“Everyone talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it!”
Even though climate destabilization is an immense global problem, it
can be addressed, and solutions can be found locally. It is all about
knowing the impact our decisions have on the environment, and being
aware of the long-term costs of seemingly short-term decisions.
Decisions: These and more contribute to air and water pollution and the worldwide greenhouse effect
- Use of fossil fuel in transportation
- 1/3rd of our local air pollution comes from the vehicles on our roads.
- Urban
sprawl - Home locations requiring significant driving time versus those
with side walks, local shopping, bicycle friendly roads & public
transportation
- Inefficient fueled motor vehicles versus flex-fuel, hybrid, electric and fuel efficient standard vehicles
- Power source
- Most
of Northeast Ohio power is generated from coal-fired plants. Only
1/3rd of the fossil fuel (coal) input generates power. The rest
generates green house gases, carbon and other byproducts.
- Use of fossil fuels in home heating, lighting and electricity
- 1/6th of our air pollution comes from home heating and insulation.
- 1/4th of our air pollution comes from inefficient lighting, appliances, products & equipment in the home.
- Use of fossil fuels for business operations & manufacturer production.
- This
accounts for 1/4th of air pollution, half of it in facilities and
source of power, the other half in byproducts from production.
There are many website calculators available to identify your individual carbon footprint. Including: