|*| Earth Day - Heal The World |*|

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@santiagosentyou

Stunner

+ 3

Posted: 9 years ago

Earth Day is celebrated all over the world, annually on April 22nd. Originating in 1970, and being conducted by the Earth Day Network, more than 193 countries take part in this initiative each year.
The event owns its inception to the massive oil spill that occurred in Santa Barbara, California 1969. Founder Gaylord Nelson wanted to create awareness through this one national day which would be irrevocably devoted to the environment.

Earth Day since it's beginning has attracted not only the social activists on the high rise but also everyone who has the knowledge about how harmful we humans ourselves have become to our environment. The grassroot activism not only brings millions of people together for a uno cause, it also helps us realizing our shorting towards our land. On this day events are organized on all levels. Schools and colleges hold interactive sittings where through words and art students contribute in creating awareness and the teachers puts up documentaries for them to watch and have a look at where the world is going and what all still needs to be done. Rallies and marathons also take place and the world leaders take a stand and deliver their ideas to the public.
A lot has been achieved through Earth Day and one cannot deny the fact that it has been aneffective medium.

Past Achievements

In 1970 Earth Day emerged as a champion to the undermined deterioration of Earth. It not only made the public aware about air and water pollution's rise on the large and how people were contributing to it, but it also brought the concern about the environment to a global level, making it a political agenda. Governments all around the world were suddenly bombarded with activist groups who came out in the open with full force. Their concerns about their habitat which was getting damaged by industrial pollution, deforestation, loss of wildlife, use of pesticides and other such problems found a more a louder voice, that it, more like minded people.

In 1990 Earth Day contributed in popularizing recycling. It was a huge boost to this environment friendly task, where global leaders and international icons came out in support. This also marked the greatest group formation of all time, when mountaineers from America, Soviet Union and China came to together to climb up the Mt. Everest. The group also collected more than two tons of trash (which was transported down the mountain by support groups) that was left behind on the mountain by previous climbers.

The year 2000 made Earth Day a cyber phenomenon when internet became a partner in this expedition. Information were shared and pledges were taken to bring in more effort and innovation towards the task of making the environment better for environment itself.

Expectations

Over the years Earth Day has risen a no. of questions and given a great no. of answers in helping making a better world but a lot is yet to be achieved. Earth Day has its own flag, a defining symbol and many anthems but that is no guarantee for happiness. To this day a great no. of big wigs from the industrial sector do not agree on using organic solvents or creatingenvironment friendly factories. The governments themselves in the name of defense forces indulge in environmental degradation. Also not many countries have createdstricter rules for crimes against environment. For some it is still not even a concern. On the earthling level, people themselves have not much love and respect for mother Earth.

It is time when environmental issues become national concerns and governmentalagendas.There should not only be education imparted about it but action should be taken and noted. Pledges should be taken on the 22nd April, yes, but also kept till the Judgment Day if not till eternity. We know enough, so lets share it with the newest generation and take it to the farthest corners and nearest neighbours.

We need to resolve these selfish urges and think about the world while we still can save it or else in the quest to be the greatest nations, build the grandest homes and become the richest alive, we won't even have an Earth to sustain that piece of glory.
Even with the advancing research we haven't still found a better planet, lets not keep making this one upset. Natural calamities are an indication that silent suffering is not even accepted by the Nature.

Remember-
"Heaven is over our heads as well as under our feet "

Credits:| Angel-Jot. | | -Koeli_Appy- | | 18shabbo | | -RD- || BornThisWay | | asmaanixx | | .LilGreenRobot. || _7th_HorcruX_ | | puzzles. | | pancakes |

Thanks
-TeekhiMishti-

Edited by santiagosentyou - 9 years ago

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Frequent Posters

Shivangi.

@caffeineaddict

Trailblazer

+ 6

Posted: 9 years ago

"We want our children to live without the destructive power of a warming planet."
- Barack Obama

GLOBAL WARMING

It is technically defined as the increase in the global average temperatures. Over the last one hundred years, the global average temperature has gone up by 1 degree Celsius or 1.3 degree Fahrenheit. While there are varied impacts of increasing temperatures, they are broadly discussed under climate change, effect on energy sources and resulting effects on the ecosystem as a whole.

CAUSES
The major cause of global warming is the trapping of heat via high levels of carbon dioxide in the upper layers of the atmosphere. This layer allows radiation from the sun to reach the Earth but prevents the thermal radiation of the Earth to escape, causing the much talked about Global Warming.

The high levels of CO2 in the atmosphere are due to...

- Increased emissions from industries.
- Waste water.
- Decomposing matter and a reduced consumption of the gas due to deforestation at a large scale.
- Other than carbon dioxide, other gases such as ozone, methane, nitrous oxide and water vapor are now known to cause the same greenhouse effect.

EFFECTS
Climate change is one of the most ever-lasting effects of Global Warming. It's not correct to attribute climate change entirely to global warming but it is safe to say that the increasing temperatures increase the likelihood of certain events like hurricanesor cyclones, flood producing storms and drought like events.
Floods

Increased temperatures cause higher rates of evaporation in areas that receive moderate to high levels of rainfall. This increases the precipitation in certain areas, leading to flood like situations like the Flash Floods of Uttarakhand in 2013, that took the life of more than 5, 700 people.
Drought

As the evaporation rates go up in areas that receive scanty rainfall, the soils lose water and become dry. Dry soils further enhance evaporation and also deplete moisture in the air producing drought conditions. The drought that accompanied Heat Waves in Europe in 2003, was considered the most devastating drought of the decade.
Forest Fires

Dry soils, dried leaves and twigs easily catch fire in high temperatures causing forest fires. In 2004, Alaska suffered the warmest summer leading to increased cases of fires.703 fires were reported that damaged more than 2.6 million hectares of forest over.
Melting Of IceBurgs and Endengering Species

Increasing temperatures disrupt the normal cycle of seasons and affect the breeding and mating times of various animals.
Increased temperature of water cause the death of many sensitive species,endangering them. Coral reefs, one of the most beautiful ecosystems of the world, are the least stable ones as well. With increasing temperatures, the rate of calcification of coral increases leading to their death and further death of all the organisms that live on the reefs.
Salmons are very sensitive to temperature changes and slight changes disrupt their breeding habits leading to their death.
Another devastating effect is the melting of icebergs located in the North and South Poles. These icebergs are home to various exotic species of penguins and seals. Young penguins and seals which are unable to survive alone, get separated from their bunch by breaking off from the main iceberg and perish. We lose about a hundred speciesper year to climate change by global warming and this is an alarming situation!

Long term effects

Other long-term effects of Global Warming can be summarized as long growing seasons in major tropical countries, rising sea levels leading to a loss of considerable amounts of land areas, melting of glaciers causing flash floods and droughts at the same time and political conflicts due to energy shortage.

It is important to understand that Global Warming is not merely a predictionanymore. It is happening. We are living in a period of Global Warming where the earth's temperature is continuously rising and if it is not stopped or checked, it will cause eradication of more and more valuable species from the planet and we could be one of them too!

Edited by caffeineaddict. - 9 years ago

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verisimilitude

@verisimilitude

Inactive

+ 7

Posted: 9 years ago

Recent news report that the East Atlantic coast is sinking due to the rise in sea levels that are causing floods. It has also been observed that the ice melting is causing a drift in the polar motions of the earth as well. It has been noted that the North Pole had been shifting towards Canada but in the last fifteen years it has been moving towards the Greenwich Meridian. On the hotter side of the planet, temperatures have increased by 0.7 degrees Celsius globally over the last decade.

Do we have any solutions?

Nature cannot be altered but the repercussions caused by our actions can surely alter this grave situation. An important factor in effectively reducing global warming is to reduce the emission of heat that is being trapped in gases, especially carbon dioxide.
Using renewable energies and avoiding fossil fuels and coal is one prominent solution whereby the atmosphere will become cleaner.
A drastic step has to be taken to stop deforestation as well. Trees which help in absorbing carbon dioxide, are being destroyed which result in a graver situation.
Large water bodies are being transformed to concrete structures and then we complain about the scarcity of water which is really preposterous!
An increase in vehicle fuel efficiency can help a lot in this mission.

A very effective initiative has been started to create a culture of conservation globally called
GO GREEN which follows these steps: Generate Less Waste.Recycle everything that can be reusedEducate the community on eco friendly optionsEvaluate the Environmental impact of all actionsNourish discussions on Environmental activities.

How are different countries combating climate change?United Kingdom

The country has worked out a long term policy where it has been issued that the emission of CO2 will be curbed at least by 60% till 2050. A committee comprising of experts in science and energy will monitor and advice on how to achieve these emission targets.

Australia

In 2007, Australia had signed the Kyoto protocol which promised their greenhouse emission will be reduced by 60% in the future.

Brazil

Brazil focused on reducing their emissions and cut down on deforestation by 80% which is an enormous step from their part.

Others

Canada, which signed the Kyoto protocol as well, announced how they are aiming to reduce their greenhouse emissions by 6%. European Union and its twenty-seven countries have pledged to reduce emissions by 20%. Japan and Russia have also agreed for a reduction of emissions by 25%and 15% respectively.

Whilst the countries listed above strive to bring a change, developing countries like India and China, who have come across an immense level of CO2 emissions, have not given any commitments owing to the problems they face amongst each other. However, they have agreed to be more energy efficient in the coming years.
United States of America has pledged to reduce its emission by 17% but due to the cap and trade bill which was rejected, there hasn't been a clear cut information on their emission goals.

Recent summit on Climate change

Four months back leaders across 196 countries signed a ground breaking pledge in Paris to reduce global warming in the Climate Change conference conducted by the United Nations.Even though it's difficult to enforce the pledge completely, factors have been taken into consideration seriously in achieving the goal.

The agreement binds together pledges by individual nations to cut or limit emissions from fossil-fuel burning, within a framework of rules that provide for monitoring and verification as well as financial and technical assistance for developing countries.The main aim of this agreement is to reduce the global warming by 2 degrees Celsius compared to the pre-industrial levels.Another milestone that has been agreed is to set a zero net greenhouse gas emissions by the second half of the 21st century. Leaders who joined hands for the agreement have signed for a low carbon output as soon as possible and to do their best.
Incorporating developed, developing countries and those who depend on oil and gas revenue for this treaty, has been the biggest highlight which provides a huge support for this mission.The deal will also encourage trillions of dollars of capital to be spent adapting to the effects of climate change including infrastructure like sea walls and programs to deal with poor soil and developing renewable energy sources like solar and wind power.

Countries like India, US and China who were the roadblocks to climate change deals in the past like explained above, have made strong commitments in this deal and helped to facilitate this agreement smoothly.On 22nd April, 2016, the original treaty on the above will be signed by many countries.

Edited by verisimilitude - 9 years ago

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Trisha

@-Trishh-

Rocker

Posted: 9 years ago

It may seem like taking care of Mother Earth is a mind-boggling and overwhelming task, but it doesn't have to be. You can help out in protecting and preserving this precious safe haven in many simple ways. Here are some listed below:

Turn off lights, conserve energy

If you will be out of a room for more than fifteen minutes, turn it off - applies to fluorescent bulbs. For incandescent bulbs, the best thing to do is to turn is off whenever you go out of the room because they are major power suckers. Or install sensors which will automatically turn off the lights when nobody is in the room. Although it may not seem like it, chargers and appliances draw energy even when they aren't in use. To prevent this energy drain, just unplug chargers or other appliances when you aren't using them.

Change your light bulbs and use LED

You could make an easy switch in your home right now by changing your light bulbs from incandescent bulbs to fluorescent bulbs or go for the better alternative - the LED bulb. This way, you not only use less energy, but also save money on your electricity bill! Think of buying LED or fluorescent bulbs as an investment that will result in lower bills and a smaller carbon footprint!

Use Carpooling, public transit or ride a bicycle to get to places

Using mass transit or carpooling only makes sense. You are not only reducing your footprint, but reducing the amount you have to pay for gas and the time you waste on driving. While using public transportation or while being carpooled, you don't do the driving and are free to allocate your time and attention to other matters! Using a bicycle is the best for shorter distances as it doesn't produce any emissions and can also help with that workout you have been stalling for months.

Remember the three R's - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

The most important to do is to try to reduce the amount of resources or energy you waste by not buying unneeded things. The second most important thing is to reuse things and avoid disposables if you don't have to use it - such as using a stainless steel water bottle instead of a plastic one. The last thing that you can do is to recycle, and although it's not entirely efficient, it's better than just throwing it away. The hierarchy is important because reducing uses the least amount of energy while recycling uses the most.

Insulate and seal your home.

So much energy (and money) could be saved if homes were insulated properly. When they are insulated properly, you don't have to keep cooling or reheating the house. Instead, heat or cool air is kept inside longer.

Eat locally-produced food

A lot of the energy that goes into making food comes from transporting the food, materials and etc. By eating locally-produced food, you are reducing the amount of energy it makes to make the food and reduces your carbon footprint. It also helps you encourage the growth of local businesses and a lot of times, it's healthier too!

Reduce water usage

Don't leave the water running while brushing your teeth or soaping your hands! Also, make sure to only run your dishwasher or washing machine when it's a full load because they use a lot of water. Other neat tricks include putting a plastic bottle filled with water in your toilet tank to reduce the large amount of water wasted per flush and getting a low-flow shower head which may cost some money upfront, but in the long run helps the Earth and saves you money on your water bill.

Stop using plastic, use recyclable products

Plastic is harmful for our environment. Plastic takes a very long time to biodegrade, and even if they are put into incinerators, they release toic fumes along with carbon dioxide - a primary greenhouse gas. And also harmful for animals if dumped in the landfill. Use paper bags instead since papers are more biodegradable compared to plastic. Instead of plastic bottles use stainless steel or glass bottles.

Use energy efficient electronic products

Change your electronic products to energy-efficient ones. A Three Star or a Five Star product may cost more at the beginning but they consume less energy which will reflect on your electricity bills.

Plant Trees, give a CO2 free environment.

Plant trees in the lawn. Keep small indoor plants in your rooms to purify the air. A plant not only is an eye-soother, but it also absorbs CO2 from the air and releases oxygen, giving you a healthy environment.

Do not Litter. Segregate your waste.

Throwing waste here and there and littering isn't a good practice. You can easily keep wastes like bubblegum wrappers, bus tickets, food wrappers inside your bag while you are traveling and are unable to throw it away. Litter often gets washed down to storm drains during heavy rains or may even land up in a water source, therefore, polluting it. Animals sometimes mistake litter for food, and it often chokes them or megatively impacts them in some way. Reach home and dispose ofyour trash along with your house waste.

Let us all make a resolution and fight against the global warming. Each one of us can make a difference. Share your commitments and measures your are adapting or going to adapt to save OUR MOTHER EARTH

Edited by -Trishh- - 9 years ago

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Koeli

@Koeli

Channel Moderator

+ 16

Posted: 9 years ago

Great job done team... 😛

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Nripendra

@Abhisheking

Rocker

+ 2

Posted: 9 years ago

So informative thread... 😛

We should measure our impact on mother earth first. Our 0.1% contribution can add up to bring a great change.😳

P.S.: The thread's looking pretty with the colors and mind blowing graphics. ⭐️

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MysticMorning

@MysticMorning

Navigator

Posted: 9 years ago

Great informative thread👏👏

Go Green

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N i d h i.

@GuardianDevil

Trailblazer

+ 7

Posted: 9 years ago

That's one kind of informational thread. Kudos to the team. But it'll only help when people will adapt the necessary changes to contribute to the planet.