Rules to Help Protect Our Environment

Lately we have been hearing a lot about global warming. Frankly, I never gave it a thought until I saw Al Gore’s documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth.” I not only saw the picture once, but three times. I saw it more than once because those were the days it was being shown to a group of high school students where I subbed each time. Each time I viewed the picture, the more i got out of it. Besides being a well done documentary, this film really demonstrated the fact that global warming really exists. Although I feel that many people are aware of the existence of global warming, there are those who don’t believe it. The facts were right there in front of me…the melting of the glaciers and other depictions of the earth becoming overheated became real to me.

Because of my awareness of our changing environment, I’m trying to make some changes in my daily life to keep the warming of our planet from getting worse. I am learning about some of the things we can all do to help the earth from withering away. I know that some of the things we have to do will be difficult for me to follow at first, but if I can change my way of living in just some small way, than I know I will be helping. I’m going to state some of the things we can all do help protect our environment. The makers of “An Inconvenient Truth” have some suggestions that we can follow:

Since it has been a fact that plastic products causes carbon dioxide pollution, let’s try to avoid plastic products. It is suggested that one way to help is, when you go to the cleaners, bring your clothes in a non-plastic garment bag, and ask that they be returned in the same bag.

Turn off your engine when waiting to pick up someone. Idling in park uses more gas than restarting the car. A study was made that in cities, where cars constantly idle in traffic,, the average driver wastes 42.8 gallons a year.

Pump up your tires. Slightly deflated treads will increase gas usage, and for every gallon of gas you burn, you send 20 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. It is also suggested to check your tires weekly to make sure they’re properly inflated. When looking for a car, choose a more fuel efficient vehicle.

The following are some simple rules to follow at home: Most emissions from homes are from fossil fuels. We use fossil fuel when we use coal, oil, and natural gases. All of this pollutes our environment. By using energy more efficiently at home, you can reduce your emissions and lower your energy bills more than 30% and at the same time, you are saving our environment.

Here are some more tips: Replace a regular incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb. Move your thermostat down 2 degrees in winter and up 2 degrees in summer. Use less hot water. It takes a lot of energy to heat water. You can use less hot water by installing a low flow showerhead. Wash clothes in cold or warm water instead of hot. Use a clothesline instead of a dryer whenever possible. Turn off electronic devices you’re not using. For example, it is suggested to turn off your television, DVD player, stereo and computer when you are not using them. Unplug all electronics from the wall when you’re not using them. Believe it or not, even when turned off, things like hairdryers, cell phone chargers and television use energy.

It may be difficult to follow some of the rules presented here at first, but hopefully, if I can break some of my habits, I’m off to a good start. Let’s hope that all of us can do the same. My closing thought is, maybe we can all make a list and hang it on the wall.

Source: magazine – Weekend Life “Five Easy Ways you can Live a Greener Life (some tips from makers of An Inconvenient Truth)