Things Being Done to Stop Global Warming

Global warming, also referred to as climate change, is a serious concern to many people. The steady increase of temperatures in the atmosphere and oceans, due to the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, threatens the health and safety of everyone on the planet. Hundreds of organizations have been formed to teach people what to do to slow down or stop the damage that is being done globally due to the irresponsible actions taken by individuals, corporations and governments.

Buy Local

• Individual consumers can have a negative impact on the environment when they don't look at the environmental consequences of their purchases. Buying produce and other grocery items that have been shipped a long distance adds to the pollution that is helping to cause climate change. Farming communities have been active in forming organizations that inform consumers what foods have not been shipped from a long distance. These groups encourage shoppers to ask their markets what foods offered are from nearby sources.

Fuel Efficiency

• People concerned about the environment take actions such as buying fuel-efficient cars and carpooling. This not only saves the environment by reducing CO2 emissions, sometimes by thousands of pounds per year, it saves money on fuel. Others have switched to public transportation where it is available or formed carpooling groups. Little things done by individual drivers, such as not allowing a car to idle or going a little slower on the freeways, also reduce the amount of CO2 that is emitted.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

• Reducing, reusing or recycling refuse is touted by the Environmental Protection Agency and other organizations as one of the best ways to save the planet. People reduce refuse by buying products that have the least amount of packaging. They reuse items if possible and recycle glass, plastic and metals. Another popular trend is not buying bottled water. Organizations advocating not using disposable water bottles say that landfills take on 2.5 million individual water bottles each year.

Gardening

• People are changing the way they garden to slow the damage being done to the environment. They are using push mowers instead of gas mowers, or are at least switching to electric. Planting trees is an ideal way to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the air, since trees breathe in CO2 and breathe out oxygen. Planting a tree can reduce CO2 by 2,000 lbs. each year.