Environment Portal

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) transportation is responsible for a third of carbon-dioxide emissions in the United States, and 60 percent of that comes from private vehicles. And with the rising costs of gasoline, hopefully we find more efficient-rides really soon. Until then, here are some healthy driving habits you might want to start practicing:

• Probably the best way to reduce your carbon footprint is to limit your driving time. Carpool, take the public transport or plan errands geographically.
• Make your car more fuel-efficient by getting a tune-up. Clogged air-filters, grimy spark plugs, worn-out belts and fans, plus a history of neglected oil changes can cost you more than 165 gallons of gas a year.
• Keep your tires pumped to the recommended pounds per square inch (psi). According to the advocacy group Environment Defense Fund, this practice can save you an entire tank in a year. The EPA and the Department of Energy say that traveling light and freeing your trunk of unimportant items can also help boost the fuel economy.
• Erratic driving (which includes jackrabbit starts, quick braking and even speeding) can reduce gas mileage by as much as 33 percent.
• Stay within the limit when driving on highways. Use cruise control to keep from slowing down and speeding up.
• Avoid idling and turn off the engine whenever you can.
• Cutting air conditioning use also helps increase fuel efficiency by 2.2 percent.

If you are in the market to buy a used car -

• Improve the fuel economy by buying “the highest-fuel-economy car or truck that meets your needs,” says David Friedman, research director for the Clean Vehicles Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Most Americans opt for used gas- or diesel run cars. But there are now some used hybrids out in the market.

Surely the hinge on which material is based are many types of construction was the wood over the years as well as having suffered a major re-evaluation has enabled us to produce a new type of dwelling houses of wood and completely made in Italy and techniques used throughout the territory thanks to the adaptability and resistance to various atmospheric and terrestrial events by this material.

This type of dwelling is completely built, developed and designed in Italy and took the name “Mai”, acronym for the habitation module Ivalsa which precisely has been designed by researchers at the institute Ivalsa (the Institute for the enhancement of wood and tree species) part of CNR, National Research Council of Italy, in collaboration with the Ceii, Centre for European Business and Innovation of the Trentino and Habitech-Dttn, or the District Technology Trentino for energy and environment. A form of residential houses that green building has already received significant worldwide recognition with the award of LEED certification (an acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) according to the standard developed by the U.S. Green Building Council that in addition to assessing the construction methods also takes into account the raw materials and their processing cycle.

The habitation module Ivalsa technically consists of modular home with two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, a living room, all within 33 square meters w sooperarticles.com/submit-article.htmlith more than 16 other applications outside the terraces. All rooms are organized and divided into 5 modules and prefabricated transportable independently from each other. House high level of modularity, but especially with the parameters that are very high energy efficiency to achieve a commendable level of sustainability and efficiency much higher than the normal wooden prefabricated houses.

The London 2012 Olympic committee chose BMW as its Official Automotive Partner, the committee believes BMW’s sustainability credentials will help make the London 2012 games sustainable. In accordance with the partnership the German car maker will supply the game’s participants and organisers with a range of Efficient Dynamic diesel cars, hybrids and electric vehicles, achieving average CO2 emissions below the LOCOG target of 120g/km, as well as bicycles and motorcycles.

BMW has recently announced its initiative designed to provide Team GB and Paralympics GB with support as they prepare for the Games on and off the field, called the BMW London 2012 Performance Team. The first twelve athletes have already joined the team, medal prospects such as Tom Daley, Louis Smith and Ellie Simmonds to 2012 hopefuls Jonathan Brownlee and Giles Scott are a few already signed up.

Tim Abbott, Managing Director of BMW UK said, “Our position as the world’s most sustainable automotive company makes us a natural partner for a sustainable Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012. Our Efficient Dynamics programme means our cars are extremely fuel efficient, with low CO2 emissions, while still delivering great performance – just like our athletes who strive for maximum energy efficiency and performance. That’s why we’re delighted to be launching the BMW London 2012 Performance Team and we look forward to supporting these athletes as they prepare for London 2012.”

Tom Daley a Team GB Diver who came so close in the last games to a gold medal said, “It’s no secret that I’ll be looking to win a gold medal at London 2012 but what I do in the run up to the Games, is as important as what I do on the day itself. Having the support of the BMW London 2012 Performance Team throughout my training will help to drive me towards my dream and hopefully to pass my driving test this year too – I can’t wait to get into my MINI!”

The Air Jordan Flight 9 is another hybrid creation from Jordan Brand. The sneaker has the sole of the air max boots 90 the mesh of the Air Jordan IV, and a number of other elements that are borrowed from past Air Jordan designs. Other Air Jordan hybrids, including the Air Jordan Spi’zike, have been highly sought after by sneakerheads. With the clean silhouette of the Air Jordan Flight 9, this sneaker will surely demand the same attention.and today’s Air Jordan Flight Team, the full implementation of the purposes of Nike’s Considered Design will be sustainability and performance and innovation perfect together. Also in the NBA arena, Ray Allen and Joe Johnson Jordan Special Edition can be described as the uncrowned king shoes war, the two guard this season, already has demonstrated the Air Jordan 12 and the Icons and other masterpiece, and both are handed down to shock the world works. With the success of the Hawks into the playoffs, so that everyone on mine? Allen shoes show the war is filled with hope, then, NBA shoes, fighting for the king to introduce Jordan Flight Team Do note masterpiece. Black base, and the use of patent leather for contrast with mud protection.

There is a staggering statistic that “At any one time, more than 300,000 children are actively fighting as soldiers with government armed forces or armed opposition groups worldwide. Almost half of the states engaged in warfare in 2002 were reported to use combatants under the age of 15. Children under the age of 18 are actively participating in hostilities in more than 35 countries worldwide – most are between the ages of 14 and 17, but some are as young as seven” (The Inter-Agency Planning Consultation on Child Protection in Emergencies, 2006). Debate raged in late 1990s about how to address the growing issue of children being used in conflict. The NGO working group in February 1997 issued a working document commonly known as the Paris Principles but fully titled The Paris Commitments to Protect Children from Unlawful Recruitment or use by Armed Forces or Armed Groups. The Paris Principles began the discussion in harmonization and creation of standards for groups working with armed children in conflict, and reintegration. The document also sets out an agenda by which the ngo group could advocate for the rights of armed children in conflict.

In April 1997, UNICEF and the Group of NGOs organized a conference in Cape Town, South Africa. The document that was produced from this meeting has become known as the “Cape Town Principles and Best Practices,” and was adopted at this symposium as the standard by which groups working with child soldiers or those groups working to prevent recruitment of child soldiers would focus their efforts. The main thrust of the Cape Town Principles was to encourage governments to: