After Live Earth

Live Earth concerts have come and gone. It will be interesting to hear the statistics - number of concert goers, net profits, number of goers that signed the "7 Point Pledge", the energy tab and how much was offset with carbon credits, how much of the profits and to which environmental groups will those profits go. Live Earth had good intentions, it will be interesting to see how those intentions work out.

Meanwhile, Chris Baskind at Lighter Footsteps questions whether climate change is our most immediate environmental issue and if other, more pressing issues such as oil, ecosystems and deforestation will be ignored because of the emphasis on climate change. Be sure to check out his article and weigh in!



On a side note - how many of you have tried the reusable nylon bags from Chico? We would love to hear your comments!



ChicoBag Reusable Nylon Shopping Bag holds 20lbs
Measurements: Pouch measures a mere 4” x 2 ½” x 1” Expanded bag is 18" x 13"

President Bush Presents Proposal for Global Emissions Reductions Goals

President Bush today stated that the United States should join with other nations in developing guidelines by the end of 2008 to reduce emissions in order to reduce greenhouse gases. While the standards he set forth are not to the liking of many environmental groups, at least President Bush is finally acknowledging that global warming exists.

According to the President "The United States will work with other nations to establish a new framework for greenhouse gas emissions for when the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.
So my proposal is this: By the end of next year, America and other nations will set a long-term global goal for reducing greenhouse gases. To develop this goal, the United States will convene a series of meetings of nations that produce the most greenhouse gasses, including nations with rapidly growing economies like India and China."

"Each country would establish midterm management targets and programs that reflect their own mix of energy sources and future energy needs," he said. "In the course of the next 18 months, our nations will bring together industry leaders from different sectors of our economies, such as power generation, and alternative fuels and transportation."

These statements come just a short time before the convening of the G8 Summit during which President Bush will likely come under some pressure to begin efforts in the United States to reduce emissions. Time will tell where this leads. Let's hope it is an actual step in the direction of environmental reforms and not just rhetoric to appease the other members of the G-8 and the Kyoto Protocol.

Medicinal plant rediscovered after 115 years in Arunachal

This story is a perfect example of why we need preservation of as many remaining natural areas as possible. A primary resource of many lifesaving medications is plants, not man-made compounds. We need to save as many species of plants as possible from as many different environments as possible. Our lives may well depend on it.

Botanists in Arunachal Pradesh have rediscovered a rare medicinal plant after more than a century. Two scientists of the Botanical Survey of India spotted the wild flower, Begonia Tessaricarpa, during a routine research work near Ligu village in the northeastern state's Upper Subansari district bordering China.



read more digg story

What is the Greenhouse Effect?

Many people are talking about the Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming, yet not everyone understands the dynamics of the cycle of changes. Over several posts and with some help from our friends at NOAA and the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research we will try to explain some of the foundations and concerns regarding Global Warming.

The following is excerpted from “Our Changing Climate”


The Greenhouse Effect
Carbon dioxide gas constitutes a tiny fraction of
the atmosphere. Only about one air molecule in
three thousand is CO2. Yet despite their small
numbers, CO2 molecules can have a big effect on
the climate. To understand why they are so
important, we need to know about the greenhouse
effect of the atmosphere. Earth’s atmosphere
lets in rays of sunshine and they warm the
surface. The planet keeps cool by emitting heat
back into space in the form of infrared radiation—
the same radiation that warms us when we
sit near a campfire or stove. But while the
atmosphere is fairly transparent to sunshine, it is
almost opaque to infrared radiation. Much like a
garden greenhouse, it traps the heat inside.

About half of the solar energy that reaches
Earth passes through the atmosphere and is
absorbed at the surface. In contrast, about 90%
of the infrared radiation emitted by the surface
is absorbed by the atmosphere before it can
escape to space. In addition, greenhouse gases
like CO2 as well as clouds can re-emit this radiation,
sending it back toward the ground. The fact
is, Earth’s surface receives almost twice as much
energy from infrared radiation coming down
from the atmosphere as it receives from sunshine.
If all greenhouse gases were removed
from the atmosphere, the average surface temperature
of Earth would drop from its current
value of 59°F (15°C) to about 0°F (-18°C). Without
the atmosphere’s greenhouse effect, Earth
would be a frozen and nearly lifeless planet.


As you can see the greenhouse effect is a necessary element of our planet’s survival. It is our effect on the greenhouse effect that is the cause for concern.

More in our next post…

Karen