Stop Global Warming!

I just had a nice interactive session at our office on Saturday. The session was to make the work-free ambience on Saturdays a bit more interesting and at the same time dispense some really informative content to all the employees who are receptive enough to bother. The speaker initiating this chose to speak on one of the most bothersome concern facing us threateningly in our faces: GLOBAL WARMING!

The essence of the entire discussion was the so very simple measures that we can implement in our day to day lives and yet contribute a lot towards procrastinating the inevitable, if not completely prevent. The very fact that we tend to overrule our own cognizance and continue to behave in very irresponsible manner has always been the biggest predicament and obstacle in helping the environment. This attitude of ours is nothing else but a harsh apathetic CALLOUSNESS. We are killing our own future and we need to act now, it is actually the state what our TVS Apache’s tagline says: Its NOW or NEVER.

So just to point out some alarming facts that many of readers are well aware of, but still would like to reiterate and hope that its imprints last long enough in our minds and continue to urge us to behave in a manner that we all preach and dictate.

Greener computing:Visit this page to learn more GREEN COMPUTING

• Printing (save trees; do not unnecessarily print pages unless required. Always use print preview to avoid errors)
• Inkjet vs Laser printing
• Leaving monitors on
• Standby vs Hibernation
• Shutting down when not required
• Screen savers: Avoid the use of screensaver, just turn off the monitor when not required
• Black screen vs White display (Blackle)
• Email vs Postal cards and letters: Use of emailand ecards is much better way than to use letters and greeting cards. You can save a lot of paper by reverting to the electronic mode of keeping in touch.

Automobiles are the single largest contributor to Global Warming

• Walk and Bicycle as and when possible, avoid using vehicles for short distances.
• Do not use private vehicle unless absolutely necessary and resort to using public transport ike bus and trains
• Always have PUC done for your vehicles
• CNG vehicles can contribute a lot towards helping for a greener cause. Use CNG vehicles and get your vehicles modified for CNG compatibility. This will save a lot of Diesel and Petrol and will help to reduce the emission of green house gases
• Servicing the vehicles, vehicle maintenance, regular cleaning of filters and replacement when required, fuel efficient driving

Lifestyle changes required

• Frozen food
• Air conditioning
• Sustainable consumption of available resources
• Water management
• John Abraham: One minute less in shower every day
• Switching off fans/lights and other electronics when not required
• Ligitings CFL’s Vs Tubes Vs Bulbs
• Greeting cards: Avoid greeting cards
• Avoid using electronic equipments unnecessarily, especially when it can be avoided

Greenhouse effect

Greenhouse gases are the gases present in the atmosphere which reduce the loss of heat into space and therefore contribute to global temperatures through the greenhouse effect. Greenhouse gases are essential to maintaining the temperature of the earth; without them the planet would be so cold as to be uninhabitable.Likewise, an excess of greenhouse gases can raise the temperature of the planet to lethal levels. The term greenhouse gas is applied to, in order of relative abundance: water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone and CFCs. Greenhouse gases are produced by many natural and industrial processes

Measure and control your Carbon Foot-prints

A Carbon Footprint is a measure of the impact our activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases we produce. It is measured in units of carbon dioxide.

A Carbon Footprint is made up of the sum of two parts, the direct / primary footprint and the indirect / secondary footprint.

The primary footprint is a measure of our direct emissions of CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels including domestic energy consumption and transportation (e.g. car and plane).

The secondary footprint is a measure of the indirect CO2 emissions from the whole lifecycle of products we use - those associated with their manufacture and eventual breakdown.

Tips to Reduce Your Primary Footprint
1. Holidays: Don’t go by air
2. Electricity: Sign up to renewable energy
3. Gas: Try using solar water heating - this can reduce your gas bill by up to 70% over a year.
4. Travelling around: Use public transport as much as possible. Find out about your local bus services and then use it.
5. Car Share: Sign up to a car share scheme to reduce your travel footprint.

Tips to Reduce Your Secondary Footprint

When you buy goods - consider where they have been made and the materials and processes used to make them. Items that have high emissions in the manufacture or delivery should be avoided when ever possible. Things such as:-
Bottled water: Tap water is safe to drink in most European and North American countries, yet people still insist on buying bottled water. If the bottle is labelled as being from volcanic springs - you can bet that it has probably been imported from some distance. Imagine the carbon footprint of the flight / shipping of the water! And that’s before adding in the emissions due to making the bottle and / or recycling it.

Food and drink from far distances: When you go to the supermarket, look at the label to identify which country the food is from. There is no need to buy New Zealand apples in the UK in the autumn - but people do!

Think twice about buying a bottle of wine from the other side of the world - you may be able to find much more local wine, which will have travelled far fewer miles.

Better still try growing your own fruit and vegetables in your own garden. Planting an apple tree will not only provide you with lots of fruit, with zero carbon footprint, but the tree itself with breathe in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere - making these fruit effectively carbon negative!
Meat eating: Reduce your consumption of meat, especially red meat.

Clothes from far off lands: Check the clothes labels before you buy. If they come from more than 1000 miles away, keep looking!

High packaged items: Avoid goods and services that have unnecessary packaging!

Tree plantations: Deforestation n Afforestation. Need we say more?

Water management, Waste management, Mass motivation, Spreading awareness

Organisations
www.stopglobalwarming.org
www.fightglobalwarming.com

Hope you can do your bit and make this world a better place to live, for you and for me and the entire human race