The remarkable speech delivered by California’s Honorable Governor Schwarzenegger has turned the afternoon at the Georgetown University into an inspiring event.

Here is the print version of the keynote address of Gov. Schwarzenegger (with the introduction part cut):

GOVERNOR: Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you, John, for the wonderful introduction, I appreciate it very much. And it is great to be here today at Georgetown University, also known in my house as the alma mater, because of course my wife went to school here, and she graduated here at Georgetown. (Applause)

So I want to thank my wife also for coming here today and sitting here in the front row. And she is, of course, the most terrific first lady that the United States has ever seen, so give her a big hand again. (Applause)

So I have to say that I am somewhat amazed to be here, and the reason is because three and a half years ago when I ran for governor I was followed around by environmental protestors with signs. They didn’t like my Humvees and Hummers, and my SUVs, or anything that I did. As a matter of fact, when I promised that I would improve the environment when I became governor, they didn’t believe that either. So here we are, three and a half years later, and I’m on the cover of Newsweek as one of the big environmentalists. Only in America, that’s all I can say. (Applause)

But let me tell you something; even though I love being on the cover of Newsweek, but there should have been some other people on that cover as well, and those are people that were my partners in the Legislature. They have worked very hard, they were incredible partners, and I’m talking here about, first of all, Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez and Senator Perata. I invited both of them to come here but they couldn’t make it, but I just wanted to thank them publicly for being such great environmentalists and such great leaders in the environment. So let’s give them a big hand, even though they’re not here. (Applause)

And I want to thank also someone that is here with us today, and this is Assemblywoman Fran Pavley. She has been such a great, great warrior. (Applause)

Let me tell you something; this is the real deal. This is the real deal. This woman has been fighting for the environment way before I ever became governor, and she has really been the author of these very important legislations, and she has worked with our office, and she is a team player. And this is, you can see here, she’s a Democrat. Also the Speaker is a Democrat. Senator Perata is a Democrat. So this is what I’m talking about, working together in a bipartisan or post-partisan way, and this is how we get things done, because we work what is best for the people of California and for America. So thank you again to Assemblywoman Pavley. (Applause)

Now, I know this is an environmental conference, but I do want to start talking first about bodybuilding. And the reason is because bodybuilding is another passion of mine, as you probably know, and it has similarities there. Bodybuilding used to have a very sketchy image. As a matter of fact, so much so that some people that worked out seriously and pumped weights didn’t admit they were doing bodybuilding. As a matter of fact, say in the old days, some of the very famous Hollywood actors like Kirk Douglas, Clint Eastwood, Charles Bronson, and the list goes on and on, they all worked out with weights, but they never admitted it publicly because they didn’t want to be associated with the gymnasiums that were like dungeons and that had fanatics, and that had weird people training in there. That is the kind of an image that it had.

But we changed that, we consciously changed that. And what we did was, we came out with a book called Pumping Iron—I know a lot of you are familiar with that, especially the students—then the movie Pumping Iron, and that changed bodybuilding, the image of bodybuilding, dramatically. As a matter of fact, the perception of bodybuilding began to change and it became more and more hip and more and more attractive. And then all of a sudden, everyone wanted to exercise. As a matter of fact, today you can go to any place in the world and you will find a bodybuilding gymnasium or a place where you can do weight resistance training, and you can go into any gymnasium and you will find ordinary people talking about their abs, their lats, their deltoids, body fat, and all those kinds of things. So this is how much it changed. It became mainstream, it became sexy, attractive.

And this is exactly what has to happen with the environmental movement. Like bodybuilders, environmentalists were thought of as kind of weird and fanatics also. You know, the kind of serious tree huggers. Environmentalists were no fun; they were like prohibitionists at a fraternity party. (Applause)

So someone the other day just showed me a cartoon that was of a car salesman in a showroom talking to this couple. And the car salesman pointed at the car and said, “This car runs on an ordinary gasoline-powered engine, and then when it feels a little guilt, when it senses guilt, it switches over to battery power.” Now, that’s funny, it’s a cartoon. But let me tell you something; there’s a lot of truth to that. For too long the environmental movement had been powered by guilt.

But I believe that this is about to switch over from being powered by guilt to being powered by something much more positive, much more dynamic, something much more capable of bringing about major change. You know the kind of guilt I’m talking about; the smokestacks belching pollution that are powering our Jacuzzis and our big-screen TVs, and in my case powering my private airplanes. So it is too bad, of course, that we can’t all live simple lives like the Buddhist monks in Tibet. But you know something? That’s not going to happen.

So ladies and gentlemen, I don’t think that any movement has ever made it and has ever made much progress based on guilt. Guilt is passive, guilt is inhibiting, and guilt is defensive. You remember the commercials a number of years ago, the commercials specifically of a Native American who sees what we have done to the environment and then a year runs down his cheek. You all remember that? Well, let me tell you something; that approach didn’t work, because successful movements are built on passion, they’re not built on guilt. They’re built on passion, they’re built on confidence, and they’re built on critical mass. And often, they’re built on an element of alarm that galvanizes action.

The environmental movement is, to use a popular term, about the tipping point. It’s about to get to the tipping point. There’s a tipping point, and I believe the tipping point will be occurring when the environmental movement is no longer seen as a nag or as a scold, but as a positive force in people’s lives. Now, I don’t know when that tipping point occurs, but I know where—in California. In California, we are doing everything that we can to tip the balance on the environment.

Now, first, let me start with government policy. I don’t want to go into all the initiatives that we have passed and all the laws that we have passed, because that was already eloquently explained by John when he introduced me. But there are two things that stick out that have gotten us the most attention.

1. We passed a law to cap greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by the year 2020. That basically means we are rolling back the greenhouse gases to the 1990 level by the year 2020, and then we go 80 percent below that by the year 2050.

2. I ordered a 10 percent cut in the carbon content of transportation fuels.

Now, do I believe that the standards that California sets will solve global warming? Of course not. But what we are doing is applying leverage so that at some point the whole environmental thing tips. That’s what we are trying to do. It’s like a seesaw. You walk up to it and then slowly it tips the other way. That is what we are trying to do. California, as you know, is big, California is powerful, and what we do in California has unbelievable impact and it has consequences. As a matter of fact, when you look at the globe, California is a little spot, but the kind of power of influence that we have on the rest of the world is an equivalent of whole huge continent.

We are sending the world a message. What we are saying is that we are going to change the dynamic on greenhouse gas and on carbon emissions. We are taking actions ourselves. We are not waiting for anyone, we are not waiting for the federal government or for Washington. We are creating our own partnerships. We are partnering with Great Britain, we are partnering with provinces in Canada, with states in the United States, with the western states, with the northeastern states. And you know something? Every year we are adding more and more partners to our team. We are increasing the momentum for change.

Now, there’s a billboard in Michigan that accuses me of costing the car industry 85 billion dollars. They say because of our new carbon fuel standards I cost them 85 billion dollars. The billboard says “Arnold to Michigan—drop dead.” The fact of the matter is, what I’m saying is, Arnold to Michigan—get off your butt. Get off your butt and join us. (Applause)

In fact, California may be doing more to save US automakers than anyone else, because what we are doing is we are pushing them to make changes, to make the changes so they can sell their cars in California. And we all know—let’s be honest—that if they don’t change, someone will. The Japanese will, the Chinese will, the South Koreans will, the Germans will, they all will. So what I want to do is, I want to prevent that from happening. I want them to sell their cars in California. I believe strongly in American technology, and I think in the end it will be technology that will ultimately save Detroit.

Now, California, for instance, has already a car company that’s called Tesla Motors. Tesla Motors has just designed and produced a car that’s called the Tesla Roadster. It’s 100 percent electric. Now, why is it that a car company that has never produced a car before is already producing a car with zero emissions—zero emissions—and Detroit is still lagging behind? Now, this car, let me tell you something, is a very sexy looking car. It’s really cool. I mean, I test drove it. It goes from 0 to 60 in 4 seconds. It drives 130 miles an hour, and it has 250 miles on a charge, and then the recharging only takes 3 1/2 hours. Now, that’s what I call cool. And the car cost 100,000 dollars—to be exact, 98,000 dollars—and it is so popular, it sold out immediately. And now the second version is being produced, and that car, the cost will drop down to 50,000 dollars.

So we can see where that is heading, economics tells us where this is heading. It’s like the cell phones. I remember when I bought a cell phone, the first cell phone, which was kind of a radio phone, 20 years ago. It was 1,600 dollars. The next version I bought a few years later was 1,200, and the next one was 750. I just recently bought a cell phone for my daughter and it was below 90 dollars. Now, because of the costs that have dropped down, almost everyone can afford a cell phone, and the same thing is going to happen to the environmental Technologies in cars. Government can give a push by setting standards, so California is giving the nation and the world a push.

Now, beyond government policy, the second tipping factor is economic. California is the leading edge of what I call ‘the environmental economy’. The aerospace industry built the modern economy of southern California. The computer industry and the internet built the economy of Silicon Valley. And now the green clean technology, along with biotech, will be the next wave of California‘s economy.

Right now in California‘s university labs, corporate research parks, even in plain looking offices and in strip malls, something very exciting is happening—something very exciting. The nation’s brightest scientists and the smartest venture capitalists are all racing to find alternative or new technologies for alternative energy. It is a race that is fueled by billions and billions of dollars. Capitalism, interestingly enough, which was the alleged enemy of the environment, is today giving new life to the environmental movement.

Daniel Jurgen, the famous oil analyst, says that if this all-out activity continues, expect dramatic results. And the head of PG&E, California‘s largest utility, says that the energy industry is on the brink of a revolution. And you know something is up when General Electric says that it’s selling its plastic business because it sees more potential in growth and profits in environmental goods and services.

In an environmental economy the great thing is that we can do both; we can protect the environment and protect the economy, and that’s what I’ve been saying for years. Of course, people didn’t believe in it. People said that you have to choose between one or the other; we have to choose between the environment and the economy. And I said no, we can do both. We can protect the economy and protect the environment, and we have proven that in California.

Now, the third tipping point that I want to mention is the attitude of the people. I believe the environmental movement is in the midst of redefining itself as something more modern, more confident, and more positive. As governor, I talk to scientists in our universities, I talk to CEOs that run major corporations. And let me tell you, those are not wacky people. Mainstream scientists are convinced, mainstream CEOs are convinced, and if you look at the surveys, mainstream Americans are convinced that global warming and climate change is real and we have to do something about it. So who are the fanatics now? Who are the fanatics? They are the ones who are in denial. They’re in environmental denial, they’re in economic denial, and they are in political denial. Who are the fanatics when DuPont has hired the former head of Greenpeace International? Who are the fanatics when major companies are now demanding that the federal government once and for all passes new laws to set standards for greenhouse gas emissions? Major companies like DuPont, GE, Wal-Mart, BP and PG&E believe that the climate change is real. That is the mainstream speaking, that is the establishment speaking.

Now, some of you have maybe seen the cable TV show called Pimp My Ride. Have you seen that? Maybe not, maybe not everyone has seen it. But the fact of the matter is, it’s a real cool show. It’s a real cool show, and what they do is, they take old junk cars that we normally should crush, and they make them into lowriders and they make them into muscle cars. Now, my teenage son watches that show all the time, and sometimes I watch it with him.

As a matter of fact, I recently did a segment of that show that will air on Earth Day, and the reason why it will air on Earth Day is because we take this cool show and they did something, and added something that was environmentally hip. Here’s what we did. We took a 1965 Impala, and we made it into a lowrider, but not an ordinary low-rider. We dropped in an 800 horsepower engine, and that 800 horsepower engine goes from zero to 60 in 3 seconds. Now, you know how fast that is—in 3 seconds. But it is biofueled, and that means that it emits 50 percent less greenhouse gases and it goes twice as far. Now, that’s what I call cool.

You see, now we cut down on the greenhouse gas emissions, so we don’t have to really go and take away the muscle cars, we don’t have to take away the Hummers or the SUVs or anything like this, because that’s a formula for failure. Instead what we have to do is make those cars more environmentally muscular. That is what we have to do. Now, because of that, one of my Hummers now is running on biofuel, and another one of my Hummers is now running on hydrogen. So those are the kinds of changes that we have made instead of getting rid of the Hummers. (Applause)

So the new environmental movement is not about guilt, it’s not about fringe, and it’s not about being overwhelmed by the enormity of the problem, but it is about mainstream momentum, exactly what I talked about earlier with bodybuilding. We have to make it mainstream. We have to make it sexy. We have to make it attractive so that everyone wants to participate.

So finally, let me just say something about politics. Politics plays a big part in the tipping point here. If you are against taking action on greenhouse gases and common emissions your political base will melt away as surely as the polar icecaps, I can guarantee you that. You will become a political penguin on a smaller and smaller ice floe that is drifting out to sea. Good-bye, my little friend. That’s what is going to happen. (Applause)

Because the environment is a public value, and politicians who ignore it are doing so at their own peril. Now, privately I know many politicians have come up to me and said, “How can we do what you are doing in California?” And I tell them there are only two words that I have to mention, and this is mandates and markets, mandates and markets, like we have in California. And then I also added, I said, “And you have to have political courage.” I said, “Just remember that political courage is not political suicide.”

Now, some of my fellow Republicans, of course, are raising a very valid point. They say, “What good does it do if we do all of those great things for the environment, and in the meantime the developing world, where emissions are growing the fastest, doesn’t do anything?” Now, I believe in free trade, and I believe that it lifts everyone’s standard of living. But eventually, we will look at the countries that produce goods without regard to the environment the same way as we look at countries that produce goods without regard to human rights—and that means that those countries, of course, that I’m talking about are the ones that have sweat shops. My guess is that within the next decade or so if an economy ignores the damage that it’s doing to the environment, the civilized world will impose environmental tariffs, duties, and other trade restrictions to those countries. This is a matter of fair trade. Nations cannot dump products, nations cannot dump anything, and in the future they will not be able to dump carbon or greenhouse gases either, because this is an unfair trade advantage.

Now, ladies and gentlemen, in closing let me just say that there are still a lot of people that are pessimistic about how we’re going to deal with the environmental problems. I am optimistic—but I’m always optimistic—but in this case I’m very optimistic, and the reason is because I feel things tipping. I feel things tipping, I feel things moving forward. As a matter of fact, I say do not be downhearted about the environment, because things are about to tip our way.

Look what has happened this last month. A documentary about global warming has won the Oscar. You can today open up any newspaper and they’re talking about global warming and how we all can participate. Any television show, any radio show you can turn on, they’re going to talk about global warming and about the greenhouse gas emissions and green technology and so on.

Today I went to a magazine store, and in the magazine store I saw eight covers—eight covers. As a matter of fact it was nine, I found another one just an hour ago. Nine covers—nine magazine covers, all talking about green technology, about plug-in cars, and about Mother Earth, and Town and Country has a green issue, and it goes on and on. Including, of course, let’s not forget the best issue of all, Newsweek. You all saw that, right? (Applause)

So basically what I’m saying is, things are tipping our way. Thank you very much for listening, and I really appreciate you being here. Thank you very much. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you very much. And now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to bring over to the podium my friend and a great environmentalist, great leader, great warrior for the environment, Fran Pavley, our Assemblywoman. Please. (Applause)

It can be noted that the speech of California’s Governor is directed to US automakers asking them to be vigilant in helping to resolve environmental problems by producing environment-friendly vehicles. The most popular “green vehicles” employed in the US today are hybrid cars and most of the brands that we love have joined the bandwagon except for the iconic Jeep brand which has not yet turned “green”. But in fairness to the Chrysler’s iconic brand it has improved its auto components like for instance its Jeep Wrangler parts to reduce harmful emissions.

Lisa Ziegler
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/californias-governor-schwarzenegger-asked-us-automakers-to-go-quotgreenquot-132517.html

Located in the Middle East region, Jordan borders Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Palestine. The population of this country should be approximately 6.5 million people by 2010. Agriculture is one of this country’s main sources of income and is especially promoted in the Jordan Valley. Over the past few decades, the problems which confront this country have included unemployment, low income levels and littering of wastes from all sectors. These problems are particularly rife in Palestine refugee camps in Jordan such as Weidhard and Zarqa camps where many women do not have access to jobs.  These refugee camps are one of the ten refugee camps in Jordan which accommodate some 326,000 refugees, making about 18 per cent of the 1,840,000 refugees registered with the office of UN Relief Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, located in Jordan.  If the refugees living in the three unofficial camps and in camps’ environs were to be added to that number, it can be said that about 65 per cent of the Palestine refugees in Jordan live under similar socio-economic conditions.

In the light of the socio-economic problems in all the Palestinian camps, , it would be greatly recommended international agencies such as UNRWA, relevant UN bodies, the Arab League, NGOs and government of Jordan implement a project in Weidhard Refugee Camp and other similar refugee camps in Jordan. The main problems of Weidhard Refugee Camps include: deterioration of buildings and constructed areas; littering and stockpiles of waste; inconsistencies in the removal of waste; high levels of unemployment, particularly among women; high costs of fertilizer to use in farming; and

lack of the impact of the workings of environmental clubs.

Such a project could empower women, the youth and leaders in Weidhard Refugee Camp to engage in income-generating activities by collecting, recycling and selling some forms of waste for further use. This project will also help resolve the Environmental problem of waste management, which has devastating impacts of pollution and climate change through the emission of greenhouse gases and other hazardous gases (from waste), negatively affects the health and living conditions of some sectors of the populace, the physical environment and land use. Women in these camps come into contact with many forms of waste such as household wastes, which are a result of their household activities. By enabling women to collect waste and further reprocess it into compost which will be sold to farmers, women leaders will ensure environmental protection while supplying reasonably priced fertilizer in the agricultural sector. The advantages of composting include improving soil fertility and healthy root development in plants. Composting also improves the health, living conditions and physical environment of the surrounding populace, leads to job creation, income generation, social upliftment, as well as a recognition and publicity outside of the community. In effect, environmental mechanisms could be used to attain developmental goals in this camp.

Depending on the success of its implementation, such a project could be replicated in other parts of Jordan in latter phases. This project could therefore contribute to Jordan’s attainment of sustainable development goals, in conformity with the UN Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 7, which exhorts countries to implement environmentally sustainable policies and programmes; UN MDG 3 which requires that countries need to promote women equality in their programmes and UN  MDG 1 which requires countries to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. Such a problem could also enable the integration of women and refugee issues into environmental issues, an approach which could make the attainment of Jordan’s development objectives easier, rather than treat these issues in isolation.

Such a project would also involve the implementation of a series of measures by the respective stakeholders who collaborate to enforce it. These measures include the following: liaise with the municipalities to clearly define the respective roles of each stakeholder in the process of project enforcement; identify a level, well-drained area where composting will take place;  identify and hire workers and women leaders to implement the project and conduct follow-up; identify the different kinds of waste which are produced in the refugee communities, and put them in different categories; purchase plastic bags, gloves, dust bins, boots, boxes and other relevant equipment for women leaders and workers; design two training courses for women leaders, farmers and a number of officials in these towns, on the types of organic waste which should be used for composting. These include tea bags, banana peels and many forms of kitchen waste, manure from birds, corn cobs, hair, peanut shells and paper.

Further measures are to: enhance the skills of affected parties in the process of composting and the sort of wastes which should be avoided; train these workers on the environmental impacts of mismanagement of hazardous waste, as well as the economic and environmental benefits of sustainable waste management practices; conduct a series of environmental awareness campaigns on preventing the disposal of garbage on streets, littering and also, the incentives which could be granted to best practicing areas; draft and finalise a Guidance Manual and Waste Management Charter; and conduct a survey of the number of existing houses, shops, commercial and industrial areas as well as farms in these towns; Remove accumulated wastes from streets.

Other measures include the following: identify particular areas in these towns from where women leaders will collect garbage from shops and houses and where waste disposal bins will be established; distribute a questionnaire to find out some salient features of waste management in the four towns such as the constraints in waste management; organise group discussions to obtain more views from the community about waste management, with practical suggestions on how this can be improved; distribute plastic bags to houses and shops;  establish an organized and regular system of garbage collection from these sites and disposal to a particular dumping area in the four towns through discussions with local authorities; and arrange with local authorities to provide vehicles for transporting garbage; separate organic waste from inorganic waste, and put together the organic waste for composting in a box, with garden soil at the base, with the relevant temperature and amount of heat supplied; monitor the process of the composting; put the fertilizer in separate paper bags for sale to farmers; clean up the inorganic waste (example, plastic bottles) and recycle for re-sale and re-use; co-operate with local authorities and treat the remaining waste in a landfill, with due regard to sound ecological principles.

The outcomes and expected advantages of such a project are many. These include a rise

in certain positive trends such as trained leaders to raise the level of environmental awareness amongst individuals throughout the communities; derivation of more income and greater levels of job opportunities for women through promoting the recycling of waste for sale as compost; improved partnerships between the community, private sector and municipal authorities for the improvement of environmental concerns; formulation and implementation of Guidelines and a Charter on Waste Management which consists of environmentally rational principles in waste management; strengthened partnerships between the community and the Ministry of Environment, for enforcing laws and policies on waste management, while paying attention to the principles of the Waste Management Charter and Jordan’s Waste Management Policy; availability of reasonably priced fertilizer for purchase and use by farmers in the refugee towns and the Jordan Valley, as well as an established system of recycling waste for re-use.

In view of these, such a project could enable the global community and Jordan could to to resolve pressing problems such as poverty and lack of employment.  

Yvonne Nana Afua Idun
http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/promoting-women-and-youth-leadership-in-solid-waste-management-recommendations-for-a-project-in-jordans-weidhard-refugee-camp-687900.html

The Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., one of the successful Japanese automakers in the global arena, is increasingly proving its potentials. The maker of the VQ engines, which was included in the Ward’s 10 Best Engines for 12 straight years, is delving into another remarkable commitment. This time, it is strengthening its commitment to help save the environment through its Nissan Green Program 2010.

The Nissan Green Program 2010 is the automaker’s vision of its commitments to all aspects of environmental management. The program is aimed at responding to immediate challenges and creating the foundation for a long-term, sustainable Business model.

Nissan is among the top three Asian automakers of the Big Three in the United States. And to compete more closely to Detroit’s Big Three, Nissan is also focusing on the reduction of CO2 emissions. The automaker has embraced a multi-pronged philosophy of product development. Nissan’s philosophy covers the formulation and production of auto technologies and product lines to promote clean environment.

The automaker is meticulously planning in order to have the right auto technologies at the right time and market. The technologies will be used to help sustain cleaner environment with lesser harmful emissions.

At this year’s New York Auto Show, the automaker introduced an engine that incorporates the variable valve event and lift (VEL) system. The system is capable of limiting CO2 emissions by around ten percent. The VEL system is as efficient as the refined Nissan oxygen sensor. According to Nissan, the first vehicle to offer this technology in North America will be an Infiniti.

Nissan has also developed clean diesel engines for North America to achieve the United States Tier2 BIN5 emissions standards. It will also unleash clean diesel vehicles in the United States from the 2010 fiscal year. By far, the automaker’s current gasoline engines are designed to run on a blend of up to ten percent bio-ethanol (E10). In 2005, Nissan has introduced the Titan FFV (E85). And this year, the automaker will be offering the Armada FFV (E85) in the US. The automaker plans to expand the E85 lineup to other Nissan and Infiniti vehicles in the post-Nissan Value-Up period.

In regard hybrids, Nissan launched the 2007 Altima Hybrid in February. The Altima Hybrid is Nissan’s first entry in the hybrid electric vehicle market. With more muscle per gallon than its rivals, it is the first hybrid to “drive like a Nissan.” It also features responsive handling, smooth acceleration, and seamless delivery of power under varying driving conditions. The automaker is planning to introduce a vehicle powered by a Nissan-developed hybrid system in the U.S. by 2010.

Nissan is accelerating development of plug-in hybrid technologies that can utilize grid power to recharge batteries in addition to the onboard charging system. Aside from hybrids, the automaker is also concentrating on the manufacture of vehicles that run on fuel cell and electricity.

RyanThomas
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/nissan-north-america-releases-environmental-update-130798.html

What climate or environmental challenges exist at this location? Petergof, St. Petersburg, Russia.

AND

What could be done to make sure Petergof is Environmentally-friendly?

Provide public transportation and wide bike lanes so people do not need to use cars to get there and to visit
Purchase clean energy for electricity, such as from windfarms or solar photovoltaics
Encourage installation of solar water heaters
Encourage restaurants to serve local produce and organic food
Assist people in insulating homes and other buildings
Teach the facts of global warming and help people understand how fossil fuel burning is adding carbon dioxide to the air which will heat the world to a dangerous degree.
Encourage the government of Russia to take these same steps for the entire country.

Many more ideas in book The Climate Challenge 101 Solutions to Global Warming by Guy Dauncey

Congratulate yourself for doing something important.

When you think of air conditioning, do you ever wonder who made it, the history behind it, maybe different applications involved or even Environmental concerns? Well, if so, then you have come to the right place. We will not only go over each of these but you will find that a Sub-Heading for ease of use marks each section.

The Air Conditioner was first introduced in 1820 by Michael Faraday a British Scientist and Inventor. He discovered that by compressing liquefied ammonia you could cause the rooms are temperature to cool down. Dr. John Gorrie who used this technology to make ice for his patients later followed this up. Once the Doctor had proven that using the ice helped his patients he then received a grant to do more studies. However this was not meant to be and it was another 50 years before the first air condition was made in 1902.

An air conditioner is a machine designed to create cool air using a refrigeration system.

THE HISTORY OF THE AIR CONDITIONER

The Air Conditioner or its uses and methods can be traced back to Medieval Persia, where they used large open pools to hold water while using wind towers using tunnel like pipes to catch the wind and push it into another direction. This caused the collected water to evaporate and cool the buildings during the hot seasons.

While the modern air conditioner was first introduced in 1902 for factories, the first home and car air conditioner was not brought in until 1950.

First is the Comfort Application, which is designed to keep indoors comfortable for both mankind and our animals. There are different types of this application and are used in such places as Residential Homes and Buildings, Commercial Properties, Schools and other Institutions. This application is also used for personal Aircraft, Ships, Spacecraft, Trains, and Vehicles.

Then we have the Process Application, which is geared for the place it is located such as Operating Rooms, Static Clean or Data Rooms, Breeding Facilities, Airplanes, Factories, Testing Facilities, Greenhouses, Mines, Kitchens, and Nuclear Plants. Each of these areas has to maintain a center degree and this application provides that safely.

Many people forget that we have to be careful of what we do and how we use such conveniences as the Air Conditioner, but as the Earths health slowly declines and we have more and more health related issues in today’s society we have to take care. When you don’t take care of your air conditioner properly you set the stage for the outbreak of Microorganisms that contribute to anything from the common everyday cold to pneumonia, or even asthma. Which if you have ever had an allergy reaction or worse an asthmatic attack then you know how life threatening this can be.

Not to mention the fact an air conditioner, if maintained properly, can save on your heating and electric bill, as well as cut down on the electricity that, in turn, cuts down on the emissions from both the AC unit and your local power plant.

Derek Both
http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/air-conditioning-and-the-environmental-impact-123438.html

Ever heard of the famous Professor Wangari Maathai? She is a Nobel Peace Price Laureate, the Member of Parliament for Tetu Constituency, the founder and leader of the Green Belt Movement. With so many attributes to her name, she is the so down to earth Lady that you may not pick up from the large crowds she pulls campaigning for the conservation of the environment both Globally and in Kenya, where she was born and Brought up.

Like in many many other countries in the world, Kenya has had its share of deforestation through illegal logging, land degradation by use rudiment ally farming practices and burning of fossil fuels leading to the Global warming threat, where the world is expected to warm up by over 2 degrees centigrade over the next 100 years. It expected that increased temperature changes could lead to drastic and erratic weather changes with some parts of the world becoming either too hot or too cold. This is going to affect food production to an ever growing population especially in the less developed African countries making human survival harder than in any other period in the history of mankind.

Professor Wangari Maathai has has taken the leading role in organizing communities and Non-Governmental organizations into condeming land grabbing, degazettement of forest land and illegal logging, through her Green Belt movement. Many youth groups and women organizations have taken the cue from her and started indigenous tree nurseries all over Kenya. These initiatives are going to change the face of Kenya, making your dreams of that coveted Safari even more interesting, imagine all the bare countryside coming to life with lush green indigenous trees that save our soils from the from raging rain waters running into the rivers that feed our National animal conservatories.

As a tourist in Kenya, you could get involved. Lets call it an environmental Safari. You could help plant a tree or two. Let us exchange views. What is your country doing to conserve the environment? What lessons can Kenyans learn from from your country’s’ conservation efforts? Do you have an alternative to fuel wood that 90% of Kenyans use? What will Kenya do with the menace of plastic waste management? The list is endless, but the options are there with you and the whole lot of us will appreciate.

Kenyans are a very hospitable people. They wil not mind to host you as a tourist as you travel to other coveted tourist destinations scattered all over the country. Talk of budget Travel and you have it, it cannot come cheaper. There are many diverse tribes in Kenya and you are sure to be treated to the many traditional cuisine that are prepared in the countryside. You will also be treated to the many cultural events, unique to each cultural group.

Lucy
http://www.articlesbase.com/exotic-locations-articles/travelling-for-safari-in-kenya-the-environmental-friendly-way-123349.html

In this age of increasing concern for the Health of the planet it is more important than ever to look at ways of minimising the long term impact of buildings upon the environment and to investigate new methods of sustainable construction.

A new kind of building technology is emerging as an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional building methods. This technology produces structures which are highly efficient in terms of the amount of material used in their construction, require no permanent foundations, can be relocated easily, and can recycled.

The buildings in question are in fact a new generation of inflatable buildings. These are no ordinary inflatables however. They are designed using the latest CAD technology and structural analysis software and are constructed from modern, fire retardant, composite textiles which are cut and joined using techniques developed form aerospace manufacturing. This enables the buildings to operate at higher pressures than conventional inflatable structures producing much stiffer, stronger structures.

It’s important at this point to make a distinction between air-supported buildings and inflatable buildings. A traditional air-supported building is one which is comprised of a single layer membrane attached to the ground around its perimeter. Air is blown under the membrane to lift it off the ground and form the shape of the building.

An inflatable building on the other hand, uses two layers of membrane connected together typically using spars made from the same material. The cavity formed between the layers is pressurised with air producing a rigid structural element which allows large span structures to be achieved.

The structures, pioneered by Tectoniks Limited in the UK, are extremely weight efficient and are highly portable yet they have the strength of metal-framed portable buildings and can be made into virtually any shape.

So what makes them so environmentally friendly? Well, firstly, the majority of a finished inflatable building is made from fresh air. Analysis of a finished structure shows that the amount of textile used represents only 0.5% of the volume of the structure. For example, one square metre of a 500mm thick inflatable wall has a volume of 0.5 cubic metres but the quantity of fabric used in its construction is only 0.0025 cubic metres. An inflatable building must surely be the most efficient of all building types in terms of the amount of raw materials used compared to the volume of the finished structure.

Since the textiles are supplied in roll form, the materials required for an entire building can be transported in a single medium-sized van thereby minimising the effect of transporting raw materials upon the environment.

Thanks to initiatives such as the TexyloopTM service pioneered by Ferrari Textiles, the scrap material produced during the manufacture of inflatable buildings can be collected, recycled and made into new composite textiles.

The inflatable buildings produced by Tectoniks Ltd. have a long life expectancy but when they do eventually reach the end of their service they can also be recycled using services such as Texyloop.

Another environmental benefit of inflatable buildings is that they do not require permanent foundations. Conventional buildings usually require concrete foundations which are permanent and cannot be moved. An inflatable building would typically be anchored using spiral anchors which are literally screwed into the ground. If a building needs to be relocated, the anchors are unscrewed and used again. The flooring used in the buildings is modular and can be laid on top of the ground. It can also be re-used if the building is moved.

Once an inflatable building has been moved, there is no lasting impact upon the site where it used to be.

Another important consideration when assessing the environmental impact of a building is the energy used throughout its life. Because Tectoniks structures are of a welded construction (as opposed to stitched), they are virtually air tight. Conventional stitched inflatables require high power electric blowers which run constantly. Tectoniks structures require much smaller blowers which are connected to a control system which only activates them when the pressure in the structure falls below a certain level. The blowers then run for a few seconds to top up the pressure.

The low power requirement for these structures means that it is entirely possible to use solar power to provide the electricity required for their operation.

Inflatable buildings also have a natural level of insulation provided by the air contained within the walls. Tectoniks have also pioneered methods for adding additional insulation within the inflatable walls. The insulation material is flexible and is packed up with the building when deflated.

If the environmental impact of a new building is a major concern, then the benefits of using Tectoniks inflatable structures are well worth consideration. For more information visit Tectoniks.com

David Kelsall
http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/the-environmental-benefits-of-inflatable-buildings-73868.html

The American College of Rheumatology has revealed the impact of Environmental factors like humidity and heat on Gout affected organisms. Patients suffering from Gout attacks must know how these actions on their disease in order to be able to prevent further acute Gout attacks.

Gout or hyperuricemia is caused by the accumulation of uric acid crystals in the body’s joints as a result of an increased seric level of the uric acid. This acid is the waste substance in the breakdown of purines found in beer, fish, mushrooms and beans. The local symptoms of Gout are redness and swelling of the affected joint, pain, heat and starkness. Gout may also produce general symptoms like fever, chills, tachycardia and general sickness.

Dehydration caused by heat and humidity are known to be triggers of the Gout acute and recurrent attacks. Most common Gout debuts at the top of the big toe.

A scientific study was made on a number of 200 subjects with at least one Gout attack in the medical history of the past year. Patients were asked to complete an on-line

Questionnaire on a specialty web-site and refer to the risk factors they have submitted to two days before the Gout attack. The same questions needed to be answered by the patients over a two day control period. The physicians supervising the test collected information the local temperature, barometric pressure, humidity and precipitations in the area where every subscribed patient lives.

The clime data of the hazard and control period were compared taking into consideration also possible alcohol consumption, diuretic use or high purine intake for every patient.

High temperature and high rates of humidity proved to increase the risk of recurrent Gout attacks. The hyperuricemia acute attacks doubled when the medium temperature increased from 0-53 degree Fahrenheit to 87-105 degrees. An assembling rate of reoccurrence was found to be generated by an increased of the air humidity. Atmospheric pressure and precipitations proved to have no actual influence on the Gout attacks.

After the demonstration of the impact the two weather factors have on the recurrent attacks, physicians advised their patients to ingest high amounts f water during warm and humid periods, to stimulate the elimination of uric acid through the kidneys.

The main causes of Gout have proven to be genetic, obesity, hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidemia. A strong influence seemed to have the environment factors heat and humidity. About 1 in 100 persons develop Gout; 6-7% of elder men are affected by it and the number of women suffering from Gout increases after menopause.

For more resources regarding Gout or even gout treatments please visit this web page http://www.gout-info-center.com/gout-treatments.htm

Groshan Fabiola
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/the-impact-of-environmental-factors-on-gout-100814.html

I need to write a persuasive essay on Environmental issues such as farm animals or zoo breeding. Any ideas? (and NOT global warming!) Any links?

Question: How does meat consumption contribute to rainforest depletion?

Answer: The United States imports roughly 200 million pounds of beef from Central America every year. Aside from the fuel used in transport, grazing land is needed for all of these animals. Where does all that land come from in a densely forested region? The answer: from clear-cutting forests and rainforest A Smithsonian study estimates that the necessity for more grazing land means that every minute of every day, a land area equivalent to seven football fields is destroyed in the Amazon basin(1).
For each hamburger that originated from animals raised on rainforest land, approximately 55 square feet of forest have been destroyed. And its not just the rainforest. In the United States, more than 260 million acres of forest have been clear-cut for animal agriculture (2). With increased per capita meat consumption, and an ever growing population, we can only expect to see more deforestation in the future.

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see links below for more topics…………

There are no “good old days” of farming. From when people first started to herd animals and scratch the ground to plant seeds, farming has been an environmentally destructive force. We have heard a lot in recent years about the destruction of the rainforest in South America and the Red Woods in California. Every state has some form of agriculture. Every ecosystem in the United States has been impacted by agricultural activities. The rainforest and the Redwoods are more glamorous than the Prairie Lands of Illinois or Iowa.

In decades past, organic farming or sustainable agriculture were discredited among farmers as being a movement to return to 18th century farming practices. Chemical and fertilizer companies used these images to impress farmers that if you wanted to use any alternative to “modern” farming practices you would probably be spending a lot of time looking at the wrong end of a horse. But, 18th or 19th or even early 20th century farming practices were just as destructive as today’s practices.

So, how are we supposed to feed ourselves? We do it through agriculture. Anyone who thinks I am suggesting we quit farming and go back to hunting and gathering is jumping to conclusions. The problem with agriculture has always been the way it has been done. From slash and burn to no-till industrial chemical agriculture, through centuries of human attempts at raising a crop, the impact on the surrounding area was of little consideration.

In the 1970’s American farmers were encouraged to take out all their fence rows and plant every available inch to maximize their profits. This attitude was fostered to not really benefit farmers but rather to benefit companies that farmers sell their products to. So what, if you gained ten acres more on a thousand acre farm. The benefit was not that great because the price of corn was low.

Along with taking out the fence rows farmers plowed their pastures, took out timber, and otherwise degraded their properties in search of profits. Or, maybe it was not just profits but a desire to participate in the otherwise booming consumer economy at a level similar to laborers or other people who actually worked for a living. The effect of their activities was increased erosion, destruction of wildlife habitat, loss of biodiversity, and increased run off of chemicals.

Agriculture by nature is a disruptive activity. But, how much agriculture do we need? How much of the millions of bushels of grain actually go to feeding people? Is feeding the grain to livestock and then eating the livestock really worth the amount of resources and environmental destruction that is the result of this practice? A trip to a grocery store reveals aisle after aisle of things people can eat. But so much of it is so processed the actual Food value is depleted and some of it is such a toxic mix of chemicals and additives it is not worth the energy used to produce it.

The best days of Human Agricultural activity are still in the future. Until the full impact of agricultural practices on the environment are reflected in the final cost of the product on the shelf, agriculture will continue to be a wasteful destructive force.

Michael Dappert
http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/agriculture-our-biggest-environmental-disaster-133993.html