Kids Can Help to Reduce Global Warming

Top Ten Tips

Refuse, Reuse, Recycle

Look for products without a lot of packaging. Use your own canvas bags for shopping instead of plastic or paper bags. It takes energy to make a lot of packaging and to make plastic and paper bags.

  Reuse all items that are reusable. You can reuse paper for writing and solving math problems. Reuse plastic and paper bags and some containers.

  Recycled paper needs less power to manufacture than making paper from trees. Also recycle bottles and cans. If you do you will save more power. We need to give trees more time to make paper.

Compact Fluorescent bulbs

Compact fluorescent light bulbs use two-thirds less energy than regular bulbs, so they save energy. This light bulb lasts much longer – about five years -- and gives off more light than the incandescent bulb.

Turn Offand Disconnect

Electronics

Some even use electricity when they’re turned off but plugged in.

Turning off and disconnecting electronics (television, computers, etc.) when you aren’t using them is important to save energy.

Line Dry Clothes

Dry your clothes on a clothesline outside when it is warm in the summer and spring. The sun and the wind will dry them. It saves energy and reduces the amount of carbon dioxide in the air.

Thermostats

Move your thermostat down in winter and up in summer. When we move our thermostats down in winter we use less heat. If we put it higher in summer, our air conditioning uses less energy. Heating and cooling our homes takes almost half of the energy we use.

Save Electricity

 Cover your water heater with a blanket so that it uses less electricity.

 Start the dishwasher only when it is full.

 Take short showers because they use less water.

 Turn off the water when you’re not using it. (When you brush your teeth turn off the

water when you’re brushing.)

Less Car Travel

Walk, bike, carpool or ride the bus. A car releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. It also uses gas. The less you and your family ride in the car the more energy you save!

Plant Trees

Trees remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. They provide oxygen for us to breathe and we provide carbon dioxide for them to breathe. Plant trees next to houses and buildings to shade them and use less air conditioning.

Buy fresh, local food

Buy locally grown and produced foods. It saves gas because the food is grown closer and does not have to be shipped.Buy fresh food instead of frozen food because it takes energy freeze it and keep it frozen.

Play outside!

When you play outside you aren’t using energy by watching TV, or playing on the computer, or using a lamp to read. Besides, playing outside is just fun.

SourcesAbout.com. Top 10 Things You Can Do to Reduce Global Warming. http://environment.about.com/od/globalwarming/tp/globalwarmtips.htm

An Inconvenient Truth. Take Action. http://www.climatecrisis.net/takeaction/whatyoucando/

Stopglobalwarming.org. Take Action! http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/sgw_actionitems.asp

Nature Conservancy. Climate change: What you can do. http://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/activities/art19630.html

Seventh Generation. Making a difference. http://www.seventhgen.com/making_difference/global_warming/climate_action_list.html

Weather Channel. Global Warming: What You Can Do. http://climate.weather.com/resources/resourcesHighlights.html#147

Environmental Law and Policy Center. Seven Action Steps You Can Take To Help Solve Global Warming Problems. ttp://www.elpc.org/energy/globalwarming/whatyoucando.php