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Global
Warming
The subject of
Global Warming is constantly in the news, nowadays. This subject is also
part of Ecology, as is any aspect of global life. So what is Global
Warming?
"Global warming refers
to an average increase in the Earth's temperature, which in turn causes
changes in climate. A warmer Earth may lead to changes in rainfall
patterns, a rise in sea level, and a wide range of impacts on plants,
wildlife, and humans." |
Global Warming
(NASA) |
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Have you ever visited a plant nursery? You will
find one or more "greenhouses" there. When you enter the greenhouse, you
will feel an almost stifling heat and humidity, that is because the
glass lets the heat from the sun in, and there most of the heat is
trapped. Similarly, the earth is warmed by the sun. Under normal
conditions, this heat is reflected back into space, but today much of
this heat is trapped and stays in the earth's atmosphere. So Global
Warming is often referred to as the "Greenhouse Effect." Scientists
generally agree that the Earth's surface has warmed by about 1 degree
Fahrenheit in the past 140 years. A warmer Earth may lead to changes in
rainfall patterns, a rise in sea level, and a wide range of impacts on
plants, wildlife, and humans. When scientists talk about the issue of
climate change, their concern is about global warming caused by human
activities.
 The greenhouse effect is the rise in
temperature that the Earth experiences because certain gases in the
atmosphere (water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane, for
example) trap energy from the sun. Without these gases, heat would
escape back into space and Earth’s average temperature would be about
60ºF colder. Because of how they warm our world, these gases are
referred to as greenhouse gases.
Average global temperature has increased by
almost 1ºF
over the past century; scientists expect the average global temperature
to increase an additional 2 to 6ºF over the next one hundred years. This
may not sound like much, but it could change the Earth's
climate as never before. At the peak of the last ice age (18,000
years ago), the temperature was only 7ºF colder than it is today, and
glaciers covered much of North America!
 Even
a small increase in temperature over a long time can change the climate.
When the climate changes, there may be big changes in the things that
people depend on. These things include the level of the oceans and the
places where we plant crops. They also include the air we breathe and
the water we drink.
What
Might Happen? It is important to understand that scientists don't know
for sure what global warming will bring. Some changes brought about by
global warming will be good. If you live in a very cool climate, warmer
temperatures might be welcome. Days and nights could be more comfortable
and people in the area may be able to grow different and better crops
than they could before. But it is also true that changes in some places
will not be very good at all.
There is a theory that Global Warming is
responsible for the increase in hurricanes and other tropical phenomena,
as well as the extreme heat patterns in USA, but this theory is disputed
by other scientists who claim that these phenomena occur every so many
years.
What can you and I do to stop Global Warming?
Well, at this point, almost nothing, except praying that fewer people
are hurt by the consequences of Global Warming, but as a Nation, we can
do many things, and they are not exactly getting done. Here are a few
things we can do which indirectly will help the situation:
Save energy
- Use the Energy Star program (EPA) to
find energy efficient products for your home. The right choices
can save families about 30% ($400 a year) while reducing our
emissions of greenhouse gases. Whether you are looking to replace
old appliances, remodel, or buy a new house, the can help.
ENERGY STAR is the government's backed
symbol for energy efficiency. The
ENERGY STAR label makes it easy to know
which products to buy without sacrificing features, style or
comfort that today's consumers expect.
- Turn off appliances and lights when you
leave the room.
- Use the microwave to cook small meals.
(It uses less power than an oven.)
- Purchase "Green Power" for your home's
electricity. (Contact your power supplier to see where and if it
is available.)
- Have leaky air conditioning and
refrigeration systems repaired.
- Cut back on air conditioning and
heating use if you can.
- Insulate your home, water heater and
pipes.
- Keep in mind that every trip adds to
air pollution.
Use less water
- Don't let the water run while shaving
or brushing teeth.
- Take short showers instead of tub
baths.
- Keep drinking water in the refrigerator
instead of letting the faucet run until the water is cool.
- Scrape, rather than rinse, dishes
before loading into the dishwasher; wash only full loads.
- Wash only full loads of laundry or use
the appropriate water level or load size selection on the washing
machine.
- Buy high-efficient plumbing fixtures &
appliances.
- Repair all leaks (a leaky toilet can
waste 200 gallons a day).
- Water the lawn or garden during the
coolest part of the day (early morning is best).
- Water plants differently according to
what they need. Check with your local extension service or
nurseries for advice.
- Set sprinklers to water the lawn or
garden only – not the street or sidewalk.
- Use soaker hoses or trickle irrigation
systems for trees and shrubs.
- Keep your yard healthy - use
mulch, etc.
- Sweep outside instead of using a hose.
- Learn how to plant trees, build a pond,
compost, and more.
Reduce/reuse/recycle
Practice the three R's: first reduce how much you use, then
reuse what you can, and then recycle the rest. Then, dispose of
what's left in the most environmentally friendly way.
- Reduce:
- Buy permanent items instead of
disposables.
- Buy and use only what you need.
- Buy products with less packaging.
- Buy products that use less toxic
chemicals.
- Reuse:
- Repair items as much as possible.
- Use durable coffee mugs.
- Use cloth napkins or towels.
- Clean out juice bottles and use
them for water.
- Use empty jars to hold leftover
food.
- Reuse boxes.
- Purchase refillable pens and
pencils.
- Participate in a paint collection
and reuse program.
- Donate extras to people you know
or to charity instead of throwing them away.
- Recycle:
- Recycle paper (printer paper,
newspapers, mail, etc.), plastic, glass bottles, cardboard,
and aluminum cans. If your community doesn't collect at the
curb, take them to a collection center.
- Recycle electronics.
- Recycle used motor oil.
- Compost food scraps, grass and
other yard clippings, and dead plants.
- Close the loop - buy recycled
products and products that use recycled packaging. That's
what makes recycling economically possible.
Handle toxics properly
Common household items such as paints, cleaners, oils,
batteries, and pesticides contain hazardous components. Although
we cannot completely stop using hazardous products, we can make
sure that leftovers are managed properly. The best way to handle
household hazardous waste is to give leftovers to someone else
to use.
Many communities have set up
collection programs to keep hazardous products out of landfills
and combustors.
Reduce,
reuse, and recycle office products
- Buy recycled content,
remanufactured, and recyclable office products, and
recycle them when appropriate (including e-cycling
electronics). At a minimum, buy recycled paper and recycle
it again.
- Clean Out Your Files and
recycle papers you no longer need. Many organizations
sponsor cleaning weeks; check with your office management
staff.
- Use spell check and proofread
before you print or copy. Print double sided whenever
possible. Minimize the amount of paper you use.
- Buy reusable office supplies
instead of disposable supplies.
- Set up an area to store and
exchange reusable office supplies, such as binders
- Recycle fluorescent bulbs
properly to prevent hazardous mercury from entering the
environment.
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Graphic from EPA; For more information see
www.epa.gov |
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