https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS For ESS lovers and all their ESS needs en-us 2017-02-04 16:29:11 UTC 2017-09-21 04:22:36 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Clouds.png muhammadm1 https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/151626649 The largest coal power plant in the U.S is closing down which is good news because it is one of the biggest climate polluters in the country. The Navajo power plant in Arizona may be closing down due to the rising costs of generating electricity using coals. The reserve is coal is said to be the first to run out out of the fossil fuels used currently in Earth. The low prices of natural gas is luring these companies to abandon coal and move to the much more abundant and plentiful resource in comparison - Natural Gas. In the U.S the top 7 largest contributors to carbon pollution are all coal-fired power stations with the Navajo station being the 7th. Natural gas pollutes the atmosphere with half as much carbon dioxide compared to Coal. President Trump heavily supports the Coal industry and plans to "bring back coal" by removing legislation hindering the coal industry.
In my opinion this is a good step in reducing fossil fuel use and it is certainly good news for those directly affected by the pollution caused by the plant. Since companies all over the U.S have stopped going towards coal and are instead switching to Natural gas which is less polluting perhaps this would also encourage some to look at alternative sources of energy that are sustainable. Corporations and Politicians that have immense control over what happens do indeed hinder the research effort put into alternative energy sources due to personal agendas fueled by profit. But this can be changed if people are not just made aware but start to take action to support other renewable sources of energy making them more efficient, reliable and attainable at a cheap and reasonable price.]]> 2017-02-04 21:16:01 UTC https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/151626649 muhammadm1 https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/151626703 Humans are very wasteful creatures and we take the resources we have for granted. Earthships are a step in the right direction for us to live more sustainbly and reducing the amount of waste we produce. These homes are not connected to the grid nor the water systems making them completely self-sustaining as they can even produce their own food in addition to electricity and water. With the use of recycled material for the construction and taking advantage of natrual convection as a natural Air conditioning this home helps to greatly reduce the negative impact of human activity on Earth and the environment.

At the moment this type of home is only owned by people who really care about the environment enough to take action and mold their entire lifestyle in order to live sustainably. The concept is excellent as it promotes self-sustained living. This type of lifestyle would not only be beneficial to the environment but also to the people living within as it would cut the costs of running a house to half if not more. Previously humans used to live much in a much more self-sustaining manner , for example on farms but that came with its own restrictions such as lack of amenities. Technology can  however provide people will most of their needs but still allow for sustainable living by smartly reducing the amount of waste produced and allow for a healthier lifestyle.]]> 2017-02-04 21:17:22 UTC https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/151626703 muhammadm1 https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/151626744  Nearly 33% of the world's arable land has disappeared in the last four decades due to pollution and erosion. The combination of an increase in the human population, urbanisation and climate change have all contributed to a decrease in the efficiency and effectiveness on  the agricultural capacity of the Earth. As the population of the Earth is rapidly increasing so is the need for intensive farming to keep up with the demand which is highly unsustainable. The lack of knowledge and use of practical and sustainable agricultural methods has led to soil degradation, the decrease in the quality of soil.

Possible solutions include vertical farm, these are farms that are grown in building taking advantage of the limited amount of space available of cities and producing crops with efficient methods through technology to maximise productivity. This method would be excellent because it is actually taking advantage of one of the main problems which is urbanisation and turning it into a solution and allowing for development to take place without restrictions or concern over farmland however this method becoming popular and more common would take some time. Other solutions include 'no till' agriculture, the way of growing crops from year to year without disturbing the soil through tillage. Maintaining a balance between crops and the microbes in the soil as well as using human waste as fertililser are all viable solutions that if used collectively would be quite effective.]]> 2017-02-04 21:18:22 UTC https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/151626744 muhammadm1 https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/151626837 Of all the species that have ever existed on earth 99% are now extinct but thankfully most of it is due to time and natural occurrences. Currently between a few dozen to more than a hundred species go extinct every day and at the curent rate it would take a few tens of thousands of years to wipe out the same number of species as the third great mass extinction. This was the largest mass extinction and it wiped out 96% of life on Earth and the latest mass extinction was the one that wiped out the dinosaurs which was the infamous meteorite.The current rate of extinction is 100 to 1000 times to what it would be naturally after the introduction of Human beings to the planet. Many believe that we are currently in the middle of the next extinction which is being caused by rising CO2 levels, habitat destruction, invasive species, pollution and over harvesting which all come back to us Humans.
The issue is a geological process which has happened many times before but this time it is happening at a much faster rate. The solutions to this issue would be too look at the individual causes and tackling them one by one to ensure that there is minimum human impact on this otherwise natural process. These steps don't have to be global initiatives taken up by all the countries of the world but can be small steps taken by individual communities to ensure that they themselves are doing the best they can. An example of a community coming together is in South Africa where a group called the Black Mambas, all-female group, are in the fight against poaching of endangered wild-life in the region such as the Rhino by patrolling and protecting natural parks and reserves.]]> 2017-02-04 21:21:06 UTC https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/151626837 muhammadm1 https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/156199080 Climate change, along with other factors, is attributed to air pollution as the particles trap in heat from insolation. research has shown that this relationship may work both ways and that climate change may in return increase air pollution levels. pollution such as smog which contains ozone particles is higher at higher temperatures. Everything is connected, the higher temperature dries out the soil which makes forest fires more likely, contributing to more air pollution. These type of pollutants have negative effects on health and exposure to them increases chances of heart and lung cancer and thus it has a similar effect to smoking.
The environmental protection agency and other associations have and still are working to mitigate the effects and reduce the impact on human health but the positive feedback loop allows the two factors to feed off each other and thus is much more complicated and difficult to solve. Solutions aren't however non-existent and steps can be taken individually in addition to mass effort from organisations and governments. The usage of fossil fuels can be reduced by governments and large corporations actually allowing development and research into alternative energy and make the choice easier for the population. People in industries related to the issue can also make a difference such as agriculture adapting more sustainable practices to prevent forest fires. ]]> 2017-02-25 17:33:12 UTC https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/156199080 muhammadm1 https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/156200065 Geothermal energy uses the heat from the earth's surface to generate electricity, this source of energy is renewable.Conventionally steam produced from the geysers is used to turn turbines to produce electricity but in the case of volcanic geothermal energy, there is potential for much higher energy. Volcanoes allow water to reach a super-critical state which can only be achieved in very distinctive conditions, this super-critical water carries more energy than normal steam and the output is 10 times greater than traditional geothermal sources. Researchers are looking into it as an alternative and more sustainable geothermal source of energy and Iceland already generates 25% of its electricity by harnessing the earth's energy. Globally however, only 6 to 7% of geothermal potential energy is being used.
The issue with most renewable sources of energy is that they are just not developed to the point to be able to replace the fossil fuels we are heavily reliant on. This article shows that there is still so much untapped potential on earth that can be used to fulfill the needs of the rapidly growing population. Volcanoes have very high potential and could boost the reliability of geothermal energy as an energy source and push the research and development of geothermal energy forward by creating interest.]]> 2017-02-25 17:49:12 UTC https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/156200065 muhammadm1 https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/156202192 Scientists plan to pump cold seawater from below the ice on top of it in winter and this water would then freeze onto the ice. This bizarre idea is in response to the fact that more ice is melting in the summer than the ice that is made in winter and thus the ice is depleting from the Arctic. The plan put forward is that since the water below the thick ice floating on the surface prevents freezing of the ice below it, tiny wind-powered pumps could be used to pull seawater up to the surface where the minus 40 degrees Celsius air would be able to freeze more ice in the winters. There are limitations to this, such as the salt preventing the water to freeze and the actual production and scaling of the currently non-existent pumps.
It is estimated that the Arctic will be completely ice-free during summer by the 2030s. This would lead to a positive feedback loop, sending the planet into rapid warming. The Albedo from the ice caps would be reduced to a dangerous point and the effects would lead to intense warming of Earth. At this point it is believed that any effort to naturally encourage prevention of the ice retreating is pointless so therefore artificial methods may need to be a put into place. ]]> 2017-02-25 18:28:11 UTC https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/156202192 muhammadm1 https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/165519743 Autonomous vehicles can cut down greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles by 90% in addition to the numerous other advantages. Traffic is the result of essentially human error and response time and therefore if humans were eliminated from the equation and computers were allowed control of our cars then everyone could have stress-free and much more efficient commute. The electric car aspect allows elimination of greenhouse gas emission and the taxi aspect reduces overall vehicle usage. The idea is vehicles existing as a service and dispatched according to need rather than being a personal status symbol and existing per household. This means a slight shift in car usage and it is calculated that only 5% of vehicle sales in 2030 would need to shift to autonomous taxis, this would save around 7 million barrels of oil per year and reduce emission significantly.
this concept would certainly require some effort and sacrifice of what we are currently used to. The idea doesn't imply that everyone sell their cars for the greater good and uses taxis, but instead it means some compromise is made by assessing our individual needs and then determining the best choice. The cost-effective taxis can be slowly introduced into a community and the community would eventually get used to it and it may even become considered a necessity in the future.]]> 2017-04-08 18:27:09 UTC https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/165519743 muhammadm1 https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/165519805 Perovskite is a material which can turn sunlight, heat and movement into electricity, at the same time. These solar cells were invented in 2009 and they are a cheaper and more efficient substitute to silicon solar cells. They have very high potential and are rapidly evolving , a result of which is this new type of perovskite (KBNNO). The technology is still being developed and there is potential for it to be go-to power source for small gadgets used everyday.
Researchers see this to be the future of smart cities and homes. Everyday little gadgets and sensors which we don' t pay much attention to collectively use a fair amount of energy and this material could be the solution to reduce inefficiencies in our everyday lives and pave the way to smart devices, homes and cities.]]> 2017-04-08 18:29:17 UTC https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/165519805 muhammadm1 https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/165519857 Mr. trash Wheel has been cleaning Baltimore's inner harbour since 2014 and has managed to remove over a million pound of trash. The device uses solar energy to for power and the current of the Jones falls river to turn the waterwheel which powers the conveyer belt. The trash is collected and the conveyer belt drops it into an on board bin. The purpose to animate this trash collector was to increase interest in water pollution and the issues faced by the rivers all over the world.
This type of creative solution shows that the protection and conservation of our resources doesn't all have to be done by dull and boring government agencies and organisations. This shows the community that the power to make a difference can be in the hand of the regular person and can be done with a splash of creativity to get more people involved. Similar projects can be done by locals and schools of communities around the world with rivers and other resources which may be otherwise neglected.]]> 2017-04-08 18:31:12 UTC https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/165519857 muhammadm1 https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/165520003 The Whanganui River in New Zealand and the Ganga & Yamuna Rivers in India have become legal persons. In New Zealand the river is sacred to the Māori people and this change is the result of negotiations from the treaty o f Waitangi. In India, the two rivers are considered to the Hindu religion and the act was done in response to concerns about pollution. There is a difference between a 'legal person' and human being so therefore they do not have human rights but instead acquire legal rights. The concept is similar to business where companies are considered legal entities separate from the owners. This act grants the river the ability to sue and be sued, in other words they can go to court to protect its rights. 
This is a bizarre solution to an issue but it can be argued that it may be necessary to take drastic and somewhat dramatic action not only to protect nature but also send a message. This action shows a lot about us as humans. We are only concerned about ourselves and disregard, neglect and even harm natural resources such as Rivers so in order for them to be protected they need to be seen as more 'human' and hence the movement. By doing this the people send a message that there are still people who are concerned about the environment and are willing to go to such lengths in order to protect nature. The fact that there is religious motive behind it and the fact that people have been worshiping rivers for hundred of years shows that they indeed hold value and it differs from religious to economic value. ]]> 2017-04-08 18:34:37 UTC https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/165520003 muhammadm1 https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/165520062 Earth has under-gone 5 major ice ages and the latest one brought about the wolly mammoths and the expansion of glaciers. Ice Ages can last hundreds of millions of years. Ice ages account for 25% of Earth's past billion years. According to scientists we should be in an ice age currently but due to factors related to the earth's orbit and humans filling up the atmosphere with carbon dioxide we won't enter one for at least 100,000 years. there is a theory that changes in the orbit and the related cycles have something to do with the glacial (ice age) cycles. It has been said that although these orbital cycles and changes attribute to the ice age cycles, they may not have any effect if the earth has too much carbon dioxide and is therefore too warm.
This highlights a huge issue brought about by us humans. The natural cycles of the Earth which stayed relatively consistent for billions for billions of years are now being altered by a species which has been on the planet for fraction of a fraction in the timeline of Earth. The fact that we are capable of such destruction is concerning and raises the question that will the earth be able to return to its natural state and carry out its cycles. There have always been fluctuations in the natural system in terms of carbon dioxide and heat, for example it was warmer during the dinosaur age but that was due to natural causes and the carbon levels reverted over millions of years. The difference this time is that humans have done this all by themselves and in such a short period of time which is a first in history.

]]> 2017-04-08 18:35:56 UTC https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/165520062 muhammadm1 https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/165520117 The Sierra Nevada is a beautiful mountain range with stunning landscapes. Nitrogen, Phosphorus and carbon are essential for an ecosystem to thrive and this particular system was thriving with a serious lack of phosphorus therefore scientists did research and found that dust from as far away as the Gobi Desert in Central Asia. Dust migration therefore plays a key role in the development and in sustaining this Californian ecosystem. "This research reveals that the transport of dust in the atmosphere is important for the ecological health of many parts of our planet".
This finding is important in our understanding of how the Earth has a delicate and very complex system which we have yet to discover fully. Scientists still have hundreds of questions about certain natural phenomenon and occurrences and how different parts of this system are linked to each other. The question raised after such a finding is it that if we don't yet fully understand the complexity of Earth as a system and taking into account the numerous ways we are damaging it, we might not be able to see the signs of something going amiss in the system simply due to the fact that we are not even aware of it, let alone protect and sustain it. We don't yet know the relations and importance certain factors have on us and the planet therefore mankind should tread careful not to damage or disrupt something which may have a significant impact in the long term.]]> 2017-04-08 18:37:55 UTC https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/165520117 muhammadm1 https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/186089565 Due to the increasing difficulty to deny Climate Change and its effects, particularly in light of the recent chain of global catastrophes, scientists are exploring ways to re-engineer the planet to counter the damage that has already been done. 
A few ideas have been proposed to reverse or at least mitigate the effects of global warming. Researchers at a Swiss institute has proposed to seed the upper atmosphere with desert dust to reduce heat trapping cirrus clouds and thus allow more heat to be radiated back into space. Models have shown that this method, if done correctly, could reduce global temperatures by 0.5 degrees Celsius but this is a delicate procedure with proportion being key and any miscalculations could produce more of the very clouds that they are attempting to reduce.
Another geoengineering method is stratospheric aerosol modification (SAM). SAM involves injecting sulfur aerosols into the stratosphere to increase the reflectivity of Earth's atmosphere. Models indicate that this could reduce the amount of sunlight reaching Earth's surface but the technology is in its early stages. This method could also have many side effects which could set off chain reactions in the delicate and complicated systems of Earth. The reduced sunlight would mean an overall slowdown of the hydrological cycle and cause droughts. Although these methods may work in models and in theory, the costs and reality can and will be completely different, all the while not addressing the core issue of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. ]]> 2017-09-09 15:33:07 UTC https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/186089565 muhammadm1 https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/186089796 2017-09-09 15:36:38 UTC https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/186089796 muhammadm1 https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/186089858 The purpose of this vault range from end of the the world contingency planning to preserving precious sources of food and is known as "the Noah's Ark of plant diversity" and "The world's most important room". The idea of the vault is to have backups for essential crops and plants in the case of a global catastrophe.
In Addition to the preservation of crops and plant life, there is genetic researching for the examination of crops such as barley and rice and identifying their key genetic aspects. These can then be manipulated and used to produce more effective and reliable sources of food.
The Svalbard seed vault contains more than 900,000 samples from all over the world. The role of the vault goes beyond the differences and disputes among our fractured world and is located near the North Pole. It has already demonstrated its usefulness when the Aleppo seed bank was shut down and the Svalbard vault provided replenishment.The global seed vault can contain more than 4 million different crops, and up to 2.5 billion seeds.]]> 2017-09-09 15:37:37 UTC https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/186089858 muhammadm1 https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/186089956 2017-09-09 15:38:54 UTC https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/186089956 muhammadm1 https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/186090553 2017-09-09 15:45:39 UTC https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/186090553 muhammadm1 https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/186091492 2017-09-09 15:59:37 UTC https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/186091492 muhammadm1 https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/186091896 2017-09-09 16:05:11 UTC https://padlet.com/muhammadm1/ESS/wish/186091896