10 tips to help climate change

This is an issue extremely important to me. I am passionate about the environmental issues that humanity is facing right now. There is nothing really more important. Religion, race, class, politics, it all ends if we screw up Earth.Yes, it's a fair argument to say that unless politics, race, religion, class, capitalism etc are all resolved then environmental issues will be simpler to solve - hypothetically.Why am I blogging about this? In my opinion one of the reasons that people aren't working effectively every day to solve the problem of global warming and climate change is because they are ignorant about the topic. The topic is a fairly complicated one and can become cumbersome if you let it.This site does not let it become complicated. Design Can Change is a well designed flash site that is centered around educating people and helping them to change their ways. Simple, effective and one that Al Gore would just relish.Get there now and start changing your ways.
Here are ten simple, easy, quick, everyday tips to help you start making a difference:Change a light - Replacing a regular light bulb with a compact fluorescent one saves 150 pounds of carbon dioxide each year.*Drive less - Walk, bike, take mass transit, and/or trip chain.Recycle more and buy recycled - Save up to 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide each year just by recycling half of your household waste.Check your tires - Properly inflated tires mean good gas mileage.Use less hot water - It takes a lot of energy to heat water.Avoid products with a lot of packaging - Preventing waste from being created in the first place means that there is less energy wasted and fewer resources consumed.Adjust your thermostatPlant a tree - A single tree can absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime.Turn off electronic devices when not in use - Simply turning off your TV, VCR, computer and other electronic devices can save each household thousand of pounds of carbon dioxide each year.Stay informed - Use the Earth 911 Web site to help stay informed about environmental issues, and share your knowledge with others. Together, we can and do Make Every Day Earth Day!More tips like these and other great information available at Earth 911.And one more for good measure:CARPOOL - try to find people in your office who live close to you and carpool. Get in the car with more than one person. One car is better than four.

Kyoto Protocol

It's easy to bitch and moan about something as I have done already today about America and their stance with regard to the Kyoto Protocol. So instead of moaning and bitching I thought that I would outline, educate and criticize with some authority. I spent a few years studying politics at University but think that this is the perfect chance to update my knowledge on something that I feel fairly strongly about. The greenhouse effect is killing our world and not so slowly, I might add.So instead of going to your posh dinner parties and talking about the latest rugby game, Jake White and the Bokke try chatting about something that matters and that might spark some opinion and passion in people. So here goes nothing.Kyoto ProtocolWhat it all means:

"stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system."

Countries who are agree to submit to the Kyoto Protocol agree to reduce their emissions of carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gasses. There is also a clause that allows high producing countries to trade with other countries that emit less gas in order to keep the average emission down.Countries that have ratified (agreed) with the Protocol are set goals per annum. Countries that do not reach these annual goals are penalised 30% of their allocated annual total in the following year. So if you screw up this year, you get to emit 30% less next year. In other words, get it right now, no excuses. Good work.Carbon CreditsCarbon Credits are a type of currency for the emission world. Countries that are rated low on the carbon producing scale are able to sell their carbon credits to countries producing large amounts of carbon. Its a kind of trade off between allies of some sorts. The less I emit, the more I can sell you, the more you can emit, the more you like me, the better we get on. Easy.SupportThere is huge support for the Kyoto Protocol. The European Union is super keen on the idea (Euro's have always been kinda tree-huggy friendly type of people). It is widely believed that carbon dioxide is promoting the heating of our atmosphere and the greenhouse effect. Thus countries that ratify this protocol are trying to correct this issue.Countries such as Cuba, South Africa, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece and Japan amongst many, many, many others all support the protocol and are actively involved. A full list of countries is available here.OppositionThis is what wikipedia had to say about opposition, I couldn't sum it up better myself.

The two major countries currently opposed to the treaty are the United States and Australia. Some public policy experts who are skeptical of global warming see Kyoto as a scheme to either slow the growth of the world's industrial democracies or to transfer wealth to the third world in what they claim is a global socialism initiative.

So now you know. Think about it, learn about it, promote it and make a change.

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Google Warming - Students Speak Out

Google Educators in partnership with Global Schoolnet initiated a forum through which the youth could attempt to combat Global Warming. Below are a the top five solutions that the young people came up with:

1. Include global warming/climate change in school curricula (as part of National Science Standards), so when the students are in charge they can make educated decisions.
2. Increase availability of low-interest Energy Efficient Mortgages to support homeowners who increase the energy efficiency of their homes.
3. Put light sensors in all office and school buildings so all lights go off when the rooms are empty.
4. Require that all products contributing to global warming be marked with a specific color (e.g., chemical pesticides could be marked with a red sticker for being extremely dangerous to the environment).
5. Use less paper; use the back of the paper to print on or write on; use recycled paper.

The initiative took out a full page ad in the New York Times yesterday to let the masses know what solutions the group came up with. Students from over 80 schools made use of Googles collaborative software to put their heads together and make a difference. I think this is a great initiative.I would love to know how many countries were involved since it was all done over the net. Or was this another American attempt at appearing to give a shit while still ignoring the Kyoto agreement and buying out other countries quota for pollution, waste and emissions

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