What are things we can do as a society to combat global warming?

Question

it may be helpful if any of you watched an inconvenient truth by al gore

Answer 1

I'd say there are four main things we can do (in general--a detaliled list would blow Y/A's little computer-chip mind!):

1) To the extent we use public policy/money (e.g. tax incentives) to shape electricty use, promote solar power, other alternative energy, and alt-energy research and development-and NOT continue to promote fossil fuels.

2) Recognize that part of the solution will both help national interests and the economy by getting our oil use down so we aren't dependant on foreign oil.  AND--this can be done by increasing automotive fuel efficiency, for the most part--which need not cost a single job and will only save the American public tens of billions of dollars every year.

3) Shift the main thrust of poliy away from more and more roads (our cities are choking on traffic now, anyway) and toward mass (public) transit.

The fourth thing is  to start demanding tha tpolicy be based on facts--not propaganda.  I'll use #3 as an example: Every time someone brings up mass transit, you hear the right-wing start screaming.  Here's their claims (with the facts in parenteses):

1) They "have a right to drive--and should be free to make that choicde."  (Reality: no one says tehey can't drive if they want to--but its Americans who, of all developed countries, who have the LEAST choice--because more often than not the ONLY choice we have is which car to drive, not whether to choose among other options)

2) Public transportation is socialist.  (It isn't--it can be either public or privatized, for one thing.  For another thing, their much-beloved roads are owned and operated by the government--which, by definition, makes them socialist).

3) They don't want their tax money spent on public transportaion.  (Reality--they want ALL public transportation funds spent on them-and none on anyone else, including the tens of millions of American taxpayers who do support public transit)

4) It will cost jobs.(Where? Our all but defunct auto industry?  The savings to consumers--releasing tens of billions of dollars now spent on transportation to be spent on other things, will (if you go by the neo-classical economics the right-wing claims to espouse) stimulate the economy, creating more than offsetting economic and job growth).

Point--facts, not rhetoric.

Answer 2

We can all stop living on earth

that would help aid it a lot

Answer 3

sheryl crow want to use one sheet of paper.

use small cars for family which is unsafe.

stop breathing because it emits co2

reduce the population by half.

wear overcoats save on fuel.

stop air travel causes to much  polution.

etc.etc.etc.

these are what being asked .

is the way you want to live?

Answer 4

global warming cannot be stopped but we can stop helping it becoming faster,and be friendlier to out Environment cannot be bad

these are Al gores sites

http://events.stepitup2007.org/.........

http://www.stepitup2007.org/

http://events.stepitup2007.org/.........

POSITIVE ACTIONS

if you want to help the planet ,plant a tree every week ,if everyone on the planet did we we would be able to slowdown the destructive processes

reduce carbon emisions,and they are already working on that by alternative forms of energy and regulations on carbon producing materials,aerosol cans,burning rubbish,industrial chimneys,powerplants etc.

the capture of carbon and the production of water and assist the aquiferous manta.

the world bank pays large subsidies for reforrestation to capture carbon and the best tree for this is the Pawlonia

Waterharvesting projects ,such as millions of small dams.to redirect over ground waterflows from the rains into the ground to supply subteranian water supplies.

the protection of existing forrests.

stop building more highways,urban planning to include vegetation stop building cities encourage people to return to the land to conduct their business from there which now has become possible thanks to the internet.

education to motivate people to auto sufficiency by building more home food gardens.

education on environmental awareness

education on family planning to curb over´populaion

Agricultural education and improvements to follow the principals or sustainability and soil management.

more environmental or land ,design to prevent bush fires,such as--fire breaks

,more dams.regulations and control for public behaviour

alternative effeciant public transport to discourage the use of the internal conbustion engine

recicling wastes,limit water use

here are a 100 more ways

http://www.eco-gaia.net/forum-pt/index.p...

Answer 5

Stop driving so darned much.  Walk, ride a bike.

Plant a few trees.

Protect rain forests.

I've not seen an inconvenient truth, but those are all relatively simple things each of us can do.

Answer 6

Learn to have a skeptical mind and to stop believing a politician when he pretends to be a scientist.  It is important to understand that there is nothing we can do to significantly alter the climate.  The truth is that there have been numerous trends since the last glacial period; however, we have been warming for about 6000 years.  You shouldn't worry about warming that is generally beneficial in spite of the worry monger's warnings.