What are things that I can do to help our environment?

Question

I am becoming more concerned about our environment and global warming. What are things that I can do to help in my household and community?

Answer 1

Some good answers above. Here's my contribution...

The primary cause of manmade global warming is heat from the sun being trapped by greenhouse gases. The main greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, the largest contributor is CO2. It's this gas that many individuals and organisations are taking steps to reduce emissions of. Here are some practical steps you can take to combat global warming.


AT HOME AND WORK
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● When replacing appliances buy energy efficient ones.

● Turn off electrical appliances when not in use, don’t use the standby option.

● Use energy efficient light bulbs and switch off lights when not in use.

● Similarly, turn down water heating by a few degrees.

● Fit individual thermostats to radiators and don't heat rooms that aren't used.

● Insulate walls, lofts, hot water tanks and pipes.

● Turn your heating and air conditioning down, a small difference will be barely noticeable.

● Sign up to a green energy supplier, one that produces energy from renewable sources.

● Turn off heating and air-conditioning when the house or office is unoccupied.

● Wash full loads of clothes at a lower temperature, modern machines and detergents are just as effective at lower temperatures.

● Dry your clothes outdoors instead of in a tumble drier.

● Wash full loads in the dish-washer.

● Insulate your home and block draughts around doors and windows. In Europe this is free to many people.

● Consider installing a renewable energy system such as solar panels or a home wind turbine.

● Use rechargeable batteries; don’t leave rechargers on for longer than is needed (including mobile / cell-phones).

● Boil only as much water in the kettle as you need.

● Buy locally produced organic food where possible, there's less transportation and the farming methods are more environmentally friendly.

● Look where goods were manufactured and avoid buying those that have been flown or shipped long distances.

● Recycle and reuse as much as possible. Sign up with mail preferential services to stop junk mail.

● Avoid buying products with excessive packaging.

● Don’t have your fridge or freezer set lower than need to be, regularly defrost freezers, don’t put hot food into your fridge or freezer.

● If your fridge or freezer is over 15 years old then consider replacing it (check with local authority regarding disposal of old one).

● Work from home where possible.

● Eat less meat and dairy produce, farming produces large quantities of greenhouse gases.


ENERGY EFFICIENT TRAVELLING
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For many people a substantial reduction in greenhouse gas emissions can be achieved by driving a more fuel-efficient vehicle. Each gallon of gasoline burned produces 10kg (20 pounds) of carbon dioxide.

● Drive a fuel efficient vehicle, if you have more than one vehicle then use the most economical one more often.

● Consider walking or cycling when going to work or taking the kids to schools, if you have to drive then consider car sharing.

● Use public transport where possible and consider taking a coach or train instead of using domestic flights.

● When replacing your vehicle look at diesel and liquid petroleum gas models.

● Combine multiple journeys into one and do your weekly shopping in a single trip.

● Stagger journeys where possible to avoid rush hour traffic and hold ups.


FUEL SAVING TIPS FOR DRIVERS
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By driving carefully and keeping your vehicle in good condition you can save up to 30% on your fuel bills and cut greenhouse gas emissions at the same time. Below are some tips for increasing fuel efficiency, there's more information on the Eartheasy Website - http://eartheasy.com/live_fuel_efficient_driving.htm

● Avoid harsh braking, accelerate gently and drive at a steady speed.

● Keep tyres inflated to the correct pressure.

● Remove bike and ski racks when not in use, also remove detachable roof racks, luggage boxes etc.

● Carrying unnecessary weight wastes fuel, declutter your vehicle.

● Use the correct gear and use cruise control if your vehicle has it.

● Keep your vehicle regularly services.

● Turn the engine off when stopped or waiting.


CARBON OFFSETTING
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Carbon Offsetting is one way to reduce or eliminate your carbon footprint, in most cases this involves calculating your greenhouse gas emissions and planting trees so as to absorb an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide. Some websites where you can calculate your carbon footprint and purchase offsetting are...

The Woodland Trust
http://www.carbonbalanced.org/

Carbon Footprint - http://www.carbonfootprint.com/USA/calculator.html

The Carbon Neutral Company - http://www.carbonneutral.com/pinfo/carbonoffsetting.asp

My Climate
http://www.myclimate.org/index.php?lang=en

Atmosfair
http://www.atmosfair.de/index.php?id=9&L=3


FURTHER INFORMATION
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Natural Resource Defense Council
http://www.nrdc.org/air/energy/genergy.asp

Energy Saving Trust
http://www.est.org.uk/myhome/

Carbon Trust
http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/energy

Energy Quest
http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/energy

US Government
http://www.energy.gov/energyefficiency/index.htm

Alliance to Save Energy
http://www.ase.org/

UK Government
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Environmentandgreenerliving/Energyandwatersaving/DG_064371

Rough Guides
http://www.roughguides.com/savingenergy/

Salt River Project
http://www.srpnet.com/menu/energy.aspx

Answer 2

Replace light bulbs with the energy saving light bulbs, Change your air conditioning filter on a regular basis-like before it gets really dirty,get a blanket cover for you hot water heater-approx 20.dollars at any store like Lowes or Home Depot, get a programmable thermostat and set a bit cooler in the winter and a bit warmer in the summer and keep it set,--all these things easy to do but significantly reduce the CO emissions which cause global warming.

Answer 3

Everything that is not natural is a threat to the environment. All we can do is develop more sustainable technologies. The whole global warming argument is all politics. The correct term is climate change because it describes how in certain regions it is getting colder and others hotter. Water vapor impacts the climate more than Green House gases. Research water vapor in the atmosphere.

Answer 4

I think that a lot of people are becoming concerned and in some ways that is good. Things that you can do to help are driving less, not making as many fires in your fireplace, planting trees and turning electrical appliances off especially incandescent lights.

Answer 5

1)Buy energy efficient bulbs
2)Walk more or use a peddle bike
3)Dont use shampoo or shower gels, stick to old fashioned soap
4)Dont leave anythin on standbye
5)Turn off the main fuse to ur house at night
6)Recycle
7)Make ur own fertilizer using human urine, faeces and plant waste(sounds disgusting but isnt bad at all cos all the bacteria die off pretty quickly)
8)Turn off the tap when your not rinsing ur toothbrush
9)Take showers not baths(and for that little bit extra try to take it warm not hot)
10)If you take a bath then use a bucket and pour most of the water onto ur lawn or into ur plants
11)Dont pour bleach down the toilet or any other chemicals for that matter
12)Dont smoke
13)Dont each as much meat, it causes our bodies to produce methane (farts) which is far worse for causing the green house effect than CO2
13)Dont use paper...just type
14)Instead of throwing away old clothes give them to charity
15)Dont use a 10ltr flush...4 ltr is enough even for number 2's
(to do this fill up a few bottles with water and put them in ur toilet tank)
16)Dont drop litter
17)Give any scraps of food to the garden plants or composter, they'll be gone in no time.
18)Dont spit out chewing gum, contrary to myth our bodies can digest it quite quickly
19)Buy solar panels for your roof and wind turbines for your garden, if your a health fanatic buy a turbine and connect it to a bike, saves a shed load of money and helps get rid of the power companies
20)Have a good look at what u do in ur daily life that is lazy and if you put a bit more effort in you could save a little bit more on energy wastage.
21)When your finished on yahoo answers turn your computer off

Answer 6

ONE THING U CAN DO IS THIS :

EMAIL THIS PERSON AND ASK IF YOU CAN JOIN HER GROUP ITS A GROUP THAT HELPS SAVE THE WORLD. OH AND IF SHE AGREES TO LET YOU JOIN THEN SHE WILL GIVE U A url AND JUST GO THERE AND UR AT THE GROUPS HOMEPAGE
HERES THE EMAIL:[e-mail]

HELP SPREAD THE WORD IT WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED. THNX

WE NEED AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE TO GLOBAL WARMING. A.S.A.P

Answer 7

Buy less stuff.
Be conscious of the stuff that you do buy.
Increase the efficiency of everything you do, from travel, to heating your house.
Eat less (or no) meat.

Ignore people who can't grasp that environmentalism is more than the "inconvenient truth" and who advocate doing nothing which is brilliant if you enjoy toxic sludge to drink and smog for breathing.

Answer 8

buy a fuel effient car toyota prisus are the best

recycle bottles and papers

save ecetricity

buy enegy star products

pl;ant a tree

try to buy stuff with out a lot of packaging to make less trash

if you have outdoor lights replace them with solar lihgts

dont smoke

dont kill animals

DONT LITTER basic

have freinds help save the planet to

Answer 9

Demonstrate your environmental consciousness by following Al Gore around the country in your private jet.

Answer 10

Take cold showers.