What is global warming - climate control and what can we do to help?

 

We keep hearing about how global warming-climate change will destroy us in the near future unless we stop using fossil fuels. 

Really? That's all we need to do, just stop using fossil fuels?

 

Is that the only thing that is causing our planet to heat up and the weather to change?  

The facts are there are many reasons for global warming-climate change and most of them we need to survive. 

Fossil fuels will have to be replaced by a renewable resource and the worlds scientist are not there yet. Solar and wind power cannot generate enough energy to meet all our needs. Even it they could, there is no way to store that much energy.

To make lasting changes will take united efforts from all world leaders and right now that's not working. The main reason it's not working is our leaders know they will wipe out most of their populations and destroy their economies if they just cut out all fossil fuel uses.

The leaders tell us to buy electric cars. That'll do the trick. How? The facts are it will cost you less to operate, but you have to charge your electric car with a fossil fuel source. That doesn't pass the sanity check to me.

I will list the major causes of global warming and then the things people can do during their daily living to help.

First, what is climate change?

This is how the United Nations defines it.

Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. These shifts may be natural, but since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels (like coal, oil and gas), which produces heat-trapping gases.

As greenhouse gas emissions blanket the Earth, they trap the sun’s heat. This leads to global warming and climate change. The world is now warming faster than at any point in recorded history.

What is really causing our climate issues?

The main causes of global warming according to the United Nations:

Generating Power - Generating electricity and heat by burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas causes a large chunk of global emissions. Most electricity is still produced from fossil fuels; only about a quarter comes from wind, solar and other renewable sources.

Manufacturing goods - Manufacturing and industry produce emissions, mostly from burning fossil fuels to produce energy for making things like cement, iron, steel, electronics, plastics, clothes and other goods. Mining and other industrial processes also release gases.

Cutting down forests - Cutting down forests to create farms or pastures, or for other reasons, causes emissions, since trees, when they are cut, release the carbon they have been storing. Since forests absorb carbon dioxide, destroying them also limits nature’s ability to keep emissions out of the atmosphere.

Using transportation - Most cars, lorries, ships and planes run on fossil fuels. That makes transportation a major contributor of greenhouse gases, especially carbon-dioxide emissions. Road vehicles account for the largest part, but emissions from ships and planes continue to grow.

Producing food - Producing food requires energy to run farm equipment or fishing boats, usually with fossil fuels. Growing crops can also cause emissions, like when using fertilisers and manure. Cattle produce methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. And emissions also come from packaging and distributing food.

Powering buildings - Globally, residential and commercial buildings consume over half of all electricity. As they continue to draw on coal, oil and natural gas for heating and cooling, they emit significant quantities of greenhouse gas emissions.

Consuming too much - Your home and use of power, how you move around, what you eat and how much you throw away all contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Consumption of goods such as clothing, electronics and plastics also add to the problem.

Everyone can help limit climate change and here are a few tips on how you can help Just by making a few changes.

* Lower your heating and cooling temperatures.

* Wash your laundry with cold water and hang things out to dry when possible instead of using your dryer.  

* Reduce the amount of water you use. Buy water efficient shower heads. Look for ways to reuse water. An example would be to use bath water to water your plants and clean floors.  

* Replace your incandescent light bulb with energy efficient bulbs. LED bulbs use more than 75% less energy than incandescent lighting. We replaced our 60 watt bulbs with 25 watt LED bulbs and have as much or more light. LED bulbs also seem to last just as long if not longer that our old bulbs.

* Turn off lights and appliances when not needed.

* Reducing the amount of waste we have to throw away. 

Follow the three R's. 

* Reduce the amount of waste you produce.

Here are some of the ways you can do this:

1. Only buy what you need
2. Throw away less food. Buy what you need and use it. 
3. Compost your leftovers.
4. Choose products with less packaging
5. Buy in bulk
6. Look for items that you can re-use

* Repair and reuse items as much as you can before replacing them.

Here are some ideas:

• Refill a water bottle with water from home instead of buying a new one
• Update your computer or tablet rather than throwing them out and getting a replacement
• Ditch plastic bags and choose reusable, environmentally-friendly bags instead

As a bonus, you can save money with this method.

* Recycle items wherever possible.

The third 'R' is about making sure you separate items that can be recycled, meaning they can be used for a new purpose.

Before you throw something away, think about whether all or part of it could be recycled.

For example, did you know the components of your old computer can be recycled to make new components?

* Walk or ride a bike instead of driving for short distances.

* For longer trips take a train or bus and carpool whenever possible. 

* Plant a tree or two. They provide shade that could help reduce your cooling bills and it's good for the environment.

* Add pot plants to your window sill or balcony.

These are only a few things you can do to help out. Be on the look out for other ways to help out. 

One of the best things we can do is get the word out on what we and others are doing to make positive changes. You don't need to force anyone to do these things. Just talk positively, and be honest about the ups and downs and let them make their own choices.