Green House Gases and their effect

September 19, 2011 | By Articles are the property of their respective Authors In environment | Comments(0)

Greenhouse gases are gases in an atmosphere that absorb and emit radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect.[1 ] The main greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. In our solar system, the atmospheres of Venus, Mars and Titan also contain gases that cause greenhouse effects.

The sharp acceleration in CO2 emissions since 2000 to more than a 3% increase per year (more than 2 ppm per year) from 1.1% per year during the 1990s is attributable to the lapse of formerly declining trends in carbon intensity of both developing and developed nations. Although over 3/4 of cumulative anthropogenic CO2 is still attributable to the developed world, China was responsible for most of global growth in emissions during this period. Localised plummeting emissions associated with the collapse of the Soviet Union have been followed by slow emissions growth in this region due to more efficient energy use, made necessary by the increasing proportion of it that is exported.[27] In comparison, methane has not increased appreciably, and N2O by 0.25% y−1.Many organizations are required to report greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to the U.S. EPA mandated by the Mandatory Reporting Rule (MRR). Effective December 29, 2009, large sources and suppliers in the United States will begin collecting data on January 1, 2010 and report GHG emissions to EPA by March 31, 2011. Similar to the EPA MRR, many states also have mandatory reporting requirements. The map below summarizes the current status of different state level GHG reporting requirements (reference: PEW Center on Global Climate Change, July 25th, 2009). The purpose of this article is to summarize verification requirements in the U.S. for different GHG reporting programs.

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Climate Change – Building Green to Reduce Global Warming

September 4, 2011 | By Articles are the property of their respective Authors In alternative energy | Comments Off

Building green, the practice of designing and constructing buildings in an eco-friendly way, is one way to combat global warming. Houses contribute to global warming by emitting carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. In the United States, houses are responsible for 38% of the country’s total carbon dioxide emissions.

Building green starts with the materials that are used. Renewable and local materials are both good choices. Bamboo and straw are two examples of building materials that are easily renewable. Using materials that originate near the building site, such as stone or logs found on or near the building site, cuts down on transportation, another source of carbon dioxide emissions. Recycled materials represent another green building practice. Wood can be used from an older home that has been torn down, preventing further deforestation and the use of energy required to process trees into lumber.

Minimizing the energy use needed to sustain a comfortable indoor temperature helps lessen the carbon dioxide emissions given off by houses. Heating and cooling both represent big pieces of the pie in terms of household energy consumption. Solar panels, wind power, or hydroelectric are alternative power sources and are capable of powering the household with far less of a contribution to global warming than traditional energy sources. Installing enough insulation and installing it properly is another important way to cut down on energy used for heating and cooling. Orienting the house with a southern exposure utilizes passive solar energy to warm the house in cold weather. Positioning windows in ways to enhance cross-ventilation helps the house to keep cool during hot weather.

There are several organizations in the US that encourage building green. The Green Building Initiative is a non-profit group that fits this category. They address both houses and commercial buildings. Governments are coming on board as well. Since 2005 the state of Washington has required builders of buildings larger than 5000 square feet to use green building practices.

Green building techniques are important in reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases by houses and commercial buildings. If it can help stop global warming, perhaps it is time for everyone to build green.

Knowledge is the key to solving problems associated with the Global Warming and Climate Change situation. You can get more information at http://www.globalwarming-101.com