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Solutions for Environmental Problems Caused by Humans

Pollution is a global concern, transcending national boundaries. It is common knowledge that global warming is caused by greenhouse gases building up in the atmosphere. This will lead to the eventual re-sizing of coast lines due to rising sea levels and overall climate changes (see Reference 1). Since the problem is global in nature, the solutions must be global as well.

  1. Reduce Energy Usage

    • Everyone on the planet must reduce energy usage.This can be on an individual level or on a national level. Burning coal and other fossil fuels are used to generate electricity. Less electricity equals less coal burned. This translates directly into less emissions of greenhouse gases by burning coal. An example of this is in Australia, where conventional light bulbs are no longer sold. Rather, the new energy-efficient florescent bulbs are used, which reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly (see Reference 2).

    Recycle

    • Recycling is a great way to reduce pollution. If everybody recycles, less energy will be used to produce raw materials, such as the emissions of mining machinery for metals. Furthermore, the energy needed to re-melt metals is significantly less that to melt and refine raw metals. Plastics and paper can be recycled as well to reduce pollutants in the environment and landfills.

    Use Less Plastics

    • Plastics are made from petroleum. Reducing the amount of plastic used translates into less petroleum usage. Other benefits are that less energy is used in refining petroleum and less landfill pollution is caused by discarded plastics. Reusing plastic bottles is feasible, as is reusing plastic grocery bags.

    Use Renewable Resources

    • Substituting renewable resources for non-renewable is an option. For example, bamboo is a very fast- growing plant of the grass family. A variety of products are made from bamboo, including flooring, cutting boards and furniture-building lumber. It can be substituted for linoleum flooring, which is a plastic. By using a renewable resource, less greenhouse gases are emitted by factories.

    Renewable Energy

    • Electricity can be produced by renewable and alternative energy sources, such as wind and solar energy. In 2010, wind technology is refined to a point that cheap electricity is feasible. Using alternative energy reduces coal and petroleum usage to generate electricity, which in turn reduces world pollution.

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