Global Warming - Let's do our part!

Global warming could do more than just melt polar ice. It could change our maps, and displace people from cities and tropical islands".
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Dando sequência à postagem sobre o programa de Língua Estrangeira, decidi abordar um assunto de extrema importância para todos os âmbitos da vida humana em uma das opções de língua oferecidas pelo ENEM, UFRGS e outros - a língua inglesa. Progressivas mudanças climáticas vem sendo causadas pelo aquecimento global, causado pelo efeito estufa. O aquecimento global já é considerado o mais grave problema ambiental causado pela humanidade. O que fazer para que esse efeito não se repercuta de forma a impossibilitar a vida? Qual legado deixaremos às próximas gerações?

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Even though the USA showed refusal to take a responsible or mature attitude towards its own pollution (the U.S. alone produces 25% of the world's greenhouse gases) by not signing Kyoto Protocol, some organizations are encouraging U.S. cities and their residents to reduce the global warming greenhouse gas emissions for which they are responsible. The Green Mountain Energy Company, for example, is one of the leading providers of cleaner energy and carbon offset solutions in the United States.

During a conference held in the United Kingdom, Marcelo Furtado, one of the leaders of the Greenpeace campaign, observed that the studies show that for us Brazilians, there will be a change in the nature of the Amazon forest, transforming it from a tropical rain forest to scrubland. The impact could have serious consequences for our own species.

In order to encourage us, Brazilian citizens, to show even more dedication to the environment than other nations, and to prevent global warming from devastating our surroundings, here are some tips extracted from the American company Green Mountain Energy website.

Doing Our Part to Prevent Global Warming

Sometimes even the smallest things someone does can make a difference.

You don’t have to be a scientist or a diplomat to do something about global warming.
There are very simple steps each of us can take that will go a long way toward
reducing our use of fossil fuels—and hence our emissions of greenhouse gases.

Here are a few of the things each of us can do:
Reduce, reuse, recycle. Buy products that feature reusable, recyclable, or reduced packaging to save the energy required to manufacture new containers. Also, by recycling all of your home’s waste newsprint, cardboard, glass, and metal, you can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 850 pounds annually.

Consider a fuel-smart car. When buying a car, purchase a fuel-efficient vehicle—one that gets more miles to the gallon than your current vehicle.

Think about giving your car a day off. Consider transportation alternatives such as mass transit, carpooling, bicycling, and telecommuting. By leaving your car at home two days a week, you can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1,590 pounds a year. When you do drive, keep your car tuned up and its tires properly inflated to save on fuel costs.

Tune up your home to save money. Insulate your home, caulk windows and doors, and tune up your furnace and air conditioner.

Go solar. Install a solar thermal system in your home to help provide
your hot water, and reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by about
720 pounds annually.
Encourage your utility to do its part. Many local utility companies
offer energy from clean sources (landfill gas recovery, high-efficiency
natural gas-fired power plants, or renewables such as solar and wind).

Plant trees. Trees absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, from the
air. Join family members, neighbors, or community service groups in
planting trees in your yard, along roadways, at schools, and in parks.

Educate others. Encourage others to take these practical, energysaving
steps that save money while protecting the environment.

By Letícia Kern