The Heat is on

We have all heard about global warming. We all know that it is happening (except for the writer of "The Great Global Warming Swindle").

In a nutshell, global warming refers to an unnatural and rapid increase in the Earth’s average surface air temperature. One of the initial things scientists learned is that there are several greenhouse gases responsible for this warming, and humans emit them through fossil fuel combustion. Of these gases, carbon dioxide is the most highly concentrated in the atmosphere. Climate change has had a profound affect on the lives of animals over the past years, and now humans are finally beginning to feel it too.

It is natural to feel overwhelmed by the scope of the situation. This problem affects the entire planet. It is easy to continue living our current lifestyle and hope that some scientists somewhere will discover something that will reverse the problem. It is easy to turn the other cheek and wait for more laws to be enacted. But how about we take a look around us and see what changes we can make as individuals that will make a difference.

A recent article in TreeHugger caught my attention. It had a photo of a wild koala bear that crawled into a tub of water on somebody’s balcony in its efforts to seek relief from temperatures of above 40°C.


Australia is often described as the driest inhabited continent and the most likely to feel the early effects of global warming. Reuters recently reported another deadly bushfire in Australia, which spread through several small towns north of Melbourne. The death toll was 108 and counting. Dead animals were strewn across the roads. Although wildfires are a natural event in Australia, the particularly hot weather and drought this year provided optimal conditions for blazes to occur.

As southern Australia heats up, reaching record-breaking temperatures, northern Australia is becoming host to record-breaking floods. Even Britain is experiencing severe climate changes, reaching its coldest in eighteen years. Buses were suspended and traffic was at a standstill. This is what climate change looks like.

Nature is trying to tell us something.




Because of global warming, two-thirds of the world’s polar bear population will disappear by 2050. I was shocked when I read that statement several years ago. With less ice on which to live on, polar bears have gotten skinnier. Some have even drowned because of the long distances between ice planes.



I have always had a soft spot for animals and learning about their struggle nudges me to be more environmentally friendly. I hope that the photographs of those animals that I've posted will make some of you go "Aww...", and at least try to help those that can't help themselves. What has happened to the days when man and beast lived harmoniously and cared about each other? Because of global warming, Arctic sea ice has declined to the lowest levels on record. But more than polar bears and ice caps are at risk. Other species have shown unusual migration and breeding patterns. Adelie penguins in Antartica have dwindled to less than half their numbers within the last thirty years. Butterflies and foxes have moved farther north for the cooler weather. Spruce bark beetles have thrived in Alaska because of the warmth, causing damage to four million acres of spruce trees.



For those who don’t particularly care about animals, let me paint a more vivid picture in your mind. A cool breeze tousles your hair while sunshine warms your face. You close your eyes and inhale the sweet and salty scent of seawater. The pristine blue sea stretches infinitely ahead of you. Soft, powdery sand trickles through your toes as you sip from a freshly opened coconut. Lovely, isn’t it? I’m talking about the Maldives, an archipelago nation in the Indian Ocean. If nothing is done today, scientists predict that this paradise would disappear underwater within the next one hundred years. This means that our grandchildren would never be able experience its beauty. Its existence would remain only in photographs.

So, what can we do?

The first steps are to reduce, reuse, and recycle. The three R's have been taught to us since grade school, but how many of us actually do it? Taking the extra step to separate your trash is worth every effort. Many of us may have an initial instinct to begin recycling all our trash. But we must bear in mind the order of the three R's. We must first reduce the amount that we consume. Buy products with minimal packaging. Use canvas bags to save paper and plastic bags. Reuse those bags that you absolutely had to take. With a little creativity, nearly everything in your household can be reused. For example, old kitchen utensils can be used as gardening tools and junk mail flyers for art projects and origami. Better yet, eliminate junk mail by removing your name from mailing lists. I personally find that paper bags make great trash bins. By recycling only half of your household waste, you can reduce 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide anually. There are also websites that bring neighbors together so that they can borrow and share just about anything. Why buy when you can borrow, right?

There is so much that we can do--just simple adjustments to our lifestyle. Bike to work instead of driving. Walk to the next block to get lunch instead of driving. The benefit is three-fold-- save on gas emissions, save on gas costs, and be on your way to a healthier lifestyle!

Try adding insulation to your home. With the recent rain and cold weather, a little insulation can help to retain heat in the home. This translates to lower heating costs. Just by installing weather stripping or caulking around windows and doors can lower your heating costs by one quarter. By setting your thermostat just two degrees higher in summer and two degrees lower in winter can help save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide each year.

By using energy efficient products, we will save energy, hence we save money. In this economy, it seems the wise thing to do. When considering a new car, lean towards one with high mileage and least pollution. It could be a hybrid, or a wagon instead of a fuel-guzzling SUV. A 40 miles per gallon car will save an estimated $3,000 in fuel costs over its lifetime, compared with a 20 miles per gallon car.

For home appliances, switch to compact florescent light bulbs which offer more natural light for less energy, instead of standard light bulbs. Wash your clothes in cold water instead of hot, and save at least 500 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. You can't tell the difference in freshness or cleanliness of your clothes whether it is washed with hot or cold water, anyway.

These are just the beginning steps that we can take. Another way to reduce global warming would be to eat less meat. Ideally, we would all be vegetarian, but that is a long shot.

It is a great feat for some people because meat is such a significant part of the American diet. A major report by the University of Chicago in 2006 found that adopting a vegan diet has a greater impact in the fight against global warming than switching to a hybrid car does. Raising animals for their flesh, eggs, and milk is one of the world’s leading emitters of carbon dioxide. But global warming is caused by more than just carbon dioxide.

Animal agriculture is the leading source of methane and nitrous oxide emissions, which—combined with carbon dioxide—causes the vast majority of global warming. It takes up to sixteen pounds of grain to produce just one pound of animal flesh. It is inefficient to feed plant foods to farmed animals and consume their flesh rather than eating the plant foods ourselves. In the U.S., 70 percent of all grains, 80 percent of all agricultural land, half of all water resources, and one-third of all fossil fuels are used to raise animals for food. Eating one pound of meat emits the same amount of greenhouse gasses as driving an SUV for 40 miles. We can start with baby steps--switching to soy milk instead of dairy, or eating one meat-less meal per week.

It is clichéd, but it has to be said- you really can make a difference.