Global Warming and Climate Change
Global warming is the increase in the
earth’s surface temperatures attributed to greenhouse gas emissions (New Mexico
Solar Energy Association, 2009). This phenomenon has in the recent past drawn
widespread debates across the world because it has posed a threat to humans and
other ecosystems. Greenhouse gases such as methane, carbon dioxide (CO2),
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Nitrous oxides (NO2), have been continuously pumped
into the atmosphere which has ultimately altered the climates across the world (IPCC,
1990). As greenhouse gases accumulate in the atmosphere, heat from the sun
easily penetrates them but the heat cannot be reradiated back to space. This
has subsequently led to the warming of the earth which has altered climates in
many regions (Anil, 2010). Ominously, this climate change has been enhanced by
human activities and which has affected terrestrial and marine ecosystems with
some other species becoming extinct. Scientists have agreed that the earth is
actually undergoing climate alteration which to a greater degree has been
attributed to human activities. Scientists further contend that such activities
have resulted in the increase in the levels of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere. Succinctly, a warming planet leads to climate change which has been
evident from a number of indicators such as the melting of ice caps, extreme
weather patterns, rising sea levels, among others. Anil; (2010) therefore points
out, that unless humans contribute to averting this global menace, the earth
will ultimately come to an apocalyptic end.
Human activities such as deforestation, agriculture,
and transportation have been attributed to the increasing levels of greenhouse
gases in the atmosphere. As the gases accumulate in the atmosphere, they cause the
greenhouse effect where light from the sun easily penetrates the gases but does
not allow the heat to be reradiated back to space. The end result has been the
soaring global surface temperatures which have altered the major climatic
patterns of the world. This has been apparent from extreme weather patterns
being witnessed such as droughts, storms, typhoons, hurricanes, and cyclones.
While certain regions experience huge rainfall and floods, others have
experienced droughts which cumulatively have affected many ecosystems. Anil; (2010)
indicates that the rate of climate change has reached alarming levels which
Shah; (2011) attributes it to human actions such as burning fossil fuels which
result in more carbon dioxide being emitted to the atmosphere. Basically, there
is little that has been done to address this issue as climate scientists admit
that greenhouse gas emissions are increasing each year (Wingerter, 2009).
The melting of ice caps is another
indicator that global warming is causing climate change. The global atmospheric
levels of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxides, and methane have resulted in the
warming of the earth’s surface ("Global climate change," 2011). As a
result, glaciers have been retreating and subsequently disappearing. According
to Shah; (2011), mountain glaciers and ice caps have significantly decreased in
the northern and southern hemispheres. The thickness of glaciers in Polar
Regions has also been decreasing over the years. Major disasters have thus
occurred as a result of such melting of glaciers and snow cover. Chou; (2011)
stresses that melting ice caps have caused rising sea levels, volcanic
activities, and earthquakes. The oceans are constantly being fed with melt
water subsequently increasing their volumes while a retreat of ice caps and
glaciers have also been linked to increased volcanic activities. Earthquakes
have also been associated with the retreat of ice glaciers because seismicity
is increased during the process of removal of ice (unloading).
With high confidence, Chou; (2011)
asserts that global warming has resulted in climate change which is evident
from the physical and biological effects that have been witnessed. Some plant
and animal species have become extinct while others have migrated to higher
latitudes. To a greater degree, such ecosystem trends are a response to the
harsh weather conditions brought about by global warming. The human influence
on global warming manifests itself from the geographical patterns observed in the
warming process where temperatures have been increasing on the land and Polar
Regions and rather subdued over the oceans.
Besides other climatic alterations,
global warming has been known to modify precipitation patterns including the
mean annual rainfall, the frequency, and the intensity("Co2 now.org,”).
This has seen a major alteration in weather and climatic patterns across the
world. Global warming and climate change has thus become an issue of concern
both to environmentalists and scientists because for a sustainable world, this
global phenomenon should be curbed. The major causes of global warming have
been linked to human activities which have seen increased levels of greenhouse
gases in the atmosphere. Research findings and satellite images clearlyshow
that there have been extreme weather patterns, melting ice caps, sea levels
rising, and major ecosystem imbalances in many parts of the world. These are
just but a few indicators that global warming has altered the climates of the
world. There is a need therefore for nations to come together and address this
issue in order to save the current and future generations. An alternative
solution to solve the issue of global warming and climate change is to find new
and greener transportation, since pollution plays a big role in ruining our
atmosphere.
Because
of the increase in green house emissions and the negative effects they have due
to global warming, measures need to be taken to alleviate the problem. One of
the proposed solutions to global warming is sustainable transport or green
transport. Given the fact that fossil fuels are the main causes of global
warming, green transport will play a major role in reducing greenhouse emissions.
Green transport refers to the kind of transport that has minimal impact on the
environment. Transport systems have been suggested to have a considerable
effect on the environment, particularly in its contribution to global warming.
Transport is argued to account to between 20 percent and 25 percent of global
energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gas emissions from
the transport sector are increasing at a higher rate than any other energy
consuming sector (Pera, 2010).
Road transport is particularly the greatest contributor of emissions and other
pollutants. The U.S Environmental Protection Agency reveals that the largest
part of greenhouse gases as far as transportation is concerned in 2006 were
passenger cars accounting for 34 percent and light trucks. Light trucks include
sport utility cars, minivans and pick up trucks. Together they accounted for 28
percent of greenhouse emissions. Together with other means of transport such as
motor cycles, the light duty vehicles accounted for approximately 63 percent of
transportation greenhouse gas emissions. Freight vehicles were other great
contributors accounting for 20 percent and domestic commercial aircrafts that
accounted for 7 percent. Other non-road
sources combined produced only 7 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions. The
figures include direct greenhouse gas emissions from burning of fossil fuel and
hydroflourocarbon emissions from refrigerated transport and mobile air
conditioners (Evans, 2012).
Transportation
being the greatest cause of greenhouse gas emissions; it is the sector that
requires to be addressed in the efforts to address global warming. The answer
lies in development of green transport. Various forms of green transport exist
including: walking, using some other forms of human powered transports like
cycling, and green vehicles like solar powered vehicles, wind powered vehicles,
water powered vehicles and electric powered vehicles (Pera, 2010).
A
well research way of reducing carbon emissions in the effort to control global
warming is the use of bio-based fuels rather than using petroleum-based ones.
Bio-based fuels have been more attractive as a source of energy because of
their availability as well as low emissions. Political and environmental
concerns have led to the interest in use of alternative engine fuels, with
bio-diesel as the main candidate. Bio-fuel is basically the fuel generated from
biomass. As already noted, petroleum based fuels are the greatest contributor
of greenhouse gases that cause global warming. This means that any effort that
can lead to reduction of petroleum-based fuels is worthwhile in addressing the
issue of global warming. Because of the
increased concerns on environmental issues such as climate change, various
researched have been carried out on the use of bio-diesel as an alternative to
petroleum (Demirbas, 2010).
There
are various differences between bio-diesel and petroleum that make the former
more attractive. One of the major differences between the two feedstocks is
oxygen content. The chemical composition of the two fuels is completely
different. Unlike petroleum that is known to be major polluters, bio-diesels
have been revealed as being non-polluting. This is mostly because unlike
petroleum which is a fossil fuel, bio-diesel is derived from renewable sources.
It is a renewable energy source that is generated from natural oils and fats.
It is not expensive to substitute petroleum with bio-diesel as this can be done
without modifying the engine. High quality bio-diesel is currently available
and can be pumped and utilized as fuel in a vehicle without any additions or
changes to the vehicle. This will mean saving the environment at no extra cost.
On the basis of the price of the fuel, it is not a lot expensive as compared to
the conventional diesel. It is only without emissions. Besides being
biodegradable as well as non-toxic, this fuel is basically free from sulfur and
aromatic. As a result, it produces lower exhaust emissions compared to other
conventional fuels while offering similar properties as far as fuel efficiency
is concerned (Demirbas, 2010). Ethanol is another advanced fuel together with
bio-diesel that can be used to save the world from the dangerous effects of
global warming. Ethanol or E85 refer to a fuel blend that contains 85 percent
ethanol. The fuel can be used as a blend on Flex Fuel Vehicles (FFVs). Flex
Fuel Vehicles can be use E85 or conventional gasoline as fuel. There are as
many as six million such cars being used currently. Buying cars that have
minimal effect on the environment, will contribute a lot to the efforts to
address global warming (Evans, 2012).
Magnetic
levitation is one of the emerging technologies in the efforts to address global
warming. Rather than using fossil fuel, maglev is a transportation system that
utilizes magnet levitation in suspending, guiding and propelling vehicles
instead of the use of the mechanical means. Energy use in these trains is far
less than in the conventional transportation system. Energy for the trains is
required for accelerating the train, and can be regained at the time when the
train slows down. The energy is also used for making the train to levitate as
well as to stabilize the movement of the train. The most part of the energy is
utilized in forcing the train through the air; while little is utilized for air
conditioning, lighting, and heating among other systems. Rather than using
fossil fuel the train is powered on electromagnetism. Other electric vehicle
(vehicles that use electric energy rather than conventional petroleum for
propulsion) will reduce greenhouse emissions a great deal (Muller, 1997).
While
we are looking at reducing emissions at a collective level, it is important to
remember that is possible at an individual level. There are various measures
that an individual can take in reducing global warming. As noted earlier
walking is a greener transport than taking a private car, and so is taking
public transport. People are being encouraged to walk short distances as taking
private cars that use petroleum-based fuel is increasing emissions. Besides
walking, cycling is another kind of green transport. Besides reducing the fuel
economy, going easy on the pedal, avoiding hard accelerations, and uploading
unimportant items to deduce weight are other ways of reducing greenhouse gas
emissions. Taking public transport to work contributes a lot to addressing the
problem of global warming (Schafer, 1998). This is an effective way of reducing
emissions, individual’s carbon footprint as well as enhances the quality of air
in the community. In recent studies, conclusive research evidence has revealed
that transportation by use of private vehicles accounts for over 25 percent of
all the carbon emissions in the United States today. Nevertheless, use of
public means of transportation results in various kinds of savings. The savings
includes the ones in terms of fuel, which means that less amount of fuel is
combusted and thus fewer emissions. The savings include over 1.5 million tons
of harmful emissions of CO2 per year. This is a clear indication of
how far the use of public means rather than private means of transportation can
go in addressing the issue of global warming (Evans, 2012).
There
are various disadvantages that are associated with the use of public transport
such as inconvenience. This is in terms of the need to use different transport
means to move from one place to another on a tight schedule. Another
disadvantage is having to travel with strangers, and without the comfort of
your own vehicle. However, it is important to note that as a green transport
the benefits of public transport outweigh the drawbacks. The amount of energy
that the country has to rely on is greatly reduced when more people use public
transportation rather than private transportation. This means that
collectively, the fuel burnt per year is reduced a great deal. Additionally,
with more people using public means of transport, the quantity of emissions and
other kinds of carbon pollutants that are being released into the air would be
decreased by billion tons per year. Car sharing is another strategy similar to
the use of public transportation that benefits the efforts to address global
warming. Car sharing involves a company or organization buying a vehicle that
is used by its employees to and from work. Another way is where vehicles are
owned and operated by individuals or organizations that can be used for the
same purpose. Sharing rides can also help in reducing transport greenhouse gas
emissions (Pera, 2010).
Besides
using public means of transportation and car sharing, being careful when
purchasing or renting a car can help in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It
is important to look at the most fuel-efficient car in the market. In the
United States, tools such as EPA’s Green Vehicle Guide and the jointly-run
EPA/DOE Fuel Economy Guide website can help in selecting the most
fuel-efficient car in the market. There are resources that offer information on
the kind of cars that produce the lowest greenhouse gas emissions and fuel efficiency.
This guide provides information on greenhouse gas emissions for each car model.
Such information is designed to help buyers in selecting the most clean and
fuel efficient vehicles in the market (Pera,
2010).
References
Anil,
A. (2010). Accelerated warming: the danger of clearing the air. New Scientist; Vol. 205 Issue 2748,
p38-42, 5p
Chou,
C. (2011). Changes in the Annual Range of Precipitation under Global Warming. Journal of climate.
Co2
now.org. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://co2now.org/Know-the-Changing-Climate/Climate-Changes/ipcc-faq-changes-in-precipitation.html
Demirbas, A. (2010).Biodiesel for Future
Transportation Energy Needs, Energy Sources, Part A, 32:1490–1508.
Evans, M. (2012). Reduce
Climate Change Through Green Transportation Greening Your Vehicle. retrieved on February 24 2012 from ttp://sustainability.about.com/od/CarbonFootprint/a/Green-You-Vehicle.htm
Global
climate change. (2011). Retrieved from
http://www.globalchange.gov/publications/reports/scientific-assessments/us-impacts/full-report/global-climate-change
IPCC.
(1990). Climate change: The ipcc scientific assessment. Retrieved from
http://www.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/far/wg_I/ipcc_far_wg_I_chapter_01.pdf
Muller,
C. (1997). Magnetic Levitation for
Transportation retrieved on February 24 2012 from http://www.railserve.com/maglev.html.
New
Mexico Solar Energy Association (2009). Global warming faq. Retrieved from
http://www.nmsea.org/Curriculum/Primer/Global_Warming/fossil_fuels_and_global_warming.htm
Pera, R. (2010). Promoting
Greener Transportation Systems for Employees in Industrial Areas: Service
Design and Communication Strategies, Environmental
Quality Management Winter 2010
Schafer,
A. (1998). The global demand for motorized mobility. Transportation Research
A 32(6), 455-477.
Shah,
A. (2011).Climate Change and Global
Warming Introduction. Retrieved February, 13, 2012 from
http://www.globalissues.org/article/233/climate-change-and-global-warming-introduction
Wingerter,
E. (2009, April 02). eia.gov. Retrieved from http://www.eia.gov/oiaf/1605/ggccebro/chapter1.html
Global warming and Climate Change
Christian Chamorro
Professor EwaWojcik
13 February, 2012
Global Warming and Climate Change
Global warming is the increase in the
earth’s surface temperatures attributed to greenhouse gas emissions (New Mexico
Solar Energy Association, 2009). This phenomenon has in the recent past drawn
widespread debates across the world because it has posed a threat to humans and
other ecosystems. Greenhouse gases such as methane, carbon dioxide (CO2),
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Nitrous oxides (NO2), have been continuously pumped
into the atmosphere which has ultimately altered the climates across the world (IPCC,
1990). As greenhouse gases accumulate in the atmosphere, heat from the sun
easily penetrates them but the heat cannot be reradiated back to space. This
has subsequently led to the warming of the earth which has altered climates in
many regions (Anil, 2010). Ominously, this climate change has been enhanced by
human activities and which has affected terrestrial and marine ecosystems with
some other species becoming extinct. Scientists have agreed that the earth is
actually undergoing climate alteration which to a greater degree has been
attributed to human activities. Scientists further contend that such activities
have resulted in the increase in the levels of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere. Succinctly, a warming planet leads to climate change which has been
evident from a number of indicators such as the melting of ice caps, extreme
weather patterns, rising sea levels, among others. Anil; (2010) therefore points
out, that unless humans contribute to averting this global menace, the earth
will ultimately come to an apocalyptic end.
Human activities such as deforestation, agriculture,
and transportation have been attributed to the increasing levels of greenhouse
gases in the atmosphere. As the gases accumulate in the atmosphere, they cause the
greenhouse effect where light from the sun easily penetrates the gases but does
not allow the heat to be reradiated back to space. The end result has been the
soaring global surface temperatures which have altered the major climatic
patterns of the world. This has been apparent from extreme weather patterns
being witnessed such as droughts, storms, typhoons, hurricanes, and cyclones.
While certain regions experience huge rainfall and floods, others have
experienced droughts which cumulatively have affected many ecosystems. Anil; (2010)
indicates that the rate of climate change has reached alarming levels which
Shah; (2011) attributes it to human actions such as burning fossil fuels which
result in more carbon dioxide being emitted to the atmosphere. Basically, there
is little that has been done to address this issue as climate scientists admit
that greenhouse gas emissions are increasing each year (Wingerter, 2009).
The melting of ice caps is another
indicator that global warming is causing climate change. The global atmospheric
levels of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxides, and methane have resulted in the
warming of the earth’s surface ("Global climate change," 2011). As a
result, glaciers have been retreating and subsequently disappearing. According
to Shah; (2011), mountain glaciers and ice caps have significantly decreased in
the northern and southern hemispheres. The thickness of glaciers in Polar
Regions has also been decreasing over the years. Major disasters have thus
occurred as a result of such melting of glaciers and snow cover. Chou; (2011)
stresses that melting ice caps have caused rising sea levels, volcanic
activities, and earthquakes. The oceans are constantly being fed with melt
water subsequently increasing their volumes while a retreat of ice caps and
glaciers have also been linked to increased volcanic activities. Earthquakes
have also been associated with the retreat of ice glaciers because seismicity
is increased during the process of removal of ice (unloading).
With high confidence, Chou; (2011)
asserts that global warming has resulted in climate change which is evident
from the physical and biological effects that have been witnessed. Some plant
and animal species have become extinct while others have migrated to higher
latitudes. To a greater degree, such ecosystem trends are a response to the
harsh weather conditions brought about by global warming. The human influence
on global warming manifests itself from the geographical patterns observed in the
warming process where temperatures have been increasing on the land and Polar
Regions and rather subdued over the oceans.
Besides other climatic alterations,
global warming has been known to modify precipitation patterns including the
mean annual rainfall, the frequency, and the intensity("Co2 now.org,”).
This has seen a major alteration in weather and climatic patterns across the
world. Global warming and climate change has thus become an issue of concern
both to environmentalists and scientists because for a sustainable world, this
global phenomenon should be curbed. The major causes of global warming have
been linked to human activities which have seen increased levels of greenhouse
gases in the atmosphere. Research findings and satellite images clearlyshow
that there have been extreme weather patterns, melting ice caps, sea levels
rising, and major ecosystem imbalances in many parts of the world. These are
just but a few indicators that global warming has altered the climates of the
world. There is a need therefore for nations to come together and address this
issue in order to save the current and future generations. An alternative
solution to solve the issue of global warming and climate change is to find new
and greener transportation, since pollution plays a big role in ruining our
atmosphere.
Because
of the increase in green house emissions and the negative effects they have due
to global warming, measures need to be taken to alleviate the problem. One of
the proposed solutions to global warming is sustainable transport or green
transport. Given the fact that fossil fuels are the main causes of global
warming, green transport will play a major role in reducing greenhouse emissions.
Green transport refers to the kind of transport that has minimal impact on the
environment. Transport systems have been suggested to have a considerable
effect on the environment, particularly in its contribution to global warming.
Transport is argued to account to between 20 percent and 25 percent of global
energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gas emissions from
the transport sector are increasing at a higher rate than any other energy
consuming sector (Pera, 2010).
Road transport is particularly the greatest contributor of emissions and other
pollutants. The U.S Environmental Protection Agency reveals that the largest
part of greenhouse gases as far as transportation is concerned in 2006 were
passenger cars accounting for 34 percent and light trucks. Light trucks include
sport utility cars, minivans and pick up trucks. Together they accounted for 28
percent of greenhouse emissions. Together with other means of transport such as
motor cycles, the light duty vehicles accounted for approximately 63 percent of
transportation greenhouse gas emissions. Freight vehicles were other great
contributors accounting for 20 percent and domestic commercial aircrafts that
accounted for 7 percent. Other non-road
sources combined produced only 7 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions. The
figures include direct greenhouse gas emissions from burning of fossil fuel and
hydroflourocarbon emissions from refrigerated transport and mobile air
conditioners (Evans, 2012).
Transportation
being the greatest cause of greenhouse gas emissions; it is the sector that
requires to be addressed in the efforts to address global warming. The answer
lies in development of green transport. Various forms of green transport exist
including: walking, using some other forms of human powered transports like
cycling, and green vehicles like solar powered vehicles, wind powered vehicles,
water powered vehicles and electric powered vehicles (Pera, 2010).
A
well research way of reducing carbon emissions in the effort to control global
warming is the use of bio-based fuels rather than using petroleum-based ones.
Bio-based fuels have been more attractive as a source of energy because of
their availability as well as low emissions. Political and environmental
concerns have led to the interest in use of alternative engine fuels, with
bio-diesel as the main candidate. Bio-fuel is basically the fuel generated from
biomass. As already noted, petroleum based fuels are the greatest contributor
of greenhouse gases that cause global warming. This means that any effort that
can lead to reduction of petroleum-based fuels is worthwhile in addressing the
issue of global warming. Because of the
increased concerns on environmental issues such as climate change, various
researched have been carried out on the use of bio-diesel as an alternative to
petroleum (Demirbas, 2010).
There
are various differences between bio-diesel and petroleum that make the former
more attractive. One of the major differences between the two feedstocks is
oxygen content. The chemical composition of the two fuels is completely
different. Unlike petroleum that is known to be major polluters, bio-diesels
have been revealed as being non-polluting. This is mostly because unlike
petroleum which is a fossil fuel, bio-diesel is derived from renewable sources.
It is a renewable energy source that is generated from natural oils and fats.
It is not expensive to substitute petroleum with bio-diesel as this can be done
without modifying the engine. High quality bio-diesel is currently available
and can be pumped and utilized as fuel in a vehicle without any additions or
changes to the vehicle. This will mean saving the environment at no extra cost.
On the basis of the price of the fuel, it is not a lot expensive as compared to
the conventional diesel. It is only without emissions. Besides being
biodegradable as well as non-toxic, this fuel is basically free from sulfur and
aromatic. As a result, it produces lower exhaust emissions compared to other
conventional fuels while offering similar properties as far as fuel efficiency
is concerned (Demirbas, 2010). Ethanol is another advanced fuel together with
bio-diesel that can be used to save the world from the dangerous effects of
global warming. Ethanol or E85 refer to a fuel blend that contains 85 percent
ethanol. The fuel can be used as a blend on Flex Fuel Vehicles (FFVs). Flex
Fuel Vehicles can be use E85 or conventional gasoline as fuel. There are as
many as six million such cars being used currently. Buying cars that have
minimal effect on the environment, will contribute a lot to the efforts to
address global warming (Evans, 2012).
Magnetic
levitation is one of the emerging technologies in the efforts to address global
warming. Rather than using fossil fuel, maglev is a transportation system that
utilizes magnet levitation in suspending, guiding and propelling vehicles
instead of the use of the mechanical means. Energy use in these trains is far
less than in the conventional transportation system. Energy for the trains is
required for accelerating the train, and can be regained at the time when the
train slows down. The energy is also used for making the train to levitate as
well as to stabilize the movement of the train. The most part of the energy is
utilized in forcing the train through the air; while little is utilized for air
conditioning, lighting, and heating among other systems. Rather than using
fossil fuel the train is powered on electromagnetism. Other electric vehicle
(vehicles that use electric energy rather than conventional petroleum for
propulsion) will reduce greenhouse emissions a great deal (Muller, 1997).
While
we are looking at reducing emissions at a collective level, it is important to
remember that is possible at an individual level. There are various measures
that an individual can take in reducing global warming. As noted earlier
walking is a greener transport than taking a private car, and so is taking
public transport. People are being encouraged to walk short distances as taking
private cars that use petroleum-based fuel is increasing emissions. Besides
walking, cycling is another kind of green transport. Besides reducing the fuel
economy, going easy on the pedal, avoiding hard accelerations, and uploading
unimportant items to deduce weight are other ways of reducing greenhouse gas
emissions. Taking public transport to work contributes a lot to addressing the
problem of global warming (Schafer, 1998). This is an effective way of reducing
emissions, individual’s carbon footprint as well as enhances the quality of air
in the community. In recent studies, conclusive research evidence has revealed
that transportation by use of private vehicles accounts for over 25 percent of
all the carbon emissions in the United States today. Nevertheless, use of
public means of transportation results in various kinds of savings. The savings
includes the ones in terms of fuel, which means that less amount of fuel is
combusted and thus fewer emissions. The savings include over 1.5 million tons
of harmful emissions of CO2 per year. This is a clear indication of
how far the use of public means rather than private means of transportation can
go in addressing the issue of global warming (Evans, 2012).
There
are various disadvantages that are associated with the use of public transport
such as inconvenience. This is in terms of the need to use different transport
means to move from one place to another on a tight schedule. Another
disadvantage is having to travel with strangers, and without the comfort of
your own vehicle. However, it is important to note that as a green transport
the benefits of public transport outweigh the drawbacks. The amount of energy
that the country has to rely on is greatly reduced when more people use public
transportation rather than private transportation. This means that
collectively, the fuel burnt per year is reduced a great deal. Additionally,
with more people using public means of transport, the quantity of emissions and
other kinds of carbon pollutants that are being released into the air would be
decreased by billion tons per year. Car sharing is another strategy similar to
the use of public transportation that benefits the efforts to address global
warming. Car sharing involves a company or organization buying a vehicle that
is used by its employees to and from work. Another way is where vehicles are
owned and operated by individuals or organizations that can be used for the
same purpose. Sharing rides can also help in reducing transport greenhouse gas
emissions (Pera, 2010).
Besides
using public means of transportation and car sharing, being careful when
purchasing or renting a car can help in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It
is important to look at the most fuel-efficient car in the market. In the
United States, tools such as EPA’s Green Vehicle Guide and the jointly-run
EPA/DOE Fuel Economy Guide website can help in selecting the most
fuel-efficient car in the market. There are resources that offer information on
the kind of cars that produce the lowest greenhouse gas emissions and fuel efficiency.
This guide provides information on greenhouse gas emissions for each car model.
Such information is designed to help buyers in selecting the most clean and
fuel efficient vehicles in the market (Pera,
2010).
References
Anil,
A. (2010). Accelerated warming: the danger of clearing the air. New Scientist; Vol. 205 Issue 2748,
p38-42, 5p
Chou,
C. (2011). Changes in the Annual Range of Precipitation under Global Warming. Journal of climate.
Co2
now.org. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://co2now.org/Know-the-Changing-Climate/Climate-Changes/ipcc-faq-changes-in-precipitation.html
Demirbas, A. (2010).Biodiesel for Future
Transportation Energy Needs, Energy Sources, Part A, 32:1490–1508.
Evans, M. (2012). Reduce
Climate Change Through Green Transportation Greening Your Vehicle. retrieved on February 24 2012 from ttp://sustainability.about.com/od/CarbonFootprint/a/Green-You-Vehicle.htm
Global
climate change. (2011). Retrieved from
http://www.globalchange.gov/publications/reports/scientific-assessments/us-impacts/full-report/global-climate-change
IPCC.
(1990). Climate change: The ipcc scientific assessment. Retrieved from
http://www.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/far/wg_I/ipcc_far_wg_I_chapter_01.pdf
Muller,
C. (1997). Magnetic Levitation for
Transportation retrieved on February 24 2012 from http://www.railserve.com/maglev.html.
New
Mexico Solar Energy Association (2009). Global warming faq. Retrieved from
http://www.nmsea.org/Curriculum/Primer/Global_Warming/fossil_fuels_and_global_warming.htm
Pera, R. (2010). Promoting
Greener Transportation Systems for Employees in Industrial Areas: Service
Design and Communication Strategies, Environmental
Quality Management Winter 2010
Schafer,
A. (1998). The global demand for motorized mobility. Transportation Research
A 32(6), 455-477.
Shah,
A. (2011).Climate Change and Global
Warming Introduction. Retrieved February, 13, 2012 from
http://www.globalissues.org/article/233/climate-change-and-global-warming-introduction
Wingerter,
E. (2009, April 02). eia.gov. Retrieved from http://www.eia.gov/oiaf/1605/ggccebro/chapter1.html
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