Who Deserves the Blame?

Human actions may have a greater impact on Earth’s climate than previously thought.

     Most of us realize that humans are very much at fault for creating a planet filled with pollution and environmental peril, yet for those who fail to believe that humans are largely to blame, there is finally new research backing this idea. Recently, researchers unexpectedly discovered that much higher levels of visible radiation have been reaching Earth’s surface during the sun’s period of decreasing solar activity. The sun’s solar irradiance, or light given off, alters throughout an eleven year solar cycle. As of late, the cycle has been at a low, and thus the sun has been emitting less light. The study, which was conducted from 2004-2007, came as a shock to many scientists who previously thought that during periods of decreased solar activity, the levels of visible radiation decrease as well, yet this was not the case.

     The publishing of new eye opening studies such as this has skeptics, yet others believe that this study highlights just how heavily human’s actions are impacting our climate. According to Joanna Haigh, a professor from the Imperial College London and member of the Grantham Institute for Climate Change, “These results are challenging what we thought we knew about the Sun’s effect on our climate.” Although there has been substantial debate about global warming over the last decade, most people, whether they are skeptical about global warming or not, realize that humans are not properly caring for the environment. There is confidence that these findings further highlight the fact that humans may be more to blame than previously thought. Therefore, we should see this new information as a confirmation of how terribly we are treating our planet. When you step back and think about it, it is truly amazing that humans can have such a significant impact on the climate of an entire planet. Who would have thought that the sun’s influence on global climate can be rivaled by human actions? Remember this study next time you decide to recklessly dispose of a wrapper into a bush, or toss your empty coffee cup into the garbage, rather than the recycling. Think of the gigantic impact that your actions have on the planet, in retrospect to the giant sizzling sun, ninety-three million miles away.

Coming Soon!

Hello Everyone,

It has been a little while since my last blog post but don't worry, I am working on adding new content and articles within the next few days. In addition, I will be launching the Eco Store which will include products such as climate change books, solar devices, and other unique green products that will enable you to reduce your impact on the environment. Don't forget to become a fan of Eco Tech Planet on Facebook, become a follower on our site, and subscribe to the Eco Tech Planet feed. Also, please continue to tell your friends and family about the site as well!

Wealthy Countries Create Program to Reduce Deforestation... Indonesia Pledges Two Year Moratorium

     Recently, wealthy nations came together in Oslo, Norway to develop a program designed to aid poor countries in stopping deforestation and slowing global warming. The participating nations included the United States, Britain, Australia, Germany, France, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, which altogether agreed to set aside approximately $4 billion for the program. The program is called REDD Plus (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) and encourages wealthy countries to fund projects to stop deforestation. An agency will be created to oversee the program, which organizers hope to have up and running by the time world leaders meet for the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Mexico at the end of the year. Sadly, deforestation is believed to account for 20% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions, which is astonishingly as much as is released by our methods of transportation such as, cars, trains, boats, and planes.

“Forests are worth more dead than alive. Today we commit to change that equation,” said the Prime Minister of Norway, Jens Stoltenberg, who co-chaired the conference that was held in Oslo, Norway.

     Additional progress was made at the Oslo conference in which Indonesia agreed to put a two year moratorium on issuing further permits for deforestation in their country. This comes as part of a one billion dollar agreement with Norway, in which Norway will pay Indonesia a fixed price per ton of carbon dioxide emissions reduced through the preservation of Indonesian rainforests. Believe it or not, due to the high amount of deforestation that occurs in Indonesia, the country is ranked the world’s third highest greenhouse gas polluter, behind the United States and China. Indonesia is the world leader in the production of palm oil and also plays a big role in the paper and timber industries. Even though this project seems like it will work successfully, there are many who remain skeptical that the plans will not be carried out effectively. Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono explained, “Indonesia understands the necessity of doing its part to face the urgent global challenge of combating climate change.” Unfortunately Indonesian leaders, although claiming they want to tackle climate change, have participated in contradictory actions, such as recently supporting extensive development in forested regions. Even so, there is a possibility that if successful, Indonesia might extend the moratorium past the two planned years.

     Let’s hope that members of wealthy nations continue to show strong support for preventing deforestation. I only wish that progress like this (assuming all goes as planned), was made quicker and without corruption. Why doesn’t the United States government come out and inform the public of efforts like these… you tell me…? All I can say is, if the government was more vocal about their plans to help protect the world’s rainforests, then maybe more people would join in the fight (although I doubt that the government has many plans… for most Presidents have done little on this matter, except Theodore Roosevelt and a few others). Even though this might be one small step, the government should do more to protect our crucial rainforests, for not only do they provide shelter to millions of species of animals, but they also contain millions of plant species, including some that may have great curing capabilities. As you likely know, there are many websites and organizations available for you to donate to and buy your own acre(s) of rainforest. I strongly encourage you do so! Let’s not forget to applaud Norway for taking the initiative to fund a program to help stop the destruction of Indonesian forests!

Your Carbon Contribution ("Black Balloons")

Black Balloons Video... See just how much your household items pollute without you realizing...

Nissan Leaf

When: You can reserve yours by paying a $100, fully refundable reservation fee, which will allow you to be one of the first to place an order. Nissan will start taking orders in August.
The Leaf will become available in select markets in December 2010 with additional availability in the beginning of 2011. Full rollout by 2012.

Nissan has received 19,000 preorders and is supposedly sold out for 2010. Nissan may have to stop taking reservations for the time being.

What: The Nissan Leaf will be one of the first electric cars on the market. The Leaf produces zero emissions and runs solely on electric power. The vehicle is powered by 48 lithium ion battery modules. The car is charged by plugging in the vehicle to an electric vehicle charger, located in the front of the car. The Leaf has a relatively advanced charging system that will allow you to do things such as preheat or pre-cool the car while charging it, therefore allowing you to conserve battery power while driving (heating the vehicle, etc. while driving, will reduce the range of the car). There is a timer that allows you to control when the car charges, in addition, you will be able to remotely control charging. You will need a home charging station which Nissan believes will cost around $2,200, depending on the age of your home. Yet federal tax credits may reduce a significant amount of the cost through at least December 2010. The vehicle comes standard with Nissan’s navigation system and the interior is loaded with a unique high tech digital interface. The car also points you to local charging stations on the navigation screen so you’re never stuck searching for a charging station. The compact and aerodynamic Nissan Leaf will likely be a hit when it arrives on the market in the very near future.

Price: $32,780 (after tax savings, as low as $25,280)

Range: 100 miles (electric power)

Top Speed: 90 mph

Seating Capacity: 5 people

Learn more at: http://www.nissanusa.com/leaf-electric-car/index

Visit Transportation Page for Nissan Leaf Video

Chevy Volt

When: Expected November 2010

What: The Chevy Volt will be the first electric car to hit showroom floors in the United States, when it arrives at the end of 2010. The Volt, which has been in the works for several years, is electrically powered by more than 200 lithium ion batteries. The car is electrically powered for the first 40 miles, but thereafter it switches to a gas generated engine. The forty mile range seems rather low for a vehicle which the buyer is likely purchasing due to its electric engine. Yet Chevy claims that in their studies, more than seventy five percent of those surveyed said they commute no more than forty miles a day.  Thankfully drivers won’t be stuck on the side of the road when they exceed the forty mile range, for the car’s gas powered engine takes over after the electric range is surpassed, making this an interesting alternative. If the Volt lives up to its forty mile range, it will be a step in the right direction, combining the benefits of electricity with the reliability of a gas powered backup system. Unfortunately, the price tag on the Volt seems quite high, being that the range seems so minimal, but for some the backup system may justify the added price.  In contrast, the Nissan Leaf has a solid 100 mile range on electric power, yet after that, you’re stuck… well hopefully you recharge before your battery runs out! The Volt, similar to the Leaf, comes with an impressive high tech digitalized computer interface on the dashboard, not to mention a sleek touch screen navigation system as well. Finally, there will be an available OnStar mobile application that allows you to remotely control your vehicle’s charging and other functions. The Volt, although with a higher price and considerably lower range than the Nissan Leaf, appears significantly more like a modern car, rather than the Leaf’s interesting… and unique shape!

Price: believed to be around $40,000 (after possible full tax savings, around $32,500)

Range: 40 miles (electric power) + runs on gas after electric power runs out.

Top Speed: around 100 mph

Seating Capacity: 5 people

Learn more at: http://www.chevrolet.com/pages/open/default/future/volt.do

Visit Transportation Page for More Chevy Volt Photos and Video 

Climate Change Legislation Becoming High Priority

     Although significant climate legislation has been practically nonexistent in recent years, this may be about to change due to the recent oil spill in the Gulf. America’s dependence on oil is certainly not the way to help protect our environment from the perils that exist in twenty-first century society. The country needs to rapidly find new forms of renewable energy to power the nation’s infrastructure, vehicles, and the everyday necessities. As a result of the appalling BP oil spill, climate legislation is finally becoming a top priority in Washington. Senators John Kerry and Joseph Lieberman have partnered to create an energy and climate change bill which President Obama is beginning to gather support for, in hopes of the bill passing the Senate before the end of the year. Other top priorities on the president’s agenda, such as immigration reform, may be delayed in order to focus on passing climate legislation. The House of Representatives already passed some forms of legislation intended to reduce greenhouse-gas pollution in 2009. In addition, the president is proposing reductions in tax breaks to big oil companies, with potential penalties for carbon pollution.

“The time has come, once and for all, for this nation to fully embrace a clean energy future,” said President Obama.

     If there is any one potential “good” result we can take away from the horrific BP oil spill in the Gulf, it’s the fact that the spill has finally made passing stringent climate legislation a top priority. At last there is hope that the United States will make a strong push to help protect the environment, by means of new forms of clean renewable energy. The unfortunate aspect is that politicians and citizens alike tend to get hung up on creating renewable energy simply to rid us of our dependence on foreign oil.

     Politicians continuously explain that we need to reduce our dependence on foreign nations that provide us with the oil that fuels American society, yet my question is… doesn’t anyone care simply because we are destroying our once serene planet? Doesn’t anyone simply feel it’s wrong to keep destroying the earth with our careless lifestyles? The way I see it, the need for renewable energy is not merely to reduce our reliance on foreign nations, but it is to help us save our planet from further destruction that is caused by the burning of fossil fuels. We need to create renewable energy so that our vehicles can be powered by energy that doesn’t pollute our environment. By driving green vehicles such as zero emission cars, we will be able to get around just as we do today in our busy lives, yet without leaving our planet in despair. As a consequence, climate change is not only putting our way of life at risk, but it is also harming and killing off thousands of helpless components of our the planet’s ecosystems, such as essential rainforests and innocent wildlife. So feel free to continue supporting big oil and advocating against climate legislation, but remember, someday when you are living in an incredibly polluted lugubrious city filled with toxic clouds looming over your head, remember there used to be green there… one day… long ago.

Repower America with Solar Energy

Repower America Video... See America's solar energy hub, found in the American West.

Repower America Gulf Coast Oil Spill

Repower House Party Video

Welcome to Eco Tech Planet!

Hello Everyone,
    
     I am starting this site http://www.ecotechplanet.com/ in order to provide an overview of not only environmental conditions and the effects they are having on our planet, but also new innovative technological advancements, especially in the field of transportation. As most people have begun to realize, our planet is truly suffering from our careless actions. As citizens of the world, it is our duty to help and protect the planet, in order to preserve earth for future generations. Therefore, we need to stop bickering when it comes to taking action to preserve the environment. Legislative bodies worldwide need to create bipartisan climate legislation so we can finally steer down the right path. We can only hope that world leaders will make more substantial progress at the 2010 United Nations Climate Conference in Cancún, Mexico, (Nov. 29- Dec.10) than was made last year in Copenhagen. For those who remain skeptical, if we can at least encourage them to take care of the environment by not wasting, polluting, or conducting other actions that harm the environment, then we will be on the right track. After all, just because one person is skeptical about climate change doesn't mean they disagree with protecting the planet.

     The twenty-first century is an era full of amazing new technological advancements. These advancements will likely prove to be highly beneficial in helping solving the climate crisis and protecting the environment. The downside is, in order to make these new technological developments a reality, frequently extensive production is required which can have a counteractive negative effect on the original purpose. When it comes to transportation technology, there are many new methods of creating low, if not zero emissions vehicles. Within the next five years we will begin to see an influx of additional hybrids and most importantly electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Yet we must ask ourselves, by owning an electric vehicle we have to charge our car to power the vehicle, but where is this additional energy being created? If this energy that is being used to charge our electric vehicle is simply originating from fossil fuels, then how great are the benefits of owning an electric car? Therefore, we need to create a cyclical grid in which all the electricity is coming from renewable energy. If the electric that is being used to power our electric car is coming from renewable energy such as wind or solar, then owning an electric car provides us with great benefits (compared to driving a traditional gas burning vehicle). Citizens of the planet have a lot they need to accomplish within the next few decades in order to significantly protect the environment, for time is ticking, and fast.... I hope to create an informative and interesting site for the general public to follow for more information about both environmental issues and technological advancements. I am still working on fully developing the site, so please be patient as I add new content as soon as possible! Thanks!