The use of energy allows humans to be more efficient and to improve their way of life. Throughout history, humans have searched for better energy sources and better ways to harvest energy. A rough estimation of mankind’s energy consumption through different periods of history is displayed in the figure.

The first energy source used by our remote ancestors (before humans mastered fire ) was food. It was hard to find food, and it is estimated that the average food consumption provided an energy of 2 kcal per day. After fire was discovered and wood could be used for cooking and heating, a larger amount of energy (about 2.5 times more) was used. Agricultural activities again increased the energy needs and the average total energy consumption nearly doubled.

About 5000 years ago, primitive agricultural humans used animals to assist them in this work. By the end of the Middle Ages in Western Europe, advanced agricultural humans added the power of wind, water, and small amounts of coal. Transportation of goods was also developing and required more energy. Between 1400 and 1820, a French citizen’s average wealth doubled primarily through the use of renewable resources. For comparison, a doubling of wealth in the second part of the twentieth century took only 25 years due to the more concentrated forms of energies. During the industrial revolution the energy consumption of industrial man rose by a factor of 3. The steam engine consumed large amounts of energy but also produced a lot of work. The advent of the use of the fossil fuels stored in the earth allowed a
quick development of mankind’s wealth.

Since the 1970s technological man might be defined as an average U.S.
citizen: This person consumes more than 100 times as much energy as the
primitive human. Electricity accounts for almost a quarter of this energy consumption and large quantities are used for transportation means, for industrial purposes, and for housing.

A study which published in “science” this week shows that intact rainforests and coral reefs both act towards cloud seeding to produce rain. This study shows that an rainforest acts as its own ‘bioreactor’, whereby clouds and precipitation are produced by the abundance of plant materials in the ecosystem. “The trees basically ’sweat out’ organic molecules that react with compounds in the atmosphere, producing tiny particles that are around 20 to 200 nanometers in size,” explains Markus Petters, an assistant professor at North Carolina State University and one of the members of the study, in a press release. “These particles seed the clouds. In addition, other biological particles form the ice nuclei for the clouds.”

These ice nuclei are created by supermicron particles and are crucial for the formation of precipitation. 80% of supermicron particles above the Amazon were produced by rainforest life which means that intact rainforests act as a key toward precipitation and regular rainfall.

Dr. Graham Jones of Australia’s Southern Cross University believes that coral reefs produce a volatile substance called dimethylsulphide or DMS which oxidizes in the atmosphere to produce cloud condensation nuclei. He adds that, “water vapor cannot form clouds without these tiny aerosol particles being present.” DMS is produced by the live algae in the coral tissues and it is produced on a daily basis. This part of the research shows that coral reef-produced rain may actually feed rainforests along Australia’s northern coast.

From 1970-2005, the Amazon was been reduced by 600,000 square kilometers (232,000 square miles) in Brazil, an area the size of Ukraine and nearly 20 percent of Brazil’s total rainforest. Coral reefs are even more susceptible to slight raises in temperature, ocean acidification. Many scientists believe that corals all over the world can be severely endangered or extinct in the next 10 years due to warming of the oceans.Many products have the capacity to harm both rainforests and coral reefs. Coral reefs are affected by a myriad chemicals found in detergents, cosmetics and toiletries including sunblock. Unethically cultivated beef uses former rainforest land in the Amazon.

Rainforests are called rainforests for a reason and reefs are commonly called ‘the rainforests of the ocean’. Up until now this phrase has been used to describe the diversity of life present but with this new research, the description will carry more weightage. Ethical consumption has a direct link with biodiversity loss and the principles of green living must be deeply tied in with environmental awareness if they are to be taken seriously. Many ecosystem services cannot be replicated and they are supremely necessary for our survival on the planet.

The pics show the effects of a nuclear blast on a bus located about 5 miles from the blast site and nagasakhi blast among others.

14.5 min long the video shows every single one of the 2053 nuclear tests and explosions that took place between 1945 and 1998 are shown on a map.

This piece of work is a bird’s eye view of the history by scaling down a month length of time into one second.The blinking light, sound and the numbers on the world map show when, where and how many experiments each country have conducted.

It starts out slowly, with the Manhattan Project’s single test in the US and the two terrible bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki that ended World War II.

After a couple of minutes or so, however, once the USSR and Britain entered the nuclear club, the tests really start to build up, reaching a peak of nearly 140 in 1962, and remaining well over 40 each year until the mid-80s.

It’s a compelling insight into the history of humanity’s greatest destructive force, especially when you remember that only two nuclear explosions have ever been detonated offensively, both in 1945. Since then, despite more than 2,000 other tests and billions of dollars having been spent on their development, no nuclear warheads have been used in anger.

Isao Hashimoto created this work for the means of an interface to the people who are yet to know of the extremely grave, but present problem of the world.
Think about its environmental impact!!!

Solar Photovoltaic Farms- Portugal

Portugal produces 1/3 of its energy from renewable sources. In having to quickly respond to a shortage of oil, coal and gas, Portugal is now an  EU leader in the clean tech revolution. In less than three years, Portugal has trebled its hydropower capacity, quadrupled its wind power, and is investing in more photovoltaic plants. What is to be the world’s largest solar photovoltaic farm is taking shape near Moura, generating electricity straight from sunlight . It is expected to supply 45MW of electricity each year, enough to power 30,000 homes.

Mexico City’s Urban Bus System

This innovative bus system has dramatically reduced traffic congestion and pollution in Mexico City. Metrobús has reduced carbon dioxide emissions from Mexico City traffic by an estimated 80,000 tons a year. The new buses, which operate on clean-burning ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel, make more than 450,000 trips per day.

Geothermal Energy- Philippines

The Philippines is the largest consumer of electricity through geothermal energy, and second only to the U.S. for geothermal energy production in the world. Geothermal energy is the heat energy from within the earth. Hot springs, geysers and steam inside the earth’s crust can be used to produce electricity, heat buildings and as long as rain falls, it is a completely renewable resource.

Ethanol Fuel- Brazil

Brazil has the largest sugar cane crop in the world, and is the largest exporter of ethanol in the world. With the 1973 oil crisis, the Brazilian government initiated, in 1975, the Pró-Álcool program. The Pró-Álcool or Programa Nacional do Álcool (National Alcohol Program) was a nation-wide program financed by the government to phase out all automobile fuels derived from fossil fuels in favour of ethanol. The program successfully reduced by 10 million, the number of cars running on gasoline, ultimately reducing the country’s dependence on oil imports.

Wind Farms- India

India relies heavily on coal, so in order to reduce their dependence on this polluting fossil fuel, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is aiming to have 6,000 MW of additional wind power capacity installed by 2012. Moreover, companies as well as individuals will get tax breaks for investing in green energy, especially wind farms.

The development of wind power in India began in the 1990’s and has significantly increased in the last few years. India is home to one of the world’s largest wind power company’s, Suzlon Energy. Suzlon is the largest wind turbine manufacturer in Asia (5th worldwide) and operates a 584 MW wind park in the Western Ghats-Tamil Nadu- the state with the most wind generating capacity and the largest wind park in the world.

Despite the fact that wind power accounts for 6 percent of India’s total installed power capacity it only generates 1.6 percent of the country’s power. For this reason, the government is considering the addition of incentives for ongoing operation of installed wind power plants.

I think we all understand need to preserve earth’s resources. This includes all from water to coal, oil.Better steps need to be taken to safeguard freshwater which is becoming more scarce day by day.

One might think that Earth is covered mostly by wate(70%)r there is there is copiousness or H2O for everybody.But only 3% of the 70% is from freshwater and part of the 3% is trapped in polar caps.Due to rainfall or layer H2O can be cruise a renewable apparatus however flood amounts have been never certain. We can never envision how most belligerent H2O or stream and lake H2O we will have to pull out the freshwater supplies. From wickedness to droughts freshwater is a apparatus everybody should essay to protect.

Here have been a little elementary tips to saving H2O inside your own home.

1) Turn off the tap whilst brushing your teeth.This could save twenty-five gallons a month. If you think things by there should be no reason because penetrate H2O should be regulating if you have been not actively regulating the sink.

2) Take shorter showers.Some people have problems with a tip to take shorter showers. No one is asking any one to take 5 notation showers only try tying your showering to the rinse and rinse. By slicing your showering by a notation or dual you can save up to 150 gallons per month. To save even some-more H2O try branch the water off whilst you rinse your hair. You can work out the water assets in your own shower. Take a gallon bucket and hang it underneath the showering faucet. Next time how prolonged it takes to fill the bucket.

3)Try Composting toilets instead of conventional ones.They can save the water as they require no or minimal flushing.

4) Install water-saving showering heads and low-flow faucet aerators for both showering heads and faucets you should demeanour for a upsurge rating of reduction than 2.5 gallons per notation (gpm). The pattern of water-saving showering heads mixes air in to the H2O and most appropriate of all allows for H2O vigour to sojourn similar.

5) Only run your dishwasher or soaking appurtenance with full loads

2 1/2 teaspoons total of any combination of the following essential oils: basil, cedarwood, citronella, juniper, lemon, myrrh, palmarosa, pine, rose geranium and/or rosemary (available at health food stores)

1 cup 190-proof grain alcohol (available in liquor stores)

Place ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously. Transfer to small bottles for storage. To use, rub a small amount on any exposed skin (test first to be sure your skin will not be adversely affected by the repellent) or dab it on clothing.

Experiment a little to find which essential oils work best with your body chemistry. If you’re lucky, you also will like the way they smell; otherwise, add a few drops of peppermint oil to fine-tune the fragrance.

If you are bitten, follow this advice from James Duke, Ph.D., author of The Green Pharmacy. Plantain (Plantago, various species) is one of the best herbs to treat bug bites.

You probably won’t need to plant this home remedy because it is a very common weed, often growing in compacted soil along sidewalks and driveways. To use the plant as first aid for a mosquito bite, crush a few leaves and rub them on the bite. Visit the University of California’s Weed Photo Gallery for help identifying plantain.

Some anti-itch drugstore medicines to use include Calamine lotion or cortisone creams. Doctors generally recommend pain relievers, ice packs and meat tenderizer to treat insect bites and stings. Promptly applying a dab of commercial meat tenderizer directly to a sting can neutralize the allergen.

The Antarctic ozone hole was once regarded as one of the biggest environmental threats, but the discovery of a previously undiscovered feedback shows that it has instead helped to shield this region from carbon-induced warming over the past two decades.

High-speed winds in the area beneath the hole have led to the formation of brighter summertime clouds, which reflect more of the sun’s powerful rays.

“These clouds have acted like a mirror to the sun’s rays, reflecting the sun’s heat away from the surface to the extent that warming from rising carbon emissions has effectively been cancelled out in this region during the summertime,” said Professor Ken Carslaw of the University of Leeds who co-authored the research.

“If, as seems likely, these winds die down, rising CO2 emissions could then cause the warming of the southern hemisphere to accelerate, which would have an impact on future climate predictions,” he added.

The key to this newly-discovered feedback is aerosol – tiny reflective particles suspended within the air that are known by experts to have a huge impact on climate.

Greenhouses gases absorb infrared radiation from the Earth and release it back into the atmosphere as heat, causing the planet to warm up over time.

Aerosol works against this by reflecting heat from the sun back into space, cooling the planet as it does so.

Beneath the Antarctic ozone hole, high-speed winds whip up large amounts of sea spray, which contains millions of tiny salt particles.

This spray then forms droplets and eventually clouds, and the increased spray over the last two decades has made these clouds brighter and more reflective.

As the ozone layer recovers it is believed that this feedback mechanism could decline in effectiveness, or even be reversed, leading to accelerated warming in the southern hemisphere.

“Our research highlights the value of today’s state-of- the-art models and long-term datasets that enable such unexpected and complex climate feedbacks to be detected and accounted for in our future predictions,” said Professor Carslaw.

windscale Fire, October 10, 1957

The accident occurred when the graphite core of a British nuclear reactor caught fire. The fire resulted in a release of a significant amount of radioactive contamination. It was estimated that the incident caused an increase in thyroid cancer cases.No one was evacuated from the surrounding area, but there was concern that milk might be dangerously contaminated. Milk from about 500 km2 of nearby countryside was destroyed (diluted a thousandfold and dumped in the Irish Sea) for about a month.It is considered as worst nuclear accident in Britain.

Palomares Incident, January 17, 1966

A mid-air collision between a U.S. B52 bomber with KC-135 tanker during refuelling over the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Spain reselted in seven deaths. The tanker was completely destroyed in the incident killing four member crew, while the B52 broke apart, spilling four hydrogen bombs from its broken fuselage,killing 3 out of it’s 7 member crew . The non-nuclear weapons in two of the bombs detonated on impact with the ground, contaminating of a 490 acre area with radioactive plutonium. One of the devices was recovered from the Mediterranean Sea.

Thule Accident, Janury 21, 1968
A cabin fire aboard a B-52 forced the crew of the American bomber to abandon the craft.Six crew members ejected safely, but one who did not have an ejection seat was killed while trying to bail out. The bomber then crashed onto sea ice near the Thule Air Base in Greenland, causing the nuclear payload to rupture, which resulted in widespread radioactive contamination.

Yucca Flat, December 18. 1970
After the Baneberry test, involving the detonation of a 10 kiloton nuclear device underneath Yucca Flat in Nevada, the
plug sealing the shaft from the surface failed and radioactive debris vented into the atmospher. Eighty six workers at
the site were exposed to radiation.

Three Mile Island, March 28, 1979
The partial meltdown of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant occured due to loss of reactor coolant was the most serious accident in the history of U.S. nuclear power plant operating history, despite the fact that it led to no deaths or injuries.

K-431 Chazhma Bay, August 10. 1985
During refuelling in Vladivostok, Russia, the Echo II class submarine (like the one seen above) suffered an explosion,
sending a radioactive cloud of gas into the air. Ten sailors were killed in the incident and 49 people were observed to have radiation injuries.

Chernobyl, April 26, 1986
The nuclear reactor accident that occured in chernobyl in ukraine(then part of the USSR) is considered to be the worst nuclear power plant disaster in history. On the morning of April 26, 1986, reactor number four at the Chernobyl plant exploded. More explosions folloed, and the blast blew the 2,000-ton lid off the reactor, sent out 400 times more radioactive fallout than the Hiroshima bomb, contaminating more than 77,000 square miles (200,000 square km) of Europe.

Goiania Accident, September 13, 1987
More than 240 people were exposed to radiation when a junkyard dealer in Goiania, Brazil, broke open an abandoned radiation therapy machine and removed a small highly radioactive cake of cesium chloride. Children, atracted to the bright blue of the radioactive material,touched it and rubbed it on their skin, resulting in the contamination of several city blocks which had to be demolished.

Tomsk-7 Explosion, April 6. 1993
The accident in the Siberian city of Tomsk took place after a tank exploded while being cleaned with nitric acid. The explosion released a cloud of radioactive gas drifting from the Tomsk-7 Reprocessing Complex.

Tokaimura Nuclear Accident, September 30, 1999
The worst nuclear accident in the history of Japan happened in a uranium reprocessing facility in Tokaimura,northeast of Tokyo. The incident took place while workers were mixing liquid uranium.

• Travel by walk or bike for short distances.
• Carpool to events and parties,or offer a neighbour a ride.
• Take showers instead of bath and turn off the water when not in use.
• Use rechargeable batteries in your gadgets.
• Don’t leave your television and other appliances in standby mode. Unplug your clock radio and appliances when you go on vacation.
• Use a lunch box, Thermos, and reusable containers. Avoid plastic baggies and individually packaged items.
• Look for ways to make things last longer. Use both sides of paper when printing things on the computer, for instance. Give away things you are no longer using.
• Recycle newspapers, glass, plastic bottles, and aluminium cans. Rinse them out and sort them according to the requirements of the collection agency.
• Buy products made from recycled materials and less packaging.
• Start a composting pile.
• Buy food which is produced locally.