|
|
|
CO2, Global Warming, and Pollen-Allergies
CO2, Global Warming, and Pollen-Allergies Thomas Ogren The benefits of added organic matter to the soil have long been known and are usually attributed to increased nitrogen, greater water-holding capacity and an increase in activity of soil...
National Parks - Get Out of Your Car!
The national park system in the United States is full of beauty
and surprises. Still, you'll be wondering if they're worth it
when you run into the crowds of other visitors.
Road Side Viewing
Sure, millions of people visit our national...
Photovoltaic Panels - Harvest the Sun Light
There is a lot of energy in sunlight and that energy can be
converted to electricity with photovoltaic panels. These panels
are made up of several photovoltaic cells which are constructed
of treated silicon which creates an electrical charge...
Top 10 - Proven Oil Reserve Countries
This is a list of countries with proven reachable oil reserves in billions of barrels, and is a rough estimate based on the ability to recover the oil by current technological and economical means. Saudi Arabia - 262 Saudi Arabia is the largest...
Wind Turbines - Hardvest the Wind
Wind is produced from the uneven heating of the atmosphere and
irregularities in the earth's surface. The air movement between
these areas is what we refer to as wind. Just as we can use
flowing water to turn turbines, we can harness the power of...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sustainability Today
Sustainability Today
Achieving a sustainable lifestyle today is of paramount
importance for the health of future generations. The devastation
of our natural environment by individuals and corporations who
carelessly pollute the water and air, clearcut forests, and
destroy topsoil and natural habitats is in many cases
irreversible. Those of us living an urban or suburban lifestyle
may just be beginning to feel the repercussions of our
industrial lifestyle in the form of climate change. However, the
perpetuation of anti-environment practices is sure to cause
consequences that we cannot even imagine.
The world in which we live is a system in which all elements
interrelate and coexist in a harmonious balance of creation and
destruction. Nothing exists or functions in isolation.
Everything is interconnected and every act affects the future of
countless other elements. This concept, also known as systems
thinking, is easy to see when observing an ecosystem, especially
when the harmony of that ecosystem is disrupted. The extinction
or reduction of one species rebounds through the entire food
chain, causing havoc on the lives of the rest of the species.
A sustainable lifestyle is one that seeks to harmonize with the
elements of the natural world. We can use the forces of nature
to our advantage, without abusing them and causing as little
disturbance to the natural environment as possible. One such
example is harnessing the energy of the sun. Solar energy can be
captured in a variety of ways. The most basic way, passive solar
energy, refers to the type of construction
materials used and
their placement. For example, a house designed to face the south
allows the heat of the sun to warm the house all day long. Add
to that other passive solar features such as thermal mass and
the house is already well on its way to energy-independence.
Industrialism and the Information Age have provided our society
with the tools it needs to reverse our current path of
environmental degradation. Solar panel technology and the
multitude of other inventions for collecting the energy of the
sun are constantly improving and becoming more affordable. We
may also gather energy from the wind, water, ground and even our
own waste products.
The key to becoming sustainable as individuals and as a society
is our own willingness to change and to be creative.
Permaculture is a design system that guides us to build and
manage sustainable living and working environments in which all
of the elements overlap and interrelate to create a functioning
whole. Combining our knowledge of ecological principles with our
earth-friendly technology we have only to succeed in achieving a
more sustainable lifestyle today, and a brighter future for our
children and grandchildren.
About the author:
Dayna Schueth works as a permac
ultural design consultant in Boulder Colorado and South
America.
She teaches people how to become sustainable and create
sustainable gardens that can feed entire families.
|
|
|
|
|
| Department of Energy - Homepage |
| Governmental department whose mission is to advance energy technology and promote related innovation in the United States. |
| www.energy.gov |
|
| Department of Energy - Page not found! |
| US Department of Energy information for consumers, business, and communities. Links to many energy pages of the DOE. |
| www.energy.gov |
|
| Energy Quest Room |
| California Energy Commission's energy and environmental education site for students, parents and teachers. Includes information, Q&As, projects, ... |
| www.energyquest.ca.gov |
|
| The Energy Story - Introduction |
| Detailed guide explains what energy is and where it comes from. |
| www.energyquest.ca.gov |
|
| EIA Energy Kids Page - energy facts, fun, games and activities |
| Features various sections about energy including what it is and the forms it comes in. Find out how humans use energy through quizzes and a 'fun facts' ... |
| www.eia.doe.gov |
|
| Energy Information Administration - EIA - Official Energy ... |
| Section of the US Department of Energy (DOE) providing statistics, data, analysis on resources, supply, production, consumption for all energy sources. |
| www.eia.doe.gov |
|
| Energy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| Free encyclopedia article explaining the scientific notion of energy. Includes units of measure, energy transformation concepts, types of energy, ... |
| en.wikipedia.org |
|
| Department of Energy - Homepage |
| U.S. Department of Energy Awards Contract for Management and Operation of Ames ... The Energy Star label is the government's seal of energy efficiency. ... |
| www.doe.gov |
|
| Home : ENERGY STAR |
| US EPA Energy Star programs and products help save the environment and save consumers money by using less energy through advanced design or construction. |
| www.energystar.gov |
|
| National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Home Page |
| Facility of the US Department of Energy (DOE) for renewable energy and energy efficiency research, development and deployment. |
| www.nrel.gov |
|
| European Commission - Energy - Home page |
| Welcome to the European Commission's "Energy" website ... A European Strategy for Sustainable, Competitive and Secure Energy ... |
| ec.europa.eu |
|
| DTI - Energy - Introduction |
| The DTI’s Energy Group deals with energy-related matters, ... UK energy statistics are provided, including production, consumption and prices. ... |
| www.dti.gov.uk |
|
| U.S. DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Home Page |
| US Department of Energy web site for information on energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. |
| www.eere.energy.gov |
|
| Energy for America's Future |
| Provides an overview of President Bush's energy policies. |
| www.whitehouse.gov |
|
| International Energy Agency |
| Energy Security, Growth and Sustainability through Co-operation and Outreach. |
| www.iea.org |
|
| energywatch: Home Page |
| Independent gas and electricity consumer watchdog, providing help to domestic, commercial or industrial energy (gas and electricity) consumers. |
| www.energywatch.org.uk |
|
| EnergyAustralia - Home |
| Details of one of Australia's largest and oldest gas and electricity supply companies. Includes information on accounts, energy saving tips, appliance sales ... |
| www.energy.com.au |
|
| U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources |
| Has jurisdiction over energy policy, regulation, and research. Also deals with energy and mineral conservation, ports used for energy transport, irrigation, ... |
| energy.senate.gov |
|
| bloomberg energy prices |
| www.bloomberg.com/energy/ - Similar pages |
|
|
| Energy Bulletin |
| A clearinghouse of information concerning the peak in global energy such as oil and gas. |
| www.energybulletin.net |
|
|