How To Prevent Rainforest Destruction
technologically advanced countries, such as the United States where they create
Today, the problem of rainforest destruction is beginning to be a grave concern.
The impact of this issue has been the main cause of global warming and climate
change. Problems like illegal logging, mass deforestation due to industrial and
mining development have become worse through time. Because of this, there are
several practices being implemented to help prevent forest destruction.
Here are some of the methods used to save the rainforest.
1. Reforestation is one of the most effective ways to prevent rainforest
destruction. It is the process of replanting trees in diminished forests. It
is a fast and easy solution to a lot of environmental issues like global
warming and animal extinction.
2. Recycling is also a great approach to prevent rainforest destruction. It is
a method used to process waste materials by undergoing a special
treatment. This is done to be able to decrease the usage of new
materials. Products like paper, if recycled, would be able to save lots of
trees in the rainforest from being cut down. You can help in recycling
paper by putting it in a paper shredder and bringing it in the nearest
recycling facility. Shredding the paper will make it easier for the
machine to process. It is the most used waste management method and
has been widely practiced in several parts of the world.
3. Participating in environmental campaigns is another way of preventing
this problem. Joining government projects like tree planting can be a
great place to start. There are also non-government agencies that
support this mission. And with your help, rainforest destruction will be
a thing of the past.
4. Promoting tourism is also a great means of avoiding forest destruction.
Most people subjected to illegal logging are those in the poor areas.
Getting them involved in a country's tourism will not only give them
livelihood. They will also become aware of the effects of what they
have previously done. They can also help educate other illegal loggers
on the possible consequences of rainforest destruction for future
generations.
5. Education is the most efficient and effective ways to conserve the
rainforest. As a part of this campaign, Google launched Google Earth
Hacks. It is a virtual map of the Earth's rainforest. Learning about the
rainforest and its benefits will show each individual the reason why
there is a need to save it.
Being involved with programs such as environmental awareness campaigns will
not only give you peace of mind. It will also provide you with a better idea about
how we can help in our way to save our living planet. Rainforest conservation will
not only benefit the present time, it will also secure a better future for our children.
How To Prevent the Destruction of Coral Reefs
Snorkeling and scuba diving—on most occasions, both forms of recreation have
only served one purpose. And that is to explore the corral reefs, but now thanks to
human greed and carelessness backed by global warming, these underwater
attractions are nearing their end. So here is a guide that may help us prolong the
inevitable destruction of the world's corral reefs.
The destruction of Pelagic and Estuarine Biomes can be attributed to almost one
thing, human waste. It is basically the uncontrolled flow of untreated raw sewage
into the ocean that causes the destruction of organisms that create the life of every
living organism in a single area of a corral reef. Basically, Mother Nature has
provided for the safety of her reefs by creating barriers that can blot out and
cleanse the water that flows from inland. It is also how tide pools are created when
low tides happen in low lying beaches. They serve as tanks for undue organisms.
But the problem basically lies in the magnitude of human waste that gathers from
inland bodies of water such as rivers and streams that flow directly into open seas
subsequently creating a bleaching effect that harms marine life. It mainly kills
algae that serve as a food and oxygen source for smaller marine organisms. That in
turn serves as food for bigger game, creating an imbalance in the marine food
chain, not to mention the oxygen requirement for every area. It is basically a
chemical reaction created by the waste mixed with salt water that creates poison.
You can literally simulate this effect by pouring a bottle of vinegar into your
chlorine treated aquarium at home. This same scenario was featured in Clive
Cussler's novel "Sahara" where the world is endangered by the onset of a global
red tide all because a nuclear arms disarmament plant dumps its waste into the
middle of the Sahara desert instead of processing it. In turn it seeps into the Nile
River speeding up the growth of a specific algae that eats up the rest of the
organisms, leaving the world short of oxygen.
Basically, the effort in saving the corral reef is already being addressed by
barriers and treatment plants that process raw sewage before returning it to the
ocean. The real problem lies within poorer and less fortunate nations who don't
have the resources to put up such structures. One of the best examples would be
the Philippine's Boracay island, one of the best summer beaches in the world. Its
secret is that it has no sewage system, ergo everything goes back to the sea. And it
said that if you dig deep enough into the sand, you're sure to find human waste.
Additionally, the squatters and shanties that spring up beside small bodies of water
in countries such as the Philippines continually produce garbage that they dump
incessantly into the water. Surely, there have been no shortcomings in creating
awareness for the people regarding the destruction of corral reefs. But all efforts
fall short compared to Al Gore's "The Inconvenient Truth" about air pollution. The
only solution now is to create an increase in awareness leveling that of Al Gore's
documentary.
In Clive Cussler's "Sahara," the end of the world was pictured in the form of the
infants and the sick that would be the first to die due to the depletion of oxygen.
Next would be the old and finally the screams of all able bodied adults would
serve as humanity's last gasp, all because of the destruction of the world's corral
reefs.
How to Prevent Destruction
We can scarcely turn on our televisions or pick up a newspaper these days without
being confronted with yet another depressing news item about the environment. As
the population of many cities increases, more and more land in being converted
from its natural state to accommodate homes and factories. The direct result of this
is the systematic destruction of different ecosystems all over the world which, in
turn, has led to seas becoming polluted with poisons, rivers becoming
contaminated by pesticides and the air becoming polluted with fumes from
vehicles and industry. While the problems of pollution and habitual destruction are
obvious, the solutions are elusive. Moreover, serious attempts to halt the
destruction of ecosystems must be made immediately.
As Paul Claudel once said: 'Nature is only an immense ruin'. Clearly, individuals
need to become more aware of the consequences of their actions and should act
more responsibly. Only if people do so will the Earth be saved from further
destruction and the world become a healthier, safer place to live in.
People should not expect governments to provide all the solutions. Citizens must
begin to recycle goods and packaging whenever possible, as well as buy only
environmentally friendly products. Nonetheless, domestic food scraps should be
recycled; for example, potato peelings and melon rinds can be turned into
substances that enrich the soil. By doing this, we can reduce the amount of non-
biodegradable waste being dumped at rubbish tips, thus ensuring that materials
such as glass and plastic are not left in earth which could be used as farmland in
the future.
Despite this, individuals can help protect the earth by using public transport
whenever possible. Where such facilities do not exist, sharing lifts is
recommended to reduce traffic congestion, noise and vehicle emissions on the
roads. The less petrol our societies burn, the better the air quality will be. In
addition, if there were fewer cars in circulation, there would be fewer road
accidents.
Another possible measure to combat industrial pollution would be the imposition
of strict fines on wicked, greedy corporations and unfeeling, ignorant businesses
which contaminate land, air or water. To be effective, the fines should be heavy
enough to deter potential polluters; if they are too small, they could simply be
regarded by industries as 'the cost of doing business' and they might be ignored.
Finally, governments should be far more responsible. All governments have the
funds and technology to provide solar, wind, geothermal and tidal power. The
problem is that many governments couldn’t care less and wouldn’t lift a finger to
help their countries by funding research to develop such sources or to discover
new ways to produce energy. If, however, this were to happen, the consequence
would be that depletion of finite resources such as oil and coal would be slowed
down, or even halted altogether.
To sum up, the earth is suffering as a result of the destruction wreaked upon it by
humanity. Don't you think it's time we cleaned up this dreadful mess?
What measures do you think should be taken to prevent further destruction? Image
Source : pdphoto.org
What measures do you think should be taken to prevent further destruction?
written by Cristina Nuta for FamousWhy.com
FamousWhy.com - Famous People ... Famous Regions, a Lot Of Articles and Free
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Disaster
A disaster is the tragedy of a natural or human-made hazard (a hazard is a situation
which poses a level of threat to life, health, property, or environment) that
negatively affects society or environment.
In contemporary academia, disasters are seen as the consequence of
inappropriately managed risk. These risks are the product of hazards and
vulnerability. Hazards that strike in areas with low vulnerability are not considered
a disaster, as is the case in uninhabited regions.[1]
Developing countries suffer the greatest costs when a disaster hits – more than 95
percent of all deaths caused by disasters occur in developing countries, and losses
due to natural disasters are 20 times greater (as a percentage of GDP) in
developing countries than in industrialized countries.[2]
A disaster can be defined as any tragic event with great loss stemming from events
such as earthquakes, floods, catastrophic accidents, fires, or explosions.
Natural disaster
Main article: Natural disaster
A natural disaster is a consequence when a natural hazard (e.g., volcanic eruption
or earthquake) affects humans. Human vulnerability, caused by the lack of
appropriate emergency management, leads to financial, environmental, or human
impact. The resulting loss depends on the capacity of the population to support or
resist the disaster: their resilience. This understanding is concentrated in the
formulation: "disasters occur when hazards meet vulnerability". A natural hazard
will hence never result in a natural disaster in areas without vulnerability, e.g.,
strong earthquakes in uninhabited areas. The term natural has consequently been
disputed because the events simply are not hazards or disasters without human
involvement.
Tsunamis
Causes and Effects
A tsunami is the resulting big waves whenever an earthquake or other major
disturbance occurs in the ocean floor. A tsunami is indeed, among the topics
featured here, one of the world’s worst disasters. Numerous factors can cause a
tsunami. It can be triggered by volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, landslides and
impacts by comets or asteroids. Any big disturbance down in the ocean could
cause these big waves to plummet to the coastlines or shores. But it is not the “big
waves” that do much of the damage but rather, the magnitude of the force behind
these waves. That is what characterizes a tsunami from a tidal wave because when
a tsunami strikes, it has nothing to do with the tides but the massive waves this
phenomenon carries instead. Sometimes, a collapse of an oceanic island could
disturb the sea thus leading to a tsunami. A tsunami is not the same as a tidal wave
and a storm surge.
a. 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami
“The Boxing Day Tsunami” was caused by the Indian Ocean Earthquake that
happened off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. It occurred on December 26,
2004 with 225,000 casualties inundating coastal areas with 30 meters length of
waves. It was described as the deadliest disaster in modern history with India,
Thailand, Sri Lanka, The Maldives and Indonesia being hit the hardest. It even
reached Somalia and nearby coasts of Africa and damaged the coastal
communities. According to wikipedia.org, “The disaster is known by the scientific
community as the Great Sumatra-Andaman earthquake, and is also known as the
Asian Tsunami and the Boxing Day Tsunami” which is named for the holiday
observed by the Commonwealth of Nations such as UK, Canada and Australia.
Relief operations are still in effect up to this day. The pledged amount of wealthy
nations still continue until today.
b. Damages/Casualties
Some of the Asian tsunamis that claimed most lives from recent years are the
following 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami – estimated 250,000 and New Guinea July
17, 1998 – 2,200. These tsunamis were preceded by an earthquake and was
recorded in the Ritcher scale 9.2 and 7.1 respectively. This type of natural calamity
can indeed inflict so much damage on people, habitation and living conditions of
the said affected people. Usually there will be a ten year period time-frame for a
certain place to recover from devastating effects of a wide-scale tsunami. Please
refer to the websites recommended below so that further information and more
accurate figures can be accessed because this subcategory does not cover updates
on casualties but rather offers a broader view of the damages a tsunami can cause.
Relief Agencies/Organizations
The role of relief agencies and organizations is not just to provide relief in terms of
food and shelter to disaster victims. Additionally, the act of philanthropy also
signifies that it is one way of boosting tsunami victims’ morale to move on with
being alive in the hope that life is going to be all right afterwards. There are
numerous Government relief agencies now that are created for such purposes. The
private sector is also doing its part, more so these days in making citizens be aware
of their corporate and social responsibilities. Moreover, the good news is we can
now basically access these said organizations in the Internet and could instantly be
able make a donation too. Please visit any of the sites mentioned below to
enlighten you on what these organizations are doing, how you can contact them
and what benefits a calamity victim can avail.
a. Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC)
When the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami occurred, the Disasters Emergency
Committee immediately appealed to the public to launch donations. They actually
were able to raise 300 million pounds just a year after the natural calamity. Their
goals and what they were able to accomplish as stated in their site
http://www.dec.org.uk/item/51 is, “As well as providing initial emergency aid,
temporary housing, clean water, food supplies and medical services, the funds
raised were so high that DEC trustees put in a place a three-year spending plan.
The money raised has rebuilt villages, schools and hospitals and reinstated fishing
ports and small factories.” Thanks to relief organizations such as these, victims are
offered hope despite devastating catastrophes that happened to them.
b. USAID
USAID is short for United States Agency for International Development which as
the name suggest, is an organization dedicated to helping third-world countries and
other nations that may need emergency aid. According to their site
http://www.usaid.gov/about_usaid/, “USAID is an independent federal
government agency that receives overall foreign policy guidance from the
Secretary of State. Our Work supports long-term and equitable economic growth
and advances U.S. foreign policy objectives by supporting:
Typhoons
Effects
Subsequent effects of a super typhoon can be massive and deadly. The destruction
it can cause sometimes reach up to millions in monetary value. To cite an example,
such cases happened just like the Hurricane Katrina that ravaged in U.S. territory.
The severe flooding contributed to the worsening of the value of damages to
property and living things. Floods, landslides, and mudslides could be deadly
equalling the wrath of a super typhoon. Knowing all this, inhabitants of tropical
countries such as the Philippines should have a ready disaster plan and first-aid
kits in every household. If your particular area is more prone to tropical storms,
knowing strategic plans of emergency agencies and authorities should be kept in
mind.
Resulting Floods
Due to the continuous raining that accompanies a typhoon, floods will surely
emerge and water bodies will sometimes overflow. Hence, the resulting floods will
certainly wreak havoc and add to the destruction of this type of catastrophe.
Furthermore, these floods would eventually lead to landslides hampering possible
rescue and relief efforts. The possibility of mudslides is also very likely following
a super typhoon especially if the particular terrain of the area affected is mostly
land composed of soft soil.
Volcanic Eruptions
Causes
Volcanic eruptions are like people, they have their own unique characteristics.
Based on their ashes and the way they erupt, I can say volcanoes have their own
attitudes as well. According to the science of Geology, tectonic plates are said to
be the cause of Earth’s movement. A volcanic eruption on the other hand, is
mainly caused by two major factors such as buoyancy and gas pressure. An article
on helium.com that answers the question “What Causes a Volcano to Erupt?”
explained it like this: “Buoyancy is a force that causes lighter material to rise
through surrounding denser material (think of a hot air balloon rising in the cooler
air). The hot liquid magma rises towards the surface through the more dense rock.”
Then, when a pressure is built due to gas, the magma exerts force on the
surroundings, forcing it to go up and releasing hot components forming the lava.
The result would be an active volcano erupting.
a. Tectonic Plates
Tectonic plates can be viewed as the basic cause of why a volcano is formed and
subsequently erupts. The Earth’s interior, having two parts namely, lithosphere the
above section and asthenosphere which is located below it is where these tectonic
plates move around in some types of plate boundaries which has three types
according to wikipedia.org. The type of boundaries are, convergent or collision
boundaries, divergent or spreading boundaries and transform boundaries (Please
see the site for more details on this plate boundaries). The movement of the plates
then causes movement along the boundaries and that is where an earthquake or
volcanic activity occurs.
b. Types of Volcanic Eruptions
There are basically three types of volcanic eruptions. First is the Magmatic
Eruptions which is caused by gas release during decompression. This has four sub-
types namely, Strombolian, Vulcanian, Pelean, Hawaiian and Plinian which are all
based in the components of their ashes during eruption. The second type is,
Phreatomagmatic Eruptions which is the result of thermal contraction when in
contact with water. This has also two sub-types namely, Subglacial—this is an
activity under a glacier, snow or ice and, Phreato-plinian– refers to a volcanic
eruption that happened under the Antarctica ice sheet some 2,200 years ago and
reported by British Antarctic Survey Scientists. The last but not the least type is
called Phreatic Eruptions which is due to ejection of particles that results in steam
eruptions.
Effects
Subsequent effects of a super typhoon can be massive and deadly. The destruction
it can cause sometimes reach up to millions in monetary value. To cite an example,
such cases happened just like the Hurricane Katrina that ravaged in U.S. territory.
The severe flooding contributed to the worsening of the value of damages to
property and living things. Floods, landslides, and mudslides could be deadly
equalling the wrath of a super typhoon. Knowing all this, inhabitants of tropical
countries such as the Philippines should have a ready disaster plan and first-aid
kits in every household. If your particular area is more prone to tropical storms,
knowing strategic plans of emergency agencies and authorities should be kept in
mind.
Resulting Floods
Due to the continuous raining that accompanies a typhoon, floods will surely
emerge and water bodies will sometimes overflow. Hence, the resulting floods will
certainly wreak havoc and add to the destruction of this type of catastrophe.
Furthermore, these floods would eventually lead to landslides hampering possible
rescue and relief efforts. The possibility of mudslides is also very likely following
a super typhoon especially if the particular terrain of the area affected is mostly
land composed of soft soil.
This is a compilation of The Global Warming Survival Guide and what you can do
to save the environment or at least to delay the catastrophic end to planet Earth.
From this compilation also, I have learned more about what is carbon footprint,
carbon dioxide emissions, energy rating, Plan B to save Earth, why trade carbon,
how to save the environment and money and some eco-friendly tips to reduce
power consumption.
Some ideas may sound ridiculous but at the end of the day, you are not only saving
the animal species, you are saving your future generation. In addition to that, the
examples illustration can be specific to areas like the States but the concept is the
same in which you can apply in your local areas or surrounding. After all, there is
only ONE earth and we are all stuck here.
Save the World from global warming
1. Turn Food Into Fuel
Are corn husks better than corn for producing energy? Ethanol is the alternative
fuel that could finally wean the U.S. from its expensive oil habit and in turn
prevent the millions of tons of carbon emissions that go with it.
2. Get Blueprints For a Green House
Reducing your impact on the earth is not just a question of what you drive but also
of what you live in. Residential energy use accounts for 16% of greenhouse-gas
emissions. If you begin thinking green at the blueprint stage, however, low-tech,
pragmatic techniques will maximize your new home's efficiency. Installing those
systems from the ground up is cheaper than retrofitting.
3. Change Your Lightbulbs to Energy Savers
The hottest thing in household energy savings is the compact fluorescent lightbulb
(CFL), a funny-looking swirl that fits into standard sockets. CFLs cost three to five
times as much as conventional incandescent bulbs yet use one-quarter the
electricity and last several years longer.
4. Light Up Your City With LED
Cities can save energy—and money—by illuminating public spaces with LEDs, or
light-emitting diodes.
5. Pay the Carbon Tax
Everyone agrees that it's necessary to reduce carbon emissions around the world.
There is less agreement over exactly how nations should go about achieving a
more carbon-free planet. Hence, the environmental equivalent of Elvis vs. the
Beatles: cap-and-trade carbon emissions, or impose a carbon tax on all users? With
cap-and-trade programs, governments limit the level of carbon that can be emitted
by an industry. Companies that hold their emissions below the cap can sell their
remaining allowance on a carbon market, while companies that exceed their limit
must purchase credits on that market.
6. Ditch the Mansion
Oversize houses aren't just architecturally offensive; they also generally require
more energy to heat and cool than smaller ones, even with efficient appliances.
And in the U.S., big houses are becoming the norm, even though a relatively
inefficient small house consumes less energy than a greener large house and uses
fewer building materials, which expand the carbon footprint. A typical new single-
family home in the U.S. is nearly 2,500 square feet today, up from about 1,000
square feet in 1950, even as the average household has shrunk from 3.4 to 2.6
people.
7. Hang Up a Clothes Line To Dry It
You could make your own clothes with needle and thread using 100% organic
cotton sheared from sheep you raised on a Whole Foods diet, but the
environmental quality of your wardrobe is ultimately determined by the way you
wash it. A recent study by Cambridge University's Institute of Manufacturing
found that 60% of the energy associated with a piece of clothing is spent in
washing and drying it. Over its lifetime, a T shirt can send up to 9 lbs. of carbon
dioxide into the air.
The solution is not to avoid doing laundry, tempting as that may be. Rather, wash
your clothes in warm water instead of hot, and save up to launder a few big loads
instead of many smaller ones. Dry your clothes the natural way, by hanging them
on a line rather than loading them in a dryer. Altogether you can reduce the CO2
created by your laundry up to 90%. Plus, no more magically disappearing socks.
8. Give New Life to Your Old Fleece
Where do old fleece jackets go to die? Back to the mountain. Outdoor-gear label
Patagonia is collecting used clothing (regardless of brand) made from Polartec and
Capilene to melt and make into new fabric and clothes. (Some of that fleece is
especially virtuous, starting out as fabric made from recycled plastic.) The
company estimates that making polyester fiber out of recycled garments,
compared with using new polyester, will result in a 76% energy savings and
reduce greenhouse gases 71%.
9. Build an Environmental Friendly Skyscraper
Almost everything about the Bank of America tower, a soaring skyscraper under
construction near Times Square in New York City, has been designed to minimize
the use of energy. Take the concrete. Making the stuff from scratch is very energy
intensive, so the builders are using a mix of 55% concrete and 45% slag, a waste
product from blast furnaces. Mixing slag with concrete saves energy and makes
the concrete stronger. The tower will save so-called gray water from washrooms
and use it to flush the toilets. The building will also generate much of its own
electricity from natural gas, a less potent carbon emitter than coal. These features
will account for $3.5 million of a total building cost of $1.2 billion, but the owners
expect to recoup that in a few years with all the energy they'll save. When it's
finished next year, the tower will be the second highest in the city, but it stands
alone as the greenest building in New York.
10. Turn Up the Geothermal Heat
With clever engineering and an elegantly simple design, Diane von Furstenberg
reinvigorated women's fashion in the 1970s with the wrap dress. Can she do the
same for a building? Her newest project is a 35,000-sq.-ft. office, showroom and
retail store in Manhattan's trendy meatpacking district, all heated and cooled by
water pumped from deep underground.
11. Take Another Look at Vintage Clothes
High-end hand-me-downs (the smart set calls them vintage) are more ecologically
sound than new clothes. Why? Buying a shirt the second time around means you
avoid consuming all the energy used in producing and shipping a new one and,
therefore, the carbon emissions associated with it. Every item of clothing you own
has an impact on the environment. Some synthetic textiles are made with
petroleum products. Cotton accounts for less than 3% of farmed land globally but
consumes about a quarter of the pesticides. One quick way to change your duds:
invite friends over for a closet swap, to which everyone brings a few items they
want to trade. It's easy on the environment—and your pocketbook.
12. Capture the Carbon Dioxide Emissions
Coal is one of the dirtiest fuels around and a major source of the world's carbon
dioxide emissions. It's also hard to live without. In the U.S., half the electricity
generated comes from coal. What if coal-fired plants stopped spewing their carbon
dioxide fumes into the air and instead sequestered them—pumped them deep into
the ground for storage?
Carbon sequestration is (despite its name) a simple-sounding idea that's exciting
scientists, governments and energy companies as a way to cut emissions without
disrupting energy supplies.
13. Let Employees Work Close to Home
Sitting in gridlock wastes your time and the planet's fuel. The only solution, it
seems, is to move your home next to the office. But what if you could move the
office a little closer to home?
That, in essence, is the concept called proximate commuting. It works best for
companies with multiple locations in one metro area.
14. Ride the Bus To Reduce Carbon Dioxide Emissions
With transport accounting for more than 30% of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions,
one of the best ways to reduce them is by riding something many of us haven't
tried since the ninth grade: a bus. Public transit saves an estimated 1.4 billion gal.
of gas annually, which translates into about 14 million tons of CO2, according to
the American Public Transportation Association.
Unfortunately, 88% of all trips in the U.S. are by car. Partly, that's because public
transportation is more readily available in big urban areas. One promising
alternative is bus rapid transit (BRT), which features extra-long carriers running in
dedicated lanes. Buses emit more carbon than trains, but that can be minimized by
using hybrid or compressed-natural-gas engines.
15. Move to a High-Rise and save your trip
If you're a true environmentalist, a dyed-in-the-wool greenie, then why not pack up
your leafy rural home and move to New York City—preferably to a tall building
right in the middle of Manhattan?
The Big Apple is home to the greenest citizens in the U.S. Relatively few New
Yorkers own cars—one of the biggest contributors to an individual's carbon
emissions. Most walk, bike or ride public transit to work—all more efficient
transport than the best hybrids.
And New York has developed up, rather than out, which limits wasteful sprawl.
Eight million New Yorkers are squeezed into 301 sq. mi.—less than a fortieth of
an acre per person. Even a fairly dense suburb devotes about a third of an acre to
each person. Density means that commutes, shopping trips and supply chains are
shorter.
16. Pay Your Bills Online
Eliminating your paper trail by banking and paying bills online does more than
save trees. It also helps reduce fuel consumption by the trucks and planes that
transport paper checks. If every U.S. home viewed and paid its bills online, the
switch would cut solid waste by 1.6 billion tons a year and curb greenhouse-gas
emissions by 2.1 million tons a year, according to Javelin Strategy & Research.
Worried about security? Don't be. Just ignore e-mails "phishing" for personal data,
and monitor all (electronic) statements for any unauthorized debits. Report
problems immediately, and your credit won't take the hit. To avoid unnecessary
carbon dioxide-emitting car trips to the bank on payday, ask your employer to
directly deposit your paycheck. You'll get your money faster that way too.
17. Open a Window to reduce AC usage
Most of the 25 tons of CO2 emissions each American is responsible for each year
come from the home. Here are some easy ways to get that number down in a hurry
without rebuilding. Open a window instead of running the AC. Adjust the
thermostat a couple of degrees higher in the summer and lower in the winter.
18. Ask the Experts For An Energy Audit of Your Home
How green is your abode? A home energy audit, which most utility providers will
do free of charge, will tell you the amount of power your household consumes and
what you can do to reduce it. The average family can find ways to shave 1,000 lbs.
of CO2 emissions each year.
19. Buy Green Power, At Home or Away
More than 600 utilities in 37 states offer green energy, but unless you read the fine
print on your bill, you may not know if your power company is one of them.
20. Check the Label for the electronic goods for their Energy Star rating
You wouldn't buy a car without knowing its gas mileage. Why not do the same
when choosing energy-efficient ovens or even supermarkets and hotels? Energy
Star, a rating system by the Environmental Protection Agency, will help you find
them. Approved products can be pricier, but they cost less to power.
21. Cozy Up to Your Water Heater to reduce CO2 emissions
Improving your home's efficiency doesn't have to mean hours in the attic tearing
out the insulation. It might be as simple as giving your dear old water heater a
warm hug. Wrapping your heater in an insulated blanket—one costs about $10 to
$20 at home centers—could save your household about 250 lbs. in CO2 emissions
annually.
22. Skip the Steaks and Burgers
Which is responsible for more global warming: your BMW or your Big Mac?
Believe it or not, it's the burger. The international meat industry generates roughly
18% of the world's greenhouse-gas emissions—even more than transportation—
according to a report last year from the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization.
Time for you to reduce your steak consumption and reduce your trip to
McDonalds.
23. Copy California anti-global-warming effort
Arnold Schwarzenegger may have signed the world's toughest anti-global-
warming law, but it is Democrat Terry Tamminen, his environmental adviser, who
is emerging as the state's real Terminator, winning industry support and the
endorsement of a Republican Governor for a mandate to reduce the state's
emissions 80% by 2050.
24. Just Say No to Plastic Bags
The plastic bags you bring home from the supermarket probably end up in a
landfill. Every year, more than 500 billion plastic bags are distributed, and less
than 3% of those bags are recycled. They are typically made of polyethylene and
can take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade in landfills that emit harmful greenhouse
gases.
25. Support your local farmer
Fruit, vegetables, meat and milk produced closer to home rack up fewer
"petroleum miles" than products trucked cross-country to your table.
26. Plant a bamboo fence
Bamboo makes a beautiful fence, and because it grows so quickly (as much as 1 ft.
a day or more, depending on the species), it absorbs more CO2 than, say, a
rosebush. Most homeowners have to restrict its growth, lest it get out of control.
Do this, however, and you reduce bamboo's capacity as a carbon sink.
27. Straighten up and fly right to reduce air mileage
Until we can travel by fireplace, Harry Potter-style, the only way to get from Los
Angeles to London is by carbon-spewing jet airliner. One simple change can help:
adjust the exit and entry points each nation sets for its airspace so that planes can
fly in as straight a line as possible.
28. Have a green wedding
You won't be able to stop global warming on your wedding day, but your choices
can lessen the carbon footprint of your event. For example, if your guests are
traveling long distances, offset the carbon emissions from their trips with a
donation to renewable—energy projects.
29. Remove the tie, wear casual to reduce body heat and usage of AC
How can a tie help fight climate change? When you leave it at home. In the "cool
biz" summer of 2005, Japanese salarymen swapped their trademark dark blue
business suits for open collars and light tropical colors. It was all part of the
Japanese government's effort to save energy by keeping its office temperatures at
82.4F throughout the summer.
The policy caused sartorial confusion but did make a dent in Japan's rising carbon
emissions. In one summer, Japan cut an estimated 79,000 tons of CO2. If U.S.
businesses eased off on their arctic-level air-conditioning, the gains could be
significant. Time to make every summer day casual Friday?
30. Shut off your computer
A screen saver is not an energy saver. According to the U.S. Department of
Energy, 75% of all the electricity consumed in the home is standby power used to
keep electronics running when those TVs, DVRs, computers, monitors and stereos
are "off." The average desktop computer, not including the monitor, consumes
from 60 to 250 watts a day. Compared with a machine left on 24/7, a computer
that is in use four hours a day and turned off the rest of the time would save you
about $70 a year. The carbon impact would be even greater. Shutting it off would
reduce the machine's CO2 emissions 83%, to just 63 kg a year.
31. Wear eco-friendly eye shadow
Bright green may not be in this season, but eco-friendly makeup has trend written
all over it. Not long ago, Cargo Cosmetics launched PlantLove, a botanical lipstick
packaged in a 100% biodegradable tube made of polylactic acid—a corn-based
renewable resource. When the tube is empty, plant it in the ground, and it sprouts
flowers. The product represents only a sliver of the $50 billion industry in the
U.S., but it's growing fast. The market for organic personal-care products will
increase more than 8% this year.
32. Kill the Lights At Quitting Time
Assigning an office switch-off monitor might sound a little like third grade, but it
could cut carbon emissions by reducing electricity use, not to mention extending
equipment life and lowering maintenance costs. Air conditioners and overhead
lights can be timed for turnoff: Aim for off-peak energy use to be about one-fifth
of peak use. In the morning, the switch-on monitor takes over.
33. Rearrange the Heavens and the Earth
What if we could build a giant mirror in space to deflect the sun's energy? Or
inject sulfur into the stratosphere to cool the earth? Scientists are examining such
sci-fi methods as a gigantic Plan B should efforts to end carbon emissions fail.
Geoengineering, as the field is called, involves rearranging the environment on a
planetary scale. Implementing this feat however is very costly.
34. Rake in the Fall Colors - Avoid using gas-powered leaf blower
Few things rip through the serenity of a Sunday in suburbia like the 70-db wail of
a gas-powered leaf blower. Improvements have been made to make them more
efficient, but using that motorized hurricane for just an hour still sucks down 1 pt.
of gas and oil. With more than 30 million acres of lawn in the U.S., it's a high price
to pay for a job that can be done almost as well, if somewhat more slowly, with a
rake. Besides, you can't lean on a leaf blower when you're done.
35. End the Paper Chase
Americans recycled 42 million tons of paper last year—50% of what they used—
but still pulverized the rest. Paper does grow on trees: 900 million of them every
year become pulp and paper.
We can reduce that number by buying more recycled paper. It uses 60% less
energy than virgin paper. Each ton purchased saves 4,000 kW-h of energy, 7,000
gal. of water and 17 trees, and a tree has the capacity to filter up to 60 lbs. of
pollutants from the air.
36. Play the Carbon-Emissions Trading Market (and Trade Carbon for Capital)
To cut back on carbon, environmentalists are using the force of the free market. In
carbon-emissions trading, the government puts a cap on how much carbon an
industry is allowed to emit from power plants, factories and cars. Innovative
companies could meet those caps through actual reductions and earn carbon
"credits," which they could sell to industry laggards.
One of the most ambitious of the Kyoto Protocol's plans to help cut greenhouse
gases was the Clean Development Mechanism, through which companies in the
rich world could earn credit not for reducing their own emissions but for investing
in energy efficient projects in the developing world. The idea, which was included
in the Kyoto Protocol at the insistence of the U.S., has helped create a global trade
in carbon credits, in addition to the broader emissions-trading market. So far,
hundreds of projects have been approved, some two-thirds of them in just three
countries: Brazil, China and India. Together, the projects save the equivalent of
about 115 million tons of carbon dioxide per year, and range from installing more
energy efficient machinery in paper and cardboard factories to building wind
turbines to generate renewable power.
Pay For Your Carbon Sins
Feeling full of climate-change guilt, Americans are snapping up carbon offsets
from Web-based retailers and nonprofits. Unlike mandatory allowances, offsets
allow consumers to pay voluntarily to reduce carbon emissions by a quantity equal
to their estimated contribution. The money typically funds clean-energy projects,
pollution control, tree planting and forest conservation. But offsets are picking up
skeptics along with customers. Critics say consumers have little assurance that the
projects they underwrite really reduce emissions and warn that those buying
offsets may sometimes pay for improvements that would have happened anyway.
They also argue that carbon-offset trading distracts from the urgent need to change
U.S. policies to address global warming.
37. Think Outside the Packaging
Paper or plastic? How about neither? All those Styrofoam peanuts and
impregnable plastic CD cases cost energy to manufacture and deliver, and that
means carbon. You can reduce the amount of packaging with a little consumer
vigilance. Give back the extra napkins or unwanted sugar packets; carry that gallon
of milk by its handle. True eco-nerds will even bring their own cup to a Starbucks.
38. Make Your Garden Grow
The U.S. spends more than $5 billion a year on fossil-fuel-derived fertilizers that
leak chemicals into the ground and accelerate the release of nitrous oxide—a
greenhouse gas. Try alternatives, from old-fashioned compost to grass clippings,
which contain about 4% nitrogen. More adventurous gardeners use a homemade
fertilizer mix that includes seaweed extracts for potassium and fish proteins and
oils for nitrogen. Or go native and embrace wildflowers and indigenous grasses.
Weeds are a matter of taste.
39. Get a Carbon Budget
The essential injustice of global warming is that the poor will suffer the worst
effects while contributing far less to carbon emissions than the rich. So here's a
radical solution: divide greenhouse-gas emissions by population, and give
everyone in the world the right to emit the same amount of carbon—a personal
carbon allowance.
40. Fill Up Your Car With Passengers
The next time you get behind the wheel of your car, turn to the passenger seat.
Chances are, it's empty. In most of the U.S., the single-occupant driver still reigns
supreme. Nearly 80% of people drive to work alone; about 38% drive alone in
general.
41. Move to London's New Green Zone
Homes in London account for 44% of the city's CO2 emissions, more than twice
the amount spewed out through transport. Worse still, the city needs to add 35,000
more every year to keep up with London's ballooning population.
That's why, on a brownfield site in the city's docklands, builders plan in 2010 to
open the city's first large-scale zero-carbon housing development.
42. Check Your Car's Tires
So you own a plain-vanilla, nonhybrid, American-made gas guzzler and can't
afford (or can't wait for) a hybrid. Now what? Just giving your engine a tune-up
can improve gas mileage 4% and often much more. Replacing a clogged air filter
can boost efficiency 10%. And keeping tires properly inflated can improve gas
mileage more than 3%. The bottom line? If you can boost your gas mileage from
20 to 24 m.p.g., your old heap will put 200 fewer pounds of CO2 into the
atmosphere each year.
43. Make One Right Turn After Another
United Parcel Service took a detour to the right on its way to curb CO2 emissions.
In 2004, UPS announced that its drivers would avoid making left turns. The time
spent idling while waiting to turn against oncoming traffic burns fuel and costs
millions each year. A software program maps a customized route for every driver
to minimize lefts.

In metro New York, UPS has reduced CO2 emissions by 1,000 metric tons since
January. Today 83% of UPS facilities are heading in the right direction; within two
years, the policy will be adopted nationwide.

44. Plant a Tree in the Tropics

It seems like simple arithmetic: a tree can absorb up to a ton of carbon dioxide
over its lifetime, so planting one should be an easy way to mitigate climate change.
Turns out it's not so simple. Recent studies have shown that trees in temperate
latitudes—including most of the U.S.—actually have a net warming effect on the
climate. The heat that dark leaves absorb outweighs the carbon they soak up.

45. If You Must Burn Coal, Do it Right

The poor coal plant: not only does it emit environment-damaging compounds, but
even the newest (which can cost as much as $3 billion to build) lose more than half
the heat generated when the coal is burned. But in co-generation power plants, that
excess heat is captured and reused for domestic and industrial heating, nearly
doubling a plant's efficiency. The process is similar to what goes on in your car—
think of the engine as a mini cogeneration plant. When the engine runs, it create
excess heat while driving the car, and in cold weather, that waste product is used
to warm the car.

46. Drive Green on the Scenic Route when your are on vacation

Going on vacation doesn't have to mean leaving your green conscience at home.
The car-sharing service Zipcar rents hybrids cars in five U.S. cities, Toronto and
London. A few specialty companies offer rental cars that run on biodiesel fuel, a
clean-burning substance derived from renewable sources like vegetable oil.

47. Set a Higher Standard for Car's Energy

If cars have to meet energy standards, why don't power plants? Carbon-emission
standards limiting the amount of CO2 that a new power plant can spew are in
place in a handful of states. California's tough new rules virtually exclude new coal
plants until clean-coal technology comes on line, and could establish a national
standard—just as they might for auto emissions.

48. Be aggressive about passive

Georg Zielke, his wife and kids share a five-bedroom "passive house" in
Darmstadt, Germany, with heating costs 90% lower than their neighbors'. Extra
insulation and state-of-the-art ventilation recycle the energy from passive sources
such as body heat, the sun and household appliances to warm the air.

49. Consume Less, Share More, Live Simply

The chance to buy a carbon offset—in essence, an emissions indulgence—appeals

to the environmental sinner in all of us. But there is an older path to reducing our
impact on the planet that will feel familiar to Evangelical Christians and Buddhists
alike. Live simply. Meditate. Consume less. Think more. Get to know your
neighbors. Borrow when you need to and lend when asked. E.F. Schumacher
praised that philosophy this way in Small Is Beautiful: "Amazingly small means
leading to extraordinarily satisfying results."