Archive for the ‘Environment’ Category
Car manufacturers tout their efficiency. Consumer advocates dispute claims of 60-plus miles per gallon gas efficiency. Amidst the controversy, environmentalists still claim, in the absence of anything better – that hybrid vehicles are still better for the environment than their traditional gas-guzzling counterparts.
Hybrids, known for the way they combine both gas and electric power to offer a cleaner ride, have come under fire in recent months for their inability to reach gas mileage milestones set by the manufacturers. Critics say that most fail to live up to claims of getting more than 60 miles to a single gallon of gas. Advocates argue that recent studies confirm the same is true for efficiency ratings set on traditional engines, still making hybrids the better deal environmentally.
Touted as the gas-saver of the future when introduced in 1999, hybrids are known to use a fraction of the gas due to their ability to “share the burden”, with their electric motors. Full hybrid vehicles allow the electric motor to work independently of the more traditional internal combustion engine, while driving at low speeds. This in turn saves gas, and stops harmful emissions from entering the atmosphere. During an idle stop, a full hybrid actually shuts itself off, letting the electric motor take over to eliminate unnecessary idling and emissions.
Consumers should be aware, however, that the mild hybrids focus remains on traditional gas consumption, with the electric motor only assisting the gas engine at high speeds when more power is needed, thus making the mild hybrid much less environmental friendly than its full hybrid counterpart.
Great for in town drivers, the full hybrid allows slow speeding drivers to virtually use only the electric motor, thus saving even more gas, and eliminating harmful emissions into the environment.
Despite any controversy surrounding today’s hybrid vehicles, consumers seem eager to do what they can to decrease the harmful effects of emissions on the environment and save a few bucks at the pumps. Production of hybrid vehicles has tripled in the last four years, with production expected to double in 2007. The Yano Research Institute Ltd. estimates that by 2015, nearly 5.37 million hybrid vehicles will be on the global road, compared to less than one million last year.
Manufacturers have jumped on the bandwagon, with Honda, Toyota, Ford, Lexus and Chevrolet, all offering their own hybrid varieties. Newer models sport higher-powered and faster models, even making hybrid SUV’s and trucks available to the consumer. Of course, the heavier the vehicle, and the faster it rides, the more gas it is bound to use, despite the use and size of the internal electric motor.
Still, hybrids remain the most gas efficient and environmental friendly vehicles in mass production today.
Conservation of the environment has always been an important concern for all of us. There has always been a continued effort in checking the processes that produce harmful wastes polluting the environment. One such process that needs concern in this regard is printing. In the digital age, printed material still has a lot of importance. Printed products such as booklets, brochures, business cards, notepads, postcards, calendars, stationery products, posters etc are always high on demand and thus are produced extensively.
It is a matter of concern that printing houses not only produce harmful wastes but also are one of the major users of natural resources. Thus the need is to print green. Green printing refers to the process of printing that conserves the environment. Most printing houses produce volatile organic compounds that if accidentally released into the environment not only add to air pollution but also damage soil and groundwater. Green printing takes care of this and implements measures to reduce the production of volatile organic compounds into the atmosphere.
Green printing also regulates the use of natural resources. The process of printing relies heavily on natural resources such as trees and fossil fuels. Green printers that are certified by an authoritative agency check the amount of energy usage and keep it to the minimum while carrying on a particular printing process. The jobs are carefully planned to render optimum print quality at minimum use of natural resources. Papers required for printing is sourced only from companies certified by an authoritative certifying agency. This ensures that the paper comes from forests that are in compliance with proper environmental standards. Besides, electricity is used to the minimum and the supplies including paper are recycled and reused to curb down the consumption of natural resources giving rise to environment friendly printing.
The need of printed products is constantly on rise among the consumers. While eco-friendly printing green might cost a bit more than traditional printing, whatever extra you pay is your personal effort towards environment conservation.
Plastic, paper and cotton bags are probably the easiest and cheapest options when it comes to containing and transporting foods, powders, ice, chemicals and even wastes. Billions of single-use plastic bags are distributed free of cost every day. These free single-use bags might seem to be of great advantage apparently, but as the old adage goes, nothing in this world comes for free. We pay heavily for using each of these bags with our environment and future.
If we take into account the “cradle to grave” multiple impacts and the effects of each phase of these bagsâ life we will be able to illustrate the actual costs paid by our environment and society for the fleeting convenience of unlimited, free, single-use plastic bags.
Firstly, the production of these plastic bags requires a large amount of petroleum and natural gas. These production materials are non-renewable resources and thereâs always a risk that unnecessary use of these resources might lead to scarcity. Moreover, the process to acquire these resources immensely contributes to the destruction of the fragile habitats and ecosystems around the world. The production of plastic bags also requires a lot of toxic substances to be used. These toxic substances in turn produce pollution and harm the environment. Energy consumption required for the production of these bags is also huge. This contributes effectively towards global warming.
These bags might be distributed for free to the consumers but definitely does not come free to the retailers. The U.S. retailers alone incur an annual cost of approximately four billion U.S. dollars. When these bags are distributed, the costs are generally passed on to the consumers in the form of higher prices for the goods that they purchase. So, though the concept of these bags might seem to be free, in fact they also have some financial issues involved which ultimately are borne by the end-users.
The disposal and littering of these bags also threatens the environment and the future of mankind and all living forms. These plastic bags are often disposed off into water or littered on land. Thousands of marine lives are put into danger due to this. Sea turtles, whales and other such marine mammals often mistakes these plastics for food and end up dead. When swallowed these plastics choke them or block their intestine resulting in a painful death. Same is the fate of several cows, goats and other such lad animals that often end up eating pieces of plastic while foraging for food. Moreover, it takes almost thousands of years for these pieces of plastic to completely degrade on land. They break down into tiny bits and contaminate soil and water.
So we see that in-spite of the plastic beings âfreeâ of cost, thereâs actually a major cost that needs to be paid indirectly and it threatens the mere existence of all living forms on the face of the earth. Mass movements are taking place all over the world in order to reduce the consumption of these plastic and paper bags due to their ill-effects on the environment. Luckily, though, we have seen the introduction of reusable, eco-friendly and environment safe bags on the market to substitute them. These bags are generally made of Polypropylene. They are simple to produce, strong and can be made of different weight or thickness depending on the intended use. Bags made of this durable material are water repellent and avoids bacteria and odor. They are not affected by chemicals or solvents and comply with FDA regulations.
The reusable, eco-friendly bags proves to be a perfect alternative to the toxic plastic or paper bags and should be adopted for a better, healthier and safer environment.