Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Top 10 Things You Can Do to Reduce Global Warming

1. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Do your part to reduce waste by choosing reusable products instead of disposables. Buying products with minimal packaging (including the economy size when that makes sense for you) will help to reduce waste. And whenever you can, recycle paper, plastic, newspaper, glass and aluminum cans. If there isn't a recycling program at your workplace, school, or in your community, ask about starting one. By recycling half of your household waste, you can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide annually.

2. Use Less Heat and Air Conditioning

Adding insulation to your walls and attic, and installing weather stripping or caulking around doors and windows can lower your heating costs more than 25 percent, by reducing the amount of energy you need to heat and cool your home.

Turn down the heat while you're sleeping at night or away during the day, and keep temperatures moderate at all times. Setting your thermostat just 2 degrees lower in winter and higher in summer could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide each year.

3. Change a Light Bulb

Wherever practical, replace regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. Replacing just one 60-watt incandescent light bulb with a CFL will save you $30 over the life of the bulb. CFLs also last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs, use two-thirds less energy, and give off 70 percent less heat.

If every U.S. family replaced one regular light bulb with a CFL, it would eliminate 90 billion pounds of greenhouse gases, the same as taking 7.5 million cars off the road.

4. Drive Less and Drive Smart

Less driving means fewer emissions. Besides saving gasoline, walking and biking are great forms of exercise. Explore your community mass transit system, and check out options for carpooling to work or school.

When you do drive, make sure your car is running efficiently. For example, keeping your tires properly inflated can improve your gas mileage by more than 3 percent. Every gallon of gas you save not only helps your budget, it also keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.

5. Buy Energy-Efficient Products

When it's time to buy a new car, choose one that offers good gas mileage. Home appliances now come in a range of energy-efficient models, and compact florescent bulbs are designed to provide more natural-looking light while using far less energy than standard light bulbs.

Avoid products that come with excess packaging, especially molded plastic and other packaging that can't be recycled. If you reduce your household garbage by 10 percent, you can save 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide annually.

6. Use Less Hot Water

Set your water heater at 120 degrees to save energy, and wrap it in an insulating blanket if it is more than 5 years old. Buy low-flow showerheads to save hot water and about 350 pounds of carbon dioxide yearly. Wash your clothes in warm or cold water to reduce your use of hot water and the energy required to produce it. That change alone can save at least 500 pounds of carbon dioxide annually in most households. Use the energy-saving settings on your dishwasher and let the dishes air-dry.

7. Use the "Off" Switch

Save electricity and reduce global warming by turning off lights when you leave a room, and using only as much light as you need. And remember to turn off your television, video player, stereo and computer when you're not using them.

It's also a good idea to turn off the water when you're not using it. While brushing your teeth, shampooing the dog or washing your car, turn off the water until you actually need it for rinsing. You'll reduce your water bill and help to conserve a vital resource.

8. Plant a Tree

If you have the means to plant a tree, start digging. During photosynthesis, trees and other plants absorb carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. They are an integral part of the natural atmospheric exchange cycle here on Earth, but there are too few of them to fully counter the increases in carbon dioxide caused by automobile traffic, manufacturing and other human activities. A single tree will absorb approximately one ton of carbon dioxide during its lifetime.

9. Get a Report Card from Your Utility Company

Many utility companies provide free home energy audits to help consumers identify areas in their homes that may not be energy efficient. In addition, many utility companies offer rebate programs to help pay for the cost of energy-efficient upgrades.

10. Encourage Others to Conserve

Share information about recycling and energy conservation with your friends, neighbors and co-workers, and take opportunities to encourage public officials to establish programs and policies that are good for the environment.

These 10 steps will take you a long way toward reducing your energy use and your monthly budget. And less energy use means less dependence on the fossil fuels that create greenhouse gases and contribute to global warming.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Problems to Solve & Helping Out

PROBLEMS TO SOLVE:

AIR POLLUTION:

  • Have Plants – Plants can absorb some dangerous chemicals that are polluting your air. In doing so, they reduce your risk of getting sick.
  • Minimize Air Conditioning – If you can avoid air-conditioning, do so. By keeping windows and shades shut, you may be able to avoid needing air conditioning, which will mean using less energy.
  • Use Efficient Appliances – To cut down on energy usage, buy energy-efficient home appliances. Less energy usage will not only decrease pollution, it will decrease your energy bill too.
  • Watch Out For Formaldehyde – Don't buy products containing formaldehyde because it can enter the air and cause chronic respiratory problems.
WATER POLLUTION:
  • Use Nontoxic Substances – If you can avoid purchasing products containing toxic chemicals, do so. Otherwise, there is a threat that these chemicals could enter the environment and the water supply.
  • Substitute Substances – You can make your own non-toxic versions of many popular products, such as insect repellents. Doing so prevents the toxic chemicals found in these products from entering the environment and the water supply.
  • Don't Dump Chemicals – Never pour toxic substances down the drain. Although water is cleaned, cities do not have the equipment to eliminate all toxic substances from the water supply.
  • Dispose of Hazardous Waste – Make sure that hazardous waste is properly disposed of, not simply left around or placed with other garbage.
HELPING OUT:

WHILE SHOPPING:
  • Buy in Bulk – By purchasing large quantities of an item, you reduce the amount of packaging that you will need to throw away.
  • Buy Recyclable Products – When deciding between products, pick the one that can be recycled rather than sent to a landfill when you are done using it.
  • Eat Organic Food – If you have a chance to eat organic food, do so because it will prevent food producers from using pesticides and other dangerous chemicals.
  • Get Durable Products – If you can avoid buying disposable products that will end up in landfills, get more durable ones that will last longer.
  • Look at the Packaging – Don't buy products that have excessive layers of packaging. These packages only end up in landfills anyway.
  • Purchase Recycled Products – On the labels of many products it will say if a product is made from recyclable materials. Many of them are, and buying these will help to cut down on waste.
  • Use Recyclable Bags – Plastic bags that are used by some grocery stores are not fully biodegradable. Instead, ask for paper bags, which can be reused and then recycled.
ON THE ROAD:
  • Carpool – Driving releases a huge number of toxic chemicals into the air and damages the environment. If you can carpool, you will cut down on the amount of pollution that is created.
  • Do Not Tailgate – By having to stop and then accelerate again often, you waste gas quickly.
  • Get a Fuel-Efficient Car – Not only will a fuel-efficient car pollute less and use up less gas, it will save you money too.
  • Inflate Your Tires – By keeping your tires inflated, you can prevent them from wearing out as fast and increase their lifetime.
  • Recycle Your Motor Oil – Every year, the United States puts about 350 million gallons of motor oil into the environment. It is possible that this oil can enter the ground and our water supply. As a result, you should always take your motor oil to a gas station to have it recycled.
  • Take the Bus – Taking public transportation helps to cut down on the number of vehicles on the road, reducing the amount of pollution that is created.
  • Take the Railroad – When travelling long distances, railroads are by far the most environmentally friendly option.