The Facts About Hybrid Car Emissions and Global Warming by Alexandria Haber

In recent years, hybrid cars have become increasingly popular. With rising gas prices and greater environmental awareness, consumers are turning to alternative technology. Manufacturers are making significant efforts to design cars that will satisfy all of their customers’ demands: low fuel consumption, low cost, low noise pollution, state-of-the-art technology, and environmentally friendly. Enter the hybrid car - not only is it fuel efficient, but its emissions are much lower than conventional cars.

Hybrid Technology
Far from being a new technology, hybrid technology has been in use for years in the making of locomotives, submarines, and buses. In a similar way, hybrid cars rely on a combination of two powers – electricity and fuel injection.

An idling or stopped hybrid car automatically uses electrical power. Once the car begins to accelerate, it reverts to using the fuel engine. Also most hybrids recharge the batteries automatically by converting the energy during braking. Different models of cars vary in terms of when the electric power is used. For example, the Honda Civic Hybrid uses electric power to assist the gas engine during acceleration or going up hills. Other models run on rechargeable electricity during city driving at low speed but run on gasoline when the car’s speed increases such as during highway driving,

Low Emission
Hybrid cars emit far lower levels of pollutants in the air than conventional cars, resulting decreased pollution and reduced effects of global warming. Because no two people drive the same way, it is therefore difficult to estimate, but emissions can be reduced from 25% to 90%, when comparing hybrid cars to conventional gas-powered vehicles. Hybrid car emissions also vary depending on the type of car. Some manufacturers add hybrid technology to existing car models while other manufacturers completely redesign cars with low emission and efficiency at the core. In any case, lower toxic fumes are appreciated in our oil-based economies.

Hybrid vs. Electric
Many people associate hybrid cars with electric cars. However, the two are quite different. The hybrid does not need to be plugged into an electrical outlet to recharge. Gas motors switch on automatically when the battery gets low, and proceeds to charge the battery. Therefore, hybrid cars still use gas while electric cars do not.

A Green Design
Fuel efficiency in hybrid cars stems from numerous improvements.

• Improved aero dynamics
• Lower body weight
• Smaller, lighter, and less powerful gas engines

Reducing weight, especially engine weight, will substantially improve a car’s mileage. Hybrid cars were essentially designed for use in the cities, where traffic is a daily occurrence, in order to reduce gas emissions and slow down global warming. What a great way to help save the environment and improve our overall quality of life.

About the Author: Alexandria Haber is a freelance writer and is the head researcher and content manager for http://www.carbon-monoxide-poisoning.com/.

This article is free for republishing.
Source: http://www.guidemegreen.com/articles/article-detail.html?aID=611

THE POT OF GOLDEN GLOW

Eating a Variety of Colors Improves Health,
and Here's a Little Secret About It

A recent issue of Consumer Reports pointed out the health benefits of eating a "rainbow of produce." Even on the face of it, this seems more sensible than a monochrome, all-mauve dietary approach, even if it is the latest thing in Hollywood.

Indeed, the body does benefit from eating a variety of hues. In this article, we'll talk about why that is, and we'll tell you about a small but very important detail that the magazine article forgot to mention.

YOUR DIET — MICRONUTRIENTS, FOOD COLOR, AND HEALTH

We all know about protein, fat, and carbohydrates—they're the most rudimentary classifications of food. Beyond that, we know about important vitamins like A, C, E, D, and B complex, as well as essential minerals like zinc, chromium, calcium, and magnesium. But there are also hundreds of "micronutrients"—nutrients that are required in lower quantities but are nonetheless essential to keeping your body's intricate systems functioning properly

Eating the full rainbow assortment of fresh raw fruits and vegetables on a regular basis—in addition to eating whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes while moderating intake of animal fat, refined flour, sugar, and stimulants—is the key to giving your body the nutrients it needs to build cells right and strengthening your immune and detoxification systems so they can do a better job of fighting off disease and aging.

Many nutrients are associated with various colors. Take the carotenes, for instance, which are important antioxidants that range in color from deep yellow to deep red. (Note: There are many carotenes other than top-dog "beta carotene.") Anthocyanins are another class of essential "phytochemicals" and can be found in foods colored anywhere from black, blue and purple to reddish. Flavinoids come in a similarly varied assortment of colored foods. Even white vegetables can be helpful; for instance, those from the onion family supply allicin, which is thought to boost the immune system, fight heart disease, and reduce the risk of cancer.

Perhaps the most important color in the "rainbow diet" is green. Dark-green leafy vegetables—such as kale, collars, chard, spinach, tat soy, and bok choy—are packed with important nutrients. These include omega 3 essential fatty acids, which are critical for building good quality cells in the body and may be important in regulating inflammation. Most people eating a Western diet are deficient in omega 3's. Other great green veggies include broccoli, cabbage, and the green portions of scallions, chives and leeks.

WHAT CONSUMER REPORTS FORGOT TO SAY ABOUT THE RAINBOW DIET

In the farm field, all foods are not created equal. The nutrient quality of the food you eat will largely depend on the nutrient quality of the soil the food was grown in. In industrial agriculture—the type of farming that supplies the vast majority of fruits and vegetables in the supermarket—farmers usually apply a only a nitrogen-potassium-phosphorus (NPK) fertilizer to the farm fields. While the NPK fertilizer does supply the primary ingredients needed to make plants grow fast and tall, it does little to supply the nutrients needed to allow plants to grow RICH—that is, rich in macro- and micronutrients alike.

On an organic farm, soil quality is maintained through the use of organic matter like manure and field waste, which is digested and turned into useable nutrients by worms, nematodes, bacteria, mycorhizal fungi, and other organisms found in healthy soil. Additionally, cover crops are often grown to improve soil quality and prevent loss of precious top soil.

All this care and nurturing of the "dirt" ends up creating soil that is richer in nutrients than soil found on industrial farms. When the plants suck up sustenance from the organic soil, the nutrient mix results in a fruit or vegetable that is more densely packed with a wider variety of nutrients. Not only do soils on conventional farms not get the broad-spectrum replenishment they need, the toxicity of the chemical pesticides and fertilizers used kill a large percentage of the beneficial organisms that are essential for good soil health.

There's one other reason why the rainbow diet will benefit you more if it comes from organic or "sustainably grown" food. Many of the beneficial micronutrients in the food fall into the class of "phenolics." It turns out that plants make these compounds to ward off pests. But with industrial farming, chemical pesticides keep insects off the plant almost completely. The plant has no need to defend itself, and therefore produces fewer phenolics, resulting in less-nutritious food for us. This was confirmed for several plant species in recent studies published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

The last thing to think about here is the variety of toxic pesticides applied to conventionally grown crops. One of the goals of the rainbow diet is to enhance your detoxification processes. When you ingest pesticides, that just places more burden on the detox system you're trying to help. So, organic food not only gives you more of the good stuff, it gives you a lot less of the bad stuff.

WRAP UP: THE RAINBOW DIET—EAT IT!

Finally, we advise that you eat your rainbow of fruits and vegetables fresh and raw. Cooking destroys enzymes and some other compounds and can lower the nutritional value of the food.

We were pleased to see Consumer Reports reminding people that good nutrition can be a pretty easy concept to grasp, and now we're happy to have given you the full story. The rainbow diet concept is a good mnemonic device, and we encourage you to make sure your daily intake of food comprises as many colors as possible. Except pink, maybe. Stay away from the Manhattans and Pepto-Bismol.

Source from : http://www.grinningplanet.com/2004/12-28/rainbow-diet-food-color-article.htm

Air pollution

Air pollution is a broad term applied to any chemical, physical (particulate matter), or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere.

The atmosphere is a complex, dynamic natural gaseous system that is essential to support life on planet earth.

Stratospheric ozone depletion due to air pollution has long been recognized as a threat to human health as well as to the earth's ecosystems. Worldwide air pollution is responsible for large numbers of deaths and cases of respiratory disease.

Enforced air quality standards, like the Clean Air Act in the United States, have reduced the presence of some pollutants.

While major stationary sources are often identified with air pollution, the greatest source of emissions are actually mobile sources, principally the automobile.

There are many available air pollution control technologies and urban planning strategies available to reduce air pollution; however, worldwide costs of addressing the issue are high.

The most immediate method of improving air quality would be the use of bioethanol fuel, biodiesel, solar energy, and hybrid vehicle technologies.

The World Health Organization estimates that 4.6 million people die each year from causes directly attributable to air pollution.

Many of these mortalities are attributable to indoor air pollution.

Worldwide more deaths per year are linked to air pollution than to automobile accidents.

Research published in 2005 suggests that 310,000 Europeans die from air pollution annually.

Direct causes of air pollution related deaths include aggravated asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, lung and heart diseases, and respiratory allergies..

For more information about the topic Air pollution, read the full article at Wikipedia.org, or see the following related articles:

Automobile emissions control — Automobile emissions control covers all the technologies that are employed to reduce the air pollution-causing emissions produced by ... > read more
Indoor air quality — Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) deals with the content of interior air that could affect health and comfort of building occupants. The IAQ may be ... > read more
Tropospheric ozone — Ozone (O3) is a key constituent of the troposphere. Photochemical and chemical reactions involving it drive many of the chemical processes that occur ... > read more
Smog — Smog is a kind of air pollution, originally named for the mixture of smoke and fog in the air. Classic smog results from large amounts of coal ... > read more

Note: This page refers to an article that is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the article Air pollution at Wikipedia.org. See the Wikipedia copyright page for more details.

Source from : http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/a/air_pollution.htm

Five Ways to Travel Green

Five Ways to Travel Green

Just because you are traveling does not mean that you have to damage the environment along the way. Believe it or not, there are many easy ways to go green when you travel. Not only does this allow you to save the environment, but it can also be a lot of fun at the same time. Green travel is becoming very popular, and this is sure to continue well into the future.

Here are five easy ways to go green when you travel:

1. Instead of flying or driving to your destination, take a bike. This may sound like a lot of work, but imagine how much you will get to see when traveling by bike. If this does not suit your needs, you may want to take a bike tour when you reach your destination as opposed to renting a car or touring by bus.

2. Where are you going to stay on your trip? There are many green hotels that you will definitely want to consider. What does this mean? Simply put, these hotels are built with energy efficiency in mind. They feature systems that save power, are solar powered, and much more. Before you book your accommodations you should definitely try to find a green hotel in the area. They offer the same amenities as a traditional hotel while adding much more!

3. Trains are more energy efficient than planes or cars. To go along with this, carbon emissions from trains are much less when compared to airplanes. And with most countries offering an extensive rail system, you should be able to find a train that will take you to your destination.

4. During your hotel stay, there are many things that you can do to keep up with the green travel lifestyle. Some options including taking short showers, turning off lights and other electronic devices when leaving the room, reusing sheets and towels instead of having them washed each day, and bringing your own toiletries.

5. Do you have to rent a car? If so, choose the smallest one that will suit your needs. This will allow you to take advantage of a more fuel efficient vehicle while also saving money on gas.

The above five easy ways to go green will allow you to reduce the impact that traveling causes. Most people agree that these tips are easy to implement in most cases. Even if you do not take advantage of all of them, looking into just one can go a long way.

Source from : http://gogreenlifestyle.net/green-travel/five-ways-to-travel-green/