Global Warming.....

R

RWattier

Cathlete
What is going to happen to this world if we don't do anything?

Its too bad, that nobody acts until its too late........in my opinion its the type of people that take care of themselves and try to stay fit and mentally healthy that would be more active in this area, than those people who ignore poor health symptoms.........which is really a shame, since a large portion of America ignores those signs everyday - resulting in poor health (obesity) ect.........what is the world going to look like in fifty years??

Just thinking out loud........I wish there was more I could do. What do other people do at home to help the environment ect??
 
You are exactly right. Why do we wait until it's too late. I'm comparing this to the gas problems. Think back to the 70's when gas was being rationed. You could only get gas on the day that was assigned to your license plate. But once the "gas Crunch was over, did we do anything? No! and now we are screaming because the prices now are so high. We have had 25+ years to invent new sources or new products that use less gas, but have only seen in the last 2 years even a small push for hybrid cars. Society as a whole seem to ignore the signs and then moan how much they are affected. Unfortunately I don't have an answer for gas relieve or global warming. As for what I do at home, I do try to recycle as much as possible, but that's only because we have curbside recycling. If I had to store it and take it to a center, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't. I try not to waste water, especially here in Texas since it has been so dry. I too wish there was more we could as individuals without having to be genious scientists.
 
I know how you feel! I feel so powerless about this situation and think of it often. I recently read an article in TIME magazine about the severity of the problem. Scientists have been saying this is going to be a huge problem for years, but the government just blows it off! I am frustrated because Bush hasn't passed any laws regulating the release of gases from factories, etc. He says they can voluntarily choose to reduce their gases, but so what? I don't know what we can do until laws are passed to protect this environment and force big businesses to curb their release of gases. This is a very serious problem and needs to be addressed! I mean it's pretty obvious this is a problem with the temperaures rising, more severe weather, polar ice caps melting. We do have technology to use alternate fuel sources, also, but again, Congress is not passing laws that would enable us to get our hands on this! Don't ask me why! AAAARGGH!
 
We can all make little choices everyday that help. We might not be able to save the world, but we aren't powerless.

The other day, I was talking to someone who says he doesn't believe in global warming. I wasn't in teh mood for a debate, but i so wanted to pull my hair out!
 
I'm with Gina. Every small thing we do adds up, especially if we do them together. Something simple like buying produce in season because out of season produce is shipped in and it adds to the pollution and has an adverse affect on our environment. I heard that recently and it blew my mind. It had never occurred to me that getting all kinds of produce all year round could have an impact but it does. So I have decided to buy only what is in season and tiny though it may be, it's something. In season produce tastes better too. =) Do every little thing you can and share just as you have and it will be as a pebble dropped into water, rippling out and touching others, who will do the same and little by little we will affect greter changes. Be vocal. Act locally, think globally. It is not too late but we need to get the powers that be to act responsibly for the greater good and not the almighty dollar.

I am looking forward to seeing Al Gore's film An Inconvenient Truth http://movies2.nytimes.com/2006/05/24/movies/24trut.html which deals with the subject of global warming. It will provide a great opportunity for all of us to become activists and to petition our governemant for a redress of grievances. ;) In this case, to make industry accountable for damage done to the enviroment and to pass laws which protect the environment, with no exceptions, before it's too late. If gas prices remain high, there will most likely be a shift toward more fuel efficient cars and more regulation of the types of vehicles which guzzle gas and pollute our air and incentives for buying hybrids as well as more exploration of alternatives to gasoline.

Every big change begins with the small ones peole such as ourselves make every day! :)
Bobbi "Chicks rule!"http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/tiere/animal-smiley-032.gif
Tell me what you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? -Mary Oliver
http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/linie/smiley-linie-008.gif
 
I've been helping my kids with their science homework lately...

We are in a period called the 4th interglacial period, this means that the glaciers have covered and melted on this planet at least 4 times. Global cooling and warming.

Global warming is a natural phenomena. The debate should be are we accelerating it or not.

The volcanos, Pinatubo, Mt St Helens for example, have been dumping a lot of chemicals and silt into the air as well.

We should do what we can not to accelerate the process, I can't imagine how we could stop it.

dave
 
There are lots of things each person can do. Some may seem extreme, but that's all a matter of opinion, I suppose. I don't do all of these by any means.

Gasoline:
1. Walk or bike to work
2. Consolidate all your errands in one place, and at one time so you don't make half a zillion little trips
3. Slow down. Check your MPG - find the speed where you get the best mileage on the highway and stay there
4. Make your next car a hybrid
5. If you take vacations, weekends away, etc., choose things that don't require a lot of fuel - hiking instead of boating, for example

Electricity:
(remember, most of it is made using fossil fuels)
1. Replace all incandescent bulbs with flourescent bulbs
2. Turn off whatever is not being used - lights, TV, etc.
3. turn your heat down in the winter, AC up in the summer
4. Think about not using the AC at all if your climate is bearable
5. Watch for phantom loads - items with remote controls or clocks all use a constant drain of energy. Unplug them from the wall to avoid this when not in use.
6. Hang-dry your clothes

Water:
1. Get low-flush toilets or even a composting toilet
2. Get a low flow showerhead or one of those like they use in motor homes, where you can switch the water off when soaping up
3. Make sure your washer is FULL each time you do a load
4. Don't water your lawn
5. To keep flower beds alive, use soaker hoses instead of sprinklers
6. Hand wash dishes instead of using a dishwasher
 
I've got to agree with Dave. The planet goes through natural heating/cooling cycles; the sun goes through cycles--the polar ice caps on Mars are melting. So I'm not sure we can "stop" global warming. In fact, the computer models that some have used to predict dire consequences in the future re global warming actually do not accurately predict warming/cooling trends that have already occurred. So there are questions from the standpoint of scientific accuracy about current predictions of global warming.

That said, I'm all for cleaning up the environment and conservation and developing alternative fuel sources--we'd be stupid not to. But it's also not just a simple matter of making companies "stop polluting." There are economic consequences to imposing conservation measures, especially when we impose them here in the US, but India and China, the two biggest polluters in the world, don't. The economic consequences don't just hit the big corporations--they filter down to affect their employees, the stores and companies that those employees buy from, the employees of those other companies...etc. We need a system where there is an economic incentive to develop pollution control measures.
 
> I wish there was more I could
>do. What do other people do at home to help the environment
>etc.??

You can do something! Even if you don't sign petitions, and write to your senators and representatives to get laws enacted to protect the environment, there is a lot you can do as an individual to reduce your footprint on the Earth.

Some things I do:

I drive a Prius, which has much lower emissions and better gas mileage than most vehicles (though I don't get near the advertised "city" mileage in my small town, I'm still getting the lower emissions).

I compost. And I used shreaded paper as a "brown" additive when there is too much "green" stuff.

I'm transitioning to a more-raw diet, and by buying fewer processed, prepackaged foods, I reduce waste. By cooking less, I reduce the energy needed in food prep.

I recycle glass, plastic, metal and paper.

I plan to start sprouting to have a source of fresh organic greens (especially in the winter).

In the summer, I garden, which means I buy fewer veggies that are trucked long distances. My garden is organic, using my compost, worm casings, kelp meal and other supplements that feed the soil and the organisms in it rather than destroying them. I'm always happy to see lots of earthworms, because they are a sign of healthy soil, which makes healthy plants, and healthy me!

I try to buy organically grown foods whenever possible (and supporting smaller organic businesses and those that have been organic from the get-go rather than choosing "Del Monte" or some other company that's now offering organics because they see profit potential in it), and am encouraging my local grocery store to offer more.

As a vegan, I'm not contributing to the pollution and waste and natural resource consumption inherent in the livestock industry.

I avoid cleaning supplies that have "warning" or "danger" on them, and mostly use chemical-free methods, like keeping drains clean with white vinegar and baking soda, or washing many surfaces with microfiber cloths and water. The few stronger cleaning supplies I use are environmentally friendly, and never have more than a "caution" warning.

I don't use chemical on my lawn, and mow with a hand-push mower (which also gives me exercise!). I have eliminated the grass in my front yard (which is pretty useless, IMO) and planted flowers and bushes that attract and feed birds and butterflies and bees, and herbs and plants that feed me!
 
After seeing this list, I forgot some of mine:

>2. Consolidate all your errands in one place, and at one time
>so you don't make half a zillion little trips.

When I make my once-a-month or so trip to Urbana (which I don't do as often since doing a lot of shopping online---is online shopping environmentally friendly? I think it might be!), I make a circular route.

Even when I do in-town errands, I tend to make a circular route, so I don't backtrack.

>3. Slow down. Check your MPG - find the speed where you get
>the best mileage on the highway and stay there

On the highway, I drive 2-3 mph over the speedlimit, and rarely faster (unless I drive near Chicago, and have to drive faster to keep from being crushed! Or if I'm passing).

>1. Replace all incandescent bulbs with flourescent bulbs
I have flourescent bulbs in my most-used lamps, and I put (myself!) dimmer switches on my ceiliing lights).

>3. turn your heat down in the winter, AC up in the summer

>4. Think about not using the AC at all if your climate is
>bearable

I stay at 68 during the day in the winter, and 58 at night.
In the summer, I rarely put on the AC unless it's very humid and hot, and I keep it at 80 degrees.

>4. Don't water your lawn
I don't! And whenever I put a new plant in, I add hydrophillic (water-loving) crystals that retain water from rain, so I don't have to water as often, if at all (I water my food garden when the plants are young and need it, but I rarely water the flowers and bushes, unless we're mid-drought).

>6. Hand wash dishes instead of using a dishwasher
I do!
BUT, I just read in a Consumer Reports at the doctor's office that handwashing actually can use more water than an efficient dishwasher. But I suppose it depends on how you wash. If you're good, like my stepmother, you put soapy water in one side of the sink, wash in that, then stack the dishes in the other side of the sink, and once it's full, you use a spray nozzle to rinse.


I agree that little things add up, and if you get into the mind set of saving instead of using energy, it becomes second nature (which is why I don't even think of it).

TMI time!:
I live alone, so even though I don't have a composting toilet, I save water by going by the "if it's yellow, let it mellow, if it's brown, flush it down" rule of thumb. Though I'd add "if you've been eating asparagus, flush it down!"

What I'd like to do:
Get some water barrels that can be attached to the down-spout of gutters to collect rain water, which I would use in those times I need to water my garden.

Replace my windows with more energy-efficient ones, and maybe have a mini-greehouse window added to my kitchen or living room (on one side that gets the best light) to put herbs and maybe sprouts in to grow).

Get a bike and a good set of packs to use to do errands that I don't need to drive for.
 
The Prius and other alternative (battery) cars aren't as green as you think. At end of life the batteries are replaced. They're are no battery recycling plants in the US because the process is to costly under EPA and OSHA rules. The work gets shipped overseas where workers and the environment aren't as valued. There is a flip side to everything.

The rest of your ideas are great.
dave
 
>There are lots of things each person can do. Some may seem
>extreme, but that's all a matter of opinion, I suppose. I
>don't do all of these by any means.
>
>Gasoline:
>1. Walk or bike to work
>2. Consolidate all your errands in one place, and at one time
>so you don't make half a zillion little trips
>3. Slow down. Check your MPG - find the speed where you get
>the best mileage on the highway and stay there
>4. Make your next car a hybrid
>5. If you take vacations, weekends away, etc., choose things
>that don't require a lot of fuel - hiking instead of boating,
>for example
>

In lieu of going the hybrid route, how about just a less drastic "don't drive a huge ass SUV unless you actually *require* it?" And soccer moms simply DON'T fall into this category! The number of tiny little women's faces I see peering over a steering wheel of an SUV they need a freaking ladder to get into drives me bonkers. There was a little "talking to the real people" segment on the Today Show a few weeks back when gas hit over $3/gal. They interviewed a woman who was complaining that it cost her over $75 to fill her tank. Ummmm - she was driving an enormous SUV monstrousity. Enormous. Sorry, not really empathetic sweetheart.

m.
 
Target carries the full line of Method eco friendly cleaning products. Lemons are fantastic for cleaning as is vinegar. With the exception of bleach, which I use sparingly, I use nothing toxic in my house and that makes me feel really good because we encounter such dreadful environmental toxins every day we walk out the door. If you have carpet in your house and can't get rid of it, there are sealants which can prevent the ultra toxic residues from carpeting from getting into your body. Recycycle, reduce reuse and boycott manufacturers which over package and let them know that you choose other brands for that reason. Trader Joe's was petitioned to carry only cruelty free eggs and recently they did just that. Many people, including my vegan neice, boycotted them as well as petitioning. It truly works.

Dave, that's something we need to change and we should get started on that before our batteries die. Actually, I don't have a hybrid but I long for one and will get one eventually. In the menatime, keep the spent battery in your garage and skip the landfill and wait for the facilty to come. I have a huge store of batteries in my garage and we have a facility for recycling them which I hit every now and again. We have curbside recycling in Tucson and I was dismayed to read that only 20% use it. Isn't that awful? I'm vocal. I hope someone gets the bug from that. I also manage to put out 5 or six containers because I recycle everthing I can, including the tiny tags off of tea bags. That is why most people on my street think I am rather crazy. I want to scream when I see a half empty recycling bin sitting along side a garbage can with corrugated boxes sticking out because they have been thrown into the garbage and not the recycling. There is so much an individual can do to be green. There are so many organizations -- Union for Concerned Scientists, League of Converancy Voters to name a few. Join them if you want. They not only help make changes happen, they let us know every possible way to make a difference as an indivdual environmentalist. I belong to Arizonans for Humane Farming. I discovered them from my yoga studio. There are myriad ways to be involved and it's not as time consuming or difficult as one might think. The rewards are many. Being a small part of the big picture is a reward unto itself. :)

Go forth and make a difference in any small way. Together we are a force to be reckoned with and we can save the world. One of the best ways is to simply not leave it up the anyone else. Be the tree hugger who can be the change we wish to see in the world to paraphrase dear Gahndi. :D Be organic and cruelty free or the obsessive compulsive recycler or then on-toxic cleaner and tell everyone about it whether they want to hear it or not. Plant a seed on one mind and it can blossom into full time activism. I have three children and when I see the seeds of compassion and caring arise and grow in them, I am hopeful and grateful to know what I know. I have three children so I have a vested interest in making the world better for them and for all children and for the good of mankind as sappy as that may sound to some.
Bobbi "Chicks rule!"http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/tiere/animal-smiley-032.gif
Tell me what you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? -Mary Oliver
http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/linie/smiley-linie-008.gif
 
I'm glad you pointed this out about the hybrids. I don't think there are going to be any easy answers but we need to elect some people to office who are serious about finding alternative fuels...not just politicians who pay lip service to it and global warming (while they are pooh poohing NASA scientists out of the right side of their mouths or thumbing their noses at the Kyoto treaty).
 
Living simply and simply living add up to less harmful emissions. I personally find the prevelance of the SUV very frustrating. It flies in the face of conservation and decreasing emissions. I don't know if the States is like this but in Canada we have to have our vehicles checked for emissions every 2 years or you can't renew your license. I'm all for riding a bike, planting a garden, buying local produce, hanging clothes on the line, putting some bricks in my toilet tank, composting... but most of all being a good example for our children. It is so true that we haven't inherited the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children and their children and...... Why wouldn't we live for a small planet?? We really are, collectively, addicted to oil... A few environmentally responsible choices every day by the masses can't help slow down the accelleration. We need to stop letting the things that we can't do, stop us from doing the things that we can.

Take Care
Laurie :)
 
>I personally find the prevelance of the SUV very
>frustrating. It flies in the face of conservation and
>decreasing emissions. I don't know if the States is like this
>but in Canada we have to have our vehicles checked for
>emissions every 2 years or you can't renew your license.

I share your frustration. In the faculty parking lot where I park, there are several SUVs and, even worse, huge vans. I that the people who drive them don't have huge families. Most of the time, only one person is in the vehicle.

My neighbors a couple of houses down have 3 huge vehicles: a huge van, and two huge trucks (and they are huge people--I wonder if they grow into the vehicles, or they get vehicles they fit in?). Most of the time, there is only one person in each vehicle.

Unfortunately, several years ago, a tax deduction was given to those who bought certain farm equipment, but because of some loopholes, buyers of SUV's could get the same credit! Ridiculous!

I've often though a "convertible" vehicle would be a great idea: one that can convert from an SUV (when needed) to a small vehicle for 1-2 people, just by easily detaching something.

As for gas emissions: there are no checks, at least not in most places (maybe some places in California?). And nobody seems to do much about it, unless there's a car obviously spewing black smoke out of its tailpipe (and even then, it's got to be a lot to get any police attention, I think).

Because the US is so "big," I think we lose sight of how "small" our planet is. Europeans are much more aware of space constraints and the need to conserve and recycle. I was amazed when I was in France that the people I stayed with threw out so little garbage (at that time, they also used fewer packaged foods). In the town I live, there is a TWICE WEEKLY garbage pick-up (I signed up for the 'senior citizen once-a-week program, even though I'm not a senior yet!), which I think encourages people to be less aware of how much they are wasting and throwing away.

Now, I'm not ready to be like a family I saw on TV, that only has a pick-up truck's worth of garbage to get rid of EACH YEAR, but if they can do so much, we can all do a lot more.
 
RE: Global Warming..... so thats what check engine soon means

If your vehicle in the US is newer than 1996 then it is checked for emissions every second you run the engine. On Board Diagnostics version 2 (OBD2) was mandated by law in 1996.

In most states when you have a safety inspection they check to see if the "check engine" or "service engine soon" light will light at start up, they make sure it goes out. In some places they attach an OBD2 analyzer to the connector (its behind the dashboard underneath the steering wheel) to see what codes it's putting out)

Some states go even further and analyze the exhaust.

Dave
 
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