Global Warming - What Can We Do

By the summer of 2050 temperatures will have risen by around 2 degrees or more in England and Wales, 1 to 2 degrees for Scotland and Northern Ireland. Just a small rise in temperature will result in more hot days in cities (temperatures over 30C).

Drier conditions are also expected, especially in the Southeast. However heavy rainfall events are likely to be more frequent. Winters are expected to be milder, so there will be a reduction in the number of frosty nights.

It's difficult to ascertain whether the world weather is becoming or will become more extreme. The scenario of more storms, hurricanes, tornadoes etc is far from proven, although indications from the Hadley Center are for a greater frequency of deep Atlantic depressions.

The consequences of these changes are far reaching. Consider for example that floods and droughts are likely to increase in number and severity. Diseases, such as malaria, spread by mosquitoes depend on local climate, especially temperature.

Different flora and fauna flourish under various climate regimes, but cannot respond quickly to change. Nature reserves, often established to protect particular species may no longer be located within a climate hospitable to that species, making them prone to disease and pests.
Humans are more adaptable to different climates, but heat and water stress are likely to become more of a problem.

Uncertainties in future predictions arise due to imperfect estimates of future emissions of greenhouse gases and sulfur, which in turn depend on population growth, energy demand, economic factors.

What can we do to slow down this warming?

By sharing technologies, experience and resources we can hopefully lower the greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the threat of global climate change. Choose clean energy options where available, such as wind, solar and wave power, these do not emit greenhouse gases and are renewable. Individually, we can recycle material, insulate our homes, take public transport and think about energy efficiency in the home.

The effects of global warming and a changing climate will not be felt equally across our planet. Poorer nations are generally more vulnerable to the consequences.

We are confident that putting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere will lead to a continued warming of the earth's surface. However there will be consequential changes in the climate system which will either magnify or reduce the rate of warming. Our incomplete understanding of this feedback leads to substantial uncertainty in the predictions.

So what has been written here is more an indication of what change can be expected as opposed to a firm forecast. A balance is needed between the needs of the living and our obligations to future generations.

How You Can Help This Planet

Even the simplest everyday activities can make a real difference to the environment. So follow these simple tips and take action for our living planet.


In your home

1. Turn off equipment like televisions and stereos when you're not using them. That little red standby light means they're still using power - and that means a contribution to global warming.
2. Save water: Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth or you can collect the water used to wash vegetables and salad to water your houseplants.
3. Call your local government to see if they have a disposal location for used car batteries and other hazardous household wastes.
4. Recycle your paper, glass, plastics and other waste. Call your local government to find out if they offer a collection service.
5. Use rechargeable batteries.
6. Send e-greetings instead of paper cards.
7. Help reduce the world's rubbish dumps - don't use "throw-away" products like paper plates and napkins, and plastic knives, forks, and cups.

Out shopping

1. Take your own bags to the shops to carry home your groceries and shopping.
2. Look for products that have less packaging.
3. Buy organically grown fruits, vegetables, cotton clothing, and hemp-fibre products.
4. Don't buy bottled water if you know your tap water is safe - transporting water from its source to the supermarket shelves is an expensive waste of energy. And the plastic and glass bottles add to the already-high mountains of rubbish that we produce. Find out from your municipality about your tap water. If you do buy bottled water, buy from a local source (read the labels) and buy water that comes in recyclable glass or plastic.
5. Choose biodegradable cleaning products so that the chemicals have fewer negative impacts on the soil and water system.
6. Buy the most energy-efficient household appliances you can afford.
7. Use recycled paper.
   

In the garden

1. Collect rainwater to water your flowers.
2. Let part of your garden grow freely and see what wild flowers appear.
3. Plant local species of trees.
4. Never take plants or pick flowers from anywhere in the wild.
5. Buy bulbs from cultivated stocks only (ask the shop or gardening center for advice).
6. Stop using chemical pesticides - try to use natural products instead.
7. Try to attract birds to your garden as they eat aphids and other gardeners’ pests.
8. Use traps, parasites, and natural predators such as ladybirds.
9. Use plants that repel insects. Some herbs and flowers - including basil, chives, mint, marigolds, and chrysanthemums - mixed in with other plants, help keep pests away.
10. Use disease-resistant and pest-resistant plants.
11. Use Neem oil and mix it up with some garlic oil (which you can make it home) to spray on tree trunks and diseased plants and shrubs. This works like a charm on pests, bacteria and fungus.
12. Remove the weeds by spraying them with something to adjust the pH (acidity) in the ground around them. Perhaps use some vinegar directly on the most stubborn ones.
13. Use organic compost and mulch to improve soil health and reduce the need for pesticides and fertilizers.
14. Don't use peat in your flower beds and vegetable gardens (peat is taken from ancient bog land, destroying some of our most precious wildlife areas). Instead, make your own compost with grass clippings and vegetable scraps from the house.
15. Choose drought tolerant plants like Nepeta Six Hills Giant (Cat mint). It looks like huge lavender flowers but uses very little water.
16. Pick only drought or Xeriscape friendly grass seeds that don't require as much as water to maintain.
17. Don't use electrical equipment like leaf-blowers as they consume so much energy for so little gain. Use a rake instead - it's better for your health too!
18. Never pour antifreeze, oil or other chemicals on the ground, into storm sewers or down the drain. Take these toxic substances to your local waste disposal facility.
19. Don't buy garden furniture or decking made of tropical hard wood - mahogany for example - unless it's got a Forest Stewardship Council label (the "tick" tree).
20. Take time out to sit out in your backyard with friends and family, and appreciate the beauty of nature!

"show your action to save this planet"

Top Ten Tips to Fight Global Warming

The recent hot and muggy weather has us all thinking about how to take the temperature down a notch. With that in mind, we've culled the top ten ways consumers can cut into the 22 tons of carbon dioxide each of us produces in the United States.

Take these small and not-so-small steps and you'll help ensure a more comfortable future for us all (all carbon savings are annual averages).

1. Replace five incandescent light bulbs in your home with compact fluorescents: Swapping those 75-watt incandescent with 19-watt CFLs can cut 275 pounds of CO2.
2. Instead of short haul flights of 500 miles or so, take the train and bypass 310 pounds of CO2.
3. Sure it may be hot, but get a fan, set your thermostat to 75 degrees and blow away 363 pounds of CO2.
4. Replace refrigerators more than 10 years old with today's more energy-efficient Energy Star models and save more than 500 pounds of CO2.
5. Shave your eight-minute shower to five minutes for a savings of 513 pounds.
6. Caulk, weather-strip and insulate your home. If you rely on natural gas heating, you'll stop 639 pounds of CO2 from entering the atmosphere (472 pounds for electric heating). And this summer, you'll save 226 pounds from AC use.
7. Whenever possible, dry your clothes on a line outside or a rack indoors. If you air dry half your loads, you'll dispense with 723 pounds of CO2.
8. Trim down on the red meat. Since it takes more fossil fuels to produce red meat than fish, eggs and poultry, switching to these foods will slim your CO2 emissions by 950 pounds.
9. Leave the car at home and take public transportation to work. Taking the average U.S. commute of twelve miles by light rail will leave you 1,366 pounds of CO2 lighter than driving. The standard, diesel-powered city bus can save 804 pounds, while heavy rail subway users save 288.
10. Finally, support the creation of wind, solar and other renewable energy facilities by choosing green power if offered by your utility.