Thursday, October 15, 2009

Blog Action Day 2009: Climate Change



This post is my participation in today's Blog Action Day with the theme of climate change.

In the United States, there has been much debate about climate change and its effects.  Questions abound: Is it really happening?  Is it important?  Can we make a difference?  Are we worrying about nothing?

I happen to believe in climate change and global warming.  The U.S., and other locations around the globe, have seen increasing numbers of large, destructive storms in recent years.  Polar ice caps are melting.  Our atmosphere is changing.  If we don't act now, we will suffer later.

What does it matter if climate change is real or imagined?  I think we should take action to slow carbon emissions and slow global warming because it's the right thing to do.  If we really are in trouble, then doing something about it will save lives and help the planet.  If the data about climate change turn out to be wrong, then taking action will help prevent future global climate changes!  Compare this issue to the issues of eating heart healthy.  You may or may not have heart problems later in life, but if you eat well today you can protect yourself no matter what your health is now or down the road.  Changing our planet's "diet" of carbon will bring great benefits.

So, what am I doing to help?  Sadly, not enough.  I really need to learn more about this issue and learn more about how I can improve my own behavior.  I think I will start by reading the blog entries for Blog Action Day.

There are a few things that I know I'm doing right now to help slow global climate change.  I turn my computer off every night before I go to bed.  True, I do have it on during the day, but I think having it off during the night is a good start to reducing my energy consumption.  Also, I do not drive a vehicle.  To get around, I usually take the bus, walk, or a combination of the two.  I'm not sure how much carbon I'm saving by riding a big bus versus riding in a car, but I think of all the other people who also aren't driving.  If there are, say, forty people on the bus, that's potentially forty cars not on the roads pumping out pollution.  I'm sure someone has a breakdown of how much pollution a bus creates and how much forty cars create.  I'll have to look into this further, but I'm proud of what I'm doing even if it's not much.

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