Going green is the awareness and effort of using Earths precious resources

efficiently and responsibly.

"how to go green" content, which typically tackles very specific topics such as kitchens, cars,
or pets -- to take a broader look at the reasons behind why we should go green.

As globalization makes the world become smaller, it becomes increasingly easy to

see how the lives of people (and plants and animals and ecosystems) everywhere
are closely synced up with one another. So toys made in China can affect the
quality of life in Europe, pesticides used in Argentina can affect the health of people
in the U.S., and greenhouse gas emissions from Australia can affect a diminishing
rainforest in Brazil.
The truth is that everything single thing we do every day has an impact on the
planet -- good or bad. The good news is that as an individual you have the power to
control most of your choices and, therefore, the impact you create: from where you
live to what you buy, eat, and use to light your home to where and how you
vacation, to how you shop or vote, you can have global impact. For example, did
you know that 25 percent of Western pharmaceuticals are derived from flora that
come from the Amazon rainforest? And that less that one percent of these tropical
trees and plants have been tested by scientists? These numbers suggest that we all
have a large (and growing) personal stake in the health and vitality of places far and
near. In addition to protecting biodiversity (and inspiring medicine), rainforests are
also excellent carbon sinks. Bottom line: It benefits everyone on the planet to help
keep our wild spaces alive and growing.

Clean, renewable power is already available to everyone.

We use electricity to power our lights, computers, and televisions, but what
happens before you flip the switch? Your electricity has to come from somewhere;

more than half America's comes from coal-burning power plants, which also
happen to be the country's largest source of air pollution. By generating your own
power, or purchasing renewable energy credits (also known as "green tags"), you
contribute to our collective capacity for generating more clean power from wind,
solar, and other sources and you help reduce demand for energy from more
polluting sources. Learn more about how to make your electrical footprint lighter in
our How to Go Green: Electricity guide.
Better transportation means less global warming.
Anytime you choose to walk, ride a bike, or take public transportation, you
reduce (or totally eliminate) the carbon dioxide and particulate emissions created
by driving a gas- or diesel-powered car. You'll help slow global warming and help
stave off our date with peak oil. Choosing greener options such as a train over air
travel for long-distance trips can immensely reduce your carbon footprint. Get to
the nitty-gritty in our How to Go Green: Cars and How To Go Green: Public
Transportation guides.
Nature Recycles Everything. So Should People.
Making proper use of the blue recycling bin has become an iconic action. Reducing
the amount of stuff we consume is the first step (and the first word in the mantra
reduce-reuse-recycle), finding constructive uses for "waste" materials is the second.
Why? Nothing is ever really thrown "away" -- it all has to go somewhere. By
recycling and reusing, we reduce the amount of waste that sits in landfills (where
even biodegradable products often can't break due to lack or oxygen and sunlight).
Recycling materials also saves energy compared to using virgin materials to create
new products. Some materials, like aluminum and glass, can even be recycled
without being "downcycled," or turned into a product of lesser quality. See our How
to Go Green: Recycling guide for more details.

http://www.ecofriendlyme.com.lb/

Solar water heater (SWH) is a system that provides your home or business with
free hot water from the suns rays. We can reach up to 70 degrees Celsius for
systems installed in Beirut using evacuated tubes.
We have many SWH systems to choose from, according to your needs: split
system, thermosiphone system, centralized, decentralized, gondola system.

Examples of people who install SWH:

Apartments
units (students or workers)
Hospitals
swimming pool etc)
Laundry shops
Leather tanning factories
Kaslik ATCL

Boarding
Gym (for
Hotels
Wood factories
Villas

We can also produce steam which can reach up to 120 degrees Celsius for
systems installed in Beirut.

Solar electricity (solar PV)

is a system that provides your home or business with free electricity from the
suns rays. We can install, depending on how much available suitable space
there is, enough power to satisfy your home or business energy needs.
We can install small systems that generate enough power to light a LED bulb or
large systems that run entire factories. Single-phase and three-phase systems
are available. We provide perfect sin wave 220V electricity for your needs so
your electronic devices do not get damaged.
We can install on inclined roofs, tiled/armides, and on flat concrete roofs.

Solar water pump is a system that helps pump water from the ground using
the suns rays. We can power existing pumps and feed them using clean power
to reduce your diesel consumption.
We can install systems from 1Hp up to and exceeding 100Hp depending on the
type of the pump that you use and the space available for the panels.
The solar water pump does not use batteries and continuously operates to pump
water when there is sun present.
We use VFD inverters so the system continuously works even when the suns
rays are not at its maximum for example during the morning and in the late
afternoon.

Wind energy is a system that provides electricity from the wind and the air.
We can install 1,000Watt 2,000Watt 3,000Watt and 4,000Watt vertical axis wind
turbines (VAWT). We can install systems with or without batteries.
The advantages of wind is that the system works when there is no sun available,
for example during winter or at night.

Solar street light is a system that provides illumination for remote places, for
example parking lots, or streets high up in the mountains, or in locations where
there is no government electricity available.
We can design the system using the latest software available to provide you
with a lux-map of what the final effect of the system will be, before it is installed.
We have solar street lights from Germany, USA and China.
Biomass is a system that provides heating for your home or business. Biomass
works on burning specially compressed wood pellets that are manufactured in
Lebanon.
The high efficiency of the burning process means that 92% of the material is
burned which means that there is little material to pollute the environment, such
as soot and carbon monoxide/dioxide.
Biomass can be installed in your basement to feed the entire house or in your
living room to give you an ambiance of a fireplace.
Biomass systems can provide hot air heating as well as hot water heating.

Going green its a phrase thats becoming more and more common as people start to realize the enormity of the
environmental challenges we all face. Everybody knows the earth is in trouble: every day we see new stories about
global warming, acid rain, oil spills, deforestation, or nuclear waste. But what can you actually do to help? Can going
green really make a difference? Here at Greenhome.com we think the answer is yes, and we want to help you
understand what it means to be green and the impact your eco-friendly choices can have. When you follow these
simple ideas for green living, the small changes we all make every day can add up to make a big difference.

Reduce Your Impact on the Environment

Whether youre thinking about it or not, you have an impact on the environment every day with every choice you
make. When you get in your car, buy a coffee, or wash your clothes youre using the earths resources, often in ways
that are damaging and irreversible. Oil, water, wood, metal all these materials have to be taken from the
environment and processed in order to support the way we live. This process frequently leads to the destruction and
pollution of forests, waterways, and other natural systems. This is often referred to as an environmental footprint: its
the mark you leave behind on the environment, and you want yours to be as small as possible. Thats why one of the
most important aspects of going green is also the simplest: use less stuff. Taking shorter showers, being conservative
with the thermostat, and swapping your car for a bike are all easy ways to reduce the amount of resources you use.

In addition to using less, you can shrink your environmental footprint by choosing reusable and recyclable products.
Every time you fill up a reusable water bottle or throw your junk mail in the recycling bin youre keeping resources out
of the garbage and out of landfills. And it actually takes less energy to manufacture good from recycled materials than
from scratch, so recycling also helps reduce energy consumption. Americans throw away over 250 million tons of
trash a year just imagine all the resources we could save if all that waste could be reused or composted instead of
tossed in landfills. And as an added bonus, when you support businesses that produce green products, youre
encouraging more companies to make going green a priority.

Stay Local
Another important part of going green is to shop locally, especially when it comes to food. Were all so used to being
able to run by the grocery store for anything we need that we dont stop to think about where that food comes from.
But industrial farming is actually extremely damaging to the environment it pollutes surrounding areas with toxic
chemicals and uses vast amounts of resources, not just for producing food but also to get those foods from the farm
to your table. When you shop at farmers markets and grocery stores that carry local, organic fruits, vegetables, and
meat youre helping the environment and ensuring you get nutritious, healthy meals. And the importance of thinking
locally doesnt just apply to food either. When you buy locally-made green products like furniture or toys youre putting
money back into your community and helping homegrown companies with environmentally friendly practices.
Going green also means thinking not just about global issues but also about local environmental problems. Volunteer
with parks or natural centers to ensure your community has clean, well-maintained green spaces and get involved in
local efforts to start or expand recycling programs and other sustainability efforts. The best way to make an impact is
to start right in your own backyard.

Live Healthy and Safe

Being green isnt just about helping the environment its also about keeping yourself healthy and happy. Our bodies
put up with a lot every day, from fast food burgers to air pollution to a poor nights sleep, and going green means
doing what you can to ensure you dont let toxins in your environment affect you. This can mean doing something as
simple as using a better air filter or switching to eco-friendly cleaning products, but it can also mean making more
profound changes in your life. Maybe you want to give up eating meat or move out of a crowded city; whatever you
decide to do, the most important thing is to educate yourself not only about your impact on the environment but also
about how your environment is affecting you.

http://www.all-recycling-facts.com/benefits-of-going-green.html
Benefits of going green 1 :

Lower costs

One of the most evident benefits of going green is that it can help us cut cost, whether as
an individual, a household, a community or a nation.

When you and I conserve energy and resources, by not wasting water and electricity and
adopting green traveling tips, we help to reduce the amount of money that needs to be
spent on energy and resources.
By sending our unwanted items for recycling, and supporting the recycling industry by
purchasing recycled products, in the long run as a community, we are reducing the cost of
production, because it uses more energy (and hence is more costly) to manufacture
products using virgin raw materials.
As we reduce our waste, by reducing consumption or reusing, or diverting waste from the
landfills and incinerators through recycling, we would be able to save on waste disposal.
Valuable land originally intended for landfills and incinerator plants can now be freed up for
other uses.
And reducing the pollution that we create is definitely cheaper than trying to clear up the
pollution after we have created the mess!
These are just some of the economic benefits of going green

Benefits of going green 2 :

Healthier lives

Are you aware that one of the benefits of going green is a healthier environment for you and
me?
As more and more people seek to live a green life by reducing the pollution and carbon
footprints they leave behind, we can look forward to better quality air, a cleaner
environment and better health.
The quality of our air definitely has an impact on our health. According to the World Health
Organization, air pollution is estimated to cause about 2 million premature deaths worldwide
every year. Common air pollutants like lead have been found to be associated with
behavioral problems, learning deficits and lowered IQ in young children.
In addition, the health of our environment also has an impact on the quality of our food and
ultimately our health. It would be hard to imagine how we could remain healthy if we are
consuming polluted drinking water and food contaminated with chemicals (eg. fish with
heavy metal contamination, vegetables exposed to acid rain, etc) for long periods.
By keeping our air and environment, cleaner, we are actually building a healthier
environment for ourselves, our loved ones and our future generations.
When the human race strives towards living a green life on earth, we would have less fear
of the impact of extreme temperatures and climate changes brought about by global
warming.
Climate change has caused death and diseases all over the world, through natural disasters
such as heat-waves, floods and droughts. In addition, many diseases (eg. vector-borne
diseases like malaria and dengue) that are highly sensitive to changing temperatures and

precipitation have become more rampant in vulnerable areas like developing countries with
poor sanitation and densely populated areas.
So as we start to go green and fight climate change, we are helping to save lives, including
our own, for there is no knowing when and where the next climate-related natural disaster
may strike.
With activities like deforestation and mining taking place on a large scale, pollution being
generated and global warming being fuelled at an alarming rate, our forests and wildlife are
being destroyed at a very rapid rate.
The loss of such biodiversity is a cause for concern.
The disruption of ecosystems that provide nature's goods and services (for humans and
other living creatures) means that we are losing, even before discovery, many of nature's
powerful chemicals and genes, including those that have and will provide humankind with
enormous health benefits.
In addition, there are also concerns about the impact of food biotechnology (meant to make
up for the loss of natural biodiversity) on human health over the years.
We need to start reaping the benefits of going green by conserving our forests and wildlife
and engage in organic farming. By doing so, not only are we protecting our valuable sources
of medicinal herbs and plants, we are also securing the health of our food supplies and
other natural goods, and ultimately, our own health!
If the other benefits of living a green life do not move you, then at least, go green for your
own health and that of those around you.

Benefits of going green 3 :

A more sustainable world

One of the most important benefits of going green is a more sustainable world.
At the rate that we are consuming the worlds resources, polluting the earth and fueling
global warming, and destroying the earths ecosystem, in no time, we would be left with
nothing (no clean air, water, land and food) but an un-livable world beyond repair.
On the day that we reach such a stage, there would be no material comfort or economic
growth to talk about at all. This is because our very lives would be threatened there would
be no clean air, no clean drinking water, no food, and probably even no safety from the
harsh climate that would have changed beyond recognition.
What a horrible situation to be in!
We need to do something, starting today, if we do not wish to end up in that horrible state.
While it is important for each of our nations to seek and maintain growth and development,
we need to do so in a sustainable way via sustainable living. We need to start adopting
green practices in our daily lives, as well as encourage others around us to do the same.

It is important for each and every one of us to do our parts, but an individuals effort alone
is not enough. We need to work together as a human community.
We must start now!

Benefits of going green 4 :

Better quality of life

Living a green life can actually offer us a better quality of life on earth.
To truly experience the benefits of going green, you need to look beyond material luxuries.

This is because two of the very key principles of going green are actually conservation and
the reduction of consumption and waste which means to use and consume the earths
resources with care, and not over-indulge in excessive material luxuries.
Considering that material luxuries can only bring you momentary happiness, and that at the
end of the day, other non-material things (eg. relationships, self-actualisation, etc) actually
matter more, looking beyond material luxuries may not be so hard.
Nevertheless, that is not to say that going green means to give up the comfortable life you
have now.
It just means having more consideration for the things you use and the environment you
live in, bearing in mind the impact of your actions on the earth, and taking a little effort and
creativity to reduce the negative impact you leave behind on this earth.
With a greener planet, you and I can look forward to a cleaner and more beautiful
environment, relatively free of pollution. With better quality of air, surroundings and food,
we are more likely to be healthier (to be around to fulfill our aspirations and enjoy our
relationship with our loved ones).
At the same time, we will be more in touch with the earth we live on. We can get to
experience and better appreciate the wonders of the diversity of animal and plant life on
this planet.
All these benefits can actually help you live a fuller life, more than what a life filled only with
materials can do.

Benefits of going green 5 :

Development in new areas

As more and more people start living a green life, there will be greater drive for
developments in the area of green energies, recycling and other green technologies, as well
as a market for eco-friendly products and services.

In turn, these developments would make it easier for people to adopt green living practices.
A positive reinforcement loop would be created for a green way of life.

Green living ways

Read more: http://www.all-recycling-facts.com/benefits-of-goinggreen.html#ixzz43wbKHqse

Wet Garbage = Water Pollution

So what exactly happens when it starts to rain? Heavy rainstorms will cause the garbage to
disintegrate into the soil reaching underground water reserves such as natural wells and fossil water
(non-renewable), which means that diluted garbage would sink into the soil, spreading downwards
and outwards in a characteristic brush-stroke shape known as a plume, contaminating soil and water
as it moved.
As far as the Beirut River is concerned, heres what eTobb had to say:
In addition to that, recently circulated images of Nahr Beirut show immense quantities of garbage
blocking the path of the scarcely flowing river (in summer alone). The latter river is known to absorb
and take in large amounts of rainfall every year, sometimes overflowing naturally due to weather
changes; and now that we know that Nahr Beirut is completely blocked by piles and piles of stinking,
harmful and poisonous garbage, only one destiny is bound to this years first rainfall with those piles
of garbage which will definitely overflow, sending trash all over the roads and residential
neighborhoods, down the water sewers and into the ground which will increase the risk of dangerous
diseases, mutated insects, polluted water, air and vegetation and on the long run, we can expect
plagues similar to those humanity witnessed during the major wars due to uncontrolled numbers of
rats roaming the streets on a garbage feeding frenzy. Last but not least, lets not forget how many hot
and humid days have passed while the garbage was left out on the streets, fermenting, rotting,
decomposing and vaporizing into the atmosphere, bringing a new threat our way, a threat that will
affect each and every once of us, Acid Rain.
In addition to that:
Landfills contaminate the air that we are breathing with various toxic substances.
Contaminated water could lead to the widespread of several diseases such as Cholera, Typhoid,
Dysentery and Dengue Fever. Add to that typhoid fever, food poisoning, gastroenteritis, and enteric
fever.
Populations exposed to untreated chemicals witness an increase in cancer rates.

The garbage crisis has been ongoing for 3 months now and the Lebanese authorities are still
wasting their time on organizing national dialogue sessions instead of forming an emergency
committee, encouraging people to recycle, reducing waste and trying to figure out solutions.

http://blogbaladi.com/garbage-crisis-in-lebanon-why-is-everyone-warning-us-aboutthe-first-rains/