Carbon Contributors to Climate Change

As most of us already know, unless we have been living under a rock, global warming is a direct result of overpopulation and over industrialization. Our world simply has too many people in it, and our increasing demand for more goods and services creates by-products called waste. Whether it be the packaging a product comes in, the output of carbon from our car, or the energy it took to make millions of mass marketed goods from our local superstore, it is a contributor of climate change. In fact, 75% of carbon output is a direct result of human use; the other 25% is primarily from the change in land use, principally deforestation. According to the Earth Policy Institute, here is a breakdown of that 75%:

42% is from the use of electricity, in which we burn fossil fuels.
24% is from transportation, in which we burn fossil fuels.
20% is from industrial use, in which we use electric, that burns fossil fuels.
The balance is from residential and commercial use, that burns fossil fuels.

No wonder those Saudis are so rich!

Obviously, necessities like vehicles and electric are not going away anytime soon. We can be more efficient, however, and utilize existing technologies that will significantly decrease the amount of carbon that is borne into our atmosphere each day. Solar, wind and geothermal power are becoming more and more efficient and with subsidies from state and federal government, more financially feasible as well. Auto makers have started to answer the call on reducing fuel consumption. According to JD Power and Associates, the US hybrid/electric vehicle market will see a 247% rise in sales volume from 2007-2011, and US and world auto makers are working on developing these autos as we speak. And in January 2006, the US Department of Energy increased its standards of new appliance efficiency, requiring manufacturers to make big improvements.

So it seems that things are starting to head in the right direction, but there is more work to be done. Additional lobbying is needed to improve tax credits for all things environmentally responsible, from cars to solar panels. Consumers need to shop at stores that are socially responsible, support our local businesses and make a statement each day at the cash register by purchasing something that is good for you, and the planet.

Here are a few suggestions to reduce your carbon output and get you on the green train:
1. Plan your schedule and run errands in the same vicinity to conserve on gas.
2. Buy power strip cords and install them on your audio/video and computer equipment. Those 10 cords plugged into the wall are still drawing tons of power, even when off, but if you turn of the power strip, it stops the flow of electric.
3. Unplug all cell phone and Blackberry chargers when not in use.
4. Use Compact Fluorescent light bulbs and conserve a ton of energy.
5. Buy from your local hardware store and local market whenever possible rather than hauling it to the giant superstore.
6. Less is more. Do you really need that sweater or knickknack? The less you consume, the better so make your purchases count.
7. Go au naturale. Buy organic whenever possible, and cut back on anything artificial or processed.
8. Recycle. Reuse. Reduce. Rrr.

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