Climate Change For Dummies. Elizabeth May

      Getting down to business

      Big industry is the largest contributor to GHG emissions, and it can make the biggest contributions to the fight against global warming. Although some of the changes that businesses can make may have an initial impact on the businesses’ pocketbooks, many of these changes may even save businesses money in the long run.

      Industrial-strength solutions

      The greatest immediate change businesses and industries can make is to improve their efficiency. Companies waste a lot of energy powering antiquated equipment, heating poorly insulated buildings, and throwing out materials that they could recycle. Chapter 14 details some of the ways that companies can pull up their socks and make smarter use of energy, and it also shares some impressive success stories.

      Ideally, renewable energy will ultimately power industry. Industry dependence on fossil fuels must rapidly decrease. Currently, some scientists and industries are trying to store carbon emissions underground. This solution is controversial, however. We consider the issue in Chapter 13.

      Green fixes for forestry and farming

      The forestry and agriculture industries can do more than just cut back on their GHG emissions; they can actually increase the amount of carbon that’s absorbed from the planet’s atmosphere. (See Chapter 2 to take a ride on the carbon cycle and understand the critical role that plants play in keeping Earth livable.)

      

Around the world, forests are being cut down, removing valuable carbon sinks, which absorb carbon from the atmosphere. Where they harvest trees, logging companies need to explore methods other than clear-cutting; selectively harvesting trees enables forests to continue to thrive. In other countries, particularly in South America, people are clearing forests for farmland. Losing those forests is particularly costly for the atmosphere because, unlike forests in more temperate climates, these rainforests absorb carbon year-round. Deforestation methods have to change.

      Farming’s solution for global warming is dirty — or how dirt is treated. Believe it or not, a simple action like excessively tilling the land causes carbon to be released into the atmosphere. And when farmers add GHG-laden fertilizers to the soil, they release even more emissions. By cutting back on tilling the land and using less fertilizer, farmers can be a potent part of the solution to climate change. Regenerative agriculture (an approach to farming that works to rebuild topsoil) can play a big part in avoiding climate disaster.

      Making it personal

      You’re a vital part of the climate change solution, too. As a citizen, you can ensure that governments recognize the importance of global warming and follow through on their promises. As a consumer, you can support companies that are making the biggest strides in fighting climate change and encourage other companies to make reducing GHGs a priority. If you’re really passionate about having your voice heard, you might even want to consider joining a group dedicated to spreading the word about global warming. We tell you how you can get involved in Chapter 15.

      

You can also make many changes in your daily life — some that seem small, some less so — that cut back on the carbon emissions for which you’re responsible. You’re probably already familiar with many of the little steps you can take to be more climate friendly:

       Making your home more energy efficient: Better insulate your roof, basement, and walls; seal your windows; and replace your old light bulbs with LEDs.

       Reducing the amount of garbage you produce: Take a reusable bag with you when you shop, buy unpackaged goods, and recycle and reuse materials.

       Using energy wisely: Turn off lights and appliances when you’re not using them, use the air conditioner less in the summer, and turn down the heat in the winter.

      Did you know that many of your appliances are gobbling electricity, causing the emission of GHGs, even when those appliances are turned off? Or that putting a lid on pots on your stove makes your food cook more efficiently?.

      Not every action that you can take to cut back on your GHG emissions is manageable — not everyone can yet buy a hybrid or electric car or build a home that doesn’t rely on major power producers for energy. But, hopefully, we suggest some options in this book that fit your situation and can help you to make a difference.

      Global warming affects everyone, and everyone can play an important role in stopping it. Balance the doom and gloom and — start thinking about the exciting opportunities you have to make a change.

Chapter 2

      Looking Closely at Greenhouse Earth

      IN THIS CHAPTER

      

Understanding the greenhouse all humanity lives in

      

Probing deeper into carbon dioxide

      

Perusing the other greenhouse gases

      What you’ve read or seen may make you think that the greenhouse effect and greenhouse gases (GHGs) are all bad. Actually, GHGs have long been the good guys.

      Planet Earth is a tiny warm dot in vast frigid space. The atmosphere keeps the Earth warm because the atmospheric gases trap the heat of the sun, just as greenhouse glass does. Inside greenhouse Earth life is comfortable. Anywhere without a nice balance of GHGs, like say Venus (hot, hot, hot) or Mars (really cold), not so much.

      When it comes to the survival of all living things on Earth including us humans, the home planet needs to be like the porridge in Goldilocks and the Three Bears: not too hot or too cold, but just right.

      GHGs become a problem only when the atmosphere contains too much of them, which is happening today. Industries and farms, cities, and garbage dumps are pumping out an array of gases — carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and a host of other substances. Humanity has knocked off kilter the life-preserving cycle that makes sure the Earth’s atmosphere has just enough carbon dioxide, the star GHG.

This chapter is the A-B-Cs of climate science. This is basic science, and it’s less complicated than you think! You know (from third grade) how plants use energy from the sun to soak up carbon dioxide and release oxygen. You probably remember the big word — photosynthesis. This chapter gives you the basics.

Examining Greenhouse Effect 101

      If you want to understand the greenhouse effect, the best place to start is with the object that provided this analogy in the first place, the greenhouse. A greenhouse works by letting in sunlight, which plants and soil absorb, thus heating up the greenhouse. The panes of glass ensure that the warmer air doesn’t escape the greenhouse, or does so very slowly. If you’ve ever parked your car with the windows rolled up on a sunny day, you’ve experienced this effect. When you open your car door, you’re hit with a blast of hot air. The windows of your car have acted like the panes in a greenhouse, letting