The problem:
- The summer of 2022 in the Northern Hemisphere was the second hottest on record, slightly behind the summer of 2020. Antarctic sea ice set another record low for coverage. Greenland’s glaciers continue to shrink. The earth is indisputably warming.
- 412 parts per million. The concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in our atmosphere, as of 2022, is the highest it has been in 3 million years. CO2 is the most significant greenhouse gas causing heat trapping and global warming. It is up 11% since 2000 and nearly 50% since the start of the Industrial Revolution.
What can you do at the state or local level?
- Buildings are one of the biggest sources of CO2 emissions. Up to one-third of total carbon emissions come from buildings. We can demand from our state and local officials better building codes that would eliminate poorly constructed buildings, install better insulation, and switch more quickly from natural gas to electricity as cleaner electricity becomes available.
- Parents can demand that schools move away from diesel powered school buses, convert to eco-friendly landscaping, upgrade buildings, and install more efficient water saving systems.
What can you do at home?
- Install solar panels where appropriate. Turn off lights when not in use. Keep your A/C at 78 degrees and your heat at 68 degrees. Switch to all LED light bulbs.
- Save water: take five minute showers and use less full bathtubs, install high efficiency ultra- low water use toilets, fix leaks, install natural low water use drought tolerant landscaping, mulch where possible.
Sources:
www.latimes.com
https://saveourwater.com
www.noaa.gov
www.conservation.org