Regardless of how people view global warming and its effects on the environment, its irrefutable to say that something needs to be done now. Many reports have already established the evident shift in the climate, and many natural conditions substantiate the onset of global warming. Scientists have pointed out many different ways to mitigate the effects in an effort to stop global warming from gaining any more momentum.
A Brief Explanation of Global Warming
Global warming happens when there is an average increase in the earths temperature specifically in the lower atmosphere. The temperature in this part of the atmosphere rises when there is abundance of greenhouse gases that cut through the ozone layer, in turn allowing more UV radiation through to heat up the earths surface. Unfortunately, humans are the main culprits for this increase. The lifestyles that people have adopted throughout the years have been detrimental to the earth, especially in relation to the atmosphere. Fortunately, its not too late for people to do something to avoid the adverse effects of global warming.
Update Appliances to Newer, Eco-Friendly Models
One of the things consumers can do when concerned with how to stop global warming is to try to use appliances that are manufactured to reduce the amount of green house gasses emitted into the atmosphere. Refrigerators are known emitters of chloro fluoro carbon, CFCs, which are known to be harmful to the earths atmosphere. Incandescent light lamps are also harmful to the atmosphere in that they emit excessive carbon dioxide. On an average, a standard incandescent lamp releases around 300 pounds of carbon dioxide annually. There are refrigerator models which do not use the same mechanism as the CFC-emitting versions.
Water Heaters and Hot Water Use
The temperature of the water heater, and the amount of water used, can contribute significantly to amounts of carbon dioxide when left unchecked. Keeping the temperature of the water heater below 120 degree F not only saves money, but also on emissions during the manufacturing of electricity through fossil fuels. A lot of people dont know that an additional 2 degrees can help avoid an added 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emission annually. Significantly reducing the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the earths atmosphere can help stop such a rapid progression of global warming.
Dont Be Fooled by the Eco-Friendly Hype
There is a common misconception about using plastic bags. Unfortunately, a new breed of plastic bags claims to be eco-friendly because they are biodegradable. The reality is, those biodegradable plastic bags are worse for the environment than the older bags because as they degrade they give off methane gas. The traditional plastic bags give off CO2 which is 20 times less harmful than methane! In this case, dont be fooled by that eco-friendly hype.
In the end, the best way to learn how to stop global warming is to learn how to stop emitting unnecessary gases and pollutants into the atmosphere. Gas emitting products are everywhere, often hiding behind marketing hype. In the case of global warming, a little knowledge goes a long way.
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