What can i do to help global warming

We can help to keep it magnificent for ourselves, our children and grandchildren, and other living things besides us. Some of the ways you can help may have to wait until you are a little older—like choosing an energy-efficient car, installing solar panels on the roof of your house, or choosing a " green career.

But there are many important ways you can help right now. You can help by growing your own vegetables and fruits. You can help by planting a tree. Your new plants and trees will help to remove the greenhouse gas CO 2 from the air.

If you grow some of your own food, you will also help to prevent more CO 2 from entering the air from the fossil-fuel-burning trucks, planes, and ships that transport your food to you from far away. First Lady Michelle Obama gets lots of help planting a vegetable garden. Trees are easy to plant too. We should all plant lots of vegetables and trees!

Your carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide released into the air because of your own energy needs. You need transportation, electricity, food, clothing, and other goods. Your choices can make a difference. Swap old incandescent light bulbs for the new compact fluorescent lights CFLs. They last ten times longer. Then you can shut off all the power without unplugging each gadget.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to stopping or slowing global warming, and each individual, business, municipal, state, tribal, and federal entity must weigh their options in light of their own unique set of circumstances.

Experts say it is likely many strategies working together will be needed. Generally speaking, here are some examples of mitigation strategies we can use to slow or stop the human-caused global warming learn more :.

More guidance on courses of action can be found in the National Academy of Sciences' report, titled Informing an Effective Response to Climate Change. Also learn more here, here, and here.

Thanks to low friction between train wheels and tracks, and level train tracks with gradual turns, trains have high energy efficiency. For leisure trips, choose nearby destinations, and fly economy — on average, a passenger in business class has a carbon footprint three times higher than someone in economy.

Read more about why flying shouldn't necessarily be the default option for international travel , and how businesses can lead the way in reducing the demand for air travel. How do the cost, time and carbon emissions of a single journey from London to Amsterdam by plane, compare to travelling by train?

Assumptions: the start and end location are the main train terminal in the centre of each city; travel costs are for the cheapest advance tickets bought in advance and include all connecting journeys; carbon emissions are calculated using UK government greenhouse gas emissions factors for short-haul flights, ferry and international rail travel. There are a variety of reputable carbon offsetting schemes that fund sustainable development projects or natural solutions like planting trees.

Myclimate also compares the carbon emissions of your particular flight, with the maximum amount of carbon dioxide a person should produce per year in order to halt climate change, and the average amount an EU citizen produces each year.

It makes for sobering reading. Instead of getting in the car, walk or cycle — and enjoy the physical and mental health benefits , and the money saved. For longer journeys, use public transport, or try car sharing schemes. Not only do cars contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, but air pollution caused by exhaust fumes from traffic poses a serious threat to public health.

It has been shown to affect the health of unborn babies and increase the risk of dementia. Furthermore, Imperial research shows that poor air quality in the capital leads to around 1, London hospital admissions for asthma and serious lung conditions every year, and that air pollution in the United States is associated with 30, deaths and reduced life expectancy.

Investigate trading in your diesel or petrol car for an electric or hybrid model. Alternatively, if you only need one for a short time, there are some all-electric car hire companies.

Small changes to your behaviour at home will help you use less energy, cutting your carbon footprint and your energy bills:. Make simple changes to how you use hot water , like buying a water-efficient shower head. Make sure your home is energy efficient. Check the building has proper insulation, and consider draught-proofing windows and doors.

If you are in rented accommodation, lobby your landlord to make sure the property is energy efficient. Switching energy supply to a green tariff is a great way to invest in renewable energy sources — and could save you money on bills too.

Double glazing, insulation and low-energy lights are all good ways to increase the energy efficiency of your home. Green spaces, such as parks and gardens, are important. They absorb carbon dioxide and are associated with lower levels of air pollution. They help to regulate temperature by cooling overheated urban areas , can reduce flood risk by absorbing surface rainwater and can provide important habitats for a wide variety of insects, animals, birds and amphibians. They also provide multiple benefits to public health , with studies linking green space to reduced levels of stress.

What is the single most important thing humanity has to do in the coming years — and what does that mean for me? The number one goal? Limiting the use of fossil fuels such as oil, carbon and natural gas and replacing them with renewable and cleaner sources of energy , all while increasing energy efficiency.

To mitigate climate change, the number one goal is to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources Credit: Getty. Other changes are needed that can only be made on a bigger, system-wide basis — like revamping our subsidy system for the energy and food industries, which continue to reward fossil fuels, or setting new rules and incentives for sectors like farming, deforestation and waste management. One good example of the importance of this regards refrigerants.

An advocacy group of researchers, business-people and NGOs called Drawdown found that getting rid of HFCs chemicals used in fridges and air conditioning was the number-one most effective policy to reduce emissions. The good news is that we have made global progress on this, and two years ago countries agreed to start phasing out HFCs in You can.

Individuals need to exercise their rights both as citizens and as consumers , Robert and other experts say, putting pressure on their governments and on companies to make the system-wide changes that are needed.

By getting rid of financial instruments related to the fossil fuel industry, organisations can both take climate action and reap economic benefits. Going car-free was the number-one most effective action an individual could take except not having kids — but more on that on that later.

Cars are more polluting compared to other means of transportation like walking, biking or using public transport. One ranking found that going car-free is the most effective action one person can take Credit: Getty. In industrialised countries such as European nations, getting rid of your car can reduce 2. Actually, renewables like wind and solar are becoming increasingly cheap across the world although final costs are subject to local circumstances.