The oxford dictionary defines global warming as the increase in temperature of the earth’s atmosphere that is caused by the increase of particular gases, especially carbon dioxide.

So how does it work? How nature intends for the sun to heat the earth is for the sun to shine UV rays down on the earth. These rays should then bounce off the earth and back out into space. To keep the Earth’s temperature in balance some of these rays are blocked by the atmosphere from making it to outer space. The heat from these rays are then used to keep the earth at the temperature nature intended. However we are messing with nature’s intentions. What is happening now is a severe increase in the amount of greenhouse gases being sent into our atmosphere due to advancements in technology and our huge dependence on heavy industry and fossil fuels. These gases act as a shield so that when UV rays bounce off the earth now the majority of them are trapped by these gases instead of continuing into space. The result of this is that these trapped rays end up heating the earth beyond the desired temperature.

Since the early 20th century the earth’s temperature has increased by 1.4 degrees. The majority of this increase has occurred since the 1980s. 1.4 degrees that’s not so bad, right? Wrong. The majority of the environmental disasters you hear about on the news every evening, scientists are attributing to this increase in temperature.

Critics will argue ‘that’s rubbish there have always been natural disasters, before we ever even heard about global warming’. Ok so, I guess their right, the increase in weather related natural disasters from 120 per year during the 1980s to roughly 500 per year now is just a coincidence (insert sarcasm here). That is an increase of around 400% since the 1980s. If you look closer you will notice the number of natural disasters started to increase right about the same time the earth’s temperature started to increase but that’s probably just another coincidence as well. Remember this is the result of 1.4 degree increase in the Earth’s temperature. This figure is set to reach 8 degrees in the next hundred years if current trends continue you can do the math on that one.

Scientists have also noted a rapid melting of the polar ice caps due to global warming. When an ice cube melts in a glass it turns to water and will increase the volume of water in the glass. Imagine this on a scale so large that the ice cube is a continent and the glass is the world’s oceans and then guess what happens. That’s right our ocean’s levels rise and swallow up coastal areas all over the world. At the moment, we can see evidence of it happening in Thailand and this is one of many examples where hundreds have died and millions displaced because of severe flooding. In the future, low lying countries, such as The Netherlands, could be completely submerged and cease to exist if this trend is left to continue.

The whole point of this article was not to leave you with nightmares but to educate you into action. There are so many steps we can take on our own and as a society to help reduce our carbon footprint and leave a safe environment for our future generations.

‘In life, lots of people know what to do, but few people actually do what they know. Knowing is not enough! You must take action’, Tony Robbins

So now you know, don’t wait until tomorrow, start today, live green, protect our planet.

Wind is a clean, renewable energy source that can be used to power urban utilities and homes located in remote sites.The interest in wind as an energy source surged in 1973 following the OPEC oil embargo. There were many tax incentives, at both the Federal and state levels, and aggressive government-led research programs triggering the development and use of wind as an energy source. Wind power is cost-competitive with fossil fuels in many parts of the world. As we continue to improve and develop wind turbines, they are likely to become more competitive.

Many do not realize that power generated by the wind is actually another form of solar energy. As land, water and air are heated by the sun at the earth’s surface, areas absorb this heat at different rates; the resulting differentials in temperature create air and water movement that manifest themselves as ocean currents and wind.

Technologies involving wind power take advantage of this natural force and generate electricity, rather than just blowing leaves allover your yard. Man has been taking advantage of this wind generated power for well over a 5,000 years, from wooden windmills used in Holland to grind wheat and other grains, to the large sailing ships of old and small sailboats of today. It should also be noted that these large windmills were also used in Holland to move large volumes of water in the process of land reclamation from the sea.

Even though the above methods did not generate electricity, they did use the wind for mechanical energy by reining it into a form of physical work. Comparing this use of wind to an electrical wind turbine is comparable to comparing a gasoline generator to a car, one designed to produce electricity while the other produces motion, but both of them using the same fuel. Mechanical energy captured in the spinning motion of a wind turbine is used to produce electricity, which is then used to charge a battery or power an electrical device.

The largest of wind turbines are self-contained power plants, generating electricity directly to the grid just like nuclear, hydro or coal power plants Many of these wind turbines when grouped together in a wind farm are located near a power substation that can accept and handle the electricity generated by these machines. The fastest growing energy source worldwide is the wind, growing 150% since 1990 which breaks down to approximately 20% per year.

Wherever there is a nominal level of wind, at least 12 miles per hour, wind energy is extremely viable as a year-round energy solution.

Owning a home is something that many people strive for. The problem is the expenses that also come with owning a home. There is taxes and utilities that need to be paid and it seems like they go up every day. You can actually do things in your home to save money on things like taxes and utilities and the answer is using alternative energy. By using an alternative energy source your home can even be self contained so you don’t need to depend on the electric company to supply your power.

With home ownership the main thing that most people over look is taxes. Paying taxes is just a fact of life and most people don’t complain too much since there really isn’t anything they can do other than find tax breaks and incentives that they can use and alternative energy may be one of those things that can get you that tax break. There are many tax breaks for people who use solar energy in their homes. You will need to check your local laws and see if you qualify for one of these credits that can really save you money on taxes. And although this is really a tax advantage to having solar power it also is one of those solar energy advantages as well.

Another advantage of solar power is the fact that you can save money on your utility bill. By installing an alternative energy system you can cut at least a percentage from your electric bill. You can also gain enough power to actually become self contained in your home and not rely any on the electric company. In some cases you can actually sell electricity back to the electric company for money or a credit. Imagine not having to pay anything for electricity in your home and with your excess you sell to the electric company. It would be nice to get some money from them after all.

While these solar power advantages are good they shadow the major theme of using green energy and that is saving the planet from pollution and problems from burning coal and fossil fuels. Using a renewable green energy source can reduce your carbon footprint of your home greatly and this helps not only you but everyone on the planet. So if you’re thinking of building a new home then make sure you look into some of the alternative energy systems that are available today. And if you want to add an alternative energy source to your home you can even do that.

When shopping for items to fill up your kitchen, you shouldn’t just look for appliances at cheap prices. You should buy sensibly. You need to consider not just the purchase price, but also the costs involved in having each of the items in your kitchen. That means, you need to think about how much it would cost you to operate and maintain it and even to have it repaired, if necessary.

For many appliance manufacturers in many countries, they place indicators about the energy efficiency rating of their products. This is usually true for refrigerators, freezers, and dishwashers. This is one of the factors you should consider when purchasing these items. Compare the star or number ratings and pick from the most energy-efficient ones. Having kitchen appliances like these can help you save on electric bills and will cost you less in the long run. Energy-efficient appliances also help you help save the environment.

If you’re checking out refrigerators, the ones tagged as energy-efficient should help you consume 20 percent less power than those that don’t bear any energy star rating. It would also help you a lot in saving electric bills and energy usage if you opt for a manual-defrost refrigerator. Those that operate with an automatic defrost function consume more energy, since it needs heat to defrost. But you need to make sure that you defrost your manual-defrost refrigerator before the ice builds up to more than a quarter of an inch. It would also be wiser to buy refrigerators with as few accessories as possible. Avoid buying those with built-in icemakers and water dispensers. Side-by-side models may look chic, but they consume a huge amount of energy – much more than two-door refrigerators with a top or bottom freezer.

When buying a dishwasher, look for one that has a “light wash” feature so you can have the choice of using less water. You should also try to look for a dishwasher that has an “air dry” function that’s more economical than “heat dry.” It’s built with a circulation fan so you don’t have to use heat and more energy to dry your dishes.

You should never go for cheap appliances for your kitchen. A low-priced refrigerator, dishwasher, microwave oven, or any other appliance doesn’t mean that you’ll have more value for your money. You do have to consider all the expenses it will entail while you use it in your home.

PV solar panels are types of solar panels that provide electricity by directly converting sunlight to electricity for consumption purposes. They are also referred to as photovoltaic panels with photo referring to light while the word voltaic refers to electricity. These panels are made of semiconductors which have the ability to absorb light. The PV solar panels work by getting energy from the sun and then converting the light into electricity. The electricity produced is then consumed while the excess power is fed in to the utility grid. The utility grid then takes on the responsibility of distributing the power to other consumers in the country.

The solar panels that are used in photovoltaic power generation have very many solar cells which contain photovoltaic materials. Some of the most common materials that can be used for photovoltaic include; cadmium telluride, polycrystalline silicon, monocrystalline silicon and amorphous silicon among may others.

The photovoltaic cells are made up of modules which have many cells in them. The PV panels also contain a protective layer at the top which is treated with silicon while the other layer is a polymer layer. The layers then undergo treatment so as to make them more relevant. In regards to this the top layer which contains silicon is treated so as to make it negatively charged while the back side is charged so that it becomes positive. Electricity is then produced by the panel through the top layer such that when the sun strikes the top layer, the electrons from the silicon are set loose and they move all the way to the top layer. Once the electrons have been picked, they are routed to through external circuits thus power is made available.

The fact that solar panels make use of the sun to produce electricity leaves many people wondering how they function at night or when there is no sun. When the sun is not available, the home can make use of electricity from the power, grid. This therefore makes it necessary to be connected to the national grid so that they don’t remain in darkness when there is no power. PV solar panels are also capable of producing excess power. When the panels produce more power than that needed by the house, the owner will get credit. This credit will prove to be useful in future because it will help in lowering some of your costs at a time when the PV solar panels produce less electricity.

Generally the use of PV solar panels for the provision of electricity is very good as it plays a major role in relieving a person off the huge power bills that they would otherwise get. The use of solar panels for power generation also reduces the high demand for electricity that is currently experienced. This therefore means that the use of PV solar panels reduces the strain on the utility grid and also increases the amount of power in the grid thanks to the excess power that can be produced once in a while by users of solar energy.