Global warming is the term used to describe a gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth's atmosphere and its oceans, a change that is believed to be permanently changing the Earth’s climate forever.
While many view the effects of global warming to be more substantial and more rapidly occurring than others do, the scientific consensus on climatic changes related to global warming is that the average temperature of the Earth has risen between 0.4 and 0.8 °C over the past 100 years. The increased volumes of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases released by the burning of fossil fuels, land clearing, agriculture, and other human activities, are believed to be the primary sources of the global warming that has occurred over the past 50 years.
Scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate carrying out global warming research have recently predicted that average global temperatures could increase between 1.4 and 5.8 °C by the year 2100. Changes resulting from global warming may include rising sea levels due to the melting of the polar ice caps, as well as an increase in occurrence and severity of storms and other severe weather events.
How to Keep "Living Green" After You Die
More and more people are choosing to live green—adopting lifestyles that reflect responsible environmental stewardship and are also good for the planet. Not satisfied to simply live green, however, some people are choosing to carry their environmental commitment beyond, or at least into, the grave.
Sharon O'brian, About Guide to Senior Living, reports that a growing number of people are choosing green alternatives to traditional burial after they die.
One option is burial in a natural site, such as a woodland grove, in a biodegradable casket that decomposes quickly. No embalming fluid is used, and the gravesite is planted with trees and flowers to help reunite the deceased with the natural environment.
Another option is to mix one’s ashes with the concrete used to create artificial reefs for undersea creatures and to stop the degradation of fragile reef ecosystems.
If you find this concept odd, unorthodox, or even creepy, give it a little more thought. The amount of land we devote to cemeteries and mausoleums to preserve and honor our dead is enormous. And given the population growth projected for the next century, it is simply not sustainable.
Just imagine how much productive land we could preserve for other uses—from farming to housing to soul-enriching green spaces—if we chose to embrace green alternatives to traditional burial and to nourish the planet after we died instead of just taking up space.
Sharon O'brian, About Guide to Senior Living, reports that a growing number of people are choosing green alternatives to traditional burial after they die.
One option is burial in a natural site, such as a woodland grove, in a biodegradable casket that decomposes quickly. No embalming fluid is used, and the gravesite is planted with trees and flowers to help reunite the deceased with the natural environment.
Another option is to mix one’s ashes with the concrete used to create artificial reefs for undersea creatures and to stop the degradation of fragile reef ecosystems.
If you find this concept odd, unorthodox, or even creepy, give it a little more thought. The amount of land we devote to cemeteries and mausoleums to preserve and honor our dead is enormous. And given the population growth projected for the next century, it is simply not sustainable.
Just imagine how much productive land we could preserve for other uses—from farming to housing to soul-enriching green spaces—if we chose to embrace green alternatives to traditional burial and to nourish the planet after we died instead of just taking up space.
Earth Day: The History and Evolution of Earth Day
Monday April 21, 2008
Have you ever wondered how Earth Day got started and who came up with the idea? Would it surprise you to learn that April 22 is not the only Earth Day, or even the first?
Learn more about the history and evolution of Earth Day, and why after almost 40 years there are still two holidays that bear the same name and exist for the same purpose--and why both are still celebrated by millions of people every year.
