Things each of us can do to stop global warming
Climate change is caused by humans.
Melting iceberg in Antarctica
Most people think that’s rather terrible, but I think it’s terrific.
If the warming was natural there would be nothing we could do to stop global warming. But now that we know that human greenhouse gas emissions are to blame, we can alter our ways, and we may still be able to avoid a great deal of trouble. So rather than being disastrous this is actually a message of hope. If we are willing to modify our behaviour, we may still have a bright future ahead of us and stop global warming.
So what needs to be done?
Generally scientists ascribe Global Warming to two greenhouse gases:
carbon dioxide and methane.
Therefore these are the two gases for which we need to reduce emissions if we are to stop globale warming.
Don’t leave it up to governments to find solutions.
Although most governments worldwide are working on some projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, advance is very slow.
The best way to obtain fast and significant results with regard to reducing greenhouse gas emissions is if each and every one of us contributes. Each individual can make a change. If every single person worldwide makes a commitment to pollute less, to use less energy, to take more care of the environment, the whole world will change rapidly.
Stop Methane emissions:
It turns out that methane is about twenty times as effective as carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere. Furthermore it’s easier to stop methane emissions than to stop carbon dioxide emissions.
Sources of human produced methane:
· The breakdown of garbage in landfills releases large quantities of methane.
· Transporting fossil fuel and fossil fuel combustion releases methane as a by-product.
· The largest source of methane worldwide is due to animal agriculture.
Even though a single cow releases a relatively small amount of methane, the collective effect on the environment of the hundreds of millions of livestock animals worldwide is enormous.
How can you help?
· Reduce the amount of trash you contribute.
· Compost your organic waste rather than throwing it away together with your other trash.
· Use energy more efficiently so that less fossil fuel needs to be transported and burned.
· Eat less meat or become a vegetarian. This will have the largest impact of all.
Stop Carbon Dioxide Emissions:
Although methane warms the planet about 20x faster than carbon dioxide, it also stays less long in the atmosphere: only about 15 years.
Therefore we only need to stop emitting methane during 15 years and all human emitted methane in the atmosphere will be gone and the climate can take it’s natural cause once again.
Carbon dioxide however, stays much longer in the atmosphere and will continue to warm the planet for decades to centuries, even after we stop all carbon dioxide emissions.
That’s one of the reasons why it’s so urgent to stop carbon dioxide emissions:
the effects of today’s emissions will still be felt for a long time to come.
11 Ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions:
1. Exchange a big or old fuel sucking car for a smaller, fuel saving car or a hybrid car which uses electricity as well as fuel to drive and can go the same amount of miles with much less fuel.
2. Use a bicycle or walk instead of driving, it will help to keep you fit while saving energy at the same time.
3. Exchange all light bulbs for Compact Fluorescent Lights which use two thirds less energy than normal bulbs while lasting ten times longer.
4. Switch off the lights in your house and the AC and heaters when you’re gone and insulate our homes to prevent energy loss.
5. Use towels instead of tissues and paper napkins.
6. Read the news on the internet rather than in newspapers which cost acres and acres of forests every month.
7. Keep in mind that the production of anything costs energy, so consume less and make what you have last with good maintenance and repair rather than to keep buying new items.
8. When you have to buy, buy local. The transportation of goods from the place of production to anyone’s home costs lots of energy.
9. Buy food which is in season in your area. Often it costs more calories of fossil fuel energy to get the meal to the consumer than the meal itself produces in nutritional energy.
10. It’s a good idea not to buy any product which comes with abundant packaging materials and not to use plastic bags.
11. Educate yourself and others. Read the information available on the internet, there are many web sites which will give you trustworthy information about climate change and global warming.
Economic effect of taking action to stop global warming
Some economists may argue that this kind of action will cause our economy serious trouble. When people start to consume less, buy less, and make the things they own last longer, shops will have to close, factories will soon follow and a snowball effect might take place destabilizing our economy.
This could indeed be true.
Therefore it’s also necessary that we pay attention to what we do buy.
Pay attention to what you buy:
· Rather than buy many items, buy few but at a fair price.
· Look for fair trade products, organic and biological products; products which have been produced with care for the environment foremost in mind.
· Buy renewable energy when possible.
This way money keeps on rolling and the economy will be saved simultaneously with the environment.
More objections:
Some will argue that although environmental issues are worthy of our consideration, we should never forget that they are only relevant in the long-term, while our economy would be affected immediately.
This may be true.
However, Sir Nicholas Stern, Head of the UK Government Economic Service, and a former Chief Economist of the World Bank, has come to the conclusion that the cost of not doing anything, of waiting, will be much higher than the cost of taking action right now.
It’s therefore important to keep in mind that taking action right now to stop global warming, will also help to save our economy in the long run.
