Sustainable Urban Living

In an age where cities are fast replacing rural areas and natural resources are steadily depleting, sustainable urban living is the only way to preserve the environment. Sustainable urban living is a move away from the practice of using and abusing natural resources, harming or destroying ecosystems, and thus bringing about drastic climatic changes.

Sustainable urban living is generally defined as development that brings about social and ecological harmony in cities and town on a long term basis. It is a fairly recent concept and the nuances are still at the drawing board stage. However, researchers, environmental scientists, and urban planners agree on these features of a sustainable urban dwelling: a compact layout that economizes the use of land, extreme accessibility of the various strategic points that minimize dependence on automobiles, better structural designs that optimize the use of available resources, systems that generate less waste and devises that cause less pollution, and increasing use of natural systems.

18Broadway in Kansas City promises to be a living and breathing demonstration of sustainable urban living. The site will bring about efficient water management with innovative measures like storm planters, rain gardens, solar powered electrical water pumps, and swales to filter runoffs from the site and city streets to be re-used for irrigation. The site also plans to implement alternative forms of energy like solar and wind power, compressed natural gas, and biodiesel to power the establishment. The dwellings will feature rooftop gardens, rainwater cisterns, geothermal heating and cooling, and other energy-efficient appliances that highlight the feasibility of sustainable urban living.

Pollution Causes

Radical environmental activism has led to a rise in the awareness levels amongst the masses regarding the types of pollution, causes, and effects. This makes it easy for them to advocate and motivate them to adopt remedial measures to reverse the ills of pollution and bring about lifestyle modifications to ensure that their actions do not contribute to the rising levels of pollution.

You too should know about the types of pollution, causes, and ways to combat them to play your role in the environment conservation efforts. The burning of fossil fuel is one of the major causes of air pollution. Factories using outdated modes of production or using environmentally hazardous substances too spew venomous air into the atmosphere.

Water pollution is one of the major causes of concern for environmentalists. Industrial units often discharge their waste products into nearby streams and rivers, thereby polluting them. The flowing water then carries these toxic materials into their tributaries and distributaries. The only way to counter this problem is through effective waste management.

The human habit of disposing of garbage indiscriminately leads to pollution of land resources. Garbage often contains toxic products that can permeate the ground surface and make the land unfit for agricultural purposes. Often waste products used for landfill purposes lead to land pollution.

Pollution causes environmental degradation, so the green police encourage you to combat the ills.

Green Products

With the spread of environmental consciousness, many have become aware of the threats that our home planet faces. In order to solve these problems and conserve the earth’s environment it is necessary that every individual starts to take initiative towards the same goal, that of a cleaner and greener earth. Green products are a means to achieve this goal.

Green products are those, which are manufactured using methods that do not cause any harm to the earth’s environment. Their manufacturing process does not involve any pollution or toxic waste disposal, making these environmentally friendly. Their compositions are eco-friendly and do not have any adverse effects on the users as well. There are no toxic substances present in the green products.

Why opt for green products? Apart from the fact that these green products are safe from health hazards, the green police believe it is necessary to understand that they offer convenient solutions to the problems that challenge the environment. Pollution is one of the basic troubles plaguing the earth and its environment and it is essential that each individual do his part in contributing to the safeguarding of the environment.

Choose green products for daily use and let the planet be free from the hazard of pollution and toxic wastes.

Green Communities

Green communities are those that take up a program especially designed to provide support to community based energy projects. High pollution, loss of trees, energy conservation and many more such environmental issues can be taken care of if communities take up responsibilities and fulfill them to make their community green end eco friendly.

Green communities work together and keep their communities clean. If each community vouches to go green and take care of a few of the environmental issues then their cumulative effect can make a big difference to the environmental scenario of the planet.

The green police lay out a few of the jobs green communities do here:

1. keeping the community clean by picking up litter
2. catch rainwater, stop misuse of water and save as much water as possible
3. preserve greenery and lakes to keep the environment clean and maintain the ecological balance
4. resort to energy efficient modes of transportation, use cars less frequently as these emit harmful gases
5. reuse and recycle
6. keep their buildings energy efficient and adopt necessary steps

The world is facing serious environmental challenges in the present times. The harmful effects of environmental degradation are not felt immediately as these take place slowly. But these produce irreversible damages. Be a part of green communities and make your contribution.

Environmental Groups

Environmental groups, such as the green police, have managed to sustain the movement for the conservation of natural resources and also managed to address diverse environmental issues. The movement for saving the environment and the planet are carried on by a number of organizations both at the micro and the macro levels. These environmental groups work towards generating environmental awareness amongst the masses. Environmental groups comprise people from all walks of life and such diverse representation may not always lead to a consensus. However, the basic objective that unites all of them is that of saving the planet.

The history of the environmental groups in North America and Europe can be traced back to the nineteenth century when there was a rising concern about environmental negligence. In the United States there were environmental groups that followed two different course of action. While one group under Gifford Pinchot was keen on saving the resources for later use, the other group under John Muir wanted to save the resources for its own sake.

Some of the international recognized environment groups or organizations of the day include names like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Earth System Governance Project, European Environment Agency and the United Nations Environment Programme or UNEP.

Endangered Animals Birds

There are approximately 403 endangered birds in the world today. As human population is on the rise rapidly, more house and food is required to house them and to feed them. This implies only one thing that precious bird habitat is on the verge of extinction. Despite several measures taken by government to protect the endangered animals, birds, many of these species are still at dangerously low numbers.

There are certain birds like Whooping Crane, Ivory Billed Woodpecker, Puerto Rican Parrot, Mexican Spotted Owl and Wood Stork which fall under the category of endangered animals birds and it is our responsibility to protect these birds from extinction. The effect of pollution and climatic changes worldwide isn’t helping the cause of protection of these species and it is high time that we start thinking and act towards this cause. Many organizations have come forward to protect these birds. The government of many countries has initiated many policies to protect them.

The green police maintain that the main aim should be to stop the poachers from killing these species and if they are caught in the act they should be severely punished, so that they never dare to repeat the same offense again. So we should come forward and help to save these birds from extinction.

Deforestation And Climate Change

There are a number of reasons which contribute to climate change. One of the chief factors initiating change in the weather conditions of the globe is deforestation. It is essential to understand the interrelationship of deforestation and climate change in order to take proper steps and necessitate change.

The expansion of human civilization and the necessity of land resulted in deforestation. However the cutting down of trees affected the temperatures of the area. Trees capture the moisture present in the atmosphere and thus help in lowering the temperature. In the absence of trees, the temperatures increase.

The green police believe that deforestation and climate change are also linked on a broader spectrum. Deforestation leaves the earth’s surface bare and the sun’s radiation is absorbed by the surface directly, increasing the temperature and contributing to global climate change. The problem of deforestation has far-reaching consequences.

Everyone needs to contribute their part in order to stop these environmental hazards. Reduction, reuse and recycle are the three steps that are being used to ensure that deforestation does not initiate further damages to the climate. Moreover with each tree that has been cut down, people need to plant more to maintain the balance.

Deforestation and climate change could only be stopped with a conscious effort.