A REAL ISSUE-POLLUTION

 In India and many parts of the world pessimists think Climate Change is UNREAL. They refuse to see beyond their comfort zones. Their affordability to the things they need makes them think so. Yes the issue is not of affordability but of availability. For instance a city like Chennai brings millions of gallons of water from Veeranam ( a large fresh water lake)  and far of rivers like Krishna to quench the thirst of its 10 million population. When you divert water the farmers are the worst sufferers. They lose their livelihood.

 Today lakhs of lakes which are alive a 30 years ago are no more. Most of them have become concrete jungles. Thousands of rivers are dead and others are dying a fast death.

In the next  century  only the rivers that are snow fed like the Ganges and the Brahmaputra would be surviving with  black liquid moving. It is predicted no other river  would survive as the onslaught on them are on multi fronts.

The soil is polluted and our farmers have to remove the upper layer of about a feet from their fields to do any meaningful cultivation.

Water which is already a scarce  commodity would replace oil as a major source of trade. As it involves survival wars would erupt between and among nations where ever they have common rivers that run across their nations. Already water wars are simmering between many states. For instance Bangladesh fights for more water from India. Within a state too water wars are fought bitterly and they would become severe in the coming years.

Since URBANISATION is seen as development the world is fast becoming urbanised and soon it would be orphaned as their would be no fields to cultivate and no farmer to do cultivation.

The  earth ( the land and the sea) has become a dumbing  yard and the results already showing up.

Already many has built nests that are of 1000 metres height and fights for the air space.

More vehicles join the race to compete for space and man will have to spend at least 6 hours a day in commuting to his work spot,

The rich would become ultra rich and the  poor, the vulnerable facing more ordeals.

DRIVING TIPS

Transportation emissions are a result of two factors: the fuel efficiency of the vehicles in use and the availability of alternatives to driving alone. A more fuel-efficient vehicle will generate fewer greenhouse gases over the same distance as a gas-guzzler and total emissions.  Your personal carbon footprint can be reduced even further if you choose public transportation. In many  cities, the personal automobile is the single greatest polluter because emissions from millions of vehicles on the road add up.

Carpool When Possible

Carpool whenever possible and fill up a seat that’s already going your way.

Choose an Efficient Vehicle

A car that gets 20 miles per gallon will emit about 50 tons of carbon dioxide over its lifetime.

Use Renewable Fuels

Both E85 and biodiesel are renewable fuels that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from your vehicle.

Car Sharing

It's the convenience of a car without the hassle of paying for gas, maintenance and insurance.

Maintain Your Car Regularly

A tune-up could boost your miles per gallon anywhere from 4 - 40%; a new air filter could get you 10% more miles per gallon (MPG).

Get Rid of Unnecessary Weight

An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your MPG by 2% or more for small cars.

Save Fuel by Slowing Down

Hard acceleration and braking can waste fuel and lower your mileage by 33% on the highway and 5% around town according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Bundle Errands

When you start your car after it's been sitting for more than an hour, it pollutes up to five times more than when the engine is warm.

Climate Change

An overwhelming body of scientific evidence paints a clear picture: climate change is happening, it is caused in large part by human activity, and it will have many serious and potentially damaging effects in the decades ahead. Scientists have confirmed that the earth is warming, and that greenhouse gas emissions from cars, power plants and other man-made sources—rather than natural variations in climate—are the primary cause. Due largely to the combustion of fossil fuels, atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide — the principal greenhouse gas, are at a level unequaled for more than 400,000 years.

As a result, an enhanced greenhouse effect is trapping more of the sun’s heat near the earth’s surface and gradually pushing the planet’s climate system into uncharted territory. Climate change is a real problem, but it also has real solutions. Some of its effects are already inevitable and will require some degree of adaptation, but humanity has the power—working collectively and individually at all levels of society—to take serious action to reduce the threat posed by climate change. The time to act is now. While the early actions of local and state governments, nations, and business leaders are significant, climate change remains a global problem requiring efforts on all fronts. Each step you take to reduce your impact on the environment can make a difference, so start reducing your carbon footprint today.

What are greenhouse gases?

Greenhouse gases trap heat in our atmosphere. They blanket the earth and protect us, like plants in a greenhouse, from the colder temperatures of the outer atmosphere.

A lot of what happens in daily life produces greenhouse gases. Nature produces greenhouse gases through the decomposition of food and plant waste and even sewage.  Human activity produces greenhouse gases too including burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gasoline, raising livestock, fertilizers, clearing land and growing crops.  A wide range of industrial and manufacturing processes add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere as well. 

The problem is that with so many manmade sources producing so much greenhouse gas, the globe is starting to heat up beyond what is natural leading to changes in our global climate. 

Helping to reduce the volume of greenhouse gases caused by human choices is the purpose of Make an Impact.

There are three main types of greenhouse gases:

• Carbon Dioxide (CO2): Carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal), solid waste, trees and wood products, and also as a result of other chemical reactions (e.g., manufacture of cement). Carbon dioxide is also removed from the atmosphere (or “sequestered”) when it is absorbed by plants as part of the biological carbon cycle.
• Methane (CH4): Methane is emitted during the production and transport of coal, natural gas, and oil. Methane emissions also result from livestock and other agricultural practices and by the decay of organic waste in municipal solid waste landfills.
• Nitrous Oxide (N2O): Nitrous oxide is emitted during agricultural and industrial activities, as well as during combustion of fossil fuels and solid waste.
   

Why should you care?

A U.S. government report concluded that “Global average temperature has risen by about 1.5 degrees F since 1900. By 2100, it is projected to rise another 2 to 11.5 degrees F.”  Even the low end of that range is a significant amount of warming. 

A change in our climate will affect our economies, our infrastructure and our environment, all of which are suited to the fairly stable climate conditions of the past and will have to adapt to rapidly changing climatic circumstances – unless we begin to take action now to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that are heating the planet. 

What can we do about it?

Addressing climate change is no simple task. To protect ourselves, our economy, and our lands and waters from the adverse effects of climate change we must ultimately dramatically reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.  We believe that everyone has a role to play in the solution ¬--business, government and individuals.

Any workable solution will fundamentally transform the way we power our global economy. This demands shifting away from a century’s legacy of unrestrained fossil fuel use and its associated emissions in pursuit of more efficient and renewable sources of energy. Such a transformation will require society to engage in a concerted effort, over the near- and long-term, to seek out opportunities and design actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

But a workable solution also requires each of us to take personal responsibility, change our own behaviors and consume less of the fuels and products that contribute to climate change.  

SOURCE: MAKE AN IMPACT