index > Today's Earth, Our Future > 4. The earth as a greenhouse > What We Can Do to Slow Down Global Warming

What We Can Do to Slow Down Global Warming

It's a difficult fact to face, but environmental problems are causing what is called "global warming," or in other words, the rise in temperature of the earth's atmosphere due to ecological changes. The warmer the earth becomes, the less comfortable it will be for us to be here on this planet. To solve this problem, we should make efforts to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, or in other words, the amount of CO2 that we release into the atmosphere. But instead, CO2 emissions are increasing all over the world.

It may make you feel blue just thinking about what could happen if the earth keeps getting warmer, but don't worry! There are people who can change this situation. Can you guess who they are?

That's right! It's you and everyone you know including your parents, your grandparents, your teachers and your neighbors. And how can we help reduce CO2 emissions? We can do this in three ways.

1) Through our lifestyles:
By changing how we live, we can reduce the amount of CO2 we make, or "emit." Did you know that about 13% of the total amount of CO2 being emitted is coming from our homes? So, let's suppose that you are currently emitting 100 units of CO2 in your daily life. While it might be impossible to stop making CO2 altogether, don't get discouraged! Try to reduce the number of CO2 units that you emit to 90. If you succeed, then try for 85. Every bit counts!

2) Through what we buy:
By purchasing eco-friendly products, we, as consumers, can help reduce CO2 emissions. As you may know, if a company's products aren't being bought by us consumers, companies could go out of business. For this reason, they work hard to make products that people want. That means that if we refuse to buy products that emit lots of CO2 in order to be made, companies will have to make an effort to develop products that emit less CO2. As consumers, it's also important for us to buy only what we need instead of buying products just because we have the money or just because we want to own them.

Some companies are also developing new products with devices that could prevent the earth from becoming warmer, such as energy-saving home appliances and fuel-efficient cars. If you buy these products (although they might be a little more expensive than ordinary products), this means you are supporting those companies. People who are environmentally conscious about what they buy or those who try to buy environmentally friendly goods are called "green consumers." By using their spending power to making greener choices, consumers can change the way that a company, the society or the entire nation deals with the environment. Everyone should become a green consumer!

3) Through whom we vote for:
In elections (the process of voting for politicians), by voting for a candidate (a politician who is running for public office) who is serious about global warming problems, we will be able to encourage the government to pay more attention to these issues. Even if you aren't old enough to vote, you can influence those who are, like your parents, neighbors and friends. The government in your country is supposed to work for its citizens, and the local government should work for its residents. Therefore, if we vote for the right person, we can clearly express our wishes and can affect the political decisions of our own countries.

In similar ways, each of us has the power to solve not only the problems of global warming, but also other environmental problems and peace issues, too.

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