All about Global Warming
Global warming is the term used to describe a gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth's atmosphere and its oceans, a change that is believed to be permanently changing the Earth’s climate forever.
While many view the effects of global warming to be more substantial and more rapidly occurring than others do, the scientific consensus on climatic changes related to global warming is that the average temperature of the Earth has risen between 0.4 and 0.8 °C over the past 100 years. The increased volumes of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases released by the burning of fossil fuels, land clearing, agriculture, and other human activities, are believed to be the primary sources of the global warming that has occurred over the past 50 years.
Scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate carrying out global warming research have recently predicted that average global temperatures could increase between 1.4 and 5.8 °C by the year 2100. Changes resulting from global warming may include rising sea levels due to the melting of the polar ice caps, as well as an increase in occurrence and severity of storms and other severe weather events.
How You Can Fight Global Warming
- Change light bulbs
- Drive differently, or drive a different vehicle
- Control your temperature
-Tune up your heating system. This one thing every couple of years can reduce your heating costs by 10 percent a year.
-Clean vents, close unused vents, and change filters in the vents. Again, just these simple things will save you 10 percent.
-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.
-Add two degrees to the AC thermostat in summer, and two degrees in winter. If everyone did this, the cumulative impact is significant.
-Make sure windows and doors are sealed. Again, this will dramatically improve your household fuel efficiency.
- Tame the refrigerator monster
- Twist some knobs
-Either turn the hot water heater downs 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.
-When possible, wash a few dishes by hand. Over time, that will save a few loads in the dishwasher, conserving energy.
-Don't pre-rinse dishes. Today's detergents are powerful enough to do the job.
-Wait until you have a full load to run the dishwasher.
-Wash clothes in warm water, not hot. The clothes will be just as clean, and you'll cut energy use by 50 percent.
-Don't over-dry your clothes. That will save 15 percent.
6. Plant smartly
7. Invest in green energy
8. Go organic
-Eat locally grown food. If the food doesn't have to travel far, there's less carbon dioxide from the trucks that ship it
-Eat fruits and vegetables in season. Again, that saves the enormous transportation costs.
-Plant your own vegetable garden. It's not as hard as you might think.
9. Buy recycled
10. Be a minimalist
-Buy in bulk. In short, bulk items use less packaging, which translates into less energy.
-Buy one of something, not 21 of something. You don't need 21 pairs of shoes, if one pair works just as well.
-Go through your closet. Donate or recycle what you really don't need, then make a pledge not to replace everything you just got rid of.
-Buy quality products that will last longer. Over time, you'll obviously buy fewer products that way.
-Be creative in what you use for work, play and leisure. You don't always have to buy new products for activities. Re-use in creative ways.