Stop globalwarming, be awareness in 2007

The primary cause of globalwarming is heat from the sun being trapped by greenhouse gases and as such, there are four ways in which global warming can be tackled:

• Reduce the amount of greenhouse gas we produce
• Remove greenhouse gases that are already in the atmosphere
• Reduce the amount of heat reaching us from the sun
• Remove heat from the sun that has already reached us

Between them, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide are responsible for nearly all the manmade greenhouse gases. The largest contributor to the greenhouse effect is CO2 (see the page on Causes of Climate Change for more details) and 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 globalwarming awareness2007.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY AT HOME AND WORK

• 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.

 There’s lots more tips and advice on these sites :

• Natural Resource Defense Council - Tips for conserving energy and cutting your energy costs
• globalwarming awareness2007 - All about globalwarming awareness2007
• Energy Saving Trust - Making the most of your energy
• Carbon Footprint - Calculate, reduce and offset your carbon footprint
• Carbon Trust - Information for businesses
• Energy Quest - Energy saving information for kids
• US Government - Energy efficiency advice from the department of energy
• Alliance to Save Energy - Lots of ways to reduce energy consumption at home and work
• UK Government- Saving energy in your home
• Rough Guides- The Rough Guide to saving energy and reducing your carbon footprint
• Salt River Project - Energy saving advice for residential customers

ENERGY EFFICIENT TRAVELLING

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 [US Department of Energy]. A motorist driving 15,000 miles a year in a vehicle that delivers 30mpg will produce 5000kg of carbon emissions whereas a vehicle returning 50mpg will produce 3000kg.

• 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

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 (note 3). Below are some tips for increasing fuel efficiency, there’s more information on the Eartheasy Website.

• 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

Each of us leaves behind what is commonly referred to as a ’carbon footprint’. This is a measure of the environmental impact in terms of the amount of greenhouses gases produced, it is measured as the equivalent number of units of carbon dioxide. The global average is 5 tons per person per year, in developed nations the average is 11 tons and in the US it is 19 tons.

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, Carbon Footprint, The Carbon Neutral Company, My Climate and Atmosfair.

GEOENGINEERING (CLIMATE ENGINEERING)

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.