2008 Olympics

29th Summer Olympics opened in Beijing, China on Aug 8^th, 2008. An audience of 91,000 people packed in to the Olympic National Stadium in Beijing, China, to watch an entertainment program including 30,000 fireworks and more than two hours of music at the opening ceremonies. China's opening ceremonies are reported to be the largest and most expensive of any in Olympic history.

The National Stadium, known as the Bird's Nest for its unique design, came alive with excitement on the hot summer night. There were 2,008 drummers, to match this Olympic year on the calendar, rocking the stadium. Nearly two hours of music, specially composed for the event, filled the air. Twenty fairies fell from the night sky, or so it seemed as acrobats on wires descended into the stadium. A group of 56 children gathered around the Chinese flag.

World leaders gathered to enjoy the spectacle, including United States President George W. Bush, who became the first U.S. president to attend an Olympics held in a foreign country.

The thrilling opening ceremonies were a great start for the Games. And the timing of the ceremony itself, which began at 8 p.m. on 8/8/08, is considered good luck in China, where eight is the luckiest number.

The opening ceremonies kicked off 17 days of Olympic events, stretching straight through to the closing ceremonies on August 24. More than 10,000 athletes from 205 countries are gearing up to compete at the top of their game.

Global warming

The sun is getting hotter. It is also incredibly old -- about 5000 million years old! One day it will blow up but that won't be for another 5000 million years or so. But the Earth's climate seems to be heating up much much faster than can be explained by the sun making more heat. Earth has warmed by about 1ºF over the past 100 years.

Global warming refers to an average increase in the Earth's temperature, which in turn causes changes in climate. A warmer Earth may lead to changes in rainfall patterns, a rise in sea level, and a wide range of impacts on plants, wildlife, and humans.

Almost all machines use oil, gas or coal. All of them produce pollution. Much of this is a gas you can't see called carbon dioxide. It's this gas which seems to be the main cause of the trouble.

What happens when you go into a greenhouse on a sunny day? It's hot, isn't it? That's because the glass in the greenhouse traps the heat from the sun. Carbon dioxide does the same in the earth's atmosphere. It acts like glass in a greenhouse. The glass in the greenhouse keeps the plants inside warm, and the carbon dioxide keeps the planet warm.

Here are some ways you can help make the planet a better place!

Save Electricity: Whenever we use electricity, we help put greenhouse gases into the air. By turning off lights, the television, and the computer when you are through with them, you can help a lot.

Bus or Walk: You can save energy by sometimes taking the bus or walking instead of using your car.

Talk to Your Family and Friends: Talk with your family and friends about climate change. Let them know what you've learned.

Plant Trees: Planting trees is fun and a great way to reduce greenhouse gases. Trees absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, from the air.

Recycle: Recycle cans, bottles, plastic bags, and newspapers. When you recycle, you send less trash to the landfill and you help save natural resources, like trees, oil, and elements such as aluminum.