Thread: HOW CAN WE STOP GLOBAL WARMING?

everyone talked about the effects of global warming, and it has been widely agreed that human activity is the main cause of global warming ( since the industrial revolution and burning of fossil fuels). so what can be done to avoid globa warming? the perfect is not to disturb the carbon cycle , and reducing the carbon emission into the atmosphere. how could that happen? we cannot stop using fossil fuels? we need them for transport and electricilty
i read in my biology textbok that we can use biofuels as alternatives, they cause no net gain or decrese in carbon, so they are useful, plus, they are much cheaper than fossil fuels. But the problem is biofuels will cause food shortage, and people in poor countries will be most affected.
So what can be done? who makes te decision??
i think the society makes the decison. so, i want to know all of your opinions, people reading this article, what are your opinions in reducing global warming? i would start first and i hope you guys continue
1-reforestation
2-.....................

Promote the use of renewable energy: solar, wind, wave, tide.
Discourage abusive petroleum use (e.g.gas guzzling cars).
Expand the use of nuclear energy for electicity generation.

Sustainable agriculture
Reduce use of plastics (packaging)
Buy local
Awareness of the population load on the planet

Those are great actions to take, and it's important we do everything we can as individuals and households, as well as supporting public policy that goes toward the funding and implimentation of real green technologies, instead of "feel-good" band-aid technology.

free radical posted one that I feel is grossly underrepresented; "buy local". Produce, eggs, milk, meat, hay for horses, fabric, etc. You decrease transport pollution, and you help your neighbor. For me, I'd rather pay $2 (usd) for a dozen farm eggs from a guy down the road than pay $1.35 for them at a big store, and the driver got paid 5 cents, and each truck loader/unloader got paid 2 cents, and the farmer ends up getting a nickle an egg...and that was all before they were shipped hundreds of miles.

about using solar activity, it is not widely suggested because current investigations have been carried out which shows a relation between solar activity and increase in temperature.
and the wind is not good either because it is inefficient, wind is not avaliable all the time. Also, those winds turbines kills some bird ( not like i care, but some people do)
i don't know about the nuclear energy, but isn't it expensive??

Originally Posted by fatooma

i don't know about the nuclear energy, but isn't it expensive??

Nuclear is actually pretty good, except for 2 big downfalls (as I see it).

1. the disruption of a natural river ecosystem to garner a water source, and

2. the nuclear waste

That being said, it does "burn" very clean, releasing water vapor as it's main waste product...and the fishing is good during the winter, because the water near the plant is a tad warmer...and the fish are bigger...and they glow in the dark... :wink:

I know I know I know GET AN EARTHSHIP!!!!!!

about using solar activity, it is not widely suggested because current investigations have been carried out which shows a relation between solar activity and increase in temperature

If you mean solar panels, then the belief that they will cause additional heating is not correct. First, it would take a vast area of the Earth’s surface covered in black solar panels to cause any significant temperature rise, in fact thousands of times more area than we would need to supply all the world’s electricity needs. Second, every solar panel can replace an equivalent amount of fossil fuel burning, so reducing the output of CO2.

Solar panels are beneficial today and will only get better as technology advances.

come on don't skip me seriiously get an earthship look here is a link to an essay I did on earthships http://www.thescienceforum.com/EARTH...ish-24545t.php

Well, we can cut much of the old growth and plant new trees. New trees are far more aggressive at absorbing CO2 than the old ones. We then utilize the timber by building with it rather than concrete and steel. We reduce the energy usage of making steel and the out gassing of CO2 in making concrete.

Originally Posted by Wild Cobra

New trees are far more aggressive at absorbing CO2 than the old ones.

Surely this is more than offset by the sheer biomass of the old trees' leaves relative to the new ones.

If you just cut down the old trees and ship them away you aren't letting them rot into the ground giving nutrients to the new trees and we should also stop putting out forest fires they also let this happen they burnn all the undergrowth releasing its nutrients into the ground. otherwise fire is sort of like a fertilizer.

Just a few ideas.
Serious conservation. Not just the kind about turning off the lights when you leave rooms, but making decisions like buying a water filter rather than wasting money on bottled water that no better than what comes from most peoples taps; considering utility trailer behind a more efficient car rather then a pickup you use once a month to haul stuff around;

Smart designs of homes and other buildings. I was involved in measuring well insulated, solar homes in the early 80's that had more tech and were built with more efficient common construction techniques than most homes are built today. Simple things like balancing southern windows with solar mass if you live in the North, or minimizing the window area if you live in the South add up to a huge difference.

Encouraging politicians to spend in serious infrastructure to shunt electrical power to where it's needed such as between sunny places and windy places so you don't need as much CO2 consumption to meet electrical base loads across the nation.

Find incentives to help developing nations to skip the Co2 producing energies methods and move directly into green energy consumption.

I miss global warming. Haven't seen in here in Oregon for a few years. I've been saying to people these last few years "Thank God for Global Warming, or it would really be cold!"