There is a growing chorus of voices that says we are not to blame for global warming and that it would have happened anyway, as the earth has cycles, warming up and cooling down. Whichever side of the debate one is, it is obvious that the past 100 years of industrialisation have speeded up the cyclical warming. This has been mainly through the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere from factories and mines. We should still strive therefore to at least slow down these effects as much as possible and let nature take its course at its own pace.
Natural occurrences, as well as these cycles, determine our climate; not the levels of carbon dioxide in the air. We are a few hundred thousand years from the next ice age, and it follows that we would now be in the heating-up stage before cooling down. The earth is a lot more intricate than we give her credit for and there are mechanisms in place to maintain a balance.
Having said that, we have contributed to the rate at which the cycle is going, upsetting that balance. We need to try and reverse our impact. Below are 10 things you can do in your home to help slow down the process of global warming. Always remember even small efforts make a difference:
- Replace a regular incandescent light bulb with a low energy light bulb. Though a little pricier, these give the same amount of light but use less power and last longer. See FightGlobalWarming.com for more.
- Do not burn plastic. Plastic particles are not biodegradable and may take hundreds of thousands of years to decompose.
- Use disposable bags or reuse your shopping bag. This helps reduce waste.
- Choose energy efficient appliances when making new purchases. This helps save our limited energy resources; consult an online consumer guide for more information on such appliances.
- Replace your old single glazed windows with double glazing. This helps keep heat in, thus saving energy.
- Take a warm shower instead of a hot bath, saving both water and energy.
- Use the washing machine and dishwasher only when they are full, and use a clothesline instead of a dryer whenever possible..
- Choose products that come with little packaging, and buy refills when you can.
- Plant a tree. Plant as many trees as you can.
- Walk, cycle, carpool and use public transport as often as possible. This helps reduce our dependence on gas and also helps you save up to 30% of your total gas cost and usage.
