What and how can I do something that has a great effect on improving global warming?

Question

I have been mad about global warming for about 2 years. Reading "Chicken Soup For The Preteen Soul" really made a difference in me. I really want to do something that will improve global warming gravely, but I don't know what. I already recycle paper and save electricity at my home, and then I talked to my friends about it and they said the were in to help me. So now I have more support, so I think I can do something, but please do tell me what. Something that costs money will also work because I don't mind collecting donation, I just want to do something........do help me

Answer 1

We all need to do what we can to improve our environment. Every little thing you can do helps. However you must be realistic. There is much about Al Gore's movie that was hyped. You need to have all the facts before just believing all you see in Al's movie. Please read on.

Global Warming/Climate Change is not as big a problem as some would have you to believe. A recent article in the New York Times has even asked Al Gore to stop all the hype: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/13/science/13gore.html?ex=1331438400&en=2df9d6e7a5aa6ed6&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss
That same article talks about Al Gore's claim that the oceans could rise 20 feet is exaggerated by 18.08 FEET! The latest IPPC/UN study on the subject says the seas could rise a MAXIMUM of 23 inches. Al was only 18.08 FEET off. That, my freind IS hype...

If you look up any global temperature chart on the net, you'll find the earth's temperature has only increased by about 6/10 of one degree (C) - that's 1.1 degree (F), in the last 125 years. So yes, the globe is warming up, but it's not overheating like some would have you to believe. http://data.giss.nasa.gov:80/gistemp/2005/2005cal_fig1.gif

Other sources debunking Global Warming: http://ff.org/pdf/freedomreport/2006-05-06.pdf
http://meteo.lcd.lu/globalwarming/McLean/Disputed_Science_of_Global_Warming.pdf
There are hundreds of others but this will keep you busy for a while.

The latest research shows that the methane from cows and pigs is a major factor in the increase of "heat trapping gas". It's actually 23 times more potent as a heat trapping gas than is carbon dioxide. http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/climate-change/science/other_gases According to the newest UN report on Global Warming, "Livestock are responsible for 18 per cent of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming, more than cars, planes and all other forms of transport put together." http://news.independent.co.uk:80/environment/article2062484.ece So if Al Gore and all the alarmists really want to do something about climate change, they MUST become vegetarians and shut down cow and pig farms. I mean seriously, if they truly believe that global warming is as disastrous as they are preaching then they need to stop eating meat, period! I doubt that will happen.

One last thing - Al Gore preaches to you to conserve, but he does not practice it himself. He uses 20 times more energy in his Nashville mansion than the national average. http://www.tennesseepolicy.org/main/article.php?article_id=367 One thing he has not learned is that you MUST practice what you preach... at some point you will get caught as he has.

Answer 2

Sorry for the long winded post:

Keep doing what you are doing. Read and become aware of the issues. Don't just read the info from one side. Read both sides of the argument with a critical eye; you will be much better informed and in a position to discuss and argue with other people.

Most of all don't get disheartened as it is a big problem and no one person can fix it. Do as much as you can within your influence. You will make a difference.

A good book that is easy to read and understand is The Weather Makers by Tim Flannery. It is factual and thin on propaganda from the extreme ends of the arguement; greenies and the stick the head in the sand type.

One of the posts above gives some misleading information:
Old growth forests do not absorb any atmospheric CO2. Old growth forests are in equilibrium. The amount of CO2 that is converted to O2 via photosynthesis is balanced by the amount of CO2 they release due to the rotting/decaying vegetation. What they are is a carbon storage. If we cut them down them we break the cycle and release the stored carbon into the atmosphere as CO2; which is not good.

Of course freshly planted forests do remove CO2 from the atmosphere. As they grow to maturity they take the CO2 from the atmosphere and store it in the forest. This occurs until the forest matures, then they act like the old growth forests.

Post the area where you live, some one may know of some organisations/projects that you can get involved in.

Edit:
Some more misleading information.
Yes the methane from cows is 23x more warming than CO2. However, this is not the full story. The methane lasts for a lot less time in the atmosphere than does CO2. The methane breaks down to CO2. When you work all of the calculations out there is very little difference between the release of methane and CO2.

Also the grass grows by extracting CO2 from the atmosphere. The cow eats the grass and coverts some of it into methane. The methane degrades to CO2 where it is used by the grass to grow. It is a cycle.

Compare this with the fossil fuel use. We take the fuel from the Carbon storage, burn it. The cycle to return it back into storage (coal/oil) is millions of years. ie in our life spans it is left permanently in the atmosphere with no where to go. This is far worse than the agricultural impact.

Same argument with Ethanol as a biofuel. It is not perfect but at least the source of the fuel has been taken in part from plants that have converted the CO2 from the atmosphere

Answer 3

Thank YOU for being concerned! We all should do what we can to minimize this growing problem. Each tiny adjustment we make has a huge impact! I suggest you purchase the latest issue of Time Magazine which concentrates on Global Warming and lists 50 things the average American can do to make a difference. Earth Day is April 22, which gives you time to research the magazine and select a number of actions to take. You could create a list of these things on your computer and have a place for a signature on the bottom. You could rally your friends to sign a "contract with the environment" and pass hundreds out! You would need to keep a list of everyone who signs a contract, along with their phone number or email address, so you could follow up every month to see how they were progressing or simply to send an encouraging email. What a difference you can make! Best of luck! And please let me know if I can help.

Answer 4

Having a conscience is the excellent. Recycle, turn off lights, turn off TV's etc at the wall, don't use heating/cooling unless necessary, use solar power, ride instead of drive, convert to gas over fuel, turn off the tap, plant trees but most importantly spread the word. I have been recycling for 20 years and have been raving on about global warming for it seems like ages. It is hard to believe that it has taken so long for the message to get out there. Well done, we need more people like you in the world!!!!!!!!!

Answer 5

You have received many great ideas and I can only add (at this point)-Plant "BROAD" leaf trees. These may cost a bit more then pine types but they are the ones who really suck up that CO2.
Remember the story of Johnny Appleseed? Become a Johnny Greenseed. This country used to have massive forrest until the settlers came and we need to get back those forrests. Will it make a big difference- very possibility- hard to say at this point, no one can really answer that question, but it will help and put you in that class of folks that are known as part of the solution instead of part of the problem.

Answer 6

It is untrue that there is little or nothing you can do, as one poster said!! If we all did one or two things, we could make huge changes.

The things that have the biggest impact are energy usage and vehicles. Reduce your energy usage (use compact fluorescent light bulbs and the most energy efficient appliances) and support renewable sources of energy like wind and solar.

Reduce the impact your vehicle has - drive a car that is the most fuel efficient in its class. Carpool, combine errands, keep your car tuned and its tires inflated properly. Good gas mileage also means less emissions. We drive hybrids. Use an electric or man-powered lawnmower (gas-powered lawn equipment releases huge amounts of emissions).

Good luck, and it's heartening to know there are other people out there working to make a change!!

Answer 7

I went vegetarian. The energy that is wasted managing crops and diverting water to create food for cattle is really astounding. Also, clearing forests to create more room for grazing gets rid of trees that could be helping mediate atmospheric C02.

It's a lot more energetically efficient to be a vegetarian, and a lot less damaging environmentally. If you don't want to go all the way, just reduce your meat intake--a little bit really can help a lot!

Answer 8

Simply switching to energy efficient light bulbs in the home is the "quickest win" that most of us can achieve. It also has the added bonus of being economical because you use less power, so lower bills, and they last far longer.

There are, of course, loads of things that you can do to reduce your carbon footprint and you appear to already go some way towards that. No matter how green you become as an individual there is something you can do to make a far, far greater difference. Sow the seeds of responsible power consumption in others. Becoming some kind of global warming evangelist is probably a bit much for many of us - but start the debate. If you work in an office, ask people why they do not switch off their PCs at night? Encourage colleagues and friends to switch their PCs to "hibernate" as this uses the same minimal power as switching it off but in the morning you can carry on with your work where you left off, all your documents are still open.

Encourage people to use more public transport, to switch to energy efficient light bulbs themselves, buy locally produced food, sustainable energy etc. Some companies such as Good Energy supply 100% renewable electricity and you and others can easily switch.

If people ask you why they should change their lifestyles explain to them about the negative effects of climate change. People have to come to the decision for themselves to start saving the planet for the future, you can't force them to do it.

The point I am trying to make is this: if you as an individual go completely green you might reduce you carbon footprint by a maximum of say 19 metric tonnes of C02 in a year at most. This is the annual average American carbon footprint for one average person. But if you convince 20 or 30 people to go just a little bit green you have saved a lot lot more greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere.

At work or at college it only takes two or three people to make requests and your boss or whomever will offer to help, for example by offering recycling of paper, or encouraging cycling to work, or raising awareness about saving energy. As individuals we can only do so much to change our lifestyles but by educating others about the dangers we face as a people we can reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions far more, if those people go on to spread the message C02 and other greenhouse gas emissions are reduced exponentially.

One final point: Ethanol bio-fuel (an alternative to petrol) produced from corn is not green, only sugar ethanol and cellulose ethanol has a net effect in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption.

Answer 9

Cut meat out from your diet! It takes much less land to grow plant protein (eg, nuts, soybeans) to feed one person than it does to grow enough grain to feed the animals that one person will eat. The world is clearing rainforests to plant grain/ animal feed. If everyone in the world was vegetarian, we would not need that much land to grow our food. Forests absorb carbon-dioxide, so the more forests that get cleared, the more carbon dioxide reaches the atmosphere. It is estimated that a cow produces as much green-house gas (from their stomachs, ie, when they fart) in a year than the average car does from its emissions. So saying "no" to meat is a very positive thing you can do to reduce greenhouse gases. I've been vegetarian for 20 years, and I'm a very healthy person.
Jo.

Answer 10

Have you thought about a Rain Water Butt, also a wormery to recycle kitchen waste if you go to www.wigglywigglers.co.uk they have a lot of ideas ,you can also ask for a brochure.

I only have plastic wrappings in my bin, carrier bags, taken to Supermarket they recycle
bottles, tin cans, tin foil and batteries all collected fortnightly.
also paper and card board or take to dump