The association of the greenhouse effect with the current global warming gives it a negative connotation. The consumption of alternative energy systems like solar PV cells and wind turbines as a way to generate electricity is now increasing for that reason. Nonetheless, to sustain life on the planet, the natural occurring greenhouse effect is essential.

What is a Greenhouse Effect?

The reflection of the radiated heat from the sun further up into our atmosphere is actually a slow-moving energy called an “infrared radiation.” Greenhouse gases seen in our atmosphere capture this heat. Many of these gases are the following: water vapour, carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and fluorinated gases.

Greenhouse effect is significant in creating a perfect temperature on our planet but the creation of man-made greenhouse gases only boosts the natural process.Fortunately, some alternative energy sources are now being employed through solar panel systems, windmills, hydroelectric dams and geothermal systems.

This may serve as one of the solutions to address the global warming problem. Hopefully, this helps with the question of what causes the green house effect.

What are the Human Contributions to the Greenhouse Effect?

Burning off of fossil fuels including coal, oil and natural gas that lead to an increased carbon dioxide concentrations. The burning of rainforests and emissions of automobiles greatly cause this rise. Some of the carbon dioxide released is consumed by plants and trees for their biological processes.

Some factories emit industrial gases called fluorinated gases (hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride) that are utilized in place of ozone-depleting substances such as CFCs. Its potency had given it the term High Global Warming Potential gases (“High GWP gases”). These gases are great contributing factors to the elevated greenhouse effect.

Population growth gives rise to the increased necessity for fossil fuels to be burned for heat, transportation and manufacturing of substances and devices. The application of solar PV systems greatly minimizes the necessity to utilize fossil fuels for our needs.

The increased concentrations of greenhouse gases as a result of human activities suggests there will also be an increase in the temperature of the earth. We might just be left to live in a dying planet if we dismiss these concerns.

The usage of alternative sources of energy like solar power could serve as a great progress to stop global warming. The solar panel information site is a good start in learning more about solar energy to power your homes and offices. Its content has a generous read on solar PV cells and solar panel systems fit for your needs.

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Today I look at the background to the development of wind technology, how much it can cost and whether it is an option for the ordinary homeowner concerned with spiralling energy costs in his/her everday life.

The use of wind power is not a modern concept. Windmills have been used for centuries for grinding grain. However, today they are also being used to produce electricity to power homes and industry. Home owners are exploring developing wind energy systems because of high electricity prices.

Residential wind power is generated with the help of a turbine generator that is mounted on an 80-120 foot tall tower. The height of the tower allows maximum wind exposure for the propeller. The propeller starts to spin by the force of wind on it and the generator in tunn produces electricity from the action of the wind on the propeller.

You remain connected to the grid, so when the wind is not blowing you can still use power from the electric company. If your wind turbine produces excess power the electric company must buy it back from you as per federal law.

The initial investment on a wind power system can range between 6000 and 20,000 dollars. Clearly this is a lot of money to pay up front; however, this cost is more than offset by the energy saving that youll be able to make. The average pay back time for generator system is between 6-15 years depending on its size and how much its used.

You can also build a wind turbine by yourself and this is a great way to dip your toe in the water at a tiny cost compared to the figures above.

Different manuals available online will teach you how to do so. When you build your own wind turbine you could see a return on your investment much sooner. Even if the highest quality materials are used the final price would still a fraction of what the ready-made residential wind turbines would cost.

By using wind energy to cover you electricity needs, you are not only saving money but also helping the environment by reducing carbon emissions that are produced when electricity is generated from fossil fuels.

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Climate change has recently become an increasingly significant issue among both the people of Maldives and the international community concerned with the fact that the Maldives will be one of the first nations severely affected by the phenomenon. These concerns led to change of climate being addressed recently in a meeting held between the leader of Maldives, President Mohamed Nasheed, and the Indian Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on Climate Change, Mr. Shyam Saran.

How is the change of climate affecting the Maldives
The Maldives, an island country made up of atolls comprising a total of 1,192 islands, is known for being the lowest country in the world, where the highest land is only 2.3 m (71/2 ft) above sea level, and the national average is just 1.5 m above sea level. Over the last century, global sea levels have risen about 20 centimetres (8 in) because of climate change and further rises of the ocean are predicted, which could seriously threaten the existence of Maldives.

In November 2008, President Mohamed Nasheed expressed his concerns about global warming and the possibility of many of the islands being inundated with water from rising sea levels.

India also affected by climate change
Noting not only that the fate of both the Maldives and India are linked to change of climate, but also that any drastic change threatens the survival of millions of people living in the coastal areas of said countries, both President Nasheed and Special Envoy Mr. Shyam Saran agreed that both Maldives and India could work together in combating climate change.

Change of Climate Policies
Presenting several of the Indian government’s policies on environment and climate change, the President was encouraged by their efforts and further stressed the importance of cooperation and support between both countries in working against the threats of climate change.

President Nasheed also praised the Indian government’s policies to support new technological advancements in the field of renewable energy, believing that India and Indian companies could be a leader in the field of renewable energy and environment-friendly technologies.

Adaptation was also a topic dwelled upon by the President and the Special envoy, and they discussed that the aim adaptation should be to find ways of achieving better standards of living through sustainable development. Praising the Maldives and its policies on adaptation, both parties found that both countries possessed similar policies on the subject. As a final note, Special Envoy Saran added that India was prepared to share its new environmentally-friendly and renewable energy technologies with the Maldives.

The meeting was indeed a fruitful one, and it concluded with discussions of how to further strengthen the relations between the Maldives and India, and agreeing on a policy of helping each other in the fight against climate change.

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The Mauritius government program of promoting the increased utilization of renewable energy sources like solar power and biomass was driven in part by the constant rise of petrol prices over the past few years. Also, government revenue that can be saved from reduced dependence on imported petrol could be put to better use in improving the social development programs in Mauritius. As opposed to just using the said funds to allow Middle-Eastern despots to continually build-up their own military might. Contributing further to the instability in the region.

Mauritius has been one of the major player in the sugarcane industry. Sugarcane are used to produce sugar by extracting juice from sugarcane. Aside from sugar, sugarcane could also be used in the production of alcohol or ethanol which is now being used as an altenative fuel for flex fuel cars. Parts of the sugarcane that’s left over after sugar production is a good source of biomass that Mauritius has in abundance.

By using this biomass as a “feed” for biogas digesters can provide 25% more energy than by burning the same biomass directly in an incinerator-type power plant.

Currently, 20% of Mauritius’ electricity is generated from renewable biomass systems. Also the Mauritius government are finding ways to make photovoltaic/solar powered electricity production fiscally viable whether in large industrial installations or just small domestic set-ups used to meet typical household needs. A lot is riding on the success on this program because Mauritius doesn’t have local petrol, and a 100% renewable energy source could allow the nation to develop without increasing the effects of global warming.

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The April 15th, 2007 Washington Post article called, “Military Sees Security Threat” by Juliet Eilperin adds fuel to my previous commentary on “Climate Change: Security or Aid.” It is amazing that only a few short months ago no one in the Bush Administration was taking climate change very seriously and now The U.S. military is calling it a potential national security threat.

A report released on April 16th by 11 retired generals says that “global warming presents a significant national security challenges to the United States.” According to the Post, the report says that global warming could destabilize “vulnerable states in Africa and Asia and drive a flood of migrants to richer countries.” The Post confirmed that “the military has begun studying possible future impacts of global warming with new intensity.”

The report notes that poorer states will find it increasingly difficult to meet their basic needs.

Of specific note was the fact that 40% of the world population gets at least 50% of drinking water from glaciers which are now rapidly drying up. The inability of governments to protect and provide for its citizens will make such places as “ripe for turmoil, extremism and terrorism.” Vice Admiral Richard Truly was quoted as saying, “It’s going to happen to every country and every person in the whole world at the same time.”

What is interesting is that only a few short months ago the Bush Administration was still denying that climate change was even a reality. And yet, there are reports coming from the military that have been under way for a while that are warning that climate change could impact national security. There is little doubt that other developed nations are also reaching their own conclusions regarding the destabilizing effects of global warning.

This again raises the specter of military control in dealing with social issues. When terrorism erupted we saw our rights dwindle under the Patriot Act. And, while I supported some of its provisions, its implementation has left much to be desired. We are all familiar with the concerns over the privacy of our mail, phone calls and emails and the abuse by the FBI and CIA. To deal with the migration issue we used the umbrella of terrorism once again and now we have the start of our own Berlin Wall. If climate change is considered in light of terrorism, will the military will once again be in the forefront of shaping our policies? What rights and privileges will we use to combat rising sea levels, droughts and food shortages?

Can we avoid this growth in military dominance by taking a more active and urgent role is helping other countries cope with global warming? Wouldn’t it make sense to start now and work with the at risk countries to help them plan for possible disaster? We are walking a very thin line in allowing the military to place all social issues in the context of terrorism. While there is certainly a place for the military with regards to dealing with “real” terrorists threats, I am not sure that the best way to deal with our climate crisis is the militarization of the problem. How many more rights are we willing to sacrifice under the guise of security? If we do not take a more humanitarian position on these issues what will happen to our values as a nation? We need to think hard and fast here because Mother Nature has run out of patience.

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Article by Martin Barwise

Something is energy efficient if it uses energy efficiently. It can be used to refer to energy conversion efficiency which refers to the proportion between the amount of input of energy used in the system compared to the useful output. Useful output can mean either heat, mechanical power, or electrical power. Energy efficiency was brought to the attention of the average person on the street mainly because of the 1973 oil crisis. Amory Lovins, a physicist, popularized the concept of boosting energy efficiency rather than promoting heightened energy production at around the same time.

Lovins’ idea has been expanded to apply to whole economies which are attempting to grow yet are hesitant to spur energy production as well. One US state which has managed to integrate energy efficiency policies into the daily activities of the common man, industries and even the government is the state of California. In the over 30 years since the mid-1970s when California started adhering to strict energy usage policies and programs, the state has been able to keep a flat rate of energy consumption while the rest of the country has seen their energy consumption double over that same time period. California also prioritizes energy efficiency above all, with use of renewable electricity supplies as its secondary priority.

Despite the energy savings that can be achieved when systems become energy efficient, there are still enterprises that are reluctant to set energy efficiency measures in place. It is believed that as much as 75% in savings on the current electrical consumption in the US alone can be reaped if efficient systems and measures were to be set in place and religiously observed.

Another side effect of using energy efficient systems is the corresponding decrease in real emissions without jacking up costs in the end, as stated by the Vienna Climate Change Talks 2007 Report.

We can categorize energy conversion efficiency into the subdivisions of electrical efficiency, mechanical efficiency, and thermal or fuel efficiency. The first sub-category of electrical efficiency can be computed by measuring how much useful power output is created when electrical power is used to power the system. Mechanical efficiency, on the other hand, is defined as the use of potential mechanical energy (such as water flowing from a river into a dam) to create mechanical energy. The last category refers to the use of fuel to produce heat.

In modern society, energy efficiency is used to refer to the volume of power supply (such as electricity) used by a certain system (let’s say your radio) to carry out its function (which is to produce music over a certain period of time.) An energy efficient radio would be one that can produce good audio while using as little electricity from your electrical outlet as possible. A more thorough computation of the energy efficiency of your radio would mean factoring in running expenses and its expected lifespan as well.

When you, the average consumer, takes steps to choose items that are more energy efficient over items which are less energy efficient (such as switching to more fuel-efficient cars and selling your gas-guzzler vehicle to the scrap yard), that is called energy conservation. Energy conservation can be said to be successfully applied if you are able to reduce your usage of energy yet are still able to achieve the same level of functionality. In simple terms, if you use a more fuel-efficient car and can still get to work, but are able to use less gas in the process, then you can say that your attempt at energy conservation has been successful.

Article by bernardita brimbuela

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