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GLOBAL WARMING
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Global Climate Change - What is It?
Changes in climate have occurred throughout the Earth's history.
However, over the last 150-200 years, changes have been taking place at
an unprecedented rate. Human activities that have had most influence on
climate change are the increased use of energy and fossil fuels which
contribute carbon dioxide gas to the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide and
other "greenhouse gases" act like a blanket and are natural controllers
of the Earth's temperature system. The increase in the quantity of
greenhouse gases has raised the temperature of the Earth, a phenomenon
commonly known as global warming.
Consequences of Global Warming
The threat of global warming hangs over our planet
like a storm cloud. If not checked soon, it could some day soon cause
untold - possibly irreparable - harm to our planet's natural balance
triggering:
- severe weather changes;
- threats to our food and water supplies;
- rising sea levels;
- glacier melting;
- endangerment of thousands of plant and animal species;
- spread of deadly diseases (such as malaria).
What You Can Do to Slow Down Climate Change
Since human activities have a large impact on the
climate, a large part of the solution lies in our hands. Although the
problem is immense, we can all contribute as individuals and as a
society to efforts that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and
thereby the harmful effects of climate change. Here are some
actions you can take starting today to reduce greenhouse gas emissions:
• Education: Tell others about it what we have learned about climate change.
• Reduce Electricity Use: Replace at
least one regular light bulb (incandescent) with a compact fluorescent
bulb. Fluorescent bulbs use just one-fourth of the electricity last
four times longer. If every household in the U.S. replaced one
burned-out bulb with an energy-efficient, compact fluorescent bulb, the
cumulative effect would be enormous. It would prevent more than 13
billion pounds of CO2 from entering the atmosphere - which is like
taking more than a million cars off the road for an entire year.
• Increase Gas Efficiency: Keep car
engines well tuned and check tires for proper inflation. Use more
fuel-efficient vehicles. Avoid idling, and switch off the engine when
in a traffic jam.
• Promote Energy Efficient Technologies: Purchase some or all of your electricity as "green technology."
• Plant trees: Trees and other plants remove carbon dioxide from the air.
• Recycle: Recycle all cans, bottles,
paper and plastic bags and buy recycled items whenever possible.
Products made from recycled materials require far less energy than
products made from "virgin' materials.
• Reduce Car Use: Form car pools and
encourage parents and friends to do the same. Cycle or walk on errands
around the neighborhood.
• Refrigeration. Did you know that your
refrigerator is, by far, the single biggest consumer of electricity in
the average household, responsible for 10-15 percent of the electricity
you use each month? Older refrigerators, as a rule, are far less
efficient than the newest ones - as much as 50 percent more efficient
in many cases. What can you do? Clean the condenser coil. This one,
very simple thing can improve the efficiency of your refrigerator by a
third! Make sure the doors seal properly, and keep the cool in. Get rid
of your second refrigerator. If you don't need it, don't waste the
energy!
• Adjust Your Thermostat: Is your house
too hot or too cold? The bad news is that half of your household energy
costs go towards just two things - heating and cooling. The good news
is that means you have lots of room for improvement, and even small
changes make dramatic improvements in household fuel efficiency.
• Limit Electrical Use: Turn off all lights, television,
fans, air conditioners, computers and other electrical appliance and
gadgets when they are not being used. Unplug any "instant on"
appliances when they are not being used because they drain electricity,
even when not on.
• Purchase Wisely: Buy more efficient household appliances. Look for the "Energy Star" Label.
• Hot Water Conservation: Either turn
the hot water heater down a couple of degrees, or turn on the "energy
conservation" setting. Buy insulation for your hot water heater at a
local store and insulate the pipes as well. Install a timer on your
water heater to turn off at night and just before you wake up in the
morning.
• Heating/Cooling System: Add two
degrees to the AC thermostat in summer, and decrease two degrees in
winter. Clean vents, close unused vents, and change filters in
the vents. Buy a programmable thermostat, which can regulate different
temperatures at different times of the day. And if you have one, use
it! Right now, three-quarters of people who have programmable
thermostats don't use them at all. Again, just these simple things will
save you 10 percent. Alternative Cooling. Using ceiling fans, instead
of AC, can reduce your cooling costs by more than half. Use fans with
AC and set your AC a few degrees higher.
• Clothes Drying: Don't over-dry your clothes. That will save 15 percent. Try using the free "solar dryer."
• Be a Minimalist: In today's
consumer economy, an easy way to conserve energy is to simply use - and
buy -- less. Every time you buy something, energy has gone into getting
that product to you. So the less you buy, the more you save
energy-wise. It's a simple equation.
Check LINKS for additional information.
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