More frequently we are being given reminders that we are living on a fragile and volatile planet. Many of our natural resources have been processed to near depletion. As the world population grows more land and resources are being used to cope with the increase in demands and deforestation, this in turn has a by product, Pollution and Global Warming. Global Warming is a “Global” issue and is not particular to one event or action, although one event or action repeated round the world by millions of us could make a big difference.

Because the effects of Global Warming are created by many different actions it is hard to put a “Cover All” solution into place. A “Cover All” solution is equally hard as it would have to be established as part of an international policy, a policy that would need every country to sign up to, but that’s politics and will be covered in a separate article. This article is aimed on focusing the individual actions.

What can one person do?

Alone, not a lot but imagine if millions of others just like you done the same thing round the world! That would make a big difference on a Global scale, now imagine this happened with various different products at the same time!

The biggest pollutant in most of our lives is our beloved Car, for most of us the car is an integral part of our lives. Without taking the drastic measures of not having a car and hampering our lifestyles there are still a few tricks left to reducing the motor vehicle carbon emissions. Car sharing work journeys, lower c02 emission cars, hybrid cars, cutting out short journeys that can be done on foot, and public transport.

Having now looked at the ways to reduce global warming in regards to your traveling attention can now turn to the management of household waste products like old bottles, newspapers, excess paper, tins, unwanted toys, food and other such items. Many of these items can be recycled or disposed of without being put into a general land fill. All it requires is a few vital minuets to separate and sort it and it’s done.

For instance you can make compost for your garden from food stuff like onion peelings, tea leaves, spoiled vegetables and fruit can be turned into compost. The items like tins, old bottles, papers and newspapers can be taken to recycling centres where they will be eventually taken for recycling.

You can take your old clothes, toys and other goods to charity shops so that someone else will have the chance of using them. This way you can prevent the many garbage dumps from becoming too full. This is another way to reduce the effects of global warming that rarely crosses our minds.

As you can see, while the large industries and companies work to reduce global warming on a large scale, the small scale reduction is down to the individual. For those of us who are looking at the ways to stop global warming our homes, the way we travel and our lifestyles can be looked at with this goal in mind. In the end it is all of our collective efforts to stop global warming which will help us to live a better and cleaner life. You may only be ably to change one element of the above at a time, but can you imaging the impact if everybody done just ONE thing?

When you hear about the effects of global warming it is important to understand that the effects we are experiencing today are moderate compared to what the future will see if we do not take preventative action. Over the next century researchers and environmental professionals are stating that the effects of global warming will continue on a constant inclined curve. Temperatures heating up a little bit each decade until the earth’s temperatures reach the sweltering levels that we experienced in history. Scientists believe that the earth’s temperatures will rise between 2-9 degrees Fahrenheit by 2050.

The Arctic and the earth’s northern latitudes will feel the most of the effects of global warming as they continue to escalate. As the Arctic packs and glaciers begin to melt from the increased temperatures the tundra and seas surrounding the areas will continue to absorb the warmth which was once reflected back into space. Climate models show that if temperatures throughout the rest of the world rise to 3 degrees Fahrenheit they will more than likely rise to at least 7 degrees Fahrenheit in the Arctic. From this the oceans throughout the world will become full with melting glaciers and ice from the Arctic likely to rise by at least 3ft.

As the temperatures continue to rise this will force the ocean to evaporate quicker and therefore more rainfall will be experienced. The problem with this effect is that the rainfall may hit areas of the world which do not need it at all causing massive floods and monsoons. Subtropical areas like India are expected to be the target of this particular effect of global warming. On the other hand it is safe to say that droughts are going to be more of a problem than flooding.

There are predictions that the future effects of global warming may have its benefits as well. In the northern part of the world such as Canada, the warmer temperatures will mean longer growing seasons and more rainfall. This of course then will put an end to any food shortage that may be occurring and provide a new sense of prosperity to countries throughout the world which have been struggling to survive.

Many of the changes and effects listed above are already taking place today on a smaller scale of course. Sea levels are rising due to thermal expansion of the ocean, in addition to melting of land ice. Amounts and patterns of precipitation are changing as well but only slightly in comparison to what has been predicted for the future. Changes in temperature and precipitation patterns increase the frequency and intensity of other extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, heat waves, and tornadoes.

Other effects of global warming include higher or lower agricultural yields, further glacial retreat, reduced summer stream flows and species extinctions. As a further effect of global warming, diseases like malaria are returning into areas where they have been extinguished earlier. This is only the beginning of the effects global warming can have on our earth. As the greenhouse gases continue to increase and enter the atmosphere these effects are only going to increase in severity making it harder and harder to maintain our quality of life.

Many people find it hard to believe that the effects of global warming can become as severe as scientists are predicting but the patterns support these theories. When you read studies comparing today’s weather to weather 20years ago there are already signs proving the effects of global warming. Pay attention to the weather today and the severe weather being reported from all over the world and you will begin to see the effects within your own life as well.

We can all do our part to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases within our atmosphere. No matter how small the act might be (saving electricity, conserving fuels, etc) every action makes a difference when we are all making these eco-smart decisions. There are no doubts that the effects of global warming are only going to persist and increase if we do not do something today. The fact is that even if greenhouse emission gases were completely eliminated today it will still take years to eliminate the threats of global warming. This is why it is so important to do what we can today!

Global Warming Prevention

Global warming is something that we all have to take part in learning how to prevent, not only in the USA but throughout the entire world. We all play a part in contributing to global warming and the only way to help prevent the devastating affects is to work together. Each of the governments throughout the world are striving to develop a prevention plan that can help reduce the amount of emissions they are creating in the atmosphere and enhance what they are doing to contribute to the solution instead of the problem.

A U.S Climate Policy has been created to help citizens of the USA understand global warming and that there are actions which can be taken in order to make a difference. This policy consists of 3 different parts:

* Slowing the growth of emissions

* Strengthening the development of science and research studies

* Enhancing international cooperation

If we can take these policies and principles and put them into action we can begin to see results. This policy is only the beginning of what the government can and should be doing but it is a great start. The politicians within our government are working hard to stick to this policy and evaluate the industrial areas of our country to make sure they meet the requirements of the U.S Climate Policy.

Since the future generations are depending on us to make the choices to rectify this devastating situation, every little effort counts. Our individual efforts are especially significant in countries like the US and Canada, where individuals release 10,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per person every year. The largest source of greenhouse gases is electric power generation. The average home actually contributes more to global warming than the average car. This is because much of the energy we use in our homes comes from power plants which burn fossil fuel to power our electric products.

The United States has agreed in principle to work with more than 180 other nations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to bring about the stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous interference with the climate system. California, Florida, Hawaii, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington have all enacted laws or established policies setting global warming pollution reduction targets, while states in both the Northeast and West have signed agreements to achieve regional targets. Now the U.S. Congress is considering several bills that propose a variety of global warming emissions reduction targets.

The cost of the Kyoto Protocol is estimated to cost each of the developed countries involved billions of dollars. This is a financial responsibility each government should be willing to take in order to do what they can for the environment. Just when you go to the grocery store and find that organic foods are much more expensive than the regular foods; governments are finding that the cost to reduce greenhouse gases is far more than increasing them.

This one of the major problems our world as been having; it is far easier to create these gases than it is to reduce them and this is exactly what we have been doing for centuries. It is reassuring to see that the governments throughout the world are taking action but it is not nearly enough in order to stop the effects of global warming before they become devastating. Environmentalists and scientists are constantly working with government officials in order to come up with new, cost effective bills and legalities to reduce what they can of greenhouse gases.