Top climate scientist James Hansen tells the story of his involvement in the science of and debate over global climate change. In doing so he outlines the overwhelming evidence that change is happening and why that makes him deeply worried about the future.
So what can individual consumers do to help slow down global worming and reduce carbon dioxide? We can help in various ways – outside as well as at home – by using “smart green technology” and by adapting new green habits and thinking attitude.
At work and dwellings environments, for example, having a few tree plants around the house and even planting a garden in the backyard is a slow but sure way to contribute to the efforts of reducing carbon dioxide. Using public transportation when ever possible, doing car poll, or by switching to a hybrid electric vehicle is anther good way. It is definitely possible with collective cooperation as well as by individual actions to join in the task of solving the issue of carbon emissions. Each and every one of us can do a lot with-out spending money. Here are a few little things we can do at our home sweet home.
Energy savings is the key word and is something that everyone can do in order to fight the global warming phenomenon. Installing a programmable thermostat is practical way to act on the issue. Programmable thermostats will automatically lower the heat or air conditioning at night and raise them again in the morning. this can save you $100 a year on your energy bill. You may not know it but almost half of the energy we use at our homes goes to heating and cooling. By using a programmable thermostat you could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year and its a simple adjustment to make. It may cost you a little now but you save a lot of money in the middle-long term.
Take a shower instead of a bath. A shower takes up to four times less energy than a bath. To maximize the energy saving it is also advisable to use low-flow shower-heads ,which are cheap and provide the same comfort. In addition,since it takes a lot of energy to heat water, by installing a low flow shower-head you save 350 pounds of carbon dioxide per year.
When purchasing new appliances choose the energy efficient products. Look for the Energy Star label on the new appliances to choose the most energy efficient items available. And while you are at it replace the regular incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb. This can save about 300 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Apropos electrical appliances – its a good practice not leave appliances on standby. Use the “on/off” function on the machine itself. Consider this very interesting fact: A TV set that’s switched on for 3 hours a day (the average time Europeans spend watching TV) and in standby mode during the remaining 21 hours uses about 40% of its energy in standby mode.
Don’t let heat escape from your house over a long period. When airing your house, open the windows for only a few minutes. If you leave a small opening all day long, the energy needed to keep it warm inside during six cold months (10ºC or less outside temperature) would result in almost 1 ton of CO2 emissions. Replacing your old single-glazed windows with double-glazing can also be a good way to keep it warm inside. However This requires a bit of upfront investment, but will save the energy lost through windows and pay off in the long term.
In conclusion – Global warming is a dramatically urgent and serious problem. We don’t need to wait for governments to find a solution for this problem. Each individual can bring an important help adopting a more responsible lifestyle, starting from little, everyday things. It’s the only reasonable way to save our planet, before it is too late. We all need to show personal example by doing what we can at our home and personal life.