Problem

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its latest assessment of climate change in February, 2007. It concluded that the latest evidence of global warming is unequivocally the worst ever. It also stated that the reason for this disturbing information is 90%+ human-based. Our carbon footprints are measured in terms of carbon dioxide emitted.

Why are individual carbon footprints so alarmingly high?

It's the way we live. We abuse the planet's natural resources;

• We cause huge amounts of air, water and land pollution;
• We are incredibly lazy in our home and work habits; 
• We produce enormous and completely unjustifiable amounts of waste materials; 
• We have been resistant to embrace alternative energy sources; 
• We gorge ourselves on animal-based diets that not only destroy our health, but also cause unparalleled amounts of deforestation and shrink our fresh water supplies to nothing.

Solution

The obvious ways to negate these devastating problems is to endeavor to lead greener lives. We have to offset our carbon footprints. We have to utilize alternative energy sources - ones that are clean, renewable and environmentally-friendly. Following are some tips that you can initiate within your life immediately:

Green Living Tips:

• Change your eating habits. Adopt a plant-based diet.
• Write letters to encourage your elected officials to cooperate with the vegetable and fruit lobbyists. Tell them to stop subsidizing the cattle, pork, chicken and fish markets.
• Go green at home and at work. Recycle. Compost. Stop drinking bottled water.
• Walk, jog, bicycle or carpool to work and to repetitive destinations like the grocery store or the bank.
• Be mindful of your household's refuse production. Encourage all members to be conservative.
• Do everything that you can think of to create a sustainable environment at your home and wherever you go!

Super Green Tips:

• Purchase a solar powered, biofuel-driven or hybrid vehicle.
• Purchase a solar energy system for your home.
• Purchase solar powered hot water heaters and any other alternative energy products that you see available and need.
• Plant a yearly garden to offset your carbon footprint, enhance your health and decrease your food bills dramatically.
• Can your garden vegetables for a Winter's supply.
• Opt for organic detergents, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, household chemicals and food sources!

By taking action and embracing renewable energy sources, we are able to decrease the size of our carbon footprints. The planet has long suffered at the hands of irresponsible governments and greedy manufacturers who have used fossil fuel energy sources in the name of increased profits. Our planetary home has suffered and it is up to each of us to offset our individual carbon footprints.

Effectiveness / Result

Many people erroneously assume that their actions do not have any direct impact on the environment. They feel that there are so many others destroying it at all times that they cannot possible make a difference. Nothing is further from the truth. As a matter of fact, it is exactly what each of us do that creates the cumulative detrimental effects.

By changing your habits and making your actions greener in nature, you do help to change the world! You do make a difference! Many people begin to exercise new eco-friendly habits and see the results immediately. Take a carbon footprint calculator assessment truthfully and then take it again entering values for the variables in amounts that you could be initiating. You will instantly see the vast difference that you, as an individual, can create!

Carbon Footprint Calculators

There are carbon footprint calculators available for free all over the Internet. A carbon footprint calculator has you to enter several variables based upon your particular lifestyle - things like: how much your electricity bill is each month; how many miles per week do you drive; how many loads of clothing do you wash per week; the type of vehicle you drive and the like. It takes about 10 minutes to answer all of the questions and then you are presented with your carbon footprint information.

The carbon footprint calculators do not ask any personal information - nothing about identity, income, birth dates or anything like that. The questions are all "carbon based" and aimed solely at determining what you came to find out: how big your carbon footprint is. Carbon footprint calculators are easy and fun to use. Even if the results are not what you want to hear, you will feel really good to know that at least you are doing your part to become aware and begin to make changes to go green and create a sustainable environment for the entire world's population to enjoy and thrive in.

The Facts

• The principal greenhouse gases released as a direct result of human activities are Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), Nitrous Oxide (N2O), and several types of fluorinated gases.
• These gases are responsible for trapping heat in the atmosphere and causing global warming.
• There has been a 0.9 F (0.5 C) rise in the average sea temperatures over the last four decades;
• Between 1965 and 1995, over 20,000 square kilometers of ice melted in the Arctic;
• Over the last 100 years, the global sea levels have risen on average between 10 and 25 cm.
• Surface temperatures worldwide have risen 0.7 C over the past 100 years.
• Average annual Arctic temperatures have risen at twice the rate of the rest of the globe over the past century.
• There is a worldwide trend of glacial retreat.

References

• http://data.giss.nasa.gov/csci/
• http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/ncdc.html
• http://www.ipcc.ch/