Unfortunately, birds and marine mammals do not avoid oil spills. Oil sticks to the fur, feathers and feet causing serious problems and some fish are attracted to oil because it looks like food. Marine mammals, such as seals and dolphins, swim and feed near oil spills because, like sea birds, they are attracted to the schools of fish who gather below.

Oil poisons the food chain when predators eat large amounts of organisms that have absorbed oil. Oil Pollution interferences with breeding by diminishing capabilities and by reducing egg production. When ingested, oil damages the airways and lungs of mammals and other species resulting in congestion, pneumonia, emphysema and even death. The sticky oil causes hypothermia in birds by destroying their feathers and in seal pups by destroying the insulation of their fur. Birds and marine mammals become easy prey when covered in oil quickly spreading the damaging effects up the food chain.

Toxic waste is the most harmful form of pollution being dumped into our oceans. These poisons get into the seas by run from landfills, dumps, mines, and farms, from factories that spew chemicals and heavy metals from their stacks and drains, and from improper disposal in the private dumps of people who unaware of the problems. Toxic chemicals and metals such as lead are proven to damage the brain, kidneys, and reproductive system, cause birth defects, slow growth, and cause hearing problems.

Scientists and anglers believe that toxic chemicals are depleting fish population. Illegal dumping of human waste and plastics exasperate the problems of vanishing ocean habitats. Most pollution dumped into the ocean over the last thirty years remains today with garbage dumping often occurring when sewage pipes share their space with storm water drains. Rainfall causes the sewage pipes to overflow into water resources such as a lakes, river and stream that inevitable lead to the ocean.

Small amounts of pollution add up to a major problem. In order to reduce this treat to life, all citizens must participate in the solution. Oil spills, toxic waste and illegal dumping are major contributors to the spread of this disease. Whenever pollution enters the ocean, environmental harm is done. Is it too late? Have the use of harmful products such as chemical pesticides, harsh detergents and cleaning agents, batteries, and plastics ruined our oceans and virtually eliminated the future?

Environmental organizations such as Touch Tanks for Kids, Blue Ocean, Island Dolphin Care and Greenville Eco Family believe that the oceans can be revived if people are motivated to join together and move people to make responsible environmental choices. These groups use interactive activities to motivate students to motivate their communities to take action that improve the health of our oceans.

“With persistence, a positive attitude and an undying passion to improve the awful condition of our oceans, my grandchildren will experience a whale watch instead of reading about them in a history book or through some kind of virtual tour.” Mike Martin-Executive Director- Touch Tank for Kids.

In today’s economic times and in most families both parents have to work. This results in families changing the way they structure their time. Many modern families have breadwinners that work flex schedules, work from many locations, and have to do a lot of traveling or even relocate several times. Such a climate poses major problems for child care. Fathers and mothers have to find businesses that will take care of their children while they attend to the demands of their positions. This trend demonstrates yet another one of those global issues that affect business that can be solved most effectively by franchising. There are many good child care franchises out there. By making the investment into one of them the buyer eliminates the problems with higher insurance costs and poor business models.
2. The Impact of Slowing Economic Growth

Right now the slowing economy in the Unites States is causing a ripple effect throughout the world. The main causes of this slowdown are the current housing crisis, high energy costs and the over extension of consumer debt. The major effect being felt from this crisis is that people are losing their jobs and new job creation is not keeping pace with unemployment. When this happens, interest in starting and owning businesses begins to increase. The right kind of business to own in such an environment is a franchise business that deals with essentials that consumers cannot do without. Why a franchise? Because it provides the investor with a chance to use readymade experience that he would otherwise have to acquire on his own and valuable market recognition that would otherwise take years to build. A good example of this kind of franchise is the dry cleaning business.

3. The Challenges of An Aging Population

In the United States it is the graying of the so called “baby boomers” created after the Second World War; In Germany the death rate has not kept pace with the birth rate for more than twenty years; they have to outsource for jobs from India. In Russia the population has been declining steadily over the past ten years.

All of these trends point to the need for businesses that support aging and engage in outsourcing employment. This is a niche which is especially suited to global franchising. Perfect examples are nursing home franchises and temp agencies.

First is geothermal power, the concept of Geothermal power is mostly well understood but for those who do not understand, following is a simple explanation. If one goes into a conventional wine cellar which is about six to eight feet in depth has a constant temperature of around 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Geo thermal power uses the exact same principle to cool homes in summers and heat them in winters. This is done by simply pumping water or any other suitable liquid underneath a conventional home, which changes its temperature using the constant temperature present underneath and is then pumped back around the parameter of the house. This therefore becomes a heat sink during summers and a source of heat during winters; this helps dramatically to reduce electricity and requirements of gas for heating or cooling.

Geothermal technology is available to all and is almost limitless as it can be used for more than just heating and cooling. Therefore more implantation of this technology around the world can be expected in recent years to come.

The second technology is that of advanced bio fuels. Before moving forward it must be noted that advanced bio fuels refer to transportation fuels that are different from Ethanol. This is because although Ethanol can be produced locally and reduces the dependence on imported fuel, it is far more inferior to other fuels as it only contains about 60% fuel value of Diesel or Gasoline. Ethanol also has many other problems such as being largely dependent on crops eat for food (and hence effect their supply), being corrosive, ability to absorb water which makes it incompatible with many existing engines and the vast network of pipelines meant for transferring oil.

On the other hand advanced bio fuels have a fuel value equal to fuel value of gasoline or that of diesel and are largely produced by non food crops and cellulose. By using non food crops and using land not meant for food production they have eligible impact on food prices or their supply. Furthermore as they are not corrosive or absorbent to water they will seamlessly replace petroleum derived fuels without any compatibility issues. This will in turn have a great impact on the world’s energy dependence on imported oil without incurring any significant transfer cost.

To sum it all up these two technologies will bring about significant changes to the world as we know it because of their efficiency and cost effectiveness. They will therefore help countries make better use of their resources and reduce the overall problem of climate change.

No true scientist will ever state unequivocally that no room is left for further argument, and that further study of a subject is a waste of effort. This applies to climate change and global warming as much as to any other study. We have many “facts” which are used to support arguments on these subjects. These supposed “facts” are quite debatable in many cases and the conclusions drawn from them cannot be considered infallible.

The great majority of studies cover climate change for the last few hundred to a few thousand years, however the climate of our world has seen many profound changes over hundreds of millions of years. Areas which at the present day have temperate or cold climates once had tropical conditions as is plainly seen in the fossil evidence. Arctic climates have existed in the past in places which are now temperate or warm areas. Only ten thousand years ago all of Canada and also the northern part of the USA was covered by hundreds of feet of ice. This is an example of extreme climate change in our own part of the globe. This occurred long before modern humans came along to wreak havoc on the air, land and oceans. Obviously these major climatic changes were the result of natural causes which can cause similar changes at any time.

There is little doubt that the activities of man are at the present time playing a role in global warming. The question, which requires much more study, is just how much of a part has our pollution of the atmosphere and of the oceans, and our rape of land and forests, actually played in the observed global warming. It could very well be that mans activities are the cause of only a small fraction of the observed changes.If this is indeed the case then modifying our activities will have very little if any effect, and the major changes which are the result of natural phenomena will continue no matter what action we take.

The reason this happens is that modern homes today are completely sealed – it makes for better insulation against the cold, for better energy savings. What that means is, that anything that gets into your air indoors – there is no way for natural ventilation to just take it out. Whether it’s fumes from cooking, cigarette fumes, the evaporated Windex from the last time you cleaned your windows or anything else, it’s all just hanging in your air. And it causes asthma, headaches, nerve problems, the whole spectrum of nasty stuff that can happen to a person.

Every indoor air pollution solution that we will talk about here is just basic stuff that needs no investment from you other than a willingness to change your habits. Ventilation is something we take for granted – we think it’ll happen on its own. You can never completely control every chemical that gets into your house. It’s the ventilation that will take care of it. When cooking, be sure to turn on the exhaust fan, and be sure to leave a window somewhere open. Air can only get out of that exhaust fan if there is air coming into your house. Make sure that you have a professional come in and look at your furnace to make sure that it isn’t leaking any fumes into your house and that all harmful stuff gets out the chimney. If you have a garage that’s attached your house, make sure that you don’t start your car until you have the garage door open. Otherwise, the fumes from the car can certainly get into your house.

Air fresheners aren’t really good for you. That’s what the EPA says. Does lemon and pine smell like a wonderfully fresh house to you? These are the most dangerous fragrances as far as their chemical content is concerned. Ditch the room fresheners. If you have to have something really nice around the house, try something natural, like flowers. A great indoor air pollution solution has to do with staying safe from your dry cleaning. Dry cleaning is done with all kinds of scary chemicals. Bring your dry cleaning home as soon as it is ready, and you risk having it releaseing its toxic fumes into your indoor air. Make sure that you let it stay at the dry cleaner’s for whole week before you bring it home. Let all the fumes leave your clothes.

We use sprays for every kind of cleaning. And the EPA says that it’s a major cause of indoor air pollution. Instead of spraying your cleaner on any surface, pour it on a piece of cloth and wipe with it. It is the only way to stay asthma-free.

Marmots no longer hibernate the same amount of time that they used to. Actually compared to thirty years ago, they are ending hibernation three weeks earlier. The Canadian red squirrel is breeding 18 days earlier. Studies are showing that the red fox is moving north and invading the territory of its Arctic cousin. Polar bears are not as healthy as they were 20 years ago and they are thinner.

If we look at the sea and our creatures there we also see changes that should cause alarm. Coral reefs are expected to increase by up to a third in size. Elephant seal pups are thinner because their prey is migrating to cooler waters. Our turtles are changing behavior as well, the loggerhead is laying eggs 10 days earlier and the Hawkbill turtle hatchlings are having more females then males due to temperature changes.

Birds are changing their diets to insects that do not consume leaves that have been treated with high amounts of pesticides. What does all of this mean? It means that global warming is going to cause many of our animal species to become endangered if not extinct.

The melting ice, the warm seas, the spreading dessert are all threats to our animals. These changes, no matter how subtle have a dramatic influence on the lives of our wildlife. In the sea the disappearance of the tiny organisms that the larger creatures feed off of is causing the sea life to migrate northward.

Keeping in mind that global warming plays a huge part in our weather and climate, the increased storminess destroys the breeding colonies of the albatross that already battle the possibility of being captured and killed by fishing boats. The rise in sea levels wipe out the nesting sites of the sea turtles, seals and wading birds are also on the list of species to be affected by their habitats being destroyed.

Thought the very source of nature is change, and adaptation, the changes that are taking place in our environment due to global warming are just happening to fast. The speed is what makes it difficult for the animals to adapt effectively and this will cause us to loose a lot of our wildlife. Can you imagine a world with no reindeer? What about the day that the Sahara dessert covers all of Africa and makes migration impossible for birds?

These are changes that we can see everyday and we need to start paying attention to them. The predicted elevation of sea level by an amazing three feet coupled with the disruptions to the Earth life support systems should be our wake up call.

While you can look out your back window and see these changes taking place, the full effect will be seen by the year 2100 if the predictions of scientist come through and we do not change our ways. Think about is, 2100 is less then one hundred years away. You and I would probably not be here, but our grandchildren will and what will we have left for them? Help stop global warming, do your part to save the Earth, our children and our wildlife. They need us.

Scientists also blame the use of CFCs in refrigeration systems and in fire fighting, and other manufacturing practices in producing the greenhouse effect. Even the application of non-organic fertilizers in commercial farming operations also gives rise to another greenhouse gas, nitrous oxide.

According to the US Energy Information Administration, the presence of greenhouse gases in the country can be traced primarily to the burning of fossil fuels. Official figures for 2006 place the contribution of using coal, natural gas and petroleum to local greenhouse gas emission at about 82%. On the other side of the globe, China is seen to add more than its fair share of greenhouse gases because of the many traditional power plants that were just built in the country’s inner regions. Greenpeace, on the other hand, reports that the current levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are the highest within the last 150,000 years with the 1990s as the warmest decade and 1998 as the warmest year in recorded history.

If mankind will not keep in check the many activities that continuously discharge greenhouse gases, humans will experience a drastic climate change over the next century at a much faster rate than has been observed in history. All is not lost, however. There is still time, although it is very short, to undertake sweeping measures to rein in the emission of toxic gases that are bound to kill all of mankind.

The most critical step is the efficient use of energy through the reduced consumption of fossil fuel primarily oil, petroleum, and coal. Man should use energy that comes from renewable sources like the sun, wind, ocean, and biological material.

Energy that does not harm the environment when used is termed green energy. It usually comes from the renewable, natural sources. There are several ways to generate clean and safe energy from renewable sources. Electricity generated through wind turbines, solar panels, and from geothermal plants cost much less and emit little to no carbons compared to coal and gas-powered plants.

Cutting down global dependence on fossil fuel and increasing the use of alternative energy sources is said to be one of the more effective solutions to the threat of global warming. Per Greenpeace projections, the efficient utilization of renewable sources can supply half of the total energy requirements by the year 2050. Same projections also estimated a near 50% reduction in carbon dioxide emission within 43 years.

Governments around the world are instituting measures to shift energy sourcing from the traditional to the alternative sources. In March 2007, leaders from the European Union agreed to joint efforts in cutting emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. To achieve this, they will need to obtain at least 20% of their power requirements from renewable sources. The deadline was set to 2020. Many governments provide tax credits and other incentives to businesses and private individuals who use green energy.

Resorting to alternative energy sources is only one way to cut down on toxic gases but there are many other ways that humans can help in the world wide effort to alleviate the greenhouse effect and curb global warming.

Below are guides that will helping in reduce global warming:

Plant more trees and avoid deforestation in order to absorb the harmful greenhouse gases and reduce the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide. .

Replace incandescent light bulbs with fluorescent bulbs and reduce the emission of carbon dioxide in addition to saving energy.

Recycle or reuse products instead of disposing them impulsively after single use. Use recycled paper in order to reduce felling of trees.

Save energy by unplugging electrical appliances when not in use. Avoid keeping these appliances in standby mode.

Keep your thermostat low during winter and switch it to high during summer in order to reduce the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Switch over to organic foods and promote organic farming methods.

Reduce pollution by using vehicles only when required. Planning efficiently in advance not only saves time but also reduces pollution and fuel consumption.

One natural cause of this warming involves the sun. Overtime explosions are generated on the surface of the sun and the impact is felt all the way back on Earth. Through these flare-ups, the Earth’s temperature naturally continues to rise, which leads to warming. These eruptions occur quite normally on the sun and the planet can be regularly subjected to the increased temperatures that result.

There are specific times in the Earth and Sun’s orbits, that they are nearer to each other. When this happens it is normal to see an increase in temperatures on the planet. This provides one excellent example of earth warming caused naturally. Human beings, obviously, have nothing to do with this event, which naturally occurs in the universe.

Another natural cause is the volcanoes that cover parts of the planet. Some actively are erupting while many others sit dormant waiting for their next opportunity to unleash their fury. When these volcanoes do erupt they send numerous gases, ash, and smoke into the atmosphere of the planet. As this happens the temperatures will slowly decrease. Temperature drops are due to the smoke from the volcano, rising to a point that the sunlight is blocked out for a period of time. The Earth’s temperatures will go back to normal, once the volcano’s activity has quieted.

Another natural cause of global warming, is alterations in the world’s tides. It is thought that these changes in the current can be influenced by the sun. Depending on the location and the degree of the change in the ocean current, temperatures can increase dramatically which contributes to global warming.

Weather patterns have changed, as our planet warms-up, our weather changes. Many of us are currently experiencing hotter summers, and cold winters. This is a sign that freak weather patterns may be becoming the norm, causing, droughts, floods and the drying up of our land.

Sea levels rise as ice melts in the heat, and enters our oceans. There is a current argument on how much our sea levels are rising, but no one is denying sea levels around the world continue to rise. Obviously rising sea levels take over land, submerging Islands, and eating into our own landmasses

Not only Africa has a growing land crisis, as once arable lands become deserts.- But also Europe, Asia and the United States. Warmer climates mean, less land as regions become hotter, and land becomes drier. Food production naturally suffers, as we need land to produce food, and as desertification increases, we may see scarcities along with rising food prices.