The Threat of Climate Change

For thousands of years, carbon dioxide and other gases have warmed the surface of our planet naturally by trapping solar heat in the atmosphere. This so-called greenhouse effect has kept our planet habitable. By burning fossil fuels, coal, gas and oil and clearing forests we have dramatically increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth´s atmosphere. As a result temperatures are rising. Most scientists agree that global warming is real, that is not a natural occurrence and that it is the result of human activities. We are already seeing changes. Glaciers are melting and plants and animals are being forced from their natural habitats. Extreme weather conditions, the number of hurricanes, the severity of storms and the number of droughts is increasing. The flow of ice from glaciers in Greenland has more than doubled over the past decade. With the same rate of change the arctic ocean could be ice free in summer by 2050.

There is no doubt this problem needs to be solved. We are obliged to do so. And small changes to our daily routines can add up to big differences and help stop global warming.

10 things you can do to help stop global warming

Put on a sweater
heat in your home by 2 °F/1°C. By doing so you save money on the energy bill and save the earth from more than 1/3 of a ton of CO2 emissions per year.

Bring your own mug
Bring your own travel mug to work, school or on the go. Disposable cups keep your coffee hot, however 1000 years after your last gulp, your empty cup will still be around.

Bike or walk
To work, school or to the store. Doing so just once a week will give the planet a much needed break from your car´s CO2 emissions.

Use cold water
If 1 million people washed their clothes in cold water instead of hot, we would eliminate 250.000 tons of CO2 per year. This will also keep your colours brighter.

Go public
Use public transportation. A bus can carry the same number of people as 50 cars, subways and trains, hold even more. For every mile you travel, public transport uses ½ the fuel a private car does.

Use the right light bulb
If every household in the UK replaced just 1 regular lightbulb with an energy saving lightbulb, it would be enough to shut down a power station.

Go green
Plant a tree or grow your own tomato garden. Plants take in CO2 and pump out oxygen. A single tree provides enough oxygen for 2 people for their entire lives.

Go green
Paper or plastic? Skip the in-store moral dilemma and bring your own bag. If 1 million people switched to reusable bags, we would eliminate the need for 1 billion plastic bags.

Pull the plug
Paper or plastic? Skip the in-store moral dilemma and bring your own bag. If 1 million people switched to reusable bags, we would eliminate the need for 1 billion plastic bags.

Shop locally
On average, each item in your local supermarket has travelled at least 1000 miles to get to you. Buying local produce reduces the amount of energy used for transportation.

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