Environmental Issues

Reducing Greenhouse Gases May Not Be Enough to Slow Climate Change
Website sciencedaily.com
URL  httpwww.sciencedaily.comreleases200911091111083055.htm

Part One New Article Review
The article Reducing Greenhouse Gases May Not Be Enough to Slow Climate Change talks about the need to broaden the management options being used to address the problem of climate change by moving a step higher beyond reducing greenhouse gases.   Since mid 20th century, about 50 of the global warming experienced in the Unite States has resulted from land use practices such as forest clearing for cities establishment and crops farming (Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009).  Indeed, major cities such as Atlanta are warming up at twice the planet warming rate a consideration that makes the current cap and trade reduction programs to be insufficient in addressing the problem.

To comprehensively address the problem of global warming, the article considers slowing the current rates of forest loss and re-forestation.  Unlike other global warming strategies, preventing the green loss effect has an added cooling effect besides absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.  In the cities, the author emphasizes on green architecture strategies such as use of green rooftops and reflective materials to complement other cap and emission trading programs.

This article provides a critical point of view with expanded consideration of factual information in drawing the authors assertion.  Therefore it is unbiased.  It highlights information on the past trends of global warming and its relation to land-use practices.  Most importantly, it does not disapprove the current cap and trade strategies, but emphasizes on complementary mechanisms towards achieving the same goal of reducing the green house gases in the atmosphere.  Besides, it outlines the added advantage of minimizing the green loss effect on cooling the global temperatures especially in the major cities.  The author further indicates the need to simultaneously consider both the urban strategies and out of city forestry mechanisms.  

I agree with the authors conclusion that the problem of global warming can only be addressed effectively when employed strategies take a more expanded outlook.  With major towns rate of global warming being twice the global warming rate and harboring larger population in the nation, the implications are very severe and special consideration is indeed very crucial.  I further consider this conclusion to be crucial in that it creates an integrated focus for all.  It calls for a revitalized policy evaluation while empowering the local authorities in effecting the whole plan.  However, to further increate the ability of addressing the problem of global warming, local communities should further be incorporated in effecting the alternative strategies suggested in this articles.  However, will the policy makers will see the urgency presented in this article

Part Two Discussion
The assessment of global warming reduction strategies and the critical need for alternative expanded strategies presents the real picture of the climate change problem. This article therefore provides the missing link in the efforts to holistically address the problem. Higher warming rates in major towns compared to the global rates creates the need for revitalization of the current cap and trade strategies. Besides, providing workable solutions, the timing of the article was further likely to make greater impact to the Copenhagen international community climate change meeting in December 2009.  The idea would therefore be easily further relayed to the local communities.

However, reducing the green loss effect might conflict with the demand to increase food production because land is often cleared for agricultural purposes.  Besides, the emphasis for green architecture in cities will demand use of special architectural designs and materials which might be very costly.  However, these problems can be addressed through further establishment of supportive policies.

With the negative implications of global warming intensifying day after day due to inappropriate strategies employed to address them, the following questions still persist.  Are the policy makers committed towards addressing global warming Will the international community see the sense presented in this article on expanded strategies towards addressing the problem of global warming How can the expanded strategies concept be incorporated on a global scale  

Work One Discussion
Could generating energy from waste be the answer
Website Website sciencedaily.com
URL httpwww.sciencedaily.comreleases201001100125150645.htm

I agree with the reviewers assessment because it clearly brings out the controversy emerging from bio fuels and food production.   The assessment effectively links the urgency of addressing the problem and provides the needed hope from the current research work on the possibility of using wastes to produce energy.  This article is very relevant because it emphasizes on the need to address the energy problem while proactively avoiding creating further food deficits (ScienceDaily, 2010).  It particularly invokes great hope to readers by indicating that previous small projects have been successful and further provides a strategic step by step implementation outline.

Notably, though using wastes as opposed to plants for energy production is presented as a major solution in the article, its application will be hard to effect as far as the forces of the market keep food prices lower compared to those of bio-fuels.   It might be particularly hard to enforce in developing countries due to their poor legislative frameworks.

While application of this technology has the ability to unlock the current energy problems, the following questions still persist.  Is the new technology easily available and affordable to the local communities especially in the developing world  Do nations have the necessary goodwill to use waste as their energy sources

Work Two Discussion
Biodiesel as an Alternate Fuel
Website www.enn.com
URL httpwww.enn.compollutionarticle41004

I am in agreement with the reviewers assessment of the article biodiesel as an alternate fuel in that it effectively brings out the prevailing emphasis of alternative energy sources in the society to address the problems posted by global fossil fuels.  The review invokes readers understanding of the multiple applications that biodiesel can be put to with high effectively.  This article is very crucial in that apart from providing biodiesel as an immediate best alternative, it further informs the reader about its application.  It brings out the efficacy of strategic reduction of fossil fuels by increasing biodiesel in variant percentages such as 20 (B20), 50 (B50) and 100 (B10).  Therefore, it creates a possibility of a smooth transition.  With the example of Enterprise Holdings projecting immense reduction of about 420,000 gallons of diesel in its first year of applying bio-diesel, other companies will easily consider its application in their operations (Soos, 2010).

Though biodiesel is indeed the way to go in light of the emerging fluctuations and finite nature of the fossil fuels, its overall sustainability will be wanting in that it requires large tracks of land for mass production.  It will further present a major conflict with food crops production mainly due to the high prices of biodiesel products compared to food products.

While there is no doubt of the large potential presented in using bio-diesel, how will countries especially the developing one s balance between food and biodiesel production  What alternative resources can be used to create the same biodiesel without reverting back to fossil fuels and negatively affecting food production.