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Efforts to Stop Global Warming

Global warming has become an issue for governments around the world, as -- with the exception of the United States -- no country has declined ratifying the Kyoto Protocol. In addition, nongovernmental organizations such as Stop Global Warming (NGW) and Greenpeace have advocated actions against global warming. Emission of greenhouse gases, thought to be the major cause of global warming, comes from a variety of sources, from cars to factories to power plants, hence efforts to halt global warming can be both individual and collective.

  1. International Agreements

    • Coordinated efforts between governments to stabilize the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have resulted in the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol by most of the world's nations. The main points of the treaty are the goal of average emissions reduction by 5.2 percent from 1990 levels, and the establishment of an adaptation fund so that developing countries can follow the Protocol without negative impacts on their economies. According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, as of October 2010, 192 countries have ratified the treaty.

    Efforts on a Government Level

    • Efforts on a government level include the introduction of environmentally-friendly biogas fuel for public transport, such as the "green" buses in Sweden and Brazil. In the U.S., the federal government, as well as each state, offers economic incentives ranging from tax exemption schemes to loan programs for households and businesses willing to minimize their ecological footprint. All economic incentives can be found at the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency.

    Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs)

    • The main focus of NGOs such as Greenpeace (greenpeace.org) and Stop Global Warming (stopglobalwarming.org) is to draw the attention of the public about the disastrous consequences of rising global temperatures. In addition, they suggest little everyday actions that -- if adopted by a large number of people -- can have a major effect on tackling global warming. NGOs also work in collaboration with contemporary media, as well as schools, to spread the message of "greener" habits.

    Individual Efforts

    • An individual's contribution to global warming seems tiny compared to industrial emissions. However, bad habits adopted by the majority of the world's population can have serious effects on issues such as electricity consumption, car emissions and the amount of waste produced. NGOs encourage consumers to use energy-saving lightbulbs, fully inflate their car tires to save on gasoline, install an air filter on their car, change or repair old air-conditioning filters and turn off electrical appliances when they don't use them.

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