Thursday, February 7, 2008

Global Warming.

Hi everybody, as you know I'm not a scientist, I never studied about the environment, but what I'd like you to know is that yesterday's New York City temperature was around 66 degrees, today 50...and it's February guys. I've been in this town so many times during different winter seasons, and, I remember -10/11 years ago- winter was really winter in New York City...as we can see, every year is warmer and warmer. I think the situation is not so nice, I mean, when you, start and feel with your body what scientists have been trying to explain with conferences and seminaries since 10 years ago...it's a little bit scary. Isn't it? Let's take a look at the sientists' point of view.
Global Warming isn't an opinion, is a scientific reality. And the science tells us that human activity has made enormous impacts to our planet that affect our well-being and even our survival as a species. Glaciers are melting ten times faster than previously thought, the atmospheric greenhouse gases have reached levels not seen for millions of years, and that species are vanishing as a result of climate change. Fortunately the science also tells us how we can begin to make significan repairs to try and reverse those impacts, but only through immediate action. So let's understand what exactely Global Warming is and finally we'll try to discover what, each one of us, can do in a view to save the planet. The beautiful ecosystem we call Earth is changing, attributable in great part to the effect of globalization and man. More carbon dioxide is now in the atmosphere more than has been in the past 650,000 years. This carbon stays in the atmosphere, acts like a warm blanket, and holds in the heat - hence the name "Global Warming". The reason we exist on this planet is because the earth naturally traps just enough heat in the atmosphere to keep the temperature within a very narrow range - this create the conditions that give us breathable air, clean water, and the weather we depend on to survive. Human beings have begun to tip that balance. We've overloaded the atmosphere with heat-trapping gasses from our cars and factories and power plants. If we don't start fixing the problem now, we are in for devastating changes to our environment. We will experience extreme temperatures, rises in sea levels, and storms of unimaginable destructive fury. Recently, alarming events that are consistent with scientific predictions about the effect of climate change have become more and more commonplace. So, any solutions?...here some action tips:
  • Use Compact Fluorescent Bulbs - Replace 3 frequently used light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulb. Save 300 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $60 per year.
  • Inflate Your Tires - Keep the tires of your car adequately inflated. Try to check them monthly. Save 250 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $840 per year.
  • Change Your Air Filter - Check your car air filter monthly. Save 800 lbs. of carbon dioxine and $130 per year.
  • Fill the Dishwasher - Run your dishwasher only with a full load. Save 100lbs. of carbon dioxide and $40 per year.
  • Use Recycled Paper - Make sure your printer paper is 100% post consumer recycled paper. Save 5 lbs. of carbon dioxide per ream of paper.
  • Adjust Your Thermostat - Move your heater thermostat down two degrees in winter and up two degrees in the summer. Save 2,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $98 per year.
  • Check Your Waterheater - Keep your waterheater thermostat no higher than 120F. Save 550 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $30 per year.
  • Change the AC Filter - Clean or replace dirty air conditioner filters as recommended. Sace 350 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $150 per year.
  • Take Shorter Showers - Showers account for 2/3 of all water heating costs. Save 350 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $99 per year.
  • Install a Low-Flow Showerhead - Using less water in the shower means less energy to heat the water. Save 350 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $150 per year.
  • Buy Products Locally - Buy locally and reduce the amount of energy required to drive your products to your store.
  • Buy Energy Certificate - Help spur the renewable energy market and cut global warming pollution by buyng wind certificates and green tags.
  • Buy Minimally Packaged Goods - Less packaging could reduce your garbage by about 10%. Save about 1,200 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $1,000 per year.
  • Buy a Hybrid Car - The average driver could save 16,000 lbs. of CO2 and $3,750 per year driving a hybrid.
  • Buy a Fuel Efficient Car - Getting a few extra miles per gallon makes a big difference. Save thousands of lbs. of CO2 and a lot of money per year.
  • Carpool When You Can - Own a big vehicle? Carpooling with friends and co-workers saves fuel. Save 790 lbs. of carbon dioxide and hudreds of dollars per year.
  • Don't Idle in Your Car - Idlind wastes money and gas, and generates pollution and global warming causes. Except when in traffic, turn your engine off if you must wait for more than 30 seconds.
  • Reduce Garbage - Buy products with lees package and recycle paper, plastig, and glass. Save 1,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide per year.
  • Plant a Tree - Trees suck up carbon dioxideand make clean air for us to breath. Save 2,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide per year.
  • Insulate Your Water Heater - Keep your water heater insulated could save 1,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $40 per year.
  • Replace Old Appliances - Inefficient appliances waste energy. Save hundreds of lbs. of carbon dioxide and hudreds of dollars per year.
  • Weatherize Your Home - Caulk and weather strip your doorways and windows. Save 1,400 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $250 per year.
  • Use Push Mowers - Use your muscles instead of fossil fuels and get some exercise. Save 80 lbs. of carbon dioxide per year.
  • Unplug Un-Used Electronics - Even when electronics devices are turned off, they use energy. Save over 1,000 lbs of carbon dioxide and $250 per year.
  • Put on a Sweater - Instead of turning up the heat in your home, wear more clothes. Save 1,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $250 per year.
  • Insulate Your Home - Make sure your walls and ceilings are insulated. Save 2,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $250 per year.
  • Air Dry Your Clothes - Line-dry your clothes in the spring and summer instead of using a dryer. Save 700 lbs. of carbon dioxide per year and $75.
  • Switch to a Tankless Water Heater - Your water will be heated as you use it rather than keeping a tank of hot water. Save 300 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $390 per year.
  • Switch to Double Pane Windows - Double pane windows keep more heat inside your home so you use less energy. Save 10,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $450 per year.
  • Buy Organic Food - The chemicals used in modern agricolture pollute the water supply, and require energy to produce.
  • Bring Cloth Bags to the Market - Using you own cloth bag instead of plastic or paper bags reduces waste and requires no additional energy.
  • Turn Off Your Computer - Shut off your computer when not in use. Conserve energy by using your computer's "sleep mode" instead of a screensaver.
  • Be a Meat Reducer - The average American diet contributes an extra 1.5 tons of greenhouse gasses per year compared with a vegetarian diet. Eliminating meat and dairy intake one day a week can make a big difference.
  • Ditch the Plastic - 2.5 Million individual plastic water bottles are thrown away every hour in the United States. Start using a reusable water bottle and just say no to plastic.
  • Remind Your President that Kyoto is not Just a City.
Thank you for your time and attention.

- stopglobalwarming.org -


1 comment:

Audrey said...

I wash my clothes in cold water; it works just as well as hot water.

You can but a bucket or container in the shower to catch water as you shower. You can use it for watering house plants and other tasks.

Give away things you dont' want on freecycle

www.freecycle.org/

And read about No Impact Man

noimpactman.typepad.com/