Add all of this up and we’ve got a planet that’s slowly being warmed to the point of cataclysmic flooding and violent weather events because of extreme levels of greenhouse gases and an ozone layer too diminished to dilute the sun’s radiation and harmful effects on those greenhouse gases. Rather than preserving and enhancing our global forests, we’re clearing them out to create toilet paper and housing developments, eliminating some of our greatest silent allies in providing oxygen and cleansing the air of excess carbon dioxide. And every one of those interacting elements that’s leading the earth to potential uninhabitability is caused by us. Tragically, we’ve become a cancer here, sending species after species of animals into extinction and apparently forgetting that we humans are every bit as vulnerable to extinction as any other species on Earth.
I’ve heard the same “Go Green” public service announcements you have, and seen the same bumper stickers. But too often there’s no follow-up explanation about what “going green” means or exactly why it makes a difference. I also hate to admit it, but I tend to have an aversion to activist slogans like “Go Green.” Unfairly, I’m sure, it makes me feel excluded unless I have time to pick up a sign and head to Washington (and God bless every one of you who demonstrates for important causes), and it also implies that all of us know what it is we’re supposed to do about it. I didn’t know, but I’ve made it my business to find out so that I really can do something about it, and so that I can share the information with you.
I’m not advocating these suggestions because they’re just plain nice, planet-friendly things to do. I’m advocating them, and implementing them myself, because it actually is up to us to either resign ourselves to the end of life on Earth at the end of this century or see to it that we have many more centuries to enjoy and appreciate this beautiful home away from Home.
And yes, it truly is this simple:
- Use only recycled Why? Because it saves the atmosphere about five pounds of carbon dioxide per ream of paper.
- Set your thermostat just two degrees warmer in the summer than you’re accustomed to and two degrees cooler in the Why? Because those tiny adjustments will keep approximately two thousand pounds of carbon dioxide per year.
- Don’t run your dishwasher until it’s completely full. Why? Because it will save the atmosphere about one hundred pounds of carbon dioxide per year.
- Pick the three lamps you use most in your house and change the bulbs to easily accessible compact fluorescent bulbs. Why? Because you’ll eliminate an extra three hundred pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere every year.
- Adjust the heat on your water heater to a maximum of 120 degrees, and have it insulated. Why? Because it saves 1,550 pounds of carbon dioxide from the air every year.
- Reduce the duration of your showers by two to three minutes. Why? Because 350 pounds of carbon dioxide will be saved every year thanks to less water needing to be heated.
- Check your tires every month to make sure they’re properly inflated. Why? Because it will save 250 pounds of carbon dioxide per year.
- Change your heating and air-conditioning filters, or clean them, as often as recommended. Why? Because it will keep the units from having to work harder than they’re designed to work to keep you comfortable, as well as keeping an extra 350 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere per year.
- Turn your computer off rather than letting it “sleep,” and unplug electronics when you’re not using
Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120