Global Warming

Hi Guys this section tell about how the world is facing vast problems because of Global Warming.and also how we can restrict the harmfulness that are happening by the Global warming. As a sixth sense people what can we do to avoid these type of problems.

What Is Global Warming?
Earth is naturally insulated by a delicate balance of heat-trapping (or "greenhouse") gases in the atmosphere. When the sun shines on the Earth, some of that heat is absorbed, keeping Earth warm enough to support life.

The problem is that over the last century, we humans have been releasing more and more carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere when we burn fuels and cut down forests. These additional gases have upset the natural balance of our atmosphere, trapping more heat than is healthy for the Earth.

The result is human-caused global warming, which brings serious threats from increased flooding to the spread of disease to the disruption of agriculture in many parts of the world.

Scientists tell us that stopping global warming is urgent -- we have just a few years to turn around the growth of greenhouse gas emissions in order to avoid the worst effects. The good news is that we can achieve these emissions reductions with effective national policies and international treaties. We must insist that businesses and governments join individuals around the world to greatly increase energy efficiency, widely adopt renewable energy, and commit to stopping climate change. Success is possible, but we need your help.

Climate crisis
No human challenge is so potentially uniting as the climate crisis. Our human drive to invent and build has led to extraordinary advances and great technological promise. It's also had grave, unintended consequences. And unless we face the climate crisis with ingenuity, resolve, and a sense of urgency, much of the world as we know it will begin to unravel before our eyes. The warning signs are plain to see. The 10 warmest years on record have all occurred since 1990. Mountain glaciers are fading on every continent and the sea ice is melting. The seas have begun a slow but menacing rise.
The science behind global warming is often portrayed as enormously complex, but some of it is quite simple. It begins with a ray of light, shot through space from the staggering inferno of our sun. That sunbeam delivers energy to earth, giving us light and warmth and life.

As some of this energy radiates back toward space as heat, a portion is absorbed by a delicate balance of heat-trapping (or "greenhouse") gases in the atmosphere that create an insulating layer. Without the temperature control of this greenhouse effect, the Earth's average surface temperature would be 0°F (-18°C), a temperature so low that the Earth would be frozen and could not sustain human life as we know it.

The most abundant of the greenhouse gases is water vapor. In addition, there are other powerful greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, and nitrous oxide. Each of these is a natural part of the never-ending cycle of life, death, and decomposition on Earth. But since the onset of the Industrial Revolution humans have been pumping out more and more of these and other greenhouse gases. Scientists are clear: human activities are contributing to global warming by adding large amounts of heat-trapping gases to the atmosphere. Our fossil fuel use is the main source of these gases. Every time we drive a car, use electricity from coal-fired power plants, or heat our homes with oil or natural gas, we release carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases into the air. The second most important addition of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere is related to deforestation, mainly in the tropics, as well as other land-use changes.
The concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is now 380 parts-per-million (ppm), 100 ppm higher than at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. But we can look back even further. By drilling into the deepest glacial ice we can measure CO2 deep into time. And this ice library shows more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere than at any time in last 650,000 years.

As a result of the build up of gases, the temperature is beginning to rise. Adults today have already felt the average global temperature rise more than a full degree Fahrenheit (0.8°C) during our lifetimes. We expect another degree F by 2020 due to past emissions. Based on modeling by an international body of experts studying the climate crisis, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the temperature could increase by more than 7°F (4°C) by the end of the century in the absence of meaningful efforts to rein in global warming pollution.


Things we can do.....
01. Spread the Word
Encourage your friends to join the movement by sharing videos
Get your friends and family excited about solving the climate crisis. You can send them our latest ad or one of our other cool videos. You can also show your support by posting a "We" logo on your MySpace page or blog. Your actions help build support around this critical issue. Start reaching out!

Talk to People

When it comes to educating people about global warming, television advertisements and speeches by famous people can go a long way. But your voice is much more powerful. Really.

This is true because your friends, co-workers, and relatives are more likely to trust information coming from you than from someone they don't know. We often go to a movie, read a book, or visit a restaurant based on a friend's recommendation. The same can be true with the climate crisis: Our friends and family are more likely to get involved when we ask them to. By showing others that you care about the climate crisis, you can inspire them to learn more and get involved.

We'll stop global warming and move toward a cleaner economy when more of us chat with a friend over lunch about renewable energy, talk to a neighbor about the need for action, or urge a relative to get involved. It's not someone else's job -- it's our job -- and these personal connections will shift the tide. We're a million strong, and, if we each take time to spread the word, our combined impact will be incredible.

In addition to talking to your friends who are likely to "get it" on global warming, don't be afraid to talk to people who might be skeptical. Many times, these people are relying on outdated assumptions or have never had the opportunity to talk seriously about the issue. So take a moment and take a chance -- bring them into a conversation or invite them to an event. You might be surprised to find how easily they can be persuaded when you share your views and provide them with the correct information.

You should talk about climate change in a way you feel is compelling, but here are some useful tips and resources:

1. Invite people to be part of the solution. Don't attack them for not being fully informed or not being involved.

2. Try to address your friend's particular needs and interests. We are not all moved by the same arguments or ideas, so consider arguments best suited to your friend's particular situation. For example, some people might be motivated to protect natural habitats, but others might be worried about the national security implications of climate change (severe droughts or floods could cause mass migrations of refugees, destabilize governments, and cause military conflict).

3. Talk about the urgency of the issue -- the scientific evidence around global warming and its likely future impacts is staggering:
Thousands of the world's top scientists have reached a consensus that human activities are causing the climate to change.
The rise in global temperature will pose serious threats around the world, including rising sea levels, increased drought, and disruption of agriculture. Hundreds of millions of people may be forced from their homelands as the climate shifts.
Many scientists are now warning that we are moving closer to a "tipping point" that could -- within 10 years -- make many of the worst effects unavoidable. But, they tell us that we still have time to stop global warming if we start to act now.

4. Talk about solutions. We already have the technologies and know-how to solve it. And the solutions that move us toward a clean and efficient economy are good for America -- jobs and American innovation are compelling even if you can't convince a friend about the scientific consensus. You can read up on solutions to the climate crisis here and send links to your friends.
5. Talk about what they can do. Each of us can take meaningful action to help stop global warming. Click here to encourage them to visit our Action Center.

6. Use pictures and video -- We have a collection of useful pictures and videos that you can send to your friends. Click here to view our videos and other resources.

7. Provide resources for friends who have the wrong information -- Sometimes our friends unwittingly pass on misconceptions or old information about global warming, but you can help change their tune. A number of sites do a good job of debunking myths and misconceptions, such as "How to Talk to a Climate Skeptic".

8. Respect that we all learn about issues in different ways and at different paces. Our different backgrounds lead us to view similar information in different ways. Let's not let our differences -- one of America's great strengths -- ever get in the way of respectful and thoughtful communication.

9. Be patient -- Many times someone will say something with such little basis that you don't know how to respond. Take a breath and remember the scientific consensus is on your side. You're not going to be able to convince everyone. At some point, you might simply need to redirect your energies towards friends who are ready to listen.


02.
Attend or Host an Event
Go to an event or host an event to spread the word about solutions to climate change.
Attend or Host an Event
Whether you are a party animal or a wallflower, prefer lectures or cocktails, you can help promote solutions to climate change by supporting or hosting an event in your community. Get some friends together for a viewing of "An Inconvenient Truth." Or, whip up some classy invitations and host a dinner party.
You can even invite a trained presenter to speak about the climate crisis in your town, school, work, or neighborhood. Through his initiative, The Climate Project (TCP), Al Gore has personally trained over 2,000 volunteers around the US and internationally to give a version of his slideshow that formed the basis of his Academy Award winning film, An Inconvenient Truth. TCP presenters have already reached over 2 million people. You can request a presentation with a TCP Presenter by filling out this form.
Be creative and invite people even if you aren't sure how much they know about climate change. The climate crisis affects everyone, and your event may create some new climate champions



03.
Advocate for Change
Write a letter to the editor of your local paper, meet with an elected official, or call a community leader today

Writing
Elected Officials

Write a letter to an elected official and let them know where you stand on climate change.

Regardless of how you voted, once in office, elected officials need to know that you are depending on them to solve the climate challenge. Write and tell them what's at stake.
Letter Writing Tips:
Mention upfront that you are a constituent (i.e., you live in their district).
Be specific. Discuss specific legislation or steps your elected official can take to combat climate change and let them know you are watching their actions.
Keep it short.
Use a collaborative, rather than accusatory, tone. We must build partnerships to create change.
Look beyond just state or national elected leaders. Your list of officials could include:
Mayor
City council representatives
Religious leaders
PTA/school leaders
Leaders of professional associations
If your elected official writes back, please let us know here.
A letter to your mayor might look like this:
Dear [mayor]:
As an active resident of Everytown, I am eager to see our city lead the way in combating the climate crisis. The stakes are high and the opportunities great. It is time for us to act to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and begin living more sustainably.
The following are some ways we as a city can do our part in the coming year:
• Use green building techniques for new construction.
• Require all public buildings to use compact fluorescent lightbulbs and energy efficient appliances.
• Encourage residents to use bicycles for short trips around town by expanding secure bike parking and adding bike lanes to new roads.
In your acceptance speech last year, you talked about how important it is to you that Everytown residents are proud of their city. By taking these measures to combat global warming, we can all be proud of the leadership role Everytown is taking to create a more sustainable planet for everyone.
I look forward to seeing action on these issues in the coming months.
Sincerely,


Meeting With Your Elected Representative
Scheduling a meeting with your elected representative is easier than
Meeting With Your Elected Representative
A great way to urge your elected representatives to get serious about climate change is to tell them in person!
You don't need to travel to Washington, DC to visit with your senators or representative. Every member of Congress has at least one office in their congressional district. If you make an appointment, you will usually be given about 20 minutes with a staff member.
During this time, tell your representative about the importance of addressing climate change to you, personally. It is not necessary to bring a large stack of facts with you. What is important is to speak about your own passion for protecting the planet and give ideas of how your representative can help.
Visiting your representative is a great activity to do with others who share your view on the importance of solving the climate crisis. Consider going with a Bible study group or your Girl Scout troop, for example.
You can talk about your general concerns, such as lack of public transportation in your region or polluting industries. Be yourself and remember that your elected representatives work for you. They use feedback from concerned citizens like you to decide which issues they should spend their time on.
Here's what to do before your visit:

Write the representative's scheduler for an appointment. Give him or her specific days and times you are available and tell the scheduler of any specific legislation you would like to discuss. Click here to find contact information for congressional offices.

Plan your meeting. Write an outline and some brief talking points. If you'd like your representative to support a certain bill, be sure you know its exact name and number. Bring examples of how action on your issues -- whether energy-efficient buildings or green energy -- could benefit your community. Remember that you are coming there to have a conversation with the staff member or official. Plan time to discuss the issues rather than just read off of a sheet of paper.

Do your homework. You should arrive knowing something about your representative's position on your issues. Did he or she already sign on a sponsor of the bill you support? If so, it's still helpful to thank the representative for his or her support and reiterate the importance of climate protection to you.
What to do during your visit:

Be on-time and polite. Thank the staff member or representative for meeting with you and introduce yourself.

Stay focused. Remember what topics you came there to discuss and make the most of your limited amount of time.

Make plans to follow-up. Thank the staff member or representative for the meeting and ask if there is any follow-up information you can send.

What to do after your visit:
Send a thank-you note. As soon after your visit as possible, each person in your group should handwrite a thank-you note to the person you met with. Remind him or her of your concerns and mention that you look forward to seeing your representative take action. Also send any follow-up information you promised during your meeting.

Keep up the relationship! Keep track of your representative's actions on your issues. When he or she sponsors a piece of legislation you agree with, send a thank-you email. If you don't see your representative taking action on the issues you discussed during your meeting, make a follow-up call or writea note reminding him or her of the issues' importance to you.



04.

Letters to the Editor
Write a letter to the editor of your local paper and let him or her know what can be done to solve the climate crisis.

Letters to the Editor
Sports magazines, community newspapers, church newsletters . . . chances are, all of them accept letters to the editor. These publications are in business because of their readers, and they want to hear from you! Writing a letter to the editor is not difficult and can be more influential than you think. You can see examples of how We Campaign members helped set the record straight when talk of offshore drilling was draining the attention of the media.
Think of a publication that you read regularly and find a recent article that you can tie into the climate crisis.
Here are some examples of ways you might begin a letter:
"Your newspaper's article highlighting the need for more renewable energy in our city was right-on [article title, date]. . ."
"My family and I were encouraged to read that Senator Roberts will introduce a bill to increase fuel efficiency in our state [article title, date] . . ."
"I was saddened to learn of the Board's decision to reduce bus and train service to the airport [article title, date]. . ."

Making Talk Radio Work For You
Call a talk radio show and speak your mind.
Listen to the show to get an idea of topics addressed and the kind of rapport the host has with callers. Does the host challenge callers and cut them off, or is he or she more likely to invite a diversity of opinions? Don't be afraid to call shows with typically argumentative hosts. If you present your point in a clear, non-flustered manner, your call will have been a success.

Write out a couple of clear (and brief!) talking points. Plan on making your point in no more than a few sentences.
If you think you will be nervous, practice stating your point out-loud or with a friend.
When you call:
Try calling early in the show, ideally about five minutes before the show starts.
You will speak to a screener who will ask what you would like to talk about. Keep your point short and avoid going into detail. You might say you are calling to talk about "green energy" or "the importance of good public transportation."
When you get on-air, stay focused and calm. State your point in a few clear and short sentences. Just don't read directly from your notes -- listeners can tell.
If the host challenges you or tries to re-direct the conversation, bring listeners back to your central point.
Avoid sounding flustered, obstinate, or argumentative. Instead, work to come across as calm and authoritative.












05.

Minimize Your Own Impact
Learn about how you can save money and reduce your own contribution to global warming by making climate-friendly choices each day.
The most important thing you can do to help fight climate change is call on your elected officials to enact policies that will help solve it. However, you can save money and reduce your own contribution to global warming by making climate-friendly choices each day. Here are a few simple tips for living a more climate-friendly life:

At Home
Turn down the heat and air conditioning when you aren't home. Try using a programmable thermostat or setting your thermostat yourself to 68 degrees while you are awake and lower it to 60 degrees while you are asleep or away from home. In the summer, keep the thermostat at 78 degrees while you are at home, but give your air conditioning a rest when you are away. This will allow you to save about 10% a year on your home energy costs. If every house in America did this, our total greenhouse gas production would drop by about 35 million tons of CO2. This is about the same as taking 6 million cars off of the road.

Choose energy efficient appliances. Because they use less energy, EnergyStar appliances like refrigerators can reduce carbon pollution, and have a big impact on your energy bill. Plus, choosing energy efficient products is easy -- just look for the EnergyStar logo. EnergyStar products typically exceed the federal energy standards by at least fifteen percent. When buying appliances that use the most energy in your home, like heaters, air conditioners, water heaters and refrigerators, also use the Energy Guide card posted on the appliance to help you choose the one with the lowest annual energy consumption. To learn more about your home's contribution to global warming, view our famous Black Balloons video (be sure to share it with your friends!).

Warm up your home with insulation. Was your house constructed before 1980? If so, it could be one of the 80% of American homes built without enough insulation. This means your home heating costs could be going through the roof, literally. The North American Insulation Manufacturers Association has tips for both finding and getting the most out of a contractor to fix this problem and for doing it yourself.

Change your home's air filters. Heating and cooling uses about half of the energy in a typical home and can account for about $1,500 a year in annual costs. Click here to read about how you can conserve energy by doing some basic home maintenance like replacing air filters and insulating your heating ducts.

Make the switch to compact florescent bulbs. According to the government's EnergyStar program, if every American home replaced their five most-used light fixtures with EnergyStar rated compact fluorescent the savings would add up to $8 billion annually in energy costs. That's like taking almost ten million cars off the road. CFL's are widely available, affordable, and they last ten times longer than traditional bulbs.

Wash your clothes with cold water. If you usually use hot water for your laundry you can cut your energy consumption in half by choosing warm water, and up to ninety percent if you choose cold. Your current liquid laundry detergent should work fine. If not, special cold water detergents are available. Your shirts and pants should be just as clean, and you'll thank yourself when the electricity bill arrives.

Switch to green power. It is likely that most of the electricity you use comes from non-renewable sources like coal. However, there are some utilities that will sell you climate-friendly electricity like wind, biomass, or solar if you ask for it. More than 750 utilities in 37 states offer green power products and signing up can be very easy. To find out what your options are, check out the US Department of Energy map or contact your local energy company directly. And, when you sign up for green power, ask your utility when everyone will be getting clean energy, even those who don't request it. Read more about green power here. For more ways to save energy at home, visit EPA's Energy Star @ home tips.


On the Go
Take public transportation. One of the best ways to reduce your impact on the climate is to take a public bus, subway or train instead of driving. Since you don't have to keep your eyes on the road, you can read, talk with friends or listen to music while you travel. If just 10% of US passenger car travel were instead on mass transit, we would save 75 million tons of CO2. Give public transit a try for one trip a week to start. You may be surprised by how convenient reducing greenhouse gas emissions can be. If your community doesn't have many public transportation options, ask for it! Go to a city council meeting or write your city officials and tell them that good public transportation options are important to you, and good for the community.

Find a carpool buddy at least once a week. Sharing a ride to work is one of the most efficient ways to cut down on drive-time emissions. Ask around -- odds are someone else is heading in the same direction already. Click here for a step-by-step guide on finding a carpool group.

Pump up your tires. Eager to save money at the pump? According to AAA, driving with under-inflated tires can hurt your vehicle's gas mileage by two to three percent. Over a year, this could be like wasting an entire tank of gas. To check your tires' pressure:
Check the inside of the driver's side door or owner's manual and jot down the double-digit number followed by the letters "PSI," which stands for Pounds per Square Inch. This is how much air your tires were designed to hold.

Pick up a tire gauge (for about $5) and use it to measure the air in your tires.
If it turns out your tires are under-inflated, visit a gas station for an air touch-up and you'll enjoy an easier (and more energy-efficient) ride. Click here to watch Pump Your Ride -- a fun video guide to proper tire inflation.

Go ride a bike -- or take a walk. Not only is riding a bike or walking a climate-friendly way to commute, it's good for your health, too. Ride your bike to work, or use it for short errands. Your local bike shop is an excellent resource for information on bicycle commuting, the latest bike gadgets and safety tools, and it can even help you fix up that old three-speeder for trips around town.

At Work
Use the sleep settings and the power switch for computers and monitors. These common pieces of home and office equipment consume a lot of electricity. The single most powerful climate change tool on these machines is the OFF switch. Forget what you've heard about how powering up equipment repeatedly wears it out. That's old information, dating back decades. Equipment can be safely switched off and powered back on when it's needed again. Also, make sure the hibernation and sleep settings are enabled (download a handy free tool for PCs that makes the settings super easy or click here for instructions to do it yourself).

Ask for motion sensors in low-traffic areas. In commercial buildings lighting accounts for more than 40% of electrical energy use, a huge cause of greenhouse gas production. Using motion and occupancy sensors can cut this use by 10%. Ask your employer to consider installing motion sensors in lesser traveled hallways, restrooms, conference rooms, and storage areas.

Use a power strip. Office equipment from faxes to toaster ovens draw energy just by being plugged in. Save energy by plugging all office equipment into a power strip. When you leave the office, just flip the off switch on the power strip. You can also use a power strip at home and save even more.

Call maintenance if it's cold. If it's too hot or too cold, call the maintenance department since this probably means that the system needs to be adjusted (and energy is being wasted).

Be creative -- anyone can be a climate champion at work. Don't work in an office? There is still plenty you can do to protect the climate at your workplace. Finding ways to save energy offers an opportunity for creativity and true American out-of-the-box thinking and innovation, and the rewards can be huge. Click here to learn more about what you can do at your place of work.
Want more? You can calculate your personal contribution to global warming by using a carbon calculator, such as those offered by EarthLab, The Nature Conservancy, Carbon Footprint and the EPA.