Those of you who know me, know that I like to live as environmentally-friendly as possible. I recycle, use re-usable bags and containers, and try to cook with as much local food as possible. Buying my first home last year has opened up new ways of living more sustainably. In addition to using compact fluorescent light bulbs inside the home, I have been able to install a photocell that harvests solar energy to run my outdoor lights. I started a small garden, and soon, IPL will be coming out to install my low-flow shower and faucet aerators. To me, it has become a lifestyle and I’m always looking for new ways to use less.
In a few weeks, we will be discussing climate change and its
effects on the planet. I know there’s a lot of controversy around the issue,
but quite frankly, I think this is one of the biggest issues your generation
may have to face. So my question to you this week is, “Do you think humans
contribute to global warming? What would you be willing to do to help lower
your effects on the environment?”
Answers are due no later than Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012
Yes i believe we greatly contribute to global warming. As much pollution as we put into the air the least we could do is have a little awareness as to what we are actually doing to the planet that we and our children and their children will be living on. My family actually already recycles and uses energy saving lightbulbs as well as re-using bags. My mother also has a garden back home that she uses to grow tomatoes. While my grandparents have a full size garden at their country home where they grow a huge assortment of vegetables and fruit. I was also brought up this way so i have a general understanding as to what we need to do to save our environment.
ReplyDeleteI believe that humans contribute to global warming. The things we do each and everyday are bad for the environment such as using perfumes, hair products, driving cars, smoking and many other things. My family recycles paper, and plastics and not living at home with them I always bring them all of my recyclables. I would like to become more aware of the environment so I can start to do things on my own. It is an interesting topic to me so I look forward to learning more.
ReplyDeleteLast quarter my teacher took us to FOX 59 studios. We met Brian Wilkes, their weatherman and meteorologist. He seemed to dimiss the idea of global warming. His sense is that the weather patterns even out. When its gets warmer on parts of the Earth its gets colder on others. I end to agree with him. Plus, I'm not willing to lower my effect on the environment. When I'm dead and gone I want mother nature to remember that I was here.
ReplyDeleteI do think we contribute to Global Warming almost exclusively. We'd all like to say we're living with awareness to our environment but it's so much easier to live our comfortable earth-damaging lifestyles than to actually change them, myself included. I still live with my parents. My family recycles plastic, aluminum and paper. I've encouraged our family to buy more produce locally and they've almost caved to the idea which I'm glad for. I wish I could ride a bike everywhere. It's good for me and it's good for the environment, but that's simply not practical for my hour commute to school and half hour commute to work. Areas are much more widespread and travelling is necessary for most people's day to day lives.
ReplyDeleteYes, I absolutely believe that we are contributing to global warming. Even though I don’t believe that the impacts will seriously affect us for many years we need to make it change now. Our world’s use of fossil fuels poses a threat to our future. Although our use of fossil fuels is wide spread, we as individuals need to make a shift towards sustainability efforts. We need to make investments in solar at home and financial investments in alternative energy companies. People often ignore the impact of financial investment and alternative energy, especially since the returns on fossil fuels are so attractive. With increase investment in government support alternative energy can soon become a daily part of our lives. Also simple tasks such as walking or riding a bike to work, carpooling, or using public transportation could dramatically reduce our footprint. We can’t wait until a crisis happens to take action because by then it will be too late.
ReplyDeleteWell other than the title of this blog not having connection to the blog it self (It doesn't work just because it's to art students)
ReplyDeleteAaaahhh, I'm just yanking your chain.
But as to the questions, I find it impossible that humans don't contribute. Yes there are forest fires and volcanoes that throw ash soot and other chemicals/elements into the air that doesn't help the earths atmospheric health, there's still a few things about that.
1: they don't happen constantly or all over the place.
2: they actually don't put so much into the air to do real damage for a really really really really really long time.
3: the way that nature works is a balancing effect, death happens in one area; life happens in another.
Now throw a jack-hammer into that engine with "Humanity" taped to the side and you can see how we screw that up. For all of history humanity has been destroying the planet, with cutting down trees for land/shelter/warmth, we also have been causing a constant burn of fire all over the world which is throwing more badness into the air. Then the industrial age when we pretty much shot the planet in the knee with industries and hundreds of thousands of cities vomiting nasty thing into the air. Then in the last hundred years we've been sniping the atmosphere, and by that I mean killing it without it being seen. As in the exhaust of cars and such. So I would think it's safe to say that, Yes Humanity has played a HUGE role in causing global warming.
What do I do to make a different, recycle. That's pretty much the only way that I can actually afford to do so. Being a student with a job I work 16 hours a week and only able to afford my car, I don't know of any other ways I could chip in. My whole life I've been told that's the only way you can chip in, then these other ways is kinda like eating healthy. It's easier and cheaper to order a burger for 99 cents than get a salad for 10 bucks. It's easier and cheaper to not really do anything and throw all trash into the trash cans instead of certain items into recycling; than it is to get another container for recycling, dividing the trash accordingly, purchasing certain items made of the biodegradable materials, and get a car that runs on electricity or water.
I do think humans contribute to the environmental changes. but i also think that the world is always changing. I recycle at home when i can, and i work at a childcare and I have started a recycling system there. I went through a kick in 6th grade and changed all the light bulbs in my house to the energy efficient ones. I also would follow family members around and make sure they shut lights off, and shut the water off when brushing their teeth. So i have pretty environmentally conscious my whole life. I also just bought myself a bike. I plan on moving to a new area where i can ride my bike.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that humans contribute to global warming. I honestly think that we are one of the main reasons for global warming. Not only are we arrogant about the damage we are doing, but people are honestly not even being informed on how severe our actions are taking a toll on our planet. I am a firm believer in recycling, I agree with the example Stephanie gave in class. Something about one person recycling doesn't make a huge difference, but 10,000 people recycling makes a pretty substantial mark. I also try to carpool whenever I can, in my opinion the less air pollution the better. I am also trying to purchase more locally grown produce, not only is it a way to avoid supporting product importation, but it also allows me to support our community and get produce that is much more fresh. I know all of these actions and efforts seem pretty small and almost unimportant, but to me I honestly feel like every little bit helps.
ReplyDeleteYes. Of course humans contribute to global warming. If I had to use less, I turn off my tv. I run. If I had it with me, I would ride my bike. I am a high supporter of wind energy and would love to be able to build up an entire lifestyle around using only wind energy.
ReplyDeleteI strongly feel that humanity is contributing to global warming. The world naturally has cycles of heating and cooling, however the mass amounts of greenhouse gasses produced by humans has accelerated to process. The current rate of temperature climb has exceeded the past heat spike by five times over already. If we could switch over to wind, solar, geothermal, or hydro power the earth’s atmosphere could begin to stabilize itself.
ReplyDeleteI try to maintain and ecofriendly lifestyle, involving recycling of all plastics and rubbers are a top priority since it takes over 300 years for it to breakdown. I also recycle all paper and many other metals. My family and I also compost any and all organic material that can break down. Once I get a place of my own however I plan to become as ecofriendly as possible.
I strongly feel that people contribute to global warming. I see people littering and just allowing trash to fly everywhere, everyday. I myself, do not allow this. I once made my best friend get out of my car and pick up his trash when he throw a candy wrapper out my window.
ReplyDeleteI myself, passed down from my mother recycle immensely. I put all water bottles in a bag, jugs and recycle the newspaper, etc; take them to a recycling center or bin. I crush cans, that my friend may drink, and pick up trash as much as I can when I am out and about.
Us Humans are the biggest contributors to global warming. We are so set on fixing other country's how we see fit but we can't even save the planet that hosts us all. We need to save the planet not only for us but for our children and grandchildren.
ReplyDeleteI use my own bags and i have recently changed all my light bulbs to be energy efficient. i remember to turn the lights off when there is no need for them to be on. The one thing that I have to remember to do is recycle.
I feel that humans play a very large part in climate change. I feel that climate change has become such an issue in recent years because the more that we advance, the more we can better understand why specific events throughout our daily lives have occurred and why. People have a direct effect on the climate because people need specific things to survive, such as food, water, natural resources, fossil fuels etc. The U.S. population is very fortunate to have the ability to eat endless amounts of food, have unlimited amounts of clean water, and many other reasons. However, if the U.S. continues to use these things so carelessly then we will have a huge problem. There are not an unlimited amount of fossil fuels available to keep over consuming like we do. I have always recycled my bottles, cans, and paper. I also began using re-usable shopping bags instead of plastic. As of right now that is all I have done to lower my effects on the environment.
ReplyDeleteWell, yes poeple do have a help hand in climate changes, and yes the earth can fix this issues when climate becomes unbalanced, but that takes years and the polluting cause such changes in the atmosphere is happened at a rapid rate in a short amount of time. Yes, recycling is a good time that some are indeed doing and it is better then no one trying to help the earth cause it could have been far worse then this.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely believe that humans are contributing to the increase in global warming/climate change. We take addvantage of our natural resources and think that they will always be there. I don't believe we will always have our natural resources at our disposal.If our climate keeps changing the way it has been, Our farmers will be out of business. Trees/plants/flowers that have grown in one season will not be able to grow. I truly believe that we as a nation need to take action and spend the money to cut back on pollution. Whatever it takes. We need to start looking at the adverse effects of it.
ReplyDeleteI don't blame global warming completely on the human race. Global change is among us and we have seen those changes within the last 50 years. Yes we are adding more emmissions into the air and poluting our water, but I think the Earth has begun a change of it's own. Perhaps a cleansing. Perhaps a sign of whats to come. Whatever the case, adding to it will not help. The ways I want to help have to do with water conservation. The hot topic is "global warming" not "we're running out of water". I think having clean water has a greater impact on our civilization than having clean air. Most people don't know how big of a situation it is. So, I propose to make this water situation as important as clean air emmissions. Maybe, put a limit on water usage per household to prevent excessive watering of their precious lawns or not fixing a water leak. Personally, I would like to get new fixtures that conserve water. I love the new products that are coming out.
ReplyDelete