Three reasons to be sustainable

These are three reasons to be sustainable:

1. Because if you waste paper and stuff made from trees, then they will all be cut down. This will mean that they won't be able to turn Carbon Dioxide (CO2) into Oxygen (O2), and then we will all die because there is no Oxygen in the atmosphere.
2. If we don't stop polluting the atmosphere, then the Ozone layer will get thinner, and the hole in it will get bigger. This will allow more heat from the Sun to get in, and the Green-house gases will keep the heat in, so this will cause Global Warming*.
3. The Earth's natural resources take thousands (or even millions) of years to form, and then we humans are just burning them like there is no tomorrow. Firstly, if we keep doing this, it will contribute greatly to Global Warming*. Secondly, the fumes from burning it are going to cause major health issues for those who are stuck near, or with, the fumes. And thirdly, if we keep burning the Earth's fossil fuels, then aside from ruining the environment, creating health hazards, and causing Global Warming*, burning them means that there will be no petrol, diesel, LPG, coal, or any of the other fossil fuels left for the next generation, and the generation after them. So I think that everyone should experience stuff, and the people of the future are going to miss out on this if we don't stop soon.

We can stop all of this, and much more, by making our lives more sustainable, and helping the environment by doing the most that we can towards a cleaner, greener Earth.

*This says Wikipedia on Global Warming: Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of the Earth's near-surface air and oceans since the mid-20th century and its projected continuation. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concludes that increasing greenhouse gas concentrations resulting from human activity such as fossil fuel burning and deforestation are responsible for most of the observed temperature increase since the middle of the 20th century.

Zork Planet

I found a cool website (with absolutely no help from Mr Woody [shifty eyes]). It is called "It's the Planet, Didiot". It is a bit weird, and it is filled with strange green people, but it is also very useful when it comes to being green (just like this guy:
It's not working, will be inserted soon)
Here is an interesting article off the website:
Which machine creates the most air pollution per hour of operation: the typical car, or gasoline-powered lawn mower?
A single two-stroke engine such as those found in lawnmowers produces pollution equivalent to that of 30 to 50 four-stroke automobiles.
The EPA estimates that one hour of operation by a 70-horsepower two-stroke motor emits the same amount of hydrocarbon pollution as driving 5,000 miles in a modern automobile!
The two-stroke motor, found on 75 percent of all boats and personal watercraft (jet skis), generates 1.1 billion pounds of hydrocarbon emissions each year.
Every year, marine two-stroke motors spill 15 times more oil and fuel into waterways than did the Exxon Valdez.
Two-stroke engines are highly inefficient users of fuel: up to 40 percent of the fuel and oil goes out of the exhaust pipe unburned. This exhaust is packed with oxides of carbon, nitrogen, sulphur, hydrocarbons and fine dust - all toxic contributors to air pollution.
The 2-stroke engine emits significant amount of particulate matter (PM), un-burnt hydrocarbons (HC), Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Nitrogen Oxides (NOx).
It is estimated that particulate emissions from a single 2-stroke motorcycle is comparable to those from a diesel truck or bus.
The following machines typically use two-stroke engines:
Gasoline-powered landscaping equipment such as lawnmowers and trimmers
Many outboard motors
Chain saws
Leaf blowers
Some snowmobiles
Smaller motorcycles
Posted by Rebecca on April 14, 2009 at 8:52pm

Told you it was interesting!

Kris Wilson

The other day an architect came in to talk to us about sustainable architecture. His name was Kris, and he works for Design House Architecture ltd. (Click here to view their site). He told us about all the waste created, and the energy and resources used on a building site (See slide 2). He told us all about what a sustainable home should have (See slide 3). After that he showed us some examples of sustainable buildings (See slides 4-8), and an example that he designed on Google Sketchup (See slides 9-15). Then the last slide is about all who can be sustainable, and etc...

Sustainable Architecture PPT

View more OpenOffice presentations from A S.

HEHEHE!!!! I finally learnt how to upload powerpoint presentations on to the Internet and from there on to Blogger!!!!!

Joe + Clement

The other day two university students came in to talk to us about sustainability and worm farming and stuff. They were part of SIFE (Students In Free Enterprise). SIFE students' vision statement is “To create sustainable outreach projects that make a positive difference in the community”. They did an activity with us using an apple. The apple represented the surface area of the earth, and the skin represented the area of land that we were able to grow food on. First they cut the apple into quarters, and took one. This represented the surface of the earth that wasn't sea. Next, they cut that quarter into another four quarters. This was because of the mountains, the rocky bits, the too hot or cold bits, and finally, the bits that we could grow food on (1/16). But they didn't stop there, we humans have built on and polluted some of this area, so he cut it in half again. This astounded me. There is only 1/32 of the world that we are able to grow food on, and it needs to support the whole globe!!!!
I do not believe that this is entirely accurate, because things can be grown almost anywhere in a hydroponic place, or artificial conditions. Stuff could also be grown on a volcanic slope, or many other places.
They also showed us a bunch of other stuff, including how much of the contents of our bin could be recycled, or put in a worm farm/compost bin. That's about all I'm gonna right for now, but I'll post again soon.