Our earth is in trouble, and we've got to save it!
"If you lose touch
with nature you lose touch with humanity. If there's no relationship with nature
then you become a killer then you kill baby seals, whales, dolphins, and man
either for gain, for "sport, " for food, or for knowledge. Then nature is
frightened of you, withdrawing its beauty. You may take long walks in the woods
or camp in lovely places, but you are a killer and so lose their friendship. You
probably are not related to anything, to your wife, or your husband "
Global warming is the
most serious problem we face in the 21st century. What is global warming? It is
the gradual increase in the temperature of the earth caused by gases such as
carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxides, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), and
halocarbons that we put into the atmosphere. Without these gases, heat would
escape back into space and the earth’s temperature would be about 60 °F colder.
Because of how these gases warm our world, they are referred to as greenhouse
gases. Greenhouse gas emissions are caused mainly by the fossil fuels we use for
energy.
The Greenhouse Effect
Greenhouses look like small
glass houses. They are used to grow plants, especially in the winter.
Greenhouses work by trapping heat from the sun. The glass panels of the
greenhouse let in light but keep heat from escaping. This causes the greenhouse
to heat up, much like the inside of a car parked in sunlight, and keeps the
plants warm enough to thrive in the winter.
The earth’s atmosphere is
all around us. It is the air that we breathe. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
behave much like the glass panes in a greenhouse. Sunlight enters the earth’s
atmosphere, passing through the blanket of greenhouse gases. As it reaches the
earth’s surface, the land, water, and biosphere absorb the sunlight’s energy.
Once absorbed, this energy is sent back into the atmosphere. Some of the energy
passes back into space, but much of it remains trapped in the atmosphere by the
greenhouse gases, causing our world to heat up.
We send greenhouse gases
into the air whenever we do the following:
Watch TV
Use the air conditioner
Listen to the stereo
Turn on a light
Use a hairdryer
Ride in a car
Play a video game
Wash or dry clothes
Use a dishwasher
Microwave
To perform many of these functions, you need to
use electricity. Electricity comes from power plants. Most power plants use coal
ad oil to make electricity. Burning coal and oil produces greenhouse gases.
The trash that we send to landfills produces a greenhouse gas called
methane. Methane is also produced by the animals we raise for dairy and meat
products and when we take coal out of the ground. Whenever we drive or ride in a
car, we are adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. And when factories make
the things that we buy and use everyday, they too are sending greenhouse gases
into the air.
What you can do to help reduce global warming
Ordinary people can help immediately by becoming more energy
efficient. Stop using the familiar incandescent light bulbs and replace them
with compact fluorescent bulbs, which last much longer and use only a quarter of
the energy consumed by conventional bulbs.
Compact fluorescent bulbs are
significantly more expensive, but because they last so long (up to 10 times the
life of a standard bulb) and use so little electricity, they are substantially
cheaper in the long run.
Next, when shopping for an appliance–a
refrigerator, a dishwasher, an air-conditioner–select the one with the highest
energy efficiency rating. There will be a sticker on the appliance, telling you
how much energy it uses. Pay attention. There can be a difference of 30 percent
to 40 percent or more in the amount of energy consumed by appliances with
comparable features.
Many things, like computers, TVs, stereos, and VCRs
have special labels on them. The label says "Energy" and has a picture of a
star. Products with the ENERGY® label are made to save energy. Buying products
with ENERGY® labels will help protect the environment.
Even more
important is the choice you make in the car or truck you buy. Motor vehicles are
responsible for about a third of the carbon dioxide emissions in the United
States . The vehicles that are the most fuel efficient emit the least carbon
dioxide. (Fuel economy and carbon dioxide emissions are inversely proportional.
If you double fuel economy, you cut carbon dioxide emissions in half.)
According to the research and advocacy group, Environmental Defense, if
you buy a new car that gets 10 more miles per gallon than your old car, you will
reduce the production of carbon dioxide in one year by about 2,500 pounds.
So buying a car or truck that suits your needs and is fuel
efficient is a big help.
Honda and Toyota are bringing so-called hybrid
vehicles onto the market in the U.S. Hybrids are cars that combine an internal
combustion engine and a battery-powered electric motor. They are mid-sized cars
that are achieving twice the fuel economy of conventional cars.
Dr. Paul
Epstein, associate director of the Center for Health and the Global Environment
at Harvard Medical School , summed up the matter as follows: "The issue is not
so much what we are doing, but how we power what we are doing. That's the first
step."
Over the long term, the requirements are far more ambitious.
Ideally, over the course of the next 100 or so years, a transformation will take
place and most energy end up coming not from fossil fuels like coal and oil, but
from clean energy sources–the sun, the wind, hydrogen, and non-polluting fuel
cells.
Grace Cherian is a Toronto-based freelance writer and editor who
has done assignments for both local and overseas clients. Her website address is
www.gracecherian.com.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is
provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice
provided to you by any health care or other professional or
organization.
