Water is a limited resource so it is vital that we all work together to maintain it and use it wisely. Here are a few tips you can follow to help conserve:

• Check for leaky toilets (put a drop of food coloring in the tank, let it sit ­ if the water in the bowl turns color, you have a leak).

• Consider replacing your 5 gallon per flush toilet with an efficient 1.6 gallon per flush unit. This will permanently cut your water consumption by 25%.

• Fix leaking fixtures as soon as possible. A leaking faucet or toilet can dribble away thousands of gallons of water a year.

• Run only full loads in dishwashers and washing machines. Rinse all hand-washed dishes at once.

• Turn off the faucet while brushing teeth, or shaving.

• Store a jug of ice water in the refrigerator for a cold drink.

Can we stop global warming? Of course. The question is this: will society be smart and plan ahead to avoid catastrophe or will we wait for more and more disasters until it becomes painfully obvious to the entire population? I’m hoping for the former.

There is cause for hope. Humans can repair environmental crosses. We have in the past. Take ozone depletion for example; scientists realized (in the 1980’s) that a certain Chlorofluorocarbon or CFC was causing a hole in the ozone layer. Chemists changed the formula for the freon and aerosols and now the ozone layer is repairing itself.

What can an individual do?

A person could reduce their carbon emissions by 70% by trading in their SUV for a hybrid car.

There have been huge recent advances in the feasibility of wind generators (windmills) and solar panels. A person can run there whole house on solar or wind and in many cases sell power back to the grid.

One might ask, why is it important to conserve electricity? Light bulbs don’t give off carbon.

Answer: Because unfortunately the generation of that electricity often comes from burning filthy coal. For example, Southern California receives half of its electricity from coal-fired plants in Utah, Arizona, and Nevada, and because of that is considered one of the dirtiest public-owned utilities in the country. And we thought Californians were progressive!

I believe that personal responsibility in reducing ones emissions is part of the solution but I think that the government holds the real key. The biggest polluters are corporations and history has shown they do not change there ways unless they have to. There needs to be a combination of tax incentives for companies to clean up and fines for companies that pollute.

sources:
Tim Flannery
author, The Weather Makers
internationally acclaimed scientist,
prof., Univ. of Adelaide, Australia:

• Pump your tires. They are usually underinflated. Environmental Protection Agency states that a 1% loss of fuel efficiency occurs for every 2 PSI of air under the maximum level.
• Check out Carnegie Mellon Students web site "Save Gas, Money and the Environment with Properly Inflated Tires"
• Avoid Idling - Shut the car off for more than 30 sec wait. Go inside and get a burger instead of idling online
• Combine your Errands
• Don't top your gas tank when filling your car. Gas is going slosh and seep out. Stop pumping at the first indication that your tank is full when the automatic nozzle clicks off.
• Buy gasoline during coolest time of day - early morning or late evening. During these times gasoline is densest. You are charged according to volume.

• Buy two packs of 60W and 100W CFLs - Costco, Walmart, HD, Lowes
• Replace the regular light bulbs as they burn out

1. They last 10X longer
2. Save 70% on electricity
3. Save on A/C since they are cooler
4. 100W CFL is really 30W
5. 60W CFL is really 15W

Quote from AJC "If every american home swapped just five incandescent bulbs for CFLs, it would keep 1 trillion pounds of greenhouse gases out of the air and save $6.5B in energy costs."