Individual Solutions

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:20:50 +0100

Individual choices can have an impact on global climate change. Reducing your family's heat-trapping emissions does not mean forgoing modern conveniences; it means making smart choices and using energy-efficient products, which may require an additional investment up front, but often pay you back in energy savings within a couple of years.

Actions YOU as an individual could help:

Ø Be efficient on the road: Buy a clean, hybrid-engine car or use less gas with your current car by car-pooling, utilizing public transportation, walking instead of driving. Don’t belittle these small acts, if all these are followed by every resident on the earth, they’ll be gigantic result

Ø Use less energy. When it comes time to replace appliances, look for the Energy Star label on new appliances (refrigerators, freezers, furnaces, air conditioners, and water heaters use the most energy). These items may cost a bitmore initially, but the energy savings will pay back the extra investment within a couple of years. Note that home energy accounts for 21% of America’s global warming pollution. If each household in the United States replaced its existing appliances with the most efficient models available, we would save $15 billion in energy costs and eliminate 175 million tons of heat-trapping gases.

Ø Light bulbs matter. If every household in the United States replaced one regular light bulb with an energy-saving model, we could reduce global warming pollution by more than 90 billion pounds over the life of the bulbs; the same as taking 6.3 million cars off the road. So, replace your incandescent bulbs with more efficient compact fluorescents, which now come in all shapes and sizes. You'll be doing your share to cut back on heat-trapping pollution and you'll save money on your electric bills and light bulbs.

Ø Improve your home's insulation. Adding more (or better) insulation to walls andceilings can reduce home heating/cooling bills by about 25% and avoid 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per year.

Ø Support recycling. Producing new paper, glass, and metal products from recycled materials avoids 70% to 90% of the energy and pollution that results from products made from virgin materials. You can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide per year by recycling half of household-generated waste.

Ø Write a letter to your senators today urging them to support a 10% energy efficiency standard and a 25% renewable electricity standard by 2025.

Global Solutions

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:22:44 +0100

In order to reduce carbon emissions, thereby directly reducing the rate of global warming, the global community must come together to create a global standard on carbon emission rates which individual countries must follow. Countries should agree to put a ceiling well below their earlier carbon emissions standards so that companies, industries, and individuals abide by the rules and help reduce the rate of global warming.

The United States, with its disproportionate ability and interest in this issue, should take the lead by encouraging efforts in coping this issue, such as increase funding in the creation of new technology which will reduce carbon emissions. The United States would be ahead of the curve economically if it switches to greener technologies. The benefits of creating legislation fighting against climate change outweigh the costs of delayed action. The United States is a world leader and a disproportionate producer of greenhouse gases, specifically carbon. Should the United States begin immediate change toward reducing the output of greenhouse gasses, so will developing nations emulating the United States’ fossil-fuel-based Industrial Revolution.

Moreover, being the first to develop a cheap and effective way to utilize a clean energy source allows for the monopolization of the worldwide renewable energy market. The inclusion of poorer nations will create a larger international market for renewable energy sources. In addition to creating such new technologies, international cooperation should allow for investment to developing countries in order to create low-carbon economies.

Given that the cheap and efficient equipment exists, the United States will benefit from an organization setting standards that would essentially limit the renewable energy market to its own green technologies. As the leader of such an international organization, an immediate market for the product would exist.

Using existing plans as a model for the new organization would help ease the creation of an intergovernmental organization. The cooperative efforts produced from these accords could continue on as necessary with the basis of repetition and inclusion of appropriate retaliatory action. There will be severe punishments or sanctions towards defiant countries which do not meet the agreed upon emission rates once the formal agreement is made.

PAGWO will participate in solving global warming on an international basis through lobbying congress members in passing bills which reduce carbon emission and increase funding in R&D of new “green" technologies. We believe that once the United States leaders are serious about this issue and take instant measures appropriately, there will be spillover effect and the world would follow suit.

Besides, we will recruit members from colleges all over the United States to raise awareness of global warming in their respective places, and lobby their congressmen as well. Student participation in this issue is crucial as we have seen the potential power and influence of students’ actions during the 2008 Presidential election.

Furthermore, PAGWO committee will update its webpage continuously on the latest ways for individual, industries and countries to play a part in solving global warming. Together, we can make a difference!

our-solution

Individual Solutions

Global Solutions