Carbon Dioxide Emissions by Country: Ranking

Global warming caused by emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other green house gases used to be a controversial topic with some scientists claiming that the world's climate is definitely getting warmer because of emission of carbon dioxide and other green house gases while others says it is a just a natural cycle of warming and cooling of the world's weather. Evidences are piling up to support those of the first opinion with polar ice, glaciers, mountain snow peaks melting (including that of the highest mountain in the world - Mount Everest), climate of countries changing, some say hurricanes getting more frequent and more ferocious, birds and animals migrating further north to warmer climate, etc.

One thing I know is my country is now hotter for I sleep topless and without fan or air conditioning. Anyway, many are hoping governments will do something about it, and for that it is good to know which country are emitting more carbon dioxide, the major green house gas. So here is an excel file ranking countries by its carbon emission. The figures are taken from Wikipedia - List of countries by carbon dioxide emissions by carbon dioxide emissions. You can scroll down the page to view the countries lower down the list by using the thin vertial scroll bar at the right:

Pill to help reduce green house gas release

Nearly everyone must have heard about green house gases (carbon dioxide, methane, etc.) and increase in concentration of green house gases lead to global warming. Many has tagged global warming as the biggest environmental challenge of the century.

One of the green house gases - methane, is released when cow feeding on grass burbs. This contribute 4% of the greenhouse gas emissions. Scientists have estimated that the methane gas in the atmosphere has increased 600% over the past 50 years.

German scientist has recently announced the invention of a pill to reduce burping by cows which release methane. The pill, a fist sized tablet contain microbiotic substances which slowly dissolve in the cow's stomach over several months and uses the methane to produce glucose instead of burping it out. This would also helps the cow in producing more milk.

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Save a billion £; a year for Britain

British Gas has done something very unusual for a commercial company. It has started a campaign to encourage its customers to use less of its products, meaning less profits (but better for the environment). It says that for every 3£ Britain spend on heating and lighting at home, 1£ is immediately wasted. The British Gas engineers has calculated that 8 simple changes. they can save 50£ per household per year, and that translate to a billion £ annually, a reduction of 2.1 million tonnes of carbod dioxide and immense benefit to the environment.

The simple steps are as follows:

Step 1
Turning your thermostat down by 1 degree centigrade could save around £49 a year (based on a three bedroom semi-detached gas heated house).

Step 2
By turning your TV and all accessories attached to it off of standby, you could save around £46 a year.

Step 3
Put your washing on at 40 degrees, not 60, and save around £12.

Step 4
Switch 5 of your 60 watt bulbs to new energy saving bulbs. Based on 3 hours of usage a day, this will save around £33.

Step 5
Fill for just one cup rather than whole kettle and save around £30.

Step 6
Take your mobile phone charger out of the plug socket and save around £5.

Step 7
Only use the dishwasher when it's full, and save up to £15.


Step 8
If you have radiators against external walls, put silver foil behind them to reflect the heat back into the room and save around £15 (based on a three bedroom semi-detached gas heated.

Do these simple steps today and save energy, cut your bills and help save the environment.

Environmentally friendly travelling

It is now very nice that one is able to travel to any part of the world in a short time by air. However, one should take into consideration the amount of carbon dioxide (a green house gas) one would contribute to the atmosphere. Here is a site that calculate for you your carbon dioxide contribution by just inputing one's origin and destination. Go to Climate Care. All you have to do is to pick your origin and destination from a drop-down menu, fill in the box for the number of passengers, tick the radio button for one-way or return and click "Calculate my emissions". On the same site, you can also calculate carbon dioxide emission from the house by inputing the amount of electricity, gas and heating oil you use. Another section allow you to calculate the carbon dioxide emission from the car by inputing the miles/kilometre travelled per year, the type of fuel (petrol, diesel or L.P.G.) amd the vehicle fuel economy. There are also sections on offsetting your carbon emission. Interesting site you should visit.

You can also educate yourself about environmentally responsible travelling by subscribing for their newsletter (digital version) at International Ecotourism Society.

You can search for environmentally friendly hotels at Have a Green Summer or join the discussions for environmentally responsible travelling at the Google group Green Travel.

Save gasoline, save money, save the environment

Automobiles and the high gasoline prices causes 3 problems. It hits our pockets, causes pollution and contribute to the global warming problem. The average motor vehicle contributes 4 tons of pollution to the environment annually. 90% of the atmosphere carbon monoxide comes from motor vehicle. An average mid-sized motor vehicle emits annually 4.5 metric tons of greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into the atmosphere (U.S. Emits Nearly Half World's Automotive Carbon Dioxide).

What can we do to reduce these problems?

• Avoid aggressive driving. It can save 5-33%
  
• Drive under 60mph or 96km/hr. For every 5 mph over that cause 20¢ extra per gallon, or for every 9km/hr over that causes extra 5¢ per litre.


• Remove excess weight. Every extra 100lb or 50kg causes fuel efficiency to drop 2%
  
• Avoid excess idling whenever possible


• On the highway, use cruise control or try to maintain a constant speed. This will save fuel


• Use overdrive gear whenever possible as it reduces engine speed, saving fuel as well as reducing wear and tear


• Keep your engine properly tuned. It will save you 4% in fuel


• Change your air filter regularly. It can save you up to 10%


• Check tyre pressure regularly and inflated to vehicle specifications. It can save you up to 3%


• Use recommended grade of motor oil. It can save you 1-2%

Source: High Fuel Prices Killing Families, Vehicle Emissions Killing the Environment

Enviroman says, "CO2 sequestration is not a sustainable practice."

Existing technology should be used to capture and store carbon dioxide underground to prevent emissions and curb global warming, experts suggested in a comprehensive report released by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in a document released Monday. The report suggests emissions should be captured from sources such as electricity generation, refineries and oil plants, compressed and stored in geological formations, the oceans or in minerals, instead of being released in the atmosphere. Enviroman is of the opinion that this is not a sustainable practice and that energy efficiency and cleaner energy sources should be the focus

UN Recommends Capture, Storage of Carbon Dioxide Underground To Prevent Global Warming

Enviroman Says, "It pays to be environmentally friendly."

A UN backed study claim that spending to protect the environment can bring big returns to aid a worldwide assault on poverty. It said that every dollar spent on clean water and sanitation in the Third World, for instance, could bring $14 in benefits ranging from lower health care costs to higher work productivity and school attendance, and that conservation of habitats and ecosystems are also cost effective when compared with the short-term profits from environmentally damaging activities, including dynamite fishing, mining or deforestation. Every dollar invested in fighting land degradation and desertification, like building terraces to stop hillside erosion, could generate at least $3 in benefits, the Poverty Environment Partnership report estimated, and every dollar invested in protecting coral reefs could generate $5, ranging from scuba-diving tourism to renewable fish stocks.

Forests could play a role in slowing climate change because trees absorb carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas. "The carbon storage or 'sequestration' potential of forests ranges between $360 and $2,200 per hectare which makes them worth far more than if they are converted to grazing or cropland," UNEP said. The study said that it becomes far more cost effective to conserve forests than to clear them once carbon prices exceed $30 a ton