Tom

We’ve heard a lot about global warming and climate change and, though there are some diehard ‘head in the sands’ deniers, most of us understand that this is a serious and growing problem. The physics and chemistry of global warming/climate change are well understood and we’re seeing the impacts more and more every year and every day.

The American west is burning up from huge wildfires much as parts of Australia did earlier in the year. The National Hurricane Center is currently tracking SEVEN disturbances in the Atlantic basin that are either already hurricanes or may become hurricanes.

Flooding is becoming more serious and more frequent not only on our coasts due to sea level rise but also across the country and the world as a warmer atmosphere can hold more water and drop it in torrential rainfalls.

This is a global problem that will require solutions on the national and international level and, like most of you, I am frustrated by the slow pace of progress on this issue and the unwillingness or inability of our leaders to deal with this problem. We need to keep pressing our leaders to take decisive action on this problem.

But, while we are waiting for more large-scale action, there are things we can and should do on a personal level to help mitigate global warming. Sure, our actions will be just a drop in the bucket but enough drops fill the bucket. So I urge you to take these actions now:

Plant a Tree. Trees absorb carbon dioxide which makes up more than 80% of the greenhouse gasses causing global warming. According to the journal, Science, just letting our forests grow could absorb roughly two-thirds of the carbon dioxide emitted by human activity. Trees also result in enhanced biodiversity, soil water retention, soil health and may contribute to food security and economic development for rural communities. If you can’t plant a tree yourself, contribute to One Tree Planted – a nonprofit which plants trees around the world.

Use LED Lights. Replacing all of our incandescent light bulbs with LED bulbs will reduce our electricity use. LED bulbs use about 80% less electricity than conventional incandescent bulbs and last about 25 times longer. Electricity production is one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gasses and every reduction in our electricity use, no matter how small, reduces the emission of greenhouse gasses. Even though we are increasing the amount of our electricity generated by renewable resources – solar and wind – most electricity in our country is still generated by burning fossil fuels.

Reduce Your Electricity Use. There are plenty of other ways to easily reduce your electricity use:

• Buy energy efficient appliances,
• Dry clothes outdoors when possible,
• Caulk your windows and doors,
• Unplug electronic devices when you’re not using them,
• Wash clothes in cold water,
• Change your air filters regularly,
• Close curtains and blinds on the sunny side of the house in the summer,
• Turn off lights when you leave the room, Use a programmable thermostat to reduce your heating/cooling costs when you’re away.

Adjust Your Transportation Habits. Transportation is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions in the USA than any other source and most of those emissions are from cars and trucks. These steps will help reduce the global warming impact of your car:

• Keep your car tuned up.
• Keep your tires inflated.
• Share rides when you can.
• Buy a climate-friendly car – preferably an electric one (a growing proportion of our electricity is generated by renewable resources).

Stop Eating Beef.

Emissions from animal agriculture account for around 15% of all human emissions, and beef is responsible for 41% of that, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

If cattle were their own nation, they would be the world’s third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases. Let that sink in.

If you need your meat fix, eat chicken instead. While chicken production does have significant environmental and human costs, pound-for-pound it has about half the carbon footprint of beef.

Animal-based foods have a bigger carbon footprint than plant-based foods. Producing beef, for example, uses 20 times the land and emits 20 times the emissions as growing beans, per gram of protein, and requires more than 10 times more resources than producing chicken. Lamb and goats also have heavy greenhouse impacts because, like cattle, they emit methane. Try plant-based protein if you can.

There’s plenty more you can do – this list is just a start. Keep the pressure on your elected representatives at all levels to take the necessary actions to limit climate change. It’s our responsibility to keep our planet safe for our children and grandchildren.