Effects of Global Warming

Global Warming, Climate Change, Global climate change, are all terms describing the strange trends in our Climate seen lately and observed as Global temperatures rising in concert with increased greenhouse gas emissions. We are seeing a lot of changes as in global temperatures rises, It snowed in Washington, but rained in Vancouver at the Olympics, Australia is suffering from water droughts for the last 15 years.

How is it called doesn’t really concern me what concerns me are the manifestations that have been discernible as:

1- Glaciers melting

2- Economic Consequences as result of hurricanes and cyclones

3- Water drought and increased heat waves

4- Famine

5- Endangered species

6- Vanishing tropical forests

7- Spread of diseases

8- Ocean acidification& Oxygen depletion in oceans

I will be discussing these effects one by one in successive posts, to today in my first post of the series, I will start by the Glaciers Melting process and where they are happening.

Please watch this video from NASA about global warming, melting ice and raising sea levels

http://bit.ly/globalwarmingsigns

Melting of the Polar Ice Caps has been observed closely as with it an avalanche of dangers will be triggered.

1. If the glaciers melted now, the sea water will rise about 230 feet (National Snow and Ice Data Center). There is almost 6 million cubic miles of water in glaciers, snow and ice caps. The rising oceans could swallow some coastal areas and low-lying islands.
2. Ice caps are formed from fresh water that can desalinate the ocean thus throwing the global eco system out of rack. Where organisms like fish, coral reefs and all other presence in ocean can vanish. Fisheries will be affected, including of wild salmon, trout and ocean fish as many rely on the cold water for breeding and food. On top of that desalinization can affect the ocean currents that regulate temperatures. It is a blessing in disguise though as it can slow some of the other effects of global warming in that area.
3. Several species of animals will be endangered in the Arctic circle as the temperature rises and the landscape changes
4. Currently, the sunlight rays are reflected by the white color of the icecaps to the space hence adding to the cooling of the Earth, if the ice caps are melted the only reflecting surface left will be the Ocean which is darker in color. Darker colors absorb the sunrays and do not reflect them adding to the warmth of the Earth.
5. Global glacier surface has shrunk by half, less melting water from glaciers in the summer means more drying of rivers and streams, needed for irrigation, and drinking water.

It is unclear of the melting of the glaciers has reached a point on no return. A positive feedback effect occurs where Glaciers are supplying oceans with their fresh water, and in the process, methane gas (Huge deposits of methane gas are trapped in ice crystals under the ocean) is released in the atmosphere which can further speed up global warming or climate change.

In my series we will discuss the effects of melting glaciers by geographical region and its effect on the surrounding areas.

Till next time,

Sahar Andrade

www.saharconsulting.com

www.linkedin.com/in/saharandrade

www.twitter.com/saharconsulting

www.facebook.com/saharconsulting

Today’s Definition of “Going Green”

Going Green, Environment, fighting Global warming are the new mantras of this century, of this decade, going green should be a mission for each one of us, in any industry or field.  I believe that

“Awareness creates Knowledge and Knowledge creates Change”, totally believe in a Green environment; practice green marketing and totally understand the needs as a green company needing to market its green products or services.

Going Green

Green is not a fad and is not going away anytime soon. But your product or service will if it doesn’t stand out from the green clutter. It’s simple, but not easy.

The bottom line is that it’s not good enough anymore to just be green; you have to be GREAT. Great products have to deliver beyond expectation.  Many business owners, think that using green methods to market a company might be too expensive, but it is actually the opposite as you will end up saving money on the long run.

Green product

A green company should evaluate if their Green product is unique, or if their Green services exceptional, are they original.  Businesses in general need to be positioned properly using their brand specially Green companies need to better package their branding and marketing efforts by creating and communicating their Unique Value Proposition or (UVP) properly to highlight how their products/ services:

1. Do a better job than the next green business
2. Does save money
3. Is efficient with less ecological impact

Average consumers are starting to suffer from “green fatigue.” They can’t understand why they have to pay a lot more for ecologically friendly products or services.

Your green message need to be translated to help creating sales, by showcasing how your products/ services are not only crucial to the environment but to the fate of the population and their children and grand children.

It is important to realize that your customers involved in the green are not involved to the same degree but they rather coexist in different tints of green.

• Pale Green:  They will buy Green products or apply Green principles only of it matches their budgets or their life styles- around 16% of the total US population
• Medium Green: They embrace the Green concepts only if it makes sense to their lifestyles and they can see immediate results.  Effectiveness is key to their embracing green.
• Dark Green: The great believers in Green, they are green no matter what and no matter how much it can or will cost them – around 19% of the total US Population

The biggest portion that needs to be targeted and catered to is the “Medium Green” as they can easily be swayed to be advocates for Green.  The older the age (55 and over) is the more they are inclined to buy Green products.

Look for Marketing companies or consultants that put your best Green foot forward educating people on how your products/ services are not only good for the environment but also good to their pockets and will save them money.

Full green marketing campaigns with media kits, multiple press releases, E-newsletters, e-brochures and regular brochures, website content, and electronic press kit can be launched paperless.

Going green should mean business sustainability as well as sustainability of natural resources. Some money saving marketing tips that also help preserve natural resources:

• Avoid as much as possible printing literature and save money by emailing PDFs or e-documents. PDFs and e-documents are easy to update, while 4-color printed sell sheets beside being expensive are outdated as soon as any information changes as phone numbers, prices, addresses, or new technology is to be considered.
• Use e-newsletters instead of a printed newsletter. These can also be stored on your website and can also helps your search engine optimization by allowing Google spiders to crawl your website for keywords and relative content.  So not only you save money by not printing, transportation, storing and mailing your oriented materials but you also helped save the environment by reducing the carbon footprint in the planet.  E-mailing your documents and newsletters require an opt-in mailing list not to be considered spam.
• Use Social Media Marketing to build your network and increase your mailing list eliminating the need for filing, sorting and cataloging business cards from networking meetings.
• Use your website as an online guide, create a frequently asked questions (FAQ) page on your website to decrease unnecessary phone calls and help with search engine results as well.
• Add your pamphlets, manuals as e-documents that are downloadable on your website.
• Create a follow-up form on your website, and ask your audience to opt-in to receive your news online periodically.

We (at our company) decided to be part of the green revolution to save our planets so we provide green alternatives for marketing materials including PDFs from the website or print on demand sales materials. We use 100% recycled paper products and special “green” inks that are ecologically safe.

Going Green should be each one of us mission in life, every little effort can help, not only better our lives but the lives of our children and grand children.  We don’t own the planet we are merely leasing or using it, so we need to maintain it or make it better for future generations.

Cheers,

Sahar Andrade

www.saharconsulting.com

www.saharconsulting.wordpress.com

www.linkedin.com/in/saharandrade

www.twitter.com/saharconsulting

Green is the new green

Does your organization need money? Join the club.

It seems everyone is looking for funding these days and many are complaining that it’s tough to find. Many of those same people, however, are not looking in the right places or don’t know how to make themselves sellable – and that can make all the difference.

Let’s say you’re a for-profit green company that wants financing, where do you look? For starters, are you even prepared to ask for money? Do you have a business plan? Do you have the skills and experience necessary for an investor to consider giving you capital? If you don’t, ask your friends and family first – and then get yourself ready. You could go online or buy a book about business plans or you could team up with someone that will make potential investors drool. Getting dollars for your private business is a lot like dating though, you have to have them like you before they will buy what you’re selling.

Now, let’s say you’re a nonprofit or have the potential to team up with one…now we’re talking. While most everyone is complaining that there are no public dollars left, the rest of us are looking at corporate or family foundations for relief. These aren’t the Gates or Rockefellers of the world but their cash is green all the same. All you need to do is be smart and find these smaller jewels that fund a couple million a year for philanthropic efforts. Add to it your green tint, and you’re sure to get more than a second glance.

So, if you’ve gotten this far you’re probably thinking – where do I find the money? The answer is all around you. Look at the companies you do business with: where you buy your electronics, your dinner, your cleaning products? Chances are these very same companies have a small foundation set up to fund people just like you.

And what if you want to find the family foundations? Well, the reality is that you have to spend money on some good databases or hire fools like me to find them for you. The truer answer is that family foundations stay hidden on purpose. They don’t want every schmo out there knocking on their door asking for money. They prefer to fund those that come through friends or those tenacious enough to hunt them down. But don’t fret, because once you find them, they are people just like you and I. Unless they are godless souls that just want to hold their money at a distance and laugh in our general direction - either way, it will be a fun trek.

So let’s recap. You’ve learned that if you’re in it for the money, you better be prepared or partner with a nonprofit, or simply just be very prepared. You’ve learned that nonprofits have little to gain now from government and you’ve learned that blogs sometimes tell you what you don’t want to hear.

That about sums it up. Cheers and enjoy the hunt.

Robert Ruano, LEED AP

Ecostrata Services

info@ecostratas.com

www.ecostratas.com

Book Review – The End of Energy Obesity

Book Review – The End of Energy Obesity
By Joanna Schroeder
Originally published on DomesticFuel.com

The End of Energy Obesity, by Peter Tertzakian. While this book has the same theme as most energy books these days, breaking America’s energy addiction, it varied from the most common used parallels and likened our country’s energy addiction to our country’s food addiction. It is an effective analogy.

Tertzakian writes, “Over the last decade, specifically in North America, our energy appetite has soared to such an extent that we are now energy obese.”

Throughout the book, Tertzakian outlines how America became energy obese as well as the way our country can curb its energy appetite as this will need to be done, in part, through a new energy diet that is compelling. He explains that energy sources, both renewable and nonrenewable will need to meet nine energy attributes. The higher the score, the better chance the energy source has of being successfully incorporated into our energy diet. The nine attributes include: versatility, scalability, storability and transportability, deliverability, energy density, power density, constancy, environmental sensitivity, and energy security.  Ultimately, Tertzakian feels that renewable energy has limited potential and his winning solution is increasing the use of natural gas.

For the most part, he stays the course with his metapor through the first two parts but he begins to wander off topic in part three as he delves into conservation, dissolving distance and the development of communication technologies. I also disagree with him in the sense that relying on an increase in natural gas is not the best way to go. Natural gas is a limited resource that fluctuates heavily in terms of pricing. An increase in the use of this energy source could cause our energy prices to become even more volitale. Yes, energy prices will increase as we ramp up the integration of alternative energy sources but over the long-term, prices will become more stable than they are now.

Ultimately the book presents some interesting ideas to mull over but if you’re short of time, just focus on the first half of the book. To read this book or any book I review, click here.

Joanna Schroeder, APR
Principal, 4R Communications
Phone: 636-399-4381
Email: jms@4RCommunications.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/joannaschroeder
Twitter: jmschroeder

I Blog! You can follow me at:
www.DomesticFuel.com
www.Gas2.org

Check out my book review blog at: www.domesticfuel.com/category/book-reviews/

Book Review - Climate Cover-Up

Book Review: Climate Cover-Up
By Joanna Schroeder
Originally published on DomesticFuel.com

This week we’re back to climate change, and the author James Hoggan, lays out the “crusade to deny global warming in “Climate Cover-Up.” For those of you familiar with the online green space, you may have come across the blog DeSmogBlog, which is co-founded by Hoggan. This site is dedicated to “out” those companies, experts and scientists who are (or were) trying to deny global climate change and manipulate the public. It also calls out the supporting characters to the deceit - the mainstream media.

Like companies who have been outed in their campaigns against ethanol, Hoggan outs companies like ExxonMobil who had campaigns against the existence of global climate change. Climate changed seemed to gain worldwide consensus in 2006/07 in part due to the success of Al Gore’s “Inconvenient Truth“. (For Gore fans, he just released his follow-up “Our Choice” last winter.)

Hoggan writes, “…no one seemed to be confused about climate change in 1988. The great scientific bodies of the world were concerned, and the foremost political leaders were engaged. So what happened then and now?” Well, that’s exactly what Hoggan lays out for the reader: a big fat smear campaign against the earth.

The result is lack of action and trust issues. Not surprisingly, people don’t trust Big Oil or Big Coal, they don’t trust corporations (they believe PR people help deceive the public on behalf of these corporations), they don’t trust our leaders, they don’t trust scientists (too much junk science), they don’t trust the media, they don’t trust their neighbors and ultimately, they doubt their own personal ability to stop climate change.

However, do not despair. Hoggan offers up solutions to cause a “turn-about” and ends with words of hope. He encourages everyone to delve into the science of global climate change and be “hypervigilant about sources, encourages vigilance and encourages leadership. And ends by saying, “So please, be bold. Be courageous. Be positive. Act and demand action….For this bears repeating: the world is worth saving.”

While this book is interesting for those who are concerned about global warming and would like to be more educated about climate change deniers, it may be best suited for public relations professionals. With everyone trusting no one, how we communicate about climate change needs an overhaul.

Joanna Schroeder, APR
Principal, 4R Communications
Phone: 636-399-4381
Email: jms@4RCommunications.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/joannaschroeder
Twitter: jmschroeder

I Blog! You can follow me at:
www.DomesticFuel.com
www.Gas2.org

Check out my book review blog at: www.domesticfuel.com/category/book-reviews/

Book Review – The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind

By Joanna Schroeder
Originally published on DomesticFuel.com

I have a new hero and his name is William Kamkwamba – “The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind.” William begins his story by writing, “A windmill means more than just power, it means freedom.” William was born in Malawi and like many in his country, his family struggled to survive in a country defined by drought and hunger. Unable to pay for school, William, gifted in the sciences, began spending his time in the library where he discovered how to bring electricity to his home with a windmill in the outdated American textbook, Using Energy.

What happened after he found that book is absolutely amazing – William spent months collecting the pieces that he would use to fashion a windmill out of junk. Fueled by ridicule and passion along with the support of his family and two best friends, William succeeded in creating a windmill that brought electricity to his home. Word spread and people began coming from miles and miles away to see “The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind.”

William understood what most take for granted – that electricity would help the family survive. It would replace the expensive kerosene that his family had to travel nearly seven kilometers to purchase. It would bring light to the darkness and it would allow them to pump water and irrigate the land, not only improving the bushel per acres of their crops, but allow them to plant and harvest two crops a year, helping to eliminate the months of hunger suffered year after year.

Book Review – The Chilling Stars

By Joanna Schroeder
Originally published on DomesticFuel.com /a>

Yesterday, in the post Countdown to Copenhagen, I mentioned that there are still quite a few scientists around the world who agree that climate change exists, but don’t agree about the cause. To kick off my three views in seven days series, is a review of the book, “The Chilling Stars A New Theory of Climate Change.” The authors are climate physicist Henrik Svensmark and award winning science writer Nigel Calder.

Let me start off by acknowledging that the majority of scientists believe that greenhouse gas emissions, primarily CO2, are causing global climate change. However, here is what Svensmark and Calder say about carbon dioxide. “To correct apparent over-estimates of the effects of carbon dioxide is not to recommend a careless bonfire of the fossil fuels that produce the gas. A commonplace libel is that anyone skeptical about the impending global-warming disaster is probably in the pay of the oil companies.”

They continue, “In fact, there are compelling reasons to economize in the use of fossil fuels, which have nothing to do with the climate–to minimize unhealthy smog, to conserve the planet’s limited stocks of fuel, and to keep energy prices down for the benefit of the poorer nations.”

So if climate change is not driven in part by CO2, as argued by the authors, then what is the primary driver of climate change?

The premise of Svensmark’s climate change theory is that the interplay between clouds, the sun and cosmic rays, have a greater effect on climate than man-made carbon dioxide. For those who don’t remember much of any science from high school or college a cosmic ray is comprised of sub-atomic particles from exploded stars. Read more

Countdown to Copenhagen

By Joanna Schroeder
First published on DomesticFuel.com

The countdown to the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference is on as the talks begin in six days. The conference, December 7-18, 2009 is a meeting of the UN to hash out a successor to the Kyoto protocol that is set to expire in 2012. The aim is to prevent global warming, and similar talks date back to the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio.

While we haven’t focused much on Copenhagen on this site, alternative energy will play one of the biggest roles during the summit for its potential to curb worldwide greenhouse gas emissions. According to an article in the Guardian, “Climate scientists are convinced the world must stop the growth in greenhouse gas emissions and start making them fall very soon. To have a chance of keeping warming under the dangerous 2C mark, cuts of 25%-40% relative to 1990 levels are needed, rising to 80%-95% by 2050. So far, the offers on the table are way below these targets.”

What I find most interesting is that while there appears to be a scientific consensus on the existence of global warming and that it is caused by greenhouse gas emissions, mainly CO2, there are still many scientists who don’t agree. As such, the question must be asked, should we be moving forward so quickly both in the U.S. and around the world, on climate policies based on greenhouse gas emission reductions?

Now, before you shoot me and accuse me of being indifferent to the environment and human health issues, less pollution is always good and many economists predict that the next “Green Revolution” (the first one was in the 70s) will help our country rise above the recession. That said, I do believe we need to do something, I’m just not convinced the options on the table are the right ones.

Therefore, over the next week, I’m going to be offering three views on climate change as laid out in three books focusing on global warming. From there, it’s up to you to decide what direction worldwide leaders should be taking.

To read these books or any I review, click here, and if you have a book you’d like me to review, email me at jomschro2071@gmail.com.

Joanna Schroeder, APR
Principal, 4R Communications
Phone: 636-399-4381
Email: jms@4RCommunications.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/joannaschroeder
Twitter: jmschroeder

I Blog! You can follow me at:
www.DomesticFuel.com
www.Gas2.org

Check out my book review blog at: www.domesticfuel.com/category/book-reviews/

Book Review – Cool It

By Joanna Schroeder
Originally published on Domesticfuel.com

What is the greatest crisis in the history of civilization? Global warming. Well, at least according to the media’s portrayal. However, according to Bjorn Lomborg, the author of “Cool It“, and the second review in my Copehagen Climate Conference three views in seven days series, while global warming is an concern, it is not the most pressing worldwide issue.

Lomborg writes, “That humanity has caused a substantial rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels over the past centuries, thereby contributing to global warming, is beyond debate. What is debatable, however, is whether hysteria and headlong spending on extravagant CO2-cutting programs at an unprecedented price is the only possible response.”

He continues, “Such a course is especially debatable in a world where billions of people live in poverty, where millions die of curable diseases, and where these lives could be saved, societies strengthened, and environments improved at a fraction of the cost.”

Has the worldwide frenzy surrounding global warming caused us to lose our common sense? Read more

Detail Xperts Conserve up to 300% in Water

Entrepreneur and engineer Emanuelle Williams is revolutionizing the car wash industry one car at a time. The Detroit based company he founded, Detail Xperts, is greening and mobilizing a new form of car wash that not only uses less water, it uses no toxic chemicals and is safer for both the cars owners and the car wash employees.

Detail Xperts was founded roughly six years ago when Emmanuelle’s son noticed how much water they were using to clean the car. As an engineer specializing in steam turbines and power plants, Emmanuelle started to think of a new way to operate an old business. Instead of the typical car wash, Emmanuelle created a machine that would use steam to clean the outside of the car. His hard work paid off, and Detail Xperts was born.

Emmanuelle’s company uses steam-cleaning machines that can clean fifteen cars with two gallons of water, while the average carwash uses an astounding 40 gallons of water per car. That’s a 300% water savings!  The company also uses no toxic chemicals on either the outside finish or the inside of the car, instead relying on natural lemon based products, and they are in the process of making and branding their own products as the business expands.

While many are aware of the amount of water use that goes into a traditional car wash, not all understand the chemicals that go into cleaning. Many companies use hydrogen fluoride to help polish rims. Chemicals like ammonium biflouride and benzene are also used in different parts of the operation, which are known to cause diseases such as leukemia and depression of the central nervous system.

Not only is the Detail Xperts method safer for those cleaning the car, its actually safer for the car owner as well. The steam cleaning method is so efficient at removing bacteria and other pathogens that Emmanuelle has recently won contracts from local emergency medical services for cleaning of ambulances and other service vehicles.

Since his first test run in 2004, Emmanuelle’s business has steadily been gaining ground. He continues to expand his business through franchise and to promote green entrepreneurship in a changing industry.

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