What are ways to prevent Global Warming or at least slow it down?

Question

I need ways other then recycling and changing your lightbulbs to energy efficient ones. They have to be reasonable and do-able.

Answer 1

It doesn't matter whether global warming is man made or just a cycle in the earth's history .... it is happening. Between solar processes or natural earth processes such as volcanoes and the ever present forest fires which will be argued to have occurances whether or not mankind were present. It still just doesn't matter how it is happening, it is.

FACT: "Atmospheric levels of CO2 are determined by how much coal, natural gas and oil we burn and how many trees we cut down, as well as by natural processes like plant growth. Atmospheric levels of water vapor, on the other hand, cannot be directly controlled by people; rather, they are determined by temperatures. The warmer the atmosphere, the more water vapor it can hold. As a result, water vapor is part of an amplifying effect. Greenhouse gases like CO2 warm the air, which in turn adds to the stock of water vapor, which in turn traps more heat and accelerates warming."

http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=1011

We have gone past the point of no return unless we can build improvements to assist in reflecting light away from the earth.

First you have to understand how long the earth has been storing up the fossil fuels. The coal, oil and natural gas that we are using now are products of the earth converting plants and animals into their present forms over (often) millions of years. They have been stored now for millions of years without being used until now. By being used now, we are converting these fuels from stored carbon, into released carbon. Thus allowing this released carbon to act as a greenhouse effect gas again.

Since we are talking about a situation where the Earth once had a lot of stored carbon and now that stored carbon is disappearing at a tremendous rate (and will continue into the future) We can be truthful in saying that there is a definite trend, and relationship in the increase of greenhouse gasses. We can also say that these greenhouse gasses would not have been released without the intervention of man. Logically therefore we can say that global warming gasses have been released and any global warming increases are directly attributed to mankind’s releasing them.

The damage done by increased greenhouse emissions has already taken its toll. This is evident by the melting of polar ice and glaciers across the globe. Some will say that there is no such thing as global warming, because there is in their opinion very little change in the average global temperature. However when you take into account the fact that there is less ice, and snow, because of the melting of polar ice and glaciers across the globe. That melted ice, snow and glaciers across the globe will in themselves temporarily lower the overall ocean temperatures untill they all melt. Thereby lowering the average temperatures on the earth. So if you account for that, the temperature can be proven to be increasing.

We cannot get the world back the way it was, even as of fifty years ago, much less stop the damage that will still occur in the future. Sure we could try to stop all industry that will cause pollution, but at what cost. Without industry we could not sustain the present world population. Giving up industry and sacrificing billions of people on this planet in the process, is not a viable solution (even trying to merely lower greenhouse emissions is at best a temporary solution).

The biggest problem we have now is not just the fact that we have more greenhouse gasses trapping heat in, but we are getting less and less sunlight being reflected out from the planet. As the snow cover melts from more and more of the planets surface, the sunlight heats up more parts of the earth that once reflected light back out. It is like a dog chasing its tail (until it gets dizzy and falls from exhaustion). As global warming just keeps building on itself till the ecological balance fails, and this planet will no longer sustain the teeming human populations.

Greenhouse effect cure (there are no real cures but this may help till we can find one). First I want to point out that there are no real, viable short term, or easy methods of curing our Global warming woes. The damage to the environment has already been done and is, for all intent and purposes, basically irreversible. It is likely, however, that any type of plan to get rid of Global warming, will require some type of dramatic ecological compromises.

Some will say that all we need to do is give up industry on the planet and the world will eventually go back to the way it was. I say it is too late for that solution (as a short term solution anyway).

My plan, however, will require the use of old tires and recycled plastics. Of course it will require some engineering feats also, and a few ecological compromises. The benefits of using these wasted products will far outweigh the compromises required.

My idea is to build large floating islands (white on top, to reflect sunlight back out of our planet) made from used tires (filled with co2) and recycled plastics. Yes there are engineering and ecological problems, but everyone has to admit there are worse problems in our current situation. So the only feasible solution is to build a bunch of artificial reflection "islands" across the planet.

We can also try to get more people to use reflecting surfaces on buildings (which will be as difficult to do, as no one likes to have to do things exactly the same as everyone else).

There will be other benefits realized, once we build enough of these islands. One of the problems associated with the increased temperatures we are experiencing is the possibility of increased hurricane intensity and frequency. Having enough of these floating islands in strategic points in the oceans will help to alleviate this problem also. It is a well known fact that hurricanes form in areas of the ocean where the temperature rises above approximately 80 degrees Fahrenheit. If we can keep those areas below that temperature (by reflecting sunlight away), we can prevent the formation of hurricanes. Without these floating islands, hurricanes will probably continue to increase in intensity and frequency…

We need a solution to deal with our Global warming woes, and we need it now. Even if this is a difficult path to follow, it will pay off in the future. The overall problems I see for Greenhouse effect is that we can go green all we want, but Global warming and our constant desire to be comfortable, will eventually undermine any efforts we may do. Unless we can get rid of some of the excess heat in this world, we will always be under the eventual threat of a thermal overheating demise.

Answer 2

1. Reduce, Reuse Recycle (Ever notice reduce comes first?)

2. If you own a vehicle own a higher efficient one like a hybrid.

3. Live downtown and rarely drive

4. Give to various environmental charities (Union of concerned Scientists, Nature Conservancy, and the Sierra Club, etc).

5. Go Vegan. Probably one of the greatest positive impacts an individual can have on the environment as meat production in more energy intensive, and creates massive amounts of methane (20x's more powerful than CO2), as well as takes us to 16 pounds of grain to make one pound of beef).

6. Buy local goods. Being a locovore is key to helping the environment when our food is shipped an average of 1600 miles. I buy at the local co-ops and farmers markets. I also buy local woods, fragrance sprays, clothing and more. Whatever I can find that is of decent quality and price I buy over non-local.

7. Gardening: I have planted many bushes trees and flowers over the last few years. I also have a food garden that brings local and sustainability to a whole new level.

8. Compost: Saves loads on trash and I need not by fertilizers which are often petroleum based. I also save on having buy and to ship in extra dirt.

9. Travel Less: Especially buy plane which literally releases tones of CO2 per passenger per trip.

10. Promote Awareness: We can't do this alone

11. Write elected officials to create green laws.

12. Put CFL's or LED's throughout your whole house.

13. Use solar and crank flashlights: They save me money and the environment in energy as well as the embodied energy of batteries.

14. Use tote bags :America uses over 380 billion bags a year that will not decompose in the landfills.

15. Drink filtered not bottled water which takes petroleum for each bottle you drink and through away.

16. Throw away a little as possible: I often find uses of people who want things in which many would through away out of sheer laziness.

17. Buy hemp clothing: grows more prolifically than cotton, is stronger fabric making it last longer, and requires no pesticides.

18. Buy recycled goods such as toilet paper, reclaimed materials for shoes, used clothing and construction materials, etc.

19. Add extra insulation to you house.

20. Walk or bike where possible; Or if you must take public transportation

Answer 3

Only if you can find a way to cool the Sun down.

There is nothing man can do to cause the planet to warm or cool.

Answer 4

it is estimated that within the next ten years, China will double its use of coal from the current 10 million metric tons to 20 million metric tons annually. This increase of gases, etc into the environment is the equivalent of every man, woman and child in America driving a Ford Expedition 150,000 miles for one year.  So you tell me what that breaks down to in light bulb usage or turning off your TV when you're not watching it, or shutting off your radio or not plugging in cellphone rechargers.

Answer 5

reduce, reuse, recycle, save energy, carpool, don't fly, pay bills online. paying bills online can save like 4 billion tons of paper each year. drive hybrids, walk to local area/work/groceries.

Answer 6

Build a giant air conditioner for the planet and set it to 72 degrees. That will keep everyone nice and comfortable.

Answer 7

We need to stop using fossil fuels. Period. That's the bottom line, and the only way this can work.

That means we need to transition from coal to nuclear power, rapidly. We need to transition from oil to renewable fuels such as ethanol, biodiesel, and hydrogen from non-fossil sources.

Answer 8

It's not hard to stop global warming.  There's been no warming since 1998 and we didn't have to do a thing.

If we didn't cause it, how could we cause it to stop?

Answer 9

www.wecansolveit.org

this site is FANTASTIC! has lots of tips

Answer 10

You can't do anything about the climate- it's a natural cycle.

Answer 11

Global Warming is a LIE propagated by the Left . The green house gas that was supposed to cause it is not there. It is just what the they calculated it should be. There math is very bad.

Answer 12

Make gasoline so expensive that only the wealthy can afford it

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Crude but it would work the highways would become like a "Twilight Zone" movie scene

No cars only an occasion tandem bus filled with people

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And filled rail cars with the same

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The first two year effect would be caios to a degree of almost a global uprising

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But time would pass

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and the effects would take hold with in a decade of time or less

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In animal life and plant life becoming like a garden of Eden

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And all of humanity would become healthy once again because of every one walking or riding a bicycle to the store

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Answer 13

plant more trees

Answer 14

before you waste lots of time ,visit  http://globalwarmingheartland.org

Answer 15

continue to plant trees for recycling of the atmosphere

Visit the web site www.wealth edge .net

Answer 16

Don't drive or fly.

Don't use electricity.

Don't eat meat.

Don't buy anything made in China.

Answer 17

Look into what a "carbon footprint" is, and see what you can to decrease it.

Most ways are also beneficial to you, as well. Like try to see how far you can go without driving your car. How far away is your  grocery store? And turn your lights off, etc. This will lower your energy bill, as well. :)

Yeah, I guess those are more of what you don't want. But doing your job is really best. If everyone did this, we would be on our way to seriously saving the planet. Also, tell your friends and try to get your friends in the same wagon. That will help contribuate to the "If everyone did this" thing.

I only wish there was a way to prevent or stop Global Warming, but the fastest way to get there is to support funding for preventing and stopping global warming.  One way you can do this is sign up to http://www.wecansolveit.org/

:) Glad to help. Hope I did!