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Take Action to Reduce Global Warming
The future is not somewhere we are going. It is something we are creating. Every day we do things that make some futures more probable and others less likely.
Global warming already disrupts millions of lives daily in the forms of destructive weather patterns and loss of habitat.What is already happening is only the tip of the melting iceberg, for it is our children and grandchildren who may suffer most from the effects of global warming.
Hundreds of millions of people may be exposed to famine, water shortages, extreme weather conditions and a 20 - 30% loss of animal and plant species if we don't reduce the rate of global warming and reduce GHG emissions.
On the other hand, warmer winters means longer growing seasons in temperate and subarctic climes, sometimes allowing an additional crop to be planted and harvested each year, or simply making the existing crops more productive.
This article outlines some ways that you can act to help prevent the Earth from warming further. While humankind has the ability to destroy the planet, we can also help protect and sustain it.
Reducing your carbon and greenhouse gas emissions will not only make your personal living space more sustainable but it will save you money in both the short and long term. Global warming is occurring more rapidly than it was originally expected to -- only forty years ago, the big worry was global cooling. Even if you remain a cynic, however, and believe that the majority of scientists are wrong, you'll benefit from reduced pollution, a more healthful lifestyle and increased savings from enacting these simple activities that will not reduce the quality of your life.
Steps
Get educated. Educate yourself about global warming. The more facts you have as to what mainstream science says about it, the more you can persuade others to make simple but effective changes in daily behavior. Energy-saving techniques are either initially expensive (for example, solar power), or take extra time (for example, recycling), so many people need convincing that their efforts matter.
Always keep in mind that you are aiming to demonstrate the benefits of these activities and highlight how each person can play a vital role in helping to reduce global warming. But don't forget that "[c]ivil society does not respond at all well to moralistic scolding."Use education to enlighten, not frighten.
Vote and influence your government with phone calls, e-mails, letters and meetings with those who represent you in government. Learn as much as possible about the policies you advocate before doing so; solving one problem often creates others. For example, replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs has increased the hazard of mercury contamination in homes and landfills. The push to grow corn for ethanol has contributed to higher food prices while saving little energy, if any at all.
Choose vegetarian or vegan meals. Livestock are responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than transportation is. This is due to the large amounts of petroleum used in creating ammonium nitrate fertilizer (for the corn they are fed) plus the cost of shipping that corn to the cattle and then shipping the cattle to slaughter and grocery.
If one eats meat it should always be from a local source. Choosing vegetarian foods also drastically reduces agricultural water consumption and land use, and favorably impacts biodiversity.Vegetarian diets have been shown to promote good health and in most developed countries, eliminating meat from one's diet is as easy as making responsible choices at stores and restaurants. Other factors such as the means of production and distance food travels can also influence the total impact of our food choices.
Recycle more by using recycling bins, composting, etc. Encourage neighbors, supervisors, colleagues, and businesses to do likewise (15-25% of people don't recycle).
Use compact fluorescent bulbs. Replace three frequently used light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs and save 300 lbs. of carbon dioxide and US$60 per year. A standard compact fluorescent bulb will save around one third of a tonne of greenhouse gas, along with the cost of six or more incandescent globes.
Consider using even more, and give them as gifts to family and friends. Donate a set to a local charity to refit their office with compact fluorescent lights.
Remember, CFL bulbs do contain small amounts of toxic mercury. Therefore, proper disposal (recycling) is necessary to prevent any additional landfill contamination.
Fill the dishwasher. Run your dishwasher only with a full load. Save 100 lbs. of carbon dioxide and US$40 per year, or do them by hand with minimal water.
Use recycled paper. Make sure your printer paper is 100% post consumer recycled paper. Save 5 lbs. of carbon dioxide per ream of paper. Decide if something is really worth printing out. Leave a signature at the bottom of your e-mails reminding the reader to think twice before printing the e-mail. Make the most of scrap paper for shopping lists, notes, scrapbooks, phone messages, taking notes in class, etc. Only recycle your paper when it has been thoroughly used up!
Buy locally made and locally grown products. Buy locally to reduce the energy required to transport your goods.The consumable products we all purchase represent over half of the average family's carbon footprint! If you successfully encourage neighbors to do this, store owners will be encouraged to stock local goods. Shop at farmers' markets.
Count your carbon. Keep track of your carbon consumption as a way of tracking your progress.
There is a logo called Carbon Counted that companies can put on their products to communicate their carbon footprint.Buying products that have a low Carbon Counted footprint number gives consumers a means by which to influence and reward companies that reduce emissions in the creation of their products.
Use a carbon calculator. These counters enable you to calculate your personal impact by adding up the carbon emissions from your activities. There are counters available for many countries; use your local search engine for results. An international calculator is provided by the World Resources Institute.
Support producers of renewable energy. Help spur the renewable energy market by participating in it. In the UK you can get 100% renewable electricity by switching to a company such as Ecotricity or Good Energy Ltd. Or you can do so by buying wind certificates, green tags, and stock in renewable energy companies. Many of these companies are new and small and the stock is low in price.
While many are high-risk, they may present an opportunity to help the company move beyond the initial stages of uncertainty and to enhance the viability of important, upcoming market niches. These companies may offer opportunities for great returns if they prove profitable; just be sure to do your homework first, as you would when investing in anything.
Buy minimally packaged goods. Less packaging could reduce your garbage significantly, saving 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide and $1,000 per year. If you consider a certain products' packaging to be excessive, mail it to the company with your challenge to the company to reduce its packaging; include suggestions on how if you have ideas. And while you're at it, feel free to let companies know that if Wal-Mart thinks reduced packaging is not only a good idea but very achievable, then this is likely to set the standard for many businesses in the future.
Insulate anything that uses energy to stay a different temperature from its environment.
Keep your water heater insulated to save up to 1,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide and US$40 per year. Don't use units fitted with continuous pilot lights and you will save AUD$40 and 200 kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions yearly.Also, use less hot water. For example, if the shower is too cold, don't turn up the hot water but turn down the cold water.
Be energy wise and insulate your entire home to keep down the heating and cooling costs. If your insulation is old or inefficient, do yourself a favor and replace it; not only will it reduce your output of emissions but it'll reduce your energy bills considerably. Consider the attic, crawlspaces, basement, walls and ceiling. If you have awkward spaces, don't forget that cellulose or fiberglass insulation can be blown in by a professional contractor.
Weather strip your home. Caulk and weather strip your doorways, windows and air conditioners. Save 1,700 lbs. of carbon dioxide and US$274 per year. You will discover that the costs of caulking are far outweighed by savings in fuel costs and increased comfort level.
Global warming already disrupts millions of lives daily in the forms of destructive weather patterns and loss of habitat.What is already happening is only the tip of the melting iceberg, for it is our children and grandchildren who may suffer most from the effects of global warming.
Hundreds of millions of people may be exposed to famine, water shortages, extreme weather conditions and a 20 - 30% loss of animal and plant species if we don't reduce the rate of global warming and reduce GHG emissions.
On the other hand, warmer winters means longer growing seasons in temperate and subarctic climes, sometimes allowing an additional crop to be planted and harvested each year, or simply making the existing crops more productive.
This article outlines some ways that you can act to help prevent the Earth from warming further. While humankind has the ability to destroy the planet, we can also help protect and sustain it.
Reducing your carbon and greenhouse gas emissions will not only make your personal living space more sustainable but it will save you money in both the short and long term. Global warming is occurring more rapidly than it was originally expected to -- only forty years ago, the big worry was global cooling. Even if you remain a cynic, however, and believe that the majority of scientists are wrong, you'll benefit from reduced pollution, a more healthful lifestyle and increased savings from enacting these simple activities that will not reduce the quality of your life.
Steps
Get educated. Educate yourself about global warming. The more facts you have as to what mainstream science says about it, the more you can persuade others to make simple but effective changes in daily behavior. Energy-saving techniques are either initially expensive (for example, solar power), or take extra time (for example, recycling), so many people need convincing that their efforts matter.
Always keep in mind that you are aiming to demonstrate the benefits of these activities and highlight how each person can play a vital role in helping to reduce global warming. But don't forget that "[c]ivil society does not respond at all well to moralistic scolding."Use education to enlighten, not frighten.
Vote and influence your government with phone calls, e-mails, letters and meetings with those who represent you in government. Learn as much as possible about the policies you advocate before doing so; solving one problem often creates others. For example, replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs has increased the hazard of mercury contamination in homes and landfills. The push to grow corn for ethanol has contributed to higher food prices while saving little energy, if any at all.
Choose vegetarian or vegan meals. Livestock are responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than transportation is. This is due to the large amounts of petroleum used in creating ammonium nitrate fertilizer (for the corn they are fed) plus the cost of shipping that corn to the cattle and then shipping the cattle to slaughter and grocery.
If one eats meat it should always be from a local source. Choosing vegetarian foods also drastically reduces agricultural water consumption and land use, and favorably impacts biodiversity.Vegetarian diets have been shown to promote good health and in most developed countries, eliminating meat from one's diet is as easy as making responsible choices at stores and restaurants. Other factors such as the means of production and distance food travels can also influence the total impact of our food choices.
Recycle more by using recycling bins, composting, etc. Encourage neighbors, supervisors, colleagues, and businesses to do likewise (15-25% of people don't recycle).
Use compact fluorescent bulbs. Replace three frequently used light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs and save 300 lbs. of carbon dioxide and US$60 per year. A standard compact fluorescent bulb will save around one third of a tonne of greenhouse gas, along with the cost of six or more incandescent globes.
Consider using even more, and give them as gifts to family and friends. Donate a set to a local charity to refit their office with compact fluorescent lights.
Remember, CFL bulbs do contain small amounts of toxic mercury. Therefore, proper disposal (recycling) is necessary to prevent any additional landfill contamination.
Fill the dishwasher. Run your dishwasher only with a full load. Save 100 lbs. of carbon dioxide and US$40 per year, or do them by hand with minimal water.
Use recycled paper. Make sure your printer paper is 100% post consumer recycled paper. Save 5 lbs. of carbon dioxide per ream of paper. Decide if something is really worth printing out. Leave a signature at the bottom of your e-mails reminding the reader to think twice before printing the e-mail. Make the most of scrap paper for shopping lists, notes, scrapbooks, phone messages, taking notes in class, etc. Only recycle your paper when it has been thoroughly used up!
Buy locally made and locally grown products. Buy locally to reduce the energy required to transport your goods.The consumable products we all purchase represent over half of the average family's carbon footprint! If you successfully encourage neighbors to do this, store owners will be encouraged to stock local goods. Shop at farmers' markets.
Count your carbon. Keep track of your carbon consumption as a way of tracking your progress.
There is a logo called Carbon Counted that companies can put on their products to communicate their carbon footprint.Buying products that have a low Carbon Counted footprint number gives consumers a means by which to influence and reward companies that reduce emissions in the creation of their products.
Use a carbon calculator. These counters enable you to calculate your personal impact by adding up the carbon emissions from your activities. There are counters available for many countries; use your local search engine for results. An international calculator is provided by the World Resources Institute.
Support producers of renewable energy. Help spur the renewable energy market by participating in it. In the UK you can get 100% renewable electricity by switching to a company such as Ecotricity or Good Energy Ltd. Or you can do so by buying wind certificates, green tags, and stock in renewable energy companies. Many of these companies are new and small and the stock is low in price.
While many are high-risk, they may present an opportunity to help the company move beyond the initial stages of uncertainty and to enhance the viability of important, upcoming market niches. These companies may offer opportunities for great returns if they prove profitable; just be sure to do your homework first, as you would when investing in anything.
Buy minimally packaged goods. Less packaging could reduce your garbage significantly, saving 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide and $1,000 per year. If you consider a certain products' packaging to be excessive, mail it to the company with your challenge to the company to reduce its packaging; include suggestions on how if you have ideas. And while you're at it, feel free to let companies know that if Wal-Mart thinks reduced packaging is not only a good idea but very achievable, then this is likely to set the standard for many businesses in the future.
Insulate anything that uses energy to stay a different temperature from its environment.
Keep your water heater insulated to save up to 1,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide and US$40 per year. Don't use units fitted with continuous pilot lights and you will save AUD$40 and 200 kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions yearly.Also, use less hot water. For example, if the shower is too cold, don't turn up the hot water but turn down the cold water.
Be energy wise and insulate your entire home to keep down the heating and cooling costs. If your insulation is old or inefficient, do yourself a favor and replace it; not only will it reduce your output of emissions but it'll reduce your energy bills considerably. Consider the attic, crawlspaces, basement, walls and ceiling. If you have awkward spaces, don't forget that cellulose or fiberglass insulation can be blown in by a professional contractor.
Weather strip your home. Caulk and weather strip your doorways, windows and air conditioners. Save 1,700 lbs. of carbon dioxide and US$274 per year. You will discover that the costs of caulking are far outweighed by savings in fuel costs and increased comfort level.
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