Pollution risk to sea air

Sea air is generally regarded as healthy, but it may be polluted with dangerous chemicals from ships, say scientists.

Dirty smoke pouring out of the funnels of ships at sea or in port is having a major impact on the air quality of coastal cities, a study has found.

Researchers used a chemical fingerprinting technique to identify "primary sulphate" in ship emissions. This consists of tiny sulphur particles, less than 1.5 microns across, which can be carried long distances on the wind. Breathed in, they lodge deep inside the lungs and pose a serious health hazard.

It is estimated that ship pollution may be responsible for as many as 60,000 deaths a year worldwide.

The US scientists from the University of California at San Diego (UCSD) found that ships contributed far more of the sulphate in the atmosphere than was previously realised.

Their analysis separated primary sulphate from ship smoke and other sources, such as vehicle exhaust emissions. Air samples showed that 44% of the sulphate polluting coastal California could be traced to ships.

On some days ship sulphate accounted for almost a half of the fine particles in the air. Ships burning high sulphur fuel in the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach and San Diego were largely to blame, the scientists discovered.

From July next year, all tankers, cargo and cruise ships sailing into Californian ports will have to switch to more expensive, cleaner fuels when they come within 24 miles of the coast. Similar international rules are due to take effect in 2015.

The research was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Professor Mark Thiemens, who led the scientists, said: "This is the first study that shows the contribution of ships to fine particulates in the atmosphere. Ships are really unregulated when it comes to air pollution standards. What we wanted to find out was the contribution of ships to the air pollution in San Diego. And what we found was a surprise, because no one expected that the contribution from ships of solid sulphur-rich particles, called primary sulphate, would be so high."

Tips for Having a Green Planet Along With Your Beautiful Car

The world is no longer cool as it used to be some years ago. The earth has become warmer. Many places in the world do not get the same level of snowfall now. Rain does not drench the earth quite often.

This entire world is going through a big problem called ‘Global Warming’.
Global Warming and the bad Green House Effect are on the verge of ruining our planet. The main reason behind this is the pollution.

Among all the things that contribute to bad gas emission, cars are considered to be the biggest contributors of pollution. But, today it is not possible to throw our favorite cars in junkyards for the sake of environment. However, we can drive a responsible way to save the earth.

You need not sit in your car just to go to a supermarket nearby. It will not only waste your fuel but will also cause unnecessary pollution. You can walk or use a bicycle instead.

Japanese have set the best example in this regard. You can find maximum number of cyclists on Tokyo roads. You can imagine how much pollution they avoid by doing so. They use their well managed common mode of transportation to avoid pollution. They seem to be quite good in saving the world.

When driving, choose a route that does not have congestion. Try to do all your work in a trip or two. Get a pollution check every month.

If you are planning to buy a new car, you can go for a ‘hybrid car’. These cars are the best when it comes to avoid pollution as they run on LPG gas instead of petrol.

Lead Poisoning in Environment and Our Children:

Pollution is generallyy defined as the release of harmful environmental contaminants. Pollution can take two major forms: local pollution and global pollution. In the past, only local pollution was thought to be a problem. For example, coal burning produces smoke and in sufficient concentrations can be a health hazard. One slogan, taught in schools was "The solution to pollution is dilution". In recent decades,
awareness has been rising that some forms of pollution pose a global problem.

Traditionally, serious pollution sources include chemical plants, oil refineries, nuclear waste dumps, regular garbage dumps (many toxic substances are illegally dumped there), incinerators, PVC factories, car factories, plastics factories and corporate animal farms creating huge amounts of animal waste.

Lead is still the single most important chemical toxin for children and is probably the best known example of a neurotoxin to which children are particularly vulnerable. Their special vulnerability to lead is related to their exposure (hand–mouth activity, ingestion of paint chips),the fact that upon exposure children absorb four times more lead than adults, and their susceptibility at a critical period of brain development.

Children may be exposed to lead in leaded petrol from car
emissions, water contaminated by lead pipes, old paint, emissions from factories, contaminated soil and food contaminated by environmental sources (including improperly glazed ceramic ware for cooking and food storage).

Lead particles can move with water, soil, dust and wind. The neurotoxic effects of lead depend on the exposure level and the stage of nervous system development at the time of exposure. Studies have documented that developmental exposure to lead can adversely affects several specific brain functions, resulting in particular in learning disabilities, attention deficit, poor motor coordination, and inadequate language development. Do a thorough check of your home and always watch what your children are putting in their mouths.

Save Gas and Produce Less Pollution With Synthetic Lubricants:

Our mechanized society cannot function without lubricants. The dilemma is oil is both necessary for our life-style and potentially destructive to nature. Quite simply, we must select innovative, efficient products that will help solve our pollution problems.

The introduction of synthetic motor oil in 1972 set all new standards for motor oil quality. They are specially designed to protect engine components, reduce emissions, last longer, reduce consumption and prevent environmental pollution. From the beginning, synthetic motor oils have out-performed conventional petroleum motor oils on all counts.

Synthetic oils resist chemical breakdown and sludging which keeps engines cleaner. They have been specifically designed not to oxidize, volatilize or shear back, resulting in a motor oil that lasts longer than conventional petroleum motor oils. While petroleum motor oil manufacturers recommend oil changes every 3,000 miles, AMSOIL synthetic motor oils protect engine components up to 35,000 miles or 1 year, dramatically extending oil change intervals.

PRESCRIPTION FOR PREVENTION:

According to the U.S. Department of Energy's Pollution Prevention Requirements, the first step in revitalizing a cleaner nation is pollutant source reduction.

Synthetic oil accomplishes this by extending the interval between motor oil changes which can reduce the source of motor oil pollution more than eleven times.

Consider this: in 1993 an estimated 189.5 million motorized vehicles were on the road in the United States alone, and an estimated 700 million motorized vehicles were in operation throughout the world. If, by petroleum oil manufacturer's recommendations, these vehicles have their oil changed every 3,000 miles on an average five-quart system, almost 1 billion quarts of used oil will be generated each month. So are we drowning in oil? It is estimated at present that over 240 million gallons of oil are improperly discarded annually. Dumping 240 million gallons of oil is nearly the same as two Exxon Valdez spills each month.

How dangerous is used oil? Just one quart can produce a two-acre oil slick. One gallon of oil can make one million gallons of water too foul to drink and 35 ppm of oil will kill fish. Improperly disposed used oil is dangerous.

Improperly dumped used oil seeps through landfills into ground water, disrupts bacterial digestion in sewer treatment plants and washes into lakes and harbors. At present, used motor oil is the largest single source of oil pollution in our nation's waterways. Certainly the first thing we can do is not create so much used oil to begin with and the United States Department of Energy seems to agree.

Where does all the used oil go?

40% is dumped on the ground or down the sewer.

21% is thrown out with the trash, ending up in landfills.

6% is burned.

19% is reused for miscellaneous purposes.

14% is recycled.

PREVENT BILLIONS OF QUARTS FROM BEING DUMPED

Most automobile manufacturers recommend oil drain intervals of 3,000 to 6,000 miles for petroleum motor oils. One synthetic oil company recommends up to a 35,000-mile oil change which is 5 to 11 times fewer oil changes. Just think about the savings on the environment if, for example, the 135 million cars (excluding trucks, buses and taxis) in the United States were equipped with synthetic motor oil. Assuming an average service-life of 100,000 miles and an oil capacity of 5 quarts each, 11.4 billion to 22.3 billion quarts of used oil will be generated during a regular service lifetime (with regular oil changes every 3,000 to 6,000 miles). If you put 22.3 billion quarts of used oil into 55-gallon barrels and loaded them onto semi-trucks, a line of trucks would stretch end-to-end from Los Angeles to Washington D.C. and back to Los Angeles.

LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE

In 1983 AMSOIL Inc. created the TRI-GARD system. The life of a lubricant is dependent on the quality of oil and the filtration system's ability to keep it clean. The AMSOIL TRI-GARD system incorporates Synthetic Motor Oil, a Foam Air Filter, the AMSOIL By-Pass Filter and oil analysis to dramatically extend the oil change interval. Less oil changed means less oil disposal and less oil pollution. With regards to the environment, the TRI-GARD System is the most technologically sound, environmentally friendly motor oil program to reduce oil disposal.

OTHER ECOLOGICAL/ECONOMICAL BENEFITS OF SYNTHETIC OIL

Reduces Emissions: Increases Engine Life

Each year nearly 600 million gallons of motor oil are burned and exit through the tailpipes of cars and trucks, creating emissions pollution. Petroleum oils volatilize (burn off) more readily than synthetic oils and create more emissions pollution.

Of all the oils tested, synthetic oils shows dramatically less weight loss . . . less than half the weight loss of its closest counterpart. Some oils tested lost 20 percent of their weight. That means almost one fifth of the oil boils away and is released into the environment. For most cars, that's approximately a quart of oil being burned and expelled into nature.

The thicker oil left behind after volatization contributes to damaging deposits, sticky piston rings and oil blow-by, all of which cause reduced engine life, reduced fuel economy and increased air pollution.

"Each month, petroleum products emit the equivalent of an 'oil spill' into the Los Angeles Basin's air as massive as the 10-million-gallon spill from the Exxon Valdez, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District." (Truckers' News Magazine)

GREATER FUEL ECONOMY

The advanced lubricity (slipperiness) of synthetic lubricants has been proven to increase fuel economy by 2-5%. Synthetics reduces friction and allows your engine to use its heat-energy more efficiently.

How Much Is a 5% Savings in Fuel? The average person drives slightly more than 10,000 miles each year. A 5% savings in fuel gives you more than $42 in savings a year (assuming you get 30 mpg, at $2.60 per gallon). And if you get 20 mpg a 5% savings in fuel gives you $62 in savings a year!

Worldwide Vehicle Population: 1970: 245 million 1985: 520 million 2005: 900 million, these vehicles change oil 3 times each year and have 5 quart systems, 1 billion quarts of waste oil will is generated each month.

GLOBAL WARMING EFFECT

After years of debate, consensus among most of the world's scientists holds that we are warming the planet. Unless we take steps now to curb global warming, our way of life, our planet, and our children are all in grave danger. There is hope. Each us can make simple decisions that will reduce global warming pollution.

The biggest impact of climate change falls on the poorest countries. These extracts from OneWorld Country Guides offer a glimpse into the inconvenient collateral damage of global warming. Ill-prepared even to assess the risks let alone adapt to them, these developing countries face disruption to their poverty reduction plans whilst those most responsible for the carbon footprint allow domestic concerns to stall negotiations.

SOME DISASTERS OCCURRED DUE TO GLOBAL WARMING

On October 8, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Pakistan, India and Afghanistan—killing at least 43,000 people and leaving more than 3 million people homeless. Residents of the affected region are no stranger to suffering, having been at the epicenter of a tense political conflict for more than 50 years. Natural disasters have the potential to destroy dwellings, damage livelihoods, and spark disease epidemics. In some cases, however, natural disasters create suffering that cuts across the divides of conflict, prompting common relief needs and opening paths to reconciliation.

EARTHQUAKE IN CHINA

CHENGDU, China - A powerful earthquake toppled buildings, schools and chemical plants Monday in central China, killing more than 8,700 people and trapping untold numbers in mounds of concrete, steel and earth in the country's worst quake in three decades.

The 7.9-magnitude quake devastated a region of small cities and towns set amid steep hills north of Sichuan's provincial capital of Chengdu. Striking in midafternoon, it emptied office buildings across the country in Beijing and could be felt as far away as Vietnam.

Xinhua reported 8,533 people died in Sichuan alone and 216 others in three other provinces and the mega-city of Chongqing.

INCREASED EVAPORATION

Over the course of the 20th century, evaporation rates have reduced worldwide this is thought by many to be explained by global dimming. As the climate grows warmer and the causes of global dimming are reduced, evaporation will increase due to warmer oceans. Because the world is a closed system this will cause heavier rainfall, with more erosion. This erosion, in turn, can in vulnerable tropical areas (especially in Africa) lead to desertification due to deforestation. On the other hand, in other areas, increased rainfall lead to growth of forests in dry desert areas.

Scientists have found evidence that increased evaporation could result in more extreme weather as global warming progresses. The IPCC Third Annual Report says: "...global average water vapor concentration and precipitation are projected to increase during the 21st century. By the second half of the 21st century, it is likely that precipitation will have increased over northern mid- to high latitudes and Antarctica in winter. At low latitudes there are both regional increases and decreases over land areas. Larger year to year variations in precipitation are very likely over most areas where an increase in mean precipitation is projected.
Our Earth is going to Destroy day by day.
Ozone Layer is Getting completely Destroyed