Here are some pretty cool facts that can help us combat Global Warming.

 Trees also reduce the greenhouse effect by shading our homes and office buildings. This reduces air conditioning needs up to 30%, thereby reducing the amount of fossil fuels burned to produce electricity. This combination of CO₂ removal from the atmosphere, carbon storage in wood, and the cooling effect makes trees a very efficient tool in fighting the greenhouse effect.

 One tree that shades your home in the city will also save fossil fuel, cutting CO₂ buildup as much as 15 forest trees.

 Approximately 800 million tons of carbon are stored in U.S. urban forests with a $22 billion equivalent in control costs.

 Planting trees remains one of the cheapest, most effective means of drawing excess CO₂ from the atmosphere.

 A single mature tree can absorb carbon dioxide at a rate of 48 lbs./year and release enough oxygen back into the atmosphere to support 2 human beings.

 Each person in the U.S. generates approximately 2.3 tons of CO₂ each year. A healthy tree stores about 13 pounds of carbon annually — or 2.6 tons per acre each year. An acre of trees absorbs enough CO₂ over one year to equal the amount produced by driving a car 26,000 miles.

An estimate of carbon emitted per vehicle mile is between 0.88 lb. CO₂/mi. – 1.06 lb. CO₂/mi. (Nowak, 1993). Thus, a car driven 26,000 miles will emit between 22,880 lbs CO₂ and 27,647 lbs. CO₂.

Thus, one acre of tree cover in Brooklyn can compensate for automobile fuel use equivalent to driving a car between 7,200 and 8,700 miles.

 If every American family planted just one tree, the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere would be reduced by one billion lbs annually. This is almost 5% of the amount that human activity pumps into the atmosphere each year.

 The U.S. Forest Service estimates that all the forests in the United States combined sequestered a net of approximately 309 million tons of carbon per year from 1952 to 1992, offsetting approximately 25% of U.S. human-caused emissions of carbon during that period.

 Over a 50-year lifetime, a tree generates $31,250 worth of oxygen, provides $62,000 worth of air pollution control, recycles $37,500 worth of water, and controls $31,250 worth of soil erosion.

For more on all the marvellous things trees do, check out this link. http://www.coloradotrees.org/benefits.htm

Now, a second solution to Global Warming but perhaps a false promise as I see it as a means of masking deeper issues like deforestization and fossil fuels etc. But, none the less, read on.

Machine to Clean Up Greenhouse Gas is Breakthrough in War on Global Warming, Say Scientists
dailymail.co.uk ^ | May 31, 2008

Scientists say they have invented a machine that can suck carbon dioxide out of the air – potentially creating a vital weapon in the war against global warming.

The blueprint for the CO2 ’scrubber’ raises the prospect of a generation of machines which would help reduce the billions of tonnes of greenhouse gases being pumped into the atmosphere by the use of fossil fuels.

The team of US scientists now plans to build a prototype which would capture one tonne of CO2 from the air every day.

Holy grail? How one of the CO2-scrubbing machines would look

Though the idea is considered a holy grail in the battle against climate change – and Sir Richard Branson has put up £12.6 million for anyone who makes it a reality – the machines would fall far short of a quick fix.

The prototype, being built at a laboratory in Tucson, Arizona, by a company called Global Research Technologies, will cost about £100,000 and take about two years to construct.

The devices – each nearly the size of a shipping container - would have to be produced in their millions to soak up human carbon emissions.

The idea is bound to be controversial, with environmentalists seeing so-called technological solutions to global warming as undermining attempts to promote greener lifestyles and industries.

But physicist Klaus Lackner, who led the U.S. team behind the invention, said the CO2 scrubber offered more hope than current efforts to cut carbon emissions by reducing fossil fuel use.

‘ I’d rather have a technology that allows us to use fossil fuels without destroying the planet, because people are going to use them anyway,’ he said.

Scientists say it is not difficult to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by absorbing it in various chemical filters. But the problem has been how to clean those filters of CO2 so they can then be reused to carry on the job.

Professor Lackner, of New York’s Columbia University, says the solution lies in a newly discovered property of absorbent plastic sheets known as ‘ion exchange membranes’ which are routinely used to purify water.

It turns out that humid air can make these membranes ‘exhale’ the CO2 they have trapped – leaving them clean and ready to absorb another load.

The Lackner team says the captured carbon dioxide could then be pumped into greenhouses to boost plant growth.

Here’s another quick fix that I like:

Go get your friends and spend an afternoon planting trees in your neighbourhood.

James Lovelock on Global Warming

10/29/2007 11:01:05 AM

I recently read an article in Rolling Stone magazine about roguish British scientist James Lovelock. According to Lovelock, global warming is irreversible.

Endeavors to decrease your carbon footprint by taking steps such as purchasing a hybrid car cannot significantly reduce the effects of global warming now, because the damage has already been done.

Lovelock believes that more than six billion people will die by the end of the century because of global warming. He predicts that by the year 2020 intense weather will be the norm.

By 2040, even the most zealous right wing politician will no longer be able to deny the existence global warming, since Berlin will be as hot as Baghdad and southern areas of Europe and the United States will be uninhabitable desert regions.

Lovelock foresees poverty, mass relocation and plagues when the world’s population migrates northwards to areas such as Canada, Russia, Scandinavian countries and the Arctic.

He thinks that current efforts to reverse the effects of global warming are nothing more than a con to benefit from catastrophe.

Lovelock accuses the United Nations of being too conservative in its calculations concerning climate change, though he admits there’s a chance that his global warming predictions are wrong.

I sincerely hope he has made errors in his calculations, but fear that his prophecy will prove correct.

My point is this. None of us can predict the future, but with all the outstanding evidence sitting right at our feet, isn’t it BETTER to do what we can, then do NOTHING at all?

I mean, isn’t it “better to be SAFE then SORRY”?????????????

If we are wrong about Global warming, then what’s the harm in doing what we can to clean the world up anyways?????

Let’s go!!!!!!

Burning fossil fuels such as natural gas, coal, oil and gasoline raises the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and carbon dioxide is a major contributor to the greenhouse effect and global warming.

You can help to reduce the demand for fossil fuels, which in turn reduces global warming, by using energy more wisely. Here are 10 simple actions you can take to help reduce global warming.

1. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Do your part to reduce waste by choosing reusable products instead of disposables. Buying products with minimal packaging (including the economy size when that makes sense for you) will help to reduce waste. And whenever you can, recycle paper, plastic, newspaper, glass and aluminum cans. If there isn’t a recycling program at your workplace, school, or in your community, ask about starting one. By recycling half of your household waste, you can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide annually.

2. Use Less Heat and Air Conditioning

Adding insulation to your walls and attic, and installing weather stripping or caulking around doors and windows can lower your heating costs more than 25 percent, by reducing the amount of energy you need to heat and cool your home.

Turn down the heat while you’re sleeping at night or away during the day, and keep temperatures moderate at all times. Setting your thermostat just 2 degrees lower in winter and higher in summer could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide each year.

3. Change a Light Bulb

Wherever practical, replace regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. Replacing just one 60-watt incandescent light bulb with a CFL will save you $30 over the life of the bulb. CFLs also last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs, use two-thirds less energy, and give off 70 percent less heat.

If every U.S. family replaced one regular light bulb with a CFL, it would eliminate 90 billion pounds of greenhouse gases, the same as taking 7.5 million cars off the road.

4. Drive Less and Drive Smart

Less driving means fewer emissions. Besides saving gasoline, walking and biking are great forms of exercise. Explore your community’s mass transit system, and check out options for carpooling to work or school.

When you do drive, make sure your car is running efficiently. For example, keeping your tires properly inflated can improve your gas mileage by more than 3 percent. Every gallon of gas you save not only helps your budget, it also keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.

5. Buy Energy-Efficient Products

When it’s time to buy a new car, choose one that offers good gas mileage. Home appliances now come in a range of energy-efficient models, and compact florescent bulbs are designed to provide more natural-looking light while using far less energy than standard light bulbs.

Avoid products that come with excess packaging, especially molded plastic and other packaging that can’t be recycled. If you reduce your household garbage by 10 percent, you can save 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide annually.

6. Use Less Hot Water

Set your water heater at 120 degrees to save energy, and wrap it in an insulating blanket if it is more than 5 years old. Buy low-flow showerheads to save hot water and about 350 pounds of carbon dioxide yearly. Wash your clothes in warm or cold water to reduce your use of hot water and the energy required to produce it. That change alone can save at least 500 pounds of carbon dioxide annually in most households. Use the energy-saving settings on your dishwasher and let the dishes air-dry.

7. Use the “Off” Switch

Save electricity and reduce global warming by turning off lights when you leave a room, and using only as much light as you need. And remember to turn off your television, video player, stereo and computer when you’re not using them.

It’s also a good idea to turn off the water when you’re not using it. While brushing your teeth, shampooing the dog or washing your car, turn off the water until you actually need it for rinsing. You’ll reduce your water bill and help to conserve a vital resource.

8. Plant a Tree

If you have the means to plant a tree, start digging. During photosynthesis, trees and other plants absorb carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. They are an integral part of the natural atmospheric exchange cycle here on Earth, but there are too few of them to fully counter the increases in carbon dioxide caused by automobile traffic, manufacturing and other human activities. A single tree will absorb approximately one ton of carbon dioxide during its lifetime.

9. Get a Report Card from Your Utility Company

Many utility companies provide free home energy audits to help consumers identify areas in their homes that may not be energy efficient. In addition, many utility companies offer rebate programs to help pay for the cost of energy-efficient upgrades.

10. Encourage Others to Conserve

Share information about recycling and energy conservation with your friends, neighbors and co-workers, and take opportunities to encourage public officials to establish programs and policies that are good for the environment.

These 10 steps will take you a long way toward reducing your energy use and your monthly budget. And less energy use means less dependence on the fossil fuels that create greenhouse gases and contribute to global warming.

The World Is Dying—And So Are You

By Richard B. Anderson

Los Angeles Times, Commentary Section, January 7, 2001

At the heart of the modern age is a core of grief.

At some level, we’re aware that something terrible is happening, that we humans are laying waste to our natural inheritance. A great sorrow arises as we witness the changes in the atmosphere, the waste of resources and the consequent pollution, the ongoing deforestation and destruction of fisheries, the rapidly spreading deserts, and the mass extinction of species.

All these changes signal a turning point in human history, and the outlook is not particularly bright. The anger, irritability, frustration and intolerance that increasingly pervades our common life are symptoms associated with grief. The pervasive sense of helplessness and numbness that surrounds us, and the frantic search for meaning and questioning of religion and philosophy of life, are likewise often seen among those who must deal with overwhelming sorrow.

Grief is a natural reaction to calamity, and the stages of grief are visible in our reaction to the rapid decline of the natural world. There are a number of steps that people go though in the grief process. The first stage is often denial: ”This can’t really be happening,” a feeling common among millions of Americans. Eighty percent of American adults say they are concerned about the environment, and there is some awareness of the gravity of our situation, yet a widespread awareness has yet to be felt in practical terms. We know the facts, but we’re ignoring them in the interests of emotional survival.

The second stage of grief is often anger. We go into the ”I’ll fight it” mode. Many environmental thinkers and activists put a lot of grief energyinto constructive work. That energy is a factor in the undeniable successes of environmentalism, yet it is a sign of suffering, and is probably a constraint on the intellectual vitality of the movement.

The third stage in the grief process is often despair. We feel that ”no matter what I do, it’s still happening.” Because the planetary future seems so grim, it’s likely that many Americans have despaired, turning away from the quest for a meaningful solution.

The final stage of the grieving process, for those who can achieve it, often brings a more hopeful state of acceptance, even serenity. When we emerge from the bottom of despair, we may find the inner strength for a peaceful accommodation to reality. We can continue to take positive actions, but we are no longer in denial, rage or despair.

Even if we face the consequences of our assault on the natural environment, we may still find that the problems are too big, that there’s not much we can do. Yet those of us who feel this sorrow cannot forever deny it, without suffering inexplicable disturbances in our own lives. It’s necessary to face our fear and our pain, and to go through the process of grieving, because the alternative is a sorrow deeper still: the loss of meaning. To live authentically in this time, we must allow ourselves to feel the magnitude of our human predicament.

Have you ever tried to sneak home?

Have you ever tried to crawl through your parent’s house window and tip-toe up the stairs in hopes no one would hear you?

Were your stairs not the loudest stairs in the whole wide world?

Did your bones not snap and creek and break every single step?

If you don’t remember, try it for fun!

If you’re over 30, I guarantee you’re going to be surprised!

I guess that’s why all those Hollywood stars get paid so much??!

You can’t hear a sound when they’re tip-toeing around some suspicious place.

I have a whole new respect for Jason from Friday the 13^th and Freddy the nightmare dude.

Unrecognized talent!

SSSSHHHHH ~ did you hear something?

Depending where you live in the world, text messaging from your phone is either big or it isn’t. I live in Japan and from what I’ve read; Japan and Australia are the two biggest text messaging countries in the world.

Our thumbs were not designed to text message.

I text message because I’m a cheap bastard! But at the end of the day, which is really more important, saving a wee bit of cash, or saving time?

Here’s my biggest question. How important is it that you must text message when:

1)     You’re driving! (this one is literally KILLING PEOPLE)

2)     You’re at a movie theatre (you’re the most annoying person I have ever seen)

3)     You’re in a busy place by yourself and you want to look important (we see right through you)

4)     You just got an email from someone you don’t know on Facebook (once again-hope it makes you feel important)

The list is endless really. My point is, COME ON PEOPLE! How about checking out the scenery, or chatting with a stranger on the bus instead of a text from FIND A DATE.

Oh…hang on….. I better finish this later, just got an email from Mr. Tomo saying,

“Hi, I’m at home watching YouTube, what are you doing”?

I bought a new pillow two days ago.

It looked all nice and soft and fluffy.

I brought it home, introduced to my bedroom, and gave it a bed.

The first night I slept it with it, it kept me up all night.

Last night it woke me up at 5am and threw my neck out.

I feel like I’ve got very severe whiplash and now I’m walking around like a robot.  I can’t move my head in any direction.

Who’d have thought a pillow could do so much damage!

Curses soft fluffy stuff anyways!

I’ve evicted the pillow and let ol’ faithful come and sleep with me again.

Moral to the story:  Don’t fix what ain’t broken!

I was in Australia in the outback sometime back. I was on a tour that consisted of about 15 people. One of the guys in the group was about our age and was really quiet.

One of my friends asked me if I knew much about the guy. I said, I hadn’t talked to him yet and then we decided that someone should walk over and say hi.

My buddy my Scotland volunteered and casually walked over.

“G-Day mate”, my Scottish friend said trying to act Aussie. “Where you from”?

“Saskatoon, Saskatchewan”, the guy replied.

“Come again”?

“Saskatoon, Saskatchewan”, he said again.

My buddy came back to our group awkwardly.

“What did he say” I asked.

“I don’t know” said my friend,

“he doesn’t speak English”.

Speaking a second language is fun!

There’s a lot of embarrassing mistakes made in the process of learning however.

For example I have said these before:

a) What I wanted to say: “Does your back still hurt”?

what was said: “Does your fish still hurt”?

b) What I wanted to say: “I’ll just have one drink”,

what was said: “I’ll just drink one breast”.

Some other examples courteous of my friends are:

a) wanted to say: “My grandmother returned it”

(obachan ni modoshita)

what was said: “My grandmother pissed herself”

(obachan ni moroshita)

b) wanted to say: “Your kid is really cute”

(akachan wa totemo kawaii desu)

what was said: “Your kid is really scary”

(akachan wa totemo kowai desu)

c) wanted to say: “I want a used car”

(chuko no kuruma ga hoshi)

what was said: “I want an advice car”

(chukoku no kuruma ga hoshi)

Mutually my Japanese friends have made similar mistakes when speaking Engrish.

For example there is no vowel sound in their language for the letter “A” when pronounced in words like hat, ran, fan, sank. They usually end up sounded closer to the words hut, run fun, sunk.

So, one time (at band camp J) when I was struggling to play a song properly on my guitar my friend was laughing at me. She attempted to say “You can’t”! What she ended up saying is “You c_nt”!

I just brushed it off though. I’ve been called worse!

There will be updates to this blog.