasonal flowers, not imports. "Why eat food or drink wine or beer that has traveled thousands of miles when you can choose local options that are just as good?" says Meghan Meyers, CEO of portovert.com.

Anything you do to make your wedding a little more modest—from wearing a borrowed wedding dress to choosing recycled paper or a website for your invitations—will lower its contribution to carbon emissions. Consider it your wedding gift to the planet.

29. Remove the tie
How can a tie help fight climate change? When you leave it at home. In the "cool biz" summer of 2005, Japanese salarymen swapped their trademark dark blue business suits for open collars and light tropical colors. It was all part of the Japanese government's effort to save energy by keeping its office temperatures at 82.4�F throughout the summer.

The policy caused sartorial confusion but did make a dent in Japan's rising carbon emissions. In one summer, Japan cut an estimated 79,000 tons of CO2. If U.S. businesses eased off on their arctic-level air-conditioning, the gains could be significant. Time to make every summer day casual Friday?

30. Shut off your computer
A screen saver is not an energy saver. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, 75% of all the electricity consumed in the home is standby power used to keep electronics running when those TVs, DVRs, computers, monitors and stereos are "off." The average desktop computer, not including the monitor, consumes from 60 to 250 watts a day. Compared with a machine left on 24/7, a computer that is in use four hours a day and turned off the rest of the time would save you about $70 a year. The carbon impact would be even greater. Shutting it off would reduce the machine's CO2 emissions 83%, to just 63 kg a year.

31. Wear green eye shadow
Bright green may not be in this season, but eco-friendly makeup has trend written all over it. In February, Cargo Cosmetics launched PlantLove, a botanical lipstick packaged in a 100% biodegradable tube made of polylactic acid—a corn-based renewable resource. When the tube is empty, plant it in the ground, and it sprouts flowers. The product represents only a sliver of the $50 billion industry in the U.S., but it's growing fast. The market for organic personal-care products will increase more than 8% this year.

32. Kill the Lights At Quitting Time
Assigning an office switch-off monitor might sound a little like third grade, but it could cut carbon emissions by reducing electricity use, not to mention extending equipment life and lowering maintenance costs. It's not exactly glamorous work: walking the halls to make sure that computers, monitors, desk lights, printers and fax machines are turned off daily. Air conditioners and overhead lights can be timed for turnoff: Aim for off-peak energy use to be about one-fifth of peak use. In the morning, the switch-on monitor takes over.

33. Rearrange the Heavens and the Earth
What if we could build a giant mirror in space to deflect the sun's energy? Or inject sulfur into the stratosphere to cool the earth? Scientists are examining such sci-fi methods as a gigantic Plan B should efforts to end carbon emissions fail. Geoengineering, as the field is called, involves rearranging the environment on a planetary scale. The best-known idea involves the so-called space mirrors. Roger Angel, an astronomer at the University of Arizona, suggests putting trillions of small, ultra-thin lenses into orbit, enough to form a cylindrical cloud with a diameter half the size of the Earth's equator and a length of 60,000 miles. Placed 1.5 million km above the Earth's surface, the massive mirror would reduce the amount of sunlight reaching the planet by about 2%, which Angel believes would be enough to offset a significant amount of warming. Implementing this plan would be no mean feat: the mirrors would collectively weigh 20 million tons and cost trillions of dollars. And to get all those lenses into orbit, we'd have to launch rockets every five minutes for 10 years.

Writing in the journal Climate Change last August, Nobel Prize-winning meteorologist Paul Crutzen theorized that by pumping a huge amount of sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere, we could create a layer of sulfates that would reflect sunlight. Since the Earth itself reflects about 30% of sunlight back into orbit, increasing the reflectivity of the planet just slightly could be enough to counter warming. There's historical evidence that this would work—when Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines erupted in 1991, spewing sulfur into the atmosphere, temperatures around the world dropped for two years. Of course there's a catch: sulfur dioxide is a main cause of acid rain and a respiratory irritant. We'd have a cooler but dirtier Earth.

Such strategies may sound implausible, but the president of the prestigious National Academy of Sciences recommended exploring geoengineering options last year. That these far-out ideas are getting a serious hearing in mainstream science is a measure of how desperate the battle against climate change is becoming.

34. Rake in the Fall Colors
Few things rip through the serenity of a Sunday in suburbia like the 70-db wail of a gas-powered leaf blower. Improvements have been made to make them more efficient, but using that motorized hurricane for just an hour still sucks down 1 pt. of gas and oil. With more than 30 million acres of lawn in the U.S., it's a high price to pay for a job that can be done almost as well, if somewhat more slowly, with a rake. Besides, you can't lean on a leaf blower when you're done.

35. End the Paper Chase
Americans recycled 42 million tons of paper last year—50% of what they used—but still pulverized the rest. Paper does grow on trees: 900 million of them every year become pulp and paper.

We can reduce that number by buying more recycled paper. It uses 60% less energy than virgin paper. Each ton purchased saves 4,000 kW-h of energy, 7,000 gal. of water and 17 trees, and a tree has the capacity to filter up to 60 lbs. of pollutants from the air.

36. Play the Market
To cut back on carbon, environmentalists are using the force of the free market. In carbon-emissions trading, the government puts a cap on how much carbon an industry is allowed to emit from power plants, factories and cars. Innovative companies could meet those caps through actual reductions and earn carbon "credits," which they could sell to industry laggards. Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Vermont have agreed on a regional cap-and-trade system. Arizona, California, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington have signed a similar pact. New emissions-reduction technology is sexier, but old-fashioned horse trading might just be more effective.

37. Think Outside the Packaging
Paper or plastic? How about neither? All those Styrofoam peanuts and impregnable plastic CD cases cost energy to manufacture and deliver, and that means carbon. You can reduce the amount of packaging with a little consumer vigilance. Give back the extra napkins or unwanted sugar packets; carry that gallon of milk by its handle. True eco-nerds will even bring their own cup to a Starbucks.

Corporations are also beginning to pitch in. Hewlett-Packard announced in February that it would switch to lighter packaging for its printer cartridges, which will reduce carbon emissions by an amount equivalent to removing 3,500 cars from the road for a year. Megaretailer Wal-Mart, far out front in this effort, has trimmed everything from its rotisserie-chicken boxes to its water bottles, each now made with 5 g less plastic. The company plans to cut packaging 5% starting in 2008—enough to prevent 667,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

38. Trade Carbon for Capital
One of the most ambitious of the Kyoto Protocol's plans to help cut greenhouse gases was the Clean Development Mechanism, through which companies in the rich world could earn credit not for reducing their own emissions but for investing in energy efficient projects in the developing world. The idea, which was included in the Kyoto Protocol at the insistence of the U.S., has helped create a global trade in carbon credits, in addition to the broader emissions-trading market. So far, hundreds of projects have been approved, some two-thirds of them in just three countries: Brazil, China and India. Together, the projects save the equivalent of about 115 million tons of carbon dioxide per year, and range from installing more energy efficient machinery in paper and cardboard factories to building wind turbines to generate renewable power.

There have been some hiccups. A recent study found that factories in China were using relatively cheap cleaning systems and then exploiting a loophole to claim hundreds of millions of dollars in carbon credits. But that is no reason to abandon the CDM mechanism argues Rajesh K. Sethi, secretary of India's CDM Authority in the Ministry of Evironment and Forests. Sethi says the CDM is "one of the most succesful ways we've found to reduce greenhouse gases. It needs to be extended, not abandoned." The trade in carbon credits would explode if the regulations were made more predictable, so that poor world companies didn't have to wait so long for the go-ahead for projects. Says Sethi: "We're very much encouraged by how well this has done, but we can do a lot better."

39. Make Your Garden Grow
The U.S. spends more than $5 billion a year on fossil-fuel-derived fertilizers that leak chemicals into the ground and accelerate the release of nitrous oxide—a greenhouse gas. Try alternatives, from old-fashioned compost to grass clippings, which contain about 4% nitrogen. More adventurous gardeners use a homemade fertilizer mix that includes seaweed extracts for potassium and fish proteins and oils for nitrogen. Or go native and embrace wildflowers and indigenous grasses. Weeds are a matter of taste.

40. Get a Carbon Budget
The essential injustice of global warming is that the poor will suffer the worst effects while contributing far less to carbon emissions than the rich. So here's a radical solution: divide greenhouse-gas emissions by population, and give everyone in the world the right to emit the same amount of carbon—a personal carbon allowance.

Essentially, allowances are a cap-and-trade scheme for individuals. They set a clear target and let the market work out the details. Bike to work and live beneath your allowance, and you can sell your carbon credits to energy spendthrifts who refuse to give up their SUVs. The balance of your allowance might be recorded on a sort of carbon-debit card, so if you buy that SUV, you'll be spending carbon too. If you want to keep living as if it's 1989, all you have to do is pay for it.

41. Fill'er Up With Passengers
The next time you get behind the wheel of your car, turn to the passenger seat. Chances are, it's empty. In most of the U.S., the single-occupant driver still reigns supreme. Nearly 80% of people drive to work alone; about 38% drive alone in general. In some places, that's starting to change. As part of its Clean Air Act, Washington State appealed to business with incentives to encourage employees to drive less or at least stop driving alone. A state tax credit benefits companies that encourage their employees to carpool, ride the bus, walk or bike to work, or work a compressed workweek. The result: about 20,000 fewer vehicle trips each morning since the program started in 1991, saving commuters $13.7 million and 5.8 million gallons of gas, and reducing 78,000 tons of air pollutants and CO2-equivalent gases.

42. Pay For Your Carbon Sins
Feeling full of climate-change guilt, Americans are snapping up carbon offsets from Web-based retailers and nonprofits. Unlike mandatory allowances, offsets allow consumers to pay voluntarily to reduce carbon emissions by a quantity equal to their estimated contribution. The money typically funds clean-energy projects, pollution control, tree planting and forest conservation. But offsets are picking up skeptics along with customers. Critics say consumers have little assurance that the projects they underwrite really reduce emissions and warn that those buying offsets may sometimes pay for improvements that would have happened anyway. They also argue that carbon-offset trading distracts from the urgent need to change U.S. policies to address global warming.

Are these criticisms fair? "There needs to be more standardization, more verification and more assurances for the consumer that the offsets are real," concedes Ricardo Bayon, director of Ecosystem Marketplace. A number of organizations, including the Center for Resource Solutions in San Francisco and the Climate Group, based in Britain, are racing to establish certification standards. Even supporters of offset trading agree that it's no substitute for comprehensive national policies. "This voluntary stuff is an interim measure," says Judi Greenwald of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. "But it is certainly better than doing nothing."

43. Move to London's New Green Zone
Homes in London account for 44% of the city's CO2 emissions, more than twice the amount spewed out through transport. Worse still, the city needs to add 35,000 more every year to keep up with London's ballooning population.

That's why, on a brownfield site in the city's docklands, builders plan in 2010 to open the city's first large-scale zero-carbon housing development. All 233 homes on the 3-acre spot will hook up to a combined heat-and-power plant that turns wood chips into electricity and hot water, with extra juice from solar panels and wind. And should a chilly winter call for extra energy from the national grid, the plant will return an equivalent amount once demand from residents has dropped off. Renewable energy isn't the only advantage. Home owners can expect greenhouses for organic food, plus car and bicycle clubs to reduce commuters' emissions.

A response to the challenge from London's mayor to show that zero-carbon homes can be commercially viable, the development could cost just 5% more than standard projects. At least a third of the homes will be reserved for affordable housing. Helping the planet need not cost the earth.

44. Check Your Tires
So you own a plain-vanilla, nonhybrid, American-made gas guzzler and can't afford (or can't wait for) a hybrid. Now what? Just giving your engine a tune-up can improve gas mileage 4% and often much more. Replacing a clogged air filter can boost efficiency 10%. And keeping tires properly inflated can improve gas mileage more than 3%. The bottom line? If you can boost your gas mileage from 20 to 24 m.p.g., your old heap will put 200 fewer pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere each year.

45. Make One Right Turn After Another
United Parcel Service took a detour to the right on its way to curb CO2 emissions. In 2004, UPS announced that its drivers would avoid making left turns. The time spent idling while waiting to turn against oncoming traffic burns fuel and costs millions each year. A software program maps a customized route for every driver to minimize lefts.

In metro New York, UPS has reduced CO2 emissions by 1,000 metric tons since January. Today 83% of UPS facilities are heading in the right direction; within two years, the policy will be adopted nationwide.

46. Plant a Tree in the Tropics
It seems like simple arithmetic: a tree can absorb up to a ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime, so planting one should be an easy way to mitigate climate change. Turns out it's not so simple. Recent studies have shown that trees in temperate latitudes—including most of the U.S.—actually have a net warming effect on the climate. The heat that dark leaves absorb outweighs the carbon they soak up.

47. If You Must Burn Coal, Do it Right
The poor coal plant: not only does it emit environment-damaging compounds, but even the newest (which can cost as much as $3 billion to build) lose more than half the heat generated when the coal is burned. But in co-generation power plants, that excess heat is captured and reused for domestic and industrial heating, nearly doubling a plant�s efficiency. The process is similar to what goes on in your car—think of the engine as a mini cogeneration plant. When the engine runs, it create excess heat while driving the car, and in cold weather, that waste product is used to warm the car.

Cogeneration is a favorite environmental initiative of fossil fuel companies. ExxonMobil owns parts of 85 cogeneration plants in 30 locations; the company estimates that the technology helps it avoid 9 million tons of CO2 a year. In fossil-fueled China, cogeneration is seen as a cutting-edge technology, and enables the country to prevent nearly 100 million tons of CO2 annually.

Its not the ideal solution, but thermal power will remain the backbone of our electricity grid for the foreseeable future. If were going to burn coal and oil, we might as well make sure all that carbon doesn't go to waste.

48. Drive Green on the Scenic Route
Going on vacation doesn't have to mean leaving your green conscience at home. The car-sharing service Zipcar rents hybrids cars in five U.S. cities, Toronto and London. A few specialty companies offer rental cars that run on biodiesel fuel, a clean-burning substance derived from renewable sources like vegetable oil. Bio-Beetle rents eco-friendly cars, ranging from Passats to Jeeps, in Hawaii and Los Angeles. A week's rental in L.A. runs from $200 to $300. And competitor EV Rental Cars has started to expand beyond the West Coast.

49. Set a Higher Standard
If cars have to meet energy standards, why don't power plants? Carbon-emission standards limiting the amount of CO2 that a new power plant can spew are in place in a handful of states. California's tough new rules virtually exclude new coal plants until clean-coal technology comes on line, and could establish a national standard—just as they might for auto emissions. A federal carbon standard would be aggressively opposed by power companies that depend on coal. But it could also spur investment in renewables, clean coal and even nuclear (that's another fight) more rapidly than carbon taxes or cap-and-trade systems. With 159 new coal-powered plants slated for the next decade, a critical choice is looming.

50. Be aggressive about passive
Georg Zielke, his wife and kids share a five-bedroom "passive house" in Darmstadt, Germany, with heating costs 90% lower than their neighbors'. Extra insulation and state-of-the-art ventilation recycle the energy from passive sources such as body heat, the sun and household appliances to warm the air. When it gets really cold, the Zielkes just turn on the TV.

The German government has thrown its weight behind the idea, guaranteeing low cost loans for people who want to build a passive house. They cost about 5% to 8% more to build than a standard one. Invented in a German-Swedish joint-venture in he early 1990s, about 10,000 have been built in Europe so far, most of them in Germany—and just three in the U.S.

51. Consume Less, Share More, Live Simply
The chance to buy a carbon offset—in essence, an emissions indulgence—appeals to the environmental sinner in all of us. But there is an older path to reducing our impact on the planet that will feel familar to Evangelical Christians and Buddhists alike. Live simply. Meditate. Consume less. Think more. Get to know your neighbors. Borrow when you need to and lend when asked. E.F. Schumacher praised that philosophy this way in Small Is Beautiful: "Amazingly small means leading to extraordinarily satisfying results."

Type Of Waste...

2009-01-02T15:19:00.000+05:30

Municipal Waste

Waste originating in the community consisting of household waste from private residences, commercial waste which originates in wholesale, retail or service establishments, such as, restaurants, stores, markets, theaters, hotels and warehouses, and institutional waste material originated in schools, hospitals, research institutions and public buildings.

Industrial solid waste is solid waste resulting from or incidental to any process of industry, manufacturing, mining, or agricultural operations. Industrial solid waste is classified as either hazardous or nonhazardous.

Special waste includes any solid waste or combination of solid wastes that—because of its quantity, concentration, physical or chemical characteristics, or biological properties—requires special handling and disposal to protect human health or the environment.

Industrial waste

Waste produced by industrial activity, such as that of factories, mills and mines. It has existed since the outset of the industrial revolution.
Much industrial waste is neither hazardous nor toxic, such as waste fiber produced by agriculture and logging.

Construction and Demolition Waste

Construction and demolition waste is generated whenever any construction/demolition activity takes place, such as, building roads, bridges, fly over, subway, remodelling etc. It consists mostly of inert and non-biodegradable material such as concrete, plaster, metal, wood, plastics etc. A part of this waste comes to the municipal stream.
These wastes are heavy, having high density, often bulky and occupy considerable storage space either on the road or communal waste bin/container. It is not uncommon to see huge piles of such waste, which is heavy as well, stacked on roads especially in large projects, resulting in traffic congestion and disruption. Waste from small generators like individual house construction or demolition, find its way into the nearby municipal bin/vat/waste storage depots, making the
municipal waste heavy and degrading its quality for further treatment like composting or energy recovery.

What is Waste?

2008-11-15T12:47:00.001+05:30

Waste includes all items that people no longer have any use for, which they either intend to get rid of or have already discarded. Additionally, wastes are such items which people are require to discard, for example by lay because of their hazardous properties. Many items can be considered as waste e.g., household rubbish, sewage sludge, wastes from manufacturing activities, packaging items, discarded cars, old televisions, garden waste, old paint containers etc. Thus all our daily activities can give rise to a large variety of different wastes arising from different sources.

    * Municipal Waste (including Household and Commercial)
    * Industrial waste (including manufacturing)
    * Hazardous Waste
    * Construction and Demolition Waste
    * Mining Waste
    * Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)
    * Biodegradable Municipal Waste
    * Packaging Waste
    * End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs) and Tyres
    * Agricultural Waste