Ok - I'm going to keep this lesson short and simple.
Many people find the whole idea of climate change very
overwhelming, and think that changing the world for the better will
take a lot of work. But it doesn't have to. There are a few simple
steps that can be taken to cut down on every person's individual
carbon footprint, and therefore cut down on global warming. If
everyone takes little steps like these, we could be well on our way
to dissolving the problem.
In the home
1. Use energy efficient light bulbs - they
are a little more expensive, but overall they are still cost
efficient because they last longer.
2. Turn the heating off at night unless you really need it - it
wastes electricity unneccesarily otherwise.
3. Whenever you need to purchase a new appliance, choose the most
energy efficient one. The price you pay may be more expensive, but
in the long term if they use electricity more efficiently, they
will help to cut down on the electricity bill.
4. Wrapping the water heater in an insulation blanket saves a large
amount of carbon dioxide emissions.
5. Wash clothes at a colder temperature - you use less heat because
not as much hot water gets used in the house.
6. When you are not using an electronic appliance, switch it off at
the wall, and pull the plug out of the socket until you need to use
it again. This saves more electricity than you might think.
7. Insulate the home properly so that less energy is lost as heat
into the atmosphere. It could also cut down the heating bill
dramatically.
8. Recycle paper, cardboard, magazines, bottles, cans, old clothes
and shoes. The energy needed to break recycled goods down is
significantly less than using new material.
9. Plant a tree in your garden - they absorb carbon dioxide which
greatly contributes to global warming.
10. Buy locally produced foods as opposed to imported foods - less
energy is needed to transport the goods.
11. Try not to buy heavily packaged foods - most of the time this
is unnecessary and wastes energy in producing the packaging and
disposing of the waste.
While travelling
1. Use public transport wherever
possible.
2. Even better - walk or cycle whenever you can - this produces no
greenhouse gases whatsoever.
3. When you need a new car, try to choose one that uses fuel
efficiently.
These methods not only help to reduce carbon emissions and
greenhouse gases, they also help to reduce the bills at home. So it
really is worth giving it a go because it could really benefit your
economic situation.
I know I missed some other ways to reduce your carbon footprint
out, so feel free to add them as comments if you like.
Person
Reduce your carbon footprint
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supersonicsaxophone said – Tue, 14 Apr 2009 01:42:48 -0000 ( Link )
I forgot to add – you can also take less aeroplane journeys if possible, perhaps limit the number of holidays to one a year. Aeroplanes are one of the worst forms of pollution.
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JohnPhilipGreen said – Thu, 16 Apr 2009 12:57:44 -0000 ( Link )
I read somewhere that turning vegetarian, or cutting down on meat consumption, was the very best thing you could do to reduce your carbon footprint.
Apparently, calories from meat take 100x more energy on average to get to your stomach.
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oLahav said – Thu, 16 Apr 2009 13:09:40 -0000 ( Link )
I heard that scientists are working on genetically modified animals that can photosynthesize. That way they’ll be using up carbon dioxide (like plants do), which will improve air quality. I’m pretty sure it’s a joke, but wouldn’t that be awesome?
But yeah, buying yourself a small plant even if you live in a tiny apartment can make a big difference. As long as the plant doesn’t die.
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