Currently, governments of countries all over the world are making plans about how to cut greenhouse gases. The United States Climate Policy was created to assist citizens in understanding the treats of global warming and the steps which need to be taken for global warming prevention. The policy was divided into these three parts:

• Decelerating the speed of emissions
• Furthering the scientific and research developments
• Improving international cooperation

In one aspect, we need to rely upon government agencies for global warming prevention as not all citizens can be expected to take the appropriate actions on their own. Regulations about emission standards for cars, home energy use, and so forth are incredibly important. Governments also can oversee the big businesses and command them to use alternative energy sources and green business policies.

International adherence to regulations is necessary if global warming prevention is going to succeed. Unless every nation is actively being part of the solution, then global warming prevention will not be possible. International teams of scientists have been formed and are receiving funding to do tests and come up with technologies for global warming prevention. As individuals, we cannot wait until governments or scientists come up with a solution. It is up to us to do what we can as individuals to prevent global warming.

• Get creative with your lawn! Maintaining your lush green lawn wastes a lot of water, especially if you live in a dry climate. Instead of an all-grass lawn, incorporate elements into your lawn which don’t require watering. You can make fantastic rock gardens or use certain hearty shrubberies which won’t need constant watering.
• Upgrade your appliances! Is your refrigerator, air conditioner or ice maker running on wasted water? Think about purchasing new energy-efficient appliances which are air cooled instead.
• Turn the water off! Get into the habit of turning off the water instead of letting it run, such as when brushing your teeth or washing dishes. Then, teach your kids to do the same by leading by example.
• Full loads only! Wait until your dishwasher or laundry machine are completely full before you run them. This alone can save almost one thousand gallons of water every month.
• Watch out for leaks! Many homes have leaks that go unnoticed for months or longer even. You can avoid many small leaks by regularly changing washers and checking pipes. Monitor your water meter and keep an eye out for any abnormally high usage. This is a good sign that there is a leak somewhere.
• Don’t water your lawn when it’s hot! Instead, water your lawn, garden, or other greenery in the morning or the evening. This is also better for the plants because it prevents them from getting scorched by hot water.
• Bath with a friend! If you have small kids, you can save water (and time!) by having them take their baths together. You can also save water and reconnect with your loved one by taking your showers together.

In the United States, an average family spends almost $2,000 per year on their utility bills. If being eco-friendly isn’t motivation enough to save energy, then cutting back on your power bills should be! The good news is that it doesn’t take much effort to cut back on energy usage. The key to saving energy is to look at your home as a whole, not individual parts. For example, even if you invest on a energy-saving furnace, you will still lose energy if you don’t invest in energy-saving windows, ducts and so forth. Here are some basic energy saving tips to help you get started:

• Replace your old appliances! A lot of energy is wasted on home appliances, especially the ones that are in constant use like your refrigerator and freezer units. You can actually save money in the not-so-long run if you get rid of your old appliances and buy ENERGY STAR products in their place. Start with the big products first and then buy energy-saving small appliances as your old ones die out.
• Cold Cycles! A lot of energy is wasted while doing laundry because the machine needs to heat up water. You’d be surprised how well a laundry machine can work on a cold cycle. There are now even special laundry detergents you can buy which are specifically made to clean your clothes on a cold cycle.
• Turn Off Power Strips! Put all your home electronics into power strips by group (such as your computer and printer on the same strip). When you aren’t using these electronics, turn off the strip. You’d be surprised how much energy these products use, even when they are in standby or sleep modes.

There has been a lot of hype in the past few years about “zero emission” green electric cars. However, just because an electric car isn’t spouting out puffs of exhaust fumes, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are much better than traditional cars running on gas.

People seem to forget that the power for electric cars has to come from somewhere. Other than the small percentage of power coming from solar panels and other alternative energy sources, electricity for “green cars” comes from generators. These generators burn coal, oil or diesel and also may be fueled by heat from nuclear power plants. So, even though the green electric cars appear clean, their emissions are just being burned somewhere else.

Manufacturers of green electric cars have recently changed the way that they rate their vehicles in relation to gas mileage. However, the EPA still hasn’t decided on a final standard to be used in rating the efficiency of electric cars. The rating will be a way for consumers to understand how much their electric car emits per mile. Even with the EPA guidelines, it will be almost impossible for drivers to assess the actual emissions of their electric cars because every area gets its power for different sources. States such as Kentucky and Indiana get a minimum of 90% of their electric power from coal plants which are notoriously high polluters. On the other hand, California gets just 1% of all their power from coal plants and almost half of their total power from low or no-emission sources.

It takes more than just a trend in green electric cars to make an eco-friendly world and prevent global warming. Governments need to push towards alternative energy sources so that electric cars can actually live up to their “no emissions” promises.

In many ways, this conception is very true. Many of the original green products which came out, such as 100% organic unbleached cotton towels, were marketed towards a demographic which found it trendy and chic to “be green.” Whenever a product line becomes trendy, even if it is based on a concept such as preserving the environment, the prices are immediately inflated.

A recent study from GfK Roper Consulting called “Green Gauge Global Report” found that 71 percent of the participants believe that companies should be act responsibly in regards to the environment. However, 66 percent of the same participants thought that eco-friendly products are too expensive. More than half of the participants were in agreement with a statement of “First comes economic security, then we worry about the environmental problems.”

What consumers need to start realizing is that environmental problems are directly related to economic security. It doesn’t have to be more expensive to buy eco-friendly products and making these purchases will actually reduce costs in the long run. There already are a wide range of green products available which won’t break your bank, from cheap organic clothes to gadgets made of recycled materials.

It is clear that much more needs to be done to encourage consumers to choose green energy for their homes. As the situation now stands, using alternative energy means that consumers will have to pay more for their home electricity bills. However, if there were a large-scale investment in alternative energy sources, then the costs would eventually be reduced to less than current costs of traditional energy. Private citizens shouldn’t be expected to make this decision as many would choose the short-term savings as opposed to investing in green energy. Governments need to raise the awareness of the long-term savings and benefits of alternative energy and make the necessary steps to implementing these sources of green energy.

On a simple level, biodiversity is the variety of all types of life through all ecosystems on the planet. However, since the 1980s, the term biodiversity has come to mean much more than this variety. The word now implies our need to reduce the rate at which species are becoming extinct and the worldwide importance of maintaining diversity on our planet.

Extinction has been a part of life and evolution since the first creatures appeared on the planet. However, in today’s world, species are dying out faster than ever before. Current estimations suggest that the world’s currently living species only make up 1% of all the vast species which have existed on the earth. Estimations for the future are even more dim with 75% of surviving species expect to be extinct within 100 years.

As biodiversity dies off on the planet, the population of humans is rapidly rising. Already, humankind is facing severe problems in regards to natural resources and space. This is only going to worsen if we don’t make efforts to cap our populations and preserve biodiversity.

While the eminent extinction of our species may seem like a far-off apocalypse, there are already current ramifications for our loss of biodiversity. Preserving biodiversity is crucial for maintaining our economy and ecology. From an ethical perspective, biodiversity takes us beyond just the threat of extinction and makes us look at our role in the world’s population.

Next year is gearing up to be a important one for environmental policy. In addition to the annual Green Week Conference 2012, the Earth Summit 2012 conference is going to be held in Rio de Janeiro from June 4th to 6th, the 20th anniversary of the UN conference on Envirnment and Development which took place in 1992. Because of this anniversary, the 2012 conference is being called Rio+20.

Expected at Earth Summit 2012 in Brazil are many prominent government heads, politicians and the heads of international organizations. Also in attendance will be many members of the media so the goals and achievements of Earth Summit can be made public. As per tradition, the summit aims to provide a platform where leaders from around the world can get together to voice their concerns about the future of our ecosystem and set goals for preservation. Some of the objectives and themes which will be discussed are securing political commitments, how to assess progress, new and emerging challenges, green economy, and institutional frameworks for sustaining development.

In the 40 various presentations and discussions, Green Week will take on the problems in today’s world in regards to diminishing natural resources. Additionally, the conference will tackle the many challenges which scarcity causes and how we may overcome these challenges by promoting green solutions. Green Week 2011 will focus on the positive, hopeful side of the current ecological situation by focusing on strategies for shifting to less carbon usage and efficiently using resources.

Some of the topics of the 2011 Green Week sessions include resource efficiency, tools and tips for better water management, financing eco-innovation, land use choices, turning waste into a resource, and food security. These sessions will be delivered by prominent speakers such as Dr. Bernhard Schleich of Evonik Degussa GmbH, Freek Van Eijk of SITA Northern Europe Waste Services, Dr. Hubert Mandery of CEFIC, Denis Knoops of ERRT, and Pier Carlo Padoan of OECD.
As per tradition, Green Week 2011 will also have a main exhibition. This year, there will be 50 stands from various international organizations and a LIFE area with environmental projects. Side events will include a photo exhibit, seminars, and films, amongst other events.

Green Week Conference 2010 was a huge success. Held in Brussels over three days from the 1st to 4th of June, the conference attracted more than 4,000 participants from various organizations including NGOs, government bodies, academic circles and media.

The theme of Green Week 2010 was Biodiversity. In the 30 sessions, the meeting discussed the current status of biodiversity within Europe as well as worldwide. Some of the topics covered were: How to stop the loss of biodiversity, the impact of production and consumption, how to find the resources to make businesses neutral in terms of biodiversity, how to protect our natural resources, and the criteria for sustainable consumerism.

There were many prestigious speaks such as the President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso, former News Editor from BBC Rick Thompson, Head of Sustainable Business and Economics WWF-UK Oliver Greenfield, Spain’s Minister of the Environment Maria Elena Espinsoa Mangana, Danielle Nierenberg of Worldwatch Institute USA and many more.

As usual, Green Week 2010 also included a main exhibition. There were 50 stands with various projects, international groups, and green solutions. Additionally, there were several side events to Green Week 2010 including a photo exhibit, a LIFE conference, and a cocktail where participants could mingle and share ideas.