How to Reduce Your Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Why this effects animals???
Global warming is having a significant impact on hundreds of plant and animal species around the world.
Birds are laying eggs earlier than usual, plants are flowering earlier and mammals are breaking hibernation sooner. Polar bears and penguins have no ice to rest on, so MANY are drowning. Drouts in other parts of the world are effecting how much water animals are getting!!Th elist goes on, but you can help
More and more people are wondering how they can do their part to help reduce the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. While change won't happen overnight, here are steps that you can take against global warming.
Yes I know there is alot to read! So maybe copy and paste this info someplace on your computer so you have it!!!!
Steps
Around the House & Garden
Don't use a leaf blower. Instead, get a rake and do it by hand. It will help your lawn get more oxygen and sun and you'll get a little bit of exercise. Your neighbors will thank you for the noise reduction, too! The same goes for other yard work, including mowing (with a mechanical push mower), weeding (instead of weed-whacking), and fertilizing (using a compost bin or heap instead of a shredder). Compost your food waste too and avoid using chemical fertilizers, which are made from fossil fuel.
Plant a tree. Well-placed landscaping cuts energy costs in summer and winter. Whilst alive, the tree will store carbon dioxide that would otherwise be in the atmosphere. Trees which are placed so that they will provide shade for your house will also help it stay cool in the summer. Better yet, make it a fruit or a nut tree. Planting perennials which yield food, including berry bushes and garden vegetables and herbs, will help you eat locally while 'fixing' more carbon in the soil at the same time. Introducing these plants in public places, by the sides of roads and in parks, is another way to benefit the community and the climate. When planting outside your home, limit yourself to native species.
Repaint your house with latex paint instead of oil-based. The paint releases significantly fewer harmful fumes while drying and smells a lot better.
Buy energy efficient appliances with the "Energy Star" label.
Make sure the dishwasher and washing machine are full before running them to save energy and money. If you don't have an Energy Star certified dishwasher, it uses less water (and no energy) to do dishes by hand.
Call your local utility and sign up for renewable energy. If they don’t offer it, ask them why not.
Get a home energy audit. Many utilities offer free audits, which may reveal simple ways to cut emissions.
Weatherize your home; caulk, and weather-strip your doorways and windows. You can even add insulation. Not only will all this save energy, it will save you money too!
Move your thermostat down two degrees in winter and up two degrees in the summer.
Unplug your cell phone charger, TV and other electronics from the wall when you are not using them. Did you know that even when turned "off" your cell phone chargers, DVD players, computers, and cameras use small amounts of energy? The process can be made easier if you have everything plugged into a surge protector with its own switch.
Make sure to turn off lights and other energy-sucking devices when they aren’t being used. This also applies to schools because most schools do not turn off their lights when not in use. If 10,000 schools turned off all their lights for just one minute, they would save more than $81,000. If those same schools turned off their lights every time they went to recess, they would save more than $4.9 million!
Replace any incandescent light bulbs with fluorescent ones. Fluorescent light bulbs are more expensive, but replacing just one incandescent light bulb will save 150 pounds of carbon dioxide. Fluorescent lamps are more efficient than incandescent light bulbs of an equivalent brightness. This is because more of the consumed energy is converted to usable light and less is converted to heat, allowing fluorescent lamps to run cooler. An incandescent lamp may convert only 10% of its power input to visible light releasing 90% heat. A fluorescent lamp producing as much useful visible light energy may require only 1/3 to 1/4 as much electricity input and converts 90% of the power input to visible light releasing only 10% heat. Typically a fluorescent lamp will last between 10 and 20 times as long as an equivalent incandescent lamp. Basically, a fluorescent light bulb would reduce your energy consumption AND your electric bill!
If you're leaving your computer for a while, put it on stand-by. You'll be able to restart it quickly, and it'll take less energy than shutting it down and then restarting it.
Before turning the heat on, put on thick socks and a sweater.
Invest in alternate energy devices for your own home. Windmill kits are inexpensive and a great source of electricity in many areas. Solar energy may be practical for some homes. Building from adobe in arid climates can dramatically save on energy costs and result in homes which last hundreds of years. Adobe construction also greatly reduces the amount of wood used in home construction. The man behind the Rocky Mountain Institute (www.rmi.org) actually sells electricity created at his home back to the electric company, paying for the modifications he made to his home in just a few years.
Buy durable goods. The effort to make and transport even small items can add up fast. As much as possible buy items that will last instead of buying the same item several times in a decade. The larger the item is the more wear and tear on the environment you will save by not producing a brand new one.
Water Conservation in a House
Conserve lots of water. For example, instead of filling up the bathtub with water and bathing, you can choose two choices. Take short showers and/or bath with a person in your family. The other choice is to fill a bucket with water and take a can, or some other cylinder object, and keep filling it with water from the bucket and pouring it over your head. You can also bath with another person. If you are following the second choice or following the "fill bathtub and bath", fill the bucket or bathtub with how much you'll need and not to the top. Also if you have some extra water save it for some other person to use. Here's a reason to conserve Earth's water. Approximately 97% of the world's water is salty and undrinkable. 3% percent of the water is freahwater, but 2% of that is frozen in glaciers and polar ice caps. THis means humans have access to just 1% of the planet's water for all our needs!
Do not leave the water taps on if not in use and turn off the taps properly, because one drop of water per second would waste 2,700 gallons (10,220 L) of water per year! Leaky faucets and taps can add to your hot water bill so repair them as soon as possible. The constant drip wastes water, energy and money. You can also save by installing an inexpensive "flow control" device in shower heads and faucets.
Each person in America uses about 50 gallons (189 L!) of water per day thus, you SHOULD NOT flush tiolets often because each tiolet flush wastes about 5 gallons of water each time! So, when you have to urinate DO NOT flush and try to flush the tiolet after it has been used 7 times. When you have to dump, let your feces drop but DO NOT flush! Clean your buttock and throw the tiolet paper in the tiolet and flush or, the more environment friendly way, put the tiolet paper in a compost bin. Trust us it works.
The water heater is the second largest energy consumer in the home and using it efficiently can add up to big savings. For families with an automatic dishwasher, the hot water heater setting can safely be lowered to 130-140 degrees. If the automatic dishwasher has a water temperature booster, the water heater temperature can be set to 110-120 degrees. If your house will be vacant for two or more days, you can lower the temperature of your water heater even more until you return. If you have a new water heater, drain a few gallons from your tank every six months to remove sediment that accumulates and reduces the heater's efficiency. If you only use your hot water once or twice a day, you may consider installing a timer on your hot water heater and set it up to run two hours in the morning and the evening.
Wrapping a fiberglass blanket around your water heater and securing it with duct tape, or installing a ready-made insulation kit can save up to 10% on water heating costs. Most new water heaters are already insulated, so this tip is most effective for heaters that are more than five years old. Also, insulate hot water pipes to reduce heat loss as the hot water is flowing to your faucets.
It pays to operate appliances that use hot water wisely. Running the clothes washer with a full load and using cold water whenever possible can lead to big energy savings. Hang dry your laundry rather than putting it in the dryer and put them outside on a clothline mostly at summer, when its hotter. Hang drying will also make your clothes last much longer. Use detergents that clean clothes effectively in cold water.
Use dishwashers instead of washing dishes by hand. Washing dishes by hand may not save energy or money. In fact, you can probably save energy using the dishwasher since hand-washing usually requires more hot water. When shopping for a new dishwasher, look for models that require less hot water. Dishwashers differ in the number of gallons of hot water used in the wash cycle. Eighty percent of the energy used in automatic dishwashers goes toward heating water. Significant savings take place by running the dishwasher only when it is full. Running a half-filled dishwasher twice uses two times as much energy as running a full load once. Many new dishwashers have an internal water heater that raises the temperature of the incoming water to 140 degrees. This device allows you to turn down the temperature on the water heater in your home and still have your dishes washed thoroughly. Take advantage of the energy saving control on many dishwashers. It turns off the heat during the drying cycle. Opening the dishwasher after the rinse cycle and letting the dishes air dry is another way to save energy.
Transportation
Buy a bike. With gas prices so high, it will pay for itself. Ride it to work, to run errands, or to have fun. Everyone benefits when you ride a bike. You help conserve our limited oil resources, you are not polluting, and you are exercising. Encourage your spouse, kids, co-workers and friends to join you. Some companies have even started offering incentives to employees who bike to work. Ask your employer about installing a shower at the office for longer, or hotter, commutes.
Walk around the corner rather than drive. It may be convenient to drive, but let's face it, it probably takes longer than walking would, and emits pollutants to boot.
For longer trips, take public transportation or carpool. These options may take a little longer, but you can read, listen to headphones, work on computer or craft projects, or talk to people instead of having to stare straight ahead for the length of your commute. There are many carpool and rideshare websites on the internet for both regular and one-time trips. Try craigslist.org for your one-time trips. Your city government might also facilitate carpool trips.
Consolidate your trips. If you must drive to do laundry, shopping, etc., plan to do all weekly errands on one day. You can get everything you need in one trip, saving you money and time. Also, it's more fuel efficient to start a car if it's already warmed up.
Use less gas. The gas you pump into your car or SUV is derived from fossil fuels which, when burnt, release a good share of greenhouse gases into the air. Read the Related wikiHow articles on How to Save Money on Gas and Increase Fuel Mileage on a Car. Consider purchasing a hybrid/flex fuel car.
Consider ditching the car altogether.
Research biodiesel. This is a diesel made from a percentage (from 1%-100%) of plant and animal fat (in some cases reused fat). This is not suitable for all diesel engines.
When buying a new car, motor bike or scooter, research energy efficient, electric, hybrid and diesel engines. You can get a reduction in tax and congestion charges in some countries.
Diet
Eat low on the food chain. On average, it takes nearly 10 times as much fossil fuel to produce animal protein (including commercially caught or farmed fish) compared to plant protein, like beans and grains. According to a 2006 University of Chicago study, a vegan diet contributes 1.5 fewer tonnes of CO2 or CO2 equivalents to the atmosphere each year than the average North American diet.
Buy local produce when you go to the grocery store rather than items trucked in from far away, and bring it home in reusable bags. There can be exceptions, as when imported food has been produced more sustainably than local and shipped (energy efficient) rather than flown (very energy inefficient).
Buy sustainably or organically produced food. Conventional farming uses massive quantities of petrochemicals in the manufacture of artificial pesticides and fertilizers and to run farm machinery. Organic and other traditional or natural farmers use minimal fossil fuel inputs. Some even use draught animals instead of internal combustion engines.
At the Cash Register
Buy only post-consumer recycled paper products, including toilet paper and tissues. The paper industry is the third greatest contributor to global warming emissions.
Don’t buy from companies that refuse to make post-consumer paper! Producing new paper, glass, and metal products from recycled materials saves 70% to 90% of the energy and pollution that results from products made from virgin materials.
Buy certified wood to support sustainably managed forests.
Tell the companies you invest in that you care about global warming and you will pull your investments if they don’t address the issue. Don’t like a company’s stance on global warming? Go to shareholder meetings and speak up!
Buy a carbon offset. Find entities that allow you to "buy off" your CO2 usage through the Chicago Climate Exchange, such as Terrapass. Because the CCX trades CO2 credits created by big projects, buying and retiring can be a cheaper approach to reducing CO2 than Green Power programs or buying your own fluorescent bulbs (CCX credits currently go for about $4.50 a ton; given that CO2 emissions are about 2 lbs per kW of electrical generation, buying and retiring credits equal your house's CO2 emissions would cost about $13 per month, versus $80 per month for TVA's Green Power Switch program).
In Your Community
Learn everything you can about global warming. What is it? How does global warming work? Why is it happening? What are the causes? What are the critics saying? Remember, knowledge is power.
Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper about the dangers of global warming.
Call a local radio talk show to tell them you care about global warming or to question a skeptic.
Join a national or local environmental group that is fighting the climate crisis everyday so their membership numbers swell and their voice has more power .
E-mail relevant articles to your friends and family to get them up to speed about global warming.
See "An Inconvenient Truth" and encourage your friends and family to do the same.
Write to your local council to ask for recycling collection. If they write back with a negative reply, give the letter to your local paper.
Support and advocate alternative energy sources such as wind or solar that don't emit CO2 gases.
Tips
Educate yourself, you family, your friends, your co-workers and everyone you meet. Our culture is just waking up to issues that have always existed. The more people are aware of the issues the more likely they are to make desicions that will be constructive!
Before turning on any electrical, oil or gas-powered machine, think: "Is there another way to do this task?" Be creative!
To better keep track of your greenhouse gas emissions use a greenhouse gas calculator.
More about powered lawn tools (if you can't do all of your tasks by hand): The emissions from many gas mowers (and other gas-powered tools) are full of greenhouse gases. Some older or poorly running mowers even create more pollution than many cars! Some of the alternatives have become much better in recent years. There are rechargeable electric mowers that give you nearly an hour of mowing time per charge, and even robotic mowers that mow for you! You'd be surprised with the number of 'greener' options there are for powered lawn tools.
Why this effects animals???
Global warming is having a significant impact on hundreds of plant and animal species around the world.
Birds are laying eggs earlier than usual, plants are flowering earlier and mammals are breaking hibernation sooner. Polar bears and penguins have no ice to rest on, so MANY are drowning. Drouts in other parts of the world are effecting how much water animals are getting!!Th elist goes on, but you can help
More and more people are wondering how they can do their part to help reduce the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. While change won't happen overnight, here are steps that you can take against global warming.
Yes I know there is alot to read! So maybe copy and paste this info someplace on your computer so you have it!!!!
Steps
Around the House & Garden
Don't use a leaf blower. Instead, get a rake and do it by hand. It will help your lawn get more oxygen and sun and you'll get a little bit of exercise. Your neighbors will thank you for the noise reduction, too! The same goes for other yard work, including mowing (with a mechanical push mower), weeding (instead of weed-whacking), and fertilizing (using a compost bin or heap instead of a shredder). Compost your food waste too and avoid using chemical fertilizers, which are made from fossil fuel.
Plant a tree. Well-placed landscaping cuts energy costs in summer and winter. Whilst alive, the tree will store carbon dioxide that would otherwise be in the atmosphere. Trees which are placed so that they will provide shade for your house will also help it stay cool in the summer. Better yet, make it a fruit or a nut tree. Planting perennials which yield food, including berry bushes and garden vegetables and herbs, will help you eat locally while 'fixing' more carbon in the soil at the same time. Introducing these plants in public places, by the sides of roads and in parks, is another way to benefit the community and the climate. When planting outside your home, limit yourself to native species.
Repaint your house with latex paint instead of oil-based. The paint releases significantly fewer harmful fumes while drying and smells a lot better.
Buy energy efficient appliances with the "Energy Star" label.
Make sure the dishwasher and washing machine are full before running them to save energy and money. If you don't have an Energy Star certified dishwasher, it uses less water (and no energy) to do dishes by hand.
Call your local utility and sign up for renewable energy. If they don’t offer it, ask them why not.
Get a home energy audit. Many utilities offer free audits, which may reveal simple ways to cut emissions.
Weatherize your home; caulk, and weather-strip your doorways and windows. You can even add insulation. Not only will all this save energy, it will save you money too!
Move your thermostat down two degrees in winter and up two degrees in the summer.
Unplug your cell phone charger, TV and other electronics from the wall when you are not using them. Did you know that even when turned "off" your cell phone chargers, DVD players, computers, and cameras use small amounts of energy? The process can be made easier if you have everything plugged into a surge protector with its own switch.
Make sure to turn off lights and other energy-sucking devices when they aren’t being used. This also applies to schools because most schools do not turn off their lights when not in use. If 10,000 schools turned off all their lights for just one minute, they would save more than $81,000. If those same schools turned off their lights every time they went to recess, they would save more than $4.9 million!
Replace any incandescent light bulbs with fluorescent ones. Fluorescent light bulbs are more expensive, but replacing just one incandescent light bulb will save 150 pounds of carbon dioxide. Fluorescent lamps are more efficient than incandescent light bulbs of an equivalent brightness. This is because more of the consumed energy is converted to usable light and less is converted to heat, allowing fluorescent lamps to run cooler. An incandescent lamp may convert only 10% of its power input to visible light releasing 90% heat. A fluorescent lamp producing as much useful visible light energy may require only 1/3 to 1/4 as much electricity input and converts 90% of the power input to visible light releasing only 10% heat. Typically a fluorescent lamp will last between 10 and 20 times as long as an equivalent incandescent lamp. Basically, a fluorescent light bulb would reduce your energy consumption AND your electric bill!
If you're leaving your computer for a while, put it on stand-by. You'll be able to restart it quickly, and it'll take less energy than shutting it down and then restarting it.
Before turning the heat on, put on thick socks and a sweater.
Invest in alternate energy devices for your own home. Windmill kits are inexpensive and a great source of electricity in many areas. Solar energy may be practical for some homes. Building from adobe in arid climates can dramatically save on energy costs and result in homes which last hundreds of years. Adobe construction also greatly reduces the amount of wood used in home construction. The man behind the Rocky Mountain Institute (www.rmi.org) actually sells electricity created at his home back to the electric company, paying for the modifications he made to his home in just a few years.
Buy durable goods. The effort to make and transport even small items can add up fast. As much as possible buy items that will last instead of buying the same item several times in a decade. The larger the item is the more wear and tear on the environment you will save by not producing a brand new one.
Water Conservation in a House
Conserve lots of water. For example, instead of filling up the bathtub with water and bathing, you can choose two choices. Take short showers and/or bath with a person in your family. The other choice is to fill a bucket with water and take a can, or some other cylinder object, and keep filling it with water from the bucket and pouring it over your head. You can also bath with another person. If you are following the second choice or following the "fill bathtub and bath", fill the bucket or bathtub with how much you'll need and not to the top. Also if you have some extra water save it for some other person to use. Here's a reason to conserve Earth's water. Approximately 97% of the world's water is salty and undrinkable. 3% percent of the water is freahwater, but 2% of that is frozen in glaciers and polar ice caps. THis means humans have access to just 1% of the planet's water for all our needs!
Do not leave the water taps on if not in use and turn off the taps properly, because one drop of water per second would waste 2,700 gallons (10,220 L) of water per year! Leaky faucets and taps can add to your hot water bill so repair them as soon as possible. The constant drip wastes water, energy and money. You can also save by installing an inexpensive "flow control" device in shower heads and faucets.
Each person in America uses about 50 gallons (189 L!) of water per day thus, you SHOULD NOT flush tiolets often because each tiolet flush wastes about 5 gallons of water each time! So, when you have to urinate DO NOT flush and try to flush the tiolet after it has been used 7 times. When you have to dump, let your feces drop but DO NOT flush! Clean your buttock and throw the tiolet paper in the tiolet and flush or, the more environment friendly way, put the tiolet paper in a compost bin. Trust us it works.
The water heater is the second largest energy consumer in the home and using it efficiently can add up to big savings. For families with an automatic dishwasher, the hot water heater setting can safely be lowered to 130-140 degrees. If the automatic dishwasher has a water temperature booster, the water heater temperature can be set to 110-120 degrees. If your house will be vacant for two or more days, you can lower the temperature of your water heater even more until you return. If you have a new water heater, drain a few gallons from your tank every six months to remove sediment that accumulates and reduces the heater's efficiency. If you only use your hot water once or twice a day, you may consider installing a timer on your hot water heater and set it up to run two hours in the morning and the evening.
Wrapping a fiberglass blanket around your water heater and securing it with duct tape, or installing a ready-made insulation kit can save up to 10% on water heating costs. Most new water heaters are already insulated, so this tip is most effective for heaters that are more than five years old. Also, insulate hot water pipes to reduce heat loss as the hot water is flowing to your faucets.
It pays to operate appliances that use hot water wisely. Running the clothes washer with a full load and using cold water whenever possible can lead to big energy savings. Hang dry your laundry rather than putting it in the dryer and put them outside on a clothline mostly at summer, when its hotter. Hang drying will also make your clothes last much longer. Use detergents that clean clothes effectively in cold water.
Use dishwashers instead of washing dishes by hand. Washing dishes by hand may not save energy or money. In fact, you can probably save energy using the dishwasher since hand-washing usually requires more hot water. When shopping for a new dishwasher, look for models that require less hot water. Dishwashers differ in the number of gallons of hot water used in the wash cycle. Eighty percent of the energy used in automatic dishwashers goes toward heating water. Significant savings take place by running the dishwasher only when it is full. Running a half-filled dishwasher twice uses two times as much energy as running a full load once. Many new dishwashers have an internal water heater that raises the temperature of the incoming water to 140 degrees. This device allows you to turn down the temperature on the water heater in your home and still have your dishes washed thoroughly. Take advantage of the energy saving control on many dishwashers. It turns off the heat during the drying cycle. Opening the dishwasher after the rinse cycle and letting the dishes air dry is another way to save energy.
Transportation
Buy a bike. With gas prices so high, it will pay for itself. Ride it to work, to run errands, or to have fun. Everyone benefits when you ride a bike. You help conserve our limited oil resources, you are not polluting, and you are exercising. Encourage your spouse, kids, co-workers and friends to join you. Some companies have even started offering incentives to employees who bike to work. Ask your employer about installing a shower at the office for longer, or hotter, commutes.
Walk around the corner rather than drive. It may be convenient to drive, but let's face it, it probably takes longer than walking would, and emits pollutants to boot.
For longer trips, take public transportation or carpool. These options may take a little longer, but you can read, listen to headphones, work on computer or craft projects, or talk to people instead of having to stare straight ahead for the length of your commute. There are many carpool and rideshare websites on the internet for both regular and one-time trips. Try craigslist.org for your one-time trips. Your city government might also facilitate carpool trips.
Consolidate your trips. If you must drive to do laundry, shopping, etc., plan to do all weekly errands on one day. You can get everything you need in one trip, saving you money and time. Also, it's more fuel efficient to start a car if it's already warmed up.
Use less gas. The gas you pump into your car or SUV is derived from fossil fuels which, when burnt, release a good share of greenhouse gases into the air. Read the Related wikiHow articles on How to Save Money on Gas and Increase Fuel Mileage on a Car. Consider purchasing a hybrid/flex fuel car.
Consider ditching the car altogether.
Research biodiesel. This is a diesel made from a percentage (from 1%-100%) of plant and animal fat (in some cases reused fat). This is not suitable for all diesel engines.
When buying a new car, motor bike or scooter, research energy efficient, electric, hybrid and diesel engines. You can get a reduction in tax and congestion charges in some countries.
Diet
Eat low on the food chain. On average, it takes nearly 10 times as much fossil fuel to produce animal protein (including commercially caught or farmed fish) compared to plant protein, like beans and grains. According to a 2006 University of Chicago study, a vegan diet contributes 1.5 fewer tonnes of CO2 or CO2 equivalents to the atmosphere each year than the average North American diet.
Buy local produce when you go to the grocery store rather than items trucked in from far away, and bring it home in reusable bags. There can be exceptions, as when imported food has been produced more sustainably than local and shipped (energy efficient) rather than flown (very energy inefficient).
Buy sustainably or organically produced food. Conventional farming uses massive quantities of petrochemicals in the manufacture of artificial pesticides and fertilizers and to run farm machinery. Organic and other traditional or natural farmers use minimal fossil fuel inputs. Some even use draught animals instead of internal combustion engines.
At the Cash Register
Buy only post-consumer recycled paper products, including toilet paper and tissues. The paper industry is the third greatest contributor to global warming emissions.
Don’t buy from companies that refuse to make post-consumer paper! Producing new paper, glass, and metal products from recycled materials saves 70% to 90% of the energy and pollution that results from products made from virgin materials.
Buy certified wood to support sustainably managed forests.
Tell the companies you invest in that you care about global warming and you will pull your investments if they don’t address the issue. Don’t like a company’s stance on global warming? Go to shareholder meetings and speak up!
Buy a carbon offset. Find entities that allow you to "buy off" your CO2 usage through the Chicago Climate Exchange, such as Terrapass. Because the CCX trades CO2 credits created by big projects, buying and retiring can be a cheaper approach to reducing CO2 than Green Power programs or buying your own fluorescent bulbs (CCX credits currently go for about $4.50 a ton; given that CO2 emissions are about 2 lbs per kW of electrical generation, buying and retiring credits equal your house's CO2 emissions would cost about $13 per month, versus $80 per month for TVA's Green Power Switch program).
In Your Community
Learn everything you can about global warming. What is it? How does global warming work? Why is it happening? What are the causes? What are the critics saying? Remember, knowledge is power.
Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper about the dangers of global warming.
Call a local radio talk show to tell them you care about global warming or to question a skeptic.
Join a national or local environmental group that is fighting the climate crisis everyday so their membership numbers swell and their voice has more power .
E-mail relevant articles to your friends and family to get them up to speed about global warming.
See "An Inconvenient Truth" and encourage your friends and family to do the same.
Write to your local council to ask for recycling collection. If they write back with a negative reply, give the letter to your local paper.
Support and advocate alternative energy sources such as wind or solar that don't emit CO2 gases.
Tips
Educate yourself, you family, your friends, your co-workers and everyone you meet. Our culture is just waking up to issues that have always existed. The more people are aware of the issues the more likely they are to make desicions that will be constructive!
Before turning on any electrical, oil or gas-powered machine, think: "Is there another way to do this task?" Be creative!
To better keep track of your greenhouse gas emissions use a greenhouse gas calculator.
More about powered lawn tools (if you can't do all of your tasks by hand): The emissions from many gas mowers (and other gas-powered tools) are full of greenhouse gases. Some older or poorly running mowers even create more pollution than many cars! Some of the alternatives have become much better in recent years. There are rechargeable electric mowers that give you nearly an hour of mowing time per charge, and even robotic mowers that mow for you! You'd be surprised with the number of 'greener' options there are for powered lawn tools.
