The Climate Crisis
If you’re not sure how global warming and the climate crisis are affecting the part of the world you live in, all you have to do is look around. Factors like smog, landfills, and even litter can tell you a lot about global warming, and what you can do in order to save the planet from global warming and the greenhouse effect. Here are some ways that you can help to end the climate crisis.
Go green. This means eliminating—and adding—some things to your lifestyle to remedy the climate crisis. You will have to cut down on the electricity that you use so that fossil fuels can be preserved, so you may want to switch your light bulbs from traditional bulbs to fluorescent in order to save energy. You can also purchase a hybrid car, which will help you to save gas significantly, and will cut down on toxic gas emission into the atmosphere. Recycling is also a part of living a ‘green’ lifestyle, so buying items that are already recycled, or recycling your paper and plastic products will do a great deal in saving energy and reducing the amount of gases that have to be emitted into the atmosphere in order to dispose of wastes—this cuts down on global warming significantly. You can also live green by planting your own garden, or buying organic meat and produce. Organic foods have not been contaminated with pesticides, which means they are safe for the whole family to eat, and the chemicals used for pesticides have not affected the ozone layer.
Purchasing environmentally safe products. If you’re planning picnic, or hate to do the dishes, you probably pick up Styrofoam products from the grocery store pretty often. While this substance is durable and great for outdoor eating, Styrofoam is very damaging to the environment and contributes to the climate crisis, since it is not biodegradable. This means it can not be decomposed back into the earth, and can not be recycled. And, so, factories must expend more natural gas and energy to continue producing Styrofoam without being able to fully recycle it like plastic or paper. So, try getting paper plates next time you’re at the supermarket, and purchase items that contain the label ‘no CFCs’ as well. This means that there are not cholorflourocarbons in the product, so the substance won’t thin the ozone layer any further. Items that usually contain CFCs include spray deodorant and hair spray, so be sure to check the label thoroughly before purchasing.
Talk to your local government. If you don’t know where the nearest recycling plant is in your city or town, write your local officials and ask. If you see lots of litter in your part of town and want to do something about it, ask your neighbors and schoolmates to help. Talk to your gas company about ways to conserve energy, or switch to an environmentally friendly company that uses safe gas to warm your home in order to bring more attention to the climate crisis. Start a community awareness group in your area if you don’t already have access to one, and share your ideas about ways to end the climate crisis with other members of your community so that you can come up with methods for taking action. For more information, visit www.gogreen.org.
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