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Saving Environment: Start from your Home

Karan Kashyap Posted by Karan Kashyap at 03:07 AM on December 31, 2009 Comments comments (0)

 

Save the Environment

http://causes.com/enviroact

please copy and share this link with everyone.

 



Do you take big steps in  Saving the Environment? If yes, you need to read this! If no, read it out.



Throughout the House

   1.

      Turn off appliances when you are not using them. Up to 30% of power used by TV's is used while they are turned off, so buy power strips and just flip the switch on the power strip, because they use far less energy while turned off.

   2.

      Lower the thermostat by a few degrees in winter. An extra layer or blanket will not only keep you cozy but will help to reduce your electricity bill significantly.

   3.

      Make sure that the house is fully insulated. Insulation keeps the heat and cool on the correct side of your living space. Consider not only the ceiling but also the walls and under the floors.

   4.

      Use windows to regulate the temperature.

          * Keep windows and doors closed properly to avoid the loss of heat in winter.

          * Open the windows in summer. The cross breeze will often keep you cool and flushes out stale air (indoor air is often more highly polluted than the air outside). Importantly, the use of fresh air to cycle through your home saves the cost of running an air conditioner.

   5.

      Install ceiling fans instead of air conditioning units to keep rooms comfortable in warm weather.

   6.

      Fill the gaps. Gaps reduce energy efficiency in a home. By caulking gaps around windows and doors, you increase the ability of your house to retain heat and cool at the right times of year, allowing your heating and cooling systems to work less.

   7.

      Switch to compound fluorescent lightbulbs. They last longer and consume one-quarter of the energy. Lately, LED lamps have started to pick up the pace too -- they are up to ten times as effective as fluorescent, and totally blow incandescent bulbs off the charts.

   8.

      Turn off the lights. Always turn off the lights when you are not using them. Rooms that are lit with nobody in them are wasteful.


In the Kitchen

   1.

      Recycle, recycle, recycle. Some cities already require people to sort their trash into paper, metals, glass, and organic waste. Even if your city doesn't, you can launch a growing trend. Set up four separate waste baskets, and make sure the contents end up in the appropriate recycle bins.

   2.

      Air dry your dishes. Stop the dishwasher before the dryer cycle commences. Leave the door slightly ajar (or more open if you have the space) and let the dishes air-dry. The drying cycle of the dishwasher consumes a lot of energy.

   3.

      Avoid Creating Trash. Avoid disposable products, such as plates, cups, napkins and cutlery. Use reusable towels and dishwashing cloths in place of paper towels and disposable dish sponges.

   4.

      Update your refrigerator. Fridges are the most energy intensive appliance in a house. This means that a poorly maintained and energy inefficient fridge is costing you money, let alone adding its burden to the atmosphere. Recent fridges use 40% less energy than fridges of 10 years ago. If you do decide to upgrade the fridge, make sure that you buy for its excellent energy rating, longevity and durability and that you have the old fridge recycled.


In the Bathroom & Laundry

   1.

      Prefer showers over baths. Showers use less water. Don't forget to install an efficient showerhead.

   2.

      Use soaps and detergents that contain no phosphates. Use a mixture of water and vinegar to wash your windows. Wash clothes in cold water to avoid consuming energy to heat the water. On sunny days, use a clothes line instead of a clothes dryer. Your clothes will smell fresher and the sun's rays ensure that germs are successfully sizzled.

   3.

      Install low-flush toilets in your home. These use 1.6 gallons per flush, instead of 3.5 gallons, cutting water consumption by more than half.

   4.

      For the ladies out there, consider using cloth (as in, reusable) tampons and pads, or using a menstrual cup. It may seem gross, but it can't be grosser than the thought of the amount of pads and tampons women use yearly piled up in a landfill, now can't it?


In the Home Office

   1.

      Use recycled paper in your home office and printer. Double side your printing and give scrap paper to the kids or turn it into note paper for the phone table.

   2.

      Turn off the computer every day. Even if it feels like it is not making much of a difference, it is. You also reduce any risks of overheating or shortcircuiting by turning computers off overnight.


In the Garage

   1.

      Leave the car at home. Let the car contribute less to the atmosphere by resting at home whenever possible. Walk to your local stores, take public transport to work and cycle to your friends' houses for dinner. Join a car pool and ferry others to work rather than driving in alone. You'll make new friends and you'll all share the costs.

   2.

      Buy a fuel-efficient car if you are changing cars. Choose a compact car over an SUV. SUVs burn almost twice the amount of gas as a station wagon and yet can still carry around the same amount of passengers.

   3.

      If you're really serious about going all-out green, consider living without a car -- not only it's green, but could also save you a lot of money!

   4.

      Keep your bike well maintained. Take away at least one excuse that you cannot use your bike because it is in bad shape. Keep it in shape and then use it to keep yourself in shape.

   5.

      Dispose of workshop items with care. Old paints, oils, pesticides etc. should not be tipped down the drain - the residues end up in our waterways. Dispose of these items through municipal disposal schemes or use the landfill option if there is no other choice.


In The Garden

   1.

      Plant native species. They need less watering, are hardier (hence, less products needed to protect them) and they attract the local wildlife.

   2.

      Plant trees. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and provide shade. They provide homes for wildlife and some trees can provide you with a bountiful harvest. What more incentive do you need?!

   3.

      Reduce the lawn. Either reduce your lawn size or remove it altogether. Lawns are costly to maintain, the chemicals used on lawns are dangerous to our health and to that of the surrounding wildlife and lawnmowers emit high levels of pollution. Replace lawns with shrubs, ornamental garden structures, pavers for entertainment areas, native grasses and ground creepers etc. In addition, what's better than being able to step outside and pick a few strawberries or an ear of corn? Increase your own resilience by converting wasted lawn space into a vegetable garden. Consider using drip-irrigation systems or constructing or purchasing a rain barrel (it saves you having to pay to pump water back into the ground).

   4.

      Compost. Compost the kitchen scraps and create beautiful garden matter to encourage better plant growth. Make sure the heap is warm and well-turned. Read a few books about composting. It's rare to find someone highly skilled in the area! Remember, soil is a living thing, it should not be powdery and dead. Life comes from the soil, and therefore the soil should be kept alive. Avoid highly invasive tilling if at all possible, but be sure to keep the soil aerated.


Source:Wikihow

Few more tips on Saving the Environment

Karan Kashyap Posted by Karan Kashyap at 02:50 AM on December 31, 2009 Comments comments (0)

<<<This is a continued post

Save the Environment

http://causes.com/enviroact

please copy and share this link with everyone.

 



Try organic fresh fruits and vegetables. Generally things with the fewest ingredients on the label are the safest bet.

If you can't ride a bike or don't own one, try to walk to places asmuch as possible, but if you need transportation, see if you can usemass transit (like a train, bus, or subway). Since more people use them(so less people are using cars), less fossil fuels are being released.

Generally, don't waste anything (this does not mean eating everyleft-over you find; you can pack it in containers and put it in therefrigerator or freezer). If you know of some poor people, they couldappreciate this a lot and look up to you for it. Help your neighbors!And, if you are sure you don't want it anymore or that yourfridge/freezer is full, try putting it outside of your house, or somewhere close to starving animals. They would be more than happy togobble it up. For example, bread from your breakfast that you justcan't eat anymore - break it down and leave it outside for the birds.

Although recycling is great, it's even better to conserve. That means reusing paper as much as possible, or refilling your water bottleinstead of buying a new one, and so on.

If you are just getting a soda, or something else that does notrequire a bag (or if you're just not going to use it), don't take one.Otherwise, use scrap fabric to sew a 'Bag Bunny' to hold plastic bagsto be reused.

When grocery shopping, bring your own bag(s) (cloth ones are thebest kind). Some places even give slight discounts for you bringing inyour own bag. Some shops also make you pay for those plastic bags, soyou'll be saving money as well as do good deeds!

The next time you order a beverage, bring your own mug (or buy oneof theirs). Not only will you save 15 cents, but you will also help bynot wasting cups.

Spread the word! Start a club at school, a fund raiser, or anything else that would help make people aware of the environment.

When it comes to saving the planet's water, don't be boring! You'remore likely to use something if you like it, so buy a colorful waterbottle or decorate your glass bottle with pretty glass paint!

Ask your local Waste Management Service if you could help out.Maybe you could make fliers and put them around town, to make peopleaware of the earth. Start a day where you and the town will pick upgarbage.

If possible, drink your tap water! You'll have more cash in yourpocket and reduce the chances of a factory creating more unnecessarybottles, meaning less energy as well as resources used up.

If you don't have time and space for clothes that you no longerneed, donate them to charity! Every time you do, you make a lonely soula grateful spirit, as well as motivate others to do good!

If you have a Facebook profile add the Greenbook application to it or feature " Save the Environment " cause or share the link http://causes.com/enviroact. The longer you're on Facebook, the more carbon dioxide you help to reduce.

Before you recycle something, like an aluminum can, it's best towash it out first. Did you know that one aluminum can can be recycled10 times?

Before recycling aluminum cans, take off the tabs and save them. There are many hospitals that will accept them and use them to makemedical equipment.


Source: Wikihow

51 Ways on How you can Save The Environment

Karan Kashyap Posted by Karan Kashyap at 02:39 AM on December 31, 2009 Comments comments (0)

Showing you 51 ways on How you can help Save The Environment from Home, Office and other places. Join the cause and act now.

Save the Environment

http://causes.com/enviroact

please copy and share this link and spread the word.


All we need to do to reduce the problem is simply to be less wasteful. Here are some ideas on how to help everyone!


• 1

Switch off anything that uses electricity. Stick to a routine of shutting off as many electrical appliances as possible when you leave a room. If it will be at least 36 hours before you use it again, unplug it. Even when an appliance is off, it may still use power. Just imagine. You will save hundreds of dollars and you could donate the money to a charity in need or buy yourself something nice.

•    Power strips are convenient devices. You can plug all your appliances in one area - say, your computer, fax, printer, and modem; or your toaster, blender, and coffee maker - into a power strip. Then when you're done using all appliances, simply turn the power strip switch from "reset" to "off".

•    It is important to note that cell phone and laptop chargers, as well as some other plug-in devices, continue to drain energy from your electrical circuit even when the item being charged or utilized is no longer connected. Unplug the chargers altogether or use a power strip.

•  2

Use renewable energy sources. In the USA around 71% of electricity is produced by burning fossil fuels. Burning coal or other fuels emits green-house gases and pollution in the environment. An average home powered by a coal utility will burn 12,000 pounds of coal a year and will cause about the same amount of pollution as 2 cars. By using renewable energy as the primary power source, the reduction of pollution per household would be equivalent to that of planting 400 trees. Many electric companies offer power from renewable sources (sometimes at a slightly higher fee). Another option is to rent solar panels, as these are becoming increasingly less expensive. Contact your local energy provider for more information.

•  3

Encourage your congressional representatives to support environmental issues and renewable energy

•  4

Check your faucets and any other appliance that uses water straight from your source. If your faucets drip, get them fixed, or at least put a container under the drip in the meantime and use the water. To check your toilets, put a few drops of food coloring (go for a strong color) in the tank, not the bowl. Wait about ten minutes without flushing. If you see the dye in the bowl, repair your toilet.

•  5

Turn off the water when you're not using it. As Ellen Degeneres says, "Turn off the water while brushing your teeth." Why is the water running for so long? There is no point, is there? It is okay if you forget a few times, but if you forget a lot, put a little sticky note on the wall in front of the sink, with the reminder, "Turn off the faucet. Don't waste water!" This goes for shaving, washing dishes, and even taking a shower.

•  6

Avoid salt-based water softeners. These require excessive amounts of energy and water, and leave your local watershed's water quality impaired by excess salts. If you have hard water, use an electronic descaling device instead, such as Scalewatcher or Small Wonder.

•  7

Use rechargeable batteries instead of disposable batteries. Batteries not only take up landfill space (they can't be incinerated), they can leak acid into the Earth. Even then, only use the appliance when you must. If you have the choice, plug in the device instead of using batteries.

•  8

Install low-flow toilets in your home, or put a brick in the reservoir (the back) of your current toilet. The space the brick takes up in the bottom of the tank will permit you to use less water, but keep the toilet functioning. Also try adjusting the water level down. Many toilets have an adjustment to lower the valve float.

•  9

Use only as much toilet paper as you need, and don't use a mile of it for one little wiping. Be reasonable. Go easy on the paper towels, too. More importantly, to protect virgin forest from being cut down unnecessarily, use paper products made from 80-100% recycled paper, preferably with a high post consumer content.

•  10

Organize a carpool for work or school. This way, if you take a highway with a High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane, this can usually save time and money on gasoline. For bonus points, use a hybrid or other car that gets high gas mileage.

•  11

Plan your errands to avoid going around in circles. This will use more gas and waste time. Group outings into fewer, longer trips. This minimizes both trips out and cold starts (starting an engine that has not been run lately). Cold starts are hard on your car and the environment.

•  12

Your low-cost, low-emissions vehicle.

Invest in a good bicycle and helmet. Use them when your destination is within 5-10 miles of home. You can also buy pannier racks, a bike trailer, or a sturdy basket to hold items. Get in the habit of riding your bike to local areas. Plus, you will get more exercise and feel better!

•  13

Avoid using disposable items as much as possible. Anything you use only a few times and throw away consumes resources only to spend centuries in a landfill.

•    You can do this by carrying your own reusable mug, eating utensils, and cloth shopping bags with you. Keep them in your car or bike panniers.

•  14

Avoid using plastic whenever you can; it is a poison of the earth (things like disposable plastic cups, plastic bags, nonsense plastic items you don't need). It never breaks down, and has led to the poisoning and death of numerous sea creatures. Look into ways that plastic can be recycled in your area. Some cities have programs for recycling plastic bags and other difficult to recycle types of plastic.

•    Use resealable, reusable containers instead of plastic wrap or plastic bags.

•  15

Get a hybrid. If you have been looking for a new vehicle, hybrids are becoming more and more popular. There are a wide variety of hybrids on the market from little sedans to big SUVs. They not only give off less emissions into the air, they can save you money with less trips to the gas station.

•  16

Consider cloth diapers. They've come a long way from the things with pins and plastic covers that gen x-ers and ALL previous generations wore. You will save a fortune (especially if you have more than one child), keep potentially dangerous chemicals away from your baby's bottom, and do a good thing for the planet while you're at it!

•  17

Use reusable cloth pads, or a menstrual cup. It may sound gross to reuse these kinds of things, but imagine all the pads and tampons you use in your lifetime all piled up. Can you say "EW"?

•    If for some reason these are not options for you, consider using tampons and pads made of unbleached, organic cotton, and tampons without plastic applicators. These are better for your health as well as the planet.

•  18

Trade in your dryer for a good old fashioned clothesline. It makes your clothes smell nice and fresh, and, it's environmentally friendly! If you do use a dryer, make sure to keep the vent clear.

•  19

Switch to compact florescent light bulbs. While these cost more, they are also longer lasting than conventional light bulbs, and they use only one-quarter of the energy. They may cost more money, but last much longer.

•  20

Coordinate with your neighbors and friends. If the local recycling depot is at some distance, make a single drop-off spot in your neighborhood, where people can bring their recyclables, then use just one car to drive them to the depot. A garage is a good place to store things until they are taken. You might have different neighbors responsible for different kinds of recyclables, such as paper, glass, metal, etc.

•  21

Conserve water. Take shorter showers or fill the bathtub only 1/4-1/3 full. Run your dishwasher only when it is completely full. Reuse water, if at all possible by boiling it. If you wash your own car, park it on your lawn and use buckets and sponges. Use the hose to rinse. Use pool covers to reduce evaporation and keep leaves out. Try installing eco-friendly faucets, such as Grohe faucets which are equipped with low-flow fittings to reduce wasteful water consumption.

•  22

Compost. Designate an area in your yard to put your yard waste, fruit peels, and uneaten food. Find some worms who can break the waste down and produce a very rich soil that works great with your landscaping. Keep your compost heap as far from a water source as possible, and if you can, put a couple layers of concrete blocks or bricks around your heap to avoid a mess on your lawn.

•  23

Buy secondhand clothes, or if you have a neighbor with a child a year or so older than your child, ask if they can send their old clothes to you. You can also find many 'organic clothes' at common department stores. These clothes are made with organic cotton in a more environmentally friendly factories. They are in style nowadays.

•  24

Stop Some of Your Junk Mail. If you get several catalogs which you do not need, then call one company each day or each week and ask for them to stop sending this to you. This will save trees, and will use less oil, as something you do not need will not have to be made and transported to you. There is sometimes more paper in the local newspaper that you would use in 2 months. Remember to recycle the old newspapers, or the ones that you do not need anymore.

•  25

Get skylights. These windows go on your ceiling to provide more light, reducing the electric light you use. Some types can even transfer sunlight into electricity.

•  26

Join your local chapter of www.freecycle.org. These groups offer unwanted or unneeded household "stuff" for free to each other, usually through a Yahoo! Group. Keep your unwanted "stuff" out of the landfill and in the hands of someone who will actually USE it. You will make someone happy, and the earth happier too! Craigslist.org is another useful resource for buying, selling, and giving away used items locally.

•  27

Don't use pesticides, herbicides, or chemicals. Pesticides kill hundreds of birds and other animals per year. If you have unwanted weeds, pull or hoe them out yourself, clip them down, plant a ground cover in their place, or use mulch to control weeds and limit evaporation.

•    If you are a gardener, check out permaculture, integrative pest management, polycropping, and other techniques that reduce or eliminate the need for chemical inputs.

•  28

Reuse glass bottles. Buy a glass bottle and use it for a long time! It will not rot or go bad like a plastic bottle will. You could decrease the amount of water bottles in the garbage dumps if you use 1 glass bottle instead of 30 plastic water bottles per week. Glass bottles are also healthy! Plastic is not. All different types of chemicals get released into your water from the plastic, and even more if you squeeze it!

•  29

Turn useless junk into something fun and cute, or fresh and funky! Jewelery! You can take a look around wikiHow and find tons of articles about how to make different things.

•  30

Stop reading newspapers if you can look up the news on your computer, it takes up less energy than cutting down the trees, making the paper, and transporting it to your house.

•  31

Brew tea using bulk leaves rather than disposable tea bags. You can buy teas of all sorts in bulk, more affordably than buying boxes of tea bags. Then brew using a mesh strainer, filter, teapot, carafe, or french press.

•  32

Buy or make a few reusable fabric bags, and bring them with you whenever you go shopping. Or, reuse your old plastic bags. Just imagine all of the plastic bags in the world added up. Isn't that a lot of garbage?

•  33

Recycle old plastic bags. There are a lot of things which you can do with old plastic bags. Don't throw them away! They will come in handy! You can reuse them when shopping. Check out how to recycle old plastic bags.

•  34

Ask for any leftover meat when you go to your meat shop. If the meat is OK to feed to dogs, feed that to your dog instead. Maybe even your cat! They may even give it to you for free. You will also save money by not having to buy dog/cat food. Also, at some super markets, they also give dog bones free with whatever purchase.

•  35

Reuse clothing, and find something snazzy to do with it. You can reinvent wearable pieces or donate them to charity. You could use an old t-shirt as housekeeping rags, make mop tie out of them, or sew patches onto things. Be creative! Did you know you can make construction paper out of denim jeans?!

•  36

Start a neighborhood clean-up that will clean up the neighborhood, every week or so. Get the whole neighborhood involved! Try and get the community involved with the projects, and even do a public park clean up - this is everyone's home.

•  37

Recycle all you can. In many countries, recycling is taken seriously. They have one trash can for bags, one for glass, one for cans, one for boxes, one for plastic, one for paper, even one for decomposed food. Try disciplining yourself to recycling the necessities we use when done.

•  38

Put timers on lamps that will turn off lamps at the same time on a daily basis. Timers like these can be found in hardware stores and they can be plugged into your lamp.

•  39

Buy less stuff. If you don't need it, don't buy it. Besides saving money and not cluttering up your house, not buying things in the first place means never using the resources (materials, energy, labor) necessary to create it. Could you borrow something, get it used, or simply do without it?

•  40

Close doors after you leave a room. When you leave the house, or even when you have dinner downstairs, try to close the door to all the rooms you don't normally use or need. Doing this often will save a lot of excess heating that is needed to make your home warm. Something simple anyone can dosmile

•  41

Limit your shower water. Use less water when showering and don't take longer than fifteen minutes. There are also devices there days that can limit the amount of heated water used per shower, such as Grohe faucets, equipped with low-flow fittings.

•  42

Don't use too much fertilizer. Do you know what happens to all the fertilizer that is washed off lawns and gardens? Some way or another, it ends up in a body of water. Stop this indirect pollution! Organic fertilizer is better than chemical fertilizer. So next time you buy fertilizer, buy organic or even make your own!

•  43

Don't use electronic exercise machines. Instead of using treadmills and similar, use a bicycle or a unicycle maybe. Walking and push-ups work as well.

•  44

Plant a tree in your neighborhood or near your home; They suck up harmful CO2 gases. If you can't plant one, try potted plants.

•  45

When you're not too dirty, plug up the shower and use the remaining water to clean your dog.

•  46

Crank it up! At many electronic stores, they sell flashlights or radios powered by cranks. They're a tad expensive, but they'll soon pay for themselves, as they don't need batteries!

•  47

Turn it off Buy a power strip, and plug your TV, computer, lights, etc. into it. At night, when you're not using them, turn off the power strip, because even an appliance that is off sucks up energy if there's nothing stopping it. Not only does it save electricity, it shaves money off your electric bill.

•  48

Use Canvas To Conserve. Using canvas bags help the environment because plastic bags take hundreds of years to disintegrate. Also,using canvas bags is a very cheap way to help out planet.

•  49

Create a frog pond in your backyard. Frog populations are dwindling, If you create a habitat for them in your backyard, they may breed there, which will help because their breeding areas are disappearing.

•  50

Eat less meat. The production of meat is one of the most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, including global climate change. Meat production is highly resource intensive and inefficient. Meatless Monday is a national non-profit public health campaign that encourages people to give up meat one day a week. Attempting vegetarianism or veganism is definitely one of the best things you can do for the environment and also for your health. Check out the site for some meatless recipes.

•  51

Never eat fast food. Many fast food restaurants have grassing lands for beef cattle where rain forest used to be. Not only does eating from these places cut down the rain forest, it uses CO2 to ship the cows, or whats left of them, up in to wherever the restaurant is.


Warnings:

Every time you buy something mass-produced that you don't need you make someone poorer. Think it over before you buy it.

Make sure that any meat that you feed to your animal is OK for themto eat. Don't give them dangerous food that could make them sick.

Organic food is usually more expensive than "regular food".


 

 

Source:Wikihow

Environmental Issues

Karan Kashyap Posted by Karan Kashyap at 02:04 AM on December 31, 2009 Comments comments (1)

In 2010, Make it your New Year Resolution that you will help protect the climate in any way possible. Your bit can mean a lot and can save lives. Join the cause on facebook and invite people to join it.

Save the Environment

http://causes.com/enviroact

please copy and share this link with everyone.


We are here to discuss some major and serious topics like our Environment. We have done enough to it and when the Nature hits back - we know what happens



A report says "Natural calamities make world economy poorer by $50 bn‎".


What is an Environmental Issue?

An environmental issue is the negative aspects of human activity on the biophysical environment. Below is a list of all issues that we are facing today.


    * Climate change — Global warming • Global dimming • Fossil fuels • Sea level rise • Greenhouse gas • Ocean acidification


    * Conservation — Species extinction • Pollinator decline • Coral bleaching • Holocene extinction event • Invasive species • Poaching • Endangered species


    * Dams — Environmental impacts of dams


    * Electromagnetic radiation and health


    * Energy — Energy conservation • Renewable energy • Efficient energy use • Renewable energy commercialization


    * Environmental degradation — Eutrophication • Habitat destruction • Invasive species


    * Genetic engineering — Genetic pollution • Genetically modified food controversies


    * Intensive farming — Overgrazing • Irrigation • Monoculture • Environmental effects of meat production


    * Land degradation — Land pollution • Desertification

        Soil — Soil conservation • Soil erosion • Soil contamination • Soil salination


    * Land use — Urban sprawl • Habitat fragmentation • Habitat destruction


    * Nanotechnology — Nanotoxicology • Nanopollution


    * Nuclear issues — Nuclear fallout • Nuclear meltdown • Nuclear power • Radioactive waste .


    * Overpopulation — Burial


    * Ozone depletion — CFC


    * Pollution — Light pollution • Noise pollution • Visual pollution


        Water pollution — Acid rain • Eutrophication • Marine pollution • Ocean dumping • Oil spills • Thermal pollution • Urban runoff • Water crisis • Marine debris • Ocean acidification • Ship pollution • Wastewater


        Air pollution — Smog • Tropospheric ozone • Indoor air quality • Volatile organic compound • Particulate matter • Sulphur oxide


    * Resource depletion — Exploitation of natural resources

        Consumerism — Consumer capitalism • Planned obsolescence • Over-consumption


        Fishing — Blast fishing • Bottom trawling • Cyanide fishing • Ghost nets • Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing • Overfishing • Shark finning • Whaling


        Logging — Clearcutting • Deforestation • Illegal logging


        Mining — Acid mine drainage • Mountaintop removal mining • Slurry impoundments


    * Toxins — Chlorofluorocarbons • DDT • Endocrine disruptors • Dioxin • Heavy metals • Herbicides • Pesticides • Toxic waste • PCB • Bioaccumulation • Biomagnification


    * Waste — E-waste • Litter • Waste disposal incidents • Marine debris • Landfill • Leachate • Recycling • Incineration


Sustainability is the key to preventing or reducing the effect of environmental issues. There is now clear scientific evidence that humanity is living unsustainably, and that an unprecedented collective effort is needed to return human use of natural resources to within sustainable limits. Sustainability, in a broad sense, is the capacity to endure. In ecology, the word describes how biological systems remain diverse and productive over time. For humans it is the potential for long-term maintenance of wellbeing, which in turn depends on the wellbeing of the natural world and the responsible use of natural resources. In the next few posts i will be discussing more about climate crisis and how can we overcome them.

 

 

 

 

 


Games of 2009

Karan Kashyap Posted by Karan Kashyap at 08:06 AM on December 30, 2009 Comments comments (0)

There were some brilliant games released in 2009 on PC, Xbox 260 and PS3, Wii etc.

So, here is a list of the most wanted and the best games of 2009.



Best Games of 2009 (all platforms)


10. Forza MotorSport 3

9. Braid

8. God of War III

7. Street Fighter 4

6. Batman Arkham Asylum

5. Halo 3

4. Grand Theft Auto IV

3. Left for Dead 2

2. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2

1. The Uncharted 2



Games - MOST WANTED


Halo 3: ODST 

Platform: Xbox 360

Developer: Bungie

Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios

Released: Autumn 2009

Master Chief 's tale may be over, but the Halo universe is still ripe for exploration and expansion. Two new Halo games arrive in 2009: Halo Wars, a console-friendly real-time strategy game and ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Trooper), the much anticipated next first-person-shooter title in the franchise. Taking place on Earth at the same time as the events of Halo 2, ODST puts you in the heavily armoured suits of the eponymous trooper squad. While Halo's outstanding gunplay will be present and correct, the game is said to be more 'film noir' in tone. It will be fascinating to see where the series goes without its hero, but with series creators Bungie at the helm, we are confident that ODST will be another superb, action-packed adventure.



MadWorld 

Platform: Wii

Developer: Platinum Games

Publisher: Sega

Released: March 2009

Arguably the most controversial title in the pipeline for 2009, MadWorld could be pitched as “The Running Man meets Itchy & Scratchy”. Players control Jack, a contestant in an ultra-violent gameshow set in the future, in which the aim is to eviscerate as many opponents as gruesomely as possible. Aside from slashing up foes with a chainsaw, players will have the opportunity to electrocute them with live cables, stab them through the face with street signs and toss them into giant meat grinders. If all this sounds brutally horrific then, well... it is. And it's about time! Sega is to be applauded for attempting to bring more adult fare to the Wii console. If you disagree, don't worry, because MadWorld has to get past the censors first and if the furore surrounding Manhunt 2 was anything to go by, the BBFC is going to come down on this game like an anvil.


Alan Wake 

Platform: Xbox 360

Developer: Remedy Entertainment

Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios

Released: TBC 2009

Will it? Won't it? Whether Max Payne developer Remedy's new psychological thriller will ever actually see release has been as much a mystery as the games closely concealed plot since 2006. A new trailer has put those fears to bed and Alan Wake looks alive and kicking. A best-selling horror author, Wake arrives in the small town of Bright Falls to write his new book, based on his own nightmares. These terrifying visions then begin to alter the rural settlement to bear a horrifying resemblance to Wake's new story. The long delay for Alan Wake could see the game suffer mechanically, but the fascinating horror narrative could drive it to live up to expectations that have been building ever since the 360's release.


God Of War III

Platform: PS3

Developer: SCE Studios Santa Monica

Publisher: Sony Computer EntertainmentSega

Released: TBC 2009

 

At the end of 2007, the PS3's games catalogue seemed anorexic compared to that of its closest competitor. But as 2008 draws to a close Sony's console is almost on level pegging with the Xbox 360, and if things continue in this vain 2009 looks set to be even better. One of the key ingredients in Sony's console war strategy next year is God Of War III. Expected in March, the latest installment has a lot riding on it; not only will it have to match the high pedigree of its predecessors, it carries the added responsibility of being one of the Sony's flagship franchises. We can only hope that Kratos's upcoming adventure will be as packed with sex, violence and mythology as his past ones. At the very least gamers will find out what happened after the cliffhanger ending of God Of War II (pictured).


Heavy Rain

Platform: PS3 

Developer: Quantic Dream

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Released: TBA 2009

The first tantalising glimpse of David Cage's new thriller at this year's Leipzig Conference indicated that in terms of visuals and characterisation, Heavy Rain looks to be raising the bar for video games. The game's plot is being kept under wraps, but Heavy Rain's success looks to depend on its branching storyline. You will control multiple characters and should you die during the game, that character will perish for good and the story will continue without them. With its unique control system and the exciting prospect of a truly organic plot, Heavy Rain has the potential to be a real breakthrough for storytelling in the medium.


BioShock 2: Sea Of Dreams

Platform: PS3, PC and Xbox 360

Developer: 2K Marin

Publisher: 2K Interactive

Released: TBC 2009

Out of all of the games on our list, BioShock 2 probably has the toughest act to follow. Its predecessor (pictured) not only garnered critical acclaim from both the mainstream and games industry press, it sold by the truckload, inspired rabid fandom and is currently in the process of being adapted for the screen by the team behind the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise. In fact, when news of BioShock 2 first emerged, there was a lot of online speculation that it was simply a rumour started by 2K Interactive to inflate its market share price in order to stave off the takeover bid from EA. BioShock 2 couldn't exist; after all, how do you follow a game as perfect as BioShock? Well, if the trailers in circulation are anything to go by, we're all about to find out. Whether BioShock 2 manages to live up to the massive expectations heaped upon it, or whether it proves to be a colossal disappointment, its arrival is eagerly awaited by the franchise's cult-like fans.


Batman: Arkham Asylum

Platform: PS3, PC and Xbox 360

Developer: Rocksteady Studios 

Publisher: Eidos Interactive

Released: August 2009

The Batman movie franchise may be back up and running after the last two films, but the caped crusader has never really excelled in video game format. If the upcoming Batman: Arkham Asylum is anything to go by, Eidos have sought inspiration from Christopher Nolan's movies in order to rectify this. The screenshots and trailers look suitably gothic and gritty, and the character design walks a fine line between pulp and horror. Rumours promise fantastic combat action, CSI-style puzzle solving and chilling atmosphere throughout. Gamers and comic fanboys alike have their fingers and toes crossed...


Resident Evil 5 

Platform: PS3 and Xbox 360

Developer: Capcom

Publisher: Capcom

Released: March 13 2009

With Resident Evil 4 being widely regarded as one of the finest games ever created, we can't really blame Capcom for giving us more of the same. Except of course, for being bigger, better and shinier. The series seems to be stepping further away from its survival horror routes, however, as this installment of the zombie-infested franchise is set in the blinding light of Africa. Resi stalwart Chris Redfield returns with a new partner, Sheva Alomar, and the game is designed for online co-op play as Sheva helps Chris through the natives driven mad by a biological virus. We'll put the house on the sinister Umbrella Corp. being involved somehow though.


Street Fighter IV

Platform: PS3, PC and Xbox 360

Developer: Capcom

Publisher: Capcom

Released: February 2009

Already out in video arcades in Japan, Capcom’s flagship fighting game is set to be one of the biggest releases of 2009. Not only will it surf in on a massive wave of gamer nostalgia – everyone remembers the Street Fighter games, even if they never played them – but according to Capcom’s general manager, Yoshi Ono, the game’s brief is aimed at giving the franchise more mass appeal. While this means that casual players can breathe a sigh of relief, it’s unlikely to deter the hardcore.


Brutal Legend 

Platform: PS3, Xbox 360

Developer: Double Fine Productions

Publisher: EA

Released: Autumn 2009

Tenacious D's song 'You Can't Kill the Metal' should perhaps become the theme tune for Brutal Legend. Unceremoniously dumped by Activision-Blizzard, Tim Schafer's rocktastic looking third-person action-adventure sadly found itself without a publisher. Riding to the rescue, presumably leather-clad on Harley-Davidson's, was Electronic Arts, picking the game up for release next year. Brutal Legend is best described as a Heavy Metal album cover come to life. Voiced by the D's Jack Black, Eddie Riggs is a roadie for a heavy metal band who, due to his cursed belt buckle, finds himself transported to a land of volcanic mountains armed with an axe and, er, an axe. His guitar riffs are used as attacks against a group of evil metal-heads lead by a bass-playing biker, voiced by Lemmy from Motorhead. Brutal Legend looks as mad as a box of hats and we'd expect nothing less from Schafer, the brilliant mind behind Psychonauts and Grim Fandango.




Events of 2009

Karan Kashyap Posted by Karan Kashyap at 07:28 AM on December 30, 2009 Comments comments (0)

What really happened and when......


January

January 1 – Austria, Japan, Mexico, Turkey, and Uganda assume their seats on the United Nations Security Council.

January 1 – The Czech Republic takes over the presidency of the Council of the European Union from France.

January 1 – Asunción, the capital of Paraguay, becomes the American Capital of Culture and Vilnius and Linz become the European Capitals of Culture.

January 1 – Slovakia adopts the Euro as its national currency, replacing the Slovak koruna.

January 3 – Israel launches a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip as the Gaza War enters its second week.

January 7 – Russia shuts off all gas supplies to Europe through Ukraine. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin publicly endorses the move and urges greater international involvement in the energy dispute.

January 13 – Ethiopian military forces begin pulling out of Somalia, where they have tried to maintain order for nearly two years.

January 17 – Israel announces a unilateral ceasefire in the Gaza War. It comes into effect the following day, on which Hamas declares a ceasefire of its own.

January 20 – Barack Obama is inaugurated as the 44th, and first African American, President of the United States.

January 21 – Israel completes its withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Intermittent air strikes by both sides of the preceding war continue in the weeks to follow.

January 22 – Congolese rebel leader Laurent Nkunda is captured by Rwandan forces after crossing over the border into Rwanda.

January 26 – The first trial at the International Criminal Court is held. Former Union of Congolese Patriots leader Thomas Lubanga is accused of training child soldiers to kill, pillage, and rape.

January 26 – The Icelandic government and banking system collapse; Prime Minister Geir Haarde immediately resigns.

 

February

February 1 – Patriarch Kirill I of Moscow is enthroned as the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church.

February 1 – Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir is appointed as the new Prime Minister of Iceland, becoming the world's first openly lesbian head of government.

February 7 – The deadliest bushfires in Australian history begin; they kill 173, injure 500 more, and leave 7,500 homeless. The fires come after Melbourne records the highest-ever temperature (46.4°C, 115°F) of any capital city in Australia. The majority of the fires are ignited by either fallen or clashing power lines or deliberately lit.

February 8 – The Taliban releases a video of Polish geologist Piotr Stańczak, whom they had abducted a few months earlier, being beheaded. It is the first killing of a Western hostage in Pakistan since American journalist Daniel Pearl was executed in 2002.

February 10 – A Russian and an American satellite collide over Siberia, creating a large amount of space debris.

February 11 – Morgan Tsvangirai is sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Zimbabwe following the power-sharing deal with President Robert Mugabe signed in September, 2008.

February 17 – The JEM rebel group in Darfur, Sudan sign a pact with the Sudanese government, planning a ceasefire within the next 3 months.

February 26 – Former Serbian president Milan Milutinović is acquitted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia regarding war crimes during the Kosovo War.

 

March

March 2 – The President of Guinea-Bissau, João Bernardo Vieira, is assassinated during an armed attack on his residence in Bissau.

March 3 – Gunmen attack a bus carrying Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore, Pakistan, killing eight people and injuring several others.

March 4 – The International Criminal Court (ICC) issues an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. Al-Bashir is the first sitting head of state to be indicted by the ICC since its establishment in 2002.

March 7 – NASA's Kepler Mission, a space photometer which will search for extrasolar planets in the Milky Way galaxy, is launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, USA.

March 17 – The President of Madagascar, Marc Ravalomanana, is overthrown in a coup d'état, following a month of rallies in Antananarivo. The military appoints opposition leader Andry Rajoelina as the new president.

 

April

April 1 – Albania and Croatia join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

April 2 – The second G-20 summit, involving state leaders rather than the usual finance ministers, meets in London. Its main focus is an ongoing global financial crisis.

April 3–4 – The 21st NATO Summit is held, 60 years after the founding of the organization. Former Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen is appointed as the new Secretary General of NATO.

April 5 – North Korea launches the Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2 rocket, prompting an emergency meeting of—but no official reaction from—the United Nations Security Council.

April 6 – A 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes near L'Aquila, Italy, killing nearly 300 and injuring more than 1,500.

April 7 – Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori is sentenced to 25 years in prison for ordering killings and kidnappings by security forces.

April 10 – A political crisis begins in Fiji when President Josefa Iloilo suspends the nation's Constitution, dismisses all judges and constitutional appointees and assumes all governance in the country after the Court of Appeal rules that the government of Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama is illegal.

April 11–12 – The Fourth East Asia Summit is postponed after Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva declares a state of emergency in Bangkok and surrounding areas.

April 17 – Thirty-four heads of state and government meet in Port of Spain, Trinidad for the 5th Summit of the Americas.

April 18 – Roxana Saberi, an Iranian-American journalist, is sentenced to eight years in prison for espionage by an Iranian court. She is released the following month, after an appeals court reduces and suspends her sentence.

April 21 – UNESCO launches The World Digital Library.

April 24 – The World Health Organization expresses concern at the spread of influenza from Mexico and the United States to other countries. International cases and resulting deaths are confirmed.

April 29 – Amidst Russia's effort to improve relations with NATO and with the West in general, NATO expels two Russian diplomats from NATO headquarters in Brussels over a spy scandal in Estonia. Russia's Foreign Ministry criticises the expulsions.

 

May

May 18 – The third C40 Large Cities Climate Leadership Group meets in Seoul.

May 18 – Following more than a quarter-century of fighting, the Sri Lankan Civil War ends with the total military defeat of the LTTE.

May 23 – Former President of South Korea Roh Moo-hyun, under investigation for alleged bribery during his presidential term, commits suicide.

May 25 – North Korea announces that it has conducted a second successful nuclear test in the province of North Hamgyong. The United Nations Security Council condemns the reported test.

 

June

June 1 – Air France Flight 447, en route from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Paris, crashes into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 228 on board.

June 11 – The outbreak of the H1N1 influenza strain, commonly referred to as "swine flu", is deemed a global pandemic, becoming the first condition since the Hong Kong flu of 1967–1968 to receive this designation.

June 12 – Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is reelected as the president of Iran. During the following weeks, supporters of defeated candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi protest the results. The resultant violence is said to be the worst seen in Iran since the Iranian revolution of 1979. It is sometimes seen as a trending topic on Twitter yet!

June 18 – NASA launches the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter/LCROSS probes to the Moon, the first American lunar mission since Lunar Prospector in 1998.

June 20 – The death of Neda Agha-Soltan, an Iranian student shot during a protest, is captured on what soon becomes a viral video that helps to turn Neda into an international symbol of the civil unrest following the presidential election.

June 21 – As a step toward total independence from the Kingdom of Denmark, Greenland assumes control over its law enforcement, judicial affairs, and natural resources. Greenlandic becomes the official language.

June 25 – The death of American entertainer Michael Jackson triggers an outpouring of worldwide grief. Online, reactions to the event cripple several major websites and services, as the abundance of people accessing the web addresses pushes internet traffic to potentially unprecedented and historic levels.

June 28 – The Supreme Court of Honduras orders the arrest and exile of President Manuel Zelaya, claiming he was violating the nation's constitution by holding a referendum to stay in power. The United Nations and the Organization of American States condemn the coup d'état.

June 30 – Yemenia Flight 626 crashes off the coast of Moroni, Comoros, killing all but one of the 153 passengers and crew.

 

July

July 1 – Sweden assumes the presidency of the European Union.

July 4 – The Organization of American States suspends Honduras due to the country's recent political crisis after its refusal to reinstate President Zelaya.

July 5 – Over 150 are killed when a few thousand ethnic Uyghurs target local Han Chinese during major rioting in Ürümqi, Xinjiang.

July 7 – A public memorial service is held for musician Michael Jackson. It is regarded as one of the most prominent funerals of all time.

July 15 – Caspian Airlines Flight 7908 crashes near Qazvin, Iran, killing all 168 on board.

July 16 – Iceland's national parliament, the Althingi, votes to pursue joining the EU.

July 22 – The longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century, lasting up to 6 minutes and 38.8 seconds, occurs over parts of Asia and the Pacific Ocean.

 

August                    

August 3 – Bolivia becomes the first South American country to declare the right of indigenous people to govern themselves.

August 4 – North Korean leader Kim Jong-il pardons two American journalists, who had been arrested and imprisoned for illegal entry earlier in the year, after former U.S. President Bill Clinton meets with Kim in North Korea.

August 7 – Typhoon Morakot hits Taiwan, killing 500 and stranding more than 1,000 via the worst flooding on the island in half a century.

August 20 – Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi, imprisoned for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, is released by the Scottish government on compassionate grounds as he has terminal prostate cancer. He returns to his native Libya.

 

September

September 25 – At the G-20 Pittsburgh summit, world leaders announce that the G-20 will assume greater leverage over the global economy, replacing the role of the G-8, in an effort to prevent another financial crisis like that in 2008.

September 26 – Typhoon Ketsana begins to cause record amounts of rainfall in Manila, Philippines, leading to the declaration of a "state of calamity" in 25 provinces.[68]

September 27 – Polish-French film director Roman Polanski is arrested in Switzerland on a United States arrest warrant.

September 28 – At least 157 demonstrators are killed in a clash with the Guinean military.

September 29 – An 8.3-magnitude earthquake triggers a tsunami near the Samoan Islands. Many communities and harbors in Samoa and American Samoa are destroyed, and at least 189 are killed.

September 30 – A 7.6-magnitude earthquake strikes just off the coast of Sumatra, killing around 1,000 in Indonesia.

 

October

October 2 – The International Olympic Committee awards the 2016 Summer Olympics to Rio de Janeiro.

October 2 – Ireland holds a second referendum on the EU's Lisbon Treaty. The amendment was approved by the Irish electorate by 67.1% to 32.9%, on a turnout of 59%. The amendment's enactment followed the failure of a previous attempt which was rejected in the Lisbon I referendum, held in June 2008 (this failed proposal was also intended to be called the "Twenty-eighth Amendment"). The successful referendum in 2009 represented a swing of 20.5% to the "Yes" side, from the result in 2008.

October 20 – European astronomers discover 32 exoplanets.

 

November

November 3 – The Czech Republic becomes the final member-state of the European Union to sign the Treaty of Lisbon, thereby permitting that document's initiation into European law.

November 3 – The Prime Minister of Belgium, Herman Van Rompuy, is designated the first permanent President of the European Council, a position he takes up on 1 December 2009.

November 14 – November 15 – The APEC Singapore 2009 Summit is held.

November 13 – Having analyzed the data from the LCROSS lunar impact, NASA announces that it has found a "significant" quantity of water in the Moon's Cabeus crater.

November 20 – CERN restarts the Large Hadron Collider particle accelerator in Geneva, Switzerland; they had shut it down on September 19, 2008.

November 23 – In the Philippines, at least 57 are abducted and killed in an election-related massacre in the province of Maguindanao. This appears to be the deadliest attack on journalists in recent history.

November 27 – Dubai requests a debt deferment following its massive renovation and development projects, as well as the late 2000s economic crisis. The announcement causes global stock markets to drop.

 

December

December 1 – The Treaty of Lisbon comes into force.

December 7 – December 18 – The UNFCCC's United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009 conference is held in Copenhagen, Denmark.

December 16 – Astronomers discover GJ1214b, the first-known exoplanet on which water could exist.


These were all the events of 2009. I apologise if any event is missed or is not highlighted.

Source: Wikipedia


Best of Hollywood Films in 2009

Karan Kashyap Posted by Karan Kashyap at 06:56 AM on December 30, 2009 Comments comments (0)


Top Hollywood Grossing Movies of 2009


1 Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince--$929.4

2 IceAge: Dawn of the Dinosaurs--$883.7

3 Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen--$835.0

4 2012--$734.3

5 Up--$683.0

6 The Twilight Saga: New Moon--$663.4

7 Avatar --$643.0

8 Angels & Demons--$485.9

9 The Hangover--$459.4

10 Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian--$412.7


Of these Avatar is the only film currently running in cinemas and might gross more.


 My Favorites

5. 2012

4. The Hangover

3. Transformers - Revenge of the Fallen

2. UP

1. Avatar


2012 was a good movie and had good special effects but the story and the effects were not in a match. in some parts it felt like "The world will die because it has to but they won't because they are the main people in the movie". It was overall a nice movie.

The Hangover was another amazing movie nobody would like to miss. Just loved the film.

Transformers - Revenge of the Fallen was another masterpiece by Michael Bay and such stories have a loose story but the movie was still amazing and Megan Fox joined acting classes after it.

UP was one of the best movie and the best animated movie i have ever seen. Its fun and its too damn emotional in some parts that make you cry but then it proves to be a joyfull ride.

Avatar - the first word i said in the movie and in parts and even after it was - WOW. Such brilliant effects and the realism that could be seen in the movie was flawless. This is one of the best films i have ever seen in my life. A mindblowing flawless materpiece of all times.


 



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