Climate change is largely driven by emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Where do these gases come from? Read more here – https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions.
The largest proportion of emissions come from cars, trucks, buses, planes and so on. Over 90% of these vehicles use petroleum-based fuels. Changes to these trends like more hybrid and electric vehicles, and more efficient public transportation, can help lower emissions.
The second largest section is electricity use. Most of the electricity in the United States is produced by burning fossil fuels. Renewable sources include wind, solar, geothermal, biomass and hydro energy, although they only provide about 17% of all energy generation in the US. Read more here – https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/index.php?page=electricity_in_the_united_states. It is vital that citizens make a switch to these renewable sources when they can, but also that they lobby for reforms that lead to more renewable energy generation.
A few other changes in our personal behavior can help reduce emissions. One, switching to a more plant-based diet can help reduce demand for meat production and shrink that section of the farming industry, which is a much bigger polluter and emitter. This can help with your health, as well as decrease the over-fishing of the oceans, which threatens the ocean food web. Also, this can help with deforestation, since many forests are removed to make way for cattle.
Getting more energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs can help reduce your household’s emissions. Setting your thermostat for slightly higher temperatures in the summers and lower in the winters can help with household energy consumption. But most importantly of all, it is important for us to support policy makers who understand and want to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Can you think of any other ideas?
