10 Interesting Green Facts

The growing environmental concerns such as pollution, carbon footprints and rapid reduction of rainforests are increasing at an alarming rate. We can prevent, control or find different ways to stop these grave environmental issues. We need to be aware of our mistakes and be educated. These 10 green facts and statistics will certainly open our eyes and educate us to be more environment-friendly:

1. There are many benefits of recycling objects. According to recycling-revolution.com, recycling an aluminum can saves enough electricity to power a television for three hours. If one ton of paper gets recycled, it saves 4,100 kilowatts of energy, 17 trees and 60 pounds of air pollution. If a ton of glass gets recycled, it can save 9 gallons of oil. These simple statistics reveal the true importance of recycling, and certainly help us find an alternative way to save our environment.

2. In the US alone, if 1/4^th of the households replace one incandescent bulb with a CFL, it saves as much carbon dioxide as planting more than 200, 000 acres of forest. CFLs come in different types to suit your rooms. “Soft light” CFLs are a perfect replacement for that familiar warm glow emitted by incandescent light bulbs. You can also opt for “daylight” bulbs to emulate natural light. Replacing incandescents with CFLs is a small step to make our planet a better place to live.

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4. Due to global warming and the population boom, most Asian countries will face acute water shortages by the year 2025. Still, many people waste water as if there is plenty available. But the truth is that less than one percent of world’s fresh water is available for human consumption.

_{(image, above left: an image of a wind turbine, courtesy wikimediacommons)}

5. The conventional furniture polishes you use contain toxic chemicals such as d-limonene, a chemical which irritates the eyes, and flammable irritants such as isobutene and butane. According to 2006 reports of the US poison control center, more than 200,000 case reports of exposure to such polishes and cleaning products were registered.

6. Australia has enough unused geothermal power to provide energy for thousands of years! According to treehugger.com, only 1 percent of the available geothermal power in Australia can provide energy for 26,000 years. This is one of the most encouraging green facts for us because it throws light on alternative sources of energy.

7. China’s severe air pollution problem has become the main reason for cancer deaths in the country. According to the EU, the country’s city residents breathe only 1 percent of fresh air. The deadly nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxides emitted by China’s factories are spreading across the planet—as far as Los Angeles in the US!

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9. India’s “National Solar Mission” plan aims to generate 20 Gigawatts of electricity from solar energy by 2020. In its attempt to fight global warming, India’s three-phased solar plan aims to produce 1-1.5 Gigawatts of solar power by 2012. The “National Solar Mission” objectives also include reducing the cost of solar panels and encourage domestic manufacturing of solar panels.

10. The energy consumption on heating and cooling the home is 50 percent of the total electricity consumption of an average household!

Those were some alarming, eye-opening and informative green facts. Of course, you might want to learn more about the various ways to save energy. Bright Hub’s Green Living channel has in-depth articles on this subject as well as many other informative articles on recycling, green construction, gardening and other green tips.

http://www.thegreenguide.com/fastfact/6

http://webecoist.com/2008/11/26/amazing-frightening-green-facts-environmental-statistics/

Picture of garbage: http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulbridgewater/3235888970/