7Dec/110
Nitrogen Trifluoride NF3 – A Green House Gas
CO2 is not the only green house gas that is problematic, nor is it the only gas pollutant that mankind allows into the atmosphere. Nitrogen Trifluoride (NF3) is considered to be 17,000 times more potent as a greenhouse gas in the atmosphere than CO2 and there are well over 5,000 metric tons of NF3 in our atmosphere now. It is estimated that Nitrogen Trifluoride takes over 500-years to breakdown.
If we multiply 17,000 by 5,000 metric tons then that is the same damage to the atmosphere as 85 million metric tons of CO2. Scary stuff indeed, but who is using this stuff and how does it get released by humankind into the atmosphere. Well, it seems that the manufacturers of flat panel displays use this stuff as an etching compound. Lots is being used in Asia where most all flat panel displays are made.
Of course, it is the American middle class, credit card toting consumer that is fueling the growth of these flat panel screen manufacturers. Now one might consider that if folks are staying home more and driving less so they can save on fuel and pollute less, but then buy a flat panel display large screen high definition TV, then they are actually polluting more and do not even realize it.
Hence, this article to alert them because although the Nitrogen Trifluoride percentage in the atmosphere is low today, it is highly cumulative, as it takes over 500-years to break down. Regardless of whether you are a Global Warming type or not, pollution of this type is unacceptable and must be watched like a hawk, so please consider this.
By: Lance Winslow
27Oct/110
Difference Between Aeroponics and Hydroponics
With the agricultural breakthrough that has come over the past century, planting has become easier than it was before. Two of the breakthroughs, the hydroponics and aeroponics have come a long way in developing the agriculture and food production that not only resulted to individual progress but also the economic growth. But what is the difference between aeroponics and hydroponics?
The difference between aeroponics and hydroponics is that hydroponics is the means of soilless planting where there is a little or no soil required at all. The nutrients are supplied through a nutrient solution or a nutrient film at which the formulation has been controlled to sufficiently meet the needs of the plants. Aeroponics meanwhile is similar to hydroponics, growing plants without the use of the soil. The difference between the two is that the latter uses nothing as medium while the former uses water.
However, many has become confused of the agricultural methods and the difference between aeroponics and hydroponics. Aeroponics is a form of hydroponics procedure. It is the water that serves as the nutrient carrier when then the nutrient solution is sprayed into the roots of the plant.
Another difference between aeroponics and hydroponics is that the environment set-up. While in hydroponics, the plants are cultured into an enclosed area like the greenhouse, the plants grwons through aeroponics is in a closed or semi-closed area. The environment is not that restricted which may become a source of potential problem. This is for the reason that the plants grown aeroponically are not kept free from plants hazards like pests and diseases.
One significant ddifference between aeroponics and hydroponicsis that plants can mature easily with air as there are abundant sources of the essentials in plants' growth. These are oxygen, the nutrient solution and the water.
You might quetsion why there are some farmers that prefer aeroponics rather than hydroponics. This is for the reason that aeroponics can give consistent supply of oxgen that can yield to a much higher yield of production.
The procedure between hydroponics and aeroponics also differ in terms of set-up. The aeroponics procedure allows the plants root to be suspended in a hydro-atomized nutrient solution that will make some parts of the roots like the crown to be extending on the top. In comparison to hydroponics, the procedure varies depending on the technology used. These technologies ranges from static solution and continuous flow solution. Moreover, there are also some precautions made to avoid disease contamination in the irrigation system.
There are a number of difference between aeroponics and hydroponics. Despite of these, it cannot be denied how these technologies improved the food production and the lives of many.
By: Keith Turner
14Sep/110
Benefits of Vertical Farming
More and more people are gaining interest on vertical farming these days. People like large scale farmers, entrepreneurs and investors in particular are getting into this whole new farming craze. So you might be thinking, what vertical farming is. Vertical farming is an alternative way of growing plants and produce. Traditionally, we grow plants and produce in the ground or a pot with soil. We tend the plants every so often and water them everyday until they grow beautifully. This new type of farming method however, has a different approach in growing plants. The use of soil will be eliminated in this agriculture technique and plants will be grown either by aeroponics and hydroponics within farmscrapers.
As we all know, we only have limited water and land resources so vertical farming was introduced as an alternative option to minimize land use. This kind of farming is believed to be more efficient and safe because all the produce will be grown without using pesticides and insect repellents like that of conventional farming. The environment is more controlled so there is no chance for pests and other insects to attack the plants. This type of farming also reduces the use of water which is really a huge positive factor since water is a scarce resource that we should conserve. Another advantage of this agricultural technique is that being in the urban scene, it helps in reducing the costs in transporting the produce from the farmscrapers to the markets.
Vertical farming is just on its early stages as of now. It's not yet fully utilized all over the world since it's just a fairly new concept. However, I do believe that this new farming technique would be the next big thing in the agriculture industry.
By: Michelle Q Ching
9Sep/110
What Are Greenhouse Gases?
I am sure, you must have heard about gases in relation to greenhouse either during your school days or in some news channel or might have read in the news daily. Understanding what are greenhouse gases and how do they effect the environment we live in, is of utmost importance for each and every one of us. Let me help you a little with the different greenhouse gases.
But before knowing the different greenhouse gases, we need to know how, are greenhouse gases formed. Gases floating in to the atmosphere when trap heat, leads to the formation of greenhouse gases. Now, let us see what the different greenhouse gases are.
Carbon Dioxide
The most common of them is carbon dioxide. When we burn any fossil fuel like natural gas or oil, it releases carbon dioxide in to the environment or even when we burn trees or different types of wood products, carbon dioxide drifts into the environment. One way to get rid of the free carbon dioxide in air is to plant more and more trees.
Methane Gas
Another category of greenhouse gas is methane gas. This also damages the environment, once it enters the environment freely. Farming practices often release methane gas and even places holding waste such as landfills also create methane gas.
Nitrous Oxide
This is a very dangerous greenhouse gas as there are many activities which release free nitrous oxide into the environment. Some of the activities are a variety of actions in industrial parks, burning different kinds of fuels, and even on burning landfills which contains waste.
If we want to live healthy and happy, we have to understand the greenhouse gases, and what are their major ingredients which results in shocking effects which again leads to global warming. Now, the term global warming is misinterpreted by many of us. When the greenhouse gases and various types of air contaminants are entrapped in the environment, they lead to intense weather condition and warmer temperatures.
Now, when temperature rises, the ice starts melting which instigate the sea levels to rise. The rise in sea level means more water will envelop the earth and with temperatures getting warmer, it will result in dangerous storms in form of tornadoes and hurricanes. Hence, it is important for all of us to play our part and reduce the formation of the greenhouse gases.
By: Arturo Ronzon
7Sep/110
Leds, Laws and Evolution
Thanks to a failed prohibition of certain mind-altering plants which have been revered throughout the world for thousands of years, we have collectively developed the ability to grow plants indoors, efficiently and without any natural sunlight or soil. The overwhelming demand for these illicit plants, combined with our government's attempts to disrupt the trade have led to technological and manufacturing accomplishments which will soon have a huge benefit for society as a whole.
If these plants had not been made illegal, indoor gardening would have still been relatively in the stone age (please pardon the pun.) As it turns out, our drug war did have a purpose: to make indoor gardening available and monetarily feasible for the majority of the population. "Mission Accomplished", thanks to the latest generation of LED grow lights and the corresponding advances in aeroponics (the most efficient, highest yielding form of soil-less growing.)
According to the DEA and Congress, certain plants are too dangerous for us to consume and therefore must be wiped off the face of the earth. Never mind the gasoline I could just as easily huff or the rubber cement we all played with in elementary school; the thousands of deaths directly attributed to these dangerous substances are worth the risks, just like pharmaceutical concoctions. But somehow, certain plants are not. Even a plant that has scientifically been proven to be safer than tylenol, that just happens to have a 'cousin' which can be cheaply grown on marginal land and made into practically anything.
This absurd stance has been held by our elected leaders for a very long time now, yet the public is still largely unaware and our (now contradictory) laws remain completely unquestioned by practically all politicians. A notable exception of late was in the UK, where the top drug adviser was fired for "claiming" that both cannabis and ecstasy are safer than alcohol. He directly attributes this viewpoint to the results of scientific studies, which overwhelmingly show that both substances are indeed less dangerous to the user and society than alcohol.
One particular article brings up some good points, but stops short of destroying the government's credibility by citing the actual studies. Opting instead to refer to the former drug adviser's statement as a "claim", the article downplays what could the biggest story of the decade: scientists and respected leaders demanding that drug laws conform to some type of logic and common sense. Oddly enough, the article leaves the reader to ponder the following quote from Prime Minister Gordon Brown:
"On climate change, or health, for example," he said, "we take the best scientific advise possible. But in an area like drugs we have to look at it in the round."
Luckily, the article also provides a list the scientist in question, David Nutt, published as part of a paper that helped lead to his termination as top drug adviser. It is a list of drugs, ordered from most dangerous to least; and it is based entirely on the latest scientific data available. Something that Gordon Brown appears unconcerned with, but President Obama will have a tough time convincing his supporters (much less, critics) that scientific integrity doesn't really matter-at least not in this particular instance, which happens to dictate the use of hundreds of billions of taxpayers' dollars every year...
The funny thing is, even if Obama refuses to end the policies which were once referred to as the "War on Drugs"; this ongoing battle against ourselves is almost over. Laws can be quite powerful when properly enforced, but the evolution of technology is easily orders of magnitude more influential in our society today.
Thanks to an insatiable demand for mind-altering substances derived from plants, along with our nation's attempted prohibition of said plants; the artificial lighting and related indoor gardening industries have come a very long ways just in the past few years. They have come so far, in fact, that they have rendered law enforcement's last best tool completely useless: LED's and other new, more efficient lights have made it impossible to locate indoor grow operations using electricity usage data and/or thermal imaging equipment.
In addition to making it much easier to circumvent an already unenforceable law, the rapid advance of lighting technology along with corresponding advances in soil-less growing techniques such as aeroponics have made it feasible for the average person to build their own indoor garden, where they can grow their own fresh, organic herbs and vegetables all year long. Although self-contained, pre-manufactured systems are still relatively expensive, the recent federal policy change recognizing people with state-issued "green" cards ensures that there will be plenty of demand and healthy competition in this emerging market.
The combination of our capitalist system and moral ineptitude has enabled us to develop the tools with which we can build a sustainable society. Although growing our own food locally, possibly even in our own homes, may seem like a trivial step-keep in mind that food in this country currently averages 1700 miles "from farm to fork". Plus, you've never tasted a better tomato than one you grew yourself.
Self-sustainability has become much more feasible, thanks entirely to a failed policy which should have scrapped decades ago. Please be sure to call your representatives in Congress and the Senate, let them know that their ineptitude has actually paid off! You might also want to let them know that it's time to finally end our collective misery by following the advice of the U.N. and Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (www.leap.cc).
Then we will win the war in Afghanistan , secure our borders and rebuild our economy while creating sustainable industries (based on the incredible versatility of hemp.) The politicians will have a field day with their speeches, going on and on about all of the prosperity and opportunity that they have created-by finally scrapping a law they all knew was bogus anyway. At the very least, it ought to be entertaining.
By: Justin Michels
6Sep/110
Extreme Green House Effect – Oranthropogenic
Green house effect is a process by which radioactive energy leaving a planetary surface is absorbed by some atmospheric gases called green house gases. This energy is transferred to other components of the atmosphere and is also radiated backwards. The mechanism of this effect is that the warmth is isolated inside the structure so that the heat is not lost. Green effect was discovered by Joseph Fourier in 1824. Global warming is the result of green house effect due to excessive emission of green house gases. This is also caused due to human produced increases in atmospheric green house gases.
The principle mechanism can be explained as follows. The earth receives energy from sun in the form of sunlight. Light is absorbed by earth's surface and re-radiated. The heat that is retained in earth's surface and lower atmosphere increases the temperature and results in global warming.
The four major green house gases are:
1. Water vapor
2. Carbon dioxide
3. Methane
4. Ozone
Strengthening of this condition through human activities is known as oranthropogenic. This increases carbon dioxide level in atmosphere and adversely affects the living things. Besides earth, Mars, Venus and the moon namely Titan exhibits effect. Global warming has been a threat since many years. Deforestation is one of the main causes as it increases amount of carbon dioxide level in atmosphere.
Even though people are aware of this phenomenon, there are plenty of them who act as though they are not aware of the depleting atmosphere of the earth. Thus they get involved into those practices which can certainly disturb the atmospheric balance. Some of the deeds include polluting the air, water and other resources, deforestation, using electronic good known to cause harm to our peaceful environment and so on. Therefore, it is very important to make the society aware about the bad effects and save our earth as well as ourselves.
By: Dane Bergen
4Sep/110
Green House Gases and Their Effects on Our Planet
Green house gases, are they as big of a problem as people say? People who know little about green house gases, truly are not aware how its effecting our earth, so hopefully this information clears some of this up, and will show you how serious this problem is actually is.
For 2.5 million years, the earths climate has constantly been changing, from our ice ages to warmer years, but in the last century our climate's temperature has been rising unusually fast, from about 1.3 to 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Scientists believe that it is our own human activity, thats driving the temperature up, and this process is called " global warming".
Dating back to the times when the industrial revolution began, factories, trains, and eventually cars, have burned fossil fuels such as oil and coal, which were and still are, releasing huge amounts of carbon dioxide, and other gas's into our earths atmosphere. These green house gases, or trapped heat near the surface of the earth, are formed by a natural process of the sun, and this is called the " greenhouse effect". The green house effect, begins with the sun and the energy it radiates to the earth. The Earth and the atmosphere absorb some of this energy, and the rest is radiated back into space. Now with that being said, these naturally occurring gases, in the atmosphere trap some of this energy and reflect it back, thus, warming the earth. Scientists now believe that the green house effect is getting intensified by all the extra green house gases that humans are releasing.
Signs of global warming, include a recent pattern of very warm years. 1998 was one of the warmest years in history, with 2005, a quick runner up. Furthermore, readings taken from ice core samples, Show that green house gas's, C02, and methane, have hit there highest levels in 420,000 years, and our sea ice is also shrinking.Our sea ice has declined 10% in the last 30 years.
As long as our nations around the globe, consume these energy's, and increase their fuel consumption, the overall mass of green house gas's will continue to rise. Researchers predict that our temperature will increase by 2 - 10 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century. What is uncertain is what rising temperatures,will mean for our planet. Some forecast rising sea levels which of coarse would mean floods, along coastal areas around the world. Weather patterns are changing also, making hurricanes more frequent, severe drought is more common in warm areas, and species which are unable to adapt to this change will face a huge drop in numbers and inevitably, extinction.
By: Jerome Exner
16Jul/110
Global Warming Caused By the Green-House Effect
The green-house effect is the most important cause behind global warming. In fact global warming is known as the greenhouse effect. This phenomenon leads to an increase in the Earth temperature due to certain gases like CO2, nitrous oxide, and methane. These gases trap the energy from the sun and without them the heat would go back into space and Earth would be one massive iceberg. Since these gases warm the Earth, they are known as greenhouse gases.
In the last couple of decades, people have started using glass houses to grow plants in winter and these are called greenhouses. Typically, these houses will trap the heat from the sun. The glasses in the greenhouse let the light through and at the same time prevent the heat from escaping.
As a result, the greenhouse heats up to keep the plants alive in the winter. Similarly, the greenhouse gases in the Earths atmosphere work like the glass and prevent the heat from escaping. The sunlight enters piercing through the cloud of greenhouse gases and when it reaches the Earths surface, it is absorbed by land, water, and air.
After absorption the same energy is sent back into the atmosphere. Some of it remains trapped in the atmosphere due to the greenhouse gases and this energy makes the Earth warmer. Since there has been an increase in CO2 emissions in the last couple of decades, more and more heat is being absorbed in the atmosphere. This is increasing the temperature of the Earth gradually and causing global warming.
By: George Christodoulou
18Jun/110
The Effect of Green House Gases
Earth, the only planet in our solar system or as far as evidence indicates the only planet in the whole Universe that supports life, was not like as we see it now since its beginning. Earth has been able to give a safe home to life because of its unique place in the solar system; it's neither too close to the Sun nor too far away. As Earth is situated away from the Sun preventing it from being a hell of a warm place, there was the possibility that it may have been freezing cold for life to form and flourish here. But thanks to the greenhouse gases present in Earth's atmosphere that play their role in keeping it warm enough.
Greenhouse gases are those gases residing in Earth's atmosphere that absorb and emit radiation and thus, keep Earth warmer. The 'Greenhouse Effect' is the natural process through which these atmospheric constituents absorb sunlight. Sun, the only star in our Solar System, emits light that reaches Earth's atmosphere. The greenhouse gases in the atmosphere absorb the long wave radiation emitted by Sun which warms the atmosphere and these long wave radiations are emitted both upward and downward; the downward emission of radiation by atmosphere is called the 'Greenhouse Effect'.
The greenhouse gases present in Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane and ozone. Water vapor is the most abundant gas and plays the lead role in warming earth causing 36-70% of 'greenhouse effect'. Carbon dioxide contributes 9-26%, methane 4-9% while ozone's share is about 3-7%. Some of the other greenhouse gases present in much smaller quantities are sulfur hexafluoride, hydro fluorocarbons, chlorofluorocarbons, per fluorocarbons and nitrous oxide. Two of the major components of Earth's atmosphere, oxygen and nitrogen are thankfully not greenhouse gases otherwise earth's atmosphere would have been far warmer than it is now.
Although, these greenhouse gases have been playing a major role in providing life on Earth the perfect temperature to survive, since the Industrial Revolution human activities have caused increase in quantity of green house gases in the atmosphere. More greenhouse gases will trap more and more heat from Sun giving rise to the Global Warming phenomenon. Rising temperatures can be potentially hazardous to all kinds of life forms on Earth and a major cause for rapid melting of glaciers which in turn will cause sea level to rise submerging many coastlines worldwide. Although, environmentalists are forcing the issue and many Governments are taking steps in the right direction, it is not the greenhouse gases but human intervention in nature that is to be blamed.
By: Eleanor B. Jhonsons
11Jun/110
Green House Gases – A Bad Bunch Really Or Just Getting a Bad Rap?
There seems to be a huge public outcry about the greenhouse gases and varied perceptions among general public as well as the environmental groups. However, before we attempt to evaluate the merits of "greenhouse gases", let's first clarify as to why these gases are called greenhouse gases. The term "greenhouse" as we know it, is associated with an enclosure where the atmosphere is maintained under favorable conditions. Greenhouses are generally used for growing certain varieties of farm plants; vegetables & flower plants when outer environmental conditions are not favorable. The system of a greenhouse depends on blocking the free exchange of air between the atmosphere inside the greenhouse and the outside environment. This structure generally made of glass panels or clear plastic material blocks or delays the normal transference of heat and energy between inside and outside environments. This allows the temperature to be maintained at a lukewarm level to avoid stress or death to the vegetables from excessive outside cooling. Scientists have named the theory "greenhouse effect" after the functional property of the greenhouse structure.
To further expand on this theory, greenhouse effect is an atmospheric heating phenomenon, caused on one hand, by short-wave solar radiation being transmitted inward through the earth's atmosphere. On the other hand, longer-wavelength heat radiation slowly transmitted outward, owing to its absorption by atmospheric gases. These gases; carbon dioxide, water vapor, ozone, nitrous oxide, methane, and others have been labeled by scientists as the greenhouse gases. Some of these are naturally present in the atmosphere and some are produced by human activity. Greenhouse gases that occur naturally are; Water vapors, Carbon dioxide, Methane, Nitrous Oxide and Ozone. Other categories of greenhouse gases like Hydroflorocarbons (HFCs), Perflorocarbons (PFCs) and Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) result exclusively from human industrial processes and released in the atmosphere in varied volumes on daily basis.
Although greenhouse gases make up only about 1 percent of the Earth's atmosphere, they regulate our climate by trapping heat and holding it in a kind of warm-air blanket that surrounds the planet. Without this "warm air blanket", planet earth would have become a frozen planet, essentially not suitable for any kind of life form or vegetation. However, just as the excess of any thing even the good one is some time bad; it is the excess of greenhouse gases that has become major concern for the environmental scientists. Essentially, life on earth depends on energy from the sun. About 30 percent of the sunlight that beams toward Earth is deflected by the outer atmosphere and scattered back into the space. The rest reaches the planet earth's surface and then slowly reflected upward again as a type of energy that scientists call "infrared radiation". As it rises, infrared radiation is absorbed by "greenhouse gases", which slows down its escape from the atmosphere. This is the very process that on one hand makes the Earth a livable planet, but contributes to the problem of "global warming", on the other hand.
Greenhouse gases vary in their ability to absorb and hold heat in the atmosphere, By the way, HFCs and PFCs; the two categories that are exclusively generated as a result of human activity are the most heat-absorbent greenhouse gases. However, there are also wide differences between naturally occurring gases as for as their heat absorbency. For example, nitrous oxide absorbs 270 times more heat per molecule than carbon dioxide, and methane absorbs 21 times more heat per molecule than carbon dioxide. Interestingly then, why scores of scientists and environmentalists are blaming carbon dioxide (CO2) for contributing to the problem of global warming? The answer lies not in its capacity to absorb the heat but in its ever increasing volume in the atmosphere. Today more than ever before, human activity is adding significantly to the level of naturally occurring carbon dioxide. This gas is released into the atmosphere as a result of human activity on the individual level as well as through the industrial usage. Burning of solid waste, wood, oil, natural gas, coal and of course the automobile gasoline are some of the major contributing factors in this respect. It is also important to understand that the two most heat absorbent gas families; HFCs and PFCs are getting a lot of attention by environmental groups. While these two categories have many good uses in the electronic, industrial and medical fields, they are also contributing significantly to the environmental damage when used as aerosol spray propellants and Styrofoam packaging. Both these industrial uses are major contributors to the depletion of Ozone layer. That in turn, causes human exposure to ultraviolet sun rays and the basis for skin cancer and other medical problems.
In summary, while greenhouse gases are the life giving bunch to planet earth and all living beings on it, the very same gases can threaten the fabric of life on this planet if we allow their volume to grow out of proportion. We will look at these gases and their properties; good and bad in more details later. We will also discuss life style changes of global citizens that can help maintain the volume of greenhouse gases at appropriate levels on the planet earth. We will talk about other interesting facts & myths surrounding greenhouse gases in an upcoming article.
By: Omar Khan