Deforestation

By Katie N.

Destroying the forest,

Mining,

Logging,

Using more than you need,

Not helping,

Leaving it for others,

Losing the forest,

Killing the forest,

Waiting for something to happen,

Extinction,

This is deforestation.

Deforestation is constantly happening, almost everywhere. It basically means the destroy of forest by chopping the trees off--killing the trees that is.

Consequences usually is "insidious" until one day the earth becomes sick. Deforestation has led to soil erosion, loss of natural habitats and climate changes.

Soil erosion happens because the top soil is exposed to wind and rain, and will be washed away. So trees are good friends who help to hold on to the ground with its roots, preventing soil erosion. Natural habitats including mice, rats, squirrels, birds call tree their home. By removing the giants from earth, it eventually leads to homeless creatures. You don't want to be homeless, do you? Lets show our concern for this environment, will you?

Climate change? This is a important consequence of deforestation. There will be less generation of oxygen into the atmosphere, lessening the amount of oxygen for breathing. Weathers over many years may change to hotter and hotter (no rain), which may see more deserts over the world. Why? Plants and trees act as a medium for transpiration. Trees help to transport water through an actual, vegetated body into the atmosphere. E.g. A large oak tree can transpire 40,000 gallons (151,000 liters) per year. This will help to cool the surrounding air below a certain temperature before condensation takes place. When billions of these water droplets gather together, clouds are formed. Bigger water droplets which gather together and is too heavy to float will fall as rain. This process = precipitation.

*Look, Trees help to cool the surroundings and help to reduce temperature. What if there's no trees? We should be grateful and do something!*


You can do something:

I drew something similar in pri sch and won a prize. Anyway, remember the 3Rs. We are able to do it by ourselves. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.

You can also plant your own trees. Plant Propagation:

• from seed .................................chilli plant
• cuttings ......................................laksa leaves
• runners........................................grass
• dividing tubers, clumps.............gingers plant
• air layering (marcotting)...........mango tree
• growing from spores..................ferns

Try it. Makes your house cooler. Really. What a breeze.

I'm sure we won't want another Gobi Desert, Arabian desert, Sahara Desert, Majave Desert, Atacama Desert, Australian Desert or Trundra desert, right? So do what an individual can. It may be your hobby one day. Who knows?

In support of World Environment Day

Tonnes of rubbish. Plastic bags. plastic bottles and containers which can be recycled. Paper cups which can be recycle too. Such a WASTE.



Oil spill across oceans and seas lead to many deaths of marine life. Such carelessness and inconsiderate actions are really unbarable.



Burning cars and vehicles. Look, there's dark, thick black smoke produced in the air....This is much toxic than we can think. Burning that leads to not only carbon dioxide, but...toxic gases.

The above pollutions are all human-induced.

Just spare a moment to think about what could have happened if natural disasters were to occur concurrently with human-inflicted disasters?


There are many unpredictable disasters. It's time we show concern for the environment. And of course saving ourselves from unwanted troubles too.

Start Now. Your participation makes a difference. Who you are make a difference.

IN SUPPORT OF WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY 2008

Let's Get it Started Now!

Let's Get it Started Now! Does it reminds you of the song by Black Eyed Peas? But I'm not talking about that for today. I've more important issues for you.

Browsing and reading TODAY newspaper this morning and found 2 long articles on ECO-FRIENDLINESS. And dates for some important events are round the corners.

EARTH DAY April 22ND

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY JUNE 5TH

Reports on saving the earth and environment by minimising the release of CO2 (Carbon) emission has escalated recently. Global efforts have been raised to bring high awareness and encourage us to do something before it's too LATE. Co2 may seem to be a just a compound made up of Carbon and Oxygen but it's impact is tremendous and somehow unforseen by many.

Gases released into the atmosphere by human activity are forming an insulating barrier around the Earth, hindering the natural release of heat from our atmosphere. This is referred to as the greenhouse effect. That's why it is more humid and unpredictable weathers. And what it leads to? Getting sick.

Do you know that

1. Flooding


2. Severe Storms (In Singapore a few days ago; very extreme)


3. Extreme hotness and coldness

are actually related to global warming? It's definitely not desirable. This global warming also affects agriculture. Meaning our vegetables and fruits will be doomed by the unpredictable extreme weathers and floodings! Now the link is obvious as food prices start to SOAR to new heights!
It is really shameful on those who really abuse their wealth by excessively using electricity for air-conditioners 24/7 without switching off. And the abuse of electricity when you are not using it makes you the shamest of the shame. You should never leave something on when you are not using it. Lights can be off in the night and save you up to hundred dollars in a year!

We could do apart in saving electricity at this point of time. JUST ELECTRICITY FOR NOW. There's so simple on one's part. And if everyone saves a little, it can accumulate into millions of dollars. And that's your benefit amidst helping to save the earth and environment. You may ask, "how about vehicles like cars, trucks, motorcycles?" Let's set a target for that in the years to come. Meanwhile LETS SAVE ELECTRICITY! Com'on we can do it, it's a piece of cake!

Hope that you will give your best support on Earth's Day. 22 April 2008. And World Environment Day. 5 June 2008.

Celebrate a Green & Priceless Christmas

Christmas is just 3 days down the road! I guess the festive's joy and spirit is HIGH from now. Christmas is always accompanied with the festive's decor, especially obvious in the busy Orchard Road. The streets and roads are laid with tonnes of sparkling lightings and christmas decorations such as a huge decorated christmas tree or even a snowman!

Another thing that I need not say and you would already know is the present! How depressing is to see no Christmas presents coming in when someone visits you, right? Some may feel it's alright but a small gift will be more alright. *LOL* I wondered what are people most concerned about their gifts. Is it the gift itself--the $$, the design, the quality, the colours, the type you like--or is it the general appearance of the gift with good nice wrapping papers? But ultimately I think what matter most is the sincerity of the person. Anything else is just a "touch-up", I think so.

Since sincere is what is most important, I think a gift that is wrapped with some low-cost materials such as good conditioned, but unwanted posters, newspapers or even your glossy magazines can be up to good use. These materials aren't bad--they have their quality too. To me, Glossy magazines and posters are even better alternative than to use wrapping paper since they have good quality too and can be quite appealing too. See, the magazine that I used to wrap the box of gift? It's not too bad afterall, right?


Procedures in wrapping a gift using "priceless" materials and efforts.


I am quite like an environmentalist; I care for the environment and support many eco-friendly acts of our parts. Reduce.Reuse.Recycle. This 3 Rs are the golden Rs which we should always remember. So during Christmas this year, why not spend less on wrapping papers and even help to save the trees, environment and the earth? It's a WIN-WIN situation.

Here, I've some ideas on wrapping a gift. It must start with collecting raw materials like reused boxes (from the biscuits or other items), reused wrapping papers (posters, newspaper or magazines, etc), nice reused plastic/paper bags.


Newspaper, posters and magazines


Clean & Reused Boxes

Reusing plastic bags
These raw materials are all foc. Reusing these materials is a big contribution of saving the earth. It's so simple and beneficial. Try it out yourself and you would find yourself an artistic person! MERRY AND GREEN CHRISTMAS!

If you have any other ideas, do contribute here or in your blog and share your url. (=

Tackling Global Warming

Global warming due to emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases have contributed to larger extreme climatic events like rising sea levels. The main culprit: Carbon Dioxide.

Dryer conditions in the cloud forest and lengthening dry periods could drive some into extinction ranging from plants to animals. Many tree types are declining in vitality. The study of 13,700 trees in 18 very isolated plots in Brazil concluded that increased carbon dioxide is the most plausible explanation for the abrupt shifts in species growth. And looking at the big picture, what do you see? Without trees, what could have happened?

Sixteen years of data on tree growth, tropical air temperatures and CO2 readings indicate that a warming climate may cause the tropical forests to give off more carbon dioxide than they take up. This would upset the common belief that tropical forests are always a sink for carbon, taking huge amounts out of the atmosphere.

Coral reefs are probably the most complex ecosystems on the planet, home to hundreds of thousands of species. They protect and support the lives of millions of people around the tropical zones, and are a font of wealth from fishing and recreation. The damage being caused to reefs by warming seas is one of the most serious effects of global warming.

High water temperatures caused coral bleaching and subsequent death or adverse change to sixteen percent of world reefs overall and up to 46 percent in parts of the Indian Ocean.

Temperatures beyond norms causes coral to expel the microscopic symbionts, zooxanthellae, that also give them colour. If this bleaching continues for days to weeks, the coral dies and algae takes over the reefs, changing the ecosystem.


Let's Begin Taking the following tips today:


1. Buy a Fuel Efficient Car. Getting a few extra miles per gallon makes a big difference. Save thousands of lbs. of carbon dioxide and a lot of money per year.

2. Carpool When You CanOwn a big vehicle? Carpooling with friends and co-workers saves fuel. Save 790 lbs. of carbon dioxide and hundreds of dollars per year.

3. Reduce GarbageBuy products with less packaging and recycle paper, plastic and glass. Save 2,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide per year.Composting helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the number of trips trucks must make to the landfill as well as the amount of methane released by our landfills. [I recycle papers and plastic bottles, metals, glass bottles as far as possible in the recycling bin. So can you.]

4. Use Recycled Paper. Make sure your printer paper is 100% post consumer recycled paper. Save 5 lbs. of carbon dioxide per ream of paper.

5. Unplug Un-used Electronics. Even when electronic devices are turned off, they use energy. Save over 1,000 lbs of carbon dioxide and $150 per year.

6. Plant a Tree. Trees provide a microclimate and sustained moisture for you. Trees suck up carbon dioxide and make clean air for us to breath. Save 2,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide per year.


Reference: http://www.worldviewofglobalwarming.org/pages/tropics-oceans.html
http://www.globalwarming.net/

The next Antique

What could you think of when you come across the word "antique"? A sewing machine or an antique car? Is that all? The world is growing rapidly, especially so because of today's technology improvement. Have you wonder the things that could be taken over as a result of technology advancement? I certainly have a thought. So what is the next antique?

Emerson 610 (1949)

Bush TV 22 (1950)

Sachsenwerk Leningrad T2 von 1952

Saba Schauinsland WII von 1953

Portacolour (1967)

 

 

Sooner or later, your bulky kind of tvs will become an antique as the market produces more flat screen tvs and trying to sell them at a lower price in the years to come. The prices of flat screen TVs may drop to the extent that many can afford to buy it. So, if you are an antique keeper, it's probably time to start your collection of the 21st century TV!

It's Earth Day! Live Earth concert worldwide for 24 hours!
To show my care and concern for the earth, I did many things like reuse, reduce and recycle.



You can also help to save the earth by taking public transport like what I did. Between, there was a little fault on the Mrt train this morning. The door did not open at Kranji and the passengers who wanted to alight have to travel to Yew Tee and then reverse back to Kranji. This is bad as you all know the distance and time to travel to and fro between the 2 stations. It was raining then and it might be the cause of technical problems encountered by the train.

For the sake of our planet and our future, we should really put in effort to reduce, reuse and recycle our materials. Every effort put in to do these will end up with lesser rubbish that is gone into the incineration plant and landfill. We have to stop the pollution. Otherwise, our planet is going to burn. We will not only feel the intense temperature around the globe, but also get sick and come across many unimaginable consequences.


Photo courtesy of http://www.monroecounty.gov/


So stay green. Save the earth. Reduce.Reuse.Recycle. Better life begins now.