Reduce Fossil Fuel Use
Burning fossil fuels increases the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. There are two ways to reduce fossil fuel use: Use less energy, or use alternative, nonpolluting energy sources like solar and wind power. At home, this translates to saving electricity by using energy-efficient appliances and compact fluorescent light bulbs, as well as reducing gasoline use and buying green power from your electricity provider, if available.
Plant Trees
Because carbon dioxide is the most important greenhouse gas, planting trees and other plants can slow or stop global warming. Plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen. They use carbon to build their own tissues and return some of it to the soil in a process called sequestration. Deforestation of rain forests is a large contributor to global warming and CO2 emissions, but planting new trees, even in your own backyard, can help to offset this.
Reduce Waste
The production of garbage contributes to global warming both directly and indirectly. Decomposing waste in landfills produces methane and other greenhouse gases. Waste also requires energy to manufacture in the first place. Reducing your consumption patterns and reusing items whenever possible minimizes your carbon footprint, since fewer new items need to be made. Recycling metal, plastic, glass and paper lowers greenhouse gas emissions, since recycled items take far less energy to manufacture than items produced from scratch.
Conserve Water
Cities consume significant amounts of energy when purifying and distributing water, which contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Saving water reduces the amount of energy used. At home, turn off water immediately whenever you're not using it, and repair or replace leaky faucets and toilets. In your yard, landscape with plants and grasses that require less water, and capture rainwater in barrels for irrigating.
Choose Muscle over Machines
When working outside your home, avoid equipment that uses fuel and produces carbon emissions -- even electric equipment. Prune trees and hedges with manual tools instead of their powered counterparts. If your yard is not excessively large, mow with an old-fashioned push mower, still manufactured today, instead of a gas or electric model. Use gardening shears and manual lawn edgers instead of powered weed trimmers. If you grow a vegetable garden, prepare the soil with shovels, rakes and hoes instead of a gas-powered tiller.
Reduce Solid Waste
Reducing the amount of solid waste is an active way to help cut back on greenhouse gas emissions. Solid waste is any solid, discarded material, including what fills your trash bags on trash collection day. Solid waste is typically transported to a facility for incineration or burial. Trucks that transport waste generally use fuel that emits carbon dioxide. Burning waste also produces carbon dioxide, and waste that decomposes in a landfill creates methane. When you can, repair items instead of throwing them out. When you can't repair, consider the item's potential for a different use. If it is beyond repair and you can't find a use for it, try recycling it or donating it to a charity.
No comments:
Post a Comment