www.driveneutral.org has some awesome tips and ideas on how to make the world a cleaner, better place. I found them so wonderful that I'm posting some of my favorites on this blog. To see them all, visit DriveNeutral's website!
Make your eyes as big as your stomach.
The average family of four wastes $600 of food a year. In addition to the unsavory price tag, food waste also contributes to pesticide pollution, fossil fuel use, deforestation, and water use.
Plan driving ahead of time.
Gasoline made from fossil fuels is the largest man-made source of carcinogens and the leading source of toxic emissions, according to the . EPA. Instead of going on several trips, try to combine them. Combining trips can reduce gas consumption and emissions. And added bonus: your car runs most efficiently when it’s warm.
Slow Down.
Did you know that driving at 75 miles per hour uses 13% more gas than going 65 miles per hour? Aggressive driving requires more braking and keeps the car in a lower, less efficient gear.
Compute your savings.
Changing your computers’ power saving settings can decrease the amount of electricity it uses.
Tree your home.
Shady trees can dramatically reduce the need to cool your home in the summer. Some kinds of trees can even keep you warm in the winter. Deciduous trees lose their leaves when it’s cool, allowing the sun’s rays to function as a heater.
Use the library.
Why buy a book you will read just once when you can borrow it for free? Most libraries are bursting at the seams with good books, magazines, and even music. If you do need to buy books, then buy used whenever possible, have a book exchange with your friends, and sell the books you no longer need. Trees everywhere will thank you.
Turn down your hot water heater.
For every 10 degrees that you lower your hot water heater, you can reduce your energy consumption between 3%-%5! This lessens emissions produced by your energy provider and also helps extend the life of your water heater. Most homes can set their heaters between 115-125 F.
Have a garage sale.
Is your attic, basement, or closet overflowing with stuff? Do you rarely use your gadgets? Reducing waste can be a win-win situation! You can also sell your stuff on the internet or exchange it with others.
Buy recycled paper.
Recycled paper requires less energy to produce. Every pound of recycled paper you buy prevents 4 lbs. of carbon dioxide emissions. Look for the highest available post-consumer content.
Lose the heavy stuff.
Each 100 lbs. in your car increases gas consumption by 1-2%. Another great reason to leave all bricks and rocks at home!
Share.
Didn’t your mother always tell you to share? If you only use your tent, ladder, or video player once in a while, consider lending it to others. Some communities have a shared tool shed. Workplaces have book exchanges. Or, you and a friend can team up to buy rarely used items. Sharing decreases the energy and pollution from mining, manufacturing, packaging, and transporting new goods.
As you can see, DriveNeutral really knows what they're talking about! And while it'd be great for you to do everything in this post, it's not always possible. Doing just a few of these things really could make a difference! Thank you for helping us to be out with global warming. =]
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Some people would say, "Oh, I don't need to change MY lifestyle or the way I do things. One person doesn't make a difference."
But that is most certainly false. It takes everyone in the world to make a change on this planet, to turn our earth's warming around and get everything back the way it should be. Imagine all the people who think they don't make a difference. We won't get anywhere, will we?
If you think the little you things you do don't matter, you're wrong. They matter a lot, and they mean a lot! If you can do one more thing to change the world for the better, I suggest you do it. One person out of millions and billions CAN and WILL make a difference. And you will be a good role model for others who are still a little hesitant. Of course, going green doesn't require to change your entire life. You can do something simple like make a poster for the cause.
TODAY'S TIP: Only turn your dishwasher on when it's full. Wait and run it when there's no more room left. This saves money, and it saves our planet, because you won't be running the dishwasher as often as you would be otherwise.
For more good tips on what you can do for your part, click here.
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Have a great day,
and keep the earth clean! :]
If the temperature trend continues, it will take aproximately 25 to 35 years until the last polar bears living in the wild die out. Why? There is a lack of ice at the north pole! Take a look:
Pretty scary, isn't it? But how can we prevent that from happening anymore? Of course we can do more at home and be more conservant [see other posts in this blog] from now on, but that won't be enough.
We'd need to export snow to the Arctic through huge water pumps that pumps in fresh water from Russian or Canadian lakes to the worst Arctic areas. When the freshwater reaches it destinations, it would be made into snow using snow cannons.
That's not an easy thing to do. It would require a lot of energy and probably 100-200 billion dollars every year. Not simple, and not cheap either.
Since that's pretty much out of the question as of now, we'll have to do something easier. We'll need to build oil platforms in the Arctic. Polar bears can live in the enclosure and be fed by the oil workers.
To all the people who insist to me that the sea ice is NOT melting or getting thinner, that it is in fact GROWING in thickness... You are wrong. The consequences of global warming are not good! As you've seen, the ice sheets of the north pole are rapidly decreasing.
Be conservative at home to help this earth... Avoid driving your car; carpool, walk, or bike instead. Buy recycled/organic products. For recycling to work, there must be a demand, so purchase those products. Keep your car's tires properly inflated, and change your air filter. Replace old appliances in your house. Unplug un-used electronics, even when they're turned off. Only run your dishwasher on a full load [don't run it as often]. Keep your temperatures down 2 degrees in the winter, and up 2 degrees in the summer. If you get cold, bundle up instead of cranking the heat! And last but not least, BUY A HYBRID CAR. :]
For some more good tips on what you can do for your part, click here.
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The word needs to be spread about global warming... And thanks to technology, there are so many ways you can do that!
One- On this website, there are some buttons in the sidebar where you can "link us". Just copy the entire code below the image. Then paste it into your website, profile, or whatever you want. Be sure not to change the code, or it won't work. This will let people discover global warming and this website-right from YOUR site/profile!
Two- Go to www.stopglobalwarming.org On that website you can join in their "virtual march". When you sign up another "marcher" will be listed. The higher the number of "marchers" grows, the more global warming is recognized and the world is shown that people DO care. Also on Stop Global Warming's website, you can see other ways to spread the word and things you can do.
Three- Talk about it, and show strength through your actions! Talk to your friends all the time about global warming, and what THEY can do. Teach your community. Then do the things you can do to lower the carbon dioxide in the air and end global warming. Your actions will encourage others to do the same.
SPEAK UP and SPEAK OUT! Let global warming [and ways to end it] be fully known to everyone you meet...
If you really want to do more, here's a fun, easy way. Just make a poster to help reverse global warming!