A recent NY Times
article on global warming talks about two new studies to come out pointing out the already dramatic effects of global warming.
Two other recent studies also point toward worsening global warming. One focuses on
arctic sea ice and how it's melting faster than it is accumulating. It's effects are wide range, but a major one is the impact on
polar bears. Another study, by NASA, looked at trends in
world temperatures clearly demonstrating an increasing warming trend world-wide. (And if that report got through the censors of the Bush administration, imagine what didn't?)
Yes, I'm about to get on my environmental soap box...
I think most of us acknowledge that global warming is occurring (unless you work in the white house, in which case everything is just peachy). Ultimately, what are the causes and what can we do about it?
Here is a really cool
EPA site that allows you to calculate your personal greenhouse gas emissions and gives tips on things you can change (usually very practical and reasonable tips).
Sources of greenhouse gases:
1) Cars: Transportation accounts for ~32% of greenhouse gas emissions in the US (in California, it accounts for 40%). I know most people are not going to sell their cars and start biking everywhere, but there are specific things you can do to decrease emissions. If you are planning on getting a new car, consider a hybrid or a small gas efficient car (the Toyota Echo gets 42 mpg on the highway). Consider biking or taking the bus to work once or twice a week when the weather is nice. (Personally, I find taking the bus relaxing since I always bring a book or get work done. And biking to work is a great way of getting exercise and decreasing emissions at the same time). Drive less: combine multiple errands into single trips, make lists so you don't forget things at the store and have to go back three times. Drive slower!!! This has a huge impact on your gas mileage and most people don't even realize it. This
site gives some other good tips on gas mileage. Try them for a week, keep track of your gas mileage, then go back to your old way of driving for a week and compare the two weeks. You'll be surprised how different they are.
2) Electricity: Power plants contribute about 38% of greenhouse gad emissions in the US. Turn off the lights. Use compact fluorescent bulbs instead of regular incandescent bulbs (you can usually get packs of them at Costco). They last longer, and in the long run, are a lot cheaper.
3) Manufacturing: Much of the electricity generated in the US is not used by individuals, but for manufacturing goods. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. It's fairly easy to remember, and it's the order you should use to prioritize how you're going to decrease what you use and the impact it has on the environment.
Reduce what you buy; most of us buy things that we don't need (or often even want). Consumerism is rampant in the US and advertising is effective. It's not easy to step back from something and think "do I really need this?" But if we don't, we end up owning a lot of things we don't need. And then they end up in landfills. A lot of manufacturing occurs in developing countries where the environmental regulations are not as strict as in the US. Try to buy things made in developed countries. (You're also less likely to be supporting sweat shops that way.) Do you really need to buy bottled water? How 'bout getting a water bottle and re-filling it instead? Or get a Brita or other water filter to use at home.
Reuse: We often throw things out when they're still in good shape. See if you can think of another use for something. (Instead of recycling our glass jars, we use them to organize the workbench. One size screws in one jar and so on. A five pound plastic bucket of joint compound is now our compost bucket.) A lot of clothing gets made abroad as well and it's often hard to find what you want if you limit yourself to US-made clothes. Shop at a thrift store instead. You'd be amazed at the quality of clothes that people donate (Most the stuff I buy from thrift stores is new, often with the tags still on it; someone bought it and never wore it.) In the kitchen, find someplace that sells bulk spices and refill your spice jars instead of buying spices in new jars. (It is tremendously cheaper too!) If you can't think of a use for something, or don't have the time to take it to a thrift store, post it on
Freecycle, an email list that people use to get rid of stuff they don't want anymore, or find stuff they need. In Salt Lake, many of the people who are looking for things are low income and wouldn't be able to afford buying the stuff that's offered up on the list.
Recycle: Recycling is great on many levels. (From the EPA: By recycling all of its office paper waste for one year rather than putting it in the landfill, an office building of 7,000 workers could reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to taking about 370 cars off the road that year.) But before you recycle something, carefully consider whether it can be reused, or whether there might be a way to either avoid buying it again in the future, or buying it in such a way that you won't end up with garbage of some kind. If you have the yard space, start a compost pile. They're not hard to manage and provide great fertilizer for your garden. If you don't want to deal with compost, see if a neighbor has a pile. They will be overjoyed to get your kitchen scraps.
Another idea:
AAA (American Automobile Association) is a huge pro-auto industry lobbying group. That is where most of your annual membership fee goes. Check out this
article from the NRDC on AAA. Use
Better World instead. It's a pro-environment auto club. They even do bike roadside assistance, and have a
carbon-offset program where you can donate money to a project that reduces gas emissions by the same amount you produce when you fly.
And this post has gone on long enough. If you do other things that decrease greenhouse gas emissions, or improve your reducing/reusing/recycling, post them in the comments. I'm always looking for ideas!
Love,
J
