The Biochar Blog

Archive for September, 2010

In a world that is becoming increasingly industrialized, and in a world where more people can afford to drive cars, air pollution is becoming a larger problem. While there are those who would debate whether or not our air pollution is causing global warming, versus the earth’s natural warming process since the last Ice Age, that is not the issue. Definitive proof may or may not be found anytime soon. What is certain, however, is that there are confirmed problems caused by air pollution. These problems include respiratory problems and they also include problems regarding what we eat.

As the world moves more into the modern age, more pollutants are spewed into the air. Rising middle classes in large, formerly poor countries like China and India want the same privileges that we have of driving cars. Additionally, countries that entered the latter half of the 20th Century largely free of industry are now establishing it in order to jump into the 21st Century and bring their economies up to date. Many of these countries are understandably resentful of regulations that others try to foist on them because the already industrialized countries had their opportunity for unregulated and explosive industrial growth. And the increasing demands for cars, coupled with lowered restrictions on pollution output, in the U.S. continues to drive the air pollution machine. No matter where it comes from, however, air pollution causes health problems almost everywhere.

Respiratory problems are a very natural and scientifically established result of air pollution. While mild pollution is not awful for a healthy person in the prime of his or her life, polluting particles in the air can cause problems in children and in the elderly or the infirm. Additionally pollutants in the air can aggravate asthma symptoms and increase allergy symptoms. This can be annoying and dangerous to the health of some people.

But these respiratory problems are not all. Heavy air pollution can be damaging even to the most healthy of people. Mexico City, the largest city in the world, has major air pollution problems. It is said that just breathing the air each day is like smoking more than a pack of cigarettes. If the pollution is heavy enough, serious health problems, including cancer, can result from the toxins constantly breathed in through the air.

Another air pollution problem has to do with mercury. Mercury is a by product of many factories, and is present in the particles spewed from the tops of smokestacks. As the mercury gets into the earths atmospheric system, it mingles with rain, which then falls into water and is absorbed by fish. As larger fish (like tuna) prey on the smaller, they receive even higher amounts. Even though fish is generally healthy, there are some varieties that should be avoided. And it is recommended that no one eat more than two servings of fish per week. Pregnant women and children should eat no more than one serving of some fish and should avoid eating any of certain types of fish, as the mercury can cause defects and has been linked to developmental problems.

Did you know that earth receives and incredible amount of solar energy from sun which is a star that has been burning from past 4 billion years. It can supply enough energy within a minute that the planet earth would need for the entire year’s consumption. The solar radiations that hit the earth in a period of three days are equivalent the energy that can be generated from the existing fossil fuel reserves of earth. It is a myth that solar energy is not practical in populated areas.

It is just as practical in the populated areas as it is in the rural areas. An average home has enough space on roof to create electricity for the entire home’s supply. Solar energy is not only free but an inexhaustible source. The renewable solar energy was first discovered in 1767 and then in 1839, a French physicist, Edmund Becqueral discovered the “photovoltaic effect”. Even though solar energy had great potential, it was left behind whenever the mention of fossil fuels came up. But ever since the Gulf War, solar energy development took place at large scale and considering the fact that the first practical solar cell was made some 30 years ago, we have come a long way.

In the present scenario, you can find many websites offering the technology to generate your own electricity at very cheap prices. There are eBooks which can be downloaded within minutes of payment and with the help of their step by step guidance you can easily construct your own solar panels and harness the renewable solar energy.

Solar energy is sought after in many developing countries and is one of the fastest growing segments. Governments across the world are able to fill the electric needs of their villages. It is more practical than expanding the extending the wires, which are expensive, in the remote locations.

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According to the American Medical Association 94% of all respiratory ailments are caused by polluted air. Below are outlined the most important facts to consider about indoor air pollution:

1. Over 40 million Americans suffer from allergies and 17 million struggle with asthma

2. More than 1,500 hazardous substances may be found in the typical American home. What happens when you take this polluted air into your lungs? – Allergies, asthma, dizziness, sinus issues, ear infections, headaches, nausea, and respiratory infections. Indeed, about 50 million Americans suffer from allergies and asthma, and this equates to 9 million doctor visits per year!

3. Bacteria and molds promote poor indoor air quality.

4. Pets and tobacco smoke significantly contribute into indoor air pollution

5. According to the EPA, “indoor pollution can be as much as 100 times greater than outdoors.”

Those particularly vulnerable to indoor pollutants include infants, people with heart, lung diseases and asthma. Additionally, anyone with extreme sensitivity to chemicals might want to seriously consider using an air purifier.

There are various types of air purifiers, so you can buy a purifier that fits your needs and wallet. The most common are:

HEPA Filters (High Efficiency Particulate Air): The air goes through a specially designed filter, cleaning 99.7% of the pollutants from the air. To understand how the HEPA process works, imagine a filter that only allows very tiny particles to pass through. If you placed a single sheet of this HEPA paper in front of a fan, very little air would be able to pass because of the small size of the holes.

Ionic Indoor Pollution Air Purifiers works by causing particles in the air to have a slight charge, particles are attracted to either a metal plate or to surfaces in the area. Most people are unaware that there are at least 4 different types of ionic air purifier in use today.

Ionizers have been around for many years. Have you ever felt like getting outside to get a breath of fresh air? Interestingly enough, some scientists point to +/- ions as part of the reason for outside air “feeling right”. Combined with other methods, it can be extremely effective.

Carbon air purifiers: Activated carbon air filters consist of a system of pores that are tiny in size. These pores are highly absorbent, chemically reacting to particles that pass through them and the particles and odors actually bond with the carbon. Note that most carbon activated devices also incorporate HEPA technology, thereby combining the advantages of both types of technology

Ultra-violet Indoor Pollution Air Purifiers work by passing a ultra-violet beam through the air, which damages the DNA of biological pollutants affecting their reproduction system.

Ozone is a highly reactive oxidant that destroys certain bacteria, chemicals, bacteria and chemicals. Ozone Air Purifiers also reduce gases, odors, VOCs, and microorganisms.

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INTRODUCTION

The world has travelled so far a long path from the agrarian level of development, the down south of development, where the level of life was not more than that required for mere subsistence, towards a life full of modernity, sophistication, luxury, satiety, satisfaction and scientific ideology, the high north of development. However, a part of the world comprised of so called developed economies has achieved a lot having reached a distant point on the upper north of development but the bigger part comprised of the so called poor and developing economies is still lagging far behind. These developing economies deserve not for competition with but for help from the developed economies. Therefore, instead of an at par cooperation of ‘equally give and take’ position, a cooperation resulting a net flow of help from the developed to the developing will rather help the latter to cover the gap. Therefore, arrangements like globalisation confined to mere free trade can’t be proved justified because the fruits of such an arrangement can never be distributed equally between developed and developing economies. This was well explained in detail by a number of economists, especially belonging to developing countries, in the later eighties when the developed economies together as a consortium started to blatantly advertise and rather insist the developing economies for coming under the globalization move so that the extra production of developed economies may find market in developing economies. But the voice of those thinkers was lost in the uproar of the initially increasing foreign exchange receipts in developing economies. In addition to this, the behest of IMF and World Bank too made the governments of developing member countries to neglect this type of criticisms.

CONSEQUENCE OF GLOBALISATION

Most of the developing countries accepted and made required changes in their economic policies to lift the trade barriers on their borders and rather to give thrust to the process of globalisation in the beginning of nineties. Thus the protectionism in foreign trade was said good-bye to and the overproduction of developed countries started finding market in the developing countries. There started but two processes, one of which was unwanted and another was unexpected. The unwanted process was that of the infant industries in developing countries becoming unable to compete with the superior quality foreign product coming to their home market. This made them to shrink in the want of adequate market whereby the situation started gaining a formation as if there would have been over production in the developing economies despite the existence of inflationary pressure on account of heavy autonomous investment made by the governments therein. The consequential cut in production of and employment in the infant industries made other industries to apprehend and worry about future economic environment. On the other hand, under the above said unexpected process, some countries like China started currency manipulations based on their  cheaply produced heavy exports mostly of the ‘use & throw’ articles in a well planned way. The previous process instilled a feeling of depressive trend or economic meltdown in developing economies and the latter process rendered rigour to the depressive condition, firstly in the markets of the developing economies by dumping cheap exports therein, and secondly of developed economies by making big dent on their exports meant for releasing or rather defecating depressive pressure towards the markets of developing economies.

PRESENT SITUATION

The two processes discussed above and emerged as the aftermath of globalisation have now brought the world economy at a bi-path juncture of deciding whether the world economy should carry on with the free trade policy under the prevailing globalisation system or the abandoned policy of protective trade should be resorted to for proceeding further on the path of achieving the higher and higher development level of human life. The statement of the newly elected US President, Mr. Obama, regarding the relief in tax burden not extended to the companies practising outsourcing clearly indicates his tending to assimilate to some extent and in some form the policy of protected trade. In response thereto Indian Finance Minister, Mr. Mukharji, has reacted saying that protectionism in any way or in any form would not be accepted in the present globalisation era because it would be against the norms of globalisation. Similar reactions are expected to follow from other corners also. But I think that Mr. Obama will not care such reactions because he is perhaps going to use all ways and means to improve or at least keep prevented from being worsened the unemployment situation in US.

FUTURE PROSPECT

The pressing way of Obama’s making the declaration, the rigour of meltdown situation in US and employment enhancement being the best way of mitigating the rate of falling demand provide sufficient ground to believe that obama would rest stuck with his ideology of placing barriers on the way of US’s service imports like in the form of outsourcing. Once the import through outsourcing is checked other segments of US’s foreign trade also will start demanding protective measures to some extent whereby US government would become unable to prevent the thread of protective measures from being spun further. Other economies, trading with US, will react and ultimately resort to the similar action by protecting their trade in some way and to some extent. If betided so, the return of protectionism would become certain, the system of globalisation would be shattered and US, the globalisation inaugurating country, would be blamed for causing the so downfall of globalisation. With the passing of time protectionism may once more attain fathom to unwanted depth and again the world trade may become badly hit. That would become not lesser ponderable a situation because it would again prevent the world economies from enjoying the advantages of globalisation.

CONCLUSION

The US economy is taken as the leader of world economies that is why it has become the US’s responsibility to decide how to solve the prevailing problem of world depression and to which direction the world economies should be led in future. US should not at all try to get individuated to solve own depression problem leaving other economies aside. If US choose to solve depression problem individually by resorting to protectionism, it will veer the world economy towards the pre-globalisation situation having constricted trade and devoid of globalisation advantages. On the other hand, sticking to absolutely free trade under globalisation will probably either render more rigour to or, at least, be proved immaterial to help the economy come out of the meltdown. Therefore, similarly as in the case of free market capitalism versus fully regulated socialism, neither the prevailing totally free trade under globalisation nor the old and pre-globalisation highly protected trade would be a desirable course. Eventually, I would like to conclude and rather suggest that US should take leading economists and leading economies in confidence and find out a viable and sustainable trade arrangement by deciding the essential dose of protection in the prevailing globalised free trade. The leading economists should decide where, how, to what extent and for what articles tariffs should be imposed in the world economy taking all independent economies as different parts of a single economy. In this way arrived at trade system will not only prove significantly helpful in the struggle against the prevailing world depression 2008 but also prove sustainable for future.

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Alternative Energy refers to the electrical energy derived from the renewable resources like wind and solar energy. These resources can be used all over again unlike the single use resources like coal and uranium. Some benefits of using the Renewable Energy Resources are that these are non-emission sources and do not produce any harmful or toxic by products. Another good point is that these resources can be put to task at homes as well to produce electrical energy. As the sources don’t get used up, you can use it again and again without any worries. So solar energy, there are solar panels, wind mills and generators for wind energy, and turbines for water energy. The solar panels can be installed at homes with less cost and save on the electricity bills. The wind generators and turbines are a bit costly and can be used for an area or group of homes. But if you are wondering why renewable energy sources and systems are not that common, it is due to the financial reasons. The cost of a wind or solar energy farm for a large scale use can prove costly for the installation and maintenance. But now the governments are coming up with subsidized loan programs to promote alternative energy development. Now-a-days, with the advancement in technology people have found cheaper ways to install wind turbines and solar panels. After installing the system, you will see considerable differences in your electricity bills. So we must move to the Alternative Energy Source before our fossil fuel resources get used up.