Everyone has heard the song and dance accompanying global warming; the ice caps are melting, temperatures are fluctuating and the ocean temperatures are rising (or falling) beyond acceptable levels.

As if this wasn’t bad enough, there is more environmentalism concerns surrounding global warming that aren’t as well advertised, but can affect our day to day lives.

Everyone has heard the song and dance accompanying global warming; the ice caps are melting, temperatures are fluctuating and the ocean temperatures are rising (or falling) beyond acceptable levels.

As if this wasn’t bad enough, there is more environmentalism concerns surrounding global warming that aren’t as well advertised, but can affect our day to day lives.

1. Aggravating Allergies – If your allergies have gotten worse over the years, or you just recently developed allergies, global warming might be to blame. Research has shown that the higher carbon dioxide levels and warmer temperatures associated with global warming are also playing a role by prodding plants to bloom earlier and produce more pollen. With more allergens produced earlier, allergy season can last longer.
2. Moving to Higher Ground – It might be hard to notice, but chipmunks, mice, squirrels, and the slightly scarier polar bear are all moving to higher elevated ground due to changed in their habitat caused by global warming.
3. Always Sunny in… the Arctic – The melting of the polar ice caps is only one effect global warming is having on the arctic. Plants that are usually under ice for most of the year and starting to bloom earlier as the ice around them melt earlier in the year. Chlorophyll has been found in larger amounts than in ancient times, meaning a biological boom in the Arctic in recent decades.
4. Disappearing Lakes – Lakes in the Arctic have literally been disappearing, supporting the suggestion that global warming is working the fastest on our polar caps. Scientists are hypothesizing the ground under the lakes are thawing, and therefore allowing the water to seep into the land.
5. Sinkholes, Rockslides and Diseases, Oh My! – The ice caps are not the only places where land is thawing. The permanently frozen layer of soil beneath Earth’s surface. This may lead to seriously destabilizing effects which could develop into sinkholes, creating damage to thinks like houses, railroads and highways. There is even reason to believe that diseases like smallpox will reemerge as the ground around decaying dead bodies’ thaws.
6. Animals Miss Their Meals – Because spring is starting sooner, animals that migrate might miss out on the food supply. Ones that can reset their internal clock might stand a chance, but if animals miss their food supply, they will eventually die out and not be able to pass on their genetic information to future generations.
7. Forest Fires Increase – Along with the raging hurricanes and melting glaciers, global warming is also causing more volatile forest fires. In the past decade, the numbers of forest fires have increased, as have their lifespan and areas in which they can reach. Scientists have correlated the rampant blazes with warmer temperatures and earlier snowmelt. When spring arrives early and triggers an earlier snow-melt, forest areas become drier and stay so for longer, increasing the chance that they might ignite.

Environmental reforms on climate change have been discussed for decades by the UN, separate countries governments, environmental groups, and individuals. The need for change is evident, but getting a national response, much less an international response, is difficult to see through.

Environmental reforms on climate change have been discussed for decades by the UN, separate countries governments, environmental groups, and individuals. The need for change is evident, but getting a national response, much less an international response, is difficult to see through.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was created almost 20 years ago. This framework aimed to stabilize atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations below a dangerous level. What this dangerous level is, however, has been a topic of debate. Last year’s Copenhagen Climate Conference tried to turn the UN’s framework into a reality, but failed to do so. The simple drawback in this environmental reform was the unrealistic goals it set with no precedent or way of implanting without a country going bankrupt or losing power.

The Copenhagen negotiations (UN backed) attempted to strap down 200 nations committing themselves to drastically change green reforms. This UN decision has not yet been implemented due to the holes in the program and the non-urgent threat of climate change.

The following are the different environmental reform strategies that different environmentalism specialists have hypothesized, as well as the plan created by the UN.

Global Agreement Strategy from the UN Copenhagen Conference

• Assumes national governments can set a meaningful threshold beyond the point where climate change can become dangerous, and then create a plan that assures never getting to that point. However, environmentalism specialists cannot find any such threshold.
• If a threshold was found, this would mean cutting off all greenhouse gases from fossil fuels, which no country has ever been able to do and still stay profitable.
• Because there are no set strategies on how to meet the requirements of this strategy, many nations have been reluctant to join in the UN efforts and have created environmental reforms of their own.

Clean Energy Revolution Strategy by Separate National Governments

• Individual countries will take their own actions in reducing an impactful climate change.
• The pros for this argument center on the power that national governments have in where spending goes in their own countries. Increase the spend and support of research and green reforms as well as put caps on greenhouse admissions that make sense per country and (in this theory) you will see results.
• The assumptions of this strategy assume that the actions of individual nations will eventually make green energy less expensive than today’s fossil fuels quickly enough to positively effect and limit the changes to the climate. This represents what economists call a collective action problem, meaning “successful solutions require many different parties to respond in a coordinated manner” which is highly unlikely to occur.

Combine National Efforts with UN Watchdog

• National governments (driven by environmental factors as well as economic) will pursue their own ways of lowering emissions and greenhouse gases.
• Global negotiations would watch separate nations and keep certain countries from lagging too far behind by supporting early results and creating circumstances in which countries who are not implementing environmental reforms would suffer economically.

The next round of climate negotiations is going to be in Mexico in December. Hopefully, with the aforementioned plans in mind, this meeting will help create international reporting standards for monitoring greenhouse gases, as well as other international standards for climate control.

The end of the worst oil spill in American history might be on the horizon with the success of top kill. Top kill was one of the many environmental reform measures brought forth by BP to plug the oil rig leak. Although environmentalism activists are still in shock at the devastating consequences the oil rig has brought on the environment, top kill is the first beacon of hope since the oil rig explosion over a month ago.

Top kill is a process where BP is pushing mud into the damaged blowout protector in an effort to block the oil. How much of a success the top kill is actually going to be is still unsure, but environmental reform measures are being presented and granted by President Obama to ensure these things never happen again. Green reform measures like a moratorium was granted that ceased the approval of new offshore oil rigs and environmental waivers were issued earlier this week. Obama commented in a press conference yesterday acknowledged the shortcomings his administration faced but said “those who think we were either slow on the response or lacked urgency, don’t know the facts.”

Although the top kill procedure seems to be stopping the BP oil leak, officials are hesitant to make any overoptimistic statements. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Mary Landry is the federal on-scene coordinator for the Coast Guard, and she was optimistic that their efforts are working due to the flow turning muddy.

This however does not help the 17-27 million gallons of oil that has seeped into the Gulf of Mexico from the month long BP oil leak. The Director of the U.S. Mineral Management Service Elizabeth Birnbaum retired from her post due to the stress and blame placed on her and her department. It is unclear by environmentalist supporters if the Gulf’s wildlife and habitats will ever return to the way they were.

Despite Obama’s moratorium on May 14^th issuing the immediate halt of drilling new wells and granting of environmental waivers, grants for drilling permits and environmental waivers have continued to be permitted by the federal government, met with skepticism and complaints that the terms of the moratorium are too narrowly defined and have been violated.

Obama created the green cleaning moratorium in order to close “the loophole that has allowed some oil companies to bypass some critical environmental reviews,” he said. He also commented that after investigation of certain oil company permits it was found that there was no concrete safety measures implemented, only the word of the oil company. Obama vowed these practices would end, but different federal agencies are having issues following these orders.

“The moratorium does not even cover the dangerous drilling that caused the problem in the first place,” said Daniel J. Rohlf, a law professor at Lewis & Clark Law School, adding he was not certain that the Interior Department was capable of carrying out the needed reforms.

Since the April 20^th explosion of the BP oil rig, federal regulators have granted at least 19 environmental waivers for gulf drilling projects and at least 17 drilling permits for the same kind of work the Deepwater Horizon drill, working for BP, was doing. These will have a significant change on green living initiatives and negatively affect the already almost destroyed Gulf.

Government officials in the Department of the Interior and the Minerals Management Service are hiding behind the skirts of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, stating the moratorium was never meant to completely cease permits for new work on existing drill projects, it was simply meant to stop permits for new drills. Salazar also stated the hardships his agency are going through, harping on his requirement of having to process drilling requests within 30 days of their submission.

Even though officials keep claiming the moratorium requirements to still be intact, the main purpose of the moratorium was to prevent accidents occurring due to lack of safety precautions. However, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration said there are existing drilling types that have been OKed to continue even though they are as hazardous as new drilling would be. On record there have been at least three major oil rig accidents involving procedures that are still being permitted.

On April 20^th, 2010 a Deepwater Horizon oil drilling rig exploded and killed 11 workers, spawning what is predicted to be the biggest oil spill in this country’s history. The oil is spilling out at over 5,000 barrels a day due to the three breaks in the well pipes and hit the Louisiana coastline late Thursday night, nine days after the initial spill.

The oil company that owned the oil drill, BP, is completely responsible for the cleanup, although Obama and his office is enforcing environmental reforms, saying they will help the clean up in any way they can, including giving the aide of the Department of Defense, if necessary. The National Coast Guard has approved an experimental plan by BP to apply chemical dispersants underwater to help stop the oil spread, and the federal government is sending as much help as they can:

· There are over 50 boats and aircraft deployed from the Department of Homeland Security to help the spill

· The DHS also put out 174,060 feet of absorbent foam booms and recovered 18,180 barrels of an oily mixture from the gulf’s surface

· Interior Department deployed SWAT teams to inspect 30 other drilling rigs in deepwater sections of the Gulf of Mexico

· DHS is setting up a headquarters in Alabama as well as the already stationed Louisiana post

· Navy is sending 66,000 feet of inflatable boom and seven skimming systems

· Navy is offering its base in the region as a staging area for the operation

· National Guard troops are mobilized and ready to assist

· The situation was deemed an incident of national significance which means a National Response Team composed of 16 federal agencies will coordinate a federal response

This spill is predicted to be the largest oil spill in US history, larger than the 1989 spill from Exxon Valdez that spilled 11 million gallons of oil into an ecologically sensitive area of the Prince William Sound. The difference between the spills is that in 1989 the cause was an oil tanker which holds a finite amount of oil; this spill is tapped to an underwater oil well which is predicted to spill up to 3 months.

Effect on the Environment

Environmentalist efforts are being spawned everywhere, from Mexican and American volunteers to the oil company workers. The spread of the oil spill to the coastline poses a serious threat for marine habits as well as human health. The Environmental Protection Agency is monitoring the air quality of the affected area to measure the impact of the controlled burning. There are two national wildlife refuges around the area of the spill that has not yet been affected by the spill, but has the potential to be.

It was predicted by local fishermen/farmers that if the oil spill hit the shore, the entire population of shrimp, crab and oysters would be destroyed.

Change of Environmental Reforms

This spill comes at an inopportune time for Obama and his administration, who just last month stated they would continue in their efforts at finding less environmentally damaging ways of getting oil and said they were opening up over 150 million acres of water property for oil drilling.

The White House is now saying there will be no new offshore drilling until the investigation as to why the explosion occurred is finished.

Even if you live an eco-lifestyle, today is an important day to be even greener because it’s Earth Day.

Earth Day began 38 years ago in San Francisco, and since then it has turned into a global celebration of protecting the planet.

Regardless of what people may choose to do, as individuals or part of an organization, we will all be connected for at least one day…

Even if you live an eco-lifestyle, today is an important day to be even greener because it’s Earth Day.

Earth Day began 38 years ago in San Francisco, and since then it has turned into a global celebration of protecting the planet.

Regardless of what people may choose to do, as individuals or part of an organization, we will all be connected for at least one day as we work together to create a healthier planet and to fight global warming.

Starting Now

There’s really a limitless amount of things you can do to make a difference on Earth Day.

Here’s a list of things you can literally start today that shouldn’t require too much time or effort. Once you realize how easy these tips are to follow, you can incorporate them into your daily routine:

• Change your car’s air filter
• Replace your light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs
• Carpool, ride a bike or walk to work
• Green your lunch
• Lower the temperature in your refrigerator
• Wash your laundry in cold water
• Buy an iTune, Plant a Tree
• Gather all your old electronics and recycle them
• Donate your old toiletries to a homeless shelter
• Take a short shower
• Walk down your street and pick up trash (recycle what is appropriate)
• Eat all organic meals today
• Take your name off mailing lists to reduce junk mail, or use a service like Green Dimes
• Unplug your appliances (even if they’re not being used they still consume energy)
• Plant a tree
• Don’t run the dishwasher unless it’s completely full

These are just a few things you can do today.

If you’re interested in finding an Earth Day event near the city that you live in, click on the link below to see the Earth Day Network’s full list of activities:

And finally, if you happen to live in or around New York City, you can join the Keep American Beautiful Great American Cleanup Campaign from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. today at Times Square at Military Triangle (43^rd Street and Broadway), to celebrate the one-year anniversary of ‘Keep New York City Beautiful,’ which encourages New York City residents to ‘fight dirty’ for a cleaner, greener America.

If you haven’t been actively involved in the green movement, then today’s the perfect day to start reducing your carbon footprint and increasing your awareness of the Earth.

Every single effort does make a difference, especially with effort from millions of people worldwide.

According to a study by the Earth Policy Institute, global CO2 emissions reached a record high of 8.38 gigatons in 2006, and they’ve only increased since then.

In 2000 it was predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that the annual growth of CO2 emissions between 2000 and 2010 would only increase by 2.3%, but we’ve already passed this at 3.1% and counting…

According to a study by the Earth Policy Institute, global CO2 emissions reached a record high of 8.38 gigatons in 2006, and they’ve only increased since then.

In 2000 it was predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that the annual growth of CO2 emissions between 2000 and 2010 would only increase by 2.3%, but we’ve already passed this at 3.1% and counting.

Who is Responsible?

There are five countries that are responsible for over half of the world’s fossil fuel-emitted CO2, and America is the leader.

U.S. emissions are almost 200 times greater than those of people in the poorest countries of the world, and they’re still 5 times greater than those in China.

Here are the top 5 CO2 emitters in 2006:

• America ‘ 1.66 gigatons
• China ‘ 1.49 gigatons
• Russia ‘ 5.2 % of total
• India ‘ 4.7 % of total
• Japans ‘ 4.1% of total

It is estimated that China will overtake the U.S. in CO2 emissions by 2009.

Also, the rising CO2 emissions mixed with other greenhouse gases have raised the global temperature by 0.8 degrees Celsius, resulting in stronger heat waves, droughts and hurricanes.

You can read the entire article here.

These statistics are extremely disturbing, yet they’re the truth and people need to realize that global warming is unavoidable. The worse it becomes the more we increase our carbon footprint.

Since we are the main contributors of global warming, we need to find a way to work together to combat it.

To find out how you can fight global warming just click the link below:

A new project financed by the government of Norway and the Global Environment Facility will have inmates at an African prison working towards purifying human waste and producing biogas to reduce carbon emissions.

This is one of a series of projects created by the Addressing Land-Based activities in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO-LaB) initiative, which aims to tackle problems that degrade marine and coastal environments…

A new project financed by the government of Norway and the Global Environment Facility will have inmates at an African prison working towards purifying human waste and producing biogas to reduce carbon emissions.

This is one of a series of projects created by the Addressing Land-Based activities in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO-LaB) initiative, which aims to tackle problems that degrade marine and coastal environments.

The Problem

Sewage pollution has been one of the toughest problems facing water treatment facilities in many developing countries.

According to an article published by the Natural Resources Defense Council, ‘untreated sewage that enters the environment is enough to fill both the Empire State Building and Madison Square Garden.’ And that’s only in America.

Can you even imagine the sewage pollution statistics in underdeveloped countries? Many of these countries have no access to proper sanitation facilities, or they are too poor to afford high-tech water treatment systems, making them more vulnerable to disease and death.

Luckily, this new project will cost significantly less than average water treatment methods and will also benefit wildlife and marine organisms.

The Project

This project will use ponds of natural algae to sanitize the wastewater. The algae will detoxify the pollution in the water, which can then be used as fertilizer or animal feed.

The project itself will cost about $110,000, which includes labor and construction costs, as well as the upgrading of sanitary facilities inside the prison.

You can read more about the story here.

Of course this is a lot of money, but it is still drastically cheaper than other water sanitation methods used in the past.

Plus, if this project works, it will send a powerful message to other countries that there is progress being made in the fight to strengthen human health.

Traditionally, only the kernel of a corn plant could be used to make ethanol, but scientists at Michigan State University have discovered a way to use the entire corn plant’and it all has to do with a cow.

An enzyme which helps cows digest grass and other fibers is the key to reducing fuel costs and creating alternative energy sources…

Traditionally, only the kernel of a corn plant could be used to make ethanol, but scientists at Michigan State University have discovered a way to use the entire corn plant’and it all has to do with a cow.

An enzyme which helps cows digest grass and other fibers is the key to reducing fuel costs and creating alternative energy sources.

Spartan Corn III

Known as Spartan Corn III, this is the third and final piece in a series of enzymes that are needed to convert plant fibers into sugar that is used for ethanol.

Last year the first enzyme was discovered in a microbe that lived in hot spring water, and then Spartan Corn II was found in a fungus.

With Spartan Corn III being found inside a cow’s stomach, one could say that the pieces of the puzzle couldn’t be any more different! But we’re definitely happy that they were discovered and that they’re working cohesively together.

You can read more about this discovery here.

If scientists can continue with this research and actually make this genetically modified process work, it will be a huge step for science and a great ally in the fight against global warming.

Many people think that musicians are so self-absorbed that they have little respect for the people and environment around them.

So it’s great to know that there are actually famous people out there who are taking part in the green movement and sharing their eco-lifestyle with their fans…

Many people think that musicians are so self-absorbed that they have little respect for the people and environment around them.

That’s why it’s great to know that there are actually famous people out there who are taking part in the green movement and sharing their eco-lifestyle with their fans.

Hazards of the Music Industry

Did you realize that most musicians leave a huge carbon footprint? Try to think about everything that goes into creating an album, selling it and touring. The hazards to the environment are endless.

Here are just a few we came up with:

• Massive CO2 emissions from huge tour buses and air travel
• Plastic packaging on CDs
• Tons of paper used for fliers and CD jackets
• Energy used to power recording equipment and large studios
• Manufacturing t-shirts, hats, buttons, stickers, etc.
• Bottles and cans not recycled during concerts

These are just a few of the most obvious non-friendly contributors to global warming, and while most musicians don’t take notice of them, there are some that are taking action.

Following Their Own Tune

We did some research and discovered some popular musicians who are joining the fight against global warming.

See if your favorite is listed:

• Jack Johnson ‘ Co-founded the Kokua Hawaii Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports environmental education in Hawaii schools. He also uses biodiesel fuel buses to tour, and his recording studio is stocked with solar panels for light and shredded old jeans for insulation.
• KT Tunstall ‘ Has worked with The CarbonNeutral Company to plant over 5,000 trees to offset carbon emissions.
• Moby ‘ He supports PETA and the Humane Society, and he opened Teany Café in New York, which is a vegetarian tea café.
• Dave Matthews Band ‘ Buys renewable energy credits to offset the CO2 emissions from their concerts, automobiles and hotel stays.
• Pearl Jam ‘ Created the Carbon Portfolio Strategy, which will donate $100,000 to nine different organizations doing work for climate change, renewable energy and the environment.
• Thom Yorke ‘ Supports the Big Ask Campaign sponsored by Friends of the Earth, which seeks to find ways to get the government involved the battle against global warming.
• The Roots ‘ Worked with PETA on the Stop the Violence Campaign, which aims to stop violence against animals in farms and slaughterhouses.
• Ditty Bops ‘ In 2004 they decided against using fuel and biked over 4,700 miles across the U.S. to promote their album.
• Bonnie Rait ‘ Co-founded Musicians United for Safe Energy, which is opposed to using nuclear energy.
• Barenaked Ladies ‘ They buy carbon offsets, recycle and run their vehicles on biofuel.

You can read about other green musicians on Spinner and Grist.

It’s great to see that some musicians are making strides to reduce their carbon footprint, since they realize that they are significant contributors to global warming.

If they can spread this message to their fans, then that’s a few more million people that might just join the fight.

So if you’re a fan of music, support your favorite green musician by joining their sponsored organization or following in their eco-friendly footsteps.