As we all know, global warming is real and if we don’t stop it serious damage could take over the world-India’s population is very large and it counts for a large amount of pollution-So how can we reduce pollution in India? I thought about making traffic rules, so cars dont speed away and leave fumes everywhere but I think that isn’t very good. What do you think?
Monkey M. . .you know what you said about birth control? That’s true but mean. . . I woulda chosen u for best answer . . .but that idea of ‘punishing’ is cruel!

does that mean the bottle only is recycable or does that include the bottle cap as well?
Thanks!

I decided to write about a topic that gets a lot of lip service, but not much action: clean water and car washing. Now, don’t be confused, I’m not a tree hugger; I just think it’s time we all had some awareness on an issue that concerns us all.

In 1972 the U.S. EPA passed the Clean Water Act (CWA). It is designed to be the “cornerstone of surface water quality protection in the United States.” In the early decades of the Act, efforts focused on regulating discharges from traditional point source facilities, such as municipal sewage plants and industrial facilities, with little attention paid to runoff from streets, construction sites, farms, and other sources. This has changed. Since the 1980s, efforts to address polluted runoff have increased significantly.

The EPA’s shift in focus from large volume runoff sources to small volume sources is beginning to have an impact on mobile detailers, who are supposed to use water reclamation systems. However, this Federal mandate is enforced by very few municipalities (mostly in Texas and California).

As the U.S. EPA continues its mandate to enforce the CWA, I believe both mobile detailers and residential home owners/renters will be tightly regulated to comply with the Act. The question for me is why must we wait to be told? If we know what car wash soaps and cleaners are doing to contaminate surface waters, do we not have a responsibility to do something about it now?

These questions have been rolling around in my mind for a while, so I have been thinking about the various methods we have to clean our cars without polluting our surface waters (or ground water, for that matter). Obviously, quick detail sprays have been around for a long time, and this is an option, albeit an expensive one. I guess this issue might have been the genesis for a dozen or more spray and wipe products that have hit the market for doing the “waterless wash”.

I suppose a spray and wipe waterless wash product is okay, and possibly better that washing by the traditional soap and water method, but I’m not sure. While this method does not pollute surface water, I don’t believe it conserves, either.

Consider that a typical spray and wipe waterless wash will probably require four to six microfiber towels and an equal number of ounces of spray and wipe product. Your car is clean, but now what? I mean, what are you going to do with those wet, soiled, chemical saturated towels? My guess is, most people are going to wash them.

Great, there goes the water conservation.

Water conversation? Yeah, I realize we were discussing surface water pollution, but if we’re talking water supply, how can we not address water conservation? As a Californian, I’m all too familiar with drought conditions that limit water usage. So, for me, discovering alternate methods of washing the cars is imperative.

Okay, back to the towels. Does running a load of laundry to wash the towels that cleaned the car conserve water? So as to not be accused of inventing my own facts, I will defer to the International Carwash Association, which claims that the average home car wash uses 80 to 140 gallons of water. I’m not sure if this is accurate or not, as it seems high to me.

How does this compare to the washing machine? According to Consumer Report and the California Energy Commission Consumer Energy Center, the average washing machine uses approximately 40-45 gallons of water per load. Plus, you use more cleaners to remove the soil from your towels, where it all goes down the drain to be handled by the sewage system.

Do you see why I’m skeptical about spray and wipe products being the right solution? Plus, I have not even mentioned all of those plastic spray bottles that get thrown away and end up in the land fill. Don’t get me started on that issue.

I think there is a better way to do the light duty cleaning of our cars. It’s the no-rinse car wash (sponge bath), and there are two great products that I’m aware of that make it possible: Quick and Easy Wash (QEW) from Protect All and Optimum No Rinse Wash & Shine (ONR) from Optimum Polymer Technologies. Both of these products are in widespread use by Autopia.org members (primarily mobile detailers).

If you’re not familiar with the no-rinse car washing process, you simply mix a small amount of Optimum No Rinse or Protect All Quick & Easy Wash in a couple gallons of water and use the solution to give your car a sponge bath one area at a time. You generally start at the top and work down, keeping your wash mitt or sponge well rinsed as you go. After cleaning an area the size of a body panel, you dry to prevent spotting. In most cases, the process is actually faster than your regular car wash method.

I recently had the opportunity to speak with David Ghodoussi, chemical engineer and founder of Optimum Polymer Technologies, about the No Rinse Wash & Shine product. I asked him the following specific questions:

DB: Does No Rinse Wash & Shine have any cleaning properties, or is it purely a conditioner?

DG: No Rinse has the ability to trap and solublize (emulsify) oil like a surfactant. Additionally, it can trap and bond to dirt and gently remove them from the surface, something that soap can not do. This gives no rinse an edge in cleaning which is why less water is required.

DB: Is it [No Rinse] completely biodegradable?

DG: No rinse is readily bio-degradable and within 24 hours 98% is broken down. This is much better than most soaps specially if you consider that only 1 oz. of this product is required per wash as compared to 2-3 oz. of soap.

DB: Is No Rinse non-toxic for plants (in other words, if you toss your dirty bucket water on the lawn will it burn your lawn)?

DG: No rinse is derived from soy oil and is safe for plants and grass, therefore, the wash water can be used for watering the lawn or plants which is a plus specially in areas with water shortage. Alternatively, the wash water can be disposed of in the sewage system which is another safe method of discarding all the oil and grime from the wash process.

DB: What do you feel is the #1 benefit of No Rinse to the car owner?

DG: The biggest advantage of no rinse is that is is safer for the new paint systems than conventional soaps. As we all know, soap technology is over 100 years old while automotive paint has evolved into a highly sophisticated multi-layer system. No Rinse has greater cleaning power, more lubricity, and leaves a protective polymeric film that adds gloss and slickness to the finish. That is why you can use no rinse with much less water and get better results than a traditional soap. As a couple of side effects, no rinse will help conserve water and protect our drinking water from automotive contaminants.

After my discussion with David Ghodoussi, and learning how safe the product is for both the automobile and the environment, I feel confident that the no-rinse car wash method is the right solution for the future. What are your thoughts? Hit me up on Twitter.

Author: David Bynon
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Digital Camera Times

As the environmental issues evolves, our depth of understanding should grow as well.It might help to know that thereare three distinct areas of Greening today.Three primary elementsare Green products, Green buildings, and green practices. Each piece of thisenvironmental puzzle has its value and makes acriticalcontributionto the environmental process. Though the process has been slow in coming, we are now seeing more an more Green products come to the stores as well asthe Internet. Unfortunately, not all of these productsare as Green as they suggestthough their carefully crafted marketing. That is Greenwashing which isyet another issue for another day.

We can all agree that Green buildingsare alsoavaluablepiece ofthe overall picture. As one might suspect, thebuilding requirementsinitially dealt with safety and local regulations. In this new environmental era, there is thenecessity to includebuilding materials that will notcreate environmentalhealth issues and willproperly addressthe sustainability of our resources. And this is a goodprocess to see, but we cannot neglect the human factor that is desperately needed ifbusinesses are going to succeedin the all-too-imposing environmental issues.

Green practicesappear to the the last, but frankly, more important part of the environmental puzzle for homes and businesses. It doesnoneof us anygood to have Green products and Green businesses if we do not include Green practices in the daily operation. This is a serious reality check for each of us. All too often, we hear about a kind of “Proxy Green” where peopleare led to believethat they are being environmental because theymight purchasesome Green products ormight installsome Green applications in their facility. The problem is that theseideasrequire little commitment from each of us except to buy or install what is offered.

Considerthe limitednumber ofbusinesses thatown a building that can be built new or improved with environmentally-friendly building products. This is a narrow part of the business market. There really aren’t many building ownerscompared to the number of people in any city, state, or country who rent or lease their facility. Yet, it appears that nearly 100% of the focus is onbuilding Green buildings and buying Green products. Are all the rest of us, who collectively make an enormous impact on this world, excluded from participation inenvironmental issues becausewe are excluded from participation because we do now own the building? This is a glaring mistake that brings us back to Green practices as the universal connection rather than products or buildings.

Here’s the needful reality. Green practices are universal to every business. Any businesscan adopt Green practices into the dailyoperation of our families, workplace, or general duties. It only requires that welearn more about Green practices, that is. After CFL bulbs, programmable thermostats, tuning up the car, and recycling our trash;there is still a lot more than can be done In fact, there are hundreds ofpractical andsimple solutions that we all could take if we were better informed. Tofully take advantage of all these opportunities, the process can be immense. That is where theinclusion to a Certified Green Consultant is important. These trained professionals know how to incorporate hundreds of simple and cost savings Green solutions into any home or business.

Finda Certified Green Consultant in yourarea at the Green Consultant Directory. If your business would like to be a certified Green business, visit the Green Business League and find out more. Going Green will not be well-done by amateurs. To do it well and correctly, the assistance of a professional Green consultant is very helpful. In the end, the real goal is to get everyone and every businessto do their “Fair Share” in this critical global issue. The more people and businessesthatjoin in the effort, the better our world becomes. So, while we may all support the increasednumber of Green products and the growth of Green buildings, the mosteffectivesolution is the universal participation of people and businesseseverywhere in Green practices.

Author: Michael Richmond
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Beading Necklace

Many vedic books teach individuals how to properly care for their environment and planet, which has been given as a gift. With proper care their environment and planet will continue to provide for them and for future generations with the food they eat to the water they drink.

The environment and planet have been created to provide all the necessities that individuals will need during their life time. Individuals need to learn how not to exploit the resources that are provided to them or these resources will continue to decrease. By polluting the environment and planet, individuals are now discovering that the imbalance they have caused are resulting in droughts and an increase amount of forest fires. Droughts and forest fires are causing shortages in several types of natural resources that humanity depends on, which only causes prices of these natural resources to continue to climb.

There are a large variety of vedic books that will ultimately teach individuals ways to take care of these natural resources. When the planet and environment are not cared for properly it can affect individuals in a variety of ways, which can result in individuals sinking slowly into poverty. There are individuals all over the world that are starving every single day and unfortunately many of these individuals will die simply because they are hungry. How much food do you leave on your plate at every meal? How much food do you or your family waste each day?

With each natural resource becoming limited due to the impact individuals are having on the environment, the competition for these resources are continuing to increase. Instead of respecting our planet and environment, individuals are unwilling to share the natural resources. These natural resources need to properly maintained, while the pollution is kept to highest minimum, but that is not always the case. The natural resources are being stripped completely out of the earth faster than they are able to replenish themselves. As with any type of resource, whether it is natural or man made, as the demand increases the scarcity of these resources continues to decrease.

By not caring for our environment properly we can cause a variety of creatures to become extinct even though they have been on this planet for literally thousands of years. As a result of the damages we have already caused, there are already several different types of species that are listed on the endangered species list. Do we really want to be the cause of even more creatures being added to this list that seems to be growing each year? What have these creatures done for us to misuse their environment as well as our own environment the way that we do?

Often times the earth will cleanse itself from the damages that we cause through hurricanes, storms, and even droughts. When this occurs it often causes humanity to realize the damages that they have caused the earth to suffer through time. Often times this results in several individuals becoming more involved in attempting to repair the damages that has been caused over time as they set out to live a better life with a brand new set of goals. Individuals should realize that the world we live in is actually a gift and we should all stop taking it for granted so that the planet can continue to produce its natural resources that we rely on to survive.

Author: Victor Epand
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Canada duty rates

Indoor air quality is something within our control. The place where we stay and work is certainly much more manageable than the outdoor environment. It is a relief to know that many diseases caused by indoor air pollution can be eliminated with just three simple basic strategies.

Firstly, we have to identify and control the source. We have to identify and eliminate the individual sources of pollution, or to reduce their emissions. Some sources of emissions are those like gas stoves, which emit poisonous gaseous into the air in the kitchen. It can be adjusted to decrease the amount of emissions, and checks can be carried out on a periodic basis for leakage. Some sources, like those containing asbestos, such as heat-resistant insulators, hot pipe coverings and inert filler medium, can be sealed up or enclosed.

The second strategy is to improve the ventilation. In addition to the source control, another method to lower the concentrations of indoor air pollutants in your home is to increase the amount of outdoor air coming indoors. Open your windows and doors to let the air flow circulate in and out throughout your home or office on a daily basis for a period of time, either every morning or evening, or whenever the weather permits. Local bathroom or kitchen fans that exhaust the indoor air outwards can help to increase the outdoor air ventilation rate. This step is particularly important, if you are engaged in any sort of activities which generate high levels of pollutants, such as painting the walls, cooking, or maintenance activities such as soldering, welding or sanding.

Last but not least, the most simple and effective strategy is to install an indoor air purifier. There are many types and sizes of air purifier on the market, ranging from relatively inexpensive table-top models to sophisticated and expensive whole-house systems.

Although some air cleaners may be able to remove air particles rather effectively, but not many are known to remove airborne contaminants effectively and also the bad odor at the same time.

A good air purifier must be able to remove allergen, bacteria, fungal spores, virus including the Virus Influenza A which causes H1N1 pandemic, pollen, chemical like ozone, radon as well as mineral like asbestos which is known to be a carcinogenic- cancer causing agent. For energy saving, look for ENERGY STAR (which pass the guidelines set by the US EPA and US DOE) whenever you purchase an air purifier.

Author: Dr. Sloan Charles, M.D.
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: US Dollar credit card

my work wants to get more in to recycling we need ideas . i work in a injection molding plastics manufactering plant. we already recycle pop cans and cardboard . and looking into pop bottles , we try to use both sides of copy paper when we can . when its permittable . i work in the assembly dept. and they just posted a paper wanting somebody to take charge, my boss thinks i would be the ideal person but not a leader but willing to hunt for suggesting . thanks for any ideas.

The recently released annual report from the Climate Living Index states that Australia has the sixth biggest footprint in terms of fossil fuel use and ecological damage. My only surprise at this is that we are sixth and not higher! At the top is the USA, followed by the United Arab Emirates, Finland, Canada then Kuwait. The demands we are making on the natural resources, and by we I mean everyone, not just Australians, is growing and could well lead to our own demise; at the very least, a radically different lifestyle, for fewer people, and possibly only marginally above subsistence level.

It is predicted that by 2050, 1.4 billion people will be living under water distress.

This all translates to a steep decline the in biodiversity of species, such as fresh water fish, mammals, birds, plants. These issues are serious. Although we seem to think, or hope, that it will not affect us or our lifestyles, it will. We rely on the earth for our survival, just as the birds, animals and plants do. In our busy, technological, well-fed and luxury replete lives, we tend to forget this.

Everything we eat, own, wear and use comes from the earth, not to mention the air we breathe.

There are naysayers everywhere. I see them on news forums, article sites, blogs and newspapers. I hear them on the radio. Some believe it is the scientists lying at worst and fudging at best just to get funding. Some believe it is in the hands of God, and not written about in the Bible so therefore doesn’t exist. Some believe it is the work of scaremongers, history is replete with people declaring the end is nigh – like the cave dwelling sect in Russia who believe the world will end this month. Some believe the scientists will find a way out. Some even believe the scientists and the multinationals already have the way out but are making what profit they can in the meantime.

I believe all these beliefs are either nonsense, pie-in-the-sky, ostrich head-in-the-sand, fearful, foolish or dangerous. It really does not matter if the climate change believers, whether scientist, politician or average citizen, are wrong.

It does matter if they are right.

If we work at reducing climate change, environmental destruction, biodiversity loss and take water saving measures, what do we have to lose? The usual answers to these questions are strong and immediate: Profits, Low Inflation, Jobs, Economic Security.

Yes, possibly. But, these are no more than problems to be overcome. Profits can be earned from energy, manufacturing and farming practices that do not ruin the environment. Low inflation can be maintained by governments ensuring sensible management of the budget, regardless of how a country earns its money. Jobs can be created, adapted and developed or maintained in clean industry. Even forestry workers can be employed in maintaining the forests in a sustainable manner rather than destroying our vital rain forests. Economic security is maintained and furthered by government policy, not by destroying the planet.

History shows that every great civilization has fallen, and ultimately through destroying their environment, e.g., the Maya, the Ancient Egyptians, the people of Easter Island. The monument of stone statues we know Easter Island by required all the forests to be cut down to move the stones, and irrevocably changed their environment to one which no longer sustained life.

If we continue to learn nothing from history, we will repeat it. The world will still be here. There will still be fauna and flora. There might even be a few humans, but probably not. The numbers will be decimated in all species, and life will not be the same until evolution allows adaptation once again to the changed environment, and that takes eons. It does not necessarily mean that humans will be able to survive in whatever new environment results.

If we don’t heed the warnings, we will perish. Perhaps, for the world itself, that’s not such a bad thing. I don’t want to experience it, but I especially don’t want my children or grandchildren to experience it – ‘it’ being food shortages, water shortages and foul air. Nor do I want them experiencing the inevitable fighting/wars that will occur over dwindling resources – which for a time will boost economies, but only for a short (sighted) time. Look at the deficit in the US because of war, and for what? A damaging fossil fuel. Securing oil is only delaying the inevitable and ensuring the decline of life will come more suddenly and profoundly.

Are there scientists scaremongering and securing grants? Probably. Are there politicians jumping on board for populist reasons? Definitely. Should we therefore poo-poo the fact that developed world lifestyles are destroying our own habitat? Definitely not. Added to the stress the world environment is already under, including acidity and heavy metal levels rising in the oceans, the developing world outnumbers the developed world in all ways. Without sustainable methods, the decline of the environment and biodiversity will escalate exponentially.

To ignore this, and to focus only on the short term, i.e. profits, elections, popularity, is to deserve what happens. In all things, the logical and sensible approach is to take the middle road: steady, certain changes with both short term and long term goals and strategies for a sustainable habitat. We are the species at ultimately most at risk.

If we keep soiling and over-using our habitat, we’ll be like that old Disney cartoon where Jiminy Cricket laughs at the ants preparing for the winter. Ants, the real ants, will survive but they won’t be taking us in. We’ll be outside on our own.

But not for long.

Author: Hannah Quinn
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Hybrid and Electric Cars

Going Green seems a little like the infamous “bridge to nowhere.” It starts with a well-intended commitment to the environmental cause, but then gets lost a meandering path of special interests, misguided promoters, and immense diversity of subject matter. Ask yourself three questions that will reveal everyone’s confusion on the subject.

1) What is the meaning of “Green”?

2) What is the methodology, path, or process to “Go Green”?

3) When do you reach a recognized level of “Green” certification”?

These are not difficult questions, but belies the problems incurred by businesses that have already agreed to the need for Green operation. The fevered rush to become an environmentally-friendly business suddenly runs into a morass of confused information and partisan advocates that leads to limp results. Green (in its most precise definition) refers to the “health impact on living things by the actions we practice in our spheres of influence.” While Green has been expanded include all things environmental, it should not be a replacement for the environmental topic. Green properly defined is about health and living things. Yes, I know that the earth is called a living thing too, but it is in a whole different class of applications.

If Going Green starts with the health impact, we have a starting point. That starting point can effectively be a platform to launching into other related subject like sustainability (resource management), pollution (waste) and conservation (preserving nature). These I feel are the four major components of environmentalism, but conservation is not the single issue of our time. The same could be said of health, sustainability, or pollution issues. They come together to complete the full environmental puzzle.

For a business, Going Green starts with the health issues currently at work in their facility. The health of workers is both the logical and rational starting point for any business. Issues of sustainability follow the health in the process. Therefore, the Green Business League has a month-by-month list of suggestions that can move any business toward an environmentally-friendly business. So, we have a starting point and a path for the Green business to eliminate a large part of the confusion.

Some of the well-intended mistakes are the belief that installing a solar panel system, buying carbon credits, or planting green plants on the roof will make a business Green. These are pieces of the puzzle, but they are not the singular or complete solution. There are those businesses that attend environmental seminars, make charitable contributions to environmental causes, or install CFL bulbs thinking that they are a Green business. However, making the attempt to Go Green is not the same as a Green business.

If Going Green is about construction of a new business or the renovation of an existing business, what about the vast majority of businesses that rent or lease? They should not be exempted from the Green program because they do not control the facilities, landscaping, HVAC, or greenery on the roof. Green business is predominantly about the operation of the business and only partially about the construction of the building. You see, it is possible to have a relatively non-Green business operation in what might be a certifiably Green Business. Green is more a practice than it is a dual-flush commode.

Why not allocate points for each additional Green practice incorporated the daily operation until a certain level is reached? While allowing for a variety of applications that have point assignments, there should be a number value that indicates a level of Green Business success. For the Green Business League, that initial level for Green Business certification is 100. Since these points are from literal practices put in place, there are no token or isolated efforts that make instant Green businesses. Going Green is a process, and continuous process at that. Knowing where Green starts, the process to go Green, and when Green is certifiable is a tremendous way to be “Honestly Green.”

Author: Michael Richmond
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Canada duty