Fifty Ways To Save Our Planet

<!– google_ad_section_start(name=default) –>

The Human Effect On Climate Change And Global Disasters

By the Urban News Ninja

Climate change is a change in the statistical distribution of weather over periods of time that range from decades to millions of years. It can be a change in the average weather or a change in the distribution of weather events around an average (for example, greater or fewer extreme weather events). Climate change may be limited to a specific region, or may occur across the whole Earth.
In recent usage, especially in the context of environmental policy, climate change usually refers to changes in modern climate. It may be qualified as anthropogenic climate change, more generally known as “global warming” or “anthropogenic global warming” (AGW).
For information on temperature measurements over various periods, and the data sources available, see temperature record. For attribution of climate change over the past century, see attribution of recent climate change.

Human influences

Main article: Global warming

Anthropogenic factors are human activities that change the environment. In some cases the chain of causality of human influence on the climate is direct and unambiguous (for example, the effects of irrigation on local humidity), while in other instances it is less clear. Various hypotheses for human-induced climate change have been argued for many years. Presently the scientific consensus on climate change is that human activity is very likely the cause for the rapid increase in global average temperatures over the past several decades. Consequently, the debate has largely shifted onto ways to reduce further human impact and to find ways to adapt to change that has already occurred.

Of most concern in these anthropogenic factors is the increase in CO2 levels due to emissions from fossil fuel combustion, followed by aerosols (particulate matter in the atmosphere) and cement manufacture. Other factors, including land use, ozone depletion, animal agriculture and deforestation, are also of concern in the roles they play – both separately and in conjunction with other factors – in affecting climate, microclimate, and measures of climate variables.

Physical evidence for climatic change

Evidence for climatic change is taken from a variety of sources that can be used to reconstruct past climates. Reasonably complete global records of surface temperature are available beginning from the mid-late 1800s. For earlier periods, most of the evidence is indirect—climatic changes are inferred from changes in proxies, indicators that reflect climate, such as vegetation, ice cores, dendrochronology, sea level change, and glacial geology.

Historical and archaeological evidence

Main article: Historical impacts of climate change

Climate change in the recent past may be detected by corresponding changes in settlement and agricultural patterns. Archaeological evidence, oral history and historical documents can offer insights into past changes in the climate. Climate change effects have been linked to the collapse of various civilizations.

Glaciers

Variations in CO2, temperature and dust from the Vostok ice core over the last 450,000 years

Glaciers are considered among the most sensitive indicators of climate change, advancing when climate cools and retreating when climate warms. Glaciers grow and shrink, both contributing to natural variability and amplifying externally forced changes. A world glacier inventory has been compiled since the 1970s, initially based mainly on aerial photographs and maps but now relying more on satellites. This compilation tracks more than 100,000 glaciers covering a total area of approximately 240,000 km2, and preliminary estimates indicate that the remaining ice cover is around 445,000 km2. The World Glacier Monitoring Service collects data annually on glacier retreat and glacier mass balance From this data, glaciers worldwide have been found to be shrinking significantly, with strong glacier retreats in the 1940s, stable or growing conditions during the 1920s and 1970s, and again retreating from the mid 1980s to present.

Percentage of advancing glaciers in the Alps in the last 80 years

The most significant climate processes since the middle to late Pliocene (approximately 3 million years ago) are the glacial and interglacial cycles. The present interglacial period (the Holocene) has lasted about 11,700 years.Shaped by orbital variations, responses such as the rise and fall of continental ice sheets and significant sea-level changes helped create the climate. Other changes, including Heinrich events, Dansgaard–Oeschger events and the Younger Dryas, however, illustrate how glacial variations may also influence climate without the orbital forcing.

Glaciers leave behind moraines that contain a wealth of material – including organic matter that may be accurately dated – recording the periods in which a glacier advanced and retreated. Similarly, by tephrochronological techniques, the lack of glacier cover can be identified by the presence of soil or volcanic tephra horizons whose date of deposit may also be precisely ascertained.

What can we do to slow down or stop Global Warming

1. 
   Replace a regular incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb (cfl)
   CFLs use 60% less energy than a regular bulb. This simple switch will save about 300 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
   We recommend you purchase your CFL bulbs at 1000bulbs.com, they have great deals on both screw-in and plug-in light bulbs.
2. 
   Install a programmable thermostat
   Programmable thermostats will automatically lower the heat or air conditioning at night and raise them again in the morning. They can save you $100 a year on your energy bill.
3. 
   Move your thermostat down 2° in winter and up 2° in summer
   Almost half of the energy we use in our homes goes to heating and cooling. You could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple adjustment.
4. 
   Clean or replace filters on your furnace and air conditioner
   Cleaning a dirty air filter can save 350 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
5. 
   Choose energy efficient appliances when making new purchases
   Look for the Energy Star label on new appliances to choose the most energy efficient products available.
6. 
   Do not leave appliances on standby
   Use the “on/off” function on the machine itself. A TV set that’s switched on for 3 hours a day (the average time Europeans spend watching TV) and in standby mode during the remaining 21 hours uses about 40% of its energy in standby mode.
7. 
   Wrap your water heater in an insulation blanket
   You’ll save 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple action. You can save another 550 pounds per year by setting the thermostat no higher than 50°C.
8. 
   Move your fridge and freezer
   Placing them next to the cooker or boiler consumes much more energy than if they were standing on their own. For example, if you put them in a hot cellar room where the room temperature is 30-35ºC, energy use is almost double and causes an extra 160kg of CO2 emissions for fridges per year and 320kg for freezers.
9. 
   Defrost old fridges and freezers regularly
   Even better is to replace them with newer models, which all have automatic defrost cycles and are generally up to two times more energy-efficient than their predecessors.
10. 
    Don’t let heat escape from your house over a long period
    When airing your house, open the windows for only a few minutes. If you leave a small opening all day long, the energy needed to keep it warm inside during six cold months (10ºC or less outside temperature) would result in almost 1 ton of CO2 emissions.
11. 
    Replace your old single-glazed windows with double-glazing
    This requires a bit of upfront investment, but will halve the energy lost through windows and pay off in the long term. If you go for the best the market has to offer (wooden-framed double-glazed units with low-emission glass and filled with argon gas), you can even save more than 70% of the energy lost.
12. 
    Get a home energy audit
    Many utilities offer free home energy audits to find where your home is poorly insulated or energy inefficient. You can save up to 30% off your energy bill and 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Energy Star can help you find an energy specialist.
13. 
    Cover your pots while cooking
    Doing so can save a lot of the energy needed for preparing the dish. Even better are pressure cookers and steamers: they can save around 70%!
14. 
    Use the washing machine or dishwasher only when they are full
    If you need to use it when it is half full, then use the half-load or economy setting. There is also no need to set the temperatures high. Nowadays detergents are so efficient that they get your clothes and dishes clean at low temperatures.
15. 
    Take a shower instead of a bath
    A shower takes up to four times less energy than a bath. To maximize the energy saving, avoid power showers and use low-flow shower heads, which are cheap and provide the same comfort.
16. 
    Use less hot water
    It takes a lot of energy to heat water. You can use less hot water by installing a low flow shower head (350 pounds of carbon dioxide saved per year) and washing your clothes in cold or warm water (500 pounds saved per year) instead of hot.
17. 
    Use a clothesline instead of a dryer whenever possible
    You can save 700 pounds of carbon dioxide when you air dry your clothes for 6 months out of the year.
18. 
    Insulate and weatherize your home
    Properly insulating your walls and ceilings can save 25% of your home heating bill and 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Caulking and weather-stripping can save another 1,700 pounds per year. Energy Efficient has more information on how to better insulate your home.
19. Be sure you’re recycling at home
    You can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide a year by recycling half of the waste your household generates.
20. 
    Recycle your organic waste
    Around 3% of the greenhouse gas emissions through the methane is released by decomposing bio-degradable waste. By recycling organic waste or composting it if you have a garden, you can help eliminate this problem! Just make sure that you compost it properly, so it decomposes with sufficient oxygen, otherwise your compost will cause methane emissions and smell foul.
21. 
    Buy intelligently
    One bottle of 1.5l requires less energy and produces less waste than three bottles of 0.5l. As well, buy recycled paper products: it takes less 70 to 90% less energy to make recycled paper and it prevents the loss of forests worldwide.
22. 
    Choose products that come with little packaging and buy refills when you can
    You will also cut down on waste production and energy use… another help against global warming.
23. 
    Reuse your shopping bag
    When shopping, it saves energy and waste to use a reusable bag instead of accepting a disposable one in each shop. Waste not only discharges CO2 and methane into the atmosphere, it can also pollute the air, groundwater and soil.
24. 
    Reduce waste
    Most products we buy cause greenhouse gas emissions in one or another way, e.g. during production and distribution. By taking your lunch in a reusable lunch box instead of a disposable one, you save the energy needed to produce new lunch boxes.
25. 
    Plant a tree
    A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. Shade provided by trees can also reduce your air conditioning bill by 10 to 15%. The Arbor Day Foundation has information on planting and provides trees you can plant with membership.
26. 
    Switch to green power
    In many areas, you can switch to energy generated by clean, renewable sources such as wind and solar. In some of these, you can even get refunds by government if you choose to switch to a clean energy producer, and you can also earn money by selling the energy you produce and don’t use for yourself.
27. 
    Buy locally grown and produced foods
    The average meal in the United States travels 1,200 miles from the farm to your plate. Buying locally will save fuel and keep money in your community.
28. 
    Buy fresh foods instead of frozen
    Frozen food uses 10 times more energy to produce.
29. 
    Seek out and support local farmers markets
    They reduce the amount of energy required to grow and transport the food to you by one fifth. Seek farmer’s markets in your area, and go for them.
30. 
    Buy organic foods as much as possible
    Organic soils capture and store carbon dioxide at much higher levels than soils from conventional farms. If we grew all of our corn and soybeans organically, we’d remove 580 billion pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere!
31. 
    Eat less meat
    Methane is the second most significant greenhouse gas and cows are one of the greatest methane emitters. Their grassy diet and multiple stomachs cause them to produce methane, which they exhale with every breath.
32. 
    Reduce the number of miles you drive by walking, biking, carpooling or taking mass transit wherever possible
    Avoiding just 10 miles of driving every week would eliminate about 500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions a year! Look for transit options in your area.
33. 
    Start a carpool with your coworkers or classmates
    Sharing a ride with someone just 2 days a week will reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by 1,590 pounds a year. eRideShare.com runs a free service connecting north American commuters and travelers.
34. Don’t leave an empty roof rack on your car
    This can increase fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 10% due to wind resistance and the extra weight – removing it is a better idea.
35. 
    Keep your car tuned up
    Regular maintenance helps improve fuel efficiency and reduces emissions. When just 1% of car owners properly maintain their cars, nearly a billion pounds of carbon dioxide are kept out of the atmosphere.
36. 
    Drive carefully and do not waste fuel
    You can reduce CO2 emissions by readjusting your driving style. Choose proper gears, do not abuse the gas pedal, use the engine brake instead of the pedal brake when possible and turn off your engine when your vehicle is motionless for more than one minute. By readjusting your driving style you can save money on both fuel and car mantainance.
37. 
    Check your tires weekly to make sure they’re properly inflated
    Proper tire inflation can improve gas mileage by more than 3%. Since every gallon of gasoline saved keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, every increase in fuel efficiency makes a difference!
38. 
    When it is time for a new car, choose a more fuel efficient vehicle
    You can save 3,000 pounds of carbon dioxide every year if your new car gets only 3 miles per gallon more than your current one. You can get up to 60 miles per gallon with a hybrid! You can find information on fuel efficiency on FuelEconomy and on GreenCars websites.
39. 
    Try car sharing
    Need a car but don’t want to buy one? Community car sharing organizations provide access to a car and your membership fee covers gas, maintenance and insurance. Many companies – such as Flexcar – offer low emission or hybrid cars too! Also, see ZipCar.
40. 
    Try telecommuting from home
    Telecommuting can help you drastically reduce the number of miles you drive every week. For more information, check out the Telework Coalition.
41. Fly less
    Air travel produces large amounts of emissions so reducing how much you fly by even one or two trips a year can reduce your emissions significantly. You can also offset your air travel carbon emissions by investing in renewable energy projects.
42. 
    Encourage your school or business to reduce emissions
    You can extend your positive influence on global warming well beyond your home by actively encouraging other to take action.
43. 
    Join the virtual march
    The Stop Global Warming Virtual March is a non-political effort to bring people concerned about global warming together in one place. Add your voice to the hundreds of thousands of other people urging action on this issue.
44. 
    Encourage the switch to renewable energy
    Successfully combating global warming requires a national transition to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and biomass. These technologies are ready to be deployed more widely but there are regulatory barriers impeding them. U.S. citizens, take action to break down those barriers with Vote Solar.
45. 
    Protect and conserve forest worldwide
    Forests play a critical role in global warming: they store carbon. When forests are burned or cut down, their stored carbon is release into the atmosphere – deforestation now accounts for about 20% of carbon dioxide emissions each year. Conservation International has more information on saving forests from global warming.
46. 
    Consider the impact of your investments
    If you invest your money, you should consider the impact that your investments and savings will have on global warming. Check out SocialInvest and Ceres to can learn more about how to ensure your money is being invested in companies, products and projects that address issues related to climate change.
47. 
    Make your city cool
    Cities and states around the country have taken action to stop global warming by passing innovative transportation and energy saving legislation. If you’re in the U.S., join the cool cities list.
48. 
    Tell Congress to act
    The McCain Lieberman Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act would set a firm limit on carbon dioxide emissions and then use free market incentives to lower costs, promote efficiency and spur innovation. Tell your representative to support it.
49. 
    Make sure your voice is heard!
    Americans must have a stronger commitment from their government in order to stop global warming and implement solutions and such a commitment won’t come without a dramatic increase in citizen lobbying for new laws with teeth. Get the facts about U.S. politicians and candidates at Project Vote Smart and The League of Conservation Voters. Make sure your voice is heard by voting!
50. 
    Share this list!
    Send this page via e-mail to your friends! Spread this list worldwide and help people doing their part: the more people you will manage to enlighten, the greater YOUR help to save the planet will be (but please take action on first person too)!

About the Author

Gritty Global News

Told by the people by the people.

subscribe to the daily free updates HERE

deep seeded planet x-WMV full frame

Full Moon in Aries is the Warrior of the Heart & Mercury Turning Direct is Lifting Obstacles out of the Way

The highlights for this otherwise quiet week are Mercury redirecting his energies and a Full Moon in Aries. Even if these are notable astrological events we are having a little breather after being hammered by all those strong constellations lately. This astrological forecast is for the 40th week from September 28 to October 4. You will be able to find satisfying information about the specific constellations beyond the time frame, because it applies in general to the constellations we talk about.

Moon in Aquarius with a Trine to a Libra Sun on Tuesday
This Moon position will strengthen the presence of the wide conjunction of the threesome Jupiter, Chiron and Neptune. Aquarius as the rebellions spirit and trendsetter is forging ahead into new adventures. Change is in the air and we need to release our resistance. We will feel socially inclined with Moon in Aquarius and Libra Sun, both in air signs. We will be mentally busy and active and it might start us into new directions, interrupting the flow of the old. Flexibility is demanded but also easier achieved as usual.

Moon Floating into Pisces Opposing Venus on Wednesday
The mental framework will soften and feelings will be dreamy with the Moon in Pisces. We might feel a deep inner longing for the divine, for a deeper connection with ourselves and our loved ones. Pisces has this inner knowing of our oneness and invites us to experience that connectedness through unconditional love, meditation, nature, art and contribution to the whole. Moon and Venus, the two archetypal feminine figures challenge our self identity as women. We are invited to bring the Virgo and Pisces energies into alignment inside of us. There are the mental qualities, sense for detail and order of the Virgo opposing  the seemingly chaos of the divine order of Pisces. They meet in the middle where trust and faith into the divine can be added to our earthly actions.

Moon Blazes into Fullness in Aries on Saturday
A Full Moon means that the Moon is in opposition with the Sun shedding light onto the opposing sign. Each Full Moon will be different because of the different themes. Full Moon means the emotional lunar cycle has reached its fullest expression and energy. We all feel that to some extent. Full Moon keeps us up at night and bathes the night in her silver rays. My cats are all revved up and keep going out all night, having important cat business to tend to. My husband who is a Cancer does not sleep well around Full Moon. You want to be aware how this Full Moon might impact you in your own chart and see what planets and houses it might trigger. This is the area where the emotional tides may go high and sweep you along with it.

In astrology it always serves us well for our interpretation of a planet in a specific sign to look at the opposing one and see where both of them can meet and compliment each other. With a Full Moon that is especially important if we do not want to become overwhelmed by impulsive reactivity.

With Moon in Aries and Sun in Libra we perceive the conflict between individuality and responsibility, impulsive action versus thought out choices, freedom of the individual versus loving relationships or as simple as me versus you. With Aries Moon we will feel stronger emotions, more easily irritated and more ready for a fight then usual. Subjects and sore themes in relationships will be pushed to the forefront of our awareness and we have to deal with it. Emotions which might have been building up throughout the Moon cycle will not be ignored any longer.

The good news is that the warrior spirit of Aries can be harnessed for honesty and truth in the service of love and connection. He can be a knight and warrior of the heart in service of the Goddess Venus, a loving consort. It will serve you well to make time for your partner, your friends, maybe have a little party. And it is a good time for love making and romance, after you cleared the space off obstacles.

Mercury Goes Direct again on Wednesday
With Mercury turning direct we do not have any more excuses to get our communication channels going. Everything in life is dependant on our ability to communicate and everything related to Mercurial devices like computer, transportation and electrical devices. Most of our communication these days we do via computer, phone or iphone devices.

I know with Mercury retrograde there is always the temptation to blame it all on good old Mercury if something does not go right in that arena. But even with the retrograde Mercury we are responsible and able to direct our attention where it is needed and adjust to the challenges of the moment. Now we will have a few wobbly days of transition and some things might get easier from now on.

Mercury is in his Own Sign Virgo in a Wide Conjunction with Saturn
The Mercury position in Virgo is a mental frame for us where we pay attention to details and think things through. We can come up with practical solutions and find better ways (Saturn) to deal with problems. Some problematic knots will come undone now easily. It is a time for answers if we ask the right question. It still takes our intention and attention to unravel the mysteries and find a balance between Virgo and Pisces. As we talked about with the Moon in Pisces in the beginning, we need to find the middle path. The balance is found between the need to control and tending to details in the physical world on one hand. On the other hand is the spiritual guidance from the divine forces in our life and our willingness to listen and move from a place of faith and gratitude through our physical activities.

Alexandrite, the Miracle Stone
To help you in that process of adjustment for this week I recommend the Alexandrite which is a wonderful gemstone frequently used in jewelry. It is a stone which very unique nature has a lot to offer. His astrological signature is created out of his color, chemical composition and crystal structure which give him his unique qualities and applications.

Alexandrite has Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Mars qualities to share and balance for us.
“Alexandrite is one of the most astonishing gems because it changes its color from green in daylight to red in artificial light. Alexandrite is a variety of Chrysoberyl and is very rare and expensive. Today it is mined mainly in Sri Lanka and Rhodesia.

This is a stone for the queen or king in us because of its great value, both monetary and metaphysical.

As it changes from green to red, Alexandrite shows us that our so-called objective perception of the world of objects may change drastically by shining a different light on it, encouraging us to view experiences from different points of view. This gemstone strengthens the heart by opening our awareness of different perspectives. It reminds us that it is never the experience itself that is good or bad; what is important is always our perception, evaluation, and judgment of events.

Alexandrite stays by our side as a faithful friend, helping us through transitions in our relationships with friends and loved ones. It nourishes the heart during the process of grieving and letting go of a beloved one, whether our loss is due to death or other forms of separation.” (This part is taken from my book: Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery: Choosing Gemstones That Delight the Eye & Strengthen the Soul, published by Llewellyn)

If you like my way of approaching astrology, I invite you to visit me on my Astrological Signs Weather Report & Healing Gems Blog for a regular, weekly update on the universal flow and planetary positions. What I love about the abilities of the gemstones is that they offer a no side effect remedy to relax stressful aspects and positions in our chart. There are so many mysterious ways how we find something on the net these days, but now you can come directly and visit me.

I am looking forward and hope you enjoyed my musings, aloha and many blessings, Shakti.

Shakti Carola Navran: astrologer, jeweler and author

About the Author

Shakti Carola Navran is originally from Germany, living in Maui, Hawaii, is a professional jeweler, astrologer and author with a lifelong spiritual journey; she has been crafting personalized Soul Jewelry since 1977.
In her book Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery: Choosing Gemstones that Delight the Eyes & Strengthen the Soul she teaches you about how to read your personal horoscope and blue print for your life. Then you will be able to balance yourself in your most important areas with your 12 main healing gemstones, you could call your true birthstones.
Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery is a treasure chest of ideas on how to select, purchase, and wear jewelry that will enhance your body, heart, mind, and soul. Find out more about it on her website http://www.JewelryandGemsforSelfdiscovery.com and see her astrological weather report at http://www.jewelryandgemsforselfdiscovery.com/blog/ .

Planet X Nibiru Prophecy