Fracking and Tar Sands

By Jon M Flatley

Fracking

Fracking is not a good thing if we’re trying to reduce global warming causes and impacts. I provide a background on hydraulic fracturing and environmental impacts.

What is Hydraulic Fracturing or “Fracking”?

Hydraulic fracturing is the process of creating fractures in rock with the purpose of releasing a fluid under pressure. This “fluid” is usually gas or petroleum as far as the fossil fuel industry is concerned. These fractures also occur naturally as in the case of “veins” or “dikes”, where magma from deep within the earth flowed towards the surface.

Oil and gas companies create their own fracturing of a rock layer with the sole purpose of extracting fuel. A bore hole is drilled into the geologic formation which contains the oil/gas. Then a highly pressurized fracking fluid is pumped into the hole leading to new channels in the rock and hence, allows for extraction of fossil fuels.

As the fluid is injected down the hole and the fracture opens, other materials are sometimes added to prevent the fractures from closing – especially when the injection processed has ended.

Not all wells are the same; some are very permeable whereas others are low volume wells, depending on the type of rock and geologic structures. And example might be shale for low permeability and sandstone for high permeability; the former uses 20,000 to 80,000 gallons of fluid while the latter can use up to 2-3 million gallons of fluid per well. There can be environmental issues in the disposal of this fluid.

Examples in Nature

“Veins” can be caused by seismic activity which leads to variations in stress levels of the rock. Differing volumes of fluids can be pumped into fractures during earthquakes. The fluids (usually containing minerals) can create a vein when pushed up through rock and then can harden and crystallize; sometimes a rock will appear one color and there will be a stripe of some other material in the rock.

The formation of a “dike” is similar to that of a vein. The difference is that the fluid filled cracks are molten rock, or magma. Sometimes in sedimentary rock with a lot of water content steam will be found at the leading edge of the magma. Obviously this feature would be more common in active geologic regions such as areas near the boundaries of the continental plates or along the “ring of fire”.

Fracking to Release Fossil Fuels

As mentioned earlier “fracking” or “hydraulic fracturing” is using pressurized fluid to expand cracks in rock to release oil or gas from underground reservoirs. These reservoirs are typically found in porous sandstones, limestones, or dolomite rocks. Sometimes the deposit can be found in shale or coal beds. The oil/gas formations can be retrieved from as deep as 1.5 – 6.1 km (5,000-20,000 feet). Sometimes the formation just needs to be tapped and the pressure alone will allow it to shoot to the surface. Other times a conduit needs to be formed to draw the fossil fuels to the surface.

The fracture is created when pumping the fracking fluid at sufficient rates to exceed the fracture gradient of the rock. As the fracture grows, permeable material (like sand) is added to the hole to stabilize the well. The fuel can then be drawn upwards through the porous material.

Most hydraulic fracturing is performed in vertical wells. But the latest technology allows for horizontal wells also. The lateral drill hole can extend up to nearly 3 km (2 mi) in some cases. Vertical wells usually are only 15-90 meters (50-300 ft) deep. Hydraulic fracturing is employed by 90% of natural gas wells in the United States.

The fracturing fluid is a combination of water, chemical additives, and proppants (granular substances such as pellets or sand that help the fluid do its work). In addition there are sometimes gels, foams and compressed gases (i.e., nitrogen or carbon dioxide) added to the mixture. In addition to the fluids and equipment to propel the fluid, there is transportation and storage of the fluid and the resulting fuel.

The Marcellus Shale formation is one of the latest targets for fracking. This formation extending from West Virginia and Ohio eastward through Pennsylvania into New York State has had its share of news worthy stories, from estimated economic impacts and jobs, to taxation, to environmental concerns.

Environmental Concerns

There are plenty of environmental concerns when it comes to hydraulic fracturing, from contamination of ground water, pollution of the air and global warming impacts, to spills and mishandling of waste in the well location and health effects.

While the EPA has been aware of some possible contamination issues, there was doubt among officials (from testimony at Senate Hearing Committees) that the fracking process itself has affected ground water. The EPA studies were criticized for being too narrow in scope, such as concerns about water quality contaminated from transporting fracking fluids, some fish kills and even documented acid burns. Private well owners have complained about contamination. In 2005 hydraulic fracturing was exempted by the U.S. Congress from any regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act!

The reports of contamination of water began to increase as fracking heated up. One amazing example took place in the town of Dimrock, PA with a report of 13 private wells found to be contaminated with methane. And one of them actually blew up. The local gas company was ordered to compensate the homeowners although they continued to deny responsibility. There have even been reports of radiation in fracking fluids that were released into nearby rivers.

Beyond ground water and possible surface pollution, there are the emissions of greenhouse gases which are the leading causes of global warming and air pollution at the surface. The emissions from the natural gas development and production include particulates, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxide, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide. Other emissions linked to development include methane, ethane and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The VOCs have been implicated in causing a range of health issues – from respiratory illness to neurological problems, birth defects and cancer.

Although natural gas burns cleaner than oil or coal and it is supposed to help lessen global warming, an amount of methane is typically released by these wells. And the methane over short time periods is actually worse than coal or oil due to how potent this greenhouse gas is (20-25 times more potent than CO2). The methane gradually breaks down and has a lifetime in the atmosphere of around 8-9 years (CO2 lasts around 100 years). So even if natural gas is burned efficiently, its carbon footprint is still worse than coal or oil for timescales less than 50 years.

Tar Sands

The Canadian Tar Sands, the Keystone Pipeline controversy, and the basics of environment preservation are covered here.

What Are Tar (Oil) Sands Anyway?

These geologic features are not the typical fossil fuel deposit that you usually think of. Most are familiar with coal, oil, and gas. Tar sands are a naturally occurring mixture of sand, clay, water, and a dense or viscous form of petroleum. This mixture has the appearance, odor, and color of “tar”, hence the common name. These oil sands are found in extremely large amounts in Canada and Venezuela.

The tar sands are then mined and processed to extract the oil-rich material and then refined into oil. Extracting the oil is more complex than typical recovery as the process not only requires extraction and separation systems to remove the oil sludge from the clay, sand, and water, but also requires special dilution with lighter hydrocarbons (since so thick) to make it transportable by pipelines.

A lot of the world’s oil is in the form of tar sands, this is estimated to amount to 2 trillion barrels! However not all of this oil is recoverable. Tar sands are found in many areas of the world (such as the Middle East), however by far the largest deposits are in Alberta Canada and Venezuela. There are even some tar sand deposits in the state of Utah.

A Little Industry Background

At this time oil is not produced from tar sands on a significant commercial level in the United States. Only Canada has a large-scale commercial oil sands industry. The industry, centered in Alberta, produces more than one million barrels of synthetic oil per day, or approximately 40% of Canada’s oil production. The output from the Alberta-centered tar sands industry is growing rapidly. Around 20% of U.S. crude oil comes from Canada, with a large amount of this coming from the tar sands.

Recently prices for oil have risen to sufficient levels and technologies to extract the oil from sands have improved to the point to make production from oil sands commercially attractive.

The oil sands reserves have only recently gotten the headlines due to this combination of oil price and improved technologies. As long as these factors line up in a favorable way for industry we will continue to see oils sands remaining front page news.

As alluded to earlier getting the oil from the raw form to the usable form is no small undertaking. There is a lot involved in the process as will be covered next.

Extraction & Processing Overview

The oil sands can be extracted using open mining at the surface. New methods of the 1990′s improved the efficiency of the mining which reduces the cost. The systems use large hydraulic and electrically powered shovels to dig the sands up and load them into gigantic dump trucks. The trucks carry up to 320 tons of tar sand per load.

After the sands are transported to a facility, hot water extraction is used to separate the oil sludge from the sand, water, and minerals. The resulting mixture is fed into an extraction plant where ‘agitation’ occurs. This releases oil and causes air bubbles that attach to the oil droplets. These droplets that float to the surface are then skimmed off. Further processing leads to synthetic crude oil.

Around two tons of oil sands are needed to produce one barrel of oil. After the oil is extracted, the used sand and other material are then returned to the mine, which is eventually reclaimed.

Other methods exist beyond strip mining such as: steam injection, solvent injection, and “fire floods” – in which oxygen is injected and part of the resource is burned. Steam injection is the favored method.

One of the latest current projects is the Keystone Pipeline. This pipeline is to transport synthetic crude oil from the oil sands of northeastern Alberta, Canada to several locations in the United States. The locations include refineries in Illinois, distribution hubs in Oklahoma and proposed refineries along the Gulf Coast of Texas. Basically there is an operational XL pipeline and possible expansion segments to the pipeline.

The Keystone pipeline has faced lawsuits from oil refineries, environmental organizations, and members of United States Congress. The latest clash was between some members of Congress and President Obama over legislation that would put approval of the expansion XL pipeline on the fast track to development. The President pushed back a decision until 2013. Of course environmental organizations have their own concerns and this will be covered in the next section.

Environmental Concerns & Conclusions

Mining and processing the oil sands wreaks havoc on the environment. The strip mining negatively affects wildlife and ecosystems and leftover by products and pollution from the strip mining can soak into the ground water supply and run off into rivers and streams. There is a large amount of dirty water that is produced from the process; only some can be recycled.

Some of the worst impacts are on the air however. Getting the oil from the oil sands with steam injection and refining leads to major global warming impacts. In fact this process leads to two to four times the amount of greenhouse gases per barrel of the end-product of refined oil as that produced when extracting conventional oil.

If you include the final numbers, from oil sands extraction to combustion you can see that this is one of the major causes of global warming; the emission is 10 to 45% more greenhouse gases than regular oil!

Obviously, as far environmental awareness is concerned, this is not the way to go if we are serious in reducing the causes of global warming. (Sources: ostseis.anl.gov and wikipedia)

If you’d like to learn more please check out my site: SurviveClimateChange

I’m a meteorologist with a Masters in Meteorology. Besides weather, I also have a passion for climate change and environmental issues. I hope to share my enthusiasm in my writing on these subjects and offer suggestions on how to live in a more “earth friendly” way. If you have any questions or comments, I can be reached at jon@surviveclimatechange.com

Article Source: Jon M. Flatley
Fracking and Tar Sands

Knowing how to handle things and how to get things done is usually very important. Knowing the details of the best way to go about doing it is also important. However, you cannot stop there, that is not enough by itself. Knowing exactly what NOT to do and what mistakes to avoid can also be important. Among the best methods to achieve that is understanding just what mistakes others have made so that you can avoid making those same mistakes.

For the measures to control marine pollution, this also applies. There are a number of people who succeed there. You prefer to be one of them instead of one of those who make mistakes and fail. Presented here below are the 3 most frequent errors that people make with the measures to control marine pollution.

First and foremost. The most important of all measures which people forget, and make the mistake of omitting is the most important of all the measures that need to be implemented to control marine pollution. It is the avoidance of the discharge of untreated sewage into the sea around our coasts. This is important because the discharge of sewage to beaches, which is hard to avoid without these measures, not only damages the environment of the beach, and marine life locally. It can give bathers stomach upsets and other infections. To avoid this issue you need to intercept all sewers that discharge untreated sewage, and pump the sewage back inland to treat it in a sewage treatment works.

Second, To fail to stop marine pollution especially around busy ports all boat, and this is where ship owners need to take measures to hold the sewage they produce on-board until it can be pumped off at a port location and also sent to a sewage treatment works. This is a crucial point because this sewage if allowed to flow into the ports and docks and estuaries will destroy normal marine life. To prevent the bad results of this frequent mistake you will need to build waste water storage tanks into boats and ships and provide facilities at all ports for off-loading and treating this sewage.

And lastly, it is a mistake to forget that measures must be taken to ensure that marine pollution is not caused by the remaining pollutants in rivers flowing into the sea after the sewage has been treated in municipal sewage treatment works. This problem is encountered in cases where older sewage treatment works convert nitrogen into a much less damaging form of nitrate, but do not remove that nitrate before it is discharged to the rivers. This is particularly a problem in estuaries where shell-fish are harvested for human consumption, as it can be a contributory factor in the production of algal blooms in estuaries. This will be avoided by taking measures to add an extra stage of treatment at the sewage treatment works which will convert the nitrate to nitrogen and harmlessly vent it back into the atmosphere.

Study these marine pollution mistakes and carefully avoid them. As a substitute, stick to the suggestions above with regard to doing it right. Much better results will then be your reward!

Realize tips to prevent marine pollution amongst other forms of pollution at by going to this biological wastewater treatment site at biologicalwastewatertreatment.org/.

Article Source: Steve Last
Different Measures to Control Marine Pollution

1) DEPLETION OF NATURAL RESOURCES

Generally consisting of polyethylene, a synthetic substance produced from natural gas and petroleum, plastic bags lead to the depletion of these non-renewable natural resources. It takes 12 million barrels of oil to produce the amount of plastic carry bags the US uses per year. You can imagine what it takes to produce all the plastic bags used across the world! Whereas paper bags made from recycled paper, help in reducing the burden on natural resources and would also put to better use the waste paper produced from multiple other industries.

2) ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS

Unlike paper bags which are bio-degradable, most polythene bags do not break down or disintegrate easily. A plastic bag can take up to 1,000 years to decompose on land and 450 years in water, while a paper bag decomposes in 3-6 weeks time.

3) LESS THAN 1% OF PLASTIC BAGS ARE RECYCLED

A vast majority of the plastic carry bags are not recycled, as it’s cheaper to produce a new bag than recycle a used one. An average person uses about 350 to 400 plastic carry bags per year. The United States alone uses approximately 100 billion new polythene bags each year. According to the Wall Street Journal, only 1% of these are recycled worldwide. You can imagine where all this used plastic goes!!!They generally wind up sitting in landfills or tossed aside only to blow through the air or accumulate in water bodies. In South Africa, plastic bags have been dubbed ‘national flowers’, because so many can be seen flapping from fences and caught in bushes.

4) DANGER TO OUR ANIMAL AND MARINE LIFE

Countless polythene bags end up in oceans and harm our marine life. Many marine animals and birds mistakenly ingest these bags or get entangled and choke in bags floating around. Environmentalists pointed out that turtles often mistake them for jellyfish and swallow them. It is estimated 100,000 marine animals die each year because of plastic litter ending up in the North Pacific. Terrestrial animals too die from eating plastic. The plastic stays in their digestive system for a longer time, due to which they stop eating food and die of starvation.

5) CHILD SAFETY

A report by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission notes that an average of 25 children die each year by suffocating on plastic bags. The majority of these children are under 12 months old. Plastic carry bags of all sizes pose a safety hazard for children, including grocery, trash, dry cleaning and mattress cover bags even though many of them come with warnings, cautioning parents and caregivers to keep them out of reach of children.

6) PLASTIC GETS BACK INTO OUR FOOD CHAIN

With over 1 million tons of plastic carry bags being produced and discarded each year, and only about 1% being recycled the rest of the plastic bags are lying in our landfills and oceans. This plastic which is being consumed by marine animals unknowingly has in turn entered our food chain.

7) PLASTIC BAGS CLOG DRAINS AND RESULT IN FLOODING

On average, a plastic carry bag is used for 12 minutes before disposal, after which it can last in the environment for centuries. In most countries where there is no strict enforcement of environmental regulations, plastic bags are a major eyesore. Easily carried by the wind, they hang in bushes, float on rivers, flap from fences, and clog drains. This has led to the blockage of drain water, preventing free flow during heavy rains and resulted in the flooding of various cities.

We should care for our environment. Let’s pledge to carry our own shopping bags, if not at least insist on a paper bag. Say no to plastic bags.

The author is the co-founder of ExpressGreen Packaging Industries, a leading Paper Bag Manufacturing company based out of Hyderabad, India. ExpressGreen manufactures various types of paper bags from recycled paper, which are eco-friendly and easily bio-degradable.

Website: http://www.expressgreenbags.com

Email: contact@expressgreenbags.com

Article Source: Vamsi Koka
7 Reasons Why You Should Stop Using Plastic Bags and Move to Paper Bags

Everyone has been hearing all the talk lately about the state of the environment. We hear about climate change, pollution, disease, oil spills, pesticides on our plates and the imminent demise of the planet! It all sounds so big and scary that most people feel they couldn’t possibly make a difference in the face of such major problems. While it is true that major changes in how world governments treat and protect the planet are desperately needed, it is also true that each of us has the power to make a difference in the health of the planet and humankind. Our habits, the simple actions that we do or don’t do each day, can have a positive impact on our world and our lives.

Here are ten simple habits that can make a world of difference:

1. Save energy by turning off lights and fans when you leave a room.

2. Save energy by using cold water for your laundry, more than half of the energy used for washing goes to heating the water.

3. Save water by taking shorter showers and consider installing a low flow shower head.

4. Save energy by installing compact fluorescent bulbs when your old bulbs burn out.

5. Reduce your carbon footprint by walking or riding your bike instead of driving when possible.

6. Eat one less meat based meal per week. Raising food animals has a very high environmental cost.

7. Stop adding plastic to the landfill by taking reusable bags to the grocery store.

8. Keep even more plastic out of the landfill by buying a reusable bottle and filling it at home with filtered water from your tap.

9. Keep all sorts of materials out of the landfill by participating in your community’s recycling program.

10. Stop adding toxic chemicals to the environment by buying environmentally friendly cleaners, or better yet, make your own non-toxic cleaners. Vinegar and baking soda can clean just about anything, check out some recipes online.

All of these little habits are easy to incorporate into your lifestyle and each one has a positive benefit for the planet. Probably most impactful thing each of us can do to improve the health of the planet is to teach our children, family and friends about these habits as well. By spreading the word, going green can become a good habit around the world. Eventually all of the small changes add up to huge benefits for mother earth and her inhabitants.

I am an average mom in the suburbs who is looking for accessible ways for my family to live greener. You can follow my adventure into green living at http://www.myecoventure.com

Article Source: Jenni C
How 10 Simple Habits Can Save The Planet

Surfing is a sport that has ancient roots and was always close to nature. When the native Polynesian races needed to cut a kona tree for the purpose of making an olo board, a ceremony was organized as to ask for forgiveness for this act.

Surfers are usually quite involved and active with environmental issues but the surf industry that moves more than 7.2 billions dollar a year has a strong carbon print.

Nowadays surf boards are made from modern components, all issued from the petrochemical industry. Most of these products have a strong environmental impact from the foam blanks, to the fibreglass, the resin and even wax.

To this point, surf industry has not found a way to produce a 100% eco-friendly surf boards but there is ways to manufacture them in a less toxic manner.

The first point concerns the foam blank itself. To this point, blanks are made from the mixing of various chemicals, including the very carcinogenic Toluene diisocyanate which react to each other by expanding. Surf industry is now using more and more polyurethane surf blanks which is a bit less toxic than polystyrene. About 40% of a surf foam blanks end up in landfills. A southern California company now recycles old and wasted blanks to create new ones, with the same characteristics as the classic ones. Also some researches are done on working with biodegradable natural components such as crushed agave cacti to produce blanks that can be hand shaped the traditional way. Balsa wood boards are also a solution, as long as the balsa is farmed in a sustainable way. Look at what Australia is doing, I click.

Once a surf board blank is shaped, it has to be laminated with layers of fibreglass and resin to make it durable. Fibreglass manufacturing is a toxic industry but could be easily avoided with the use of bamboo to laminate the boards. Bamboo is easily grown and does not harm the soils. Its mechanical characteristics make it great for laminating surf boards, as it keeps some flexibility and is actually more resistant to impact then the traditional laminating process. A Hawaiian surf board shaper has been using it with success for more than a decade.

Another toxic material used is resin. To this point, there is no escape to using it. Polystyrene blanks need to be laminated with polystyrene resin. When using a polyurethane blank, it is epoxy resin that is needed. This epoxy resin gives out 50 times less VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) than the classic polyester and is less carcinogenic. Surf boards manufactured with epoxy are much more resistant then polyester hence making it a more eco-friendly product with this increase in durability. A bio-epoxy resin is now also used but it only has 30% of bio components. A lot of research is also made on a 100% soya based resin fine for the laminating.

For more info on surfing click.

There is a lot of solution for a greener surf industry but effort have to be made from the base of the industry itself, the shapers and also by the surfers that have may have to consider to put an extra dollar to get a sustainable product.

Active Holidays – Click for the latest news and reviews on all the top brands and companies. Your one stop shop for surfing, kitesurfing, windsurfing and other adventure adventure sports.

All reviews created by the active users.

Article Source: Cameron Branston
Surfing and the Environment: How Shaping Boards Can Make a Difference

In many areas of the U.S., tap water may contain unwanted chemicals and toxins that the human body shouldn’t absorb. Tap water often contains high levels of lead, arsenic, copper, chlorine, or VOC’s (volatile organic compounds). These chemicals can lead to diseases and in severe cases, cancer. To prevent harm from these chemicals, many choose to buy bottled water instead. Unfortunately, bottled water is often no different than tap water itself and costs much more, environmentally and financially.

Bottled water, in many cases, is filtered tap water with a fancy label. In a study performed comparing bottled water to tap water, 40% of bottled water was found to be identical to filtered tap water. Most bottled water companies use water from the very same municipality that households use for tap supply.

Bottled water can often be less safe than water from your tap. Major bottling companies are not required to test for e.coli, provide the source of the water, or even provide a test for quality of health. All tap water resources are required to do so and can’t distribute water unless they pass these tests. If that still doesn’t worry you, over 20% of bottled water contains levels of contaminants over state health limits. These contaminants can sometimes include MTBE (a chemical found in fertilizer), arsenic, Coli form bacteria, and nitrates. These chemicals can also cause cancer, as well as pre-mature death at any age.

Purchasing bottles of water is not financially responsible, as they cost over 10,000 times the amount than tap water, which is often the same quality. Considering one bottle costs anywhere from 1 to 4 dollars, the costs can add up over a long period of time. On average, the average consumer needlessly spends over $175 on bottled water per year.

Discarded bottles contribute to a large portion of trash that doesn’t get recycled. Only 1 out of 5 bottles are recycled, creating over 3 billion pounds of discarded plastic waste. Ironically, most of this is dumped back into our water, making our natural resources even worse. Not only does it damages our natural resources, but inflicts a toll on our precious oil reserves as well. 17 million barrels of oil are used by bottling companies per year, which could fuel over a million cars a year!

So how can you avoid the problems of bottled water while avoiding the chemicals from your tap? By installing a whole-house filtration system, you can save money while enjoying clean, pure water. Filtration systems will prevent dangerous chemicals in your tap supply from entering your household, reducing the chances of toxin-induced disease.

Filtration systems purify the water throughout your home, so you can enjoy contaminant-free water at your convenience. Your showers will be free of chlorine and chemicals as well. You will enjoy the improved taste, while causing no further damage to the environment or your wallet.

Charles Brown works as an analyst for the Water Team. He does most of his work online through articles and forums in helping people solve their water problems. He specializes in “hard water” treatments and water contamination.

For more information on the best water filtration system available for you and your household, visit http://www.puriteam.com.

Article Source: Charles_R_Brown
The-Truth-Behind-Bottled-Water&id=6392078

If you are thinking about building a new home, consider the new technology of eco modular homes. Eco modular homes or pre-fabricated homes are especially popular for holiday homes in a range of conditions, whether by the beach, on a farm or in the country side.

Here are some of the many benefits of choosing an eco modular home over a conventional home.

Transportable

The eco friendly building company will transport the modular units of your new home to the construction site, and your new home can be erected very quickly.

Use of Eco Friendly and Recycled Materials

Modular homes use eco friendly materials, though it’s best to discuss with your building company, exactly the types of materials that will be used, and where they are sourced from. Many environmentally friendly building companies also try to make use of recycled materials where possible.

The use of renewable materials such as bamboo for flooring is a popular option, and makes for a durable and long lasting option. Such flooring also looks smart and is easy to maintain.

Energy Efficient Lighting

These homes are built with energy efficiency in mind, and incorporate features such as the use of energy efficient lighting, and glazing on windows.

Water Saving Devices

They usually incorporate low flow water features in the bathroom, kitchen and laundry areas of the house, to reduce water consumption.

Compact Construction

These types of homes are usually compact in nature. They are constructed at a central manufacturing location, and delivered to the building site, and can be built on small lot sizes and on compact blocks.

Aesthetically Pleasing Designs

The aesthetics and visuals of these houses are usually pleasing to the eye, and there are many designs to choose from to suit a range of tastes.

Quick Installation

The prefabricated structure of these homes means that they are easy to erect. So you won’t be waiting for six months or a year down the track for your new holiday to be built.

Highly Affordable

The costs of a modular home are usually more affordable compared to the costs of building a traditional home.

Practical Solution

They are also practical to live in, and involve minimal maintenance to keep them in good condition. That way, you can enjoy your holidays fuss free without spending half your holidays attending to house maintenance issues. Spend your holidays on your recreational pursuits, whether it be fly fishing, swimming, or just lazing around your new house.

Variety of Uses

As well as making good holiday homes, modular homes are fast becoming a popular option as an extension to your existing home. Whether you have aging parents or in laws who need accommodation, or need an adjoining granny unit facility, a modular home is an attractive solution to consider for your existing block.

The next time that you consider building a new holiday home or need a granny unit on your existing block of land, consider innovative, modular housing technology. It looks smart and is a worthwhile environmentally friendly housing option to consider.

For tips and resources on eco modular homes and more, visit the Easy Living Green Tips blog.

EMMA G DAVIS is passionate about living a greener, more sustainable lifestyle. Take action to green your life today and get your free mini course at Easy Living Green Tips.

Article Source: Emma G. Davis
Eco-Modular Homes: Visually Appealing, Environmental Friendly, and a Great Option for Your New Home

The tiger, as we all know is India’s national animal. Occupying a position at the very top of the food chain, it is a very crucial constituent of our ecology. From over 10,000 of them just a few years ago to less than 1,500 right now, the rapid decline in their numbers is absolutely shocking. If left this way, the repercussions, which follow will not only, be far reaching but also quite disastrous. Let us just analyze the situation and see if there is anything at all we can do to save them.

Firstly let us look at the main reasons which have led to this situation. At very early stages, before the start of this century, tigers roamed around the whole country freely. However, as human population increased, massive amounts of their natural habitats- forests were destroyed to accommodate people and their livelihood. Tigers were also considered as a threat to human lives, and hence were shot, poisoned and killed. At the time of the British rule, a huge number of them were hunted down in the name of sport. Presently, they are mainly confined to wildlife reserves, which are supposed to a safe haven for them, but have unfortunately not been able to do a good job at protecting them. Tigers serve as living goldmines to poachers who hunt them down for their skin, bones and other organs to sell them off for exorbitant prices to China which has a huge demand for these ‘luxury items’. Rampant hunting of other animals which form prey to Tigers along with the destruction of green cover, leading to empty forests is another issue.

The biggest reason however is the extremely low protection in the confined areas. Most of our wildlife reserves neither have the resources nor the expertise to effectively handle poaching. India has some of the most stringent wildlife laws in the world but lack proper enforcement. The tiger is protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act and killing one is punishable with a maximum penalty of 7 years in prison and a fine of over Rs.10, 000 except of course when the person kills it in self defense.

Encroachment of a tiger habitat also garners similar penalty. But very few people are caught and fewer are successfully prosecuted. Each state bears the responsibility of protecting natural resources in its region, but wildlife conservation hardly attracts any attention from the government owing to other ‘burning’ issues which manage to get higher priority from them. This has resulted in low political awareness and subsequently low political will towards wildlife conservation.

Our tigers are not disappearing because of being attacked by a deadly virus or being inflicted by an incurable disease, they are dying due to a failure of a system designed to protect them. They are a resilient species that breeds well and is known to thrive in different kinds of habitats. All that is needed is a safe and healthy habitat with adequate protection from human interference and attack, and you can see them bouncing back to healthy numbers again.

As citizens of India it is all our responsibility to protect our national animal. At this point, you might wonder what I can do to save the tiger; I am just another corporate employee. A lot can be done by creating awareness.

Every one of us should do whatever little we can in this direction and it won’t be long before saving the tiger assumes priority in the eyes of our government officials. It is our duty to give our kids a chance to see live tigers walking and roaring and not as stuffed specimens in a museum.

Article Source: Radha Krish Nan
Tiger: A National Emergency!

As the going green lifestyle continues to gain momentum around the world, your kids may be asking you about what it means to go green. You’ll want to set a good example, so that your children can follow in your footsteps.

Here are three go green for kids ideas to consider:

Educational Games about the Environment

There are many educational games available on the Internet that teach the kids about the environment. Computer games these days are interactive and fun, and will keep the children amused for hours on end. Some games include themes such as as how to save energy, and quiz shows on various green topics such as reducing waste.

Other fun games revolve around how to make your local town more environmentally friendly, and on how to reduce, reuse and recycle different materials.

Educational information delivered in an easy to learn format, and special sound effects and animation will keep the kids occupied. If you haven’t already explored the joy of educational games on the environment, it’s time to get some games for the kids. Many games are also free or low cost for all to enjoy.

Having fun whilst learning is the key to educating the kids about going green and the environment. It doesn’t have to be a boring lecture on the environment which sends the kids to sleep, or so complex that they don’t comprehend the basic facts about the environment.

Going Green in Your Garden

You can teach the kids to go green by getting them involved in activities around the house such as growing a vegetable garden. Take them to the nursery to buy seedlings, and let them get their hands dirty to plant seedlings in the soil. Teach them to nurture and water the plants every day, and watch their seedlings grow into young plants. Soon they can reap the rewards of their labor when it’s time to harvest fruits and vegetables from their own garden.

It can be a rewarding experience for the kids to nurture young plants, and harvest them as fresh ingredients for use in dishes at home. Just like with caring for pets, time and effort is involved to look after a vegetable garden in your own yard.

Going to School

Rather than take the car out of the garage, starting up the engine and heading a few blocks to drop the kids off at school, consider cycling or walking them to school. It can be a fun activity for the whole family to cycle to school together. Forget about getting stuck in traffic jams when driving your kids to school. If the kids are at an age where they already know how to ride their bide, then you could do a practice run or two, to familiarize them with the route to school. The older children can look out for the younger kids, and make sure that everyone gets to school safely.

Make sure to check the condition of the children’s bicycles if they haven’t been used in a while and have been stored in the garage. Check the brakes, and ensure that they have the right safety equipment such as bike helmets to wear. A refresher on road rules and watching for cars, pedestrians and other cyclists is also essential before setting off on the roads.

These are just three simple go green for kids ideas. There are plenty more ways to entertain and educate the kids about the environment.

For more useful go green for kids ideas, visit the Easy Living Green Tips blog.

EMMA G DAVIS is passionate about living a greener, more sustainable lifestyle. She is the ebook author of “The Little Green Book- Sustainable Living Made Simple”. Take action to green your life today and get your free mini course at Easy Living Green Tips.

Article Source: Emma G. Davis
Go Green for Kids: Going Green Is Not Just for the Adults – It’s Critical for Future Generations

Today is the first official day of summer! The weather is nicer, the vegetables are fresher, and every upstate New Yorker is ecstatic they don’t need to turn on their heat for a few months. It’s so much easier to live green in the summer time, so here are some quick tips to reduce your carbon footprint for the next few months.

1. Buy local fruits and vegetables. When the weather is warm, it’s much easier to buy local since so many foods are in season. We have an awesome public market in downtown Rochester (they won America’s Favorite Farmer’s Market contest in 2010!) that always has an amazing selection in the summer. Best of all, you’re reducing your carbon footprint since the food traveled a short distance to get from the farm to your dinner table (don’t forget your reusable bags!).

2. Eat less meat. It takes more money and energy to produce meat than it does to produce crops. If you’re a hardcore carnivore, you don’t need to cut meat out of your diet all together; it’s just easier to eat less meat in the summer summer since the local produce is so fresh. Try to make your dinner meat-free for one night a week this summer. Grill local vegetables without the chicken this week.

3. Bike or walk instead of driving for shorter distances. Most of the driving we do is within 2 miles of our house. With the high gas prices today, your wallet will thank you (and the earth will too!). It’s also a great way to get your exercise and get your errands done at the same time.

4. Turn up/off your AC! As refreshing as it is to walk into your chilled home after a long day in the heat, turn your air conditioner temperature up when you’re not in the house. If you have an individual AC unit for a room, only turn it on when you’re in the room. If you keep your AC up just one degree above your normal temperature setting, you can reduce your summer cooling costs by 4%!

5. Dry your clothes outside. If you have room in your yard, hang your clothes out to dry. You’ll save tons of energy by not using your dryer all summer. It takes approximately $194 to run a dryer every year. Cut this cost in half by hanging your clothes during the warm months!

6. Hydrate with tap water. With all the water you’ll be drinking this summer, it’s a waste to keep drinking it out of the plastic bottles. Ditch the bottles, get a water filter (if you don’t want to drink tap), and a good, reusable water bottle. 877 plastic water bottles are wasted every second; don’t contribute to that statistic!

If these 6 simple steps are too much for you to handle, try doing little bits of these steps. Eat a meatless dinner once a month. Dry your clothes outside just a few times this summer. If you choose to still drink bottled water, always recycle the bottles. Every little bit helps! We’re all happier when the weather is nicer, so let’s make the earth happier by treating it right this summer.

Zach Hussion
Director of Marketing
Sunnking Electronics Recycling

About Sunnking Electronics Recycling – Founded in 2000, Sunnking Inc. is New York States first EPA R2 Certified Electronics Recycling, Data Destruction, & Asset Management company dealing in end of life electronic equipment. Their facilities located in Buffalo, Rochester, and Brockport, NY, specialize in collecting, refurbishing, reselling, and recycling electronic products from residential and commercial suppliers throughout New York State and surrounding areas. For more information please visit our website at http://www.sunnking.com or contact us at 1-877-860-7866.

Article Source: Zach Hussion
6 Tips to Live a Greener Summer