Global Warming might seem like an age-old topic to write or read about. This subject crossed my head when I was reading about a book written by the former US Vice-President Al Gore and a debate going on with one of my friend. The book, An Inconvenient Truth has also been made to an eponymous titled movie.
Though the phenomenon of global warming was taken lightly initially, it has gained momentum in the last few years. A decade ago when I first had heard about this and made a trip to one my libraries looking for abstracts, I could barely find one in the journals. But today an Internet search on this subject finds a million pages. The subject has become deep rooted in public consciousness now, as much as Madonna or Gay rights are, at least in a few countries.
Perhaps all this attention is deserved. With the possible exception of another world war (N.Korea & Iran willing!), a giant asteroid, or an incurable plague, global warming may be the single largest threat to our planet. For decades human factories and cars have spewed billions of tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and the climate has begun to show some signs of warming. Many see this as a harbinger of what is to come. If we don’t curb our greenhouse emissions, then low-lying nations could be awash in seawater, rain and drought patterns across the world could change, hurricanes could become more frequent, and El Niño’s could become more intense.
An international organization which gathers a wide range of research results from around the world as a basis for predictions on climate change, made a very grave forecast in 2001: compared to 1990, the average temperature in 2100 would rise by 1.4 to 5.8 °C, while sea levels would rise by 9 to 88 cm. In order to avert this situation, the Kyoto Protocol, which imposes reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases and other measures came into force in February 2005. In this way, Japan and other countries around the world are working to reduce emissions of Greenhouse gases. But the US of A which is the primary contributor of CO2 to the atmosphere, has not signed this owing to its effect on the economy.
Instead of blaming others, lets see how each one of us can contribute, in a small but effective way. So, here are the 10 things to do from An Inconvenient Truth.
1. Change a light
Replacing one regular light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb will save 150 pounds of CO2 a year.
2. Drive less
Walk, bike, carpool or tale mass transit more often. You’ll save one pound of CO2 for every mile you don’t drive!
3. Recycle More
You can save 2400 pounds of CO2 per year by recycling just half of your household waste.
4. Check your tires
Keeping your tires inflated properly can improve gas mileage by more than 3%. Every gallon of gasoline saved keeps 20 pounds of CO2 out of atmosphere!
5. Use less hot water
It takes a lot of energy to heat water. Use less hot water by installing a low flow showerhead (350 pounds of CO2 saved per year) and washing your clothes in cold or warm water (500 pounds saved per year)
6. Avoid products with a lot of packaging
You can save 1200 pounds of CO2 if you cut down your garbage by 10%.
7. Adjust your thermostat
Moving your thermostat just 2 degrees in winter and up 2 degrees in summer. You can save 200 pounds of CO2 a year with this simple adjustment.
8. Plant a tree
A single tree will absorb one ton of CO2 over its lifetime,
9. Turn off your electronic devices
Simply turning off your television, DVD player, Stereo, Computer when you’re not using them will save you thousands of pounds of CO2 a year.
10. Finally, spread the word
The above things are just a small effort for a bigger cause, a greener planet and a safer future.
Though the phenomenon of global warming was taken lightly initially, it has gained momentum in the last few years. A decade ago when I first had heard about this and made a trip to one my libraries looking for abstracts, I could barely find one in the journals. But today an Internet search on this subject finds a million pages. The subject has become deep rooted in public consciousness now, as much as Madonna or Gay rights are, at least in a few countries.
Perhaps all this attention is deserved. With the possible exception of another world war (N.Korea & Iran willing!), a giant asteroid, or an incurable plague, global warming may be the single largest threat to our planet. For decades human factories and cars have spewed billions of tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and the climate has begun to show some signs of warming. Many see this as a harbinger of what is to come. If we don’t curb our greenhouse emissions, then low-lying nations could be awash in seawater, rain and drought patterns across the world could change, hurricanes could become more frequent, and El Niño’s could become more intense.
An international organization which gathers a wide range of research results from around the world as a basis for predictions on climate change, made a very grave forecast in 2001: compared to 1990, the average temperature in 2100 would rise by 1.4 to 5.8 °C, while sea levels would rise by 9 to 88 cm. In order to avert this situation, the Kyoto Protocol, which imposes reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases and other measures came into force in February 2005. In this way, Japan and other countries around the world are working to reduce emissions of Greenhouse gases. But the US of A which is the primary contributor of CO2 to the atmosphere, has not signed this owing to its effect on the economy.
Instead of blaming others, lets see how each one of us can contribute, in a small but effective way. So, here are the 10 things to do from An Inconvenient Truth.
1. Change a light
Replacing one regular light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb will save 150 pounds of CO2 a year.
2. Drive less
Walk, bike, carpool or tale mass transit more often. You’ll save one pound of CO2 for every mile you don’t drive!
3. Recycle More
You can save 2400 pounds of CO2 per year by recycling just half of your household waste.
4. Check your tires
Keeping your tires inflated properly can improve gas mileage by more than 3%. Every gallon of gasoline saved keeps 20 pounds of CO2 out of atmosphere!
5. Use less hot water
It takes a lot of energy to heat water. Use less hot water by installing a low flow showerhead (350 pounds of CO2 saved per year) and washing your clothes in cold or warm water (500 pounds saved per year)
6. Avoid products with a lot of packaging
You can save 1200 pounds of CO2 if you cut down your garbage by 10%.
7. Adjust your thermostat
Moving your thermostat just 2 degrees in winter and up 2 degrees in summer. You can save 200 pounds of CO2 a year with this simple adjustment.
8. Plant a tree
A single tree will absorb one ton of CO2 over its lifetime,
9. Turn off your electronic devices
Simply turning off your television, DVD player, Stereo, Computer when you’re not using them will save you thousands of pounds of CO2 a year.
10. Finally, spread the word
The above things are just a small effort for a bigger cause, a greener planet and a safer future.
5 comments:
Ok, Firstly, I am a biologist so by default I should be environ mental.
BUT.....
A cow farts 120KG of Methane a year. Global cow fart adds nearly 60 million tonnes of Methane and CO2 to the atmosphere. And mind you, Methane is a 20 times more potent green house gas than CO2.
Oh God ! Hindus are so anti-environmental. And all the jazz in the Vedas are so shortsighted!!
All of the world's Hindu AND beef eating population (Christians, Muslims, Jews and Whatnots) should commit suicide.
With them taken care of, we can take "care" of the cows.
QED
Thank you
That's proved in true praj style..the methane bit was really informative and funny..
Santhu, I haven't read the blog yet but the very topic "GLOBAl WARMING" catches my interest alot after i viewed that 1 hr video by some famous scientist of US XXXX , don rem the name ?., when i was aboard BMI flight to London this time.The video was fantastic and he explained the very topic relating to all present happenings of the world eg..HEAVY RAINFALL in MUMBAI, KATRINA,Tsunami..all stufs.I was impressed after that..lemme start reading your blog now...:)
And its true buddy,
Now it has become important to every one of us to do all the small things that we can do to bring abt that significant change ,how much ever we can.
As you have revealed, its US of A who being the biggest culprit contributing app 37% of world Co2 emission.And to add to that, it is not accepting the fact rather trying to hide this from the world by manipulating all SO CALLED REPORTs...shame on them !!!
Yeah! With great powers come greater abusing of that power..
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