HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)

One of the scariest virus around is the RNA virus called HIV! Once thought to have originated from Africa is now found worldwide.

What are the symptoms you would have to look out for?
Well, the progress of this disease can be categorized into 4 stages:

1. First Phase: Most individuals will have no symptoms, but some might develop a rash, flu, and swollen lymph glands.
2. Second Phase: Production of anti-HIV rises in blood stream. Although the level of HIV in blood falls, HIV replication continues in lymph nodes. This phase can last anywhere from weeks till more than 13 years.
3. Third Phase: AIDS related complex refers to many opportunistic infections which affect the patient, like fungal and viral infections such as oral and genital herpes.
4. Fourth Phase: Development of secondary cancers. Kaposi's sarcoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma are common. By this time, there is total loss of cellular immunity.

Mechanism of HIV Infection:

1. HIV enters the body through body fluid or blood transfusion.
2. HIV binds with CD4 receptors on the surface of T helper cell.
3. Both membranes then fuse while the capsid is enzymatically removed to release viral RNA and reverse transcriptase into the cytoplasm of the helper T cell.
4. Viral RNA undergoes reverse transcription followed by replication to produce a double-stranded viral DNA with the help of enzyme reverse transcriptase.
5. Reverse transcriptase catalyses the synthesis of second DNA, which is complementary to the first.
6. Viral DNA enters the nucleus and is incorporated into host DNA, as a provirus.
7. Provirus may remain dormant but is replicated each time host cell divides.
8. Activated provirus causes host cell to synthesize huge amounts of viral protein and viral mRNA which are then assembled into new retroviruses.
9. New retroviruses bud off from host cell membrane, infecting other helper T cells.
10. Number of helper T cells will gradually decrease and cause risk of individual contacting other diseases and finally leading to death.

Immune Response of Humans.

There are two types of immune response, or rather, what my Bio book tells me so. I was kinda tired of stuffing the facts into my head, so I thought I would type it out here on my iPod Blogger app. :)

Cell-Mediated Immunity:

Cell-Mediated Immune Response

1. T cells formed in the blood marrow circulate in the blood circulatory system until it reaches the thymus glands.
2. In thymus glands, T cells differentiate to form T helper cells and T cytotoxic cells, each with a unique type of T cell receptor on its surface.
3. Mature T helper cell circulates in the blood circulatory system until it reaches an antigen representing cell (APC).
4. If antigen-MHC complex on APC is complementary with the T cell receptor on the T helper cell, the T cell binds to the APC.
5. T helper cell that binds with APC secretes interleukin 1.
6. Interleukin 1 stimulates production of interleukin 2.
7. Interleukin 2 stimulates the division of T helper cells and T cytotoxic cells to produce clones of effector T helper & effector T cytotoxic cells respectively and memory cells.
8. Circulating T cytotoxic cells bind with complementary antigen-MHC complex on infected cells.
9. Effector T cytotoxic cells release perforin that perforated the infected cells to stimulate autolysis.
10. Effector cytotoxic T cells attacks other infected cells, as infected cell perform autolysis.
11. Memory T cells respond for a second invasion of the same pathogen by actively dividing to form effector T cells.

Humoral Immune Response:

1. B cells are formed and mature in bone marrow.
2. Mature B cells synthesize antibodies, which attach to the 2 tips acting as receptors.
3. B cells with complimentary antibody phagocytosise the free complimentary antigens encountered.
4. Antigen is cut into smaller pieces and presented as the antigen-MHC complex on it's plasma membrane.
5. T helper cell with complimentary T cell receptor binds to antigen-MHC complex.
6. T helper cell secretes interleukin 2.
7. Interleukin 2 stimulates B cell to divide and, form clones of effector B cells and memory cells.
8. Effector B cells produce large quantity of free antibodies with same specific configuration.
9. Antibodies destroys antigen by precipitation, antitoxins and agglutination.

Interesting how our immune system works, right?
The only problem is, it's only interesting when you need not memorize it for finals!

In The Name of Science... [Part 2]

Well, based on my previous post, I received more opinions that animal testing should be done in the name of science.

Here's another point of view of mine.

Animal testing often been debated whether it is the right or wrong thing to do. Scientist will insist that it's necessary! Giving the reason that this steps are taken to ensure the future of mankind against various diseases and cure or respite from the ravages of diseases. But animal-lovers, will give you point-blank "NO!", stating that these testings are just pure acts of evil.

To me, well, I believe that animals should have equal rights to a human. Who are we as humans to tie an animal up and subject it to pins and needles, different strains of bacteria or viruses just for the sake of science? You might argue that if these steps are not taken, you and me wouldn't be here, and the average lifespan of a human would be greatly affected.

But, there's always an alternative. There is almost always two ways in science. Why not use remedies instead of chemically-engineered ones? Plant-based remedies for an instant, are often harmless, and without side-effects, even if it's tested on humans or animals. It has been PROVEN that it produces similar or BETTER results compared to the chemically-engineered remedies! Let's take the example of a commonly found illness, fever. Why use panadol, when we can use natural remedies like chewing on tusci leaves and peppercorn, and taking loads of fluids to cure the disease? Just because we want to have the convenience of just swallowing a pill, more animals have to suffer the fate of being tortured and killed? It's just pure inhumanity! Panadol kills us slowly anyway, it contains mercury that accumulates in our body which can cause death in the long run. So, why use chemically-engineered products? Switch to natural remedies!

If we say human lives should be given higher priority compared to animals because of our family and relatives, how about THEM? Don't they have families TOO? Monkeys, the most used animal in animal testing due to their vast similarities to humans, live in herd. How can we know for sure that the herd it was in, mourns for the lost of their brother or sister? Place yourself in their shoes and imagine the agony you would feel when such a thing happens to you.

So, which is the right thing to do? I'm still unsure.

In The Name Of SCIENCE?!?

In the name of Science, how many bugs have to suffer in formalin?
In the name of Science, how many white rats have to be killed alive?In the name of Science, how many plants have to lose their source of energy?
In the name of Science, how many factors than maintain the ecosystem in equilibrium are disturbed?

The answer, A LOT!!!

I went to school today to "cut open" a rhinoceros beetle that I caught yesterday. I have this school project or rather known as PEKA, asking us to catch 25 different species of insects, and preserve them. I was thinking to myself, "The Biology syllabus also teaches us how to take care of the environment, and ways to prevent the animals from going extinct. And by doing this project, isn't this also harming the environment?". Funny, they teach us this and yet do the opposite.

I wasn't feeling too good when I killed the rhinoceros beetle that I caught. It was so cruel. Who are we to kill such animals? Imagine being pierced through your stomach. What would you feel? The pain one would have to bear. AH! Science oh science! Why art thou so cruel?

GM food, the next solution?

The world's population is increasing at a rapid rate, and the supply of food cannot meet up with the ever increasing demands of the world's needs. Countries have poured in billions in dollars for research in genetically modified food (GM food) in the hope in solving this problem. In my opinion, I believe that there are two sides two a coin about this matter.

GM food as we know, is something new. Scientists are still uncertain about the short-term and long-term effects that GM foods might bring, towards humans, and the environment. For all you know, after consuming these foods, we might find the next generation born deformed. Or the plants and animals we know today mutated into something new. And with these new unknown changes taking place, it might disrupt the many cycles that keep the ecosystem in equilibrium, creating more problems!

GM food crops can be genetically modified to be resistant to various diseases, herbicides and pesticides, but when the climate changes, or when a new disease infects the crop, the whole crop will suffer and dies. This is because somehow, genetically modified crops lose the ability to adapt to these changes. For example, if the Earth's temperature were to rise by 1 degree Celsius worldwide, all the GM food crops will be affected, and this will result in billions of dollars in losses, and we might find ourselves without food.

By planting GM food crops can also bring unintended harm to other organisms. For example, in the United States, they planted genetically modified corn. And scientists have found out that a certain species of butterfly population, Monarch butterflies, has decreased at an alarming rate. This clearly indicates GM crops might bring harm to other organisms. Imagine if genetically modified grain causes chickens to die when consumed by them, we would find the world without chickens within months!

Although GM food has its cons, we cannot deny the fact that it has its pros too. With GM crops planted, less area can now produce more! Imagine 10 acres of land can now produced 10,000 tonnes of grain instead of the normal 2,000 tonnes. It's an increase by 5 times! Therefore, the world's food problem can be solved in no time. GM food can also genetically modified to be of a higher nutritional value. A scientist can now insert genes that can make the fruits of the plant contain more nutrients. Take an orange for an instance, scientists can take a good gene of a tomato and implant it in an orange. This means the orange can now have the nutritional value of BOTH the orange and the tomato. It's 2 in 1!

In conclusion, although GM foods solve the world's food problems, there are many unseen and unknown effects towards mankind and the environment that might be disastrous. Therefore, I believe that we should tread carefully and carry out extensive tests before we plant GM crops.

Save the Trees!

When I was out with the myFM Cruisers, I could not help but notice this pitiful tree was covered with nails. Why do you irresponsible people out there harm the trees? Can't you go and advertise your products legally? How would you like being nailed? The tree has life too, you know...

Save the TREES!!!

Biology... Exploring Levels of Biological Organization... [Part 2]...

Continued from part 1. The sixth level would be organisms. Many organ systems form an organism. This and the following 3 levels are familiar to me, as I've learnt it in lower secondary. An organism are individual living things. We, humans are organisms too, multicellular organisms to be exact.

Organisms of all individuals of a species living within the bounds of a specific area form a population, the 7th level in the biological organization.

Communities, the next level, can be defined as the entire array of organisms inhabiting a particular ecosystem.
Moving on the next level, the ecosystems. Life does not exist in a vacuum. An ecosystem consists of all the living things in a particular area, along with the non-living components of the environment, including the air we breathe! An example of an ecosystem a forest in Malaysia. It is made up by many communities.

The biggest level of biological organization is the biosphere. This was new to me. The biosphere, consists of all the environments on Earth that are inhabited by life. It is made up by many ecosystems.

At last, I've finished writing about all 10 levels of biological organizations. =) It was interesting right? Haha...

Biology... Exploring Levels of Biological Organization... [Part 1]...

I can remember when I was in lower form, we learnt 4 of the levels of biological organization only. But, after reading a sub-chapter of Chapter 1, I now know that there are actually 10 levels.
From the smallest level to the biggest level... The smallest level, is of course, molecules. Everything starts with that, even non-living things are made up of molecules. A molecule is a chemical structure consisting of two or small chemical units called atoms. Let me use an example of a organelle. Let's say chloroplast, it has chlorophyll molecules. This chlorophyll molecule plays an important role in the plant, as it absorbs sunlight so that photosynthesis can be carried out.
Moving on the second level, the organelle. Many cells form an organelle. The nucleus is an example of an organelle. You need a powerful microscope to see an organelle.
The third level, is cells. Different organelles make up a cell. A plant cell consists of organelles, for example, chloroplast, nucleus, cell wall, etc... A cell is about 25 micrometers across. It will take 700 cells to reach across a Malaysian 1 sen coin.
A tissue, is made up from a group of similar cells. With a normal microscope, we can see the tissues of a plant. There are many types of tissues even in our human body. Examples are our smooth muscle tissue, our nerve tissues, etc...
From tissues we move on to organ and organ systems, the fifth level in the biological organization. As we all should know now, an organ is made up by many different type of tissues. For example, in our human body, we have many organs. Our heart, kidneys are a few examples of organs. Organs that carry out the same function can be organized into organ systems. For example, our human digestive system includes organs like our tongue, stomach, and intestines.

The next 5 levels will be out soon in "Biology... Exploring Levels of Biological Organization... [Part 2]...". So stay tuned for more info.

60 Earth Hour...

Earth Hour is an organization planned and run by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and it's partners. They are organizing an event where all Malaysians turning off their non-essential lights for an hour. This event will run on the 28th of March 2009, from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Be sure to participate in this nationwide event!

Personally, I think this is a good move. This way people will realize the importance of saving resources and the environment. The people have to realize that global warming is rising, and we have to take necessary steps to encounter it. Save the environment before it's too late!

Random Rumblings on Biology... The Human Blood...

Biology can be sometimes very interesting, but sometimes a bore too! It can be very interesting and informative at times. The only problem is, all these things must be MEMORIZED!!! Our blood plays an important role in our body. It's a medium of transport, a regulation system, and also for protection from bacteria and viruses...

What does our blood transport? It's amazing to know what this watery liquid can do. It transports oxygen from our lungs to throughout the body, carbon dioxide to the lungs, nutrients, hormones, and waste products to the excretory organs. Our blood also regulates our pH, our body temperature, and the water content in our body cells... What do blood consist of? 55 % plasma and 45 % cellular components. The cellular components are erythrocytes (red blood cells), leucocytes (white blood cells), and thrombocytes (platelets)... Each of these have a specific functions of their own.

Plasmas for an instance, is to for clotting blood, when we get a cut or wound. Plasma consists of albumin, fibrinogen (for clotting) and immunoglobulin (antibodies).

Erythrocytes, the red blood cells, is for transporting gases. It can live about 120 days, then it'll be destroyed, by the spleen and liver. This cell, is very small, and doesn't have a nucleus...

The leucocytes, the white blood cells, function as protection. There are many types of white blood cells. A few examples are neutrophils (engulf and digest bacteria), eosinophils (releases enzymes to combat inflammation), basophils and others more... They are all made by the bone marrow. Platelets, functions the same as plasmas. They help in blood clotting. They are larger fragments of the bone marrow...

Fascinating eh? But LOADS to memorize... HELP!

Random Ramblings on Biology... The Human Heart...

What actually is our heart? It is said to be a dark cone-shaped muscular organ found in the thoracic cavity protected by our ribs. It is also said that the heart is about the size of our fist, but I don't know if that's true.

Our human heart is one superb design! It has four chambers. They are the left and right atrium, and the left and right ventricle. It's pretty much the same as in what was taught in form 3. There are valves in the heart too, to prevent the black flow of blood.

Our heart, is pretty similar to a car engine. It's the most important and vital part of all. WIthout it, we're useless, quite similar to a car if the engine's gone. There are two nodes in the heart.

At the right atrium wall, near the entrance of the vena cave, there are a group of specialized cells called the sino-atrial node, short form SA node. This is the first node found in the heart.This node acts like a pacemaker, which initiates the heart beat. This SA node generates a wave of excitatory impluses to the two atria, causing them to contract simultaneously. Blood is then forced from the atria to the ventricles.

The second node, found in our heart, is the atrio-ventricular node, short form AV node. This node is located at the base of the right atrium. The impulses created by the AV node are conducted by specialized muscle fibres, called the Purkinje fibres, to the ventricular walls. What an odd name, hor? This causes the both ventricles to pump the blood out of the heart.

The whole process of the contraction, or also known as systole, and relaxation, also known as diastole, of the heart all occurs in a single heartbeat. The heart beats pretty fast, eh? This whole process can be called as a cardiac cycle. An average human heart pumps at about 72 heartbeats per minute. That's 1.2 beats per second.

Our heart is a really magnificent masterpiece created in the image of God. God has planned every single detail perfectly. He pictured the heart without a single flaw. Thank You GOD!

Chemistry... Preparing Salt....

There are two types of salts, soluble and non-soluble. There are two ways to prepare soluble salts, I think. That's what I learned in chemistry class today. Why in the world do we need to learn about how to make this kind of salts? Will we ever use it, high unlikely unless we get into a field related to it, like chemical engineering?


Well, the first method to form soluble salts is by mixing an acid and an alkali through a process called titration. The product of this process is dilute salt solution. Then, we let it evaporate until we get a saturated salt solution. After getting the solution, we cool it or let it undergo a process called crystallization to turn the solution into crystal form. The salts created from this process will contain either sodium, potassium or ammonium ions.

Another method is by reacting acid with metallic oxides, metals or carbonates. The reaction produces salt solution and excess solid. It is then filtered to separate the salt solution and the solid. Once it's filtered, we let it dry or cool it to get dry salt crystals. Any salts with impurities can be purified by the process called recrystallization.

Insoluble salts on the other hand, are made by a totally different method, that is through double decomposition, by using the precipitation method. I don't understand what it means by double decomposition... Someone explain to me? Haha...

Really Extreme Engineering!!!

Everyone loves to play pranks on other people every now and then, well, not everyone, but some people do.... Have you ever heard of city lights turned into Morse code? Or the mayor's house covered in fake paint? Or the most unthinkable prank, hanging a car beneath a bridge???

Well, the fact is, there are such high tech pranksters. Pranksters that uses their brains to create chaos. Imagine, a car beneath a bridge. It marks of a true creative, well-executed prank that makes a truly accomplished engineer. And the most unbelievable thing is, you can suspend a car under the bridge in 328 seconds! That is just like 5 minutes and a half.

In Canada, such students play such pranks. The students calculate everything. All the factors that affect their prank. Like experiments. So that, they will leave no trace of the prankster who did the prank.

It's a pity we don' have these kind of pranks here in Malaysia. Our students here are just not so creative. Wouldn't it be nice, if the whole country was alarmed due to a car suspended under Penang bridge?

A car hanging under a bridge.
(E stands for engineers)

My Environment, My Hope

Before man was created, God created a good environment. He created the trees, the different type of animals, the crystal clear water, the picturesque sight of the waterfalls and other wonderful creations. After man was created, he exploited, destroyed and polluted the environment the Creator created for the pleasures of man. Do you still see crystal clear water rivers everywhere? Most rivers in the world are murky, dirty and polluted. Forests are being exploited by man to get a profit out of it. Man do not care to replant the trees chopped, making the environment hotter, polluted and dirty. This had a bad side effects. This will affect the future generations. Can we ensure that, there will be a place to live if we continue to treat the environment like we do now? In my opinion, if trees are being chopped down at this rate, the environment will be unfit for the future generations to live in.

More species of animals are becoming extinct. Due to the lack of habitats or overpopulation in one small area, animals have no where to live. Our future generations will be not able to see animals alive, but only see it in pictures of books. Why are you treating our environment like this? Icebergs are melting as I write this. More and more carbon dioxide are accumulating up in the atmosphere. The air is getting hotter. The sea water level is increasing due to the melting of ice in the south and north poles. People, wake up! Our environment will be gone if we do not take actions immediately. Maybe one day, it will snow in Egypt, or Nigeria Falls will dry up. Maybe the next ice age will come soon. Do we want this kind of drastic changes to happen to our environment? If the environment is not in good shape, we will have no hope, unless we can live on another planet and start anew.

Stumbled on this... But it is IMPORTANT!!!

Top 50 Things To Do To Stop Global Warming

Global warming is a dramatically urgent and serious problem. We don't need to wait for governments to find a solution for this problem: each individual can bring an important help adopting a more responsible lifestyle: starting from little, everyday things. It's the only reasonable way to save our planet, before it is too late.

1. Replace a regular incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb (cfl)
   CFLs use 60% less energy than a regular bulb. This simple switch will save about 300 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.

2. Install a programmable thermostat
   Programmable thermostats will automatically lower the heat or air conditioning at night and raise them again in the morning. They can save you $100 a year on your energy bill.

3. Move your thermostat down 2° in winter and up 2° in summer
   Almost half of the energy we use in our homes goes to heating and cooling. You could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple adjustment. The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy has more tips for saving energy on heating and cooling.

4. Clean or replace filters on your furnace and air conditioner
   Cleaning a dirty air filter can save 350 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.

5. Choose energy efficient appliances when making new purchases
   Look for the Energy Star label on new appliances to choose the most efficient models available.

6. Do not leave appliances on standby
   Use the "on/off" function on the machine itself. A TV set that's switched on for 3 hours a day (the average time Europeans spend watching TV) and in standby mode during the remaining 21 hours uses about 40% of its energy in standby mode.

7. Wrap your water heater in an insulation blanket
   You’ll save 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple action. You can save another 550 pounds per year by setting the thermostat no higher than 50°C.

8. Move your fridge and freezer
   Placing them next to the cooker or boiler consumes much more energy than if they were standing on their own. For example, if you put them in a hot cellar room where the room temperature is 30-35ºC, energy use is almost double and causes an extra 160kg of CO2 emissions for fridges per year and 320kg for freezers.

9. Defrost old fridges and freezers regularly
   Even better is to replace them with newer models, which all have automatic defrost cycles and are generally up to two times more energy-efficient than their predecessors.

10. Don't let heat escape from your house over a long period
    When airing your house, open the windows for only a few minutes. If you leave a small opening all day long, the energy needed to keep it warm inside during six cold months (10ºC or less outside temperature) would result in almost 1 ton of CO2 emissions.

11. Replace your old single-glazed windows with double-glazing
    This requires a bit of upfront investment, but will halve the energy lost through windows and pay off in the long term. If you go for the best the market has to offer (wooden-framed double-glazed units with low-emission glass and filled with argon gas), you can even save more than 70% of the energy lost.

12. Get a home energy audit
    Many utilities offer free home energy audits to find where your home is poorly insulated or energy inefficient. You can save up to 30% off your energy bill and 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Energy Star can help you find an energy specialist.

13. Cover your pots while cooking
    Doing so can save a lot of the energy needed for preparing the dish. Even better are pressure cookers and steamers: they can save around 70%!

14. Use the washing machine or dishwasher only when they are full
    If you need to use it when it is half full, then use the half-load or economy setting. There is also no need to set the temperatures high. Nowadays detergents are so efficient that they get your clothes and dishes clean at low temperatures.

15. Take a shower instead of a bath
    A shower takes up to four times less energy than a bath. To maximise the energy saving, avoid power showers and use low-flow showerheads, which are cheap and provide the same comfort.

16. Use less hot water
    It takes a lot of energy to heat water. You can use less hot water by installing a low flow showerhead (350 pounds of carbon dioxide saved per year) and washing your clothes in cold or warm water (500 pounds saved per year) instead of hot.

17. Use a clothesline instead of a dryer whenever possible
    You can save 700 pounds of carbon dioxide when you air dry your clothes for 6 months out of the year.

18. Insulate and weatherize your home
    Properly insulating your walls and ceilings can save 25% of your home heating bill and 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Caulking and weather-stripping can save another 1,700 pounds per year. Energy Efficient has more information on how to better insulate your home.

19. Be sure you’re recycling at home
    You can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide a year by recycling half of the waste your household generates. Earth 911 can help you find recycling resources in your area.

20. Recycle your organic waste
    Around 3% of the greenhouse gas emissions through the methane is released by decomposing bio-degradable waste. By recycling organic waste or composting it if you have a garden, you can help eliminate this problem! Just make sure that you compost it properly, so it decomposes with sufficient oxygen, otherwise your compost will cause methane emissions and smell foul.

21. Buy intelligently
    One bottle of 1.5l requires less energy and produces less waste than three bottles of 0.5l. As well, buy recycled paper products: it takes less 70 to 90% less energy to make recycled paper and it prevents the loss of forests worldwide.

22. Choose products that come with little packaging and buy refills when you can
    You will also cut down on waste production and energy use!

23. Reuse your shopping bag
    When shopping, it saves energy and waste to use a reusable bag instead of accepting a disposable one in each shop. Waste not only discharges CO2 and methane into the atmosphere, it can also pollute the air, groundwater and soil.

24. Reduce waste
    Most products we buy cause greenhouse gas emissions in one or another way, e.g. during production and distribution. By taking your lunch in a reusable lunch box instead of a disposable one, you save the energy needed to produce new lunch boxes.

25. Plant a tree
    A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. Shade provided by trees can also reduce your air conditioning bill by 10 to 15%. The Arbor Day Foundation has information on planting and provides trees you can plant with membership.

26. Switch to green power
    In many areas, you can switch to energy generated by clean, renewable sources such as wind and solar. The Green Power Network is a good place to start to figure out what’s available in your area.

27. Buy locally grown and produced foods
    The average meal in the United States travels 1,200 miles from the farm to your plate. Buying locally will save fuel and keep money in your community.

28. Buy fresh foods instead of frozen
    Frozen food uses 10 times more energy to produce.

29. Seek out and support local farmers markets
    They reduce the amount of energy required to grow and transport the food to you by one fifth. You can find a farmer’s market in your area at the USDA website.

30. Buy organic foods as much as possible
    Organic soils capture and store carbon dioxide at much higher levels than soils from conventional farms. If we grew all of our corn and soybeans organically, we’d remove 580 billion pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere!

31. Eat less meat
    Methane is the second most significant greenhouse gas and cows are one of the greatest methane emitters. Their grassy diet and multiple stomachs cause them to produce methane, which they exhale with every breath.

32. Reduce the number of miles you drive by walking, biking, carpooling or taking mass transit wherever possible
    Avoiding just 10 miles of driving every week would eliminate about 500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions a year! Look for transit options in your area.

33. Start a carpool with your coworkers or classmates
    Sharing a ride with someone just 2 days a week will reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by 1,590 pounds a year. eRideShare.com runs a free national service connecting commuters and travelers.

34. Don't leave an empty roof rack on your car
    This can increase fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 10% due to wind resistance and the extra weight - removing it is a better idea.

35. Keep your car tuned up
    Regular maintenance helps improve fuel efficiency and reduces emissions. When just 1% of car owners properly maintain their cars, nearly a billion pounds of carbon dioxide are kept out of the atmosphere.

36. Drive carefully and do not waste fuel
    You can reduce CO2 emissions by readjusting your driving style. Choose proper gears, do not abuse the gas pedal, use the engine brake instead of the pedal brake when possible and turn off your engine when your vehicle is motionless for more than one minute. By readjusting your driving style you can save money on both fuel and car mantainance.

37. Check your tires weekly to make sure they’re properly inflated
    Proper inflation can improve gas mileage by more than 3%. Since every gallon of gasoline saved keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, every increase in fuel efficiency makes a difference!

38. When it is time for a new car, choose a more fuel efficient vehicle
    You can save 3,000 pounds of carbon dioxide every year if your new car gets only 3 miles per gallon more than your current one. You can get up to 60 miles per gallon with a hybrid! You can find information on fuel efficiency on FuelEconomy and on GreenCars websites.

39. Try car sharing
    Need a car but don’t want to buy one? Community car sharing organizations provide access to a car and your membership fee covers gas, maintenance and insurance. Many companies – such as Flexcar - offer low emission or hybrid cars too! Also, see ZipCar.

40. Try telecommuting from home
    Telecommuting can help you drastically reduce the number of miles you drive every week. For more information, check out the Telework Coalition.

41. Fly less
    Air travel produces large amounts of emissions so reducing how much you fly by even one or two trips a year can reduce your emissions significantly. You can also offset your air travel by investing in renewable energy projects.

42. Encourage your school or business to reduce emissions
    You can extend your positive influence on global warming well beyond your home by actively encouraging other to take action.

43. Join the virtual march
    The Stop Global Warming Virtual March is a non-political effort to bring people concerned about global warming together in one place. Add your voice to the hundreds of thousands of other people urging action on this issue.

44. Encourage the switch to renewable energy
    Successfully combating global warming requires a national transition to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and biomass. These technologies are ready to be deployed more widely but there are regulatory barriers impeding them. Take action to break down those barriers with Vote Solar.

45. Protect and conserve forest worldwide
    Forests play a critial role in global warming: they store carbon. When forests are burned or cut down, their stored carbon is release into the atmosphere - deforestation now accounts for about 20% of carbon dioxide emissions each year. Conservation International has more information on global warming and forests.

46. Consider the impact of your investments
    If you invest your money, you should consider the impact that your investments and savings will have on global warming. Check out SocialInvest and Ceres to can learn more about how to ensure your money is being invested in companies, products and projects that address issues related to climate change.

47. Make your city cool
    Cities and states around the country have taken action to stop global warming by passing innovative transportation and energy saving legislation. Find out how to make your city a cool city.

48. Tell Congress to act
    The McCain Lieberman Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act would set a firm limit on carbon dioxide emissions and then use free market incentives to lower costs, promote efficiency and spur innovation. Tell your representative to support it.

49. Make sure your voice is heard!
    People must have a stronger commitment from their government in order to stop global warming and implement solutions and such a commitment won’t come without a dramatic increase in citizen lobbying for new laws with teeth.

50. Share this list!
    Send this page via e-mail to your friends! Spread this list worldwide and help people doing their part: the more people you will manage to enlighten, the greater YOUR help to save the planet will be (but please take action on first person too)!

From http://globalwarming-facts.info

Methane Gas

Across the globe, chickens and pigs are doing their bit to curb global warming. But cows and sheep still have some catching up to do.
The farm animals produce lots of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that gets far less public attention that carbon dioxide yet is at heart of efforts to fight climate change...
Government policies and UN-backed system of emission credits is proving a money-spinner for investors, farmers and big polluters such as power stations wanting to offset their own emissions of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2).
The reason is simple: methane is 23 times more potent than carbon dioxide in trapping heat in the atmosphere and it is relatively simple to capture the gas from animal waste, landfills, coal mines or leaky natural gas pipes.
A fifth of all greenhouse gas-included global warming has been due to methane since pre-industrial times.
Methane concentrations have increased about 150% in the air since 1750 and now far exceeded the natural range of the past 650,000 years! Human activities are to blame!