An Inconvenient Truth

As mentioned yesterday I watched the movie An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore. It's basically a documentary about Global Warming. At the end of the film it suggests you going to www.climatecrisis.net if you want to know more or want ideas how you can take action against global warming. It also further explains the film and so on.

It also suggests going to the website http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/

Here's a few things that website suggests we can do to help (amounts are USD):

Use Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

(Replace 3 frequently used light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. Save 300 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $60 per year)
Inflate Your Tires

(keep the tires on your car adequately inflated. Check them monthly. Save 250 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $840 per year)
Change Your Air Filter

(Check your car's air filter monthly. Save 800 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $130 per year)
Fill the Dishwasher

(Run your dishwasher only with a full load. Save 100 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $40 per year)
Use Recycled Paper

(Make sure your printer paper is 100% post consumer recycled paper. Save 5 lbs. of carbon dioxide per ream of paper)
Adjust Your Thermostat
(Move your heater thermostat down two degrees in winter and up two degrees in the summer. Save 2000 lbs of carbon dioxide and $98 per year)
Check Your Waterheater
(Keep your water heater thermostat no higher than 120°F. Save 550 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $30 per year)
Change the AC Filter
(Clean or replace dirty air conditioner filters as recommended. Save 350 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $150 per year)
Take Shorter Showers
(Showers account for 2/3 of all water heating costs. Save 350 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $99 per year)
Install a Low-Flow Showerhead
(Using less water in the shower means less energy to heat the water. Save 350 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $150)
Buy Products Locally
(Buy locally and reduce the amount of energy required to drive your products to your store)
Buy Minimally Packaged Goods
(Less packaging could reduce your garbage by about 10%. Save 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide and $1,000 per year)

Buy a Hybrid or Fuel Efficient Car
(Save thousands of lbs. of CO2 and a lot of money per year)
Carpool When You Can
(Carpooling with friends and co-workers saves fuel. Save 790 lbs. of carbon dioxide and hundreds of dollars per year)
Don't Idle in Your Car
(Idling wastes money and gas, and generates pollution and global warming causing emissions. Except when in traffic, turn your engine off if you must wait for more than 30 seconds)
Reduce Garbage
(Recycle paper, plastic and glass. Save 1,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide per year)
Plant a Tree
(Trees suck up carbon dioxide and make clean air for us to breathe. Save 2,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide per year)
Insulate Your Water Heater
(Keep your water heater insulated could save 1,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $40 per year)
Replace Old Appliances
(Inefficient appliances waste energy. Save hundreds of lbs. of carbon dioxide and hundreds of dollars per year)
Weatherize Your Home
(Caulk and weather strip your doorways and windows. Save 1,700 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $274 per year)
Use a Push Mower
(Use your muscles instead of fossil fuels and get some exercise. Save 80 lbs of carbon dioxide per year)
Unplug Un-Used Electronics
(Even when electronic devices are turned off, they use energy. Save over 1,000 lbs of carbon dioxide and $256 per year)
Put on a Sweater
(Instead of turning up the heat in your home, wear more clothes Save 1,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $250 per year)
Insulate Your Home
(Make sure your walls and ceilings are insulated. Save 2,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $245 per year)
Air Dry Your Clothes
(Line-dry your clothes in the spring and summer instead of using the dryer. Save 700 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $75 per year)
Switch to a Tankless Water Heater
(Your water will be heated as you use it rather than keeping a tank of hot water. Save 300 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $390 per year)
Switch to Double Pane Windows
(Double pane windows keep more heat inside your home so you use less energy. Save 10,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $436 per year)
Buy Organic Food
(The chemicals used in modern agriculture pollute the water supply, and require energy to produce)
Bring Cloth Bags to the Market
(Using your own cloth bag instead of plastic or paper bags reduces waste and requires no additional energy)
Turn off Your Computer
(Shut off your computer when not in use, and save 200 lbs of C02. Conserve energy by using your computer's "sleep mode" instead of a screensaver)
Be a Meat Reducer
(The average American diet contributes an extra 1.5 tons of greenhouse gases per year compared with a vegetarian diet)
Ditch the Plastic
(2.5 million individual plastic water bottles are thrown away every hour in the US. Start using a reusable water bottle and just say no to plastic)

I realize a lot of these aren't necessarily practical for your/our lives BUT I'm sure there's a few you could try or might already be doing. We can all do our part and contribute at least a little. Every bit helps.

Until tomorrow....GO GREEN!! :)