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How To Prevent Rainforest Destruction Today, the problem of rainforest destruction is beginning to be a grave concern. The impact of this issue has been the main cause of global warming and climate change. Problems like illegal logging, mass deforestation due to industrial and mining development have become worse through time. Because of this, there are several practices being implemented to help prevent forest destruction. Here are some of the methods used to save the rainforest. 1.

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Reforestation is one of the most effective ways to prevent rainforest destruction. It is the process of replanting trees in diminished forests. It is a fast and easy solution to a lot of environmental issues like global warming and animal extinction. Recycling is also a great approach to prevent rainforest destruction. It is a method used to process waste materials by undergoing a special treatment. This is done to be able to decrease the usage of new materials. Products like paper, if recycled, would be able to save lots of trees in the rainforest from being cut down. You can help in recycling paper by putting it in a paper shredder and bringing it in the nearest recycling facility. Shredding the paper will make it easier for the machine to process. It is the most used waste management method and has been widely practiced in several parts of the world. Participating in environmental campaigns is another way of preventing this problem. Joining government projects like tree planting can be a great place to start. There are also non-government agencies that support this mission. And with your help, rainforest destruction will be a thing of the past. Promoting tourism is also a great means of avoiding forest destruction. Most people subjected to illegal logging are those in the poor areas. Getting them involved in a country's tourism will not only give them livelihood. They will also become aware of the effects of what they have previously done. They can also help educate other illegal loggers on the possible consequences of rainforest destruction for future generations. Education is the most efficient and effective ways to conserve the rainforest. As a part of this campaign, Google launched Google Earth Hacks. It is a virtual map of the Earth's rainforest. Learning about the rainforest and its benefits will show each individual the reason why there is a need to save it.

Being involved with programs such as environmental awareness campaigns will not only give you peace of mind. It will also provide you with a better idea about how we can help in our way to save our living planet. Rainforest conservation will not only benefit the present time, it will also secure a better future for our children. How To Prevent the Destruction of Coral Reefs Snorkeling and scuba diving—on most occasions, both forms of recreation have only served one purpose. And that is to explore the corral reefs, but now thanks to human greed and carelessness backed by global warming, these underwater attractions are nearing their end. So here is a guide that may help us prolong the inevitable destruction of the world's corral reefs. The destruction of Pelagic and Estuarine Biomes can be attributed to almost one thing, human waste. It is basically the uncontrolled flow of untreated raw sewage into the ocean that causes the destruction of organisms that create the life of every living organism in a single area of a corral reef. Basically, Mother Nature has provided for the safety of her reefs by creating barriers that can blot out and cleanse the water that flows from inland. It is also how tide pools are created when low tides happen in low lying beaches. They serve as tanks for undue organisms. But the problem basically lies in the magnitude of human waste that gathers from inland bodies of water such as rivers and streams that flow directly into open seas subsequently creating a bleaching effect that harms marine life. It mainly kills algae that serve as a food and oxygen source for smaller marine organisms. That in turn serves as food for bigger game, creating an imbalance in the marine food chain, not to mention the oxygen requirement for every area. It is basically a chemical reaction created by the waste mixed with salt water that creates poison. You can literally simulate this effect by pouring a bottle of vinegar into your chlorine treated aquarium at home. This same scenario was featured in Clive Cussler's novel "Sahara" where the world is endangered by the onset of a global red tide all because a nuclear arms disarmament plant dumps its waste into the middle of the Sahara desert instead of processing it. In turn it seeps into the Nile River speeding up the growth of a specific algae that eats up the rest of the organisms, leaving the world short of oxygen.

Basically, the effort in saving the corral reef is already being addressed by technologically advanced countries, such as the United States where they create barriers and treatment plants that process raw sewage before returning it to the ocean. The real problem lies within poorer and less fortunate nations who don't have the resources to put up such structures. One of the best examples would be the Philippine's Boracay island, one of the best summer beaches in the world. Its secret is that it has no sewage system, ergo everything goes back to the sea. And it said that if you dig deep enough into the sand, you're sure to find human waste. Additionally, the squatters and shanties that spring up beside small bodies of water in countries such as the Philippines continually produce garbage that they dump incessantly into the water. Surely, there have been no shortcomings in creating awareness for the people regarding the destruction of corral reefs. But all efforts fall short compared to Al Gore's "The Inconvenient Truth" about air pollution. The only solution now is to create an increase in awareness leveling that of Al Gore's documentary. In Clive Cussler's "Sahara," the end of the world was pictured in the form of the infants and the sick that would be the first to die due to the depletion of oxygen. Next would be the old and finally the screams of all able bodied adults would serve as humanity's last gasp, all because of the destruction of the world's corral reefs. How to Prevent Destruction We can scarcely turn on our televisions or pick up a newspaper these days without being confronted with yet another depressing news item about the environment. As the population of many cities increases, more and more land in being converted from its natural state to accommodate homes and factories. The direct result of this is the systematic destruction of different ecosystems all over the world which, in turn, has led to seas becoming polluted with poisons, rivers becoming contaminated by pesticides and the air becoming polluted with fumes from vehicles and industry. While the problems of pollution and habitual destruction are obvious, the solutions are elusive. Moreover, serious attempts to halt the destruction of ecosystems must be made immediately. As Paul Claudel once said: 'Nature is only an immense ruin'. Clearly, individuals need to become more aware of the consequences of their actions and should act more responsibly. Only if people do so will the Earth be saved from further destruction and the world become a healthier, safer place to live in. People should not expect governments to provide all the solutions. Citizens must begin to recycle goods and packaging whenever possible, as well as buy only environmentally friendly products. Nonetheless, domestic food scraps should be recycled; for example, potato peelings and melon rinds can be turned into substances that enrich the soil. By doing this, we can reduce the amount of nonbiodegradable waste being dumped at rubbish tips, thus ensuring that materials such as glass and plastic are not left in earth which could be used as farmland in the future. Despite this, individuals can help protect the earth by using public transport whenever possible. Where such facilities do not exist, sharing lifts is recommended to reduce traffic congestion, noise and vehicle emissions on the roads. The less petrol our societies burn, the better the air quality will be. In addition, if there were fewer cars in circulation, there would be fewer road accidents. Another possible measure to combat industrial pollution would be the imposition of strict fines on wicked, greedy corporations and unfeeling, ignorant businesses which contaminate land, air or water. To be effective, the fines should be heavy enough to deter potential polluters; if they are too small, they could simply be regarded by industries as 'the cost of doing business' and they might be ignored. Finally, governments should be far more responsible. All governments have the funds and technology to provide solar, wind, geothermal and tidal power. The problem is that many governments couldn’t care less and wouldn’t lift a finger to help their countries by funding research to develop such sources or to discover new ways to produce energy. If, however, this were to happen, the consequence would be that depletion of finite resources such as oil and coal would be slowed down, or even halted altogether. To sum up, the earth is suffering as a result of the destruction wreaked upon it by humanity. Don't you think it's time we cleaned up this dreadful mess? What measures do you think should be taken to prevent further destruction? Image Source : pdphoto.org What measures do you think should be taken to prevent further destruction? written by Cristina Nuta for FamousWhy.com FamousWhy.com - Famous People ... Famous Regions, a Lot Of Articles and Free Software Downloads Disaster

A disaster is the tragedy of a natural or human-made hazard (a hazard is a situation which poses a level of threat to life, health, property, or environment) that negatively affects society or environment. In contemporary academia, disasters are seen as the consequence of inappropriately managed risk. These risks are the product of hazards and vulnerability. Hazards that strike in areas with low vulnerability are not considered a disaster, as is the case in uninhabited regions.[1] Developing countries suffer the greatest costs when a disaster hits – more than 95 percent of all deaths caused by disasters occur in developing countries, and losses due to natural disasters are 20 times greater (as a percentage of GDP) in developing countries than in industrialized countries.[2] A disaster can be defined as any tragic event with great loss stemming from events such as earthquakes, floods, catastrophic accidents, fires, or explosions. Natural disaster Main article: Natural disaster A natural disaster is a consequence when a natural hazard (e.g., volcanic eruption or earthquake) affects humans. Human vulnerability, caused by the lack of appropriate emergency management, leads to financial, environmental, or human impact. The resulting loss depends on the capacity of the population to support or resist the disaster: their resilience. This understanding is concentrated in the formulation: "disasters occur when hazards meet vulnerability". A natural hazard will hence never result in a natural disaster in areas without vulnerability, e.g., strong earthquakes in uninhabited areas. The term natural has consequently been disputed because the events simply are not hazards or disasters without human involvement. Tsunamis Causes and Effects A tsunami is the resulting big waves whenever an earthquake or other major disturbance occurs in the ocean floor. A tsunami is indeed, among the topics featured here, one of the world’s worst disasters. Numerous factors can cause a tsunami. It can be triggered by volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, landslides and impacts by comets or asteroids. Any big disturbance down in the ocean could cause these big waves to plummet to the coastlines or shores. But it is not the “big waves” that do much of the damage but rather, the magnitude of the force behind these waves. That is what characterizes a tsunami from a tidal wave because when a tsunami strikes, it has nothing to do with the tides but the massive waves this phenomenon carries instead. Sometimes, a collapse of an oceanic island could disturb the sea thus leading to a tsunami. A tsunami is not the same as a tidal wave and a storm surge. a. 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami “The Boxing Day Tsunami” was caused by the Indian Ocean Earthquake that happened off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. It occurred on December 26, 2004 with 225,000 casualties inundating coastal areas with 30 meters length of waves. It was described as the deadliest disaster in modern history with India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, The Maldives and Indonesia being hit the hardest. It even reached Somalia and nearby coasts of Africa and damaged the coastal communities. According to wikipedia.org, “The disaster is known by the scientific community as the Great Sumatra-Andaman earthquake, and is also known as the Asian Tsunami and the Boxing Day Tsunami” which is named for the holiday observed by the Commonwealth of Nations such as UK, Canada and Australia. Relief operations are still in effect up to this day. The pledged amount of wealthy nations still continue until today. b. Damages/Casualties Some of the Asian tsunamis that claimed most lives from recent years are the following 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami – estimated 250,000 and New Guinea July 17, 1998 – 2,200. These tsunamis were preceded by an earthquake and was recorded in the Ritcher scale 9.2 and 7.1 respectively. This type of natural calamity can indeed inflict so much damage on people, habitation and living conditions of the said affected people. Usually there will be a ten year period time-frame for a certain place to recover from devastating effects of a wide-scale tsunami. Please refer to the websites recommended below so that further information and more accurate figures can be accessed because this subcategory does not cover updates on casualties but rather offers a broader view of the damages a tsunami can cause.

Relief Agencies/Organizations The role of relief agencies and organizations is not just to provide relief in terms of food and shelter to disaster victims. Additionally, the act of philanthropy also signifies that it is one way of boosting tsunami victims’ morale to move on with being alive in the hope that life is going to be all right afterwards. There are numerous Government relief agencies now that are created for such purposes. The private sector is also doing its part, more so these days in making citizens be aware of their corporate and social responsibilities. Moreover, the good news is we can now basically access these said organizations in the Internet and could instantly be able make a donation too. Please visit any of the sites mentioned below to enlighten you on what these organizations are doing, how you can contact them and what benefits a calamity victim can avail. a. Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) When the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami occurred, the Disasters Emergency Committee immediately appealed to the public to launch donations. They actually were able to raise 300 million pounds just a year after the natural calamity. Their goals and what they were able to accomplish as stated in their site http://www.dec.org.uk/item/51 is, “As well as providing initial emergency aid, temporary housing, clean water, food supplies and medical services, the funds raised were so high that DEC trustees put in a place a three-year spending plan. The money raised has rebuilt villages, schools and hospitals and reinstated fishing ports and small factories.” Thanks to relief organizations such as these, victims are offered hope despite devastating catastrophes that happened to them. b. USAID USAID is short for United States Agency for International Development which as the name suggest, is an organization dedicated to helping third-world countries and other nations that may need emergency aid. According to their site http://www.usaid.gov/about_usaid/, “USAID is an independent federal government agency that receives overall foreign policy guidance from the Secretary of State. Our Work supports long-term and equitable economic growth and advances U.S. foreign policy objectives by supporting: Typhoons Effects Subsequent effects of a super typhoon can be massive and deadly. The destruction it can cause sometimes reach up to millions in monetary value. To cite an example, such cases happened just like the Hurricane Katrina that ravaged in U.S. territory. The severe flooding contributed to the worsening of the value of damages to property and living things. Floods, landslides, and mudslides could be deadly equalling the wrath of a super typhoon. Knowing all this, inhabitants of tropical countries such as the Philippines should have a ready disaster plan and first-aid kits in every household. If your particular area is more prone to tropical storms, knowing strategic plans of emergency agencies and authorities should be kept in mind. Resulting Floods Due to the continuous raining that accompanies a typhoon, floods will surely emerge and water bodies will sometimes overflow. Hence, the resulting floods will certainly wreak havoc and add to the destruction of this type of catastrophe. Furthermore, these floods would eventually lead to landslides hampering possible rescue and relief efforts. The possibility of mudslides is also very likely following a super typhoon especially if the particular terrain of the area affected is mostly land composed of soft soil. Volcanic Eruptions Causes Volcanic eruptions are like people, they have their own unique characteristics. Based on their ashes and the way they erupt, I can say volcanoes have their own attitudes as well. According to the science of Geology, tectonic plates are said to be the cause of Earth’s movement. A volcanic eruption on the other hand, is mainly caused by two major factors such as buoyancy and gas pressure. An article on helium.com that answers the question “What Causes a Volcano to Erupt?” explained it like this: “Buoyancy is a force that causes lighter material to rise through surrounding denser material (think of a hot air balloon rising in the cooler air). The hot liquid magma rises towards the surface through the more dense rock.” Then, when a pressure is built due to gas, the magma exerts force on the surroundings, forcing it to go up and releasing hot components forming the lava. The result would be an active volcano erupting.

a. Tectonic Plates 3. Change Your Lightbulbs to Energy Savers Tectonic plates can be viewed as the basic cause of why a volcano is formed and subsequently erupts. The Earth’s interior, having two parts namely, lithosphere the above section and asthenosphere which is located below it is where these tectonic plates move around in some types of plate boundaries which has three types according to wikipedia.org. The type of boundaries are, convergent or collision boundaries, divergent or spreading boundaries and transform boundaries (Please see the site for more details on this plate boundaries). The movement of the plates then causes movement along the boundaries and that is where an earthquake or volcanic activity occurs. b. Types of Volcanic Eruptions There are basically three types of volcanic eruptions. First is the Magmatic Eruptions which is caused by gas release during decompression. This has four subtypes namely, Strombolian, Vulcanian, Pelean, Hawaiian and Plinian which are all based in the components of their ashes during eruption. The second type is, Phreatomagmatic Eruptions which is the result of thermal contraction when in contact with water. This has also two sub-types namely, Subglacial—this is an activity under a glacier, snow or ice and, Phreato-plinian– refers to a volcanic eruption that happened under the Antarctica ice sheet some 2,200 years ago and reported by British Antarctic Survey Scientists. The last but not the least type is called Phreatic Eruptions which is due to ejection of particles that results in steam eruptions. Effects Subsequent effects of a super typhoon can be massive and deadly. The destruction it can cause sometimes reach up to millions in monetary value. To cite an example, such cases happened just like the Hurricane Katrina that ravaged in U.S. territory. The severe flooding contributed to the worsening of the value of damages to property and living things. Floods, landslides, and mudslides could be deadly equalling the wrath of a super typhoon. Knowing all this, inhabitants of tropical countries such as the Philippines should have a ready disaster plan and first-aid kits in every household. If your particular area is more prone to tropical storms, knowing strategic plans of emergency agencies and authorities should be kept in mind. Resulting Floods

The hottest thing in household energy savings is the compact fluorescent lightbulb (CFL), a funny-looking swirl that fits into standard sockets. CFLs cost three to five times as much as conventional incandescent bulbs yet use one-quarter the electricity and last several years longer. 4. Light Up Your City With LED Cities can save energy—and money—by illuminating public spaces with LEDs, or light-emitting diodes. 5. Pay the Carbon Tax Everyone agrees that it's necessary to reduce carbon emissions around the world. There is less agreement over exactly how nations should go about achieving a more carbon-free planet. Hence, the environmental equivalent of Elvis vs. the Beatles: cap-and-trade carbon emissions, or impose a carbon tax on all users? With cap-and-trade programs, governments limit the level of carbon that can be emitted by an industry. Companies that hold their emissions below the cap can sell their remaining allowance on a carbon market, while companies that exceed their limit must purchase credits on that market. 6. Ditch the Mansion Oversize houses aren't just architecturally offensive; they also generally require more energy to heat and cool than smaller ones, even with efficient appliances. And in the U.S., big houses are becoming the norm, even though a relatively inefficient small house consumes less energy than a greener large house and uses fewer building materials, which expand the carbon footprint. A typical new singlefamily home in the U.S. is nearly 2,500 square feet today, up from about 1,000 square feet in 1950, even as the average household has shrunk from 3.4 to 2.6 people. 7. Hang Up a Clothes Line To Dry It You could make your own clothes with needle and thread using 100% organic cotton sheared from sheep you raised on a Whole Foods diet, but the environmental quality of your wardrobe is ultimately determined by the way you wash it. A recent study by Cambridge University's Institute of Manufacturing found that 60% of the energy associated with a piece of clothing is spent in washing and drying it. Over its lifetime, a T shirt can send up to 9 lbs. of carbon dioxide into the air.

Due to the continuous raining that accompanies a typhoon, floods will surely emerge and water bodies will sometimes overflow. Hence, the resulting floods will certainly wreak havoc and add to the destruction of this type of catastrophe. Furthermore, these floods would eventually lead to landslides hampering possible rescue and relief efforts. The possibility of mudslides is also very likely following a super typhoon especially if the particular terrain of the area affected is mostly land composed of soft soil.

The solution is not to avoid doing laundry, tempting as that may be. Rather, wash your clothes in warm water instead of hot, and save up to launder a few big loads instead of many smaller ones. Dry your clothes the natural way, by hanging them on a line rather than loading them in a dryer. Altogether you can reduce the CO2 created by your laundry up to 90%. Plus, no more magically disappearing socks.

This is a compilation of The Global Warming Survival Guide and what you can do to save the environment or at least to delay the catastrophic end to planet Earth. From this compilation also, I have learned more about what is carbon footprint, carbon dioxide emissions, energy rating, Plan B to save Earth, why trade carbon, how to save the environment and money and some eco-friendly tips to reduce power consumption.

Where do old fleece jackets go to die? Back to the mountain. Outdoor-gear label Patagonia is collecting used clothing (regardless of brand) made from Polartec and Capilene to melt and make into new fabric and clothes. (Some of that fleece is especially virtuous, starting out as fabric made from recycled plastic.) The company estimates that making polyester fiber out of recycled garments, compared with using new polyester, will result in a 76% energy savings and reduce greenhouse gases 71%.

Some ideas may sound ridiculous but at the end of the day, you are not only saving the animal species, you are saving your future generation. In addition to that, the examples illustration can be specific to areas like the States but the concept is the same in which you can apply in your local areas or surrounding. After all, there is only ONE earth and we are all stuck here. Save the World from global warming 1. Turn Food Into Fuel Are corn husks better than corn for producing energy? Ethanol is the alternative fuel that could finally wean the U.S. from its expensive oil habit and in turn prevent the millions of tons of carbon emissions that go with it. 2. Get Blueprints For a Green House Reducing your impact on the earth is not just a question of what you drive but also of what you live in. Residential energy use accounts for 16% of greenhouse-gas emissions. If you begin thinking green at the blueprint stage, however, low-tech, pragmatic techniques will maximize your new home's efficiency. Installing those systems from the ground up is cheaper than retrofitting.

8. Give New Life to Your Old Fleece

9. Build an Environmental Friendly Skyscraper Almost everything about the Bank of America tower, a soaring skyscraper under construction near Times Square in New York City, has been designed to minimize the use of energy. Take the concrete. Making the stuff from scratch is very energy intensive, so the builders are using a mix of 55% concrete and 45% slag, a waste product from blast furnaces. Mixing slag with concrete saves energy and makes the concrete stronger. The tower will save so-called gray water from washrooms and use it to flush the toilets. The building will also generate much of its own electricity from natural gas, a less potent carbon emitter than coal. These features will account for $3.5 million of a total building cost of $1.2 billion, but the owners expect to recoup that in a few years with all the energy they'll save. When it's finished next year, the tower will be the second highest in the city, but it stands alone as the greenest building in New York. 10. Turn Up the Geothermal Heat With clever engineering and an elegantly simple design, Diane von Furstenberg reinvigorated women's fashion in the 1970s with the wrap dress. Can she do the same for a building? Her newest project is a 35,000-sq.-ft. office, showroom and

retail store in Manhattan's trendy meatpacking district, all heated and cooled by water pumped from deep underground. 11. Take Another Look at Vintage Clothes High-end hand-me-downs (the smart set calls them vintage) are more ecologically sound than new clothes. Why? Buying a shirt the second time around means you avoid consuming all the energy used in producing and shipping a new one and, therefore, the carbon emissions associated with it. Every item of clothing you own has an impact on the environment. Some synthetic textiles are made with petroleum products. Cotton accounts for less than 3% of farmed land globally but consumes about a quarter of the pesticides. One quick way to change your duds: invite friends over for a closet swap, to which everyone brings a few items they want to trade. It's easy on the environment—and your pocketbook. 12. Capture the Carbon Dioxide Emissions Coal is one of the dirtiest fuels around and a major source of the world's carbon dioxide emissions. It's also hard to live without. In the U.S., half the electricity generated comes from coal. What if coal-fired plants stopped spewing their carbon dioxide fumes into the air and instead sequestered them—pumped them deep into the ground for storage? Carbon sequestration is (despite its name) a simple-sounding idea that's exciting scientists, governments and energy companies as a way to cut emissions without disrupting energy supplies. 13. Let Employees Work Close to Home Sitting in gridlock wastes your time and the planet's fuel. The only solution, it seems, is to move your home next to the office. But what if you could move the office a little closer to home? That, in essence, is the concept called proximate commuting. It works best for companies with multiple locations in one metro area. 14. Ride the Bus To Reduce Carbon Dioxide Emissions With transport accounting for more than 30% of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions, one of the best ways to reduce them is by riding something many of us haven't tried since the ninth grade: a bus. Public transit saves an estimated 1.4 billion gal. of gas annually, which translates into about 14 million tons of CO2, according to the American Public Transportation Association.

Most of the 25 tons of CO2 emissions each American is responsible for each year come from the home. Here are some easy ways to get that number down in a hurry without rebuilding. Open a window instead of running the AC. Adjust the thermostat a couple of degrees higher in the summer and lower in the winter. 18. Ask the Experts For An Energy Audit of Your Home How green is your abode? A home energy audit, which most utility providers will do free of charge, will tell you the amount of power your household consumes and what you can do to reduce it. The average family can find ways to shave 1,000 lbs. of CO2 emissions each year. 19. Buy Green Power, At Home or Away More than 600 utilities in 37 states offer green energy, but unless you read the fine print on your bill, you may not know if your power company is one of them. 20. Check the Label for the electronic goods for their Energy Star rating You wouldn't buy a car without knowing its gas mileage. Why not do the same when choosing energy-efficient ovens or even supermarkets and hotels? Energy Star, a rating system by the Environmental Protection Agency, will help you find them. Approved products can be pricier, but they cost less to power. 21. Cozy Up to Your Water Heater to reduce CO2 emissions Improving your home's efficiency doesn't have to mean hours in the attic tearing out the insulation. It might be as simple as giving your dear old water heater a warm hug. Wrapping your heater in an insulated blanket—one costs about $10 to $20 at home centers—could save your household about 250 lbs. in CO2 emissions annually. 22. Skip the Steaks and Burgers Which is responsible for more global warming: your BMW or your Big Mac? Believe it or not, it's the burger. The international meat industry generates roughly 18% of the world's greenhouse-gas emissions—even more than transportation— according to a report last year from the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization. Time for you to reduce your steak consumption and reduce your trip to McDonalds. 23. Copy California anti-global-warming effort

Unfortunately, 88% of all trips in the U.S. are by car. Partly, that's because public transportation is more readily available in big urban areas. One promising alternative is bus rapid transit (BRT), which features extra-long carriers running in dedicated lanes. Buses emit more carbon than trains, but that can be minimized by using hybrid or compressed-natural-gas engines.

Arnold Schwarzenegger may have signed the world's toughest anti-globalwarming law, but it is Democrat Terry Tamminen, his environmental adviser, who is emerging as the state's real Terminator, winning industry support and the endorsement of a Republican Governor for a mandate to reduce the state's emissions 80% by 2050.

15. Move to a High-Rise and save your trip

24. Just Say No to Plastic Bags

If you're a true environmentalist, a dyed-in-the-wool greenie, then why not pack up your leafy rural home and move to New York City—preferably to a tall building right in the middle of Manhattan?

The plastic bags you bring home from the supermarket probably end up in a landfill. Every year, more than 500 billion plastic bags are distributed, and less than 3% of those bags are recycled. They are typically made of polyethylene and can take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade in landfills that emit harmful greenhouse gases.

The Big Apple is home to the greenest citizens in the U.S. Relatively few New Yorkers own cars—one of the biggest contributors to an individual's carbon emissions. Most walk, bike or ride public transit to work—all more efficient transport than the best hybrids. And New York has developed up, rather than out, which limits wasteful sprawl. Eight million New Yorkers are squeezed into 301 sq. mi.—less than a fortieth of an acre per person. Even a fairly dense suburb devotes about a third of an acre to each person. Density means that commutes, shopping trips and supply chains are shorter. 16. Pay Your Bills Online Eliminating your paper trail by banking and paying bills online does more than save trees. It also helps reduce fuel consumption by the trucks and planes that transport paper checks. If every U.S. home viewed and paid its bills online, the switch would cut solid waste by 1.6 billion tons a year and curb greenhouse-gas emissions by 2.1 million tons a year, according to Javelin Strategy & Research. Worried about security? Don't be. Just ignore e-mails "phishing" for personal data, and monitor all (electronic) statements for any unauthorized debits. Report problems immediately, and your credit won't take the hit. To avoid unnecessary carbon dioxide-emitting car trips to the bank on payday, ask your employer to directly deposit your paycheck. You'll get your money faster that way too. 17. Open a Window to reduce AC usage

25. Support your local farmer Fruit, vegetables, meat and milk produced closer to home rack up fewer "petroleum miles" than products trucked cross-country to your table. 26. Plant a bamboo fence Bamboo makes a beautiful fence, and because it grows so quickly (as much as 1 ft. a day or more, depending on the species), it absorbs more CO2 than, say, a rosebush. Most homeowners have to restrict its growth, lest it get out of control. Do this, however, and you reduce bamboo's capacity as a carbon sink. 27. Straighten up and fly right to reduce air mileage Until we can travel by fireplace, Harry Potter-style, the only way to get from Los Angeles to London is by carbon-spewing jet airliner. One simple change can help: adjust the exit and entry points each nation sets for its airspace so that planes can fly in as straight a line as possible. 28. Have a green wedding You won't be able to stop global warming on your wedding day, but your choices can lessen the carbon footprint of your event. For example, if your guests are

traveling long distances, offset the carbon emissions from their trips with a donation to renewable—energy projects. 29. Remove the tie, wear casual to reduce body heat and usage of AC How can a tie help fight climate change? When you leave it at home. In the "cool biz" summer of 2005, Japanese salarymen swapped their trademark dark blue business suits for open collars and light tropical colors. It was all part of the Japanese government's effort to save energy by keeping its office temperatures at 82.4F throughout the summer. The policy caused sartorial confusion but did make a dent in Japan's rising carbon emissions. In one summer, Japan cut an estimated 79,000 tons of CO2. If U.S. businesses eased off on their arctic-level air-conditioning, the gains could be significant. Time to make every summer day casual Friday? 30. Shut off your computer A screen saver is not an energy saver. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, 75% of all the electricity consumed in the home is standby power used to keep electronics running when those TVs, DVRs, computers, monitors and stereos are "off." The average desktop computer, not including the monitor, consumes from 60 to 250 watts a day. Compared with a machine left on 24/7, a computer that is in use four hours a day and turned off the rest of the time would save you about $70 a year. The carbon impact would be even greater. Shutting it off would reduce the machine's CO2 emissions 83%, to just 63 kg a year.

One of the most ambitious of the Kyoto Protocol's plans to help cut greenhouse gases was the Clean Development Mechanism, through which companies in the rich world could earn credit not for reducing their own emissions but for investing in energy efficient projects in the developing world. The idea, which was included in the Kyoto Protocol at the insistence of the U.S., has helped create a global trade in carbon credits, in addition to the broader emissions-trading market. So far, hundreds of projects have been approved, some two-thirds of them in just three countries: Brazil, China and India. Together, the projects save the equivalent of about 115 million tons of carbon dioxide per year, and range from installing more energy efficient machinery in paper and cardboard factories to building wind turbines to generate renewable power. Pay For Your Carbon Sins Feeling full of climate-change guilt, Americans are snapping up carbon offsets from Web-based retailers and nonprofits. Unlike mandatory allowances, offsets allow consumers to pay voluntarily to reduce carbon emissions by a quantity equal to their estimated contribution. The money typically funds clean-energy projects, pollution control, tree planting and forest conservation. But offsets are picking up skeptics along with customers. Critics say consumers have little assurance that the projects they underwrite really reduce emissions and warn that those buying offsets may sometimes pay for improvements that would have happened anyway. They also argue that carbon-offset trading distracts from the urgent need to change U.S. policies to address global warming. 37. Think Outside the Packaging

31. Wear eco-friendly eye shadow Bright green may not be in this season, but eco-friendly makeup has trend written all over it. Not long ago, Cargo Cosmetics launched PlantLove, a botanical lipstick packaged in a 100% biodegradable tube made of polylactic acid—a corn-based renewable resource. When the tube is empty, plant it in the ground, and it sprouts flowers. The product represents only a sliver of the $50 billion industry in the U.S., but it's growing fast. The market for organic personal-care products will increase more than 8% this year. 32. Kill the Lights At Quitting Time Assigning an office switch-off monitor might sound a little like third grade, but it could cut carbon emissions by reducing electricity use, not to mention extending equipment life and lowering maintenance costs. Air conditioners and overhead lights can be timed for turnoff: Aim for off-peak energy use to be about one-fifth of peak use. In the morning, the switch-on monitor takes over.

Paper or plastic? How about neither? All those Styrofoam peanuts and impregnable plastic CD cases cost energy to manufacture and deliver, and that means carbon. You can reduce the amount of packaging with a little consumer vigilance. Give back the extra napkins or unwanted sugar packets; carry that gallon of milk by its handle. True eco-nerds will even bring their own cup to a Starbucks. 38. Make Your Garden Grow The U.S. spends more than $5 billion a year on fossil-fuel-derived fertilizers that leak chemicals into the ground and accelerate the release of nitrous oxide—a greenhouse gas. Try alternatives, from old-fashioned compost to grass clippings, which contain about 4% nitrogen. More adventurous gardeners use a homemade fertilizer mix that includes seaweed extracts for potassium and fish proteins and oils for nitrogen. Or go native and embrace wildflowers and indigenous grasses. Weeds are a matter of taste. 39. Get a Carbon Budget

33. Rearrange the Heavens and the Earth What if we could build a giant mirror in space to deflect the sun's energy? Or inject sulfur into the stratosphere to cool the earth? Scientists are examining such sci-fi methods as a gigantic Plan B should efforts to end carbon emissions fail. Geoengineering, as the field is called, involves rearranging the environment on a planetary scale. Implementing this feat however is very costly.

The essential injustice of global warming is that the poor will suffer the worst effects while contributing far less to carbon emissions than the rich. So here's a radical solution: divide greenhouse-gas emissions by population, and give everyone in the world the right to emit the same amount of carbon—a personal carbon allowance. 40. Fill Up Your Car With Passengers

34. Rake in the Fall Colors - Avoid using gas-powered leaf blower Few things rip through the serenity of a Sunday in suburbia like the 70-db wail of a gas-powered leaf blower. Improvements have been made to make them more efficient, but using that motorized hurricane for just an hour still sucks down 1 pt. of gas and oil. With more than 30 million acres of lawn in the U.S., it's a high price to pay for a job that can be done almost as well, if somewhat more slowly, with a rake. Besides, you can't lean on a leaf blower when you're done. 35. End the Paper Chase Americans recycled 42 million tons of paper last year—50% of what they used— but still pulverized the rest. Paper does grow on trees: 900 million of them every year become pulp and paper. We can reduce that number by buying more recycled paper. It uses 60% less energy than virgin paper. Each ton purchased saves 4,000 kW-h of energy, 7,000 gal. of water and 17 trees, and a tree has the capacity to filter up to 60 lbs. of pollutants from the air. 36. Play the Carbon-Emissions Trading Market (and Trade Carbon for Capital) To cut back on carbon, environmentalists are using the force of the free market. In carbon-emissions trading, the government puts a cap on how much carbon an industry is allowed to emit from power plants, factories and cars. Innovative companies could meet those caps through actual reductions and earn carbon "credits," which they could sell to industry laggards.

The next time you get behind the wheel of your car, turn to the passenger seat. Chances are, it's empty. In most of the U.S., the single-occupant driver still reigns supreme. Nearly 80% of people drive to work alone; about 38% drive alone in general. 41. Move to London's New Green Zone Homes in London account for 44% of the city's CO2 emissions, more than twice the amount spewed out through transport. Worse still, the city needs to add 35,000 more every year to keep up with London's ballooning population. That's why, on a brownfield site in the city's docklands, builders plan in 2010 to open the city's first large-scale zero-carbon housing development. 42. Check Your Car's Tires So you own a plain-vanilla, nonhybrid, American-made gas guzzler and can't afford (or can't wait for) a hybrid. Now what? Just giving your engine a tune-up can improve gas mileage 4% and often much more. Replacing a clogged air filter can boost efficiency 10%. And keeping tires properly inflated can improve gas mileage more than 3%. The bottom line? If you can boost your gas mileage from 20 to 24 m.p.g., your old heap will put 200 fewer pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere each year. 43. Make One Right Turn After Another United Parcel Service took a detour to the right on its way to curb CO2 emissions.

In 2004, UPS announced that its drivers would avoid making left turns. The time spent idling while waiting to turn against oncoming traffic burns fuel and costs millions each year. A software program maps a customized route for every driver to minimize lefts. In metro New York, UPS has reduced CO2 emissions by 1,000 metric tons since January. Today 83% of UPS facilities are heading in the right direction; within two years, the policy will be adopted nationwide. 44. Plant a Tree in the Tropics It seems like simple arithmetic: a tree can absorb up to a ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime, so planting one should be an easy way to mitigate climate change. Turns out it's not so simple. Recent studies have shown that trees in temperate latitudes—including most of the U.S.—actually have a net warming effect on the climate. The heat that dark leaves absorb outweighs the carbon they soak up. 45. If You Must Burn Coal, Do it Right The poor coal plant: not only does it emit environment-damaging compounds, but even the newest (which can cost as much as $3 billion to build) lose more than half the heat generated when the coal is burned. But in co-generation power plants, that excess heat is captured and reused for domestic and industrial heating, nearly doubling a plant's efficiency. The process is similar to what goes on in your car— think of the engine as a mini cogeneration plant. When the engine runs, it create excess heat while driving the car, and in cold weather, that waste product is used to warm the car. 46. Drive Green on the Scenic Route when your are on vacation Going on vacation doesn't have to mean leaving your green conscience at home. The car-sharing service Zipcar rents hybrids cars in five U.S. cities, Toronto and London. A few specialty companies offer rental cars that run on biodiesel fuel, a clean-burning substance derived from renewable sources like vegetable oil. 47. Set a Higher Standard for Car's Energy If cars have to meet energy standards, why don't power plants? Carbon-emission standards limiting the amount of CO2 that a new power plant can spew are in place in a handful of states. California's tough new rules virtually exclude new coal plants until clean-coal technology comes on line, and could establish a national standard—just as they might for auto emissions. 48. Be aggressive about passive Georg Zielke, his wife and kids share a five-bedroom "passive house" in Darmstadt, Germany, with heating costs 90% lower than their neighbors'. Extra insulation and state-of-the-art ventilation recycle the energy from passive sources such as body heat, the sun and household appliances to warm the air. 49. Consume Less, Share More, Live Simply The chance to buy a carbon offset—in essence, an emissions indulgence—appeals to the environmental sinner in all of us. But there is an older path to reducing our impact on the planet that will feel familiar to Evangelical Christians and Buddhists alike. Live simply. Meditate. Consume less. Think more. Get to know your neighbors. Borrow when you need to and lend when asked. E.F. Schumacher praised that philosophy this way in Small Is Beautiful: "Amazingly small means leading to extraordinarily satisfying results."