This simple molecule which is simply three oxygen atoms held together is also known as trioxygen. It is far less stable than the more usual dual oxygen that is more commonly found in the atmosphere at breathing level.

When comfortably floating above the atmosphere as the bright blue envelope that is seen from space photos, it has the ability to do something very important. This stratospheric ozone protects life on Earth from the particularly damaging UVB radiation that would otherwise knock holes in cellular DNA, making life on Earth impossible.

However, when on the ground, ozone is a pollutant that damages crops and causes respiratory ailments. Most people are able to detect it in minute quantities, as low as .01 parts-per-million (ppm) in most cases. It can also cause headaches and burning eyes at fewer than 1 ppm. This tropospheric ozone is chiefly produced by automotive and other fossil fuel emissions interacting with sunlight.

Matt Lauer and the group from the Today Show were in Belize (the Blue Hole and Half Moon Caye) this week looking into the environmental impact temperature change is having there. Belize, located in the Southern end of the Caribbean Sea, is home to some of the most exotic marine life on the planet and the waters there are changing. The environmental impact could be massive. Belize boasts the famous “Blue Hole” and the largest coral barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere: but all that could be in danger.

Here is more info:

Belize – a country rich in a variety of coastal ecosystems!

The coastal land is where humans, thousands of creatures, clear waters and time converge to create a unique multifaceted region and a rich country.

With over 1000 cayes and 220 kilometers of Barrier Reef ( one of the seven underwater wonders of the world) Belize is a country that possesses natural wealth through a variety of coastal ecosystems ranging from coral reefs to seagrass beds, from extensive mangrove and littoral forests to coastal lagoons and estuaries. It is these habitats which serve as essential breeding, rearing and feeding grounds for a vast array of living things.

Seagrass beds, mangrove and littoral forests are vital for flood and erosion control. They are also important in maintaining coastal water quality by catching terrestrial run-off resulting from agricultural activities such as land clearance and the use of agro-chemicals. Coral reefs act as a protective barrier. Likewise, all the other coastal ecosystems serve to protect coastal areas from storm damage and provide a livelihood for many Belizeans through industries such as fisheries and tourism.

The many functions and roles of the coastal habitats and inhabitants are evident in the bustle of activities and uses of the region from north to south and from east to west. It is with great concern that we note the increasing pressure to develop economically and to provide for recreational facilities within the coastal zone. A more efficient harvesting of marine products has further intensified the need for reliable information on the status and sustainability of these resources.
Satellite image of coastal zone

Knowledge of the functions of these ecosystems is important but so, too, is having positive attitudes — attitudes that will translate into the actions that lead to the best use of these resources. The functions of these ecosystems are all too vital and precious for us to ignore. In fact, the coastal ecosystems are a legacy for Belizeans to prize, and also a legacy that can be merged into our daily lives with care and wise use.

This is a complex system that includes the shoreline, in addition to the coastal plains, the lagoons and estuaries, the cayes and atolls, plus the subtidal area within the 19 kilometer territorial limit and a 322 kilometer exclusive economic zone. This includes the continental shelf which is approximately 257 kilometers long and 15-40 kilometers wide.

Given the distinct features of each region, one can see why the shelf can be separated into four regions : coastline, inner lagoon, barrier platform and coral atolls. The coastline consists of lagoons, sandridge barriers, river deltas and estuaries while the inner lagoon is the area immediately bordering the mainland, with Belize City demarcating the northern and southern regions. The third region is the barrier platform which is seaward of the inner lagoon and the last region consists of the three coral atolls which are seaward of the continental shelf. The inner lagoon region that lies between the platform flat and mainland forms a gently sloping underwater valley that is wide and shallow north of Belize City and which falls as much as 64 meters deep, east of Punta Gorda. On the other hand, the continental shelf north of Belize City, rarely reaches a depth of greater than 10 meters.

Wikipedia defines green living or sustainable living this way:

Sustainable living refers to a specific lifestyle that attempts to reduce an individual’s or society’s use of the Earth’s natural resources. Practitioners of sustainable living often attempt to reduce their carbon footprints by altering methods of transportation, energy consumption and diet. Proponents of sustainable and ecological living aim to conduct their lives in manners that are consistent with sustainability, in natural balance and respectful of humanity’s symbiotic relationship with the earth’s natural ecology and cycles. The practice and general philosophy of ecological living is highly interrelated with the overall principles of sustainable development. By minimizing their “ecological footprints” – the extent to which they create an environmental impact – proponents of ecological living hope to preserve the earth for future generations of human beings and other life.

Did you catch the key term in there? “Natural Balance”

I see no room for extremes in this definition. In fact, I see anything but.

Living Green means constantly seeking a balance between relative personal comfort and keeping an ear and eye on the impact one has on the world around him… …respect the world around you in such a manner as to actively preserve your surroundings for future generations.

If you want to live green, you don’t have to give up eating steak and ride a bike to the office everyday. On the other hand, that doesn’t give you license to dump used oil in the street or torch your lawn with improperly mixed pesticides.

Maybe I’m naive, but I just happen to think that most regular folks want to fall in the middle. They’d feel good about being green if someone would just step up and define it for them leaving aside the politicaly charged emotion and squeaky wheel philosophy.

And that is what this site, Balanced Green Living is all about. I will help you find that middle ground that seems more normal than what you have been shoveled thus far. I know you want to do what is right and good for our planet, you just don’t know who to trust. That’s why we’re here:

Balanced Green Living is Eco Friendly for Regular Folks.