We are all aware of the harmful effects of global warming, but there can be many ways to prevent global warming. Although we can’t prevent global warming completely, we can sure help to reduce the intensity of the future effects of global warming.

Here are some steps that we can take in our daily lives to prevent global warming effects.

• Use transportation only for travelling to far off areas. Try walking for short journeys or using a bicycle more frequently.
• Share transportation and do car-pooling whenever possible.
• Drive in the correct gear to reduce fuel usage. Keep all windows shut on warm days if you have air conditioning to maximize fuel efficiency.
• Consider purchasing a hybrid or electric vehicle when looking for a new car.

Winter season can upset your budget due to high cost of heat and utilities. However, it is possible to save energy and money by following these simple methods.

1. Stock your refrigerator and freezer properly. Adequate air flow is required for a refrigerator and freezer to operate efficiently. Without adequate air flow, the refrigerator works harder to keep cool. Don’t overstock your freezer and you will save money on energy costs. Turn the temperature setting to the lowest where you can still maintain the freshness and safety of food.

2. Use a toaster oven or microwave instead of the oven. It is possible to cook delicious winter meals in a crock pot. These appliances generally consume less energy as compared to the oven, resulting in lesser cost.

3. Keep the curtains and blinds open, letting in the sunshine instead of using lights. This way you can enjoy the natural energy provided by the sun and your home will also be a bit warmer and, enabling you to save money. Also keep the curtains and blinds close at night to insulate from the cold weather.

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The students at the University of Houston, Texas, are working towards a solution to melt the snow on the roads, automatically. Similar to a huge, heavy electric blanket, the students are trying to build “self-heating” roads, which will hopefully eliminate the need for salting trucks or ploughs during heavy snowstorms in the US.

This can be done by inserting electric heating elements into roads or inside the structure of bridges, which will then warm the roads to a degree that will not allow the snow to reside, similar to the subways in New York that help the snow to melt.

The students working on the project, have tried many things with sheets of  carbon nanofibres, providing the fastest way to clear snow from the roads.

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Where there are so many purposes fulfilled by solar power, one of the form of energy is passive solar energy. Passive solar energy is the use of solar power without involving the photovoltaic cells. There are plenty of methods to avail solar heat like solar oven and indoor heating techniques. These are the methods that have no side effects on environment and result in clean exchange of power with no carbon emissions.

Solar Oven Uses:

Solar oven is similar to that of conventional ovens. Its structure inside is bit changed as compared to the common oven. It is well made insulation boxes, it may have simple clean cardboard surrounded by insulation and aluminum wrapping.  These types of ovens need not to be preheated and has no issues with quick cooking. Instead the solar ovens needs long time exposure to sun, and are good in use in hot and dry locations. This method of cooking has really saved a lot of money for those who have adopted it, and they use it also for long term cooking plans. Solar ovens can be carried for trips and outdoor purposes where there is no electricity and sun is the only source of energy.  Solar ovens works effectively in direct sunshine.

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Rapid depletion of natural recourses and the rising cost of electricity has forced many people to turn to other alternatives to cool their home rather than using the air conditioner. The growing trend to “go green” is also motivating people to use environment friendly methods and even big businesses are adopting this approach to enhance their public image.

Passive Cooling

One of such methods is Passive cooling. It is environment friendly and a great way to save money. Passive cooling uses the concept of removing warm air from your home using the interaction between the house and its surroundings. There are several ways to block and remove heat, these includes:

• Shading through landscaping.
• Using a dark exterior paint.
• Installing a radiant barrier in the roof.
• Old fashioned Insulation.
• Through thermal siphoning, i.e. the process of removing heat through  controlled  airflow by opening the lower windows on the breezy side of your house and the upper windows on the opposite side that creates a vacuum that draws out the hot air. Read the full story