This year’s earth day, expected to be the biggest Earth Day celebration ever is happening today, April 22nd. EarthDay.gov explains it best:

Earth Day is a time to celebrate gains we have made and create new visions to accelerate environmental progress. Earth Day is a time to unite around new actions. Earth Day and every day is a time to act to protect our planet.

Use this Earth Day to decide what you will do to help save our environment. Think of the world around you and what you can do to better it. It will not only effect our current generation but for every generation to follow. We would like thank everyone in advance for their neverending support each and every Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day 2008

For a list of Earth Day events from around the world, please visit earthday.net.

Natural gas is composed of decayed organic material from millions of years ago. Natural gas is the byproduct from the remains of ancient plants and animals that became trapped underground. This matter combined with a lack of oxygen and increasing pressure and heat changed into coal, oil, and natural gas.

At first, natural gas was regarded as be unuseful and it was initially burned off as it was extracted from the ground. In 900 BC, China began using natural gas to evaporate salt water in order to produce salt. The Romans were also aware of natural gas as they witnessed a “burning spring” near Grenoble, France.

In 1865, the first U.S. natural gas company was developed. The first pipeline constructed from hollowed logs ran from a gas field to Rochester, New York in 1872. After the invention of the Bunsen burner in 1885, natural gas was used for lighting, cooking and heating. It wasn’t until World War II that natural gas pipelines was frequent enough to many large cities. By this time, it was starting to become an alternative to other fuels such as electricity and coal.

In 2000, there were more than 600 natural gas processing plants in the United States alone. With more than three hundred thousand miles of natural gas pipelines, roughly 70% of all homes are heated using natural gas today.

QUICK FACT: This originally oderless gas has been given an artificially distinct smell (like rottent eggs) so it can be detected in case of gas leaks.

 

Article Overview:
It’s a heated debate between fossil fuels and renewable energies. Fossils fuels, while becoming slightly pricier, are pollutants unlike renewable energy sources. But, fossil fuels are the “standard” in today’s society and are readily available. Wind power is a type of renewable energy that can be implemented in many parts of the world to provide electricity. When will the world finally become independent from fossil fuels?

 

As of February 2008, the worldwide population is believed to have reached over 6.6 billion people. At this current pace, the Earth would reach a human population of nine billion by the year 2050. The 2007 CIA World Factbook claims that the current population increases by 211,090 people per day.

From DSW-Datareport 2006 (”Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevölkerung”), here’s the list of the most populous nations:

• China: 1.32 billion (about 20% of world population)
• India: 1.12 billion (about 17%)
• United States: 300 million (about 4.6%)
• Indonesia: 225 million (about 3.5%)
• Brazil: 186 million (about 2.8%)

Earth’s carrying capacity based upon economic factors, land, natural resources… ect. will eventually come under too much stress. When referring to the ever-booming population, how much is too much?

For many more fascinating global trends, we highly recommend checking out EarthTrends. It is a great source to find the trends for nearly anything.

 

Article Overview:
Three Gorges Dam is the largest dam on the face of the planet. Its a magnificient construction project in terms of design and output but the environmental and sociological impacts may cause excessive devastation to the surrounding area.

 

Like humans, certain animal species hold world records as well. The following lists information regarding some world records held birds, fish, mammals, reptiles and invertebrates.

Fastest Animals on Earth:
Land Animal: Cheetah (70 miles per hour)
Water Mammal: Dall Porpoises (35 miles per hour)
Fish: Sailfish (68 miles per hour)
Bird in the Sky: Peregrine Falcon (Can dive towards the ground at 200 miles per hour)
Bird on Land: North African Ostrich (45 miles per hour)
Insect: Dragonfly (36 miles per hour)

Largest Animals on Earth:
Largest Animal in the World: Blue Whale (100+ tons)
Largest Animal on Land: African Elephant (13,000 pounds)
Tallest Animal on Land: Giraffes (18 feet tall)
Longest Snake: Reticulated Python (Averages 20.5 feet, Longest is 32 ft 9.5 in)
Longest Worm: Boot Lace Worm (More than 180 feet long in 1864)

Other Unique Animal Records:
Oldest Animal: Tortoises (Known to have lived as long as 188 years.)
Smallest Bird: Bee Humingbirds (Adults weigh 2 grams)
Loudest Animal: Blue Whale (188 decibels which can be heard 500 miles away.)
Most Venemous Animal: Sea Wasp (Enough poison to kill 60 humans.)

Ever wonder what the most dangerous animal in America is? Find out.

 

The moon is slowly creeping away from Earth. It’s a nearly insignificant displacement but it moves 3.8 cm further into space every year. This has been determined since the 1970’s using laser ranging measurements.

When the moves 14,600 miles into space, we will no longer see a total eclipse of the sun. Don’t worry about that though because it’s going to take 500 million years until that happens.

 

What is the most dangerous animal lurking around in America? Some would say the fierce grizzly bear or prowling mountain lions. They have been known to kill people, but the numbers are far from staggering. During the 20th century, 128 people died from bear attacks and only 14 people died from the mountain lions.

The answer to this question is deer (hence the picture). While you may think these animals are cute roaming around in the woods, they have been a serious problem around cities and residential areas. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, it is estimated that 130 people die yearly from vehicle collisions with deers.

There are one and a half million deer/vehicle accidents per year. This results in nearly 30,000 injuries and over one billion dollars in health insurance claims. Deers also carry ticks which are transmitters of the deadly Lyme disease. Lyme disease infects around 13,000 people on yearly basis.

Based on a study from July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2005, The states with the highest number of accidents caused by deers are Pennyslvania, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio and Georgia. By being attentive on the roads, the number of deer-related accidents can be decreased. The following are a few good tips to follow to reduce your risk of becoming a deer-collision victim.

• Always keep an eye open for deer especially near wooded areas. Most of the time, signs are posted where deer crossings are most likely.
• Deer are most prone to be out and moving around during the early evening.
• Use high beams to spot deer on the side of the road when it is hard to see.
• If you see one deer, it is likely that more are around because they often move in packs.

 By following these simple steps, you are more likely to avoid deer-related accidents.

 

Deserts are defined as large areas of land that receive very little precipation which in return limits the amount of life desert’s support. Deserts, which cover a third of the land on Earth, receive an annual precipitation of less than 25 cm per year. Not all of the desert’s landscape is barren though. While much of the wildlife and plants are sparse, the plant life is very diverse. Plants are able to survive in this climate by maintaining two special features. These features include the ability to collect and store water and the ability to reduce water loss.

Most envision deserts to be fiercely hot with a relentless sun, but this is not always true. Many deserts are hot during the day and cold at night while others are constantly cold like the Gobi Desert in Asia. The following list some unique facts that you may find interesting.

• The world’s largest desert is the Sahara Desert (3 million square miles).
• The highest temperature ever recorded, 136.4 degrees F, was recorded in Libya in the Sahara Desert.
• The world’s largest cold desert is the Antarctica desert.
• In the United States, there are four main deserts; Mojave, Great Basin, Chihuahuan, and the Sonoran Deserts.
• The highest sand dune ever measured was an incredible height of 1,410 feet high.
• The tallest recorded cactus was found to be 57 feet, 11 inches high in Arizona.

 

The Amazon Rainforest, composing of 5.5 million acres, is located in the heart of South America. More than half of Earth’s remaining rainforests are located in the Amazon. This area of the world has the richest diversity among plants and animals.

The need to keep the Amazon Rainforest from deforestation is immense. From 1991 to 2000 the area of lost rainforest rose to 587,000 km² which is twice the size of Portugal. Most of this barren land is now used to pasture cattle.

The annual rate of deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest continues to increase yearly. Livestock pasture and the production of crops are the main two reasons for tearing down the tropical rainforests. South Americans value land that has been deforested to be 5-10 times more profitable than when it was a rainforest.

Due the lack of understanding of the full composition of our tropical rainforests, scientists are consistently racing against time to fully understand what value our rainforests hold. There may be cures for cancer and cures for AIDs among many other diseases with no current cure located in the wildlife of our world’s rainforests.

At current estimates, roughly over 80% of the Amazon Rainforest is still intact. Visit Adventure-life.com to see the things you can do to help reduce deforestation of the world’s largest rainforest.

 

Recycling should be an activity practiced by households, individuals and businesses alike. If you don’t already recycle, here are some fun recycling facts that should help convince you to do so.

Facts about Recycling Metals:

• Nearly 350,000 aluminum cans are produced every minute worldwide. By recycling one aluminum can, enough energy is saved to run a TV for three hours. This is equivalent to using a half gallon of gas.
• Once a can is recycled, it can be formed into a new can withis six weeks.
• There is no limit to the amount of times a aluminum can can be recycled.
• During a one year period in the U.S., the recycling of steel saves enough energy to heat and light 18,000,000 homes.
• The energy saved by recycling one pound of steel can power a 60-watt bulb for over a day.

Facts about Recycling Paper:

• 500,000 trees must be cut down to produce each week’s Sunday newspaper.
• If all newspapers were recycled throughout the year, we would save about 250,000,000 trees per year!
• Roughly 1 billion trees worth of paper are thrown away every year in the U.S.
• About 27% of all the newspapers in America are recycled.
• The amount of paper and wood thrown away every year is equivalent to the energy needed to heat 50,000,000 homes for 20 years!

Facts about Recycling Glass

• By recycling one glass bottle, a 100-watt light bulb could run for four hours.
• By not recycling glass, it takes over 4,000 years for it to decompose in a landfill.

Hopefully these recycling facts will help convince you to recycle if you do not already do so!

 

China is a very interesting country with many unique facts that you may find interesting. One-fifth of the world’s population lives in China. The most famous landmark in China, The Great Wall of China, began construction over 2,500 years ago and stands more than an astounding 5,000 km long.

China is home to 18% of the world’s poor. Nearly 150 million people in China live on less than one dollar per day. While there is still a large amount of people living under one dollar per day, from 1981-2001 more than 400 million people lifted themselves out of the one dollar per day poverty level.

While there is such a high poverty level, China still has the fastest growing economy of any nation in Asia. If you’re from America, you already know the large amount of work that is being sent overseas to China. The average income in China in 2005 was $1,290 but in 1980 the average income was only $280.

To learn about a fascinating engineering marvel currently under construction in China, please read our article “Three Gorges Dam: Disaster in the Making?“

Although often debated, most scientists will assure you that global warming is occurring on our planet earth. Global warming is a change in climate which has been resulting in higher temperatures. According to NASA, the global overall temperature has increased 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit since 1880.

Human activities have increased the number of greenhouse gases, mainly carbon dioxide, in our atmosphere. Global Warming is a result of the burning of fossil fuels (emitting CO2) around the world. Fossil fuels are the main energy source for transportation worldwide. Global warming has caused a decrease in the number of glaciers and snow covered areas which has caused the world’s sea level to rise. Extreme weather patterns will become noticeable, certain species will become extinct and agriculture around the world will be effected if global warming continues at its current rate.

To decrease the rate of global warming, the population of the world as whole needs to begin using less fossil fuels and more alternative fuels such as solar, wind, and hydrogen energy.

Interesting Glacier Facts: 

How much of Earth is covered with glaciers?
Roughly 10% of Earth is covered in glacier ice.

How much of Earth’s fresh water do glaciers hold?
Glaciers hold a suprising 75% of the world’s fresh water.

Why do glaciers appear to be blue?
Glaciers appear to be blue because ice asorbs all other colors and reflects blue.

Why don’t we use glaciers for a fresh water source?
In matter of fact, we do use glaciers for fresh water. In the state of Washington alone, glaciers provide 1.7 trillion gallons of water each summer due to melting.

What would happen if all the glaciers melted?
If the glaciers melted, the world’s sea level would rise by 230 feet.

For more information about glaciers, please visit National Snow and Ice Data Center.

Interesting Volcano Facts:

How many active volcanoes are there on Earth?
There are roughly 1500 active volcanoes on Earth. Scientists know of about 80 that are under the world’s oceans.

What is the purpose of volcanoes?
Volcanoes are important to our planet. They can be considered “Earth’s safety valve” because they release the pressure that builds up inside our planet.

Where did the name “volcano” come from?
The origin of the name “volcano” came from ancient Greek mythology from the name Vulcan, god of fire.

Where is the world’s largest active volcano?
The world’s largest active volcano is Mauna Loa in Hawaii. It rises 13,677 feet above sea level. Mauna Loa is one of five volcanoes that form Hawaii.

How many people have died from volcanic eruptions?
It is estimated during the last 500 years that 200,000 people have lose their lives.

For more information on volcanoes, please visit Scholastic.

 

Pangea is the super-continent that existed before the separation of today’s present day continents. In 1912, Alfred Wegner was the first to propose the theory of continental drift in which he claimed evidence of the once existing Pangea. Pangea existed during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras, nearly 250 million years ago. It is believed that Pangea began to break up into other continents around 180 million years ago during the Jurassic Period.

Rainforests are home to two-thirds of our world’s animal and plant life. It was once estimated that hundreds of millions of wildlife species are still undiscovered in the rainforest. Rainforests only remain to cover 6% of Earth’s surface when the used to once cover 14%.

Experts estimate that we are losing 137 species of plant, animal and insect species due to deforestation. Not only do we lose certain wildlife forever, we are losing potential cures that could come from these plants. Scientists have only test less than 1% of all plant species for possible disease curing properties. The U.S. National Cancer Institute recognizes 3000 plants that are active against deadly cancer cells.

Rainforests are vital in other ways as well. The Amazon Rainforest provides 20% of the world’s oxygen. The world’s rainforests are vital for our longterm survival.

 
Earth Day Flag

Earth Day is an important day in which the world unites to celebrate environmental progress in protecting our planet. The first Earth Day thought up of by Senator Gaylord Nelson occurred on April 22, 1970. Earth Day 2008 will be the next recognized Earth Day which will occur on March 20, 2008.

Protecting our planet is the main purpose of Earth Day. Visions of improving things like pollution problems are put into action. Since the introduction of Earth Day in 1970 the air quality has improved and restoration of abandoned industrial sites has increased.

 

Fossil Fuels are a non-renewable source of energy formed from plants and animals that used to live up to 300 million years ago. Chemical energy is stored in these fuels, and when we burn these fuels the energy is released. Coal, natural gas and oil are the three fossil fuels that currently provide more than 85% of all the energy consumed in the United States. They account for 2/3 of all the electricity produced and nearly all transportation fuel comes from fossil fuels.

Fossil fuels produce around 6.3 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide per year worldwide. Carbon dixoide is a greenhouse gas that contributes to the effects of global warming. Our dependence upon fossil fuels is still likely to increase over the next few decades even while new renewable fuels are being developed. With decreasing amounts of fossil fuels located on Earth, humans will have no other choice other than to switch to renewable resources. It’s already happening slowly, but time will only tell.

An optimistic time estimate on how long fossil fuels will last is displayed below (Oil & Gas Journal, World Oil):
Oil: 45 Years
Gas: 72 Years
Coal: 252 Years

A thousand tons of meteor dust falls to Earth every day. During a meteor’s flight through the atmosphere, most burn up but some do survive to reach the Earth’s surface.  In terminology, any meteor that makes its way to the ground is called a “meteorite”.  Roughly a thousand meteorites land per year around the world.  Most of which land in the world’s oceans.

 The most famous crater from a meteorite in the United States is the Barringer Meteorite.  This 600 feet deep crater is located in Winslow, Arizona.  Fragments of this iron meteorite are still being found around the site today.  More than 30 tons of the Barringer Meteorite have been recovered.

The largest known meteorite to ever fall to earch is the Hoba Meteorite in Nambia, Africa which weighed 60,000 kg.  The largest meteorite found in the United States is the Williamette Meteorite in Oregon.  Although it was found in 1902 in Oregon, it can now be found on display in the American Museum of Natural History.