Global Warming Causes the Snow Storms on the East Coast

The global warming has become one of the most serious environmental problems facing humanity, which is mainly caused by the increasing levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases emitted mostly from fossil-fuel combustion.These greenhouse gases absorb thermal infrared light and eventually result in rising temperature. An increase in average air temperature can cause extreme weather becoming more common. Recently, the snow storm on the east coast was thought due to global warming.

Physics professor Michio Kaku explained that as North Pole being gradually heat up, excess heat generated by all the warm water destabilizes the gigantic bucket of cold air, which could cause the jet stream and the polar vortex becoming unstable and result in the cold air spilling out over the United States. The instabilities caused by the jet stream could also be connected to a series of wacky weathers such as frozen of Niagra Falls, floods in England, warmth in Latin America, and drought in California, Kaku said.

Watch this video to see how professor Michio Kaku explains it.

Furthermore as the temperature rises, the melting of polar icecaps and sea ice will cause more instability of cold air, resulting in more extreme weathers. Even though there is a disagreement over global warming causing such winter storms, it is almost undoubted that the average global temperature is gradually increasing and it can cause extreme and violent weather events becoming more frequent. The rising temperature in North Pole seems to be irreversible at a certain point, but there are still many things we can do such as reducing greenhouse gas emission and replacing carbon based energy with other energy sources in order to slow down the global warming.

Leveling Out Sea Levels

Some of our current energy sources are proving to be harmful to the planet and man's way of life. Climate change becomes more of a pressing issue as we learn more about its anthropogenic causes and what is or isn't being done to reverse or level out the effects. Unprecedented weather extremes, such as increased drought or storm intensity, as well as the rising of the sea level are the main problems we face that must be solved. The best solution would be to find the root of the problem and eliminate it from the start. However, in a world currently run on carbon based energy there is no immediate end to its use in sight.

A new idea is being studied at the University of Colorado: the use of microbes as energy. Yes, bacteria!  As they metabolize food, microbes have been shown to generate electricity. The use of microbial fuel cells can be implemented to generate energy from ever abundant wastewater and mud. Taken a step further, microbes were found to have desalination capabilities. The metabolic process generates enough hydrogen waste to run the desalination process. Solar desalination is also being studied as an energy efficient way to run the process.

Desalination of sea water could lead to a solution to the problem of rising sea levels, as well as a solution to droughts that will result from climate change. The microbial fuel cell provides clean energy, getting to the root of the problem and providing some short term solutions to projected damages.

Hey Ho! CO2 has got to GO!

It is time to start looking towards the future. How will the Earth's climate be affected by the greenhouse effect due to carbon dioxide and other gases? We know that carbon dioxide in the air is only increasing, which means global air temperatures will only continue to increase as well, causing a GREAT problem for all humanity. The most difficult thing about these changes is that it is almost impossible for scientists to detect what changes there are to come.

Watch this video to see some background on global warming!

Though it is difficult to make predictions on how the climate will change, we still know three things: global rainfall will increase causing more humidity, dry areas will become even drier, and places that have lots of rain and heat will only get rainier and hotter! This leads to many other effects in specific places like the US. In the Midwest regions, the soil will become less moist because of the warmer air and grounds that lead to evaporation of water. In other areas of the US, warming is expected to be noticeably faster than the average of everywhere else in the world. This is why this topic of global warming and the greenhouse effect is so important to us! We are all affected, and future generations to come will be MORE affected. Here are some ways we can stop global warming!!! 

Practice these things to better the world.. OUR world!

Give a hoot, Don't pollute

Do me a favor and think back to your elementary school days. The days you wanted to be doctors and astronauts, the days you wanted to make the world a better place, and the days you dreamt about what was to come in your future years. Did you expect to live in one of the most highly polluted cities in the United States? Did you hope for great amounts of waste and air pollution surrounding you? We are ALL being affected by the great amounts of pollution around us. Whether we have a hard time breathing or end up developing health conditions leading to lung disease and deaths, we are all victims. This pollution is caused by man-made sources like burning of fuel and waste deposition or other natural causes of the Earth like dust and smoke from wild fires. In this picture here we can see some of the causes and effects of this cycle of pollution.

It is known that the air quality in San Diego is improving, but it is so important to do our little because it is up to us, the residents of the Earth, and more specifically San Diego, to make the world a better, healthier place. According to the Equinox center, last year San Diego had a total of 13 days that were deemed unhealthy. They compared this value to the previous year (2012), which had 50 unhealthy days, showing a 74% improvement in our air quality. Let's keep improving! As industries grow and technology advances, it is our job to maintain the Earth and to be clean and stay green! Some examples of ways to reduce air pollution include: conserving energy in our homes, recycling, buying energy efficient appliances, using public transportation, avoiding smoking, and the list goes on! Remember we all want the world to be a better place so it is our time to give a hoot, and don't pollute!

Save your breath!

Beijing, China

Breathe in.....breathe out (I think not!) In the past few months, the most concerning environmental issues have included smog and pollution in China and New Delhi. Social media has heightened and raised awareness to these issues that at times are disturbing, yet our reality. Even the Washington Post made a remark that Beijing is "the world’s pollution poster child." (Article) 

Is this what you want to be breathing in? (Absolutely not!)

According to the California DMV, smog checks are required for most vehicles that are older than six years every other registration process; but in New Delhi's  case "1,400 poorly regulated new cars are added to its roads every day." (Article) I believe this is one of the key issues that many growing countries encounter because of the lack of law enforcement. Even though China has made progress regarding pollution, the real problem they should be focusing on are the underlying oxidizing agents of hydrogen peroxide, ozone, PAN, and nitric acid that create the smog. Also, it is great that China has acknowledged their duty to citizens to report air quality and particulate matter, which is a step into the right direction for China and the other countries, but their is still a long road ahead to clean air.
Oftentimes, people find themselves performing task or making decisions as an automatic response. For instance, if you have a usual sandwich order, have you ever asked yourself why you like it or ponder about what the ingredients are actually made out of? Obviously, the answer for most would be no because if we like something, we eat it! You never want to be the overly concerning friend at the dinner table that makes comments about your food and then you lose your appetite. Yet, this is exactly what all of the citizens of each country should do to try to improve environmental issues.  Ask, Ask, Ask questions and raise concerns! So, what will you do...

"Home Sweet Home" Perhaps Not So "Sweet"...

For a lot of people, heading home after a long day is all that one can day dream about. For many, home is like a sanctuary - a safe place we can depend on to feel protected from harm.  These are thoughts I have definitely related to.  However, after reading up on 6 Surprising Sources of Home Air Pollution, I have to admit I was surprised, and my view of home as a "safe place" a bit shaken.  

Outdoor pollution is a well-known subject.  Many are familiar with the sight of smog overhead in their city or the grayish puffs emitted from a passing car's tailpipes.  Also well-known is smoking as source of pollution, both outdoors and indoors.  Some indoor air pollutants perhaps not so well known?  Try air purifiers (some may utilize ozone, a major ingredient in smog and enemy to your lungs); paint (ever noticed peeling paint inside old homes? the dust released from that could contain harmful lead - heavy metal poisoning is not something to be taken lightly); carpets (besides the usual dust and dirt, chemicals used to make some carpets can end up being "off gassed" into the room's environment); cleaning products (some are made up of chlorine, which mixed with cleaners like ammonia could produce chlorine gas- definitely avoid if you would like to maintain happy lungs); cabinets and furniture (made from pressed wood? yeah, that could contain formaldehyde, which could also potentially "off gas" into the air of your home); and the kitchen stove (cooking on gas stoves can release nitrogen dioxide into the air, which can contribute to or worsen breathing problems).  

In my opinion, the real shockers were air purifiers (so ironic!), carpets, furniture made from pressed wood, and gas stoves.  As described in the article, some carpets and pressed wood could end up introducing formaldehyde (can cause headaches and irritate the respiratory system) into the air of your sanctuary.  Next time I walk into a furniture store I will definitely look at customizable bookshelves and area rugs in a different light.  The alarming thing is these are fixtures we have grown comfortable with having at home.  They do not seem threatening to indoor air quality, especially the stove.  From stoves comes food, and food is GOOOOD!  How can something that churns out delicious, crispy shredded beef tacos simultaneously release something completely un-delicious?  If these are all hidden little sources of air pollution, now it makes sense why the Environmental Protection Agency worries pollution indoors can be greater than outdoors.  So much for a safe place away from all harm...

For those like myself who were completely thrown to learn about the stove's secret identity as an air pollutant, check out this 2013 article from The New York Times for some insight!