How can the average citizen use earth's resources more sustainably?

Question

How can the average citizen use earth's resources more sustainably?

Answer 1

Learn more, use less, live and help wher you can.

Today here is what we know:  many of mankind’s advancements cause earth surface to warm, destroy the ozone layer, kill off endanger species, heat cities, and in some way cause more destruction.  Blacktop (roads and parking lots), buildings, air pollution (causes lung and other diseases), deforestation, duststorms (which increase hurricanes and cyclones and cause lung diseases), fires (cause pollution, mud slides, and deforestation), refrigerants (like CFC's), solvents (including benzene destroy the ozone layer raising skin cancer rates) and plastics; cars, airplanes, ships and most electricity production (causes pollution including raised CO2 levels) are human problems we need to fix to keep life on earth sustainable! The federal government needs to adopt a pollution surcharge to balance the field and advance new technologies. We must pay the real price of oil (petrochemicals) including global warming, cleanup and for health effects. But with that we must understand we have never seen what is now happening before. CO2 has never lead to temperature change, but temperature change has led to increases in CO2. The models have to be made as we go along with little evidence! The result is:  change is on the way, we just do not know what changes. But again adding a small amount of CO2 to the atmosphere enlarges the earths sun collection causing warming; increase water in the atmosphere and they form clouds cooling earth but causing flooding. Even natural events are warming earth and causing destruction. The sun has an increased magnetic field causing increases in earthquakes (more destruction), volcanoes (wow, great destruction), and sun spots. Lighting produces ozone near the surface (raising air pollution levels). But humans have destroyed half of the wetlands, cut down nearly half of the rain forest, and advance on the earths grasslands while advancing desertification which increases duststorms. The USA Mayor's have taken a stand and I believe are on the right track, we can have control and can have economic growth. With the peak of oil in the 1970’s, the peak of ocean fishing in the 1980’s, humans must stop procrastinating and make real changes to keep earth sustainable including in the energy debate, finance and regulation. The sun is available to produce energy, bring light to buildings and makes most of human’s fresh water. Composting is the answer to desertification. New dams are the answer to fresh water storage, energy and cooling earth by evaporation, we need many small ones all over (California needs 100 by 2012 and has not even started).

President Bush has made a choice of energy (ethanol) over food and feeding the starving people around the world; this is a choice China has rejected.

That is why I founded CoolingEarth.org, a geoengineering web sight where you can learn more about earth, the atmosphere, and how to sustain life on earth’s surface.

Answer 2

All right, you can install a few solar panels to reduce electricity bill. You can compost organic materials. For composting you must have fruit and vegetables under newspaper and dry things. You can instulate your house to let less gas get out. You can replace your old boiler if it very old because they are more efficient boilers. You can replace your appliances that are more energy efficient and you can use biofuel.

Answer 3

crazy

Looks like you have you eyes open. Can’t say that about to many people in society today. Most of us walk around with blinders until a catastrophe hits, then we wake up pretty quick. Unfortunately we go blind again a few months later…

Let me start off by saying we (my family and I) live 100% off of the grid and are completely self-sufficient with a 0% Carbon footprint. I believe this is the first step anyone can make “help the environment”. Once you convert your own life style to a greener more eco friendly route, you can start helping others.

Without getting to in depth here, Using alternative fuels in your vehicles and harnessing your own electricity from the sun, water, earth and wind are the 2 are key elements in making a green transition and erasing your carbon footprint.

I've been installing Solar panels. Solar stoves, Solar batch and inline hot water heaters.Solar radiant heating. Solar home heating and AC, along with home made wind gens and other alternative energy items for the last 3 years in the Mexican border towns (Mexico is NOT a 3rd world country) across from my ranch here in Texas.

You can even make the above projects on site with simple parts from the local hardware stores or auto stores or junk yards. For more info check out some guides I wrote / compiled on how to DIY http://www.agua-luna.com/guides.html

Again these projects can be accomplished anywhere by anyone.

If you’d like help in making your self sufficient steps, feel free to contact me directly. I’ve written several how-to DIY guides available at http://www.agua-luna.com on the subject. I also offer online and on-site workshops, seminars and internships to help others “help the environment”.

Hope this helped, feel free to contact me personally if you have any questions if you’d like assistance in making your first self sufficient steps, I’m willing to walk you step by step threw the process. I’ve written several how-to DIY guides available at http://www.agua-luna.com on the subject. I also offer online and on-site workshops, seminars and internships to help others help the environment.

Dan Martin

Retired Boeing Engineer now living 100% Off-the-Grid with my family, using Alternative Energy & loving every minute.

for more info visit agua-luna com or email me at [e-mail]

Answer 4

good question. the average citizen will do what is good for the earth and as well as what is effective for their wallet, so from what I see everyone can try to:

1. recycle all the wastes that can be recycled (plastics, glass, aluminum, paper)

2. turn off power when devices are not in use (televisions, computers...not on sleep mode! actual shut down)

3. turn off water when not using it (no dripping faucets), turn off heat/air conditioning when not at home (it's actually more energy efficient that way)

4. eat sustainable foods (there's a website from smithsonian natural museum about sustainable seafood)

5. donate all your old products to the less fortunate, reusing is similar to recycling so we don't need more materials to make the same thing that people need

6. eat foods lower on the food chain (this is healthier and also, reason being more resources used to feed animals higher up on the food chain)

7. buy cars that are hybrid engines, or even further, use mass transit only or walk/bike

8. avoid using styrofoam and other non-recyclable goods

humans tend to take from the earth without giving back. Sustainable living can only be reached when there is this balance!

Answer 5

Don't buy stuff you don't need

Answer 6

The rich people don`t so why should the average person