>Global Warning / Solutions

Playing It Cool

Stop the finger pointing and start the problem solving. Here's what you, and the government, can do to stop global warming.

By Kelly Turner

Biblical floods, endless heat waves, melted glaciers, rampant
malaria ...if, over the next century, the earth's temperature rises the 2.5 to 10.4 degrees Fahrenheit that's predicted, those apocalyptic scenarios could come frighteningly true. Still, no matter how daunting things seem, you're not powerless.

There are literally hundreds of steps you can take as an individual to help fight global warming. They can be as simple as using a power strip. Whenever you pare down your use of electricity or gasoline, fewer fossil fuels are burned, spewing less greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. Most appliances burn through power—and your electricity bill—even when you're not using them. Switch that power strip off at night. Or, better yet, plug in appliances only as you need them. By doing this with your VCR and stereo, for instance, you can prevent 237 pounds of carbon dioxide from being emitted each year. Such actions alone may seem like a drop in the bucket, but they add up. In fact, by making only minor changes to your lifestyle, you can easily prevent the yearly emission of more than 25,000 pounds of greenhouse gases.

In the long run, of course, progress must be made on a far bigger scale than any single person can achieve. So lobby your local, state, and federal officials to take the actions outlined below. And urge your family, friends, and neighbors to do so, too. Your children and their children will be grateful you did.

 

Kelly Turner is coauthor of You Can Prevent Global Warming (and Save Money!), a guide filled with more climate-saving tips.

 

2) Plant a Tree
Trees remove greenhouse gases from the atmo-sphere and store them. For example, a mature maple on moderate soil in the Northeast can soak up 3 to 4.5 pounds of CO2 per year; faster-growing trees store more. And did you know a shade tree—say, a red oak—planted on the sunny side of your house can cut your air-conditioning bill by 16 percent? www.eere.energy.gov/consumerinfo/energy_savers

3) Buy a Hybrid
Your car consumes as much energy as your entire house does. Get a lot more miles for your buck by making your next car a hybrid, a much more efficient vehicle that couples a traditional gasoline engine with an electric one. The Toyota Prius, for instance, gets an average of 48.5 miles to the gallon, and the Honda Insight averages 64.5; a typical sport utility vehicle, on the other hand, gets only 17.7 miles to the gallon. (Better yet, take public transportation.) www.hev.doe.gov

4) Go Back to Kyoto
The Kyoto Protocol is an agreement among 119 nations to reduce global greenhouse-gas emissions. The United States withdrew from the agreement in 2001, though this country emits about 25 percent of the world's greenhouse gases—at least 13 percent more than any other country. E-mail your representatives and insist the United States immediately reenter negotiations for this essential protocol. www.unep.ch/conventions/info/ccguide/beginner-99.htm

5) Push Mass Transit
Let your local officials know that you want a faster, safer, cleaner, and more extensive public transportation system. If 500 people who normally drive to work used public transportation just one day each week, they would prevent 600,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from being emitted every year. www.iclei.org/co2/

6) Bang Out a Plan
Circulate a petition asking that a state agency be created to 1) determine the amount of greenhouse gases your state emits, 2) develop a plan to reduce those emissions, and 3) educate the public on the effects of global warming. Send the petition to members of your state’s agency for environmental affairs. www.firstgov.gov/ (click on "State")

7) Reward Green Enterprise
Many businesses, from neighborhood restaurants to national brands, are taking major steps to curb their contributions of greenhouse gas. Recognize their efforts by giving them your business. A few worthy examples are Stonyfield Farms (yogurt), Ben & Jerry’s (ice cream), and Shaklee (vitamins). www.wwfus.org/climatesavers

8) Lean on Local Groups
Companies, schools, hospitals, and other workplaces use significant amounts of electricity and natural gas, day in and day out. For example, although U.S. schools spend $6 billion on energy each year, $1.5 billion of that could be eliminated with energy-saving techniques. Actively encourage these groups to use energy-efficient equipment, alternative-fuel vehicles, recycled products, and low-flow showerheads. www.cool-companies.org

9) Get Real ... Standards
Because the U.S. government defines sport utility vehicles as trucks, SUVs aren't bound by the stricter fuel-efficiency standards set for passenger cars. That means the average SUV can emit 3,817 more pounds of carbon dioxide each year than the average passenger car. Tell your representatives to put an end to this gas-guzzling madness. www.ucsusa.org/clean_vehicles

10) Recycle Like Mad
For every ton of material that's recycled, 1.24 tons of carbon dioxide are prevented from being emitted. Recycling also uses between 55% and 95% less energy than manufacturing new products does (depending on the material). When recycling programs are properly organized and publicized, they can provide five times as many jobs as the landfill, and also save money for your city. www.nrc-recycle.org

11) Shop Smart
Buy compact-fluorescent lightbulbs (which use just one-quarter the electricity of normal bulbs), programmable thermostats (which can automatically turn down the heat 10 degrees while you're asleep or at work), and low-flow showerheads (which reduce the amount of water heated for your morning shower). When it's time to buy a new appliance, computer, or air conditioner, look for the Energy Star label, which indicates the product exceeds the government's energy-efficiency requirements. www.energystar.gov/products

12) Clean Up the Streets
Urge your state to follow California's lead by paying citizens up to $1,000 to retire their old, inefficient cars. Also, ask lawmakers to build more carpool lanes, mandate a switch to electric public buses, and install climate-friendly transportation systems, such as the Aerobus. www.aerobus.com

13) Take a (Tax) Break
Ask your state officials to propose a tax credit for purchasing renewable energy and alternative-fuel vehicles. Also, ask them to shift—rather than raise—taxes by increasing vehicle fuel taxes and reducing others, such as property taxes. www.greentaxes.org

14) Fund the Right Fuel
Instead of allowing our government to spend more than $3 million a day researching new technology for fossil-fuel production, ask your U.S.
representatives to earmark that money for expanding our domestic renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power. Also, demand that we stop subsidizing fossil fuels. The United States spends approximately $1.6 billion per year on fossil-fuel subsidies but has spent only $5.7 billion over the past 50 years on those for solar and wind energy.
www.taxpayer.net/greenscissors

15) Hear Us Roar
A single voice can sometimes get lost in the crowd, so join others who are working to create effective measures to prevent global warming. Some noteworthy groups are
Natural Resources Defense Council
www.nrdc.org/globalwarming
Union of Concerned Scientists
www.ucsusa.org/global_environment/
global_warming
Sierra Club www.sierraclub.org/globalwarming
Audubon www.audubon.org