As the weather continuously rises and more and more fossil fuels are released into the atmosphere, the growing concern over global warming is continually rising. Arguments related to climate change vary from 1 – 2 degrees Fahrenheit to as much as 10 degrees by the end of the century.
The concerns over rising temperatures are many, from the polar ice caps melting to increases in severe weather, heavy rainfall, and longer drought periods. If the temperature keeps rising, these issues may cause additional global stress, reduce food supplies and limit some of our most important natural resources.
Because of the growing concerns associated with global warming, there have been several solutions and ideas on dealing with this situation.
A quick overview of global warming
Global warming is the continual rise of the earth’s climate caused by the release of gases created from fossil fuels, waste, and other hazardous materials into the atmosphere. Global warming begins with the sun shining down on the earth.
As the sun shines, it releases energy and heat that helps the earth maintain its temperature. As the sunlight and energy make their way to the earth’s surface, some of that light/energy bounces off of the planet and back towards outer space like a mirror.
While some of the sunlight and energy leave the earth, part of that energy bounces off the earth’s atmosphere and returns to the earth, keeping it warm and keeping our Ecosystem in balance.
The atmosphere is essential for keeping the earth warm; however, as more and more gases get released into the atmosphere from garbage, fossil fuels, and other carbon/methane-producing materials, our atmosphere gets more polluted, keeping more of the suns energy from escaping and making the earth warming and warmer.
The continual rise of the earths temperate can have severe consequences that include severe weather, heavy rainfall, longer droughts, shrinking ice caps, and imbalances in available food and resources. To deal with these issues, we need to find sensible, reliable, and, most importantly, earth-friendly solutions.
Global warming solutions, ideas, and theories
When it comes to stopping the global warming situation, numerous ideas, theories and solutions can help promote cleaner living.
Many of these solutions and ideas include using renewable energy sources, producing Eco-friendly products, finding better ways to filter toxic chemicals and waste, reducing, recycling, and reusing more materials, using energy-saving products, producing alternatives to fossil fuel, and finding better storage options for pollutants, harmful gas emissions and garbage.
Below we will discuss several solutions that have been mentioned and implemented to stop global warming and improve the environment.
Note: The rest of this article focuses on reducing fossil fuels and other carbon-based emissions that can affect our atmosphere and cut down on waste that can contribute to the global warming condition.
Using renewable energy
Some of the most common solutions provided by scientists revolve around the idea of using natural/renewable energy sources such as the sun, wind, rain, and flowing water.
By obtaining our energy from solar panels, wind turbines, and hydropower, we can harness energy from the world’s natural resources without creating pollution or releasing toxic gases into the atmosphere.
Cutting down on factories that provide services that can harm the atmosphere can greatly increase air quality and reduce harmful emissions that can enter the atmosphere.
Furthermore, these forms of energy can be stored for use when needed or drawn directly from the power source as they gather energy, and in some cases, these methods are fairly self-sustaining with some human involvement.
Solar energy
Solar energy is obtained through the sun, often through solar panels, and transformed into usable energy that can power our devices via electricity or heat water.
Solar panels can either be attached to or nearby a home or building to supply it with power. It can be part of a large solar farm whose primary function is to build up and store power to be distributed to residential areas or places requiring energy.
In some cases, people who have their own solar panels may even sell some of their energy to electric companies to make a profit and provide a healthy alternative to some of today’s current methods of obtaining energy.
One of the most alluring features of solar energy that it can store energy from the sun, so the only thing required is sunlight.
Solar energy does not require fossil fuels or other harmful/toxic resources. Once the solar panels are in place, they require regular maintenance to ensure everything is running properly.
As solar panel technology and stored capabilities improve, solar energy will likely become a strong candidate for alternative/renewable energy.
Wind turbines
Wind turbines are another popular method for obtaining energy through natural wind currents. As the wind passes over the fan blades, it turns the fan which produces energy stored to be used immediately or in the future. Unlike solar panels, wind turbines do not need sunlight to obtain their power. Instead, they rely on wind.
The great thing about this energy source is that energy can be gathered in areas that lack sunlight or in places known for their strong winds. As with solar energy, wind turbines do not require toxic/harmful resources to operate, so the energy created is Eco-friendly and renewable.
Hydropower
Hydropower refers to obtaining energy from moving water. This energy can be gathered through various methods, such as using a dam that uses gravity and water flow to create energy that powers a generator that either store the energy or distributes it to other necessary sources.
Hydropower can be an extremely effective way of gathering energy as running water from dams are generally very consistent, and water runs 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
Depending on the dam’s size, the strength of the water flow, and the technology being used to harness the energy, the amount of power a dam can generate will vary with larger, new dams providing higher amounts of energy than smaller, less powerful ones.
In addition to using dams for hydropower, a dam can also be used to store and distribute water to various locations, making it extremely effective as a water management system and a way to separate certain bodies of water.
When constructed in the right location, dams can be a handy resource; however, poor placement of a dam can isolate certain animal species and threaten their existence or habitat.
Another way to collect energy from the water is through water turbines and/or watermills which also use the flow of water to generate energy; however, these methods are less common in locations that require a lot of power as they are much smaller in size and generate less energy.
Developing Eco-friendly products (waste prevention)
Another way to improve the global warming situation is to develop Eco-friendly products that do not harm the environment when used.
This can include recyclable/recycled components, biodegradable materials, Eco-friendly fertilizers and pesticides, Eco-friendly cleaning products and scented candles or other scented products, reusable shopping/grocery bags, using biodegradable plastics, and developing vehicles that do not need fossil fuel to run, such as electric cars.
In addition to developing environmentally safe products, companies can also find ways to reduce the number of components and materials required to create their products, saving time and money and minimizing waste. By creating eco-friendly and disposable products, we can minimize our waste, eliminate harmful materials, and reuse/re-purpose the materials we already have.
Reduce, recycle, reuse
Reduce, recycle, reuse is a powerful phrase with equally powerful opportunities for maintaining a clean world. By reducing the number of materials, we use in our daily lives; we can cut down on our costs and waste.
This may include buying fewer products that are unnecessary and create clutter, eliminating unimportant mail and/or switching to email (which also helps minimize the number of trees that are being cut down), and buying less clothing or footwear that isn’t necessary, among other things.
If you enjoy buying clothing and don’t want to reduce the number of clothes you buy, you can also donate your used clothing when done rather than throwing it away. Not only does it prevent waste, but it also goes to a good cause 🙂
Recycling glass, plastics, and paper materials is another great way to cut down on waste and reduce costs, making economic and environmental sense.
Lastly, reusing/re-purposing some of your products can also help cut down on waste and expenses. Cleaning up and reusing old furniture and decorating old jars, using them for storage, or using them as Eco-friendly candle holders are just a couple of examples you can use as a way to reuse your products.
Using Environmentally safe energy-saving products
As technology becomes, more advanced, more and more products are becoming available that are both Eco-friendly and energy-saving. This may include energy-saving light bulbs, high-performance windows, low-flow showerheads, energy-saving appliances, and high-performing Eco-friendly insulation. Not only are these types of products better for the environment, but they also save energy and save you money.
Better waste management/disposal
One of the leading causes of pollution and global warming is poor waste management and disposal. Unmanaged waste is harmful because the toxic materials can enter the earth’s soil and poison the ground, topsoil, crops, and plants or leak/spill into the ocean to spread through the lakes, rivers, and oceans affecting marine life and make our drinking water unsafe. There are several reasons poor waste management occurs.
Saving money
Companies, organizations, or waste management employees may choose to dump the waste on the ground or into the water rather than properly disposing of it or recycling the materials. It can also result from companies choosing not to spend the money necessary to purchase effective waste disposal tools.
Note: While this section mentions companies and corporations, individuals are also responsible for their own waste management.
Saving time
To save time, waste may be quickly disposed of rather than transported to a safe location or disposal unit.
Lack of proper waste management/disposal technologies
In some cases, waste may be poorly managed because there is no current alternative to dealing with the existing waste. In many situations, this can be seen in developing countries that cannot afford the technology necessary to dispose of their waste properly. Unfortunately, they may also be unable to filter their water, causing them to reuse the harmful/unsafe water available.
The solution
Some of these issues can be solved by creating inexpensive, environmentally safe, and/or biodegradable materials, as mentioned earlier; however, since we are discussing waste management and not prevention, let’s look at some of the ways we can improve on waste disposal and management.
While there are certainly more things that can be done to manage and dispose of the waste, we’ll focus on three main areas: having the proper disposal/management tools, being accountable for the waste produced, and looking for ways to minimize future waste.
To properly dispose of waste, it is important to have the right tools. This may include Eco-friendly vehicles, hazmat stations, recycling stations, storage containers, and other tools needed to deal with and dispose of the garbage safely.
Once the tools are available, the next step is to have responsible and accountable people for making sure the waste is properly managed. Having all of the right waste management tools available means nothing if no one is held accountable for its proper disposal.
Lastly, it’s essential to look for ways to reduce future waste, including reusing materials, purchasing Eco-friendly and/or recyclable materials, and eliminating unnecessary costs.
Inexpensive, high-quality filtration systems
Once our waters and air become polluted, it negatively affects our environment. Animals, plants, and even bacteria become affected by pollution and make a living in certain areas difficult or even inhabitable. Therefore, we need solutions that help us minimize pollution and reverse some of the pollutions that have already occurred.
Designing and using high-quality air and water filters/purifiers will help keep air/water pollution from entering the atmosphere and waterways by capturing some pollutants before they can escape. Inexpensive filtration systems can also improve the lives of those who live in underdeveloped countries by improving drinking water quality.
Reforestation
Lastly, reforestation and replanting in areas that have lost their trees and plants can significantly help improve the air quality of areas affected by air pollution. Trees have a natural ability to produce clean oxygen, which can help offset pollutions released into the atmosphere. And although trees are a great way to improve the air quality, they are not replacing fossil fuels, waste, and other air/water pollutants.