How can you stop Global Warming?

While there are many steps that government can take to help combat global warming, About.com details 10 practices that individuals and households can adopt in order to reduce the amount of carbon they put into the atmosphere. These steps include changing over from conventional light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs, finding ways to drive less and making sure that one's household is recycling properly.

Keeping a car's tires properly inflated can increase gas mileage by more than 3 percent, keeping about 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the air every year, writes Larry West for About.com. Using less hot water by taking shorter showers and using cold water to wash clothes can keep up to 500 pounds of carbon monoxide, or CO2, out of the air. Avoiding products with a lot of packaging can drastically reduce the amount of garbage an individual produces, further reducing the person's carbon footprint. Adjusting the household thermostat down by 2 degrees in winter and up by 2 degrees in summer could save up to 2,000 pounds of CO2 a year. Likewise, turning off electrical devices when not in use saves hundreds of dollars in electricity costs and thousands of pounds of CO2. Finally, by planting just one tree, one can help take up to a ton of CO2 out of the atmosphere over the course of that tree's life.

Nations around the world are upping their game in the fight against climate change. At the Paris climate summit in 2015, 195 countries signed a historic agreement to reduce their carbon emissions, with the goal of limiting future warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius.

It was a big step in the right direction. But it’s important to remember the equally vital contributions that can be made by private citizens—which is to say, by you. “Change only happens when individuals take action,” Aliya Haq, deputy director of NRDC’s Clean Power Plan initiative, says. “There’s no other way, if it doesn’t start with people.”

The goal is simple. Carbon dioxide is the climate’s worst enemy. It’s released when oil, coal, and other fossil fuels are burned for energy—the energy we use to power our homes, cars, and smartphones. By using less of it, we can curb our own contribution to climate change while also saving money. Here are 10 easy, effective ways each one of us can make a difference:

1. Speak up!

What’s the single biggest way you can make an impact on global climate change? “Talk to your friends and family, and make sure your representatives are making good decisions,” Haq says. By voicing your concerns—via social media or, better yet, directly to your elected officials—you send a message that you care about the warming world. Encourage Congress to enact new laws that limit carbon emissions and require polluters to pay for the emissions they produce. “The main reason elected officials do anything difficult is because their constituents make them,” Haq says. You can help protect public lands, stop offshore drilling, and more here.

2. Power your home with renewable energy.

Choose a utility company that generates at least half its power from wind or solar and has been certified by Green-e Energy, an organization that vets renewable energy options. If that isn’t possible for you, take a look at your electric bill; many utilities now list other ways to support renewable sources on their monthly statements and websites.

3. Weatherize, weatherize, weatherize.

“Building heating and cooling are among the biggest uses of energy,” Haq says. Indeed, heating and air-conditioning account for almost half of home energy use. You can make your space more energy efficient by sealing drafts and ensuring it’s adequately insulated. You can also claim federal tax credits for many energy-efficiency home improvements.

4. Invest in energy-efficient appliances.

Since they were first implemented nationally in 1987, efficiency standards for dozens of appliances and products have kept 2.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide out of the air. That’s about the same amount as the annual carbon pollution coughed up by nearly 440 million cars. “Energy efficiency is the lowest-cost way to reduce emissions,” Haq says. When shopping for refrigerators, washing machines, and other appliances, look for the Energy Star label. It will tell you which are the most efficient.

5. Actually eat the food you buy—and make less of it meat.

Approximately 10 percent of U.S. energy use goes into growing, processing, packaging, and shipping food—about 40 percent of which just winds up in the landfill. “If you’re wasting less food, you’re likely cutting down on energy consumption,” Haq says. And since livestock products are among the most resource-intensive to produce, eating meat-free meals can make a big difference, too.

6. Buy better bulbs.

LED lightbulbs use up to 80 percent less energy than conventional incandescents. They’re also cheaper in the long run: A 10-watt LED that replaces your traditional 60-watt bulb will save you $125 over the lightbulb’s life.

7. Drive a fuel-efficient vehicle.

Gas-smart cars, such as hybrids and fully electric vehicles, save fuel and money. And once all cars and light trucks meet 2025’s clean car standards, which means averaging 54.5 miles per gallon, they’ll be a mainstay. For good reason: Relative to a national fleet of vehicles that averaged only 28.3 miles per gallon in 2011, Americans will spend $80 billion less at the pump each year and cut their automotive emissions by half. Before you buy a new set of wheels, compare fuel-economy performance here.

8. Maintain your ride.

If all Americans kept their tires properly inflated, we could say 1.2 billion gallons of gas each year. A simple tune-up can boost miles per gallon anywhere from 4 percent to 40 percent, and a new air filter can get you a 10 percent boost.

9. Rethink planes, trains, and automobiles.

Choosing to live in walkable smart-growth cities and towns with quality public transportation leads to less driving, less money spent on fuel, and less pollution in the air. Less frequent flying can make a big difference, too. “Air transport is a major source of climate pollution,” Haq says. “If you can take a train instead, do that.”

10. Shrink your carbon profile.

You can offset the carbon you produce by purchasing carbon offsets, which represent clean power that you can add to the nation’s energy grid in place of power from fossil fuels. But not all carbon offset companies are alike. Do your homework to find the best supplier.

Agreed with expert niceanswers---------------------

to control global warming it is to control co release as it counts for approximately 70% of pollution . the sources of this gas starts from all cars , equipments , trucks , power plants  how ever big power plants (called green housing ) started in trapping co through cycling procedures , other sources of pollution are solid wastes an liquid wastes where methane gas is released causing further pollution and consequently global heating , our domestic appliances (air  coolers , conditioners , refrigerators , are also source of heating , high rise buildings do the same , we should plant as much as possible we should capture co specially in big industrial firms and power plants , we should get rid of the wastes by recycling as well these are only small hints

There should be clear intent and active participation on part of all national governments and leading corporate with funds, corporate contributions, national plans  to reduce green house effect leading to global warning with an  international watch dog organization evaluating effectiveness of the plans and programs whether national, corporate or individual and suggesting the sharing of burden of expenditure among the nations and the major actors within nations. The activities to reduce the green house effect includes programs for the following steps with national audits and penalties for violators- (a) cleaner fuels and cleaner sources of generation of electricity - in other words which causes less pollution even to the extent of higher cost which should be done in planned and gradual way (b) using transportation more effectively (using mass transit or mass transportation system more frequently) (c) imposing penalties and heavier taxes on industries generating more pollutants and augmenting funds for tree plantation in the local surroundings where such pollutants are created (d) clean disposal of industrial waste with penalties against the violators (e) internationally agreeing on certain norms of pollutant control including carbon dioxide ppm (f) use of energy efficient devices and equipments in industrial/ commercial/ domestic applications (g) carefully investigating deforestation plans or controlling intrusions and offsetting it with afforestation plans (h) monitoring and controlling the green house factors created by agricultural byproducts (i) less dependence on fossil fuels (j) national support for R & D in technological innovation leading to superior sources of energy, transportation, organic farming, energy efficient devices, identifying, assessing and geograhically spreading the main industrial pollutors to create ecological balance and balance in employment generation (k) afforestation plans and implementation to balance the rate of increase of green house effect, national/ corporate/ individual responsibility and accountability, awareness of citizens (i) incentive plans and national awards for those industries, companies, individual NGOs for meeting or exceeding the targeted micro but measurable objectives to be disbursed by apolitical (neutral) organization affiliated to a global organization while suggesting penalties for the violators

Yourself and DR MD ANWAR have already answered what the government and citizen should do to stop or reduce global warming and thanks for the invitation.

Good question Ahmed and excellent answer for very serious phenomena in the world climate. I think that duty for each person and nation to stop global warming and all have to contribute to reduce the percentage of the pollution and Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Emission. All of the  conferences and activities have to be focused to stop this serious situation which will affect on all the humanity future and guiding us to the disaster results in the near future. This problem will grow day by day if there are no real actions taken to stop it.

Thanks for invitation -

Agree with your answer !!!

Please note these questions need more details - Long explanation .

Thank you for the invitation

I agree with colleagues answer

Thanks for the invitation. Global warming is a hot issue nowadays. We can reduce it by planting more and more trees thus increasing the supply of oxygen and reducing Carbon dioxide emissions which will help in minimizing the global warming issue!

Alternative power production: wind as solar as examples. The less you are dependent upon energy that is produced by means of fossil energy sources, the less CO2 will end up in the atmosphere and subsquently less green house gases, altough methane is much more powerful than carbon dioxide.