Page 31 - Mangwanani Magazine - June2017
P. 31
What causes global warming? Reduce your own carbon footprint by following a
few easy steps:
Global warming occurs when carbon dioxide
and other air pollutants and greenhouse Ÿ Find an alternative to driving. When possible,
gasses collect in the atmosphere and absorb walk or ride your bike to avoid carbon emissions
sunlight and solar radiation that have bounced completely
off the earth’s surface. Normally, this radiation
would escape into space—but these pollutants, Ÿ Drive a low carbon vehicle
which can last for years to centuries in the
atmosphere, trap the heat and cause the Ÿ Driving style. Speeding and unnecessary
planet to get hotter. That's what's known as the acceleration increases your carbon footprint
greenhouse effect.
Ÿ Appliances. Make energy efficiency a primary
What are the effects of global warming? consideration when choosing an air conditioner,
dishwasher, or refrigerator
Ÿ The earth’s rising temperatures are fueling longer
and hotter heat waves, more frequent droughts, Ÿ Lighting. Turn off lights you’re not using and when
heavier rainfall, and more powerful hurricanes. you leave the room. Replace incandescent light
bulbs with compact fluorescent or LED ones
Ÿ The earth’s ocean temperatures are getting
warmer, too—which means that tropical storms Ÿ Solar. Add solar panels to the roof of your home
can pick up more energy. So, global warming could
turn a category 3 storm into a more dangerous Ÿ Eat locally-produced and organic food.
category 4 storm. Transporting food requires petroleum-based
fuels, and many fertilizers are also fossil fuel-
Ÿ Melting glaciers, early snowmelt, and severe based
droughts will cause more dramatic water
shortages and increase the risk of wildfires. Ÿ Water usage. Lower the amount of energy used
to pump, treat, and heat water by washing your
Ÿ Rising sea levels will lead to coastal flooding car less often, using climate-appropriate plants in
your garden, installing drip irrigation so that
Ÿ Forests, farms, and cities will face troublesome plants receive only what they need, and making
new pests, heat waves, heavy downpours, and water-efficient choices when purchasing shower
increased flooding. All those factors will damage heads, tap heads, toilets, dishwashers and
or destroy agriculture and fisheries. washing machines
Ÿ Disruption of habitats such as coral reefs and Ÿ Reuse and recycle. By buying used products and
meadows could drive many plant and animal reselling or recycling items you no longer use, you
species to extinction. dramatically reduce your carbon footprint from
the “provision of goods”
Ÿ Allergies, asthma, and infectious disease
outbreaks will become more common due to Ÿ Support clean energy sources. Whenever you
increased growth of pollen-producing weeds, can, advocate for clean alternatives to fossil
higher levels of air pollution, and the spread of fuels, such as wind, solar, geothermal, and
conditions favourable to pathogens and appropriately designed hydroelectric and
mosquitos biomass energy projects
pg 31 www.mangwanani.co.za
