Today's Fact

The amount of CO2 (as well as methane and nitrous oxide) in the atmosphere has increased sharply since the Industrial Revolution
Today's Astonishing Fact:
The concentration of CO2 is now more than 30 percent higher than at any time during at least the past 800,000 years.

Today's Astonishing Fact

One of the biggest problems being caused by global warming is flooding. However it is not just due to the ice caps melting, it is also due to the fact that the ocean is getting warmer and therefore expanding

Today's Astonishing Fact:
Over the last 50 years, the oceans have absorbed more than 90 percent of the heat that has been added to the climate system due to the build-up of heat-trapping gases

An update on the Solar Plane

The Solar Impulse, the world's first fully solar powered plane to attempt a round the world journey, has successfully completed it's fifth leg. The plane, which took off in Abu Dhabi nearly three weeks ago, has been scheduled to take five months to complete it's momentus. If you want to read more about this astonishing plane click here

Today's Fact

Wrap your water heater in an insulation blanket

Today's Astonishing Fact You’ll save 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple
action

The Kyoto Protocol

In 1997, humans took the first huge step towards slowing global warming in the form of the Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol was an agreement between countries that they would reduce their carbon emissions greatly by 2020. With the deadline only 5 years away, it is becoming more and more important that we reduce our carbon footprint to help reach our targets

Today's Earth Hour Fact

Earth hour is a testimony to just how much could be achieved if everyone helped slow global warming

Today's Astonishing Fact:

Earth hour saves 530 megawatts in just 60 minutes

Another Fact

Even driving better can help stop global warming!

Today's Astonishing Fact:
Studies have shown up to 30% of the difference in miles per gallon (MPG) is due to driving habits alone.  You could save more than a ton of CO₂ per year by:
  - Accelerating slowly and smoothly
  - Driving the speed limit
  - Maintaining a steady speed
  - Anticipating your stops and starts

Melting Away

The hotter the Earth gets, the more beautiful glaciers are destroyed and the more sea levels rise. By reducing our carbon dioxide emissions we can help save beautiful glaciers like this Bear Glacier in Alaska

Today's Astonishing Fact

Consider buying Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFL) instead of regular lightbulbs. It will save the planet as well as saving money

Today's Astonishing Fact:
If every Irish family replaced one regular light bulb with a CFL, it would eliminate 1 billion pounds of greenhouse gases

How Do I Fight Global Warming?

It's sometimes difficult to make a change to your habits to help stop global warming. But there are many more ways which require very little sacrifice which is as simple as looking for the recycled sign on products you buy or planting just one tree in your back garden
If you want to find more about how to fight and slow global warming click here

Today's Astonishing Fact

Some communities are starting to realise that the fuel we are using today is not sustainable and are investing in solar energy schemes. these These schemes are becoming increasingly popular in Europe and are extremely cost effective

Today's Astonishing Fact:
Solar Energy Schemes pays for themselves in just 7 years

Today's Fact

Global warming is not contributed equally by all people on Earth, and unfortunately it doesn't effect the people who emit the most CO2 as much as the people who emit the least amount of CO2

Today's Astonishing Fact:
1 Irish person emits as much CO2 in a year as it would take nearly 100 Ethiopians to emit

A Drop in the Ocean

Trócaire have made a documentary about climate change and how it will affect Ireland called "A Drop in the Ocean"
The name, drop in the Ocean is a great way to explain global warming. One person only puts one drop of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere a year. In proportion to the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere it's only a little, but with all 5 billion people creating one drop, we end up with a large ocean, increasing each year. If everyone decreased their carbon emissions it's another ocean of carbon dioxide stopped from entering the atmosphere

Today's Astonishing Fact

It's not all doom and gloom for the future if we change our ways today, the Earth is not beyond saving

Today's Astonishing Fact:
With large cuts to emissions of greenhouse gases, it is still possible to keep global temperature rises below 2°C increase on pre-industrial levels

This Week's Cartoon

Today's Astonishing Fact

Global warming causes more and more extremes in weather each year. 150,000 people have died in the past year due to global warming

Today's Astonishing Fact:
Almost three times more disasters have been recorded
worldwide in the last decade than were recorded in the 1970s

Ways to change the future

Here are our simple 5 ways to change the future
1. Turn off the lights when you leave the room
2. Use both sides of any pieces of paper you use
3. Only drive when you have to, otherwise walk or cycle
4. Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth
5. Always think and ask "Do I really need this?"
For more ways to change the future click here

Today's Astonishing Fact

It's a sad fact that our carbon emissions don't effect us as badly as other people who don't emit so much carbon dioxide. This is called climate injustice 

Today's Astonishing Fact 
A rise in sea 
levels of 1 metre 
would displace 
a total of 24 
million people 
in Bangladesh, 
India and 
Indonesia

Today's Fact

Turn devices off at the switch instead of leaving them on standby, It can save you on your energy bill by close to 5%

Today's Astonishing Fact:
A mobile phone charger left on uses half the energy that it does while charging

Amazing Global Warming Story

In Paris, the government have decided that pollution has become so bad that they have limited traffic. Now, the French Police have been ordered to keep cars with odd registration plates off the roads on Wednesdays and even registration plates off the road on Thursdays

Today's Fact

Buy from local sources to reduce your carbon emissions, as well as supporting your community it also reduces how much fuel has been used to get the food to you

Today's Astonishing Fact:

The average banana travels over 8,000 km to get to Ireland

Another Fact

We aim to tell you not only why to change the future but also ways to change the future

Today's Astonishing Fact:
Simply use both sides of any page you write on. By using less paper we save trees, by saving trees we reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere by 5%

This week's Cartoon

A slight change in style for this week's Cartoon, but the point is still obvious and serious

Some Great Facebook pages

 Global warming affects all of us, and it is only now that people are starting to realise exactly how much of a problem global warming is. if you'd like to get more involved here are some great Facebook sites to visit

NASA
Stop Global Warming
Go Green
A guide to climate change

Today's Fact

Stopping global warming is not only good for your pocket, and good for your planet but it is also good for your health. Walking or cycling instead of driving to close by places means that you emit no carbon dioxide and makes you healthier

Today's Astonishing Fact:
There are 1.8 million cars on Irish roads, which use a third of all energy used in Ireland

Today's Astonishing Fact

Ensure that your home meets modern energy standards. Walls, floors and ceilings should be insulated and windows glazed to maintain moderate temperatures and reduce noise
Today's Astonishing Fact:
91% more heat in homes is being wasted than was being wasted in the 1980s

Sustainable Energy

One of the best websites for getting reliable facts and excellent tips is SEAI 's website, it not only provides you with ways the change the future AND why to change the future
To visit the site click here

Another Fact

Even the simplest changes like deciding whether to buy local brands or other brands make a difference to your carbon footprint. A great way to reduce your carbon footprint is to buy rechargeable batteries over regular batteries

Today's Astonishing Fact:
As well as being toxic, regular batteries take 50 times more energy to make than they contain

Today's Astonishing Fact

Though some facts may seem like they only make a small difference, when you add them all up, they make one big problem: Global Warming

Today's Astonishing Fact:
In the past hundred years temperatures have risen 1 degree. If we continue on our current trends, the temperature will rise 2 degrees in just 10 years

Chasing Ice

Some people who were concerned with the glaciers melting recently made a documentary called chasing ice! It looked at a glacier in Greenland and it was filmed by a group of dedicated cameramen over 7 and a half weeks

Here's a short clip
For the full documentary, click here

Here is a photo of the scary retreat of this glacier

Today's Fact

Many people think that they do a good job at reducing their carbon footprint. Unfortunately Ireland is not a particularly good country at reducing it's carbon footprint. One of the simplest ways to reduce your carbon footprint is one of the most obvious. Turning off the lights when you leave the room is a surprisingly easy and effective way to reduce your carbon footprint

Today's Astonishing Fact:

The average Irish person emits 8.8 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually whereas the average Portuguese person uses only 5.3 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually

Another Astonishing Fact

One of the most amazing things about saving our planet is that we don't always have to buy premium products to save the world, most of the time, the cheaper way is better for the planet. One of the best, cheapest and cleanest ways to generate is electricity is with solar panels, I think that solar energy is one of the brightest sources of energy for the future

Today's Astonishing Fact:
Every year Ireland receives 600 times the amount of energy  from the sun, than it actually uses itself. Families can save up to 50% of the energy bills with solar heating.

Climate Justice

Climate Change and the issues surrounding it are such a major problem that Trocaire, one of the biggest charities in Ireland, have made it their campaign for Lent 2015. They are tackling the issues surrounding climate justice. Climate Justice is the idea that what we do to contribute to global warming effects not only ourselves but people in other countries and even other species. To read more click here

Today's Astonishing Fact

We are using more energy and emitting more CO2 than in the last 10 million years. We all need to reduce our Global footprint today so that Future Earth is brighter than the one we are currently leaving for future generations

Today's Astonishing Fact:
The average home now consumes 40% more electricity than it did in 1990

A New Way Of Air Travel?

A plane has set off on a historical journey for Muscat in Oman, from Abu Dhabi in the UAE. What makes this plane so amazing is that it will attempt to fly around the world powered only by solar energy. If humans can perfect solar air travel it could mean a huge chunk of our carbon emissions caused by travel could be taken away. If you would like to find out more about this amazing feat click here

Today's Astonishing Fact

One of the biggest problems stemming from global warming is humans having to adapt and change their ways. In Ireland we will have to change the methods of farming we use, relocate our houses and we will lose some of our wildlife

Today's Astonishing Fact:
In Ireland, oceans will rise by 5mm per year, meaning that in just a century's time 300,000 people will have been forced to move

Today's Astonishing Fact

It is only by changing our ways today that we can slow down global warming and save the future of planet Earth. By building small steps towards a brighter future we can all help slow global warming

Today's Astonishing Fact:
If current emission trends continue, by 2100, CO2 concentration would be higher than the Earth has seen in more than 10 million years

This Week's Cartoon!

Another Fact

One of the simplest and best ways to stop global warming is by switching off lights when you aren't using them! It's a brilliant tip, because the energy that you save means that less energy is needed which means that less fossil  fuels are burnt to create energy which means that less CO2 is emitted which means our earth can stay alive and well

Today's Astonishing Fact:
Lightbulbs use 60 watts an hour, lightbulbs emit nearly 800,000 pounds of carbon dioxide

Today's Fact

Since the start of the industrial age in 1700 our carbon emissions have been sky-rocketing. The more electricity we used, the more fossil fuels we burned, the more forests we cut down, the more global warming has increased, if we don't slow global warming now it will be too little too late in the future

Today's Astonishing Fact:
More than Half of All Worldwide Historic CO2 Pollution Has Been Emitted Since 1988

Union of Concerned Scientists

Global warming is concerning scientists worldwide, and many scientists who are extremely concerned with the damaged being done to the future of planet earth have set up a website raising awareness and issues about global warming. To see this website Click Here

Today's Astonishing Fact

Acid rain is a major problem caused by nitrogen and sulphur emissions, it can mean that fish are killed, landmarks and statues are damaged and metals in buildings become weaker. Most acid rain does not fall in the country that the pollution was created in. For example pollution created in Ireland can cause acid rain in Norway.

Today's Astonishing Fact:
Despite major efforts to decrease acid rain, it is still killing lakes and aquatic life. 95,000 lakes in North America have been damaged by acid rain.

Another Fact

A lot of money will be lost because of global warming! The wine, fishing, farming, insurance and car business will all lose money if global warming continues

Today's Astonishing Fact:
Business' will lose up to 10% of all productivity because of global warming in the next thirty

The Greenhouse Effect

The Greenhouse Effect is when co2 goes into the atmosphere and heats up the Earth. This is good, because without it humans couldn't live!

The Enhanced Greenhouse Effect is bad, this is when too much co2 goes into the atmosphere and heats up the Earth TOO much!
This causes

GLOBAL WARMING!

Today's Astonishing Fact

One of the biggest users of energy in the home is heating. Install a programmable thermostat to save money and the planet

Today's Astonishing Fact:
If you adjust your thermostat down by 2° in winter and up by 2° in summer you could reduce your carbon footprint by 2,000 pounds

Today's Fact

Something that surprisingly causes global warming is the clothes you wear, the materials are shipped to gigantic factories that make thousands of t-shirts a day. Just by buying local clothes you reduce your carbon footprint!

Today's Astonishing Fact:
98% of all clothes bought are imported!

This weeks Cartoon