Global Warming - Effects, Consequences and Action

Global Warming - Effects, Consequences and Action

Global warming is a serious issue that requires immediate action to be resolved. We can't afford to procrastinate when it comes to global warming because the more we put it off for the next day, the bigger its effect will be on our planet.

Every individual is enjoined to work hand-in-hand to stop global warming. We don't have to wait for the government to come up with drastic policies to resolve this issue. Each one of us can do something to stop it. You don't have to do great things because small things done with great love can create a huge impact.

Everything starts from very little effort and here's mine. I came up with a list of alternatives that can help stop global warming.

1. Compact fluorescent light bulbs are great alternatives for incandescent light bulbs. CFL bulbs can save as much as 60% of energy than regular light bulbs without sacrificing the amount of light that you will receive. You don't have to worry because CFL light bulbs are not very expensive. They are relatively cheaper than their incandescent counterparts.

2. Instead of putting your fridge or freezer beside the boiler or stove, move them to a different location. A fridge that stands beside a stove consumers more energy than one who doesn't. This is practically common sense. Freezers or refrigerators use cold air to preserve food while stoves are "hot appliances." If you let them sit beside each other, the fridge will take longer time to cool up.

3. Subscribe to online fax instead of using traditional fax machines. Online fax can give you a lot of savings. First, it saves paper because everything is received via email which gives you the option to print only the fax messages that needs to be printed. If you frequently receive junk fax, then you don't have to worry about spending too much paper on them. Second, online fax saves you a lot of money because you don't have to pay for an additional phone line and other maintenance stuffs like fax papers and toners. Lastly, you save a lot on your electricity because you don't need a separate fax machine.

4. Bring your own water bottle and junk bottled water. If you are going out on a picnic or on a trip, instead of buying bottled water, bring your own. Fill it up night and put it in the fridge a day before your actual trip so that you will be assured of a cold water supply. On the other hand, if you prefer ice-cold water, put your bottled water in the freezer. Just make sure that you don't leave it for more than a day or else, your bottle will be disfigured.

5. When you're out to purchase your groceries, bring your own bag. Instead of having your groceries in paper or plastic bags, why not bring your own bag? You are not just reducing your carbon footprint, but you are also grocery-ing in style!

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Paper And Plastic Bags Effect On Global Warming

Paper And Plastic Bags Effect On Global Warming

Reusable grocery bags and reusable shopping bags are now becoming very popular in society today. Though most of us don't realize it, manufacturing bags-plastic, compostable plastic and even paper bags-contributes significantly to global warming. Greenhouse gases are the result of emissions caused by burning fossil fuels during the production of plastic and paper bags.

The greenhouse effect is caused when infrared radiations from the earth’s surface are prevented from escaping into the outer space. The consequence is global warming. A very important way to reduce the use of plastic bags is through the use of reusable grocery bags and reusable shopping bags. It is through the use of these reusable grocery bags that we are able to reduce the negative effects that paper and plastic bags have on the environment.

Reusable shopping bags eliminates the need for many consumers to carry their purchased items in paper or plastic bags. When consumers show that they no longer want to use paper and plastic bags, there will be less of a demand for these bag manufacturers to produce so many of them. It is through the production of these bags that the environment is affected. When these manufacturers see the lowered demand for them because consumers are using reusable shopping bags and reusable grocery bags, they will lower how many they put into production.

Paper bags have the highest global warming impact per bag compared to other types of bags. According to the US EPA, 70% more global warming gasses are emitted making a paper bag than a plastic bag, and 50 times more water pollution. They also use 4 times more raw materials, and consume 3.5 times more energy.

They also contribute to global warming by destroying trees. In 1999, the American Forest and Paper Association reported that Americans used 10 billion paper shopping bags, consuming 14 million trees. The use of reusable shopping bags and reusable grocery bags not only eliminates the need for paper and plastic bags, but they will lower the number of bags being produced. It is evident that the production of these bags has a major effect on the environment and people need to make a strong effort in their consumption of these paper and plastic bags.

Reusable Grocery Bags and Reusable shopping bags are a great way to do your part in the prevention of global warming. Global warming, or climate change, shows no signs of slowing down. Average temperatures have climbed 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit (0.8 degree Celsius) around the world since 1880, much of this in recent decades, according to NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies. The rate of warming is increasing. When you go shopping at your nearest retail outlet, make sure to bring your reusable shopping bags. The next time you go to the supermarket, you should bring your reusable grocery bags.

The 20th century's last two decades were the hottest in 400 years and possibly the warmest for several millennia, according to a number of climate studies. And the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports that 11 of the past 12 years are among the dozen warmest since 1850. The Arctic is feeling the effects the most. Average temperatures in Alaska, western Canada, and eastern Russia have risen at twice the global average, according to the multinational Arctic Climate Impact Assessment report compiled between 2000 and 2004. Arctic ice is rapidly disappearing, and the region may have its first completely ice free summer by 2040 or earlier.

Polar bears and indigenous cultures are already suffering from the sea-ice loss. Glaciers and mountain snows are rapidly melting—for example, Montana’s Glacier National Park now has only 27 glaciers, versus 150 in 1910. In the Northern Hemisphere, thaws also come a week earlier in spring and freezes begin a week later. Reusable grocery bags are a great way to prevent the countless plastic bags from being manufactured, and it is partly through the production of these plastic bags that global warming is happening. Reusable Grocery Bags and reusable shopping bags are a simple and effective way people can do their part in conserving the environment. Reusable grocery bags can be purchased and used at all supermarkets, while reusable shopping bags are great for any occasion when you are out shopping. Do your part in caring about the environment and saving the planet through the use of reusable shopping bags and reusable grocery bags.

By: William Henry

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Climate Changes Due To Global Warming

Climate Changes Due To Global Warming

While the drastic effects of global warming has been discussed in many scientific circles, had their run on TV and even had major exposure through well-meaning (but sadly inaccurate) Hollywood films, it's a concern that has a broad political, economic, social and geographical significance to countries all over the world. Quite literally, for all of us, there is nowhere to hide, nowhere to run and we can't stop the climate from changing. It's just way too big for us.

How to recognize global warming

Whether or not it's brewing something good or something bad, Nature always tries to warn us through many signs. The slow process involved in global warming results in many different things and some of its signs include:

Melting of glaciers

Most of the mountain glaciers on our planet that have been monitored for the past 150 years are reportedly shrinking. The glaciers most affected by global warming those located in the lower latitudes and many of them are disappearing. If glaciers continue to shrink, it could affect water supply in areas that depend heavily upon mountain watersheds.

If the scenarios of global warming continue, most of the glaciers that still stand today will disappear by 2100.

Ocean warming

Sea level increase is attributed to warmer temperatures, which in turn result to the melting of ice glaciers. Over the last 100 years, sea level has increased from 10 cm to 25 cm. Projections over the next hundred years indicate that sea level will rise higher, from about 15 cm to 90 cm. Based on the higher figure, that's about 3 feet.

Translated, this could mean that beaches lose about 50 feet of area for every foot of increase in sea level. Some islands may even disappear beneath sea water completely.

Heat waves

Heat waves and periods of weather that are unusually warm are also signs of global warming. These may come about with varying degrees of their severity and frequency, causing concerns in the economics and health on a global scale.

How global warming brings climate change and what it means to us

The earth's climate has always been changing, although not at an abrupt rate. There had been periods of warming and cooling in the earth's 4.65 billion-year history. Strange as it may sound to some, this is the reason why life became possible on this planet millions of years ago. Unfortunately, not all of the changes in climate brought about by global warming may be beneficial to many of us.

For one, global warming will raise the temperatures in some regions of the Northern Hemisphere, causing the melting of mountain glaciers. This means that areas that are currently experiencing light snow may no longer experience snowfall anymore. Snowlines found in mountains in temperate regions may also be higher and packs of snow will melt earlier than before.

Spring may be experienced earlier and temperatures during night time and in winter will rise. The world will experience a more humid atmosphere since sea water will have a higher rate of evaporation. With greater humidity, rainfall is expected to increase on average.

Storms will also occur with more frequency and intensity. Ironically, water in the soil will evaporate faster, causing dryness between rains. Regions that are already considered dry will experience more dryness. Some semi-arid regions in the African continent, for example, may suffer more while areas that depend on their region's mountain snow packs for irrigation will not benefit from earlier melting between growing seasons.

With warmer weather, some hurricanes will be more severe and winds are expected to blow stronger. It is also possible that wind patterns may shift. Extremely cold periods may be experienced as well.

The phenomenon known as El Nino may occur in more frequency and severity. This is expected to affect different regions in many countries. All in all, scientists will have some difficulty in predicting weather patterns.

With changes in climate brought about by global warming, health concerns and risks may also increase. Heat stress and diseases may become common in places that did not have any problems with them before.

Global warming is an issue that requires immediate action. Even plants and animal species are adversely affected by it. While many of the changes that occur in our planet are totally out of our hands, we have been direct contributors to events that have had negative effects on our environment. This is why many leading social and scientific organizations have urged nations to cooperate in the move to counter this worldwide problem before it's too late.

By: nathfiset

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How to Stop Global Warming

How to Stop Global Warming
By Tom A Sullivan

It takes a global effort to stop or slow global warming. We have started this process as we began powering our technological devices using fossil fuels to make our electricity. We continue to add to global warming efforts as we burn forests (the only think that takes the Carbon out of the atmosphere) to make way for more room for us. It is our responsibility to fix this problem. There are several things that each person can do as an individual to lessen their contribution to global warming.

Some ways to reduce your carbon footprint are obvious, while others are less known to the public. One of the obvious ways to reduce your carbon footprint is to lessen the fossil fuels used in your vehicle by driving a fuel-efficient car, buying a hybrid car, carpooling and using public transportation when possible, or not driving or riding at all. Another one we have all heard is to not use as much energy in our home.

Turn off lights and electronic devices when not in use. Move your water heater to a lower setting. Wash clothes in cold water. Buy energy-efficient appliances. Install energy efficient light bulbs. Keep your home well insulated to save on air-conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter. Install Solar Panels.

However, there may be some less known ways that you can be saving energy and reducing your contribution to global warming. One way is to recycle. Recycling products, such as paper, plastic, cans, and glass bottles saves a ton of energy. It takes significantly less energy to create a product from recycled material than to manufacture that product from scratch. So, when you recycle you are not only saving space in the landfill, but you are reducing energy usage, which equals less Carbon into the air.

Another little known energy saving secret is to unplug electronic appliances not in use. Even though you don't have a device powered on, if it is plugged into an outlet, it is drawing electricity even if it is off. So that toaster that you only used for 5 minutes this morning that remains plugged into your wall for the extent of the day, is drawing energy the whole time. This tip not only decreases your Carbon footprint, but it will lower your energy bill as well.

Humans caused the pollution that is creating global warming and it is our responsibility to clean it up. It is each of our responsibilities to decrease our own carbon footprint. The bonus is that almost all the tips that reduce your carbon footprint also save you money. So what are you going to do for your planet (and your wallet)?

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