Top 50 Things To Do To Stop Global Warming

Discussion in 'Chit-Chat' started by samuel882, Sep 23, 2007.

  1. samuel882

    samuel882 Regular Member

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    Global warming is a dramatically urgent and serious problem. We don't need to wait for governments to solve this problem: each one of us can bring an important help adopting a more responsible lifestyle: starting from little, everyday things. It's the only reasonable way to save our planet, before it is too late.
    Here is a list of 50 simple things that everyone can do in order to fight against and reduce the Global Warming phenomenon: some of them are at no cost, some other require a little investment but can help you save a lot of money, in the middle-long term!
    1. Replace a regular incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb (cfl)
    CFLs use 60% less energy than a regular bulb. This simple switch wi ll save about 300 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
    2. Install a programmable thermostat
    Programmable thermostats will automatically lower the heat or air conditioning at night and raise them again in the morning. They can save you $100 a year on your energy bill.
    3. Move your thermostat down 2° in winter and up 2° in summer
    Almost half of the energy we use in our homes goes to heating and cooling. You could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple adjustment. The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy has more tips for saving energy on heating and cooling.
    4. Clean or replace filters on your furnace and air conditioner
    Cleaning a dirty air filter can save 350 pounds of carbon diox ide a year.
    5. Choose energy efficient appliances when making new purchases
    Look for the Energy Star label on new appliances to choose the most efficient models available.
    6. Do not leave appliances on standby
    Use the "on/off" function on the machine itself. A TV set that's switched on for 3 hours a day (the average time Europeans spend watching TV) and in standby mode during the remaining 21 hours uses about 40% of its energy in standby mode.
    7. Wrap your water heater in an insulation blanket
    You'll save 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple action. You can save another 550 pounds per year by setting the thermostat no higher than 50°C.
    8. Move your fridge and freezer
    Placing them next to the cook er or boiler consumes much more energy than if they were standing on their own. For example, if you put them in a hot cellar room where the room temperature is 30-35ºC, energy use is almost double and causes an extra 160kg of CO2 emissions for fridges per year and 320kg for freezers.
    9. Defrost old fridges and freezers regularly
    Even better is to replace them with newer models, which all have automatic defrost cycles and are generally up to two times more energy-efficient than their predecessors.
    10. Don't let heat escape from your house over a long period
    When airing your house, open the windows for only a few minutes. If you leave a small opening all day long, the energy needed to keep it warm inside during six cold months (10ºC or less outside temperature) would result in almost 1 ton of CO2 emissions.
    11. Replace your old single-glazed windows with double-glazing
    This requires a bit of upfront investment, but will halve the energy lost through windows and pay off in the long term. If you go for the best the market h as to offer (wooden-framed double-glazed units with low-emission glass and filled with argon gas), you can even save more than 70% of the energy lost.
    12. Get a home energy audit
    Many utilities offer free home energy audits to find where your home is poorly in sulated or energy inefficient. You can save up to 30% off your energy bill and 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Energy Star can help you find an energy specialist.
    13. Cover your pots while cooking
    Doing so can save a lot of the energy needed for preparing the dish. Even better are pressure cookers and steamers: they can save around 70%!
    14. Use the washing machine or dishwasher only when they are full
    If you need to use it when it is half full, then use the half-load or economy setting. There is also no need to set the temperatures high. Nowadays detergents are so efficient that they get your clothes and dishes clean at low temperatures.
    15. Take a shower instead of a bath
    A shower takes up to four times le ss energy than a bath. To maximise the energy saving, avoid power showers and use low-flow showerheads, which are cheap and provide the same comfort.
    16. Use less hot water
    It takes a lot of energy to heat water. You can use less hot water by installing a low flow showerhead (350 pounds of carbon dioxide saved per year) and washing your clothes in cold or warm water (500 pounds saved per year) instead of hot.
    17. Use a clothesline instead of a dryer whenever possible
    You can save 700 pounds of carbon dioxide when you air dry your clothes for 6 months out of the year.
    18. Insulate and weatherize your home
    Properly insulating your walls and ceilings can save 25% of your home heating bill and 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Caulking and weather-stripping can save another 1,700 pounds per year. Energy Efficient has more information on how to better insulate your home.
    19. Be sure you're recycling at home
    You can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide a year by recycling half of the waste your household generates. Earth 911 can help you find recycling resources in your area.
    20. Recycle your organic waste
    Around 3% of the greenhouse gas emissions through the methane is released by decomposing bio-degradable waste. By recycling organic waste or composting it if you have a garden, you can help eliminate this problem! Just make sure that you compost it properly, so it decomposes with s ufficient oxygen, otherwise your compost will cause methane emissions and smell foul.
    21. Buy intelligently
    One bottle of 1.5l requires less energy and produces less waste than three bottles of 0.5l. As well, buy recycled paper products: it takes less 70 to 90 % less energy to make recycled paper and it prevents the loss of forests worldwide.
    22. Choose products that come with little packaging and buy refills when you can
    You will also cut down on waste production and energy use!
    23. Reuse your shopping bag
    When shopping, it saves energy and waste to use a reusable bag instead of accepting a disposable one in each shop. Waste not only discharges CO2 and methane into the atmosphere, it can also pollute the air, groundwater and soil.
    24. Reduce waste
    Most products we buy ca use greenhouse gas emissions in one or another way, e.g. during production and distribution. By taking your lunch in a reusable lunch box instead of a disposable one, you save the energy needed to produce new lunch boxes.
    25. Plant a tree
    A single tree will a bsorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. Shade provided by trees can also reduce your air conditioning bill by 10 to 15%. The Arbor Day Foundation has information on planting and provides trees you can plant with membership.
    26. Switch to green power
    In many areas, you can switch to energy generated by clean, renewable sources such as wind and solar. The Green Power Network is a good place to start to figure out what 's available in your area.
    27. Buy locally grown and produced foods
    The average meal in the United States travels 1,200 miles from the farm to your plate. Buying locally will save fuel and keep money in your community.
    28. Buy fresh foods instead of frozen
    Frozen food uses 10 times more energy to produce.
    29. Seek out and support local farmers markets
    They reduce the amount of energy required to grow and transport the food to you by one fifth. You can find a farmer' s market in your area at the USDA website .
    30. Buy organic foods as much as possible
    Organic soils capture and store carbon dioxide at much higher levels than soils from conventional farms. If we grew all of our corn and soybeans organically, we'd remove 580 billion pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere!
    31. Eat less meat
    Methane is the second most significant greenhouse gas and cows are one of the greatest methane emitters. Their grassy diet and multiple stomachs cause them to produce methane, which they exhale with every breath.
    32. Reduce the number of miles you drive by walking, biking, carpooling or taking mass transit wherever possible
    Avoiding just 10 miles of driving every week would eliminate about 500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions a year! Look for transit options in your area.
    33. Start a carpool with your coworkers or classmates
    Sharing a ride with someone just 2 days a week will reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by 1,590 pounds a year. eRideShare.com runs a free national service connecting commuters and travelers.
    34. Don't leave an empty roof rack on your car
    This can increase fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 10% due to wind resistance and the extra weight - removing it is a better idea.
    35. Keep your car tuned up
    Regular maintenance helps improve fuel efficiency and reduces emissions. When just 1% of car owners properly maintain their cars, nearly a billion pounds of carbon dioxide are kept out of the atmosphere.
    36. Drive carefully and do not waste fuel
    You can reduce CO2 emissions by readjusting your driving style. Choose proper gears, do not abu se the gas pedal, use the engine brake instead of the pedal brake when possible and turn off your engine when your vehicle is motionless for more than one minute. By readjusting your driving style you can save money on both fuel and car mantainance.
    37. Check your tires weekly to make sure they' re properly inflated
    Proper inflation can improve gas mileage by more than 3%. Since every gallon of gasoline saved keeps 20 pounds of carb on dioxide out of the atmosphere, every increase in fuel efficiency makes a difference!
    38. When it is time for a new car, choose a more fuel efficient vehicle
    You can save 3,000 pounds of carbon dioxide every year if your new car gets only 3 miles per gallon more than your current one. You can get up to 60 miles per gallon with a hybrid! You can find information on fuel efficiency on FuelEconomy and on GreenCars websites.
    39. Try car sharing
    Need a car but don't want to buy one? Community car sharing organizations provide access to a car and your membership fee covers gas, maintenance and insurance. Many companies – such as Flexcar - offer low emission or hybrid cars too! Also, see ZipCar .
    40. Try telecommuting from home
    Telecommuting can help you drastically reduce the number of miles you drive every week. For more information, check out the Telework Coalition.
    41. Fly less
    Air travel produces large amounts of emissions so reducing how much you fly by even one or two trips a year can reduce your emissions significantly. You can also offset your air travel by investing in renewable energy projects.
    42. Encourage your school or business to reduce emissions
    You can extend your positive influence o n global warming well beyond your home by actively encouraging other to take action.
    43. Join the virtual march
    The Stop Global Warming Virtual March is a non-political effort to bring people concerned about global warming together in one place. Add your voice to the hundreds of thousands of other people urging action on this issue.
    44. Encourage the switch to renewable energy
    Successfully combating global warming requires a national transition to renew able energy sources such as solar, wind and biomass. These technologies are ready to be deployed more widely but there are regulatory barriers impeding them. Take action to break down those barriers with Vote Solar .
    45. Protect and conserve forest worldwide
    Forests play a critial role in global warming: they store carbon. When forests are burned or cut down, their stored carbon is release into the atmosphere - deforestation now accounts for about 20% of car bon dioxide emissions each year. Conservation International has more information on forests and global warming.
    46. Consider the impact of your investments
    If you invest your money, you should consider the impact that your investments and savings will have on global warming. Check out SocialInvest and Ceres to can learn more about how to ensure your money is being invested in companies, products and projects that address issues related to climate change.
    47. Make your city cool
    Cities and states around the country have taken action to stop global warming by passing innovat ive transportation and energy saving legislation. 194 cities nationwide representing over 40 million people have made this pledge as part of the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement . Find out how to make your city a cool city .
    48. Tell Congress to act
    The McCain Lieberman Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act would set a firm limit on carbon dioxide emissions and then use free market inc entives to lower costs, promote efficiency and spur innovation. Tell your representative to support it.
    49. Make sure your voice is heard!
    Americans must have a stronger commitment from their government in order to stop global warming and implement solutions and such a commitment won 't come without a dramatic increase in citizen lobbying for new laws with teeth. Get the facts about U.S. politicians and candidates at Project Vote Smart and The League of Conservation Voters . Make sure your voice is heard by voting!
    50. Share this list!
     
    Jessica and DinkAlot like this.
  2. drifit

    drifit newbie

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    :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:
    51. play less badminton, as we play, we did produce heat.....:D
    however, the most global warming is due to vehicles that using diesel or petrol. in 50 years, as the petroleum no longer available, only then the global warming will reduce.
     
  3. Double_Player

    Double_Player Regular Member

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    I can't do #35 as I just gutted my exhaust system and putting in a turbo-back system, so I have no catalytic converter anymore. I can't do #31 because meat is GOOD!!! and I bike everywhere, so my car is practically not doing anything other than week end and occasional going out with friends or going to the gym and baddy when it's cold or I'm late :D. I'm OK there.

    #52: tell all the lazy ppl to walk or bike or take a bus when they can instead of driving your car for 5 min each way.

    #53: don't use dish washer at all. you have a pair of hand, some dish soap and scotch-brite pads. dishwasher is inefficient anyway and can't clean a lot of things.
     
  4. DinkAlot

    DinkAlot dcbadminton
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    Great post Samuel, good karma! :D

    I try to be green conscious. Of the 50 things listed here, I have done about 46 of them. Not too bad. Once I dump my humongo truck and get a more efficient car, it'll be 47. :)
     
  5. samuel882

    samuel882 Regular Member

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    Great to hear you have got yourself with a good awareness For Green World..

    My self was still trying hard to achieve it all mentioned in the lists , you are doing great in passing 46 of them !:) Bravo !
     
  6. XtC-604

    XtC-604 Regular Member

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    jesus global warming is what companies use to make you buy more expensive goods, remember the O-zone hole that everyone was talking about they sold plenty of more expensive products off of that. Now come back to reality, does the o-zone problem still have as much hype? The same thing is going to happen to this global warming issue, once it runs outta hype companies are gonna stop thinking about it, and in turn you will too.
    Back to the topic...i can't do 32,33,38,39 cause i'm a petrol head and i like to drive gas guzzling beasts = ). Don't even talk about car sharing, that's a SIN
     
  7. mojopin

    mojopin Regular Member

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    Actually, the ozone layer is part of the problem of global warming , and it really is a big deal, even it its not the medias flavour of the week. Dont be taken in by whats in the papers , and whats not in the papers.

    Sadly, this is all great advice, but its a drop in an ocean of trouble. why bother changing your lightbulb etc when china, a country of 1.25 billion is burning coal and oil at an incredable rate, and refuses to stop , because it feels its unfair as it never had a chance to develop in the past. China straight up refuses to conform to any global warming initiatives and take any responsibility for its actions, and instead is totally focused on economic growth.
    The US , another massive country, with massive production of pollutants, refused to sign the Kyoto treaty, calling all countries to reduce carbon emissions by certain amounts etc, why? again, because they were too concerned with economic growth.
    Economic growth is very important , but in the long term, it is far more important to have a country that is safe , clean and healthy. The money you make now, on the growth, will be lost , as countries scramble to provide new sources of power all at once, and hundreds of nuclear factories are built alongside wind turbines etc., and as health care is flooded with skin carcinomas etc . Its very short sighted and selfish to act like these big countries do.

    This is why i get a bit discouraged when i see that all the little inconveniences we put ourselves through to "save energy" and save the planet really has no effect because in the grand scheme of things, our lagging jacket, light bulb or even petrol consumptions is nothing, absolutely nothing, compared to the size of the damage being done by china and the US.
     
  8. Athelete1234

    Athelete1234 Regular Member

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    And then you see Stephen Harper saying that Kyoto is useless, and that's he's going to jump onto the "reduce emissions as long as our economy keeps growing" bandwagon along with USA, China, Japan, etc. This makes me want the opposition to overthrow the government...
     
  9. mojopin

    mojopin Regular Member

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    also, great OP, but why do you keep measuring CO2 in pounds? Is that the convention in the US?
     
  10. cooler

    cooler Regular Member

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    Yup. Canada is just one flea on the dog's back.
    Don't forget India and Africa.
    If canada adopted and comply to all of kyoto measure, the co2 reduction is equivalent to china stop building new coal power plant for.... one week. China is completing about 1 new coal fired power plant per week now (i have to double check this figure but it is very close)
     
    #10 cooler, Sep 23, 2007
    Last edited: Sep 23, 2007
  11. ctjcad

    ctjcad Regular Member

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    Hmm..

    ..*i have a feeling our taneepak will chime in on this topic*...;):cool:

    All of them are excellent ideas---them being practical is a different story & def. the main challenge..:p
    Actually, this topic was somewhat discussed in this (locked) thread:
    http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44072 :p

    Btw, #20 on the list is very interesting...:rolleyes::p
     
    #11 ctjcad, Sep 23, 2007
    Last edited: Sep 23, 2007
  12. cooler

    cooler Regular Member

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    funny thing is that countries still adopt the imperial system are

    myanmar
    liberia
    USA

    2 of those countries are run by dictatorship;)
     
  13. DinkAlot

    DinkAlot dcbadminton
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    Paul, I looked at your list and I think you are mistaken; I believe you meant to say all three are dicatorships...not unless Liberia or Myanmar were recently liberated. ;)
     
  14. mojopin

    mojopin Regular Member

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    dont encourage me to rant about people not using the imperial system. :)
     
  15. taneepak

    taneepak Regular Member

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    The ultimate answer to this is for the human race to disappear from earth. Of all the species living on this planet we are the great destroyer. To achieve zero human population is actually very simple. All you need to do is to stop producing any more offspring. Once humankind is gone, planet earth will take a couple of million years to regenerate herself. Then all will be paradise.
     
  16. drifit

    drifit newbie

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    :eek::eek::eek:
    my guess, earth will own heal itself in 2 years.....:D
    save the earth, kill the planet......:p
     
  17. samuel882

    samuel882 Regular Member

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    That was indeed a marvelous idea :eek:
     
  18. Neil Nicholls

    Neil Nicholls Regular Member

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    So just do the things that save you money by using less electricity.
    Then you can spend the money you save on more petrol :D
     
  19. wilfredlgf

    wilfredlgf Regular Member

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    And one by someone who haven't a clue.
     
  20. silentheart

    silentheart Regular Member

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    Here is a real solution no one will consider. How many nukes do US and Russia have? Just use some and it will send us back to nuke winter. Quick and easy.
    If there is no global warming, we will still be in ice age...

    Please take these as serious jokes.
     

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