Blog Awards Challenge

Global warming is nothing new to anyone. News media are feasting on this continual increase in the average temperature of the Earth causing sea level to rise, extreme weather episodes, deficits in agricultural yields, glacier retreat, and species extinctions, just to name a few.

With the seriousness of the issue in recent years, Google had its share in combating global warming through its Global Warming Speakout. Children of all ages from more than 80 schools around the world participated in Google’s project to brainstorm strategies for combating global warming. Google picked the top 50 ideas and highlighted them in a full-page ad in USA Today. The top ideas are the following:

1. Include global warming/climate change in school curricula (as part of National Science Standards), so when the students are in charge they can make educated decisions.
2. Increase availability of low-interest Energy Efficient Mortgages to support homeowners who increase the energy efficiency of their homes.
3. Put light sensors in all office and school buildings so all lights go off when the rooms are empty.
4. Require that all products contributing to global warming be marked with a specific color (e.g., chemical pesticides could be marked with a red sticker for being extremely dangerous to the environment).
5. Use less paper; use the back of the paper to print on or write on; use recycled paper.
6. Plant more trees to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
7. Teach recycling techniques in classes and school-wide programs.
8. Make recycling mandatory in all public facilities, such as schools, parks and beaches.
9. Do public service announcements on TV featuring celebrities promoting carpooling, walking, riding bikes, using public transportation, conserving electricity and recycling.
10. Give grants and tax credits to companies that invest in alternative, sustainable, emission-free fuel technologies while ending such subsidies for fossil fuel production.
11. The media should conduct interviews of legislators to help the public become aware of their ability and willingness to help solve the problem.
12. Replace incandescence light bulbs with fluorescence light bulbs.
13. Restrict the use of chemical fertilizer in agriculture.
14. Provide incentives and policies to encourage car makers to make more fuel efficient cars.
15. Protect wetlands and preserve more open space.
16. Provide tax incentives for regular recyclers and car poolers.
17. Use solar panels in the construction of new homes and office buildings.
18. Substitute local community transportation fleets with hybrid vehicles.
19. Require that car dealers hand out fact sheets that inform car buyers about the pollution levels of different cars.
20. Send scientists to talk about global warming in schools. They can bring hands-on activities so students feel more involved.
21. Unplug all electronics from the wall when they're not in use.
22. Have another Global Warming Student Speakout in one year - to see if any of these ideas have been implemented.
23. Raise mandatory emissions standards for cars and other vehicles sold in the US.
24. Use solar power in the day and use electricity at night when needed.
25. Give tax rebates for using solar power.
26. Congress should ratify the Kyoto Agreement.
27. Establish off-shore wind farms - saves land space and produces reliable power.
28. Levy higher taxes on companies that pollute the air.
29. Wait until you have a lot of clothes to wash before using the washing machine.
30. Provide tax incentives for companies that create Hybrid cars. That will reduce the need for oil.
31. Schools and businesses should be fined for not having recycling bins available to the people on their premises.
32. The media should tell us about what is really going on with global warming. We don't think that we have all the information we need.
33. At the end of the weather forecast, report “CO2 emissions levels today…” or comparative average temperatures (i.e., this year's temperature as it compares to the past several years).
34. Lead by example and convert 50% of government vehicles to environmentally friendly cars by the year 2020.
35. Place recycling bins throughout the city wherever there is a trash can.
36. Require companies to limit the amount of packaging an item can have and it must be recyclable.
37. Block bills that cause more damage to the environment.
38. Media could reduce advertising costs for alternative energy products to inform and increase sales in these areas.
39. Keep your tires fully inflated to improve gas mileage.
40. Replace old appliances with Energy Star appliances.
41. Promote awareness of local recycling centers.
42. Require college and high school students to take a global warming class.
43. Give tax reductions to public transportation users.
44. Protect our oceans - prevent plankton in the ocean from dying.
45. People running for elections should use email, radio and other media to campaign and stop using so many paper signs and flyers that use up our natural resources and then get left out and become pollution.
46. Reuse newspapers as wrapping paper for gifts.
47. Enforce laws about littering.
48. Use less electricity; turn off the TV, read books, walk, run, bike, surf, play tennis.
49. Business should require employees to telecommute several days a week.
50. Provide scientists appropriate resources to help them research the future of energy and the freedom to explore innovative ideas.

************

Blog Awards Challenge Number 2: Blogging for Global Warming

From the list of 50, select 5 to 10 ideas that you like best and elaborate on them. Cite concrete examples or personal experiences, if necessary, to support your contentions.

When explaining your picks, the blog post doesn’t have to be in "bullet" form. Tone up your creative skills, write differently when you tackle each issue.

************

You and I must take the global warming issue seriously. With this challenge, we dedicate our blogs to highlighting the severity of the global ecological crises and what each and every citizen of this world can do about it.

Few reminders:
1. Minimum of 700 words and a maximum of 1,500 (Longer entries will only be considered upon judges discretion, or if it really upholds the caliber of excellence to merit consideration.)

2. You can write in either Filipino or English in any style s/he wishes to write (humorous, sentimental, romantic, argumentative etc).

3. Leave the exact link/URL of your entry (not the URL of your blog, but the entry) here at the comment section. NO entry link should be submitted in the Cbox/Tagboard.

4. You have until the 11th of May to submit your entries.

5. Entry links will not appear in the comment section until the deadline date to prevent idea theft.

6. Those who participated in the previous challenge can still join. [rule no.11]

7. Participants must place this line at the end of the post: "This is my entry to the Blog Awards Challenge No. 2: Blogging for Global Warming", with the corresponding backlink to this challenge. Link to this challenge is: http://www.theblogawardchallenge.com/2008/04/blog-awards-challenge-number-02.html

To read the complete rules, here.

Thanks for joining and enjoy the challenge!

************

Blog Awards Challenge Number 01: UPDATES

The 10 best entries for the 1st blog challenge will be posted in a couple of days for peer voting. [more of the voting rules]

More info will come later.