No matter what your viewpoints are on the environment relating to climate change or global warming, the fact of the matter is we live on a planet that is over 4 billion years old. A planet that has a core temperature estimated to be between 4000 and 7000 degrees Celsius (approx. 7000-12500 degrees Fahrenheit). A planet that had surface temperatures ranging from minus 128.6 degrees F (Antarctica on July 21, 1983) to 136 degrees F (Libya on Sept 13, 1922).

Of course those are extreme temperatures, but there have been many environmental extremes over the years. Let’s take a look at a few of them.

First, did you know the United States experienced 96 weather-related disasters within the last 30 years – each of which caused over $1 billion in damages? The estimated total for these disasters exceeded $700 billion.

The majority of those disasters were caused by tropical storms or hurricanes. Other types of disasters included severe weather, heat waves, non-tropical floods, fires, blizzards, etc.

As far as which states were hit worst; Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and North Carolina all experienced between 31-35 weather-related disasters each.

WARMEST PLACE ON EARTH: Dallol, Ethiopia is generally referred to as the warmest place on Earth. Yearly temperatures average around 93 degrees F. Some of Dallol’s best known features include Dallol Mountain, its hot springs, salt canyons and salt pillars.

COLDEST INHABITED CITY ON EARTH: While most people consider the Antarctic to be the coldest place on Earth (as it does have the coldest recorded temperature on earth), the coldest year-round inhabited city on Earth is commonly regarded as Oymyakon, Siberia.

The Siberian winters in Oykyakon have gotten as low as -96 degrees F with an average winter temperature of -45 degrees F. While most people can’t even imagine living in temperatures that cold, people in Oykyakon are used to it. Schools don’t even close unless the temperature has reached at least -52 degrees F.

Take a look at this video and see what you think about living in the coldest inhabited place on Earth:

DRIEST PLACE ON EARTH: The Atacama Desert is easily considered the driest place on Earth. With an average rainfall of just 0.04 inches per year, rain is a scarce commodity. Some areas of the desert haven’t reported any rain since 1570!

Not only is the Atacama Desert dry, it is also large. So large (46,000 square miles) that it can be seen from outer space with the naked eye.

This image of Solar Evaporation Ponds in the Atacama Desert was taken by the Expedition 19 crew, back in May 2009, while they were aboard the International Space Station.

WETTEST PLACE ON EARTH: On the other extreme, we have the wettest place on Earth. Many people will tell you it’s Lloro, Columbia with 523.6 inches per year. However, according to the NCDC (National Climatic Data Center), that measurement was only an estimate and the actual wettest place on Earth is pretty close between Mawsynram, India and Mt. Waialeale in Kauai, Hawaii.

Mawsynram is a village in North-Eastern India. Its altitude is about 4600 feet and its highest average precipitation was about 467 inches. Mt. Waialeale on Kauai has an altitude of about 5200 feet with an average yearly precipitation of 444 inches. Its highest, according to the NCDC was 460 inches.

Now I know there are many environmental extremes I could bring up, including the devastating earthquakes in Haiti. the cold extremes being felt across New England and in other places around the world (despite the last decade being the warmest on record) and more. But the real key to remember is the world is constantly changing and while we can’t necessarily take on Mother Nature, we can each do our part to take care of the Earth. What actions are you taking to care for the Earth?

With more people becoming aware of their actual impact on the environment, we have begun to see major strides being taken by individuals, businesses, buildings and even governments to lower their environmental footprint. One of the ways to do that is net-zero energy buildings.

It’s not just about “going green” or getting LEED certification anymore (although I’d recommend both). These days, people want to get their homes and businesses completely off the grid. It’s about generating more energy than you need or use. Just like you need to burn more calories than you eat in order to lose weight, same goes for energy conservation. Generate more renewable energy than your building uses and you’ll save money and break the unhealthy bond between you and your utility provider.

One great example of a net-zero energy building is the Boutique Hotel Stadthalle in Vienna, which features these as part of their self-sustaining charm:

• Its solar panel wall can heat up enough hot water for the entire hotel.
• Rainwater is collected on the roof and used to water the roof-top gardens and grounds, as well as being utilized to flush the toilets.
• Electricity is provided by a photovoltaic solar power plant and three wind turbines.
• Drinking water is vitalized by natural stones.

But I digress….what’s really exciting is the fact that the first net-zero energy public school is scheduled to open this year in Warren County, Kentucky.

The Warren County Public School System is no stranger to saving energy though. They received the 2009 Andromeda Star of Energy Efficiency Award for their ongoing commitment to reducing energy in their schools while at the same time educating their students on the benefits of energy efficiency. Their accomplishments included saving more than $4 million in energy savings over the prior 4 years, 28% reduction in energy usage, Energy Star ratings on fourteen buildings and more.

Now, in collaboration with CMTA, (a leader in engineering energy-efficient, green and highly sustainable buildings and schools) and the LEED Accredited Professionals from Sherman Carter Barnhart, Warren County is gearing up to have the first zero energy public school in the United States - Richardsville Elementary School.

Some of the key features in this zero energy public school include: insulated concrete form wall construction, geothermal HVAC with CO2 monitoring, daylighting through light shelves and Solatubes®, compact two-story design with reduced building volume, thin roof-adhered thin film photovoltaic system, energy-efficient lighting, reduced plug loads for computers, reduced energy use in the kitchen, solar water heating, bioswales, etc.

As you can see in this design, the school has been laid out so it can reap the most rewards from renewable energy sources such as the sun and wind. (School images courtesy of Sherman Carter Barnhart Architects)

With the renewable energy sources on site, Richardsville Elementary will produce enough energy every year to cover 100% of its estimated energy usage. Additionally, they expect the new building will reduce energy consumption by 75%.

But remember, this zero energy school isn’t just about the building, it’s about the students too. They want their students learning about how energy works, how to be more energy-efficient and more.

So…laptops are recharged in the “solar hallway” where students can actually see how much energy is being received from the solar panels. The “geothermal hallway” has colored pipes and temperature gauges. In the “water conservation hallway” students can see how much rainwater has been collected and used to flush toilets in the school’s restrooms. The “recycling hallway” shows students how they are doing at recycling around the school. They even have a weather station out on the patio, which they plan to incorporate into math and science studies.

It’s pretty cool when you think about it. I definitely look forward to seeing this net-zero energy public school once construction is completed and its on its way to being completely off the grid! If you are interested, you can follow the construction of the school via the Warren County Public Schools’ website.

Do you have a school near you, maybe your kids’ school, that is taking measures towards being more energy-efficient and working on educating its students on how to so the same? Contact your state school board, maybe there is a net-zero energy school on its way in your area.

Every day people come up with new inventions. Some of them are for business, some are for pleasure and some, like the ones I’m about to share with you, were invented to save lives. But, there is one other thing that makes these potential life-saving inventions different…they were also designed to be bio-friendly.

More and more people are factoring in the environment when it comes to their inventions, as well they should. These inventions will show you that smart life-saving ideas can be had while taking into account their potential affect on the environment.

1) Liquid Granite: Liquid Granite, touted as the “Building Material of the Future“, is a relatively new alternative to standard concrete in building construction.

Currently the cement industry is responsible for about 5% of the world’s carbon emissions. Liquid Granite is a bio-friendly alternative as it is made using 30-70% recycled materials and thus has a much lower footprint than traditional concrete .

Some of its key features are that it is very versatile as a substance, so it is easier to build with and it is extremely fire-resistant (to temperatures in excess of 1100 degrees Celsius). Additionally, because of its extreme fire-resistance, it can be used in buildings where fire safety is key. It could be the life-saving difference in case of emergency.

Liquid Granite Ltd has already supplied liquid granite to the Olympic Village in London to be used in connection with the 2012 Olympics.

2) Embrace Infant Warmer: Millions of premature babies die every year due to lack of something most U.S. hospital consider standard equipment, an incubator. My daughter was born premature and was in an incubator for the first 4 days of her life, so I have personal experience with the usefulness of incubators.

But, incubators require electricity and can cost up to $20,000 each to purchase. In many places around the world, neither electricity nor access to hospitals or those kinds of funds are available to be able to provide the warmth a pre-mature baby requires. But does that mean nothing can be done? No.

This bio-friendly invention takes away the need for electricity and takes away the requirement of thousands of dollars, leaving in their place a simple, safe, reusable and life-saving invention. Broad release of this product is expected in 2010, with an estimated asking price of just $25.

3) LIFESAVER®: Every year millions of people die from water-related diseases. Over 84% of those deaths are children (0-14). Since less than 1% of the world’s fresh water is readily accessible for us to use, we need a clean water solution. One company has designed that solution – LIFESAVERsystems.

LIFESAVERsystems originally designed the LIFESAVER® Bottle as a much needed solution for individuals who had become victims of natural disasters. Through their distinct technology, the Lifesaver bottles allowed people to have immediate access to fresh, safe, drinkable water under almost any circumstances.

Since then, LIFESAVERsystems has designed the LIFESAVER® Hydrocarry UF (the world’s first ultra filtration hydration pack for soldiers to use), the LIFESAVER® bottle citi™ (the world’s first ultra filtration water bottle to be installed in a car) and the LIFESAVER® jerrycan (the 5-gallon container that can process up to 20,000 liters of water).

Most recently LIFESAVERsystems has been working with Operation Blessing in Haiti to distribute their family size jerrycans to villages that do not have access to clean water sources.

One jerrycan can filter enough clean water for a family of 4 for up to 5 years.  And 50 jerrycans is the equivalent of 1 million liters of bottled water (without the plastic bottles requiring recycling).

Needless to say, LIFESAVERsystems is in the business of life-saving, bio-friendly inventions. Do you have a favorite bio-friendly invention that was designed to save lives? Leave a comment and let me know what it is. We look forward to many more inventions and advancements like these.