Implications Post

If the problem of global warming doesn’t get solved, the world will come to an end. Okay, so maybe that’s a little bit dramatic, but there’s truth in the statement. Even though the world is coming to an end anyway, and global warming is a completely natural process, humans are helping the process along instead of trying to slow it down. Research shows that even in ten years, if carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions don’t drop, the climate on Earth will change significantly. Since we live in the South, we all remember the bad hurricanes we’ve had through the years - Floyd in ’99, Isabel in ’03, and certainly Katrina in ’05 just to name a few. Many scientists are supporting the theory that global warming, which can cause a rise in sea level temperature, is pushing the Atlantic Ocean temperature up just high enough for a hurricane’s ideal temperature to form. Hurricane Katrina has been ranked as one of the top five deadliest and costliest hurricanes in the history of the United States. It has been reported that 1,800 people lost their lives there was well over $100 billion in damage. If the trend continues and these hurricanes just get worse, what’s going to happen with the next big hurricane? If we don’t slow down our emissions and pollution to our world, Earth is going to turn into a mighty bad place to live. We could experience loss of coastal lands, which would lead to mass migrations, food shortages, which would lead to starvation, and straight up public disarray because of the changes that could happen. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want the world to get this bad off anytime soon, so what are YOU going to do about it?

Test Your Knowledge!

So it’s the end of this blog project and I’ve hope you’ve learned something. To test your knowledge, here’s a little quiz:

1. True or False: Unplugging chargers when they’re not being used conserves energy.
2. Multiple Choice: The most abundant greenhouse gas is…

a. Methane
b. Water Vapor
c. Nitrogen
d. Carbon Dioxide
3. Fill in the Blank: Global warming can be defined as an average increase in the temperature of the __________ near the Earth's surface and in the troposphere
4. Optimum fuel economy is reached at __________ mph.
5. President Obama plans to implement a(n) __________ plan to reduce carbon emissions.
6. Matching:
a. CFCs

b. Incentives
c. Bamboo
1. Tax credits given to people by the government for being environmentally friendly
2. Inexpensive floor material that is “green”
3. Chlorofluorocarbons
7. List you favorite green tip! :)

Alright, each number is 10 points and for the multiple choice section each letter is separate for a total of 100 points. Here are the answers…
1. True
2. B
3. Atmosphere
4. 60
5. Cap-and-Trade
6. A. 3
B. 1
C. 2
7. As long as you list a green tip, there’s no wrong answer!

That was pretty easy, so I hope you did well. Here are some things I’d like you to take out of this blog:
1. Global warming is REAL. It is not some extravagant idea made up by scientists. It is a naturally occurring phenomenon that we as humans are speeding up the process of.
2. To reduce human impact on global warming, we can be green! Start implementing environmentally friendly practices into your everyday habits and rituals. Once you do something over and over, it will stick.
3. All of the green tips! This kind of goes along with point number 2, but ease up on the gas pedal, don’t take those ATM receipts, and unplug your chargers and appliances when you’re not using them.
4. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. You hear this everywhere I’m sure. It’s like the go green mantra. Nevertheless, it is important. Reduce the waste you make, reuse the containers that you use, and recycle the waste you have that can be recycled. It’s that simple.
5. Energy conservation is an important part of going green too. Energy Star appliances are excellent devices to help conserve energy in your home.

Green Tip Antall Ti (Number Ten): It’s the final green tip that I will give. How sad. I thought I would tell you all about Freecycling. Freecycle is a cool way to get rid of the stuff you have laying around that you don’t want or need. Also, you can get other people’s junk for free! It all goes with reduce, reuse, recycle. Remember that saying “one man’s junk, another man’s treasure?” Go try out http://www.freecycle.com/ and search for a group in your area to find some “treasure” of your own. There are SO many ways out there to do little things to go green. Check out this website, http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/save-money-megaflip, it gives lots of tips! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading!

-Green Is Good.

Annotated Links

1. http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/
This website is an excellent source for all things environmental. I used it in the beginning of my blog for reference about greenhouse gases. I got many of my green tips from the “What You Can Do” section on the left hand side of the page.

2. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/ethicallivingblog/2008/jun/06/isthereanypointingoinggr
This site explores the question many people seem to ask; is there really a point in going green? It explores the thoughts of many centered around one person doing something isn’t going to do much. The article encourages people to lead by example in the green movement so others will follow suit.

3. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-cap-and-trade.htm
This link explores cap-and-trade legislation. It is a basic reference for anyone who does not know what it is. Also, it provides unbiased information, leaning neither toward nor against cap-and-trade legislation.

4. http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/energy_and_environment/
This site explains what’s happening in the White House with energy and the environment. It is the official White House website. It shows the progress and guiding principles for energy legislation in the United States.

5. http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/gases.html
This website provides frequently asked questions about greenhouse gases. It gives a paragraph about all of the most common greenhouse gases. The site also gives statistics and numbers for many of the gases.

The Price of Going Green

I have blogged about the price of going green in my analysis and theory post, but I have yet to elaborate further on that topic. The price of going green is a huge factor in the argument against going green. There seems to be a common misconception that going green is really expensive. Going green may seem expensive at first, and some of it is, but not all. Also, most people find that they get a return on what they paid in five years or so because the products are more efficient. Bamboo floors are emerging as a popular new flooring option, costing about the same as oak flooring ($4-$6 per square foot). Carl Franklin Homes, based in Addison, Texas, specializes in building energy efficient homes for less of the cost. Four examples of green friendly products (shown in the pictures) they use are solar collectors for domestic hot water , bamboo floors, and stained concrete floors and eco-friendly paint. There are also always the little things like changing your light bulbs to Energy Star bulbs. They cost a little more than plain old light bulbs, but they last longer and cut energy costs. Also, when you go green, the government gives paybacks for certain things like heating and air efficiency, geothermal heat pumps, and insulating your home well. The bottom line is, going green is an investment. You invest in green technology, the government gives you a payback, and you help out the environment. What better way to go?

Green Tip Tal Ni (Number 9): As we’re entering into the month of November, we’re all starting to think about that big red and GREEN holiday around the corner (Hint: It’s not Thanksgiving!). As we all start looking for presents to buy, let’s keep the traditional colors of the season in mind (green!). One way to green shop is by shopping online. Shopping online saves you gas money because you don’t have to drive to get to a store or two...or ten. Usually you can get good deals online too. So save the $40 you would spend on gas and spend it on someone else, or yourself as a reward for being green, during the holiday season.

Clarification and Incentives

First off, I’d like to respond to a comment by This Guy on my Religion and the Environment post. Since This Guy was unclear on what I meant for the post, I would like to make sure it is clear for everybody. This Guy pointed out my usage of the term “religious groups.” I guess that was poor wording on my part. By religious groups, I should have said religious denominations. Different denominations are starting to catch on to the green movement. Like I said in my post, the Southern Baptist Convention released a statement geared toward supporting the environmental movement. This Guy also pointed out “expect[ing] something like sermons about going green.” I wish I could find the video I’ve been searching for, but it seems to be lost somewhere on the World Wide Web. The video depicted the preacher and the congregation of Vineyard Boise, a church in Idaho. The preacher gives sermons on environmental friendliness and sustainability and the congregation thoroughly enjoys it and is growing tremendously as evidence. I hope this clears the air This Guy.

I’d like to briefly say something about incentives. I’m pretty sure everyone knows what an incentive is and why you would want one, so I just want to give a few examples of some. From the federal government, the residential community can get a 30% tax credit, up to $1500, for the cost of energy-efficient improvements such as Energy Star products. For residents who install a type of renewable energy resource such as solar heating systems or small wind systems, a 30% tax credit is given. Lastly, an incentive that will end in the next couple of years offers tax credits for purchasing hybrid cars. The amount of tax credit depends on the hybrid vehicle chosen. Extra incentives are also given to plug-in electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid conversion kits. Additionally, each state gives out its own incentives. Check out the incentives for your state at http://www.dsireusa.org/.

Green Tip Número Oito (Number 8): Instead of using Bing or Google to fulfill your internet searching fetish, give Blackle a try. Blackle is a search engine that is powered by Google. The screen is almost completely black because it takes more energy to portray a white or light colored screen. The bottom of the page even tells you how many watt hours have been saved (the current count is 1,534,336.519!

Self-Anaylsis Post

From what I can gather, this blog project is not only about the topic we choose, but how we research and convey our arguments for our topic. I learned early on in the project that the research I do and feedback I receive could alter my thoughts on my topic. After a comment about water vapor on my first blog post, I discovered that my preconceived notions were not completely true. Sure, everyone learns that carbon dioxide gas and CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) are bad, and they are, but water vapor is rarely discussed. For me personally, before this blog I had never heard of water vapor as a greenhouse gas, let alone it being the most abundant greenhouse gas. I now know that water vapor is the most abundant yet also the most important greenhouse gas. I’ve learned that water vapor is important to our climate in how Earth is heated and cooled. Also, water vapor is a very naturally occurring gas. In terms of arguments against going green, I’m learning that religious groups are starting to get involved. A friend who is an environmental major told me about a church, Vineyard Boise, which broke the barrier between environmentalism and the church. Once he finished his sermon, the congregation applauded him with a standing ovation. This is proof that the religious world is warming up to the idea of environmentalism, which could catapult the interest and therefore the service put towards going green/global warming. Also, I’ve never really known a lot about paybacks, but I have heard people talking about how going green was so expensive and you would never get your payback. I explored this in some of my previous posts. In terms of a hybrid car, the tax credits that can be received combined with high gas prices and the make and model of the car does create a payback ranging from large to small. Two examples are the Saturn Aura Green Line Hybrid and the Mazda Tribute Hybrid FWD. The Aura has a 19.3 year payback rating while the Tribute has a much lower rating of 1.3 years to payback. It all depends on the car. In my posts, I have researched and included green tips, which are teaching me new ways to do little things to help out the environment. I think these tips can be beneficial to anyone that reads them.

In creating an argument, it’s important to fully research the topic in order to have a full understanding. Also, having done research allows you to provide informative responses to comments that may be placed on your blog.

Is Cap-and-Trade Affective?

Cap-and-trade systems seem like they would be an effective method for reducing emissions affecting global warming. Some members of the United States Congress have tried to introduce the system for implementation to no avail. As I touched on in my analysis post, President Obama plans to implement a cap-and-trade program. In a cap-and-trade program, the government of a country first sets a cap on emissions. Next, credits, or permits, are given to different companies depending on the company’s size, what they do/produce, etc. Lastly, companies that need more credits can buy them from other companies that don’t need all of theirs. Sounds good, right? While supporters of the program are adamant that it would be very effective, some top claims of opposers of the system say that the system will raise energy costs and cause job loss because producers will have to have more money to buy more credits. Another argument is that it won’t really help the environment. The opposition uses information collected from the European Union’s cap-and-trade system. The Wall Street Journal reports that, “utilities companies made windfall profits by simply selling on large numbers of unneeded credits and not passing the savings on to their customers in the form of price cuts.” This is an example of potential raised prices. Figures show that in the first three years of the European Union’s system, emission rose 1.9 percent. Some kind of method needs to be found to lessen emissions of companies all over the world. Cap-and-trade seems to be the preferred option right now, so let’s President Obama’s plan won’t produce negative effects similar to that of the European Union.

Green Tip Hesabu Saba (Number Seven): Short and sweet this post, say no to ATM receipts! "Americans take so many each year that the roll of paper could circle the equator 15 times."