An environmentally-sound home is one that makes less of an impact on the environment. This example of home can incorporate things like energy-efficient appliances or low-e windows to make your home more efficient or maybe even adding more extreme items like solar power or a water recycling system. If you are implementing these modifications now, the neat thing is that many of the technologies cost less now than in the past. If your home is pre-construction, you can choose to have the home designed to take maximum advantage of the natural illumination of the home. Making a home more efficient or buying an eco-friendly home will not only save you money on things like energy bills, but is also the environmentally responsible choice to make.

Solar derived energy is a somewhat new idea. Nonetheless, as a modern-day homeowner you can take advantage of the technology that is available and get the power that you need for your home. The way that solar energy is employed is that solar panels are situated in a place where they can get ample sunlight. These large panels are made of glass and have tubes with water coursing through them. As the sun warms the water in the tubes, it is transformed into energy that you can use for your home. An additional benefit is that the hot water can then be used instead of a hot water unit. Most homeowners position the panels up on the portion of the roof that gets the maximum amount of sunlight. That means that shade from trees needs to be minimized anywhere the panels are installed. Every system is different, but it is possible to derived energy an entire home using solar panels.

Water is a limited resource, so we all need to do our part to use less water. One way of making your water usage more eco-friendly is to have holding tanks where you can store water and then send it through a filtration system where it can then furnish the water needs of your home. This water recycling method is a great way to take care of your yard’s water requirements.

Recycling water can save about eighty percent of the overall water used in many homes. Another easy way to reduce the quantity of water that you are using is to put in a low-flow showerhead. A low-flow showerhead is easy to install and will save hundreds of gallons of water every year. Also, if you have older toilets, upgrading to a modern toilet can also reduce your water usage for the future. When you start to think about the many ways that you can save water, you can perhaps come up with even more.

Eco-friendly homes are the wave of the future. Finding ways to decrease each family’s use of electricity and water is important for all of us. You can make modifications to make your home more earth-friendly that will really make a difference. Recycling, utilizing solar power and monitoring your water use are all great ways to establish your home as a green home.

Opalesque A SQUARE (“Alternative Alternatives”), still the world’s first and only publication and independent research portal dedicated to alternative alternatives, has drawn leading experts in the field of carbon management for an interactive webinar on Feb. 11th, 2009 16.00 Swiss time, 10.00 am (EST):

Peter C. Fusaro, Chairman, Global Change Associates – Energy and Environmental Consulting and engaged in the process at the US federal level

Professor Jacek P. Siry, a specialist in carbon sequestration issues, at The Center for Forest Business, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia

Moderator Sona Blessing, Director of Research, Opalesque Ltd

The experts will share insights and perspectives based on their “hands-on-experience” in this space and will address the following:

· Carbon emissions – facts, figures, fantasy

· Carbon sequestration

· How investible is it as an asset class?

· Could carbon become the biggest of any derivative product over the next 4-5 years?

· Cap and trade as a mechanism

· Carbon compensation: growing, cultivating, harnessing forests, other offsetting methods

· Pricing carbon emissions – the mechanics

· The prospects for carbon trading post 2012

· Role of the US – shifting from a voluntary to a compulsory system

Agreeing on a global regulatory framework – how realistic?

The EU endorsed a plan in December 2008 to reduce the 27-nation bloc’s greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent from 1990 levels by 2020

Member states and other developed countries are urged to increase that figure to 30 per cent – how realistic is this?

A SQUARE subscribers can confirm their participation in this webinar here: http://www.opalesque.com/index.php?act=static&and=webinar. In order to participate, you are formally required to register to confirm your attendance.

Non-subscribers to A SQUARE can set up their subscription here: http://www.opalesque.com/main.php?act=registration and participate for free in the webinar. See here for A SQUARE subscription rates: http://www.opalesque.com/main.php?act=A2Rates.

Non-subscribers can also purchase an admission pass for this webinar here: http://www.opalesque.com/index.php?act=static&and=webinar ($80 admission).

The Panelists:

Peter C. Fusaro is Chairman of Global Change Associates, a financial services advisory in New York, and the best selling author of What Went Wrong at Enron and 14 other books on energy and the environmental financial markets. He is an energy industry thought leader noted for his keen insights in emerging energy and environmental financial markets and has been at the forefront of energy and environmental change for over 30 years focusing on oil, gas, power, coal, emissions, carbon trading and renewable energy markets. He coined the term “Green Trading“ and co-founded the Energy Hedge Fund Center LLC.

Jacek P. Siry, serves as associate professor of forest economics at The University of Georgia’s Center for Forest Business.

He has expertise and experience in forest carbon sequestration, forest industry competitiveness issues including timber trade, availability and cost, that span the world’s major producing regions. He has a Ph.D. in Natural Resource Economics and Forest Policy, University of Georgia

About A SQUARE:

Opalesque A SQUARE = Alternative Alternatives is the first web publication, globally, that is dedicated exclusively to alternative investments. A SQUARE’s weekly selection feature unique investment opportunities that bear virtually no correlation to the main stream hedge fund strategies and/or distinguish themselves by virtue of their “alternative” motive – social, behavioural, natural resources, sustainable /environment related investing.

With its “research that reveals” approach, fast facts and investment oriented analysis, A SQUARE offers diversification and complementary ideas for: private, high net-worth and institutional investors, pension funds and endowments, portfolio and hedge funds managers. For more information please go here: http://www.opalesque.com/index9.html.

Opalesque has been publishing Alternative Market Briefing, the premium news service on hedge funds and alternatives, since February 2003. Opalesque was runner-up at the State Street Institutional Press Awards 2008 in the well contested category of most innovative media outlet. Opalesque’s weekly 600,000 issues of its eight web-based publications are read in over 130 countries. For more information, please go to http://www.opalesque.com.

Climate Change

Now-a-days we listen Climate Change more often than before. Climate change is a global phenomenon and the term “Climate Change” is indeed a straightforward expression for such a complex subject. In fact, climate change has more than we can comprehend from this phrase and that is why it is quite essential to go at defining climate change in today’s scenario. In the present glossary of researchers and scientists, climate modification as a term is no longer in use and effect. The reason behind this is that we have come to realize the effect of the changes we make to our environment will eventually increase the temperature in many parts of the world, but at the same time will also be decrease in temperature for few parts of the planet. This however, creates a general imbalance in the climate of the world which in turn leads us to the phrase, “Climate Change.”

While wondering the effects of the climate change, the things you know of as climate modification is actually referred to as global a global phenomenon of climate change. However, with all the details and statistics we have in hand at present, we can definitely conclude that the world is unquestionably warming with the temperatures rising like never before. Climate change is a global problem with many natural disasters started taking shape; the general awareness of this factor is really low. For the better understanding of the issues associated with the climate change, we require a simple definition for climate change in relation to the warming of the planet. And this definition needs to be the one that brings us the essence of this problem without compromising the simplicities. However, the easiest and most precise definition is that climate change is the effect greenhouse gases have on the earth’s overall climate. Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide and methane, but are not limited to these two.

While learning more about climate change, we need to understand few important facts associated with it. The first fact is that climate change is both a natural phenomena and one catalyzed by us. For instance, greenhouse gases are a natural part of the biosphere and would exist if man did not. In fact, these gases are a vital component to the existence of life on this planet. It is due to the existence of the greenhouse gases, the temperature on planet earth does not average zero degrees! These naturally occurring gases help to keep the temperature at a desirable 59 degrees. But, the climate change, which is due to the greenhouse gases, is not indeed natural. In fact, the problem we are facing is the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. These gases act as thermal blankets for the atmosphere. The more gas in the atmosphere, the thicker the blanket and the less heat escapes from earth. In the last 80years, we have been releasing this gases into our atmosphere and thus helping them to form a blanket. On the other hand, we are reducing forests around the planet, which are the natural plant collection that absorb greenhouse gases. This double whammy is starting to show negative results, the increased heating of our world, and thus the beginning of the dreaded climate change.