| 4. Pollution from Airplanes Airplanes are | | | | burn oil, or run on coal. In most houses, coal is |
| indispensable to today's society. Businessmen fly | | | | used for electricity because it is the cheapest and |
| across the country on a daily basis to meet the | | | | most abundant resource. To assist with this |
| demand of industry. In less than 24 hours, you | | | | problem, architects will have to start using |
| can fly across the circumference of the planet | | | | materials that can reduce the consumption of |
| traveling from the US to China. So how can you | | | | fuels by making them better ventilated or better |
| possibly blame these amazing gravity defying | | | | at holding in heat. Government regulators must |
| machines of global warming? 10% of the green | | | | pass laws forcing contractors to follow stricter |
| house gas emissions come from airplanes. You | | | | guidelines when building homes to reduce energy |
| might be going to a vacation or to a business | | | | consumption. Finally, individuals can reduce the |
| meeting but those airplanes you travel on are | | | | amount of frivolous energy they use on a daily |
| releasing their pollution directly into the air they fly | | | | basis. 6. Methane Stored in Water and Ice With |
| in. According to the Christian Science Monitor, | | | | the increase in temperature, a fear of methane |
| during the 3 days after 9/11, there was a | | | | being released into the air arises. Methane is |
| difference of 4°F in the average highs and | | | | approximately 60 times stronger than carbon |
| lows compared to other days. What caused this | | | | dioxide as a green house gas. According to |
| change? It is believed that the contrails of the air | | | | scientists, in the past, a rapid release of methane |
| crafts are the cause of this. Following 9/11, all | | | | has led to immense heating of the earth. In the |
| airplanes were grounded. This allowed scientists to | | | | past, when the earth's temperature rose to a |
| see the difference in the temperatures with | | | | certain level, such as 8 degrees above normal, the |
| contrails in the sky and without them. Although | | | | earth's temperature then increased an additional |
| airplanes do pollute the sky, they accidentally | | | | 14 degrees. Methane is stored in the earths |
| reflect some sunlight. 5. Pollution from Buildings | | | | oceans and is released when the temperature |
| Although many believe those large SUV's and | | | | increases and pressure reduces. Also, methane |
| Airplanes are the cause for all the commotion | | | | can be found in ice. When ice melts, methane |
| going on about global warming, the houses we live | | | | stored in the ice is released. Scientists fear that if |
| in may be a larger contributor. Unlike cars and | | | | the earth reaches a certain temperature, it would |
| airplanes, homes have a long lifespan of 50- 100 | | | | be impossible to turn back and prevent a massive |
| years meaning that changes in this area may be | | | | increase in temperature. |
| difficult to accomplish. Houses are mainly built to | | | | |