the real problem is greedy corporations, who are already rich, that fear losing profit.
They, and the conservative movement and primarily Republicans are the big problem.
We need to limit their power because they refuse to listen and reject science.
The primary cause of manmade global warming is heat from the sun being trapped by greenhouse gases. The main greenhouse gases we produce are carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, the largest contributor is CO2. It's this gas that many people are taking steps to reduce emissions of. Below are some practical steps to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.
● BUY ENERGY EFFICIENT APPLIANCES. Appliances usually state how energy efficient they are, look for the Energy Star label or efficiency rating, compare different models and opt for ones with a lower Wattage.
● DON’T USE STANDBY. A device such as a TV or computer still consumed power when put into standby mode, as it’s usually in standby for many hours it consumes a lot of power over time.
● SWITCH OFF WHEN NOT IN USE. If you’re not using something then switch it off, most people probably have far more lights on at any one time then are actually being used.
● USE ENERGY EFFICIENT LIGHTBULBS. Conventional bulbs use considerably more electricity than compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) or halogen bulbs, they last a lot longer as well. Some local authorities provide them for free or heavily subsidised,
● LOWER YOUR THERMOSTAT. Turning your thermostat down by one or two degrees can significantly reduce power consumption and you’ll hardly notice the difference.
● HEAT ONLY WHAT’S NEEDED. Turn heaters and radiators off in rooms that aren’t used and fit individual thermostats to radiators.
● TURN DOWN THE WATER HEATER. Many people have their water heating turned up too high with the result they need to add cold water to the sink or bath, turn the water heater down so the water temp isn’t too hot.
● INSULATE YOUR PROPERTY. Much heat is lost through insufficient or lack of insulation. Make sure pipes, walls, lofts, hot water tanks are well insulated. It’s cheap and effective, check out the availability of grants.
● TURN THE AIR CON DOWN. As with turning the heating down, large savings on your energy use can be achieved by turning the air conditioning down a bit. Saves on your electricity bill as well.
● SGN UP TO A GREEN ENERGY SUPPLIER. Most power is generated by burning fossil fuels, one of the biggest contributors to global warming. Switch your supply to a provider that generates their electricity from renewable energy sources.
● DRESS APPROPRIATELY. When it’s cold put on a jumper rather than turn up the heating, when it’s warm take it off again rather than use the air con.
● WASH FULL LOADS. When you’re doing the washing wait until you’ve got a full load before running the machine.
● WASH AT LOWER TEMPS. Most detergents these days are just as effective at lower temps – often just 30°C, check the packaging.
● DRY WASHING OUTSIDE. If the weather’s nice dry your clothes outside rather than in a tumble drier. If drying inside then don’t turn heating on just to dry your clothes.
● WHEN THE HOUSE IS UNOCCUPIED. If you’re on holiday then turn off everything apart from the essentials like the fridge and freezer, just have one or two lights come on in the evening by using timer switches.
● WHEN THE WORKPLACE IS UNOCCUPIED. The last person to leave should go round and switch everything off and turn out the lights before leaving.
● AVOID DISHWASHERS. Wash pots and pans by hand, it uses much less water and energy. If you do use a dishwasher then wait until it’s full before running it.
● REDUCE DRAUGHTS. Fit draught excluders round doors and windows, this service may be available for free – check with the local authority.
● GENERATE YOUR OWN POWER. Consider fitting solar panels or a wind turbine to your house. The initial cost can be recouped in time and there’s no greenhouse gas emissions generated (unlike conventional power supplies).
● USE RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES. Batteries are a very poor source of energy, they require much more energy to produce than they provide.
● DON’T OVERCHARGE DEVICES. Don’t leave (re)chargers on for longer than is needed, most devices have an indicator to show when fully charged, leaving the charger on for longer than is needed doesn’t help the device and it wastes power.
● ONLY BOIL THE WATER YOU NEED. When boiling the kettle only fill it with the amount of water you need (ensure the water in the kettle reaches the minimum level), not only is it quicker but it avoids wasting electricity and reduces your bill.
● BUY LOCAL PRODUCE. There's less transportation and the farming methods are more environmentally friendly. Similarly, look where goods were manufactured, avoid buying those that have been shipped long distances.
● RECYLE AND REUSE. Recycling products uses much less energy and natural resources then manufacturing them in the first place.
● REDUCE PAPER CONSUMPTION. Sign up with mail preferential services to stop junk mail. Get your news from the internet rather than buying a newspaper. Opt for paperless billing from utility companies.
● MINIMUM PACKAGING. Avoid products with excessive packaging, especially expanded polystyrene (styrofoam) and plastic wrapping.
● FRIDGES AND FREEZERS. Modern appliances are more efficient than older ones, it may be economically viable to replace old models (check with local authority regarding disposal of old one). Don’t have them set to a lower temp than is recommended, regularly defrost, don’t leave the door open and avoid putting hot food into them.
● WORK FROM HOME. If possible work from home, it saves time and fuel travelling.
● EAT LESS MEAT AND DAIRY PRODUCTS. Modern farming methods produce large quantities of greenhouse gases.
● SHOWER INSTEAD OF BATH. A shower uses a lot less water so there’s less heating involved, if you do bath then don’t fill it so much.
● CONSERVE WATER. The less water you use the less energy is needed to pump it to your home or office and to deal with the waste at a sewerage treatment works.
● FUEL EFFICIENCY
? Drive a fuel efficient vehicle
? If you have more than one vehicle use the most economical one
? When replacing your vehicle look at alternative fuel models.
? Walk or cycle short distances
? Consider car sharing
? Use public transport where possible
? Take a coach or train instead of using domestic flights.
? Combine multiple journeys into one, do the weekly shopping in a single trip.
? Stagger journeys where possible to avoid rush hour traffic and hold ups.
? Avoid harsh braking, accelerate gently, drive at a steady speed.
? Keep tyres properly inflated.
? Remove bike and ski and roof racks when not in use.
? Carrying unnecessary weight wastes fuel, declutter your vehicle.
? Use the correct gear, use cruise control if your vehicle has it.
? Keep your vehicle regularly serviced.
? Turn the engine off when stopped or waiting.
● CARBON OFFSETTING
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/calcu...
The Carbon Neutral Company
http://www.carbonneutral.com/pinfo/carbo...
My Climate
http://www.myclimate.org/index.php?lang=...
Atmosfair
http://www.atmosfair.de/index.php?id=9&L...
● GEOENGINEERING
Ambitious schemes have been proposed that would manipulate our climate through geoengineering. These contentious schemes include constructing a giant sunscreen to block out some of the sun’s heat and artificial trees to extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. If these schemes are successful they could prevent global warming from getting worse and may be reverse the warming trend. There’s more about geoengineering in one of my earlier answers http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?...
Conditioning
Other strategies than those basics described by Emily include mitigating and managing the effects. For example, in much of Australia extreme hot days are expected to be more common and last longer in the future. Therefore strategies need to be in place to deal with increased heat stress related illness, so therefore medical infrastructure and education is needed (this year in Adelaide the public buses had free water available for commuters on really hot days).
Furthermore Australia has recently introduced a higher energy rating for all new buildings (although still too low to be of much benefit) but it is a step in the right direction.
There are literally thousands of things we can do to minimise the effects, risks, impacts etc. through a combination of mitigation and management.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle ,Use Less Heat and Air Conditioning, Change a Light Bulb,
Drive Less and Drive Smart
