Ask your eco-question here: By 3pm Wednesday, April 8th

Just another observation, but I notice many of the responses in this are from names that have no profiles or icons and this is the only response. I was curious because it seems on this channel there aren't many if any people responding or participating. I sure hope all of the "new" people decide to participate more in other threads as well then.

I wish this were anonymous because I really should know the answer... I am a poser -- organizing on behalf of the environment and I don't really know what I am doing. What's the real deal on nuclear power? People are talkin like it could work and I don't buy it. I want to know the truth bloggers!

xo

Some really good questions here. We've got lots of these already answered on TreeHugger and PlanetGreen.com, but we'll put some of these in video form to share with you here soon!

And keep adding new questions! Sharing concerns and knowledge helps us all.

What kind of heating and hot water system should i put in my small semi-detached house in the UK?

I'm a normal person, how do I get away from gas heating towards something more sustainable? The current one has outlived generations of boilers but it can't last forever and I'd like to get off dependence on natural gas.

I would also like to know how noise (cars,industry,planes) etc. is affecting animals...birds migratory patterns,nesting,dolphins, etc?!?

Alright! The clock has struck, and the deadline for submitting questions has passed! Specialists across the blogosphere are scratching their heads, tapping their keyboards, and firing up their webcams in preparation to answer your questions. Meanwhile: If you have an answer to any of the questions, by all means! Jump in there!
And...don't forget!! The answers and questions won't be featured until the week of earth day.
Looking forward,
Leah

Hey Leah, which 40 - 100 watt (output) energy efficient light bulbs best emulate the qualities of incandescent?

DD

This has been an ongoing debate with a global warming skeptic and doubter of man's potential role in global warming.

A certain scientist is making claims regarding global warming and the possibility of man’s role.

His thesis is:
.038% of our atmosphere is CO2.

1/3 of that amount is our contribution.

the original 2/3 has kept the earth 33 degrees warmer than it would otherwise be.

our 1/3 however has not increased the earth's temperature like the first 2/3 or there

would have been a 16 degree F increase due to our contribution.

Is there any problem with his logic or scientific reasoning?

i've heard some stuff about the effects of electrical radiation coming from computers, cell phones, microwaves, etc on the human body, and my impression is that scientifically, the jury is out, yet myself and friends can all identify a physiological effect we experience when being surrounded by computers, cell phones, etc. i'm curious as to (a) how does the science of this work? like, how does this radiation affect humans and other living things electromagnetically, and (b) what are the effects of radio towers, cell towers, and the wi-fi that's streaming through the air of any major city? if you can get cancer from living next to a power plant, can you get cancer from living next to a radio tower? and how close would you need to live, and how long would you need to live there, to have the adverse effects?

greywater recycling seems like a smart thing for EVERYONE to be doing starting ASAP. how could this technology become accessible to people without yard space in which to store a cistern? i'm thinking apartment complexes, etc, in dense urban spaces. and if the greywater is mostly good for watering plants, how could we get that water to the areas that will need it most when our climate becomes even hotter and drier, namely the millions of acres of forest that we REALLY dont want to lose to wildfires, since it is going to be purifying our air?

what is the best way to harness the energy of the sun? someone told me that it actually requires fossil fuels to convert the energy stored in solar cells, making it a not-uber-sustainable form of energy. what IS the actual conversion process? and would there be a way to use kinetic energy generated from biking, jogging (like if tiny solar cells were in our shoes and clothes), etc to convert the energy?

iPhones, Smart Phones, GPS tracking systems, On Star, behavioural sensors... smart personal technologies abound. Has anyone done a comparative article on these technologies and applications? In tracking vehicles some of the newer technologies are pretty efficient.

How much information is too much?

Will people be uncomfortable being a monitored number in a system? Part of the corporate or shared use system? Impersonal big brother or nosy Mom?

what's the deal with de-salination technology, particularly of the Do-At-Home variety? i'm banking on having some sort of home desalination kit for when California runs out of water, but haven't done my research yet. also... if everyone in coastal cities were converting sea-water to drinkable water, what would the environmental effects of the lowered sea levels be? sea levels are rising anyways with climate change, right, so could it actually be a good thing to lower them?

Can you explain the difference between carbon reduction and carbon offsetting?

Why do you think more media is not talking about the global impact of animal based argicultural on the enviornment?

Given all alt. energy options. Could you do a graph with ratings for most feasible (ready to go) option, most effective option, what percentage of our energy should be made by each option, and top 3 companies (funded) for each option? Or, if there already is such a graph and I just haven't seen it could you tell me where I can find it. Thanks much! Best, Heather I suppose it is a lot of questions rolled into one. Hope that's OK

I've been reading and hearing a lot about plug-in electric vehicles. Will these become mainstream one day?

what is the most effective and most economical home compost bin?

How can coal be clean? Really? While my question sounds sarcastically rhetorical ... I am dead serious. This is probably the most ridiculous oxymoron of the entire green movement.

What role do you think cannibas could honestly play in a movie about the eco-system.

What is better - making an effort to eat locally grown foods - even if they are not organic - or sticking to a strictly organic diet.

here's a question:
How can something be classified organic if it is grown outdoors where the acid rain can fall on it? Not to mention watering through contaminated water tables?

I've got two questions, really.

Before I go on, I'd like to put this out in the open: I'm a global warming skeptic. I feel that ecology and conservation are extremely important, and I know that the links between environmental and public health couldn't be stronger, but I'm just not convinced for or against the whole global warming thing. I'm rather neutral toward the matter, but I've noticed that the goals of the Anti-AGW movement - decreased energy consumption, increased efficiency, and especially the greater inclusion of alternative energy sources - are very much in line with the goals one might set forward in order to mitigate another crisis, that being disruptions in energy supply due to shortages of liquid or solid fuels. Coincidentally (or not) there's a historic link between the early genesis of the Anti-AGW movement and Margaret Thatcher, who may quite understandably have wanted to use concern about global warming alongside concerns about energy security to help marginalize the popular influence of fossil fuel companies who, at the time, were threatening the stability of the United Kingdom. (1970's oil crisis, coal miners strike, etc.) My first question is, do you believe it could be plausible that the specter of global warming is being used to roll out (what are, crisis or no crisis, much needed and long overdue) measures to cope with other potentially much uglier potential crises - peak oil and peak coal - without actually naming them and causing panic?

My second question is a bit on the simpler side but relates to the first one. Presently, as far as I'm aware, solar thermal power plants like the ones planned for the American southwest and Spain can offer electricity at roughly $0.13 a kilowatt hour. Compared to the rates here where I live that's rather steep; That would be like increasing my utility bill by a third. I'd like to have a more authoritative word on the cost of solar power though, so how much is the average cost per kilowatt hour from a solar power plant (not rooftop solar), and what non-subsidy measures do you believe would need to be taken to make it more cost competitive, considering that it appears to be our most readily available and abundant long-term energy solution?

How may we get the fact that the largest threat to the planet is overpopulation, accepted and acted upon in the USA and the world?

I've never heard a US politician bring it up. Fear of losing the catholic/religious wrong vote?

I used to re-use my grocery bags as trash bags in the kitchen and bathroom. Now that I'm using cloth bags at the market, I no longer have bags for trash! What's my greenest option?

Which is more efficient in terms of water usage - hand washing your dishes, or using a dishwasher?

What's the environmental impact of BUILDING a car? Is it worth noting or is it a tiny fraction of the 'carbon footprint' the vechile will eventually make?

I'd like to know the difference between "compostable" and "biodegradeable," particularly when it comes to the kind of bags I can use in my compost bin.

Two Questions:

My first: in this emerging age of green politics and business, is there still a role for nonviolent civil disobedience for environmental causes? When and where?

Second: Do you think that water is the new gold? Carbon trading? If we want to strike it rich on the back of the planetary crisis, where is the best place to make a buck?

My question: Given that the leading "green" thinkers / tastemakers are now aware that livestock production is a greater contributor to greenhouse gases than all of human transportation, when are we going to see a push from them (i.e. you) to inform the public of the imperative to reduce meat and dairy consumption? And don't say, "oh we did mention it here at the end of this one story on 25 tips" - it's a greater threat than transportation, so logically the amount of coverage would be at least equal to that of transport-related behavior, not 1/100th of it. Anyone have plans to get the word out on this?

Are carbon offset programs for individuals (like http://www.carbonfund.org/) actually helping the environment or are they just encouraging people to continue and possibly increase bad behavior knowing that they can just pay to feel better about it and not actually change their lifestyles. If the former, which of the programs are most effective? And if the later, what better programs exist to encourage individual carbon footprint reduction. And for that matter should the focus be on corporations/government rather than individuals?

It's always considered a major no-no to waste water. But how is water used in a household wasted? Isn't it all just processed and reused?

I understand that there is energy spent in processing and there are possible chemical issues in the cleaning process but I'm really just interested in the whole concept of "wasting water".

What percentage of water that goes down the drain is actually lost forever?

I'm in the market for a new car. I was leaning towards a Prius but I really like the Mini-Cooper.

I was assuming the Prius was the "greener" car. But is it really? A friend who has researched this says that the Mini-Cooper actually has a smaller carbon footprint.

Which is the greener car. A Prius or a Mini-Cooper?

I'll bite: what are the environmental trade-offs between the Obama Administration's cap-and-trade plan (as described in the budget proposal) and the Republican plan (as described by the sponsor McCain I believe)? I imagine Obama's is more ambitious, but how so, etc.?

Just an observation, but if I really had a question as to say, what carbon sequestration is, couldn't I just GOOGLE it or go to the blogs listed directly? What exactly is the point of asking questions people on other blogs/sites will answer? Besides, I already know the answers to many environmental questions (not being egotistical, but I do read and have a blog of my own) so I guess I don't have any questions, at least not the kind you're looking for. Why don't you all allow the members here who have knowledge try their hand at giving answers as well or uploading a video about an environmental issue they hold dear to share information on and answer those questions to get on TV? You think people on these blogs know more than some of the people who post here?

Are you thinking: but wait! I've heard this question before! That's because you have. We couldn't help but share the great group of bloggers who jumped on board with this initiative so added another post and wanted to let people know that the deadline is tomorrow. http://current.com/items/89911060/make_earth_day_tv_with_us_and_tell_us_your_bur...