What is a thing that you can do individually now to help global warming?

Question

I'm not an expert on global warming but i've slowly been learning the truth about what is happening to our world. Here are 3 questions that i think are important to think about. So if everyone could answer them, it would help me out a lot for my report. Thanks all!

What is a thing that you can do individually now to help with the problem?

What is a thing that you would like to do but would be difficult for you?

What is a thing that you would like to do as a group?

Answer 1

1) The biggest thing that I have done individually is move from a city that did not have public transportation to one that does. I use to drive 15,000 miles a year, now I drive less than 1,000.

Another thing I've done is to section off the high-ceilinged great room in my condominium, so that it doesn't need to be heated in the winter. That, in addition to turning the heat down to 58F every time we go to sleep or leave the house reduced our natural gas use to 1/2 of what our neighbors used this winter.

These things have reduced CO2 emissions much more than just changing to compact fluorescent bulbs (but I did that anyways).

2) Although it's difficult, I would like to help build public support in communities for establishing light rail public transportation that is convenient, safe, and comfortable.

3) As a group/nation/world I would like to see a cap and trade market for carbon emissions set up. This would include not only industry and electrical generation, but also private transportation.

Answer 2

Here's a couple of suggestions for you...these are changes which are simple and don't require much of a change in lifestyle, especially if you are wanting to change the world!

If we ALL stopped worrying and got off our fat bums and DID something then maybe our grandchildren would have a hope of a fairly healthy planet! That's where my focus lies and is the motivation for suggesting the following, even though I don't have any children of my own. This is also an environmental choice - I have trouble with the idea that my impact is significant as it is, so I simply could not, in all honesty and using my (sometimes less than perfect) ethical stance to shape such a decision, put another "mouth" on the earth.

Here's my list, anyway....

1. Eat organic / locally grown foods...stops the production of more harmful chemicals, cuts down on transport costs and it's better for you as well! Also, make sure that the eggs you buy aren't from a battery farm!

2.Try going vegetarian as well...cows and cow farming is a big environmental / ethical nasty. I read a report recently that suggests that cows farting accounts for 3 times the amount of emmissions that cars do!!! (I'd be reckoning that this would come under your second category!! I myself didn't find it difficult and I've been vego for more than 20 years)

3. Buy ethical and fair trade goods. This helps increase the poorer nations citizen's basic wealth which in turn helps them to afford to achieve these kinds of changes as well!

4. Try to break your addiction to your motor car. These beasts are one of the worst things for the environment that we've ever had the misfortune to deal with!!! Try using public transport or ride places you'd normally drive to.

5. Use low energy light bulbs in your home. Consider buying high efficiency appliances (fridges etc.). Use gas to cook toast and heat water - toasters and kettles are huge consumers of power!

6. When it gets cold, put another jumper / sweater and thermal leggings on instead of switching on your heater.

7. Turn your television off at the wall at night, rather than leaving it on standby. This simple procedure can stop about 40kg. of CO2 getting into the atmosphere every year.

8. Consider buying "green" power from your energy supplier. It's not really "green" per se, but the premium you pay is used to subsidise people who are building sustainable homes and installing solar or wind generation equipment. The power so created is fed back into the main grid. If you can't, ask your power company "why not?"

9. Go see your local politicians and question them about what they're doing in parliament to affect change. Tell them that you're worried and that their answers will shape how you vote in the next election. It's a long shot, but if you live in a country with a parliamentary system, it can be a grand way to get change happening. Look at the Green Party and the amount of effect they've had across the globe since their inception in the mid-eighties. It might not appear much, but at least we do have a choice these days! "Never underestimate the power of the individual".

10. Finally, do an "Ecological Footprint" Test...it will show you how much you consume, based on your own lifestyle and residence...it's pretty scary, but very worthwhile.

Check out the link to Avaaz.org below. That's something that WE can all do - as a global "group"!

Hope this helps!

Love and Light,

Jarrah

Answer 3

If we are to believe, first, that mankind can control something as complex as global warming, and that the affect is primarily CO2, then the way to think about this would be how to reduce a carbon footprint.

How can an individual reduce their carbon footprint? Take mass transit, purchase hybrid vehicle, change lightbulbs, set thermostats lower in the winter and higher in the summer (80+ degrees in summer, 68 or lower in winter).

What would be difficult? New cars are difficult as they're expensive. In hot or cold climates, thermostat changes might be tough. Mass transit is often inconvenient

What can we do as a group? All seek to lower carbon footprint. Executives could stop fyling corporate jets. We could all replace lightbulbs, etc., etc.

Answer 4

Global warming is in theory reversable,but it will mean global co operation between all countries ,and taking into account human nature and the world politics ,it is unlikely that this will happen,

At least not untill we are all in the middle of planetary disastres and it becomes a battle for the survival of humanity every where.

SOLUTIONS
if you want to help the planet ,plant a tree every week ,if everyone on the planet did we we would be able to reverse the destructive processes

reduce carbon emisions,and they are already working on that by alternative forms of energy and regulations on carbon producing materials,aerosol cans,burning rubbish,industrial chimneys,powerplants etc.

the capture of carbon and the production of water and assist the aquiferous manta.

the world bank pays large subsidies for reforrestation to capture carbon and the best tree for this is the Pawlonia

Waterharvesting projects ,such as millions of small dams.to redirect over ground waterflows from the rains into the ground to supply subteranian water supplies.

the protection of existing forrests.

stop building more highways,urban planning to include vegetation stop building cities encourage people to return to the land to conduct their business from there which now has become possible thanks to the internet.

education to motivate people to auto sufficiency by building more home food gardens.

education on environmental awareness
education on family planning to curb over´populaion

Agricultural education and improvements to follow the principals or sustainability and soil management.

more environmental or land ,design to prevent bush fires,such as--fire breaks

,more dams.regulations and control for public behaviour

alternative effeciant public transport to discourage the use of the internal conbustion engine

recicling wastes,limit water use



Source(s) Lester E Brown is the director and founder of the global institute of Environment in the United states .he has compiled a report based on all the satalite information available from NASA,and all the information that has
come from Universities and American embassies WORLD WIDE ,
his little book--a planet under stress , Plan B has been trans lated into 50 languages and won the best book award in 2003

Answer 5

Stop cooking food with conventional ovens.

I wish I could cover my roof with solar photovoltaic cells, but the semiconductor industry is still concentrating its resources on making the execution of javascipt faster and increasing the number of cel phone conversations that can be transmitted at one time.

We could all go down to our local planning councils and raise 7734 until they pass an ordinance requiring a BIG wind electro generator right in the middle of every new housing development.

Answer 6

1-bring tandems-back.and horse n carts.....2-go back to the 50s 60s-when there were at least 200 to 300 mill chimneys over 100ft tall.there was no trouble with the weather then` we had lovely deep snow`the kids loved it......3-keep sum pubs open 4-SMOKERS ONLY`July-1st.i just dread it coming`sum of us love a FAG-dont you.`baby.