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Smoking Ban Not Enough to Clear the Air

The final implementation of Turkey’s ban on smoking took place in July 2009. It was once thought as a big hail to the public health. But one environmental engineer pinpointed that it might take more than banning cigarettes in enclosed spaces to truly clear the air.

Industrial Pollution Causes Cancer Too

People are still facing the risk of cancer even without being exposed to cigarette smoke. In Dilovası, an industrial city in the Marmara region, levels of air-borne toxins are 30 times higher than European Union standards, adding that 32 percent of deaths in the area in recent years have been attributed to cancer.
300,000 Tons of Sulfur Dioxide

In the southwest city of Yatağan, a coal-fired power plant has released more than 300,000 tons of sulfur dioxide into the air since it opened in 1982. Environmentalists have called for the facility to be shut down.

While smoking bans may well be implemented, other environmental laws are often not enforced, allowing factories to get away with not controlling or filtering their emissions. Indeed, if thesmoke-free air space campaign is meant to be supported, it is much more important to reduce air pollution caused by the industry apart from banning cigarettes.

Life

Make Your Cleaning Routine Green

Be careful with antibacterial cleaners

The antibacterial and ‘cleaners’ that many people think are helpful don’t clean hands better than soap and water, and also add to the risk of breeding “super germs,” bacteria that resist to the chemicals.

Toss toxic cleaners carefully

When handling your finished cleaning products, don’t just throw the old ones in the trash. If they’re too toxic for your home, they won’t be good for the drain or the landfill either. Many communities hold toxics electronics recycling days and will take all of these off your hands. Throwing chemicals in the trash or down the drain means they might end up back in your water supply.

Employ a green house cleaning service

For people don’t have the time to clean their own homes, there are an increasing number of green cleaning services out there to help get things done. If you can’t find one in your area, call around until you find a service willing to use the products and methods you specify.

Keep the toxins away from your room

Imagine what’s on your shoes at the end of the day. Bringing that oil, animal waste, particulate pollution, pollen, and who knows what else into the house. Especially for kids that spend time on floor level. Keep a good doormat and maintain a shoeless house policy. Less dirt also means less sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming, which means less work, water, energy, and fewer chemicals. So, why not?

Human interrelationship

Clean Air Is A Good Business

Chinese businessman Mr. Liang lives in Beijing, where the air is just horrible. After spending a business trip in the south of France, he came back with a small item to share his pure air experience: A small sealed glass jar of clean Provence mountain air. The result of the jar was 5,250 yuan ($845 at today’s exchange rate) when he auctioned it in front of a group of Chinese artists.

“Air should be the most valueless commodity, free to breathe for any vagrant or beggar,” Liang said in an interview. “This is my way to question China’s foul air and express my dissatisfaction.”

Things have gotten so bad that even the authorities fold their hands anymore. Pollution is now one of the top causes of social unrest in China, and even Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has said that it is a “major problem” and he wants the government to “declare war’’ on smog by removing high-emission cars from the road and closing coal-fired furnaces.

Pollution is ‘‘nature’s red-light warning against the model of inefficient and blind development,’’ Li said at the start of the year’s National People’s Congress in Beijing. ‘‘Fostering a sound ecological environment is vital for people’s lives and the future of our nation.”

In fact, the World Health Organization has concluded that air pollution is now the world’s biggest environmental health risk with 7 million deaths per year. Clean air is not only a money business, but also our health business that definitely deserves our effort and attention.

Life

How’s The Water? Check It Before You Buy A House

In the last decade, the number of products designed to reduce contaminants in tap water has expanded significantly. In this article, I summarized a quick lesson on home water purification systems.

Know the TASTE. Does your water taste funny or smell bad? Does it look reddish or leave
Look for products that tackle specifically your problem. Filters reduce chemical contaminants, some metals, parasites, sediment. Provide about 1/2 to 1 gallon of water a minute.
DEVICE. Choose a style that fits your needs: Pitchers with filters: Inexpensive. No installation; frequent filter changes (every 40 gallons).

Faucet devices:

Faucet with builtin filter — may require pro to install; filter changes every 100 gallons or so.

Device that mounts on existing faucet; filter changes every 100 gallons or so.

Countertop device that connects to faucet via hose; filter change starting at about every 100 gallons. Plumbed-in: Systems that install under sink and refrigerator filters that install directly to plumbing line. Both have long filter lives; generally require pro to install.

CERTIFY/VERIFY. Look for an NSF-certified product. And be sure to read the owner’s manual to make sure you change the filter appropriately.

Earth

Clean Air Project in Europe

It is not surprising to see the bleak pictures from Beijing clearly showing what happens when protection of air quality is not taken seriously. Good air means good quality of life. As a matter of fact, every person breathes in around 15,000 litres of air per day.

Although the air quality in Europe is better than that in China, Europeans should continuous their effort to keep their air clean. The air in Europe contains a lot of nitrogen oxide and fine particulate matter that make people sick. That’s why nine European NGOs are now collaborating on a new project called Clean Air. They are mainly focusing on transportation and want to show how air quality can successfully be improved.

Indeed, it’s time for us to fight against air pollution. The continuing violations of the limits, and the resulting damage caused by emissions, fine particulates and threaten both the climate and public health. The fact is: even if particulates and nitrogen oxide are not visible to the naked eye, it is estimated that in 2010 alone, over 420,000 people died prematurely as a result of air pollution.

Clean Air Project started in 2013. The partners have been directing their efforts at many different parties involved in air protection, such as local and regional government offices, transportation companies and the general public. The project spreads examples of best practices and provide forums where experts, decision makers and representatives of civil society can come together to share experiences and expertise. We need clean cars, buses and ships and the right transportation policies — so that everyone can breathe freely.

Human interrelationship

When Should I Change My Refrigerator’s Water Filter?

RPWF-General-Electric-Refrigerator-Water-Filter-use

Did you know that if you have a refrigerator with an ice maker or water dispenser, you probably have a water filter? Newer refrigerator models usually provide water filtration and dispense ice and water through the door. This filtered water provides you and your family with great tasting ice and water. But the key to continue having the best tasting and cleanest filtered water is to follow a regular maintenance schedule for your fridge filter.

Water travels through miles of piping before reaching your home. Along the way it may pick up impurities. Water filters and filtration systems can reduce these contaminants. Failure to change your refrigerator water filter allows contaminants (e.g. lead and chlorine) and newly formed bacteria to saturate the filter, forcing the filter to leak contaminants back into the water. Most refrigerator water filter systems do a good job at filtering out certain contaminates that cause bad odour and taste, but refrigerator water filters are not necessarily designed to eliminate some of the more harmful water contaminants. For these contaminants, other water filtration systems should be used in addition to your refrigerator’s filter.

How Do I Change My Refrigerator’s filter?

Many manufacturers have taken extra steps to ensure that the refrigerator filters are easy to access and replace. In most cases, changing your refrigerator water filter is quite simple. Each manufacturer’s refrigerator water filter system is different, and you should consult the owner’s manual to locate the filter and follow the directions for removing and replacing it. Changing your refrigerator’s water filter only takes a few minutes and will keep you and your family drinking clean, great tasting, filtered water.

Ecosystems

Using Activated Carbon in a Freshwater Aquarium

The quality of carbon is typically measured by ash content, iodine number, and molasses number. It is important to have a carbon material with a good mixture of both large and small pores to catch pollutants. If the surface has many tiny pores (micro-porous carbon) then the pores will not be large enough to let pollutants to enter them. On the other hand, if the total surface area contains mostly large pores (macro-porous carbon) then there will not be very many chemical bonding sites. >

Quality of the carbon
Make sure you buy quality activated carbon. Cheap carbon often contains a great deal of ash, and will become deactivated (meaning that it stops removing compounds) very quickly. Another important thing is if you use carbon with a lot of ashes in water, these ashes will start floating and make it look dirty.
When it comes to freshwater aquarium filtration, there are many options to choose from. One of the most popular filtration methods involves activated carbon filter media. Yet, using carbon in a freshwater aquarium is a controversial subject. Some people believe it is a waste of time and never use carbon except for special occasions. Others use a great deal of carbon and hope to polish the water and remove odours.

As a fish lover, I always do the best to keep my tank as clean as possible. I tried both ways, with or without activated carbon. After failures and trails, I can say if use properly, carbondoes polish the water and remove odours effectively. Sure, you may continue to insist the anti-carbon point of view,butif you decide to use carbon, there are several things you need to know in order to achieve the optimal aquarium.

Read next for more tips to perfect your aquarium setup.

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