How to reduce the effects of global warming

Author: Eric Farmer
Date Of Creation: 6 March 2021
Update Date: 27 June 2024
Anonim
10-ways to reduce Global Warming!
Video: 10-ways to reduce Global Warming!

Content

Global warming is an increase in the average temperature at the Earth's surface due to the greenhouse effect resulting from the emission of carbon dioxide from fuel combustion or from deforestation. As a result, there is a trap for heat, which would simply leave the Earth without these gases. Fortunately, the world's population can do a lot to help reduce the effects of global warming. And it is never too late and never too early to do this, so even children and young people can take part in this.

Steps

Part 1 of 6: Assess your carbon footprint

  1. 1 Find out what the carbon footprint is. The carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases that you use every day in your daily life and in your normal activities. In other words, your carbon footprint is a measure of how your life is affecting the environment. If you do not want to harm the environment and contribute to global warming, you should strive to keep your carbon footprint as small as possible.
    • The key is to keep your carbon footprint neutral or zero.
    • Carbon dioxide accounts for up to 26% of all greenhouse gases. Therefore, people strive to reduce their carbon footprint.
  2. 2 Find out what is increasing your carbon footprint. Almost all of our fossil fuel activities contribute to global warming. This can be direct use of fossil fuels, for example, driving a gasoline-powered car, or indirectly emitting greenhouse gases, for example, if we eat fruits and vegetables that have been delivered to our table from afar.
    • We increase our carbon footprint most of all when we indirectly use coal, natural gas and oil, for example, when we eat meat, use electricity, take our own transportation (for example, drive a car or fly an airplane), perform commercial transportation (use trucks, ships or airplanes), as well as when we use plastic.
  3. 3 Determine your carbon footprint. Since greenhouse gases are the cause of global warming, knowing our carbon footprint will tell us how much our way of life contributes to global warming and climate change. You can use one of the many calculators available on the net to determine the impact you are making on your lifestyle.

Part 2 of 6: How to Reduce Your Natural Fuel Needs

  1. 1 Try to use alternative means of transport. Personal transportation, such as cars, emits approximately one fifth of all greenhouse gases emitted in the United States. If you want to make a dent in your carbon footprint and reduce your personal impact on global warming, try alternative vehicles. Instead of driving your own car or a passing car to the park, school or friends, try:
    • Walk or jog
    • Ride a bike or skateboard
    • Ride on rollers.
  2. 2 Use public transport. Of course, trains and buses also often use fossil fuels, but they pollute the atmosphere or consume less energy than the many cars they can replace. The next time you need to travel out of town and find it a long way to go there by bike or on foot, take a bus or other public transport instead of asking for a ride.
  3. 3 Agree on joint trips. Children who live far from the school and cannot walk to it, if the buses do not go there, can ask their parents to take them to school with friends. As a result, children will be driven to school by one parent in one car, and not four, each in his own. Parents can change every week or every day and take turns bringing children to and from school. Thus, there will be three fewer cars on the road.
    • Make arrangements to travel to other places as well, such as workouts, extracurricular activities, lessons, and social events.
  4. 4 Encourage your parents to buy a hybrid or electric vehicle. Driving a car that does not use gasoline or diesel fuel will drastically reduce your carbon footprint as you use less fossil fuels, which will reduce your gas emissions as well as the emissions associated with the production, processing and sale of fuels.
    • Hybrids and electric cars tend to be more expensive than regular cars, which is why many families cannot afford them.
    • Keep in mind that fossil fuels are also often used to generate electricity, so riding a car that charges that kind of electricity will not reduce your carbon footprint in any way.

Part 3 of 6: Save Water and Energy

  1. 1 Turn off the lights. If you leave the room and there is no one else left, turn off the light. This also applies to other electrical appliances such as TV, radio, computer, and so on.
  2. 2 Unplug appliances from electrical outlets. When you leave the house during the day, unplug all electrical appliances that will not be used during the day. Many appliances still consume energy even if you turn them off. These include:
    • clock;
    • TV and radio;
    • computers;
    • mobile phone chargers;
    • microwave ovens and other appliances with clocks.
  3. 3 Turn off the water. Turn off your taps when brushing your teeth, washing your hands or washing dishes in the sink, or while basking in the shower. Also, try to use less hot water when showering or washing dishes, as heating the water consumes a lot of energy.
  4. 4 Do not open windows and doors. If your home has heating in winter or air conditioning in summer, remember to close the doors behind you and do not leave the windows open. Hot or cold air will quickly evaporate, and your batteries or air conditioner will have to work harder and use more energy to maintain a constant temperature.
  5. 5 Don't forget curtains and curtains. In winter, open the curtains during the day to help the solar energy help heat your home. When the sun goes down, pull them back to prevent cold air from seeping into the room. Draw curtains, curtains and drapes down during the summer to prevent the sun from heating up your home even more.
  6. 6 Find yourself activities that do not require electricity. Almost all electricity in the United States is produced using fossil fuels, so the less energy you use, the lower your carbon footprint. Instead of watching TV, playing on your computer, or playing video games, try:
    • To read.
    • Play in the street.
    • Play boardgames.
    • Spend time in person with friends.
  7. 7 Remember to protect the environment while doing household chores. While doing housework, you can take care of the environment in a variety of ways. For example, turn on the dishwasher only when it is full, wash things with cold water, hang things to dry rather than dry them in the machine.
    • Invite the rest of your family to develop these habits as well.

Part 4 of 6: Offsetting Your Carbon Footprint

  1. 1 Plant a tree. Mature trees consume about 24 kg of carbon dioxide each year and convert it into the oxygen you breathe.What's more, trees planted around the house provide shade and block the wind, which reduces the need for air conditioning in summer and heating in winter.
    • If you plant deciduous trees around your house, they will give you shade in the summer. And for the winter they will drop the foliage and allow the sun's rays to warm your home.
  2. 2 Go gardening. The more food travels to your table, the greater your carbon footprint. Although vegetables are less harmful to greenhouse gas emissions than meat and dairy products, they are still brought to the markets where you buy them, and that also requires fuel. If you have your own garden, then you will significantly reduce the amount of greenhouse gases, as well as increase the number of plants that consume carbon dioxide.
  3. 3 Save, reuse and recycle. You've probably heard the phrase “save, reuse and recycle”, but you may not have realized that this mantra can significantly reduce your carbon footprint! Recycling is an energy-intensive process, but it's still better than packaging from scratch. Reuse is even better, as it reduces waste, does not require a lot of energy, unlike recycling, and reduces your consumption.
    • Try to recycle old containers, clothing, and other household items. For example, collect aluminum cans and give your parents a bottle holder.
    • Recycle bottles, flask jars, tetrapacks and everything else that is only accepted for disposal in your area.
    • Try to refill and reuse pens, cartridges, and the like.
    • Don't buy a new liquid soap bottle every time, refill the old one.
    • Buy clothes and household items that are not new, but used.
  4. 4 Compost. If your area is not composting, the amount of energy and fuel that is spent not transporting organic waste to landfills will also increase your carbon footprint. What's more, landfills don't completely decompose organic waste, so it's best if you start composting yourself. This will not only reduce the amount of garbage that you send to the landfill, but also prepare your own soil and fertilizer for your garden.

Part 5 of 6: Be the Conscious Consumer

  1. 1 Save paper. Paper things also contribute to global warming, as they need natural fuel to produce them, and they also destroy trees that could capture carbon dioxide. To use less paper, try:
    • Do not print emails unless specifically required.
    • Borrow books from the library or read e-books. Don't buy traditional prints.
    • Receive receipts electronically. At the store, ask that you do not have cash receipts printed.
    • Ask your parents to buy items made from recycled paper. These can be paper towels, toilet paper, writing and printing paper.
    • Scan books, don't copy them on a photocopier.
    • Send e-cards instead of regular ones.
  2. 2 Don't buy bottled water. In most localities in the United States, the water supply is quite potable, so there is no need to buy bottled water in America. But people love this convenient and portable product, despite the fact that it takes three liters of regular water to produce one liter of bottled water and still needs millions of barrels of oil to make bottles, corks and packaging for US consumers only.
    • If your parents buy bottled water, ask them not to do it again. Even if they don't, you can ask them to use reusable glass or metal flasks that can be refilled with tap or filtered water.
  3. 3 Do not buy items with unnecessary packaging. The packaging of most goods is designed for various advertising gimmicks rather than for the safety of products or consumer safety. Because packaging is mostly made of plastic, it uses a lot of fossil fuels and is almost impossible to recycle. By not buying overly packaged goods, you will reduce your carbon footprint and show business representatives that their methods are not acceptable.

Part 6 of 6: Encourage Friends and Family to Take Action

  1. 1 Talk to your family members about how they can help combat global warming. Much cannot be achieved alone, without the help of loved ones. Ask your parents to help you do your part by introducing new family principles and rules.
    • Ask your parents to set the thermostat so that your heaters or air conditioner does not work too hard.
    • Explain to your parents that compact fluorescent bulbs use 70% less energy than incandescent bulbs, which will save you both energy and money.
    • If your parents often take coffee with them on the road, encourage them to remember about reusable mugs.
  2. 2 Shop at farmers' markets. There are farmers' markets in almost all cities and towns. Community support can be significant if you, your friends, and your parents buy groceries there. Tell everyone how important it is to buy locally sourced food (so that less greenhouse gases are emitted from being transported to your table). You will find fresh and delicious food in these markets.
    • When you go to the market or shop, remember to bring your bags or reusable bags with you.
  3. 3 Buy fresh, bulk vegetables and fruits. Packaged vegetables, fruits and ready-to-eat foods are usually packed in plastic, and natural fuel is used to produce the plastic. Most people are already used to this, but it is quite possible to leave the grocery store without unnecessary packaging. Remember that cooking takes a long time. Therefore, try to help your parents prepare meals with fresh ingredients. This will help them save time, learn how to cook, and motivate parents to buy fresh food more often.
    • Try to buy everything you can: cereals, flour, pasta and spices - not in packaged portions, but by weight.
    • Buy vegetables and fruits without packaging, and not prepackaged, such as carrots.
  4. 4 Ask your parents to cook more vegetarian or vegan meals. The production of meat and dairy products accounts for about 18% of global air emissions, and if you completely eliminate these products, it will halve your carbon footprint. Asking your parents to eat less meat and milk can help you significantly reduce your carbon footprint.
    • If a family of four eats meat for dinner once a week, the effect can be compared to if they had not driven a car for almost three months.