What are YOU doing to reduce global warming?

Question

Yahoo! Staff Note: This is the real Al Gore. Please see this blog post for further details: http://uk.blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-qT1KKPQoRKdVT4lowpJCljbFokkuIzI8?p=994

See Al Gore ask the question on video: http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=c2e8c2c684f62225fe8e52ef2200097f.847911

Answer 1

Living in Sydney, which is already struggling with water problems, I'm concious of doing all I can to help prevent global warming. I'm sick of the, I can't make any difference attitude. If you personally fail to change your lifestyle to lessen the impact of global warming how can you blame politicians for not doing anything!

I bike or walk wherever possible. To travel longer distances I always try to use public transport but if I absolutely need to use a car then I use a car share scheme here in Sydney - no SUVs just small economical cars. Recycle, recycle, always switching electric goods off not just leaving on standby etc.

If we all make lots of small changes it will add up into one big change.

Answer 2

I do everything I can think of to reduce global warming. It is all very well to accept that global warming is a part of the earth's natural cycle. However, I do believe we are speeding the process up and worry about future generations. I recycle, write to MP's, support Greenpeace and the WWF. I do not believe that we should sit back and do nothing just because some of us believe that global warming may be part of a natural process. We are an overpopulated world and take advantage of earth's resources. People do not realise how scarce water will become or how the simplest things like dropping litter will impact society. We only have one planet and relying on science or the fact we will adapt is simply frustrating. We all need to take responsibility now and not when some global disaster takes place. I am a young 32 year old female who would definitely think twice about having children in a world full of selfish people who do not care about the future. I used to think that films like 'Mad Max' and 'The Terminator' were not true, but I can see we are heading for an age where humans do not need to exist becoming a reality. No wonder the Western world is stressed and young people cannot focus on important things. We are obsessed with looks, money and extending the life cycle through science and medicine. We have forgotten what is important in this world and are sheep to politicians who think they know best. I hope that we can all take responsibility and wake up to ourselves before we are all a victim of global disaster because we sat back and did nothing rather than act now.

Answer 3

I asked you a Question on Yahoo answers, here Mr. Gore. The reason I asked you this question is because I feel like you really do care about Global Warming. This means a lot to so many people. I care about this cause as well. I have hid my Identity pretty well. Now I would like to give you the Question so that you may go to it and give an Answer and also, please explain why this cause is so important to you and how can your concerns move people to act upon this great need to do something and What do you think about the Clear Skies Act? Please give your reply to the American People. I asked you this......... Al Gore what are you doing to Help out Global Warming? Although, I can see that you have a movie to help. I want to personally know What you, in your every day Life may be doing to help out. Do you drive a certain car, do you use certain what? What is it that you do for the people to help the Land from Global Warming. I will follow your Lead if it is right and for a good cause. Thanks and God Bless you Mr. Gore

Answer 4

Before I answer this question, I just wanted to say that I watched 'An Inconvenient Truth' and believe everyone on the planet needs to watch this movie. Thank you Al Gore!.. You should've been President... the world would've been a better place.

Now, to the question at hand. I live in Canada, so recycling is a way of life. But that doesn't feel like its very impactful. I really want to do more... a whole lot more. So here's my plan:

1. Purchase Honda Civic Hybrid, (get rid of Mitsubishi).
2. Talk to all my friends, family and anyone else that will listen about global warming.
3. Create an impactful, interactive web site about global warming, where people can sign-on and find information about their politicians, where to contact these people... It will provide them with automated emails for messaging the politicians. Let's bombard these people. Its important that we get these people working for us.

CHALLENGE FOR CABLE TV OWNERS TO CREATE
NEW CHANNEL: 'OUR PLANET'
Its primary goal is to educate, inform and celebrate the planet and its inhabitants, from the global warming perspective.

MY VISION FOR THE CHANNEL:
We need to reach the masses.
The possibilities are endless, here are a couple of ideas:

Al Gore should have a talk show on this channel.... Where he interviews different scientists... And local politicians that are doing their part. It should be a celebration of those countries that are 'stepping' up!...
Advertisers, Like Honda and Toyota, who have hybrids would advertise. Other concientious companies would advertise. And we as communities would know whom to purchase our products from. We'd start purchasing products that are 'environmentally concious'. These would be the first seeds planted. It would grow! Throw in some news programs on the current state of the environment. Reporters out on the street talking to people about what they are doing.

The media has a huge impact in our lifes. This can and should be used as a catalyst to moving our people and politicians into action. Anyone up for the challenge???

Answer 5

Absolutely nothing, because I have yet to be convinced that the whole "Global Warming is caused by mankind" idea is anything more than a fad, a bandwagon that has gullible people jumping on in their millions.

I wish people would wake up and at least *think* for a second about what they are being told.

Take Al Gore himself for example. I followed the link from Yahoo to find a page which states "If the majority of the world's scientists are right, we have just 10 years to avert a major catastrophe..."

Oh please! The majority of the world's scientists believe that do they? I think not. The vast majority of the world's scientists don't even work in environmental areas so they wouldn't know any more about it than you or me.

He's lying to you. It's pure scare-mongering.

I liken Global Warming to Dihydrogen Monoxide (www.dhmo.org). Have a look at that and decide whether you think DHMO should be banned. Then have a look here www.snopes.com/science/dhmo.asp and you might just change your mind. They use the same tactics with Global Warming. They cherry-pick their "facts" and then present them in such a way that it suggests that it's happening the world over.

For example, they'll tell you that a particular glacier has melted, and imply that *all* glaciers are melting the world over. But they're *not* many glaciers are *growing*.

Always remember that the Earth is constantly changing at an imperceptible rate. For the first time in human history, we have enough recorded data to actually *see* that change happening. But the fact that we've just noticed it doesn't mean that it's only just started happening!

The world is not a stable environment. 10 thousand years ago we were in the grip of the last ice age and most of Britain was covered in a sheet of ice a mile or more thick. Have we had global warming since then? Yes! Was mankind anything to do with it? No!

It might turn out to be true that mankind is causing Global Warming, but at this time, *we just don't know*.

Don't be so quick to believe the hype.

Answer 6

It going to be very difficult for the United States. Our country was built around the overabundance of oil. Our highway and interstate system was pretty much an oil gift to ourselves after WW2, since back then, no one thought about running out of oil or global warming. Since there is no denying the fact the Americans NEED cars, the first priority should be passing a law that REQUIRES all personal cars be hybrids and get an MPG of at LEAST 50 or 60 MPG and emit close to no CO2 by 2008 or 2009. Commercial trucks can still be used, but the process of getting a license for it should be convincing the DMV why you need a truck for your job instead of a hybrid. Sports cars, SUVs, and trucks, residential or commercial, anything under the required MPG and CO2 emission should be taxed to death....like a gas guzzler tax of 15 grand and a CO2 tax of 10 grand. If they can afford the already overpriced SUV or sports car that's usually priced 45 grand and higher, then they can also afford the 25 grand tax of killing our earth.

It should also be noted that most alternative energy sources are pretty weak. Hydrogen fuel cells are a joke. If a gas station switched to Hydrogen Fuel Cell station and all cars were hydrogen powered, considering how much gas we use today, then a hydrogen tanker the same size as a gas tanker would have to come to that hydrogen station 20 times a day to refuel the station. Hydrogen fuel cells is amazing, but not realistic. The same goes for electric cars, which I think will ultimately save us, but we need to re-invent the battery.

We've been using the same battery technology since the birth of the battery. Some components have changed, like using lithium instead of nickel to get a longer charge, but the battery still works the same. What will save us is developing a battery that can hold a massive charge and be replenished without much outside energy source. The problem is that defies the basic laws of Thermodynamics. In laymen terms, the maximum energy a device outputs can only be less than or equal to the amount inputed. Since the time frame we have is somewhat short, the quick fix would be to keep making batteries that hold charges for longer amounts of time and eventually, a new battery technology will develop.

A major improvement of solar energy, along with a major improvement of the battery, will be life saving as well. The problem with today's solar cells can only harness about 12-15% of the sun's energy, they're very expensive, and they use a good amount of oil just to make them. It's the same principal behind super-deep oil drilling....oils that's 5000 feet and deeper is not worth it because it takes a barrel of oil to get a barrel of oil. Solar cells use a lot energy in manufacturing and don't harness enough to make it worth your while.

I'm not sure what's going to happen with this global warming. I do know that when Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth comes out on DVD, I am buying more than a dozen copies to give to my family and friend in hopes they keep passing it along and passing it along. The whole country needs to be aware of this problem. As far as my sources go, they all came from the book "The Long Emergency" by James Howard Kunstler. I suggest everyone read it. It just came out on paperback.

Answer 7

struggling with water problems, I'm concious of doing all I can to help prevent global warming. I'm sick of the, I can't make any difference attitude. If you personally fail to change your lifestyle to lessen the impact of global warming how can you blame politicians for not doing anything!

I bike or walk wherever possible. To travel longer distances I always try to use public transport but if I absolutely need to use a car then I use a car share scheme here in Sydney - no SUVs just small economical cars. Recycle, recycle, always switching electric goods off not just leaving on standby etc.

Answer 8

Al, I saw your movie last week and it had a great impact on me. If you look at Yahoo answers you will see I just asked a question based on this impression. If I was American you'd get my vote as I'm not you will get my contribution by doing whatever I can in my own way, to help the situation. Best of luck with the campaign but I feel that many people just do not care or think its someone else's problem .. Once the movie has 'done its rounds' I suggest you make it free down-loadable for schools, business's etc ..this is the only way to drive change, that is through the young people who will have to TRY and live with what we have done .. some answers to my web question are unbelievable!!

Answer 9

I try to do little things (i.e. not drive as much, eat less meat), but the best thing I can do is EDUCATE. I am studying to become a teacher so I can help a new generation of people think scientifically. Because it's not just about global warming-issues like stem cells, teaching evolution etc. would be non-issues if people knew anything about science.

I also, one question at a time, educate the masses. I do it in person whenever possible but I also do it on Yahoo! Answers. Here is my usual pitch:

CO2 is 30% higher than it has been for 650,000 years. Methane is 130% greater. These are two of the main pollutants humans put into the atmosphere in excess, and they are two of the primary greenhouse gases.

Look at the 'hockeystick', which shows a dramatic warming since 1950 after a fairly stable climate for 1000 years. In fact, the 10 hottest years in recorded history have all happened since 1990, with 2005 being the hottest, and 2006 is shaping up to maybe break that record.
(see links below)

How's that for proof of man's fault in this? There is ample proof, any real scientist will tell you that.

There has NEVER been an article doubting man's influence on global warming published in a peer-reviewed journal. A recent study of almost 1000 proved that.

Yes, the earth naturally heats and cools, but the rate and amount we are warming now is unprecedented in the recent geologic past. We are doing this, and we must stop it. This is not some political statement or rhetoric. This is science trying to educate a crass, ignorant public of the damage they are doing. The magnitude of temperature increase ALREADY is about 10x that of the 'little ice age' of the middle ages, and rate and amount are only going up.

Just to be clear, glacial and interglacial cycles are mainly controlled by astronomical fluctuations, but we have a detailed record of the last 7 cycles, and what the climate and CO2 is doing now is way different and extreme. The rate of increase is much higher than in the past AND the value itself is much higher.

HI CO2:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4467420.stm
HOCKEY STICK:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5109188.stm
General climate stuff:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3897061.stm

Keep up the good work, Mr. Gore. All of us scientists really appreciate it. So many to educate, so little time.

Answer 10

Greetings to Mr. Al gore,
I am glad there are still facilities like Yahoo Answers, where concerned people can exchange ideas.

. . . back to your timely question !

Please let me reflect my view of Global Warming, before addressing measures to kerb it.

A likely state of Greenhouse Gases generated primarily by man-made industries is analogous to a herd of buffaloes in a stampede, heading to the edge of a tall cliff.

A few individuals at the middle and at the perimeter of the herd have grasped the near future disaster.

What can they do ?

That scenario applies, if we let Global Warming become out of control.

Let's hope there is time to avoid the "stampede".

To avoid a Runaway Global Warming, the major contributors must be identified and tackled first. By all means, our lifestyle can make a considerable change, but if heavy burning industries in countries like US, China, India, and Australia do not follow Kyoto guidelines, then our efforts will not reverse the disaster.

I believe advocating this message is the most urgent task for everyone.

If we fail, the herd will fall off the cliff. There might survive (if lucky) a handful. Then, if sufficient resources are left, they might get a chance to start all over again. Or . . . wiped off.

Good luck.

Answer 11

I consolidate my trips, own the most fuel efficient car currently available, plant as many as ten trees per year, convince others to plant trees on their property, contribute to three conservation organizations, and work constantly to find new ways to stick it to the energy companies. Oh, I also vote Democrat and spread education, not misinformation. It's a lot easier to let the nay-sayers spoon feed you complacency than to give a crap, but then the road of truth is just too difficult for some....
For those who are interested the largest danger of global warming to humans lies in the climate controlling currents that run from the poles to the coastal areas of countries around the world - notably the scandinavian countries, UK, and eastern US. The destruction of glaciers will cause the ocean temperatures that drive these currents (remember, these currents keep our climate in balance) to even out. Anyone who knows anything about meteorology can tell you that heat and cold drive one another in air and water. When these currents cease to drive to us the warm weather we're so accustomed to we'll WISH the globe were being warmed because we'll find ourselves in the next ice age. If you're picturing global warming as a force that will make Wisconsin feel like southern Cali year round you're wrong - perhaps dead wrong. As for a bunch of cigar sucking, intellujent dezine pushing, politicians arguing science, well....do I have to say it? Do some reading, folks.